JP2006251159A - Image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image forming apparatus by simple structure capable of easily performing jam processing. <P>SOLUTION: In the image forming apparatus having a housing main part equipped with an image formation part, a first guide member, a merging guide member and a second guide member and an opening/closing member to be openably/closably attached to the housing main part, a first sheet conveyance path is formed by the first guide member and the merging guide member, a second sheet conveyance path is formed by the second guide member and the merging guide member, a merging part where the first sheet conveyance path is merged with the second sheet conveyance path is formed by the first guide member and the second guide member, the first guide member is openably/closably supported to the housing main part interlocked with the opening/closing member and the merging guide member is independently and openably/closably supported to the housing main part. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus using, for example, a printer, a facsimile machine, or a copying machine using an electrophotographic system, an inkjet system, or the like.

  In the paper transport path of the image forming apparatus, there is a problem of how to efficiently handle a paper jam that occurs inside. In order to perform the jam processing, the operator usually removes the jammed paper by opening the exterior cover on the front surface of the apparatus main body to expose the inside and then opening the paper conveyance path. Therefore, a cover opening / closing mechanism and a paper transport path opening / closing mechanism excellent in operability are desired.

  A first lever mechanism is provided to open and close the paper conveyance path in conjunction with opening and closing of the first exterior cover, and a second lever mechanism is provided to open and close the second exterior cover in conjunction with opening and closing of the first exterior cover beyond a predetermined angle. Have been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

  In addition, a configuration has been proposed in which two or more swing guide plates for opening two or more parallel sheet conveyance paths open and close in conjunction with opening and closing of the exterior cover (see, for example, Patent Document 2).

JP-A-4-125248 JP-A-10-147451

  In the cover opening / closing device of the paper conveying apparatus described in Patent Document 1, since the second exterior cover is also opened when the first exterior cover is largely opened, a space that can be sufficiently opened outward from the apparatus. Is required, and there is a disadvantage that only one conveyance guide plate can be opened.

  Further, in the paper transport device described in Patent Document 2, a plurality of swing guide plates are configured to open and close in conjunction with the opening / closing operation of the exterior cover, so that the paper transport path with respect to the jam processing direction. In the configuration where the paper is placed in the front and back, when the jammed paper stays in the front paper transport path when the exterior cover is opened, the jammed paper and the rocking guide plate on the back side collide with each other so that it cannot be opened smoothly. In addition, when closing the exterior cover, it is necessary to have a configuration in which the near-side swing guide plate is closed after the back-side swing guide plate is closed, which causes problems such as a complicated mechanism.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and the jam processing direction is limited due to the configuration of the image forming apparatus, and at least two or more paper transport paths are disposed in the front-rear direction when viewed from the jam processing direction. It is another object of the present invention to provide an image forming apparatus having a simple configuration that can easily perform jam processing even in a paper conveyance path with a junction.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention is directed to an image forming unit that forms an image on a sheet material, a first guide member disposed on the front side in the jam processing direction, and facing the first guide member. A merging guide member to be disposed, and a second guide member that is located on the far side in the jam processing direction from the first guide member and is disposed to face the merging guide member and the first guide member. An image forming apparatus comprising: a housing body including: an opening / closing member attached to the housing body so as to be openable and closable;
The first guide member and the merging guide member form a first sheet conveying path, the second guide member and the merging guide member form a second sheet conveying path, and the first guide member and the merging guide member form a second sheet conveying path. The guide member and the second guide member form a merge portion where the first sheet conveyance path and the second sheet conveyance path merge, and the first guide member is interlocked with the opening / closing member. The merging guide member is independently supported to be openable and closable with respect to the housing body.

  According to the present invention, the front guide and the opening / closing member are used even when jamming is performed on at least two or more paper conveyance paths disposed in the front and back direction of the jam processing direction and at a portion with the merging portion. The image forming apparatus can be provided with high operability since the back guide is opened and closed as needed by the operator.

  If the double-sided conveyance path is further provided on the opening / closing member side, the operator opens the double-sided guide and performs jam processing, and then closes the opening / closing member in conjunction with the front-side guide regardless of the open / closed state of the double-sided guide. Since two protrusions are provided on the double-sided guide so that the double-sided guide is forgotten to be closed, damage can be prevented.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a schematic configuration of an embodiment of a copying machine according to the present invention.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the copying machine includes a document table 16 and a reader unit 17 that reads a document image, an image forming unit 300, a set paper feeding unit 400, and a right door unit 500.

  First, the electrophotographic process of this copying machine will be briefly described.

  A document (not shown) placed on the document table 16 is optically read by the reader unit 17, and an image signal thereof is transmitted to the laser scanner unit 18 through an image processing control unit (not shown). The laser scanner unit 18 scans a laser beam from a laser transmission unit (not shown) with a polygon mirror 23 based on the sent image signal, and passes some optical lenses (not shown). An optical path is guided by the folding mirror 24 and irradiated to the photosensitive drum 111. The photosensitive drum 111 forms a latent image by the scanning laser light from the laser scanner unit 18 while rotating in synchronization with the image signal read by the reader unit, and the developing unit 3 as a developing unit visualizes the latent image (development) with toner. ) Is made.

  On the other hand, transfer paper (not shown) is stacked on a paper feed cassette 401 or a manual feed tray 501 provided in the right door 500.

  When printing the transfer paper loaded on the manual feed tray 501, it is picked up by the manual paper feed roller 503, and conveyed along the first paper conveyance path 502 to the registration roller 505 by the first conveyance roller 504.

  When printing the transfer paper loaded in the paper feed cassette 401, the paper is picked up by the cassette paper feed roller 403 and conveyed to the registration roller 505 by the second conveyance roller 404 along the second paper conveyance path 402. Is done.

  The transfer sheet conveyed from the first sheet conveyance path or the second sheet conveyance path described above is sent to the registration roller 505 in alignment with the transfer unit 116, and the developer image formed on the photosensitive drum 111. Is transferred onto a transfer sheet fed by the transfer unit 116. The transfer sheet on which the developer image is transferred is conveyed to the fixing unit 117, and the fixing unit 117 fixes the developer image on the transfer sheet by heat-pressing the transfer sheet.

The transfer sheet that has passed through the fixing unit 117 reaches the discharge roller 118 and is discharged to the discharge tray 119 in the single-sided printing mode. In the duplex printing mode, when the rear end of the transfer sheet passes through the reverse flapper 506 that is rotatably supported, a sensor (not shown) detects and the discharge roller 118 rotates in the reverse direction. The reverse flapper 507 also has a function of guiding the transfer paper to the double-sided conveyance path 507, so that the transfer paper is conveyed along the double-sided conveyance path 507,
It joins the first paper conveyance path 502 described above and reaches the registration roller 505. Thereafter, the image passes through the transfer unit 116 and the fixing unit 117, and an image is printed on the back surface of the transfer surface described above, and is discharged to the discharge tray 119 by the discharge roller 118.

  Here, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS.

  2 is a detailed view of a portion X in FIG. 1, FIG. 3 is a view showing a state where the right door unit 500 is opened, and FIG. 4 is a view showing a state where the double-sided guide 604 is opened.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the right door unit 500 includes a right door frame 600, a double-sided guide 604, a stopper 605, a compression spring 606 that urges the stopper in the direction of the arrow 606a, and a manual feed tray (not shown in FIGS. 2 to 4). Become.

  Further, the first sheet conveyance path 502 described above is formed by the swing guide 603 and the merge guide 602, and the above-described second sheet conveyance path 402 is formed by the pre-registration guide 601 and the merge guide 602. The swing guide 603 is supported by the shaft portion of the registration roller (driven) 505a.

  Further, the rotational force in the direction of arrow 603a is received by a torsion coil spring (not shown) attached to the shaft portion of the registration roller (driven) 505a, but is biased by the stopper 605 (the compression spring 606 in the state of FIG. 2). 2 is held in the state shown in FIG. 2 (because the applied pressure is stronger than the rotational force described above). The merging guide 602 receives a rotational force in the direction of the arrow 602a by a torsion coil spring (not shown) attached to a boss 602b that is a part of the shape of the merging guide 602. For this reason, the state shown in FIG. 2 is maintained.

  Here, a jam processing method for each conveyance path will be described.

  First, when the jammed paper S stays in the first paper transport path described above, the operator presses a lock release button (not shown) attached to the right door unit 500, and the right door unit 500 is centered on the fulcrum 600b. Is opened in the direction of arrow 500a. The right door unit 500 is held in a state shown in FIG. 3A because it is connected to a frame body (not shown) in which the image forming unit 300 is disposed by a connecting lever (not shown). Further, the swing guide 603 is released in the direction of the arrow 603a because the biasing force by the stopper 605 is released, and the first paper transport path is exposed and the jammed paper S is removed as shown in FIG. be able to.

  When the jammed paper S stays in the second paper conveyance path described above, the operator further rotates the joining guide 602 in the direction of the arrow 602a ′ from the state of FIG. When the operator holds the joining guide 602 in the state shown in FIG. 3B with one hand, the second paper transport path is exposed, and the jammed paper S can be removed with the other hand. After the jam processing ends, the operator releases his / her hand from the joining guide 602, so that the joining guide 602 rotates in the direction 602a by the biasing force of the torsion coil spring described above, and returns to the state of FIG.

  When the jammed paper S stays in the double-sided conveyance path 507 described above, the operator rotates the double-sided guide 604 in the direction of the arrow 604a around the fulcrum 604b, as shown in FIG. 4A. The conveyance path is exposed and the jammed paper S can be removed.

  Next, an operation for closing the right door unit 500 after the jam processing will be described.

  First, in the state shown in FIG. 4A (the state where the double-sided guide 604 is opened), when the operator closes the right door unit 500 by rotating it in the direction of the arrow 500a ′, the right door unit 500 is moved in the direction of the arrow 500a ′. When rotated by a predetermined angle, as shown in FIG. 4B, the stopper 605 starts to push the protruding portion 603b which is a part of the shape of the swing guide 603, and the swing guide 603 rotates in the direction of the arrow 603a ′. .

  The double-sided guide 604 also contacts a frame body (not shown) in which the image forming unit 300 described above is disposed when the right door unit 500 is rotated by a predetermined angle. After contact, the double-sided guide 604 rotates in the direction of the arrow 604a 'as the right door unit 500 rotates. Finally, the right door unit 500 is locked by a latch (not shown) with respect to the above-described frame (not shown), and enters the state shown in FIG.

  Next, when the operator rotates the right door unit 500 in the direction of the arrow 500a ′ in the state shown in FIG. 3 (the state where the double-sided guide 604 is closed), the right door unit 500 is moved in the direction of the arrow 500a ′ by a predetermined angle. When rotated, as shown in FIG. 5, the protruding portion 604c of the double-sided guide 604 starts to push the protruding portion 603b of the swinging guide 603, and the swinging guide 603 rotates in the direction of the arrow 603a ′, and finally FIG. It will be in the state shown in.

  As described above, it is possible to easily perform the jam processing regardless of the paper conveyance path where the jam occurs, and it is possible to provide an image forming apparatus with high operability.

1 is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating a schematic configuration of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a detailed view of a portion X in FIG. 1. It is a figure which shows the state which opened the right door unit. It is a figure which shows the state which opened the double-sided guide. It is a figure which shows the state of the process of closing a right door unit.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 300 Image formation part 400 Cassette paper feed part 500 Right door unit 502 1st paper conveyance path 402 2nd paper conveyance path 603 Swing guide 602 Merge guide 604 Double-sided guide 604C Double-sided guide protrusion part 605 Stopper

Claims (4)

An image forming unit that forms an image on a sheet material; a first guide member that is disposed on the front side in the jam processing direction; a merging guide member that is disposed to face the first guide member; A housing body including a second guide member positioned opposite to the first guide member and disposed opposite the first guide member, and the housing body; An image forming apparatus having an opening and closing member that is detachably attached to the
The first guide member and the merging guide member form a first sheet conveying path, the second guide member and the merging guide member form a second sheet conveying path, and the first guide member and the merging guide member form a second sheet conveying path. The guide member and the second guide member form a merge portion where the first sheet conveyance path and the second sheet conveyance path merge, and the first guide member is interlocked with the opening / closing member. An image forming apparatus, wherein the image forming apparatus is supported to be openable and closable with respect to the housing body, and the merging guide member is independently supported to be openable and closable with respect to the housing body.
The housing body includes a registration roller that sends out a sheet material in alignment with the image forming unit, the registration roller is disposed on the downstream side of the joining unit, and the first guide member includes the registration roller. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image forming apparatus is supported by a fulcrum so that the merging guide member is pivotally supported by a fulcrum provided upstream of the registration roller.
The first guide member includes a first elastic member that urges the housing body in an opening direction, and the merging guide member includes a second elastic member that urges the housing body in a closing direction. The opening / closing member has a protruding portion that urges the first guide member in a closing direction with respect to the housing body in conjunction with a closing operation, and the protruding portion is on the first sheet conveying portion side. 3. A third elastic member that urges the projection member to press against the first guide member in a state in which the opening and closing member is closed with respect to the housing body. Image forming apparatus.
The opening / closing member includes a third conveying unit that merges with the first sheet conveying unit, a third guide member that forms the third conveying unit facing the opening / closing member, and the third guide member. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image forming apparatus is rotatably supported independently of the opening / closing member and includes at least two protrusions.

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