JP2006227141A - Image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image forming apparatus capable of further improving the opening/closing operability of an inversion conveyance unit 60. <P>SOLUTION: The image forming apparatus includes: a housing 50 supporting the inversion conveyance unit 60 composing a door; a first door section 61 which is opened or closed relative to the housing 50 by being rotated around a first rotatory shaft 59 attached to the housing 50; and a second door section 62 which is exposed when the first door section 61 is opened relative to the housing 50, and which is opened or closed relative to the first door section 61 by being rotated around a second rotatory shaft 63 attached to the first door section. In the image forming apparatus, a smooth projecting curved face S is formed on a fixing device 20 detachably held in the housing 50. The smooth projecting curved face S is designed such that when the first door section 61 is closed relative to the housing 50 with the second door section 62 kept opened relative to the first door section 61, the second door section 62 brought into contact with the surface of the smooth projecting surface face S is pushed back in the rotating direction of the second rotatory shaft 63 while the second door section 62 is slid over the surface of the curved face S. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention provides an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, a facsimile machine, a printer, or the like that includes a visible image forming unit such as an inkjet head or an electrophotographic process unit, a housing that includes the visible image forming unit, and a door that opens and closes the housing. It relates to the device.

  Conventionally, as this type of image forming apparatus, the door is exposed to the outside by being opened with respect to the housing, and the second rotation axis is different from the first rotation axis that is an opening / closing fulcrum of the door. In addition, there is known one provided with a swinging body that is swingably supported by the door. For example, the image forming apparatus described in Patent Document 1 is one of them. The image forming apparatus includes a first rotation shaft provided in an apparatus main body as a casing, and a side cover serving as a door that opens and closes the apparatus main body by rotating about the first rotation shaft. Further, the side cover is exposed to the outside by being opened with respect to the apparatus main body, and swings so as to come in contact with and separate from the side cover by rotating about the second rotation shaft provided on the side cover A sheet conveying means as an oscillating body is also provided. In a state where the sheet conveying means is rocked at the first position in contact with the side cover and the side cover is closed to the apparatus main body, the sheet conveying means is supported by the visible image forming means in the apparatus main body and the side cover. A paper conveyance path for conveying the recording paper is formed between the sheet conveyance means. Further, a refeed path is formed between the sheet conveying unit and the side cover. The recording paper forms a toner image on one side in the process of being conveyed through the paper conveyance path formed between the visible image forming means and the sheet conveying means in the apparatus main body. Thereafter, the toner image is also formed on the other surface by being conveyed through the refeed path formed between the sheet conveying means and the side cover and then again being fed into the paper conveyance path. .

  An operator who operates the image forming apparatus having such a configuration opens the side cover with respect to the apparatus main body when a jam of the recording paper occurs in the above-described paper conveyance path. As the side cover is opened, the visible image forming means and the sheet conveying means in the apparatus main body are greatly separated to expose the paper conveying path, so that jammed paper in the paper conveying path can be easily removed. Can be removed. Further, when a jam occurs in the above-described refeed path, after opening the side cover, the sheet conveying means is moved to a second position that is largely separated from the side cover by swinging. Then, by exposing the refeed path, jammed paper in the refeed path can be easily removed.

JP 2001-2330 A

  However, in this image forming apparatus, the door closing operation after removing the jammed paper in the refeed path is troublesome. Specifically, immediately after the jam processing is performed, the sheet conveying means as the swinging body is positioned at the second position that is largely separated from the side cover. In this state, if the side cover is closed with respect to the apparatus main body, the sheet conveying means between the side cover and the apparatus main body is provided with a rib provided on the apparatus main body before the side cover is completely closed. Or the like, or a conveyance roller held by the apparatus main body. Thereafter, in order to completely close the side cover, it is necessary to follow the closing operation of the side cover with the first rotation shaft as a fulcrum, and to swing the sheet conveying means on the second rotation shaft. However, if the sheet conveying means that is restricted by the movement of the conveying roller or the like is forcibly swung with the second rotation shaft as a fulcrum, a considerable force is applied to the hooked portion and the sheet conveying means or The device itself will be damaged. For this reason, after the jammed paper in the refeed path is removed, the sheet conveying means is swung to the contact position with the side cover and locked there, and then the side cover is closed with respect to the apparatus main body. There was a two-step effort.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above background, and an object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus capable of further improving the opening / closing operability of a door such as a side cover.

In order to achieve the above object, the invention of claim 1 provides a visible image forming means for forming a visible image on a sheet-like recording material, a housing containing the visible image forming means, and a housing provided in the housing. A door that opens and closes with respect to the housing by rotating about the first rotation axis formed, and is supported by the door so as to be exposed when the door is opened with respect to the housing. An oscillating body that oscillates between a first position that is in contact with or closest to the door and a second position that is spaced apart from the door by rotating about a second rotation axis provided; In the image forming apparatus, the swinging body that has come into contact with the surface of the swinging body as the door is closed with respect to the housing in a state where the swinging body is in the second position spaced apart from the door. A smooth surface that is pushed toward the rotation direction of the second rotation shaft while sliding on the surface is held in the casing or the inside thereof. It is characterized in that provided on the holder to be.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the image forming apparatus of the first aspect, one of the engaging portion pairs that engage with each other is provided in the casing, and the other is provided in the swinging body, In accordance with the closing operation with respect to the housing, the other of the rocking bodies is engaged with the one of the housings.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the image forming apparatus of the second aspect, a smooth curved surface is provided as the smooth surface.
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the image forming apparatus according to the first, second, or third aspect, the held body is configured to be detachable from the housing, and the held surface is provided with the smooth surface. It is characterized by this.
According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the image forming apparatus according to the fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an in-door recording body transporting means for transporting the recording body while being sandwiched between the door and the swinging body. It is.
According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the image forming apparatus of the fifth aspect, as the visible image forming means, a visible image formed on the surface of the visible image carrier is transferred to a recording medium by a transfer means. And a fixing means for fixing the visible image to the recording material after passing through the visible image forming means, and receiving the recording material after passing through the fixing means. Then, the recording medium conveying means in the door is configured so as to be conveyed and re-supplied toward the visible image forming means.
According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, in the image forming apparatus according to the sixth aspect, the fixing means is provided with the smooth surface on a handle that is gripped by an operator during an attaching / detaching operation to the casing. It is characterized by this.

  In these inventions, in a process in which the door is closed with respect to the housing in a state where the swinging body such as the sheet conveying means is in the second position separated from the door such as the side cover, the second is performed before the door is completely closed. The oscillating body in the position comes into contact with the smooth surface provided on the housing or the held body held inside thereof. The swinging body in contact with the smooth smooth surface without unevenness is pushed back in the rotation direction of the second rotating shaft while sliding on the smooth surface with the closing operation of the door with the first rotating shaft as a fulcrum. . By this pushing back, the rocking body follows the closing operation of the door with the first rotation shaft as a fulcrum, and rotates around the second rotation shaft. And by this rotation, it approaches gradually toward the 1st position which contacts or is closest to a door. For this reason, even if the door is closed while the swinging body is positioned at the second position that is greatly separated from the door, the swinging body is not hooked on a protrusion such as a rib on the casing or a held body held in the casing. It can close smoothly. Therefore, the operation of swinging the swinging body to the first position and locking it to the first position prior to closing the door can be omitted, and the opening / closing operability of the door can be further improved.

Hereinafter, as an image forming apparatus to which the present invention is applied, an embodiment of an electrophotographic printer (hereinafter simply referred to as a printer) will be described.
First, the basic configuration of the printer will be described. FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing the printer. In this figure, this printer includes four process cartridges 6Y, 6M, 6C, and 6K for generating toner images of yellow, magenta, cyan, and black (hereinafter referred to as Y, M, C, and K). Yes. 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. 2, a drum-shaped photoreceptor 1Y, a drum cleaning device 2Y, a charge eliminating device (not shown), a charging device 4Y, a developing device 5Y, and the like. It has. The process cartridge 6Y as an image forming unit can be attached to and detached from the printer main body, and the consumable parts can be replaced at a time.

  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 electrostatic latent image of Y is developed into a Y toner image by a developing device 5Y using a Y developer containing Y toner and a magnetic carrier. Then, intermediate transfer is performed on an 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. The static eliminator neutralizes residual charges on the photoreceptor 1Y after cleaning. By this charge removal, the surface of the photoreceptor 1Y is initialized and prepared for the next image formation. Similarly, in the other color process cartridges (6M, C, K), (M, C, K) toner images are formed on the photoconductors (1M, C, K), and the intermediate transfer belt 8 is in the middle. Transcribed.

  The developing device 5Y has a developing roll 51Y disposed so as to be partially exposed from the opening of the casing. Further, it also includes two conveying screws 55Y, a doctor blade 52Y, a toner density sensor (hereinafter referred to as T sensor) 56Y, and the like that are arranged in parallel to each other.

  In the casing of the developing device 5Y, a Y developer (not shown) including a magnetic carrier and Y toner is accommodated. The Y developer is frictionally charged while being agitated and conveyed by the two conveying screws 55Y, and is then carried on the surface of the developing roll 51Y. Then, after the layer thickness is regulated by the doctor blade 52Y, the layer is conveyed to the developing area facing the Y photoreceptor 1Y, where Y toner is attached to the electrostatic latent image on the photoreceptor 1Y. This adhesion forms a Y toner image on the photoreceptor 1Y. In the developing unit 5Y, the Y developer that has consumed Y toner by the development is returned into the casing as the developing roll 51Y rotates.

  A partition wall is provided between the two transport screws 55Y. By this partition wall, the first supply unit 53Y that accommodates the developing roll 51Y, the right conveyance screw 55Y in the drawing, and the like, and the second supply unit 54Y that accommodates the left conveyance screw 55Y in the drawing are separated in the casing. . The right conveying screw 55Y in the drawing is driven to rotate by a driving means (not shown), and supplies the Y developer in the first supply unit 53Y to the developing roll 51Y while being conveyed from the near side to the far side in the drawing. The Y developer conveyed to the vicinity of the end of the first supply unit 53Y by the right conveyance screw 55Y in the drawing enters the second supply unit 54Y through an opening (not shown) provided in the partition wall. In the second supply unit 54Y, the left conveyance screw 55Y in the drawing is driven to rotate by a driving means (not shown), and the Y developer sent from the first supply unit 53Y is the right conveyance screw 55Y in the drawing. Transport in the reverse direction. The Y developer transported to the vicinity of the end of the second supply unit 54Y by the transport screw 55Y on the left side in the drawing passes through the other opening (not shown) provided in the partition wall, and the first supply unit. Return to 53Y.

  The above-described T sensor 56Y composed of a magnetic permeability sensor is provided on the bottom wall of the second supply unit 54Y and outputs a voltage having a value corresponding to the magnetic permeability of the Y developer passing therethrough. Since the magnetic permeability of the two-component developer containing toner and magnetic carrier shows a good correlation with the toner concentration, the T sensor 56Y outputs a voltage corresponding to the Y toner concentration. This output voltage value is sent to a control unit (not shown). This control unit includes a RAM that stores a Vtref for Y that is a target value of an output voltage from the T sensor 56Y. The RAM also stores M Vtref, C Vtref, and K Vtref data, which are target values of output voltages from a T sensor (not shown) mounted in another developing device. The Y Vtref is used for driving control of a Y toner conveying device to be described later. Specifically, the control unit drives and controls a Y toner conveying device (not shown) so that the value of the output voltage from the T sensor 56Y is close to the Y Vtref, and the Y toner in the second supply unit 54Y. To replenish. By this replenishment, the Y toner concentration in the Y developer in the developing device 5Y is maintained within a predetermined range. The same toner replenishment control using the M, C, and K toner conveying devices is performed for the developing units of the other process units.

  In FIG. 1 described above, an exposure device 7 is disposed below the process cartridges 6Y, 6M, 6C, and 6K in the drawing. The exposure device 7 serving as a latent image forming unit irradiates the respective photosensitive members in the process cartridges 6Y, 6M, 6C, and 6K with a laser beam L emitted based on the image information. By this exposure, electrostatic latent images for Y, M, C, and K are formed on the photoreceptors 1Y, 1M, 1C, and 1K. 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.

  On the lower side of the exposure apparatus 7 in the figure, paper storage means having a paper storage cassette 26, a paper feed roller 27 incorporated therein, and the like are disposed. The paper storage cassette 26 stores a plurality of transfer papers P, which are sheet-like recording bodies, and a paper feed roller 27 is brought into contact with each uppermost transfer paper P. When the paper feeding roller 27 is rotated counterclockwise in the drawing by a driving means (not shown), the uppermost transfer paper P is sent out toward the paper feeding path 70.

  A registration roller pair 28 is disposed near the end of the paper feed path 70. The registration roller pair 28 rotates both rollers so as to sandwich the transfer paper P, but temporarily stops rotating immediately after sandwiching. Then, the transfer paper P is sent out toward a later-described secondary transfer nip at an appropriate timing.

  Above the process cartridges 6Y, 6M, 6C, and 6K, an intermediate transfer unit 15 that moves the intermediate transfer belt 8 that is an intermediate transfer member endlessly while stretching is disposed. The intermediate transfer unit 15 includes a secondary transfer bias roller 19 and a cleaning device 10 in addition to the intermediate transfer belt 8. Also provided are four primary transfer bias rollers 9Y, 9M, 9C, 9K, a secondary transfer backup roller 12, a cleaning backup roller 13, a tension roller 14, and the like. The intermediate transfer belt 8 is endlessly moved in the counterclockwise direction in the figure by the rotational drive of at least one of the rollers while being stretched around these seven rollers. The primary transfer bias rollers 9Y, 9M, 9C, and 9K hold the intermediate transfer belt 8 that is moved endlessly in this manner between the photoreceptors 1Y, 1M, 1C, and 1K to form primary transfer nips. Yes. In these methods, a transfer bias having a polarity opposite to that of toner (for example, plus) is applied to the back surface (loop inner peripheral surface) of the intermediate transfer belt 8. All of the rollers except the primary transfer bias rollers 9Y, 9M, 9C, and 9K are electrically grounded. The intermediate transfer belt 8 sequentially passes through the primary transfer nips for Y, M, C, and K along with the endless movement thereof, and Y, M, and C on the photoreceptors 1Y, M, C, and K are sequentially transferred. , K toner images are superimposed and primarily transferred. As a result, a four-color superimposed toner image (hereinafter referred to as a four-color toner image) is formed on the intermediate transfer belt 8.

  The secondary transfer backup roller 12 sandwiches the intermediate transfer belt 8 between the secondary transfer roller 19 and forms a secondary transfer nip. The visible four-color toner image formed on the intermediate transfer belt 8 is transferred to the transfer paper P at the secondary transfer nip. Then, combined with the white color of the transfer paper P, a full color toner image is obtained. Untransferred toner that has not been transferred onto the transfer paper P adheres to the intermediate transfer belt 8 after passing through the secondary transfer nip. This is cleaned by the cleaning device 10. The transfer paper P on which the four-color toner images are collectively transferred at the secondary transfer nip is sent to the fixing device 20 via the post-transfer conveyance path 71.

  The fixing device 20 forms a fixing nip by a fixing roller 20a having a heat source such as a halogen lamp inside, and a pressure roller 20b that rotates while contacting the roller with a predetermined pressure. The transfer paper P fed into the fixing device 20 is sandwiched between the fixing nips so that the unfixed toner image carrying surface is in close contact with the fixing roller 20a. Then, the toner in the toner image is softened by the influence of heating and pressurization, and the full color image is fixed.

  The transfer sheet P on which the full-color image is fixed in the fixing device 20 exits the fixing device 20 and then reaches a branch point between the paper discharge path 72 and the pre-reversal conveyance path 73. At this branch point, a first switching claw 75 is swingably disposed, and the path of the transfer paper P is switched by the swing. Specifically, by moving the tip of the claw in the direction approaching the pre-reverse feed path 73, the path of the transfer paper P is changed to the direction toward the paper discharge path 72. Further, by moving the tip of the claw in a direction away from the pre-reversal conveyance path 73, the path of the transfer paper P is changed to the direction toward the pre-reversal conveyance path 73.

  When the path to the paper discharge path 72 is selected by the first switching claw 75, the transfer paper P is disposed outside the apparatus after passing through the paper discharge roller pair 100 from the paper discharge path 72. Are stacked on a stack 50a provided on the upper surface of the printer housing. On the other hand, when the path toward the conveyance path 73 before reversal is selected by the first switching claw 75, the transfer paper P enters the nip of the reversing roller pair 21 via the conveyance path 73 before reversal. The reversing roller pair 21 conveys the transfer paper P sandwiched between the rollers toward the stack portion 50a, but reversely rotates the rollers immediately before the rear end of the transfer paper P enters the nip. Due to this reverse rotation, the transfer paper P is transported in the opposite direction, and the rear end side of the transfer paper P enters the reverse transport path 74.

  The reverse conveyance path 74 has a shape extending while curving from the upper side to the lower side in the vertical direction, and the first reverse conveyance roller pair 22, the second reverse conveyance roller pair 23, and the third reverse conveyance in the path. A roller pair 24 is provided. The transfer paper P is transported while sequentially passing through the nips of these roller pairs, so that the upper and lower sides thereof are reversed. After the transfer paper P is turned upside down, it is returned to the paper feed path 70 and then reaches the secondary transfer nip again. Then, this time, the image transfer surface enters the secondary transfer nip while bringing the non-image carrying surface into close contact with the intermediate transfer belt 8, and the second four-color toner image of the intermediate transfer belt is collectively transferred to the non-image carrying surface. The Thereafter, the sheet is stacked on the stack unit 50a outside the apparatus via the post-transfer conveyance path 71, the fixing device 20, the paper discharge path 72, and the paper discharge roller pair 100. A full color image is formed on both sides of the transfer paper P by such reverse conveyance.

  A bottle support portion 31 is disposed between the intermediate transfer unit 15 and the stack portion 50a located above the intermediate transfer unit 15. The bottle support portion 31 is equipped with toner bottles 32Y, 32M, 32C, 32K serving as toner storage portions for storing Y, M, C, and K toners. The toner bottles 32Y, 32M, 32C, and 32K are arranged so as to be arranged at an angle slightly inclined from the horizontal, and the arrangement positions are higher in the order of Y, M, C, and K. The Y, M, C, and K toners in the toner bottles 32Y, 32M, 32C, and 32K are appropriately replenished to the developing units of the process cartridges 6Y, 6M, 6C, and 6K, respectively, by a toner conveyance device that will be described later. These toner bottles 32Y, 32M, 32C, and 32K are detachable from the printer main body independently of the process cartridges 6Y, 6M, 6C, and 6K.

  The reverse conveyance path 74 is formed in the reverse conveyance unit 60, and the reverse conveyance unit 60 includes a side cover 61 and a swing support body 62. Specifically, the side cover 61 of the reverse conveyance unit 60 is supported by the housing 50 so as to rotate about a first rotation shaft 59 provided in the housing 50 of the printer main body. By this rotation, the side cover 61 opens and closes with respect to the housing 50 which is a door support. Further, as shown in FIG. 3, the swing support body 62 of the reversing conveyance unit 60 is exposed to the outside when the side cover 61 is opened with respect to the housing 50, and is provided with a second rotation provided on the side cover 61. It is supported by the side cover so as to rotate about the shaft 63. By this rotation, as shown in FIG. 4, the swing support body 62 swings with respect to the side cover 61 opened from the housing 50.

  In FIG. 1 described above, the swing support 62 is locked at the first position where it contacts the side cover, and the side cover 61 is closed with respect to the housing 50. Yes. The reverse conveyance unit 60 in such a state forms a post-transfer conveyance path 71 and a paper passage path from the fixing device 20 to the outside of the machine between the swing support body 62 and the housing 50. Yes. When the side cover 61 is rotated clockwise in the drawing around the first rotation shaft 59 and opened, the housing 50 and the swinging support body 62 are greatly separated from each other. By this separation, as shown in FIG. 3, the post-transfer conveyance path 71 and the sheet passing path from the fixing device 20 to the outside of the apparatus are exposed to the outside, and jammed paper in these paths can be easily made. Removed.

  When the side cover 61 is opened, one end of the fixing device 20 remaining on the housing 50 side is exposed as shown in the figure. The fixing device 20 can be attached to and detached from the housing 50, and can be attached to and detached from the housing 50 as shown in FIG. 5 by being exposed to the outside as the side cover 61 is opened. Become.

  In the reverse conveyance unit 60, a reverse conveyance path 74 is formed between the side cover 61 and the swing support body 62. As shown in FIG. 4, the reverse conveyance path 74 is configured such that the swing support 62 is swung to the second position away from the side cover 62 with the side cover 61 being opened. Exposed outside. By this exposure, the jammed paper in the reverse conveyance path 74 is easily removed.

  Even if the side cover 61 is opened, most of the transfer unit 15 remains in the casing 50, but only the secondary transfer bias roller 19 supported by the swing support 62 moves to the reverse conveyance unit 60 side. To do.

  In the printer having the above-described configuration, the visible image on which the toner image as the visible image is formed on the transfer paper P by the four process cartridges 6Y, 6M, 6C, 6K, the exposure device 7, the intermediate transfer unit 15 as the transfer means, and the like. Forming means are configured. Further, the reversing conveyance unit 60 having the side cover 61 as a door and the swing support body 62 as a swinging body and the housing 50 as a door support body constitute a door unit. Further, the reverse conveyance path 74 functions as an in-door recording medium conveyance means for conveying the transfer sheet P as a recording medium while being sandwiched between the side cover 61 and the swing support body 62.

Next, a characteristic configuration of the printer will be described.
FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the fixing device 20 of the printer. In the figure, the fixing roller 20a and the pressure roller 20b described above are accommodated in a casing made of resin or the like of the fixing device 20. A handle 20c is projected from both ends of the casing in the longitudinal direction (roller axis direction). The operator lifts the fixing device 20 by gripping these handles 20c and attaches / detaches the fixing device 20 to / from the printer housing (50). The outer surface of the handle 20c is a smooth, smooth convex surface without subtle irregularities or roughness. In a state where the fixing device 20 is mounted in the printer housing 50 shown in FIG. 4, the curved direction of the smooth convex curved surface is a surface direction perpendicular to the axis of the second rotating shaft 63 of the reversing conveyance unit 60. ing. Needless to say, the rotational direction of the swing support 62 is also a surface direction orthogonal to the axis of the second rotational shaft 63.

  FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the swinging support 62 viewed from the housing (50) of the printer. In the figure, a recessed portion A that is recessed in a curved shape is formed on the front side of the swing support 62 that faces the housing (50). As shown in FIG. 3, the fixing device 20 set in the housing 50 is in a state in which one end side thereof protrudes from the end surface of the housing 50. For this reason, in order for the reverse conveyance unit 60 to be completely closed with respect to the housing 50, it is necessary to allow the protruding portion of the fixing device 20 from the housing 50 to be received in the reverse conveyance unit 60. The recess A of the swing support body 62 shown in FIG. 7 is for receiving this protruding portion, and has the same recess shape as the protruding shape of the protruding portion. On the side of the swing support 62 facing the housing (50), two positioning members 64 are provided above the recess A so as to protrude toward the housing (50). .

  FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing one of the positioning members 64. In the figure, the positioning member 64 has a rectangular parallelepiped base portion 64a and a protruding portion 64b protruding from the surface thereof toward a housing (50) (not shown). The projecting portion 64b is composed of four blade members 64c projecting in a cross shape on the surface of the base portion 64a, and the four blade members 64c hold a predetermined gap so as not to contact at the intersection of the cross. To be fixed.

  FIG. 9 is a partial perspective view showing an exposed portion of the housing 50 when the side cover (61) (not shown) is opened. As shown in the figure, in the state where the side cover (61) is opened, the smooth convex curved surfaces of the grips 20c respectively provided at both ends in the longitudinal direction of the transfer device 20 are not shown from the end of the housing 50 to the reverse conveyance unit (60) not shown. Protrusively toward. A pin receiving member 80 having a round hole 80a opening toward the outside of the housing is fixed in the housing 50 directly above the two handles 20c. Each pin receiving member 80 receives a protrusion (64b in FIG. 8) of a positioning member provided on a swing support (62) (not shown) into the round hole 80a and engages with the positioning member. By this engagement, when the side cover (61) is closed with respect to the housing 50, the swing support (62) is positioned with respect to the housing 50. In such a configuration, the pin receiving member 80 and the positioning member (64) constitute an engaging portion pair that engages with each other.

  FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram showing the closing operation of the side cover 61 in the printer. Immediately after the jam processing in the reverse conveyance path 74 is performed, the side cover 61 is opened with respect to the housing 50 and the swing support body 62 is in the second position separated from the side cover 61 as shown in the figure. It is in a state. More specifically, the swing support body 62 is positioned between the side cover 61 and the housing 50 and is largely separated from the side cover 61. From this state, it is assumed that the side cover 61 is rotated in the direction of arrow a in the figure and closed with the first support shaft 59 as a fulcrum while the swing support 62 is positioned at the second position. Then, as shown in the drawing, the positioning member 64 of the swing support body 62 eventually comes into contact with the smooth convex curved surface S of the handle 20c of the fixing device 20 protruding from the end of the housing 50. Thereafter, when the side cover 61 is further rotated in the direction of arrow a in the drawing with the first rotation shaft 59 as a fulcrum, the positioning member 64 of the swing support 62 moves on the smooth smooth convex curved surface S without roughness. While sliding, it approaches toward the pin receiving member 80 in the housing 50. In this process, the smooth convex curved surface S of the handle 20c pushes back the swing support body 62 in the direction of the arrow b in the figure with the second rotation shaft 63 as a fulcrum at the contact portion with the positioning member 64. By this pushing back, the swing support body 62 is rotated in the direction using the second rotation shaft as a fulcrum in association with the closing operation of the side cover 61 using the first rotation shaft 59 as a fulcrum. Is gradually brought closer to the first position in contact with the side cover 61. Thus, even when the side cover 61 is closed with the swing support 62 positioned at the second position, the swing support 62 is held in the protrusions such as the ribs of the housing 50 or the object to be held in the housing 50. It can be smoothly swung to the first position without being caught by the fixing device 20 as a holding body.

  When the side cover 61 is completely closed with respect to the housing 50, the protrusion 64 b of the positioning member 64 of the swing support body 62 is inserted into the round hole 80 a of the pin receiving member 80 in the housing 50 to support the swing support. Positioning of the body 62 with respect to the housing 50 is performed. Note that the side cover 61 is engaged with a locking mechanism provided in the housing 50, so that the rotation operation is locked. And the positioning with respect to the housing 50 is made | formed by engagement with this latching mechanism.

  The handle 20c forming the smooth convex curved surface S of the fixing device 20 may be made of a metal material or a resin material, but is rubbed against the positioning member 64 of the swing support 62. Therefore, it is desirable to use a material having a small friction coefficient. A polyacetal having excellent strength, lightness, small friction coefficient, and low cost is suitable. The same applies to the material of the positioning member 64.

  In the swing support member 62, the portion that is rubbed against the smooth convex curved surface S of the fixing device 20 first contacts the smooth convex curved surface S of the entire swing support member 62 with the closing operation of the side cover 61. It is necessary to make a place to do. It is desirable to devise the structure of the swing support 62 so that the position becomes the positioning member 64. In this way, as the side cover 61 is closed, the positioning member 64 that is in contact with the smooth convex curved surface S is guided to the engagement position with the pin receiving member 80 by the smooth convex curved surface S, thereby ensuring both. This is because it becomes possible to engage with.

  FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram showing an aspect when the side cover 61 is closed in a state where the fixing device is forgotten to be attached to the housing 50. In this case, when the side cover 61 is closed, there is nothing on the housing 50 side that strikes the positioning member 64 of the rocking support body 62, so that the rocking support body 62 is directed to the housing 50 side larger than the original posture. Lean. Then, the positioning member 64 of the swing support 62 enters the fixing device housing space in the housing 50, and eventually the tip of the swing support 62 hits the housing 50 and is caught. In such a state, the side cover 61 can no longer be closed. In order to completely close the side cover 61, it is necessary to pull out the swinging support body 62 biting into the fixing device housing space in the housing 50 after the side cover 61 is opened again. When the operator pulls out, the operator notices that the fixing device is forgotten. That is, in this printer, the fixing device is provided with a smooth convex curved surface, so that the closing operation of the side cover 61 when the fixing device is forgotten to be mounted on the housing 50 is disabled and the user forgets to mount it. it can. As a result, unlike the conventional case, even if the fixing device is not energized or detected by a detection sensor that detects the fixing device, it is possible to reduce the cost by notifying the operator of the forgetting to install the fixing device. Can be achieved.

  FIG. 12 is a main part configuration diagram showing a reversal conveyance unit 60 in a modified apparatus of the printer. In this modified apparatus, the above-described reversing roller pair 21 is provided not in the casing 50 but in the reversing conveyance unit 60. For this reason, the switchback operation is performed not in the housing 50 but in the reverse conveyance unit 60. The switchback operation is an operation in which the fixed transfer paper P is conveyed to a certain degree by the normal rotation of the reverse roller pair 21 and then switched back toward the reverse conveyance path 74 by the reverse rotation of the reverse roller pair 21. Even in such a configuration, the transport unit can be closed naturally by restricting the movement of the swing support body 62 accompanying the closing operation of the side cover 61 by the smooth convex curved surface S provided in the fixing device 20. In this modified apparatus, the reverse conveyance unit 60 becomes heavier than the configuration shown in FIG. 1 for convenience of switchback in the reverse conveyance unit 60. Then, since the operator performs the opening / closing operation of the reversing conveyance unit 60 with a stronger force, it is difficult to control the delicate force adjustment. For this reason, when the side cover 61 is closed, even if the swing support body 62 to which the present invention is not applied is hooked on the housing 50 or the like while being open with respect to the side cover 61, a certain strong force is generated at that time. Is exerted on the side cover 61 to apply a considerable inertial force, so that the swing support 62 is easily damaged. Therefore, the application of the present invention is particularly effective.

  So far, the example in which the present invention is applied to a printer that forms an image by an electrophotographic method has been described. However, the present invention can be applied to an image forming apparatus that forms an image by another method such as a direct recording method or an inkjet recording method. Applicable. This direct recording method is not related to the latent image carrier, but forms a pixel image by directly adhering a toner group that has been ejected in a dot shape from a toner flying device to a recording medium or an intermediate recording medium. In this method, a toner image is directly formed on an intermediate recording medium.

  As described above, in the printer according to the embodiment, the pin receiving member 80 that is one of the pair of engaging portions that engage with each other is provided on the casing 50, and the other positioning member 64 is provided on the swing support 62. The positioning member 64 of the swing support body 62 is engaged with the pin receiving member 80 of the housing 50 in accordance with the closing operation of the cover 61 with respect to the housing 50. In such a configuration, the swing support 62 after the side cover 61 is closed can be positioned with respect to the housing 50 by the engagement between the positioning member 64 and the pin receiving member 80.

  In the printer according to the embodiment, a smooth convex curved surface S that is a smooth curved surface is provided as a smooth surface on which the swing support 62 is slid on its own surface. In such a configuration, the moving direction of the swing support body 62 with the first rotation shaft 59 as a fulcrum is smoother and the second rotation shaft 63 is a fulcrum than when a straight smooth surface is provided. Can be converted into directions. Therefore, the closing operation of the side cover 61 with the swing support 62 opened can be performed more smoothly, and the closing operability can be further improved.

  Further, in the printer according to the embodiment, the fixing device 20 that is a holding body is configured to be detachable from the housing 50, and the smoothing curved surface S is provided in the fixing device 20. In this configuration, as described above, when the fixing device 20 is forgotten to be mounted on the housing 50, the side cover 61 cannot be closed with the swing support 62 opened, and the mounting device 20 is forgotten to be mounted. It becomes possible to notice. As a result, the operator can be made aware of forgetting to attach the fixing Sut 20 at a lower cost.

  Further, in the printer according to the embodiment, the reversal conveyance path 74 serving as the recording medium conveying means in the door that conveys the transfer paper P, which is a sheet-shaped recording medium, while being sandwiched between the side cover 61 and the swing support 62, It is provided in the reverse conveyance unit 60 which is a part of the door unit. By opening the swing support body 62 with respect to the side cover 61, the jammed paper in the reverse conveyance path 74 can be easily removed.

  In the printer according to the embodiment, as the visible image forming unit, a toner image formed on the surface of the intermediate transfer belt 8 that is a visible image carrier is transferred to the transfer paper P by the transfer unit 15, and A fixing device 20 for fixing the toner image to the transfer paper P after passing through the visible image forming means is provided, and the transfer paper P after passing through the fixing device 20 is received and then directed to the visible image forming means. The reversal conveyance path 74 is configured so as to be conveyed and re-supplied. In such a configuration, the transfer paper P on which the toner image is formed on one surface is re-supplied to the visible image forming means by a so-called switchback method, so that the toner image can be formed on the other surface. . That is, a toner image can be automatically formed on both sides of the transfer paper P.

  Further, in the printer according to the embodiment, the smooth convex curved surface S is provided in the fixing device 20 as a held body that is detachably held by the housing 50. In such a configuration, from the function of receiving the transfer sheet P after fixing and re-supplying it to the visible image forming means, the swinging support body 62 that is necessarily positioned near the fixing device 20 in the layout is provided with the fixing device 20. By guiding with the smooth convex curved surface S provided in the layout, it is possible to make a layout with less free space. Furthermore, as described above, when the fixing device 20 is forgotten to be attached to the housing 50, the closing operation of the side cover 61 with the swinging support 62 opened is made impossible and the forgetting to attach it is made. The operator can be made aware.

  In the printer according to the embodiment, as the fixing device 20, a fixing device 20 provided with a smooth convex curved surface S on a handle 20c gripped by an operator when the printer 50 is attached to or detached from the housing 50 is used. In such a configuration, a dedicated member for forming a smooth convex curved surface by providing the smooth convex curved surface S on the handle 20c that inevitably protrudes greatly from the apparatus and has a curved shape due to the function of being gripped. Need not be provided. This can reduce the cost.

1 is a schematic configuration diagram illustrating a printer according to an embodiment. FIG. 3 is an enlarged configuration diagram showing a process cartridge for Y of the printer and its surroundings. FIG. 3 is an enlarged configuration diagram illustrating a reverse conveyance unit and a casing of the printer with a side cover opened. The expansion block diagram which shows the same inversion conveyance unit and housing | casing of the state which rock | fluctuated the rocking | swiveling support body to the 2nd position spaced apart from a side cover. FIG. 3 is an enlarged configuration diagram illustrating the reversing conveyance unit and the housing from which the fixing device is attached and detached. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the fixing device. The perspective view which shows the same rocking | swiveling support body seen from the same housing. The expansion perspective view which shows one of the positioning members of the rocking | fluctuation support body. The fragmentary perspective view which shows the exposed location of the same housing when a side cover is opened. The schematic diagram which shows closing operation | movement of a side cover. The schematic diagram which shows the aspect in the case of closing the same side cover in the state which forgot to mount | wear the same fixing device in the same body. The principal part block diagram which shows the reverse conveyance unit in the modification apparatus of the printer.

Explanation of symbols

6Y, M, C, K Process cartridge (part of visible image forming means)
7 Exposure equipment (part of visible image forming means)
8 Intermediate transfer belt (visible image carrier)
15 Transfer unit (transfer means, part of visible image forming means)
20 Fixing device (held body, fixing means)
50 Housing 59 First rotating shaft 60 Reverse conveyance unit 61 Side cover 62 Oscillating support (oscillating body)
63 Second rotating shaft 64 Positioning member (the other of the engaging portion pair)
74 Reverse conveyance path (recorder conveyance means in door)
80 Pin receiving member (one of the pair of engaging parts)
P Transfer paper (recording medium)
S Smooth convex surface (smooth surface)

Claims (7)

A visible image forming means for forming a visible image on a sheet-like recording body, a housing containing the visible image forming means, and a first rotation shaft provided on the housing; A door that opens and closes with respect to the housing, and is supported by the door so as to be exposed when the door is opened with respect to the housing, and rotates about a second rotation shaft provided on the door. And an oscillating body that oscillates between a first position that contacts or is closest to the door and a second position that is separated from the door.
As the door is closed with respect to the housing in a state where the rocking body is in the second position apart from the door, the rocking body that has come into contact with its surface is slid on the surface. An image forming apparatus, wherein a smooth surface that is pushed toward the rotation direction of the second rotation shaft is provided on the casing or a held body that is held inside the casing. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1.
One of the pair of engaging portions that engage with each other is provided on the casing, the other is provided on the swinging body, and the other of the swinging body is attached to the casing as the door is closed with respect to the casing. An image forming apparatus, wherein the image forming apparatus is engaged with one of the two. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2.
An image forming apparatus comprising a smooth curved surface as the smooth surface. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, 2 or 3.
An image forming apparatus, wherein the held body is configured to be detachable from the housing, and the held surface is provided with the smooth surface. The image forming apparatus according to claim 4.
An image forming apparatus comprising an in-door recording body transporting unit that transports the recording body while sandwiching the recording body between the door and the swinging body. The image forming apparatus according to claim 5.
As the visible image forming means, one that transfers a visible image formed on the surface of the visible image carrier onto a recording medium by a transferring means is used, and the held body is passed through the visible image forming means. Fixing means for fixing the visible image to the subsequent recording body is provided, and after receiving the recording body after passing through the fixing means, it is transported toward the visible image forming means and supplied again. As described above, an image forming apparatus comprising the in-door recording medium conveying means. The image forming apparatus according to claim 6.
An image forming apparatus comprising: a grip provided by an operator when attaching / detaching the housing to the housing, the smooth surface provided with the smooth surface.

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