JP2007147842A - Image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To improvet the quality of an image formed on the image forming surface of a photosensitive material by preventing dirt and dust from infiltrating into an apparatus body part by keeping a maintenance door in a closed state even if a magazin exchange door is opened when all the doors are kept in the closed state, and reducing dirt and dust suspended between an fθ lens and an image forming surface in the image forming apparatus equipped with the body part provided with a loading part, in which a magazine for housing photosensitive material is loaded on its inside, and provided with a the magazine maintenance door and the maintenance door in the apparatus body part. <P>SOLUTION: A steel plate 306 is attached to the maintenance door 3b, and a magnet plate 307 is provided in the apparatus body part 1, then the steel plate 306 abuts on the magnet plate 307 when the maintenance door 3a is in the closed state. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus including a main body portion in which a loading portion in which a magazine for storing a photosensitive material is loaded is provided.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as an image forming apparatus used for developing a photograph or the like, a loading unit for loading a magazine for storing a photosensitive material is provided, and the image forming surface of the photosensitive material drawn from the magazine is emitted from, for example, a light source. An image forming apparatus that performs image exposure with a laser beam is known.

  In such an image forming apparatus, the loading section for loading the magazine is disposed in the apparatus main body. The apparatus main body is provided with a magazine replacement door. When the door is in a closed state, the inside of the main body is in a light-shielding state, and when the door is in an open state, the apparatus is in an open state. The magazine replacement door includes a door that can be freely opened and closed in the magazine body. In order to reduce the opening and closing space, a first door (corresponding to a magazine replacement door) and a second door (maintenance door) are provided. (So, for example, see Patent Document 1).

  In this magazine, the magazine is provided with an opening / closing shutter for opening / closing the photosensitive material discharge port and a shutter driving mechanism for causing the shutter to perform an opening / closing operation. The shutter drive mechanism includes a link mechanism connected to the open / close shutter, and the link mechanism is provided with an operation unit for operating the link mechanism.

  The first door is provided with a cam roller as an action portion that acts on the operating portion. The operating part is provided on a member constituting the link mechanism, and here is a contact surface with which the cam roller contacts. When the first door is in the closed state, the cam roller abuts on the abutment surface to operate the link mechanism, thereby keeping the shutter open. That is, the shutter opening / closing mechanism is interlocked with the magazine replacement door. Therefore, when the maintenance door is open, the magazine replacement door is closed, the shutter is opened, and the photosensitive material in the magazine is exposed. Therefore, an open / close order restricting means is provided to restrict the door open / close order. is doing. The opening / closing regulating means includes an opening / closing regulating body that rotates around a pivot fixed to the apparatus main body, and the opening / closing regulating body is biased around the pivot by a spring. When the second door is in a closed state, a cam roller provided on the second door fixes the opening / closing regulating body at a predetermined position against the urging force of the opening / closing regulating body. Only in this state is the first door closed.

On the other hand, the first door is urged by the link mechanism in a direction to open the door when the first door is in a closed state. Protruding claws are provided on each of them, and the projecting claws are engaged with each other so that the closed state can be maintained. In addition, when the second door is in the closed state as described above, the second door is also urged in the opening direction by the opening / closing order restricting body. To prevent the door from opening. That is, the first door and the second door are provided with overlapping surfaces overlapping each other at the boundary portion between the doors when both the doors are closed, and the overlapping surface on the first door side is the first door. 2 is closed so that the overlapping surface on the door side is pressed in the closing direction of the door. And the closed state of the said 2nd door is maintained by fixing the said 1st door with the said protrusion nail | claw.
JP 2000-66353 A

  By the way, in the conventional image forming apparatus, the width size of the photosensitive material that can be processed is limited. For example, it is an apparatus capable of forming an image only on a photosensitive material having a width of 12 inches or less which is generally used frequently. However, with the diversification of customer needs in recent years, not only photosensitive materials having a width of 12 inches or less but also photosensitive materials having a wide size (larger than 12 inches), for example, photosensitive materials having a width of 24 inches, can be used in one image forming apparatus. An image forming apparatus that can be processed has been demanded. When considering such an image forming apparatus, normally, light emitted from a light source is irradiated to an image forming surface via an fθ lens, but it is necessary to increase the focal length of the fθ lens. Accordingly, the amount of dust or dust floating between the fθ lens and the image forming surface increases, so that an optimal image cannot be formed. Usually, since the light source and the fθ lens are disposed in the apparatus main body, the apparatus main body needs to be configured so that dust and dirt do not enter the apparatus main body. However, a magazine is accommodated in the main body of the apparatus, and it is necessary to open the door by opening the door when replacing the magazine. Therefore, it is desirable to make the apparatus main body opening portion formed by opening the door as small as possible in the magazine replacement operation.

  However, in the conventional image forming apparatus, the second door itself is not provided with a mechanism for keeping the closed state, and the first door is used, that is, provided in the first door as described above. The above-mentioned second closed state was maintained using the obtained polymerization surface. Therefore, when the first door (corresponding to the magazine replacement door) is opened, the second door (corresponding to the maintenance door) is also opened. For this reason, both the doors are opened when the magazine is replaced, and there is a problem that dust and dust enter the apparatus main body from the open portion.

  The present invention has been made in view of such points, and an object of the present invention is to allow dust to enter the apparatus main body during magazine replacement or maintenance of various devices in the above-described image forming apparatus. An image that can reduce the amount of dust and dust, thereby reducing dust and dust floating between the fθ lens and the image forming surface, and improving the image quality of the image formed on the image forming surface. It is to provide a forming apparatus.

  In order to achieve the above object, according to the present invention, when at least one of the magazine replacement doors is opened when all of the doors are closed, the magazine body and the maintenance door are Closed state holding means for holding the maintenance door in the closed state is provided.

  Specifically, the invention of claim 1 is directed to an image forming apparatus including a main body portion in which a loading portion into which a magazine for storing a photosensitive material is loaded is provided.

  The main body has at least one magazine replacement door for replacing the magazine, and at least one maintenance door for performing maintenance and inspection of the equipment accommodated in the main body. When the magazine replacement door and the maintenance door are all closed, the interior is shielded from light, and when the magazine replacement door and the maintenance door are all in the closed state, at least one When one of the magazine replacement doors is opened, it is configured to include closed state holding means for holding the maintenance door in a closed state.

  With this configuration, it is possible to reduce dust and dust from entering the apparatus main body when replacing the magazine. That is, since the maintenance door is kept closed even when the magazine replacement door is opened, the opening formed in the image forming apparatus main body can be reduced by opening the door. Thus, the amount of dust and dust entering from the opening can be reduced. Accordingly, for example, in an image forming apparatus that exposes an image forming surface of a photosensitive material with light emitted from a light source, dust floating between an fθ lens provided in the apparatus main body and the image forming surface The amount of dust is reduced, so that the formed image is of high quality with little influence of the dust.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the image forming apparatus according to the first aspect, the magazine replacement door comprises a single door and is formed corresponding to the loading portion.

  With this configuration, it is possible to minimize the size of the opening formed in the main body of the apparatus by opening the magazine replacement door when replacing the magazine within a range where the magazine can be replaced. Accordingly, the amount of dust and dust entering from the open portion can be reduced, and thus the image quality of the formed image can be improved in the image forming apparatus as described above.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the image forming apparatus according to the first or second aspect, the magazine includes a discharge port for discharging the photosensitive material accommodated in the magazine to the outside of the magazine, and opening and closing the discharge port. An opening / closing shutter to be opened, a shutter driving mechanism for causing the shutter to perform an opening / closing operation, and an operating portion for operating the driving mechanism, and the magazine replacement door has an action on the operating portion. An action part for operating the shutter drive mechanism is provided, and the opening / closing shutter is opened when the action part acts on the action part when the magazine replacement door is in a closed state, When the magazine replacement door is in the open state, the action of the action part on the action part is released and the magazine exchange door is closed.

  With this configuration, the opening / closing operation of the opening / closing shutter can be performed using the opening / closing operation of the magazine replacement door, so that a dedicated unit for operating the shutter driving mechanism is not required, leading to cost reduction. Further, the labor of the operator can be reduced as compared with the case where the operator himself / herself operates the operating part for operating the shutter opening / closing mechanism.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the image forming apparatus according to the third aspect, the magazine replacement door and the maintenance door are configured such that at least one of the maintenance doors is opened when all the doors are closed. In conjunction with this, there is provided an interlocking mechanism that opens all the magazine replacement doors.

  With this configuration, it is possible to prevent the photosensitive material from being exposed unintentionally by an operator. That is, when all the doors are in the closed state, the opening / closing shutter provided at the magazine photosensitive material discharge port is in the open state. Therefore, if the maintenance door is opened, the maintenance door is opened. The light enters from the opening of the apparatus main body formed by the above, and the photosensitive material is exposed. Therefore, the present invention aims to solve these problems.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, the image forming apparatus according to the third or fourth aspect further comprises door opening / closing regulating means for allowing the magazine replacement door to be closed only when all the maintenance doors are closed. It is comprised so that it may become.

  With this configuration, when all the doors are in an open state, it is possible to prevent the operator from making a mistake in the order of closing the doors. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the photosensitive material from being exposed unintentionally by the operator.

  That is, when a worker performs maintenance and inspection of various devices, the maintenance door is opened and the work is performed. At this time, the magazine replacement is also opened in conjunction with the maintenance door. It is necessary to close these doors promptly after the maintenance work is completed, but the order of closing the doors becomes a problem at this time. When the magazine replacement door is closed first, the magazine opening / closing shutter linked to the magazine replacement door is opened, so that light enters from the opening of the main body of the apparatus formed by opening the maintenance door. The photosensitive material stored in the magazine is exposed. Therefore, it is necessary to close the magazine replacement door after all the maintenance doors are closed. Therefore, this closing order is regulated by the present invention.

  As described above, according to the image forming apparatus of the present invention including the magazine replacement door and the maintenance door, the maintenance door can be opened even when the magazine replacement door is opened when all the doors are closed. Can keep closed. Therefore, when the door is opened, the opening formed in the image forming apparatus main body can be made small, and thereby the amount of dust and dust entering from the opening can be reduced. Therefore, for example, in an image forming apparatus that forms an image by exposing light emitted from a light source to an image forming surface of a photosensitive material through an fθ lens, dust floating between the fθ lens and the image forming surface Since dust can be reduced, the image quality of the image formed on the image forming surface can be improved.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. It should be noted that the following description of the preferred embodiment is merely illustrative in nature, and is not intended to limit the present invention, its application, or its use.

<Overall configuration of photo processing system>
FIG. 1 is a partial cross-sectional view showing a configuration of a photographic processing system provided with an image forming apparatus A according to the present invention. The photographic processing system shown in FIG. 1 acquires image data, prints and exposes an image on an emulsion surface (corresponding to an image forming surface) of paper P (corresponding to a photosensitive material) based on the image data, and prints a photographic print. Has the ability to create. This photographic processing system scans frame images formed on developed photographic film and uses it for film scanners (not shown) for acquiring image data, storage media for digital cameras, and other recording media. A media reading unit (not shown) for reading stored image data is provided.

  The paper magazines 50 and 60 shown in FIG. 1 respectively accommodate the paper P as roll-shaped paper P wound in a roll shape. The paper magazines 50 and 60 are provided in the image forming apparatus main body 2. Removably attached to magazine stands 72 and 73 described later. Further, the image forming apparatus main body 1 is provided with a magazine replacement door for replacing the magazines 50 and 60 and a maintenance door 3b for maintaining and inspecting various devices such as the transport unit 6. Yes. The magazines 50 and 60 are formed with an outlet 77 (corresponding to an outlet) for drawing out the photosensitive material P, and the outlet 77 is provided with an opening / closing shutter 402 (see FIG. 18). The open / close shutter 402 is driven by a shutter drive mechanism. The operation of the shutter drive mechanism is performed using the magazine replacement door 3a, and the opening / closing shutter 402 is configured to be in an open state when the magazine replacement door 3a is in a closed state. Further, a door opening / closing regulating means described later is provided between the magazine replacement door 3a and the maintenance door 3b, and the magazine replacement door 3a is closed only when the maintenance door 3b is in a closed state. Can do. When the magazine replacement door 3a and the maintenance door 3b are both closed, the shutter 402 provided at the photosensitive material outlet 77 of the magazines 50 and 60 is opened, depending on the print size and the like. The paper P is pulled out from the outlet 77 of the selected one of the paper magazines 50 (or 60), and is conveyed along a predetermined conveyance path. The direction of the paper P drawn from the paper magazine 50 (or 60) is changed by the advance roller unit 4, and is cut into a predetermined print size by the paper cutter 5. Then, the cut paper P is transported by the transport unit 6 to the exposure engine 7 located on the downstream side.

  The exposure engine 7 is provided with an upstream exposure transport roller 9a and a downstream exposure transport roller 9b. Between these exposure transport rollers 9a and 9b, an exposure position for exposing the paper P with laser light is set. A paper detection sensor 10 is provided on the upstream side of the exposure conveyance roller 9. When the paper P is fed in, the front end (front end) portion is detected and a signal is output. The paper detection sensor 10 includes a light emitting element that outputs infrared light and a light receiving element that receives the light. By detecting the position of the paper P by the paper detection sensor 10, the exposure start timing at the exposure position can be determined.

  The exposure engine 7 has a known structure, optically modulates laser light output from a laser light source (laser diode or the like) based on image data, and irradiates the paper P with the light-modulated laser light. Thus, image exposure is performed. When performing image exposure, the paper P is transported at a predetermined speed (constant speed) while being sandwiched between the exposure transport rollers 9a and 9b. Since the laser beam is scanned in the main scanning direction orthogonal to the transport direction (sub-scanning direction) of the paper P, an image (latent image) is printed and exposed on the paper P for each line.

  Then, while the image exposure as described above is performed, the paper P is sent to the downstream side of the exposure position by the downstream exposure transport roller 9b. A first transport unit 11 is provided on the downstream side of the exposure engine 7. As will be described in detail later, the first transport unit 11 is provided so as to be rotatable around a predetermined rotation axis, and the second transport unit 12 further receives the paper P delivered by the downstream exposure transport roller 9b. It has a function to pass to. The second transport unit 12 includes a plurality of nipping and transporting roller pairs 12a arranged along the transport path, and a guide plate 12b for forming the transport path, and the transport roller pair 12a is not shown. It is configured to be driven by a mechanism.

  An accommodation space S for temporarily accommodating the paper P is provided on the downstream side of the exposure engine 7 (on the left side of the exposure engine 7 in FIG. 1). That is, if the length of the paper P is longer than the distance from the exposure position to the development processing unit, the paper P enters the development processing unit during exposure, and the vibration generated by the processing in the development processing unit Since it is transmitted to the exposed portion of P and causes uneven exposure, the paper P is accommodated in the accommodating space S so that the occurrence of uneven exposure is reliably prevented.

  In addition, as will be described in detail later, the method of accommodating the paper P in the accommodation space S differs depending on the length of the paper P in the transport direction. In the following embodiments, the case where the length in the conveyance direction of the paper P is a predetermined value (for example, 594.1 mm) or more will be described.

  In the accommodation space S, a winding drum 20 (clamping member) for winding the paper P and a pressure roller 21 (clamping member) for pressing and holding the paper P on the outer peripheral surface of the winding drum 20 ) And are arranged. As will be described in detail later, the take-up drum 20 and the pressure roller 21 sandwich the front end side in the transport direction of the paper P and also function as the take-up mechanism 8.

  Below the winding drum 20 in the accommodation space S, a sag detection sensor 22 for detecting the sag of the paper P accommodated in the accommodation space S is provided. The sag detection sensor 22 includes a light emitting element 22a and a light receiving element 22b. When light irradiated from the light emitting element 22a is blocked by the paper P, it is determined that the sag amount is greater than a predetermined amount. The Here, the line connecting the light emitting element 22a and the light receiving element 22b is set to be inclined with respect to the horizontal line as shown in FIG.

<Configuration of exposure engine>
Next, the structure of the exposure engine 7 in FIG. 1 will be described with reference to FIG. The exposure engine 7 includes three laser generators 81R, 81G, and 81B for the three primary colors that are incorporated at appropriate positions in a light-shielded casing. The laser generator 81R is configured by a semiconductor laser (LD) that emits R (red) laser light having a wavelength of 680 nm, for example. The laser generator 81G includes a semiconductor laser and a second harmonic generator (SHG) that converts laser light emitted from the semiconductor laser into G (green) laser light having a wavelength of 532 nm, for example. The laser generator 81B includes a semiconductor laser and a second harmonic generator (SHG) that converts laser light emitted from the semiconductor laser into, for example, 473 nm B (blue) laser light. On the color output side of the laser generators 81R, 81G, and 81B, acousto-optic modulators (hereinafter referred to as AOM drivers) 82R, 82G, and 82B, which are examples of laser light modulators, are used for light shielding. Slits formed at appropriate positions in the housing are respectively arranged correspondingly, and the mirrors 83R, 83G, and 83B, the reflection mirror 84, and the incident laser light constituting the scanning optical system are arranged in the T direction (main operation direction) within a predetermined range. A polygon mirror 85 (corresponding to scanning means) to be scanned is sequentially arranged. An fθ lens 86 is disposed on the exit side of the polygon mirror 85. The polygon mirror 85 rotates in the arrow Z direction, and the laser beam scanned in the main scanning direction T by this rotation passes through the fθ lens 86 and is being conveyed in the sub-scanning direction (perpendicular to the main scanning direction). The paper P is exposed. Note that the direction of the central axis 87 of the fθ lens 86 coincides with the vertical direction.

<Composition and arrangement of magazine>
Next, the paper magazine 50 (or 60) will be described. Since the paper magazine 60 has the same basic structure as the paper magazine 50, the paper magazine 50 will be described with reference to FIG. 3A and 3B show a front view and a side view of the paper magazine 50, respectively. In the following, the Y direction in FIG. 3 is defined as the upward direction, and the upper and lower surfaces of the paper magazine in FIG. 3A are called the upper and lower sides of the magazine, the left and right sides are the side of the magazine, and the plane parallel to the page is the magazine end. Call.

  In the paper magazine 50, the paper P wound around the cylindrical roll core 75 in a roll shape is accommodated. This figure shows a state in which the paper P accommodating space in the paper magazine 50 is shielded from the external space outside the magazine 50. In this state, the paper magazine 50 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. The paper magazine 50 includes a magazine main body 51 and an opening / closing part 52. The opening / closing portion 52 is mounted and supported at a corner portion on the bottom side of the paper magazine so as to be rotatable around a hinge 53 provided perpendicular to the end surface of the magazine. In FIG. 3A, the paper magazine 50 is configured to switch the inside of the magazine 50 from the light shielding state to the open state by rotating the opening / closing portion 52 around the hinge 52 counterclockwise.

  A handle 55 is provided on each side of the magazine as a handle for the operator to lift the magazine. The handle 55 is formed in a U shape as shown in the side view of FIG. 3B and is attached to both end faces of the magazine body 51 via bolts 54. Further, the magazine main body 51 is provided with a bearing portion (not shown), and the roll core 75 of the above-mentioned roll paper P is rotatably supported by the bearing portion. The roll-shaped paper P is supported by the bearing portion so that the roll shaft is parallel to both sides of the magazine and the bottom of the magazine. Further, the magazine length L of the paper magazine 50 (or 60) is set to be a length corresponding to the width of the roll-shaped paper P to be accommodated. In the present embodiment, two types of paper magazines 50 and 60 classified according to the magazine length L are prepared. The paper magazine 50 accommodates a paper P having a width of 24 inches, and the paper magazine 60 accommodates a paper P having a width of 12 inches. The magazine length L of the paper magazine 50 (hereinafter referred to as a wide magazine). Is set to a length corresponding to a width of 24 inches, and a magazine length L of a paper magazine 60 (hereinafter referred to as a narrow magazine) is set to a length corresponding to a width of 12 inches.

  On the other hand, a substantially rectangular outlet 77 that is long in the magazine length L direction is provided at the left end of the bottom surface of the paper magazine 50. The longitudinal length of the outlet corresponds to the width of the paper P. In addition, an opening / closing shutter 402 is provided at the outlet 77, and the shutter 402 is opened / closed by a shutter driving mechanism. A drive piece 401, which is a part of the drive mechanism, extends from the inside of the magazine to the outside and protrudes from the end face through the end face on the end face of the paper magazine 50 at the entrance of the magazine base 72. A protrusion is provided. A driving surface 401a described later is formed at the tip of the protruding portion.

  Hereinafter, the shutter opening / closing mechanism will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 18 is a schematic view of a shutter opening / closing mechanism housed in the magazine 50. This figure is the figure which looked at the apparatus main-body part 1 in FIG. 1 from the upper side, and the V direction in this figure corresponds with the left-right direction in FIG. This figure shows a state in which the opening / closing shutter 402 is closed, and at this time, the magazine replacement door 3a is in an open state.

  The shutter opening / closing mechanism includes an opening / closing shutter 402 and the shutter driving mechanism. The open / close shutter 402 is configured to be guided by a guide member 403 having a reverse L-shaped cross section and to be slidable (open / close) only in the V direction in FIG. The shutter 402 includes a shutter 402 main body and an extending portion 402a that extends from the central portion of the shutter 402 main body and is formed integrally with the shutter 402 main body. The extended portion 402a is provided with a pin hole 402b, and a support pin 405 is press-fitted into the pin hole 402b.

  On the other hand, the shutter drive mechanism includes a fulcrum pin 404 and a drive piece 401 that swings around the fulcrum pin 404. The drive piece 401 is made of a substantially rectangular plate-like member, and a notch 401b is formed in the drive piece width direction substantially at the center at the end on the side where the shutter 402 is located along the drive piece length direction. The support pin 405 press-fitted into the shutter extension portion 402a is engaged with the cutout portion 401b, and the swinging motion of the drive piece 401 is moved through the support pin 405 as described later. (Movement in the V direction). Further, the driving piece 401 is urged counterclockwise by a torsion coil spring (not shown) provided around the fulcrum pin 404, whereby the shutter 402 is urged in the direction from V2 to V1 to be in a closed state. Is maintained. On the other hand, a driving surface 401 a (operating portion) for operating the driving piece 401 is formed at the other end of the driving piece 401 on the side where the shutter 402 is located. The drive surface 401a is chamfered so as to have a predetermined pressure angle with respect to the movement direction of the cam roller 91 described later.

  Based on these, the operation of the shutter opening / closing mechanism will be described. In FIG. 18, the magazine replacement door 3a is in an open state. However, when the magazine replacement door 3a is in a closed state, the cam roller 91 provided on the magazine replacement door 3a as shown in FIG. It comes into contact with the drive surface 401a. The drive surface 401a is formed to have a predetermined pressure angle with respect to the movement direction of the cam roller 91 (coincident with the swinging direction of the door), and in the present embodiment, the pressure angle is 40 ° or less. When the cam roller 91 comes into contact with the drive surface 401a, the drive piece 401 swings clockwise in FIG. 18 with the fulcrum pin 404 as a fulcrum. Accordingly, the support pin 405 moves relative to the drive piece while keeping the engagement with the drive piece notch 401b toward the shutter side in the longitudinal direction of the drive piece. The support pin 405 is pulled upward. Accordingly, the shutter 402 connected to the support pin 405 slides in the direction from V1 to V2 to be in the open state. On the other hand, when the magazine replacement door 3a starts to open from the state of FIG. 18, the cam roller 91 starts to move together with the magazine replacement door 3a while rolling on the drive surface 401a. Accordingly, the drive piece 401 starts to rotate counterclockwise in FIG. 18 with the fulcrum pin 404 as a fulcrum by the urging force of the torsion spring, and the shutter 402 starts to slide in the direction from V2 to V1. . When the swing angle of the magazine replacement door 3a reaches a predetermined angle, the contact between the cam roller 91 and the drive surface 401a is released (see FIG. 18), and the open / close shutter 402 is closed.

  Next, a loading unit in which the paper magazines 50 and 60 are loaded will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, the loading unit includes magazine stands 72 and 73 provided in the image forming apparatus main body 2. In the image forming apparatus main body 2, an arrangement space is secured so that the paper magazines 50 and 60 can be loaded in a state where the paper magazines 50 and 60 are arranged in the vertical direction. An intermediate frame 71 is provided. The wide magazine 50 is loaded on the magazine base 72 (corresponding to the loading section) provided on the main body intermediate frame 71, and the narrow magazine 60 is mounted on the magazine base 73 (loading section) provided on the main body lower frame 76. Is equivalent). The magazine mounting surfaces of the magazine bases 72 and 73 are formed so as to be horizontal, that is, the axis of each roll-shaped paper P when the paper magazines 50 and 60 are loaded is horizontal. Each of the paper magazines 50 and 60 can be moved on the magazine bases 72 and 73 in a direction perpendicular to the paper surface in FIG. The paper magazines 50 and 60 are positioned in the attaching / detaching direction at the time of attachment by a stopper (not shown). At this time, the paper magazines 50 and 60 are such that the plane perpendicular to the image forming surface of each photosensitive material P accommodated in the magazines 50 and 60 and passing through the center in the width direction of the photosensitive material is the central axis of the fθ lens 86. It is positioned so as to pass between two parallel planes parallel to 87 and having a distance from the central axis within a predetermined range. Here, the predetermined range is within 10 mm in the present embodiment. The magazine bases 72 and 73 are each provided with a guide member (not shown). The paper magazines 50 and 60 can be moved in the attaching / detaching direction along the guide portion. The position of 60 in the horizontal direction (left-right direction in FIG. 1) is regulated. The loaded paper magazines 50 and 60 are locked by a lock mechanism (not shown) so as not to move carelessly.

<Composition of magazine replacement door and maintenance door>
Next, the magazine replacement door 3a and the maintenance door 3b, which are one of the features of the present invention, will be described. FIG. 17 is a view of the image forming apparatus main body 1 in FIG. 1 as viewed from above, and shows a state where the doors 3a and 3b are in a closed state. In this state, the image forming apparatus main body 2 is placed in a light-shielded state with respect to the external space outside the apparatus. As shown in the figure, the magazine replacement door 3a and the maintenance door 3b are swingably attached to and supported by the image forming apparatus main body 1 via hinges 90a and 90b, respectively, and have a so-called double-speech type. A door opening / closing regulating mechanism (corresponding to a door opening / closing regulating means) is provided at the boundary between the doors 3a, 3b to regulate the opening / closing order of the doors 3a, 3b.

  The magazine replacement door 3a is formed corresponding to the magazine bases 72 and 73 which are magazine loading portions within a range in which the magazine can be replaced. That is, when all the doors 3a and 3b are in the closed state, the left end position of the magazine replacement door 3a is the left end of the magazine base 72 with reference to the leftmost magazine base 72 of the magazine bases 72 and 73. The upper end position of the magazine replacement door 3a corresponds to the upper end position of the magazine 50 loaded in the magazine base 72 with reference to the uppermost magazine base 72. Is set. The right end position of the maintenance door 3b is set to coincide with the left end position of the magazine replacement door 3a, and the upper end position of the maintenance door 3b is the same as the upper end position of the magazine replacement door 3a. Is set to In addition, a steel plate 306 is attached to each door, and the plate 306 comes into contact with a magnet plate 307 attached to the frame of the apparatus main body 1 so that magnetic attraction between the magnet plate 307 and the steel plate 306 is achieved. Each door is closed by force. The steel plate 306 and the magnet plate 307 correspond to the closed state holding means.

  When the doors 3a and 3b are closed, the overlapping surface 3k provided at the left end of the magazine replacement door 3a overlaps with the overlapping surface 3j provided at the right end of the maintenance door. Yes.

  Further, the magazine replacement door 3a is formed with a protrusion toward the inside 2 of the apparatus main body, and a cam roller 91 is provided at the tip of the protrusion. The cam roller 91 is in contact with the driving piece 401 of the shutter driving mechanism described above, and keeps the shutter 402 open.

  Next, the door opening / closing restriction mechanism will be described. The door opening / closing regulating mechanism includes an opening / closing regulating body 301 described later. The opening / closing regulating body 301 includes a second cam roller 92 rotatably supported by the maintenance door 3b as the maintenance door 3b is closed. An abutting piece 302 that abuts, and a blocking portion 303 that receives the inner surface of the left end of the magazine replacement door 3a when the magazine replacement door 3a is closed and prevents the magazine replacement door 3a from being closed; As shown in FIG. 15, the apparatus main body 1 is pivotally attached to the vicinity of the entrance / exit of the apparatus main body section 2 via a pivot 305. The opening / closing restricting body 301 is oscillated and biased in a direction in which the contact piece 302 and the blocking portion 303 are positioned at the entrance / exit of the apparatus main body 2 via a coil spring 304. Thus, in a state where the blocking portion 303 is located at the entrance / exit of the apparatus main body 2, the magazine replacement door 3 a is in contact with the blocking portion 303, thereby preventing the magazine replacement door 3 a from being closed. . As the maintenance door 3b is closed, the second cam roller 92 of the maintenance door 3b comes into contact with the contact piece 302, and the opening / closing regulating body 301 swings against the coil spring 304. Along with this, the blocking part 303 is retracted inward from the entrance / exit in the apparatus main body part 2, and the blocking prevention of the magazine replacement door 3a by the blocking part 303 is released.

  That is, as shown in FIG. 15, when both doors 3a and 3b are in the open state, the opening / closing regulating body 301 is urged to swing counterclockwise in FIG. 15 by the urging force of the coil spring 304, The contact piece 302 and the blocking portion 303 are located at the entrance / exit of the apparatus main body portion 2. If the magazine replacement door 3a is to be closed first from this state, immediately before completion of the closing, as shown by a two-dotted line in FIG. 15, the left end of the magazine replacement door 3a is an opening / closing regulator. Since the magazine replacement door 3a is blocked from coming into contact with the blocking portion 303 of 301, the shutter drive mechanism does not operate and the shutter 402 remains closed.

  On the other hand, when the maintenance door 3b is closed prior to the magazine replacement door 3a, the second cam roller 92 comes into contact with the contact piece 302 of the opening / closing regulating body 301 by closing the maintenance door 3b. The opening / closing regulating body 301 swings clockwise against the coil spring 304 from the position indicated by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 16, and as shown by the solid line in FIG. With retreating inward, the blocking prevention of the magazine replacement door 3a by the blocking portion 303 is released.

  Therefore, when the magazine replacement door 3a is closed from the state shown in FIG. 16, as described above, the blocking portion 303 is retracted inward from the entrance / exit in the apparatus main body 2 so that the magazine replacement door 3a is blocked. As shown in FIG. 17, the magazine replacement door 3a can be closed without coming into contact with 303, and as the magazine replacement door 3a is closed, the cam roller 91 of the magazine replacement door 3a is driven by the driving piece. The opening / closing shutter 402 opens in contact with the drive surface 401a (actuating portion) 401.

<Constitution of accommodation space>
Next, the structure in the accommodation space part S in FIG. 1 is demonstrated based on FIG. The first transport unit 11 is disposed further downstream of the downstream exposure transport roller 9b, and includes a sandwiching transport roller pair 11a and a guide plate 11b. The position in the height direction of the pair of nipping and conveying rollers 11a is set to be the same height position as that of the exposure and conveying roller 9, and an opening 11c is formed at the upstream end of the guide plate 11b. Therefore, the paper P can be easily received.

  The first transport unit 11 is configured to be able to rotate 90 ° around a predetermined rotation axis (see FIG. 14), and when rotated 90 °, the paper P can be delivered to the second transport unit 12. It can be done. The second transport unit 12 includes a plurality of transport roller pairs 12a and guide plates 12b, and plays a role of feeding the paper P received from the first transport unit 11 to a development processing section (not shown).

  The take-up drum 20 is configured to be rotatable around the rotation axis 20a. Before the winding of the paper P by the winding drum 20 is started, the outer peripheral surface of the winding drum 20 and the surface of the pressure roller 21 are separated from each other and a gap is formed. Thereby, the conveyed paper P can be easily inserted into the gap between the winding drum 20 and the pressure roller 21.

  The receiving height of the paper P by the take-up drum 20 is set to be the same as the height of the transport surface by the exposure transport roller 9 and the transport surface before the rotation of the first transport unit 11. Yes. Thereby, the paper P sent out by the exposure transport roller 9 can be smoothly received on the winding drum 20 side. In the state shown in FIG. 4, the shaft core of the pressure roller 21 is located just above the shaft core of the winding drum 20.

  Further, a winding movement mechanism 13 for moving the winding mechanism 8 in the vertical direction is provided in the accommodation space S, and the entire winding mechanism 8 is located above the exposure position of the exposure engine 7. It is possible to move from the first position (position in FIG. 4) to the second position (position in FIG. 11) that is far from the exposure position. Specifically, the winding movement mechanism 13 includes a guide member 13a extending in the vertical direction and a timing belt 13b for moving the winding mechanism 8 along the guide member 13a. A support 15 for supporting the take-up mechanism 8 is fixed, and the take-up mechanism 8 can be moved up and down by driving the timing belt 13b by a motor or the like (not shown). . The support 15 is mounted with drum driving means (motor, speed reduction mechanism, etc.) for rotationally driving the take-up drum 20.

  Here, the storage space S is adjacent to the development processing unit and is partitioned by the wall surface 14, but when the paper P is moved up and down in the state where the paper P is wound around the winding drum 20, the paper P is It is preferable not to rub the wall surface 14. On the other hand, if the accommodation space S is made larger, rubbing between the wall surface 14 and the paper P can be eliminated, but there is a problem that the entire apparatus becomes larger. Therefore, the winding movement mechanism 13 is configured such that the winding mechanism 8 moves obliquely downward as shown in FIG. Specifically, the winding movement mechanism 13 is configured to move in a direction away from the wall surface 14 as the winding mechanism 8 is lowered downward. Thereby, the winding mechanism 8 can move downward in the accommodation space S without the paper P rubbing the wall surface 14.

  In addition, although mentioned later in detail, after the said winding mechanism 8 is moved below by the winding movement mechanism 13, when the paper P has more than a predetermined sag, the paper P is removed by the winding mechanism 8. I'm trying to wind it up. In this way, by providing a certain degree of slack, the paper P can be taken up without transmitting large vibrations or load fluctuations to the exposed portion of the paper P, thereby preventing uneven exposure. can do.

  By providing the accommodation space S and the winding mechanism 8 configured as described above, the following effects can be obtained. The image exposure by the exposure engine 7 is performed while conveying the paper P at a predetermined speed by the exposure conveyance roller 9. When this scanning exposure is performed, for example, development processing or the like is performed on the front end side in the conveyance direction. If done, large vibrations and load fluctuations will occur in the paper P, or the latent image progression time cannot be secured sufficiently, and the image quality of the image formed on the paper P will deteriorate. On the other hand, as described above, the paper P sent out by the exposure transport roller 9b is temporarily accommodated in the accommodation space S until the exposure is completed, so that the paper P does not undergo large vibrations or load fluctuations. And sufficient time for the latent image to travel.

  Moreover, when a long paper having a long length in the transport direction is to be stored in the storage space portion S, a large storage space is required. However, the winding mechanism 8 as described above is provided to wind the paper P. As a result, the space of the accommodation space portion S can be reduced, and an increase in the size of the entire apparatus can be prevented.

<Configuration of winding mechanism>
Next, a detailed configuration of the winding drum 20 and the pressure roller 21 constituting the winding mechanism 8 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 6 shows a cam mechanism (corresponding to a roller interval changing means) for moving the pressure roller 21 in the pressure direction.

  The winding drum 20 is configured to be rotatable around a fixed shaft 200. The winding drum 20 is made of resin, and the paper P is wound on the outer peripheral surface thereof. Both ends in the axial direction of the take-up drum 20 are provided with circumferential grooves 202 for engaging the coil springs 24 for urging the press roller 21 in the press-fit direction. A connection gear 201 for rotating the take-up drum 20 is provided on the end side of the circumferential groove 202 at one end.

  The pressure roller 21 includes a roller support shaft 210 disposed substantially parallel to the axis of the take-up drum 20, and a resin product provided in a plurality in the axial direction so as to cover the outer peripheral surface of the roller support shaft 210. .., And crimping members 212, 212,... Described later (corresponding to the outer peripheral portion) respectively attached to the surface of each of the support shafts 211. The roller shaft 210 is fitted with an E-ring 213 for preventing the support shafts 211, 211,... From moving in the axial direction with respect to the roller support shaft 210.

  Grooves 214 and 214 for engaging the coil spring 24 are formed at both axial ends of the roller support shaft 210. Further, cam connecting shafts 215 and 215 are provided at both axial ends of the roller support shaft 210 at the inner side in the axial direction from the groove portions 214 and 214, respectively. The cam connecting shafts 215 are cam mechanisms which will be described later. By moving up and down according to the shape of the cam surface 203a, the pressure roller 21 can be moved in the pressure bonding direction or the non-pressure bonding direction. According to the mechanism shown in FIG. 5, when the take-up drum 20 rotates, the pressure roller 21 rotates and moves along the outer peripheral direction of the take-up drum 20 (rotates and moves around the fixed shaft 200) in conjunction with this. Can do. The pressure roller 21 itself is pivotally supported so as to be freely rotatable about the roller support shaft 210 as a rotation center.

  Next, a cam mechanism for moving the pressure roller 21 in the pressure bonding direction will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 6 shows a cross-sectional view of the winding mechanism 8 shown in FIG. 5 cut along a plane perpendicular to the fixed shaft 200 at a portion where a cam is formed. As shown in FIG. 6, the cam member 203 is coupled to the fixed shaft 200 via the clutch member 204. The cam member 203 has a cam surface 203a, and the tip 215a of the cam coupling shaft 215 is always in contact with the cam surface 203a by the biasing force of the coil spring 24 described above.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the cam surface 203 a is formed in the range of θ = 210 ° on the outer peripheral surface of the cam member 203, so that the cam connecting shaft 215 (the pressure roller 21) is in contact with the cam member 203. The range that can be rotated is also 210 °. A first wall surface 203b and a second wall surface 203c are formed at both circumferential ends of the cam surface 203a. When the cam connecting shaft 215 moves relative to the cam surface 203a, the cam connecting shaft 215 Are positioned in contact with the wall surfaces 203b and 203c.

  FIG. 6A is a diagram showing an initial state in which a gap is formed between the pressure roller 21 and the take-up drum 20, and FIG. 6B shows that the pressure roller 21 rotates 210 ° and the pressure roller 21 is rotated. It is a figure which shows the state by which the paper P was crimped | bonded by. Thus, when the take-up drum 20 is rotated 210 °, the state shown in FIG. 6B is obtained, but when the take-up drum 20 is further rotated, the cam coupling shaft 215 comes into contact with the second wall surface 203c, The cam member 203 is forcibly rotated around the fixed shaft 200 together. At this time, the frictional slip is generated in the clutch member 204. That is, by providing the clutch member 204, the pressure roller 21 can be rotated beyond a range (210 °) regulated by the cam member 203.

<Crimping member>
Next, the material of the crimping member 212 which is one of the characteristic portions of the present invention will be described in detail below. That is, the crimping member 212 is formed of an elastic foam member (for example, urethane foam or the like) such as a sponge, and can be easily used when the paper P is sandwiched between the outer peripheral surface of the take-up drum 20. Elastic deformation is generated. Thereby, when the paper P is sandwiched between the take-up drum 20 and the pressure roller 21, it is possible to prevent the paper P from being subjected to large vibrations and load fluctuations. Therefore, even when the leading end side in the transport direction of the paper P is sandwiched between the winding drum 20 and the pressure roller 21 during the exposure process, a large vibration or load fluctuation acts on the paper P to cause exposure unevenness. Can be prevented.

  Here, as described above, the pressure roller 21 is pressure-bonded to the take-up drum 20 by the coil springs 24 hung on both ends in the axial direction. The pressure roller 21 is in a floating state without receiving a force, and the pressure roller 21 is deformed in a bow shape. On the other hand, if the pressure roller 21 is made of a foam member as described above, both end portions in the axial direction of the pressure roller 21 are largely elastically deformed and do not float at the central portion in the axial direction. P can be held between the winding drum 20 and the pressure roller 21. Thereby, when the paper P is sandwiched between the take-up drum 20 and the pressure roller 21, it is possible to prevent the paper P from being wrinkled or subjected to load fluctuations, and to ensure that uneven exposure is generated. Can be prevented.

  In the above-described case, the distribution of the pressure-bonding force between the winding drum 20 and the pressure roller 21 is different in the axial direction. In the present embodiment, a paper is interposed between the winding drum 20 and the pressure roller 21. The paper P is merely sandwiched, and the paper P is not transported by the take-up drum 20 and the pressure roller 21. Therefore, there is no problem such that the paper P meanders due to imbalance of the pressure.

  The crimp member 212 is not limited to a foam member, and any material that elastically deforms so as not to give vibration or load fluctuation to the paper P when the paper P is sandwiched, such as a rubber material, for example. It may be anything.

  In addition, the outer peripheral surface of the crimping member 212 is preferably in a low friction state in order to reduce resistance when the paper P is held between the winding drum 20 and the outer peripheral surface. By doing so, when the paper P is sandwiched between the take-up drum 20 and the pressure roller 21, the frictional resistance between the pressure roller 21 and the paper P is reduced. Variation can be effectively reduced.

  Here, the low friction state means that the friction coefficient with respect to the paper P is 0.5 or less. The value of this friction coefficient is the maximum frictional force and vertical drag when a rectangular parallelepiped member made of the same material as that of the crimping member 212 is slid in a substantially horizontal direction on the paper in the atmosphere of 25 ° C. It is required from the relationship. Specifically, each maximum frictional force when the vertical drag was changed was measured, and the friction coefficients calculated from those values were averaged.

<Control block diagram>
Next, the control block configuration of the image forming apparatus A will be described with reference to FIG. In FIG. 7, the paper leading edge detection means 30 detects the leading edge (front edge) of the paper P by the output signal from the paper detection sensor 10 and detects that the paper P has arrived. Further, it is also possible to recognize at which position the paper P is present on the downstream side based on the timing at which the leading edge of the paper P is detected. The roller driving unit 31 is configured by a driving mechanism, a driving circuit, and the like for driving the exposure conveyance roller 9. Further, the transport amount detection unit 32 is configured to detect the transport amount of the paper P by detecting the rotation amount of the exposure transport roller 9. That is, since the exposure transport roller 9 is controlled to rotate at a constant speed, the transport amount can be monitored by an encoder or the like.

  The paper position detection unit 33 is configured to detect various positions of the paper P based on the front end position of the paper P detected by the paper front end detection unit 30 and the transport amount of the paper P detected by the transport amount detection unit 32. It has the function which calculates and calculates. Specifically, the paper position detection unit 33 includes an exposure start timing detection unit 33a, a paper rear end escape detection unit 33b, and an insertion detection unit 33c (insertion determination unit).

  The exposure start timing detection means 33a is configured to detect the exposure start timing by the laser light based on the leading edge position of the paper P detected by the paper leading edge detection means 30. That is, since the position of the paper detection sensor 10 and the exposure position by the laser beam are determined by design, if the leading edge position of the paper P is known, the exposure start timing detection means 33a calculates the exposure start timing at the exposure position. Can do. The paper rear end escape detecting means 33b is for detecting that the rear end of the paper P on which image printing exposure has been completed has escaped from the downstream exposure transport roller 9b. The insertion detection means 33c is for detecting that the leading end of the paper P has been inserted into the gap between the winding drum 20 and the pressure roller 21. The amount of insertion into this gap is usually about 20 mm, but this amount of insertion can be set as appropriate.

  The exposure control unit 34 is configured to start image exposure with laser light based on the calculation result of the exposure timing by the exposure start timing detection unit 33a. Thus, the latent image can be formed by scanning the emulsion surface of the paper P with the laser beam light-modulated by the image data.

  The first transport unit driving unit 35 has a mechanism for driving the first transport unit 11. Specifically, the first transport unit driving unit 35 rotates the entire first transport unit 11 by 90 ° with the crimp driving means 35a for switching the transport roller pair 11a between the crimping state and the non-crimping state. Unit rotation means 35b for switching between the horizontal state and the vertical state, and roller drive means 35c for rotationally driving the conveyance roller pair 11a are provided. Here, when the image exposure is performed by the exposure engine 7, the pressure driving unit 35 a puts the transport roller pair 11 a into a non-pressure bonded state so that no load is applied to the paper P.

  The second transport unit driving unit 36 has a mechanism for driving the second transport unit 12, and includes a roller driving unit 36a that rotationally drives the transport roller pair 12a.

  The transport unit drive control means 37 is configured to perform drive control of the first transport unit 11 and the second transport unit 12. For example, when the paper position detection unit 33 detects that the rear end of the paper P has escaped from the exposure conveyance roller 9b, the conveyance roller pair 11a is switched to the press-bonded state.

  In the print size setting means 40, print size data of the paper P subjected to image exposure is set and stored. Then, based on the print size data stored in the print size setting means 40, the winding movement mechanism 13 and the winding drum 20 are controlled. For example, when the length of the paper P is shorter than a predetermined length (430.1 mm in this embodiment), the paper P is not crimped by the winding mechanism 8.

  The sag amount detecting means 41 is configured to detect whether the sag amount is equal to or larger than a predetermined amount based on an output signal from the sag detection sensor 22. The drum driving unit 42 includes a mechanism for driving the winding drum 20 to rotate. The rotation amount detection means 43 is configured to detect the rotation amount of the winding drum 20. For example, the amount of rotation can be monitored by an encoder that rotates in conjunction with the winding drum 20.

  The drum rotation control means 44 has a function of performing rotation drive control of the winding drum 20. The drum rotation control unit 44 detects the leading end of the paper P by the insertion detection unit 33c, and print size data stored and set in the print size setting unit 40. Perform stop control.

  The winding control means 45 performs drive control of the winding movement mechanism 13. For example, when the rotation amount detecting means 43 detects that the pressure bonding operation by the pressure roller 21 is completed (θ = 210 ° rotation), the winding drum 20 is controlled to move from the first position to the second position. In the case of the paper P having a short length, since the winding operation by the winding mechanism 8 is not performed, the winding drum 20 is allowed to escape to the lowermost second position. In the case of the paper P having an intermediate length, the paper P is crimped by the winding mechanism 8 but the amount of sag is not detected by the sag detection sensor 22, so that the winding drum 20 is set to the first position. Control is performed to move to an intermediate position (third position) of the second position. Thus, the winding control means 45 is configured to change the control of the winding moving mechanism 13 in accordance with the length of the paper P in the transport direction. Information on the length dimension of the paper P can be obtained from the print size setting means 40.

  Here, the control block shown in FIG. 7 can be constructed by the function of computer software or hardware. Which function is realized by software and which function is realized by hardware can be appropriately determined according to the paper processing capability and the like.

<Operation of winding mechanism>
Next, the operation from the image exposure to the paper P until it is sent to the development processing unit will be described with reference to the flowcharts of FIGS. 8A and 8B and FIGS. 4 and 9 to 14. It is assumed that the print size setting means 40 is set with a print size having a length that requires the winding mechanism 8 to be lowered to the second position.

  First, the leading edge of the paper P cut to a predetermined print size is detected by the paper detection sensor 10 and the paper leading edge detection means 30 (step ST1). A predetermined timing elapses after the leading edge of the paper P is detected, and the exposure start timing detection means 33a detects that the exposure start timing is reached, and then the exposure control unit 34 applies laser to the emulsion surface of the paper P. The light is scanned and exposed to form an image (step ST2).

  While performing scanning exposure with laser light in this way, the paper P is transported toward the downstream side by the exposure transport roller 9, and the leading end of the paper P passes through the guide plate 11 b of the first transport unit 11. At this time, since the pair of transport rollers 11a of the first transport unit 11 is in a state where the pressure bonding is released, the paper P passes through the position of the first transport unit 11 without applying a large load to the paper P. Can do.

  Since the take-up drum 20 is set in the first position as shown in FIG. 4 in advance, the paper P that has passed through the first transport unit 11 as described above is directly between the take-up drum 20 and the pressure roller 21. It is conveyed toward the gap between them. The leading end position of the paper P is calculated by the paper position detection unit 33 based on the detection result by the paper detection sensor 10 and the transport amount of the paper P, and the leading end of the paper P is wound by the insertion detection unit 33c from the calculation result. It is determined whether or not it has been inserted into the gap between the take-up drum 20 and the pressure roller 21 (step ST3). In the present embodiment, the front end of the paper P is detected by the paper detection sensor 10 provided before the exposure position, and the front end position of the paper P is detected based on the detection result and the transport amount of the paper P. Is calculated to detect that the leading end of the paper P is inserted between the winding drum 20 and the pressure roller 21, but this is not restrictive, and the winding drum 20 and the pressure roller 21 are detected. A sensor or the like may be provided so that the amount of insertion between the two can be directly detected.

  When the insertion detecting means 33c detects that the leading end of the paper P is inserted into the gap between the winding drum 20 and the pressure roller 21 (YES in step ST3), the rotation of the winding drum 20 Is started (step ST4). FIG. 4 shows a state immediately after the leading end of the paper P is inserted into the gap. Then, the take-up drum 20 rotates counterclockwise in FIG. 4, and the pressure roller 21 also rotates around the rotation axis 20a. Thereafter, the gap between the pressure roller 21 and the take-up drum 20 is gradually narrowed by the cam mechanism described above, and the pressure roller 21 moves in the pressure direction.

  At this time, scanning exposure with laser light is performed on the rear side in the transport direction of the paper P. That is, the leading end side in the transport direction of the paper P being exposed is sandwiched between the winding drum 20 and the pressure roller 21. In this way, even during exposure, by sandwiching the front side of the long paper P in the conveyance direction, the conveyance direction of the paper P can be easily changed or wound around the take-up drum 20 even in a narrow space. Therefore, it is possible to secure a post-exposure buffer that can sufficiently prevent the occurrence of uneven exposure without increasing the accommodation space S according to the length of the paper P. Accordingly, it is possible to perform long printing while preventing an increase in the size of the entire apparatus.

  Then, it is determined whether or not the winding drum 20 has rotated a predetermined amount (210 ° in the example in the figure) (step ST5). If it is determined that the winding drum 20 has rotated a predetermined amount (YES in step ST5), the winding drum 20 is wound. The rotation of the take-up drum 20 is stopped (step ST6). The rotation amount is detected by the rotation amount detection means 43. FIG. 9 is a view showing a state immediately after the rotation of the winding drum 20 is stopped. Here, the rotational speed of the take-up drum 20 is set so that the peripheral speed thereof is substantially the same as the feeding speed of the paper P by the exposure transport roller 9. By setting the rotation speed of the take-up drum 20 in this way, the paper P can be taken up at a speed as fast as possible without large load fluctuations acting on the paper P. Note that if the rotation of the take-up drum 20 is made slightly slower than the feed speed of the paper P, the take-up can be performed with a slight slack. Can be prevented.

  After stopping the rotation of the take-up drum 20 in step ST6, the take-up moving mechanism 13 is driven by the take-up control means 45 to lower the take-up mechanism 8 from the first position to the second position (step ST7). ). Steps ST6 and ST7 may be performed almost simultaneously. For example, the downward movement of the winding mechanism 8 may be started immediately before the winding drum 20 stops.

  Here, it is preferable that the downward movement of the winding mechanism 8 as described above is set to be slower than the speed at which the paper P is fed into the accommodation space S. Thereby, it is not necessary to give a large load fluctuation to the paper P. FIG. 10 shows a state where the winding drum 20 has moved to an intermediate position (third position) between the first position and the second position. In FIG. 10, since the lowering speed of the take-up drum 20 is slow, sagging begins to occur in the paper P portion between the take-up drum 20 and the first transport unit 11. FIG. 11 shows a state in which the take-up drum 20 has been lowered to the second position.

  Even after the rotation of the take-up drum 20 is stopped and the take-up drum 20 is moved to the second position as described above, the paper P is fed into the accommodation space S by the exposure transport roller 9. At this time, it is determined by the paper trailing edge escape detection means 33b whether or not the trailing edge of the paper P has reached the first transport unit 11 (step ST8). If it is determined that the trailing edge of the paper P has arrived (YES in step ST8), the process proceeds to step ST15. On the other hand, if it is determined in step ST8 that the rear end has not reached (in the case of NO), since the paper P is fed in, the sag gradually increases, and as shown in FIG. The light is blocked by the slack of the paper P (step ST9). At this time, even if the sagging increases, the winding drum 20 moves obliquely downward in a direction away from the wall surface 14, so that the paper P sags without rubbing the wall surface 14.

  Here, the state in which the rear end of the paper P reaches the first transport unit 11 is defined as a state in which the rear end of the paper P slightly protrudes upstream from the nipping and transporting roller pair 11a. About this protrusion amount, it can set suitably.

  In the state shown in FIG. 12, it is determined by the sag amount detecting means 41 that a sag of a predetermined amount or more has occurred (in the case of YES at step ST9), and the winding drum 20 is rotated again (step ST10). The winding drum 20 is rotated at a higher speed than the rotational driving in the previous step ST4. This is for eliminating the sag that has become too large at an early stage. When it is determined that the light blocking state of the light emitting element 22a is eliminated by the rotation of the winding drum 20 and the amount of sag is less than a predetermined amount (YES in step ST11), the winding drum 20 is stopped again. (Step ST12). Thereafter, the process returns to step ST8, and it is determined whether or not the rear end of the paper P has reached the first transport unit 11.

  If the amount of sag is not less than the predetermined amount (NO in step ST11), the process proceeds to step ST13 and the same determination as in step ST8 is performed. If the trailing edge of the paper has not reached the first transport unit 11 (NO in step ST13), the process returns to step ST11 and the sag amount is monitored again. On the other hand, if the trailing edge of the paper has reached the first transport unit 11 (YES in step ST13), the rotation of the take-up drum 20 is stopped (step ST14). FIG. 13 shows a state in which the take-up drum 20 is further rotated from the state of FIG. 12, but since the pressure roller 21 is rotated by 210 ° or more, the clutch member 214 is slipping.

  Control of rotation and stop of the take-up drum 20 as described above is performed based on the function of the drum rotation control means 44. Then, by detecting the amount of sag by the sag detection sensor 22 and performing rotation control of the winding drum 20 based on the amount of sag, the winding drum 20 is subjected to intermittent drive control that repeats rotation and stop. Become. The number of times this rotation and stop are repeated depends on the print size.

  When the rear end of the paper P reaches the first transport unit 11 and the rotation of the take-up drum 20 stops, the pair of nipping and transporting rollers 11a of the first transport unit 11 is brought into a pressure-bonded state from a non-pressure-bonded state by the pressure-bonding driving means 35a. (Step ST15). Then, as shown in FIG. 14, the first transport unit 11 is rotated 90 ° by the unit rotating means 35 b and assumes a vertical posture (step ST <b> 16). At this time, the transport surface of the first transport unit 11 and the transport surface of the second transport unit 12 are in a line. Next, the conveyance roller pair 11a is rotationally driven to convey the paper P toward the second conveyance unit 12, and deliver it (step ST17). At this time, the take-up drum 20 is rotated in the reverse direction (clockwise).

  As a result, the paper P sandwiched by the second transport unit 12 is transported upward, sent to a development processing section (not shown), and subjected to development processing. That is, the paper P is transported in a state where the front end side and the rear end side in the transport direction are switched between before the paper P is wound by the winding mechanism 8 and when it is transported by the second transport unit 12. Will be.

  When the delivery of the paper P to the second transport unit 12 as described above is completed, the paper P is set to an initial state to receive the next paper P. That is, the take-up drum mechanism 8 is raised from the second position to the first position, and the pressure roller 21 is also returned to the initial position so that the next paper P can be received. Further, the first transport unit 11 is also returned to the horizontal state, and the transport roller pair 11a is set in a non-pressing state.

  Here, in the above description, the transport method in the case where the length of the paper P in the transport direction is a print size equal to or larger than a predetermined value (for example, 594.1 mm, the first length) has been described. Is less than the predetermined value, the following two operations are performed according to the length.

  That is, when the transport direction length of the paper P is shorter than a predetermined length as in the service size (for example, when the length is shorter than 430.1 mm, the second length), the paper P is wound up by the winding drum 20. Since there is no need, the winding mechanism 8 is moved from the beginning to the second position. As a result, the paper P subjected to image exposure by the exposure engine 7 is immediately changed in direction by the first transport unit 11 and transferred to the second transport unit 12. As a result, the load applied to the paper P can be reduced more reliably.

  On the other hand, when the length of the paper P is a third length intermediate between the first length and the second length (430.1 to 594.1 mm in the example of the present embodiment), the winding mechanism 8 Only the winding operation by, and the movement of the winding mechanism 8 to the intermediate position (third position) between the first position and the second position are performed. That is, in step ST7 of FIG. 8A, the winding drum 20 is lowered to the intermediate position. At this time, in the case of the paper P of the third length, since there is no need to detect sag by the sag detection sensor 22, sag detection is not performed. Therefore, in FIG. 8A and FIG. 8B, the operation | movement except the step regarding a sagging detection is performed.

  In the image forming apparatus A configured as described above, the magazine replacement door 3a and the maintenance door 3b are steel plates 306 attached to the doors 3a and 3b when the doors 3a and 3b are closed. And the magnet plate 307 attached to the apparatus main body 1 are configured to contact each other. Thus, each door is closed in the direction in which the door is closed by the magnetic attractive force generated between the steel plate 306 and the magnet plate 307 (the magazine replacement door 3a rotates clockwise with the hinge 90a as the fulcrum, and the maintenance door 3b supports the hinge 90b as the fulcrum. (Counterclockwise). Therefore, even if the magazine replacement door 3a is opened, the maintenance door 3b can be kept closed against the urging force of the opening / closing regulator 301 in the direction of opening the maintenance door 3b. Accordingly, the area of the opening formed in the image forming apparatus main body 1 can be reduced by opening the maintenance door 3b. Accordingly, dust and dust entering from the opening can be reduced, and accordingly, the amount of dust and dirt floating between the fθ lens 86 and the image forming surface shown in FIG. The resulting image is of a high quality with little influence of the dust or dust.

  Further, the magazine replacement door 3a is formed corresponding to the magazine bases 72 and 73 corresponding to the magazine loading section within a range in which the magazines 50 and 60 can be replaced. That is, when all the doors 3a and 3b are in the closed state, the left end position of the magazine replacement door 3a is the left end of the magazine base 72 with reference to the leftmost magazine base 72 of the magazine bases 72 and 73. The upper end position of the magazine replacement door 3a corresponds to the upper end position of the magazine 50 loaded in the magazine base 72 with reference to the uppermost magazine base 72. Is set. Here, for example, when the left end position of the magazine replacement door 3a is set in the vicinity of the conveyance roller 9 in FIG. 1, this corresponds to the difference between the left end position and the left end position of the magazine replacement door 3a in the present embodiment. The door area is an unnecessary part in the magazine replacement work. Therefore, when the magazine replacement door 3a is opened, an unnecessary device main body opening portion corresponding to the area is formed, and dust and dust enter the device main body portion 2 from the opening portion. Therefore, as in the present embodiment, by reducing the size of the magazine replacement door 3a within a range in which magazine replacement is possible, the amount of dust and dust entering the apparatus main body 2 can be reduced. Therefore, in the image forming apparatus A as described above, the image quality of the formed image can be improved.

  Further, a cam roller 91 (corresponding to an action portion) is attached to the magazine replacement door 3a. The open / close shutter 402 provided in the magazines 50 and 60 is configured such that the cam roller 91 abuts against the drive surface 401a (corresponding to the operating portion) of the shutter drive piece 401 when the magazine replacement door 3a is in the closed state. It is comprised so that it may be in an open state by (action). That is, since the opening / closing operation of the opening / closing shutter 402 is performed using the opening / closing operation of the magazine replacement door 3a, a dedicated unit or the like for driving the cam roller 91 becomes unnecessary, and therefore the number of parts can be reduced. . Further, the labor of the operator can be reduced as compared with the case where the operator himself operates the driving piece 401 by hand.

  Further, when both the magazine replacement door 3a and the maintenance door 3b are in the closed state, the overlapping surface 3k provided at the left end of the magazine replacement door 3a is provided at the right end of the maintenance door 3b. It overlaps as if the overlapping surface 3j is pushed. With this structure (corresponding to an interlocking mechanism), the magazine replacement door 3a is opened whenever the maintenance door 3b is opened. Accordingly, the contact between the cam roller 91 and the drive surface 401a is released, so that maintenance work can be performed with the open / close shutter 402 closed. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the photosensitive material from being exposed unintentionally by the operator.

  Further, an opening / closing restriction mechanism is provided at the boundary between the magazine replacement door 3a and the maintenance door 3b. When the magazine replacement door 3a is first closed, the blocking portion 303 as shown in FIG. The door 3a is prevented from closing. Therefore, the operator can close the magazine replacement door 3a only after first closing the maintenance door 3b and retracting the blocking portion 303 inward from the entrance / exit in the main body 2 of the apparatus. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the paper P from being exposed by the operator closing the doors 3a and 3b in the wrong order, that is, closing the magazine replacement door 3a first and opening the opening / closing shutter 402 of the magazines 50 and 60. it can.

  Furthermore, the paper magazines 50 and 60 are provided with handles 55, so that the operator can lift the magazines 50 and 60 by holding the handles 55 when loading the magazines 50 and 60. The loading and unloading and carrying work of the magazines 50 and 60 during loading becomes easy.

  Further, a wide magazine 50 set to a magazine length L corresponding to the width of the 24-inch wide paper P is loaded on the magazine base 72 corresponding to the upper loading section, and the 12-inch wide paper P is loaded. A narrow magazine 60 set to a magazine length L corresponding to the width is loaded on a magazine base 73 corresponding to the lower loading section. As a result, the operator can load the wide magazine 50, which has a higher burden on the waist than the narrow magazine 60, on the upper magazine base 72 without bending the waist, thereby reducing the physical burden.

  The paper magazines 50 and 60 have a plane perpendicular to the image forming surface of each photosensitive material P accommodated in the magazines 50 and 60 and passing through the center in the width direction of the photosensitive material P. Is positioned so as to pass between two parallel planes that are parallel to each other and the distance from the central axis is within a predetermined range. As a result, both the paper P accommodated in the wide magazine 50 and the paper P accommodated in the narrow magazine 60 can obtain an image with less uneven density of the image and less expansion / contraction of the image.

  The image forming apparatus main body 1 includes a narrow magazine 60 set to a magazine length L corresponding to the width of the paper P having a width of 12 inches and a magazine corresponding to the width of the paper P having a width of 24 inches. Two types of paper magazines, the wide magazine 50 set to the length L, can be loaded. As a result, the narrow magazine 60 for accommodating the paper P having a width of 12 inches or less is made compact so that it can be easily attached / detached and transported, and the apparatus body 1 can be miniaturized.

  Further, by providing the winding mechanism 8 for winding the paper P downstream of the exposure position from the exposure position, it is not necessary to provide a large space for the post-exposure buffer or a long conveyance path, thereby reducing the size of the entire apparatus. It is possible to secure a post-exposure buffer that can sufficiently prevent uneven exposure while being planned. And since the said winding mechanism 8 was comprised by the winding drum 20 and the press roller 21, and the conveyance direction front end side of the paper P exposed was pinched | interposed between both, long size (for example, 430.). Even when printing 1 mm or more), the long paper P can be taken up by the take-up drum 20 in a narrower space. Accordingly, it is possible to perform long size printing without increasing the size of the entire apparatus.

  Further, if the pressure roller 21 is formed of an elastic material such as a foam material, the pressure roller 21 is elastically deformed to the paper P when the paper P is sandwiched between the pressure roller 21 and the take-up drum 20. The applied vibration and load fluctuation can be reduced. In particular, if it is made of a foamed material such as urethane foam, it will easily be elastically deformed and the weight of the pressure roller 21 will be reduced, so that the pressure roller will have a great resistance against the paper P being conveyed. Therefore, vibrations and load fluctuations applied to the paper P can be greatly reduced.

Furthermore, if the surface of the pressure roller is made to have low friction, the resistance of the pressure roller relative to the paper P being conveyed is further reduced, so that vibrations and load fluctuations applied to the paper P can be further reduced. The occurrence of uneven exposure can be prevented more reliably.
(Other embodiments)
The configuration of the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, but includes various other configurations. In the above embodiment, the plate 306 and the magnet 307 are used as the closed state holding means, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the closed state holding means may include a locking body provided in the apparatus main body 1 and a locking claw provided in each of the doors 3a and 3b so as to engage with the locking body. Good.

  In the above embodiment, the number of magazine replacement doors 3a is one, but a magazine replacement door 3a may be provided for each of the magazines 50 and 60, for example. In this case, since only the magazine replacement door 3a corresponding to the magazine 50 or 60 to be replaced needs to be opened during the magazine replacement operation, the apparatus main body opening portion formed by opening the replacement door 3a is reduced. be able to. Therefore, the effect of preventing dust and dust from entering is enhanced. However, in order to avoid exposure of the paper P accommodated in the magazine, it is necessary to open / close the shutters 206 of all the magazines 50 and 60 when the at least one magazine replacement door 3a is opened. The shutter opening / closing mechanism may be complicated.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, although the said maintenance door 3b was one piece, you may provide multiple corresponding to the kind of maintenance apparatus, for example. For example, it is conceivable to provide two maintenance doors 3b such as an exposure engine maintenance door and a conveyance unit maintenance door. In this case, it is not necessary to open the exposure engine maintenance door when maintaining the transport section, and therefore the apparatus main body opening portion at the time of maintenance can be made smaller than a single door. Thereby, the effect of preventing dust and dust from entering is enhanced. Further, from the viewpoint of preventing the exposure of the paper P, an interlocking mechanism is required in which each maintenance door 3b and the magazine replacement door 3a are interlocked. As described in the above embodiment, each maintenance door 3b and the magazine are connected. This can be dealt with by providing overlapping surfaces between the replacement doors 3a.

  Further, in the above embodiment, the shutter drive mechanism is housed in the magazines 50 and 60. However, as shown in FIG. 20, for example, a part of the shutter drive mechanism is fixed to the image forming apparatus main body 1. Also good. As schematically shown in FIG. 20, the shutter driving mechanism includes a substantially L-shaped driving piece 501 including a first driving piece 502 and a second driving piece 503 extending downward from one end of the driving piece. ing. The drive piece 501 is swingably supported on the apparatus main body 1 via a pivot 504 provided midway in the length direction of the first drive piece 502, and the lower end of the second drive piece 201 is opened and closed. While engaging with a locking piece 508 formed integrally with the shutter 506, the free end portion of the first drive piece 502 is rotatable to the magazine replacement door 3a when the magazine replacement door 3a is closed. The cam piece 91 is arranged so as to abut against the attached cam roller 91, and the cam piece 91 is brought into contact with the first drive piece 502 when the magazine replacement door 3a is closed. The shutter 506 is opened through the second drive piece 503 by swinging in the direction of the arrow U1. Further, a return spring 505 is attached to the first drive piece 502, and the shutter 506 is kept closed by swinging the drive piece 501 in the arrow direction U2 in the figure by the spring force of the return spring 505 at all times. ing.

  Further, in the above embodiment, the paper magazines 50, 60 are provided with the handle 55 as a handle for lifting the magazines 50, 60. However, the handle is not limited to this. For example, it may be a recess for hanging a finger.

  Further, in the above embodiment, in the case of a long paper, the paper P after exposure is wound up by the winding mechanism 8 including the winding drum 20 and the pressure roller 21, but this is not restrictive. Only the transport direction of the paper P may be changed by sandwiching the front end side in the transport direction of the paper P between the winding drum 20 and the pressure roller 21.

  Further, in the above embodiment, the front end side in the transport direction of the paper P is sandwiched between the take-up drum 20 and the pressure roller 21, but not limited thereto, and the transport direction of the paper P during the exposure of the paper P Any structure other than a roller may be used as long as the front end side is sandwiched.

  In the above embodiment, the exposure engine 7 using laser light has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, image exposure using a liquid crystal shutter or an ink jet printer may be used. Accordingly, the medium on which the image is formed may be paper made of not only a photographic photosensitive material but also other materials.

  Further, in the above-described embodiment, the insertion detection unit 33 c detects that the leading end of the paper P is inserted into the gap between the winding drum 20 and the pressure roller 21 based on the output signal from the paper detection sensor 10. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and a dedicated sensor for detecting the insertion of the paper P may be provided in the vicinity of the insertion position. The detection of the trailing end of the paper P reaching the first transport unit 11 may also be performed by providing a dedicated sensor in the first transport unit 11.

  INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention is useful for an image forming apparatus having a main body portion in which a loading portion in which a magazine for storing a photosensitive material is loaded, and forms an image particularly on a photosensitive material having a width larger than 12 inches. It is useful for an image forming apparatus capable of performing the above.

1 is an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a block diagram which shows the structure in an exposure engine. (A) is a front view of the paper magazine, and (b) is a side view of the paper magazine. It is a figure which shows the structure of a storage space part. It is a detailed perspective view which shows the structure of a winding mechanism. It is sectional drawing which shows the cam mechanism which moves a pressurizing roller. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a control block configuration of the image forming apparatus. 3 is a flowchart (first half) showing an operation of the image forming apparatus. 6 is a flowchart (second half) illustrating the operation of the image forming apparatus. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an operation (part 1) of the image forming apparatus. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an operation (No. 2) of the image forming apparatus. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an operation (part 3) of the image forming apparatus. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an operation (part 4) of the image forming apparatus. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an operation (No. 5) of the image forming apparatus. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an operation (No. 6) of the image forming apparatus. It is explanatory drawing of the door for magazine replacement | exchange, and the door for a maintenance. It is explanatory drawing of the door for magazine replacement | exchange, and the door for a maintenance. It is explanatory drawing of the door for magazine replacement | exchange, and the door for a maintenance. It is operation | movement explanatory drawing of a shutter opening / closing mechanism. It is operation | movement explanatory drawing of a shutter opening / closing mechanism. It is the schematic of the shutter opening / closing mechanism which concerns on other embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

A Image forming apparatus 1 Image forming apparatus main body 2 Inside image forming apparatus main body 3a Magazine replacement door 3b Maintenance door 3j Overlapping surface (interlocking mechanism)
3k overlapping surface (interlocking mechanism)
50 Paper magazine (magazine) with a magazine length corresponding to wide paper
60 Magazine magazine (magazine) of magazine length corresponding to narrow paper
72 Magazine stand (loading section)
73 Magazine stand (loading section)
77 Photosensitive material outlet (discharge port)
91 Cam roller (action part)
301 Open / close regulating body (opening / closing regulating means)
306 Steel plate (closed state holding means)
307 Magnet plate (closed state holding means)
401 Drive surface 401a drive surface (actuator)
402 Open / close shutter

Claims (5)

An image forming apparatus provided with a main body unit provided therein with a loading unit in which a magazine for storing a photosensitive material is loaded,
The main body has at least one magazine replacement door for exchanging the magazine, and at least one maintenance door for performing maintenance and inspection of equipment accommodated in the main body. When all magazine replacement doors and maintenance doors are closed, the interior is shielded from light.
When the magazine replacement door and the maintenance door are all in a closed state, a closed state holding means is provided for holding the maintenance door in a closed state when at least one of the magazine replacement doors is opened. An image forming apparatus. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1.
An image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the magazine replacement door comprises a single door and is formed to correspond to the loading section. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 or 2,
The magazine includes a discharge port for discharging the photosensitive material accommodated in the magazine to the outside of the magazine, an open / close shutter for opening / closing the discharge port, and a shutter drive mechanism for causing the shutter to open / close. And an operating part for operating the drive mechanism,
The magazine replacement door is provided with an action part for acting on the action part to actuate the shutter drive mechanism,
When the magazine replacement door is in a closed state, the opening / closing shutter is opened by the action portion acting on the operation portion, while when the magazine replacement door is in an open state, the action portion is operated. An image forming apparatus, wherein the image forming apparatus is configured to be released from the action on the portion and to be in a closed state. The image forming apparatus according to claim 3.
The magazine replacement door and the maintenance door are interlocking mechanisms that open all the magazine replacement doors in conjunction with the operation of opening at least one of the maintenance doors when all the doors are closed. An image forming apparatus comprising: The image forming apparatus according to claim 3 or 4,
An image forming apparatus comprising: a door opening / closing restricting means that allows the magazine replacement door to be closed only when all the maintenance doors are in a closed state.

Images