JP2007147896A - Image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To decrease the moving speed of a magazine that is moving in a magazine housing part, and to achieve the positioning of the magazine in the housing direction. <P>SOLUTION: While making the damper engaging pin 117 of the magazine 100, moving in the magazine housing part 200, abut against the engaging member 301 of a magazine damper unit 300 and making the engaging member 301 rotate gradually about a rotary shaft 305, the moving speed of the magazine 100 is decreased by a shock absorber 302 coupled with the rear end of the engaging member 301. After the engaging member 301 is rotated up to a predetermined angle, the magazine 100 is held, and is pressed against and held to the inner side in the housing direction by the shock absorber 302, in such a state that the damper-engaging pin 117 of the magazine 100 is engaged with the engaging member 301. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus in which a magazine for storing recording paper is detachably stored in a magazine storage section inside the apparatus main body, and an image is printed on the recording paper taken out from the magazine.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as an image forming apparatus used for photographic development or the like, an apparatus that performs image exposure on paper (for example, an image forming medium such as recording paper) with a laser beam is known.

  In Patent Document 1, as an example of a conventional image forming apparatus, image data of a frame image formed on a developed negative film and image data stored in various storage media are read and based on these image data. And an image which is configured to print and expose an image on the emulsion surface of paper.

Here, the paper magazine contains the paper wound in a roll shape, so that the operator can replace the paper by sliding the magazine on the slide rail and then removing it. It has become.
JP 2004-302284 A

  However, in the method of sliding the magazine on the slide rail when replacing the paper as in the conventional image forming apparatus, for example, when using a paper having a large width size such as an advertisement print, the weight of the paper roll itself. Therefore, it is difficult for the operator to lift the magazine and set it in the magazine storage section inside the apparatus. In order to solve this problem, a system configuration in which a magazine is installed so as to be adjacent to the outside of the apparatus instead of installing a magazine inside the apparatus is also conceivable, but in this case, the apparatus installation surface and the magazine installation surface are horizontal. Is required, and the installation location is limited.

  Therefore, the present inventor has provided a caster on the bottom surface of the magazine so that the magazine can be detached from the apparatus main body. In this way, the operator can perform the paper exchange work after moving the magazine to a place where it is easy to work, and there is an advantage that workability is improved.

  However, when such a detachable magazine is used, if the magazine travels in the magazine storage section and stops at a predetermined magazine setting position, the inertia of the magazine is excessive. Due to the force, an excessive impact force is applied to the apparatus main body, which may damage the apparatus main body and the magazine.

  Also, since the magazine is equipped with casters, after the magazine is moved to the predetermined magazine setting position, if the normal printing operation is started as it is, the magazine is moved to the original setting position due to vibration of the device itself. From time to time, there is a risk that the smooth conveyance of the paper will be hindered and the print quality will be affected.

  The present invention has been made in view of such points, and an object of the present invention is to reduce the moving speed of the magazine moving in the magazine storage section and to perform positioning in the magazine storage direction. did.

  In order to achieve the above object, the image forming apparatus according to the present invention is provided with a damper means for positioning the magazine in the magazine storage section while reducing the moving speed of the magazine moving in the magazine storage section. I made it.

That is, the present invention is an image forming apparatus in which a magazine for storing recording paper is detachably stored in a magazine storage section inside the apparatus body, and an image is printed on the recording paper taken out from the magazine.
Damper means for decelerating the moving speed of the magazine moving in the magazine storage section;
The damper means is further configured to position the magazine in the magazine storage portion in the storage direction.

In the present invention, the damper means has an engaging member that engages with the magazine,
The engagement member is formed to be rotatable around a rotation axis serving as a rotation center,
The engagement side tip of the engagement member abuts on the magazine moving in the magazine storage part and gradually rotates toward the back side in the magazine storage direction around the rotation shaft. While the movement speed of the magazine is reduced,
When the engagement-side distal end portion of the engagement member rotates to a predetermined angle, the magazine is engaged by the engagement member, and positioning of the magazine in the magazine storage portion is performed. It may be characterized by being.

  Therefore, according to the present invention, the function of decelerating the movement speed of the magazine and the function of positioning the magazine in the magazine storage section are provided in one damper means. Compared to the case where the unit is configured as a separate unit and installed in the apparatus, the installation space is small, and further, an advantageous effect can be obtained in reducing the cost of the entire apparatus by reducing the number of component units.

Further, in the present invention, the damper means further includes a buffer member connected to a rear end portion of the engagement member and pressing the rear end portion to rotate the engagement member around the rotation axis.
The buffer member is
When decelerating the moving speed of the magazine, the engaging side tip of the engaging member urges the engaging member in a rotation direction facing the near side in the magazine storage direction,
When the magazine is positioned, the engagement side tip of the engagement member is configured to urge the engagement member in a rotation direction facing the back side in the magazine storage direction. It may be.

  Therefore, according to the present invention, since the engaging member gradually rotates against the urging force of the buffer member of the damper means, it is advantageous in reducing the impact force at the time of the magazine collision, and the magazine is stored in the storing direction. Since the magazine is always pressed to the back side in the storage direction by the buffer member, the magazine can be firmly held at the magazine setting position, and the magazine is not displaced due to vibration of the device itself. Therefore, the recording paper can be conveyed stably.

  As described above, according to the present invention, since one damper means has the function of decelerating the moving speed of the magazine and the function of positioning the magazine in the storage direction, the installation space for the damper means This is advantageous in reducing the cost of the entire apparatus.

  Also, the buffer member of the damper means can gradually reduce the moving speed of the magazine when the magazine is stored, and can hold the magazine firmly at the magazine set position when positioning the magazine.

  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 illustrating a configuration of a photographic processing system including an image forming apparatus A according to an embodiment of the present invention. The photo processing system shown in FIG. 1 has a function of acquiring image data, printing an image on the emulsion surface of recording paper based on the image data, and creating a photo print.

  Furthermore, this photographic processing system uses a film scanner (not shown) for scanning frame images formed on developed photographic film to obtain image data, storage media for digital cameras, and other recordings. A media reading unit (not shown) for reading image data stored in the medium is provided.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the upper magazine 90 and the lower magazine 100 each accommodate a long paper P as a paper roll R wound in a roll shape. The upper magazine 90 is detachably attached to the image forming apparatus A main body via a slide rail 91 (see FIG. 5), and the lower magazine 100 is detachably stored in the image forming apparatus A main body via a caster 111. ing. It is assumed that the lower magazine 100 accommodates paper P that is wider than the upper magazine 90.

  Then, one of the upper and lower magazines 90 and 100 attached to the main body of the image forming apparatus A is selected according to the print size or the like, and the paper P drawn from the selected magazine is selected. However, it is conveyed along a predetermined conveyance path.

  That is, the paper P drawn from one of the upper and lower magazines 90 and 100 is changed in direction by the advance roller unit 4 and 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 (which correspond to a transport mechanism). 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.

  The first transport unit 11 is provided so as to be rotatable around a predetermined rotation axis, and has a function of further transferring the paper P delivered by the downstream exposure transport roller 9b to the second transport unit 12. I have.

  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.

  Further, on the downstream side of the exposure engine 7 (left side of the exposure engine 7 in FIG. 1), accommodation for temporarily accommodating paper P whose length in the transport direction is a predetermined length (for example, 430.1 mm) or more. A space portion S is provided.

  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, if the length of the paper P in the transport direction is equal to or longer than the predetermined length, the unevenness of exposure is obtained by storing the paper P in the storage space S. Is to prevent the occurrence of.

  On the other hand, the paper P whose length in the transport direction is shorter than the predetermined length does not cause the problem of uneven exposure as described above, and is transported to the development processing unit without being stored in the storage space S. Will be. This is because if the paper P having a length in the transport direction that does not cause the above-described problem is stored in the storage space S, the processing speed of the entire apparatus is unnecessarily reduced.

  In the accommodation space S, a winding drum 20 for winding the paper P and a pressure roller 21 for pressing and holding the paper P on the outer peripheral surface of the winding drum 20 are arranged. 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.

  A sag detection sensor 22 for detecting the sag of the paper P accommodated in the accommodation space S is provided below the winding drum 20 in the accommodation space S. 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, a line connecting the light emitting element 22a and the light receiving element 22b is set to be inclined with respect to a horizontal line.

<Magazine structure>
FIG. 2 is a side view showing the configuration of the lower magazine 100, and FIG. 3 is a front view showing the configuration of the lower magazine 100. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, reference numeral 101 denotes a magazine body, which accommodates a paper roll R obtained by winding a long paper P in a roll shape. The magazine body 101 is formed with an opening for an operator to remove and attach the paper roll R, and a magazine lid 102 is attached so as to close the opening.

  The magazine lid 102 is attached to the magazine body 101 via a hinge 116 attached to a lower frame 108 described later so as to be freely opened and closed. In this way, by combining the magazine main body portion 101 and the magazine lid portion 102, a paper accommodating portion of the substantially rectangular parallelepiped magazine 100 is configured.

  Rubber legs 115 and 115 are attached to the upper part of the side surface of the magazine lid 102 at both ends in the longitudinal direction. The rubber legs 115 prevent the upper end of the side surface of the magazine lid 102 from coming into direct contact with the magazine installation surface when the magazine lid 102 is opened, and the magazine lid 102 may be scratched. This is advantageous in preventing damage.

  On the upper surface of the magazine body 101, engaging tools 103 for holding the magazine lid 102 so as to be engageable are provided at both ends in the longitudinal direction, respectively, and the engagement of the engaging tools 103 is released. Thus, the magazine lid 102 can be opened and closed.

  A paper discharge port 104 for discharging the paper P drawn from the paper roll R to the outside from the magazine main body 101 is formed on the upper side of the magazine main body 101. The paper discharge port 104 is provided with a shutter 105 that closes the paper discharge port 104. When the magazine 100 is not stored in the image forming apparatus A, the shutter 105 is closed.

  An adjustment roller 106 for manually feeding the paper P drawn from the paper roll R to the paper discharge port 104 and a shutter for controlling the opening / closing operation of the shutter 105 are provided on the front side (longitudinal direction) of the magazine main body 101. An open / close switch 107 is provided.

  The shutter opening / closing switch 107 can be opened and closed by an operator. Further, after the magazine 100 is stored in the image forming apparatus A, the magazine 100 is pushed by a protrusion provided inside the apparatus front cover in conjunction with the closing operation of the apparatus front cover (not shown). Accordingly, the shutter 105 is opened simply by closing the apparatus front cover, and the paper P can be sent out from the magazine 100 into the image forming apparatus A.

  On the bottom surface of the magazine body 101, lower frames 108 extending in the longitudinal direction are disposed at both ends in the width direction. The lower frame 108 protrudes forward in the longitudinal direction from the magazine body 101, and a connecting frame 109 that connects both the lower frames 108 and 108 is attached to the lower surface of the protruding portion.

  In addition, a handle 110 configured to have an inverted U shape by connecting three square pipes is attached to the protruding portions of the lower frames 108 and 108. The handle 110 is for gripping when the operator moves the magazine 100.

  On the lower surface of the lower frame 108, casters 111 that allow the magazine 100 to move are provided at both ends in the longitudinal direction, and a plurality of guide bearings 112 whose rotating shafts extend in the vertical direction are arranged at intervals in the longitudinal direction. Has been.

  The guide bearing 112 is configured to slidably contact a side guide plate 352 of a trap 350, which will be described later, and a magazine guide 202 of the magazine storage unit 200 inside the apparatus main body, and restrict movement of the magazine 100 in the width direction. Therefore, a part of the outer peripheral surface of the guide bearing 112 is disposed so as to protrude beyond the magazine body 101 and the magazine lid 102 in the width direction.

  For positioning the magazine 100 by engaging with a positioning unit 250 disposed on the floor surface of the magazine storage unit 200, which will be described later, between the lower frames 108 and 108 on the bottom surface of the magazine main body 101. A positioning pin 113 is attached via a positioning pin bracket 114.

  The positioning pin 113 and the positioning pin bracket 114 are respectively provided at both ends in the longitudinal direction of the magazine main body 101, and the height of the bracket on the near side (the height from the bottom surface of the magazine main body 101) is the back side. (See FIGS. 10 and 11). This will be described in detail later.

  Of the two lower frames 108, 108, a damper engagement pin 117 that engages with a magazine damper unit 300 described later is provided on the inner side in the longitudinal direction of the lower frame 108 disposed on the left side in the width direction. ing. In this embodiment, the rotating shaft of the guide bearing 112 exposed by cutting out a part of the back side of the lower frame 108 is used as the damper engaging pin 117. Of course, the present invention is not limited to this configuration, and a dedicated damper engaging pin may be separately provided.

<Composition of magazine storage>
FIG. 4 is a plan view showing the configuration of the magazine storage section in the image forming apparatus, and FIG. 5 is a side view showing the configuration of the magazine storage section. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the magazine storage unit 200 is configured by an area defined by four apparatus body frames 201 erected on the upstream side in the paper conveyance direction inside the apparatus body.

  Reference numeral 202 denotes a magazine guide that extends in the magazine storage direction and is in sliding contact with the guide bearing 112 of the magazine 100 to restrict movement of the magazine 100 in the width direction.

  Between the two magazine guides 202, 202, positioning units 250, 250 for positioning the magazine 100 stored in the magazine storage unit 200 are disposed on the front side and the back side in the magazine storage direction, respectively. . The rear positioning unit 250 is higher than the front positioning unit 250. The other structures are both the same and will be described in detail later.

  Specifically, the magazine 100 passing over the positioning unit 250 is lifted by a small amount by the lift roller 255, and the positioning pin 113 provided on the bottom surface of the magazine 100 is fitted from the opening side of the U-shaped positioning guide 257. By doing so, the magazine 100 is positioned.

  A magazine damper unit 300 is provided behind the magazine guide 202 in the magazine storage direction and downstream of the magazine guide 202 on the downstream side in the paper transport direction (left side in FIG. 4).

  The magazine damper unit 300 is for reducing the impact force by reducing the traveling speed of the magazine 100 immediately before the positioning pin 113 of the magazine 100 is fitted into the positioning guide 257 of the positioning unit 250.

  As will be described in detail later, only the engagement member 301 at the tip of the magazine damper unit 300 protrudes and extends from above the magazine guide 202 into the magazine storage unit 200, and this engagement member 301 is connected to the damper engagement pin 117 of the magazine 100. The magazine 100 is guided to a predetermined position while the impact force at the time of engagement is reduced by the shock absorber 302 (buffer member).

  A trapping 350 is connected to the main body of the image forming apparatus A via a trapping hinge 361 at a magazine storage opening that opens to the front side of the magazine storage unit 200. The trap 350 is placed between the floor surface of the magazine storage unit 200 and the apparatus installation surface by bringing the tip portion into contact with the installation surface of the image forming apparatus A so that the magazine 100 can be stored or removed smoothly. It has become. Furthermore, since it is rotatably held by the trap hinge 361, the trap 350 can be stored inside the apparatus when the magazine 100 is stored, and the work of the operator is not hindered.

  Further, a trap damper 362 having one end connected to the apparatus main body frame 201 is connected to a side guide plate 352 (right side in FIG. 4) of the trap 350. The trap damper 362 controls the opening and closing speed of the trap 350. For example, even if the operator accidentally releases the trap 350 when the trap 350 is opened or closed, the trap 350 is vigorously placed on the apparatus installation surface. It is advantageous for preventing safety from falling and ensuring safety.

  In the present embodiment, the structure in which the trap damper 362 is attached to the trap 350 has been described. However, since the presence or absence of the trap damper 362 does not affect the effect of the present invention, it may not be particularly attached. Absent.

  Although not shown, a handle may be provided on the trap 350 in order to facilitate the opening / closing operation of the trap 350.

<Configuration of the wrapping>
Next, the structure of the trap 350 installed between the floor surface of the magazine storage unit 200 and the apparatus installation surface will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 6, the trap 350 includes a tread plate 351, side guide plates 352 and 352 erected from both ends of the tread plate 351, and reinforcing ribs 353 disposed at a substantially central position of the tread plate 351. Yes.

  The tread plate 351 constitutes a running surface of the caster 111 of the magazine 100. The tread plate 351 has a hole 354 at a position corresponding to the shutter opening / closing switch 107 of the magazine 100 accommodated when the trap 350 is stored in the apparatus main body. Thereby, a projection provided on the device front cover side (not shown) can push the shutter opening / closing switch 107 through the opening 354 when the device front cover is closed.

  The side guide plate 352 is in sliding contact with the guide bearing 112 of the magazine 100 to restrict the movement of the magazine 100 in the width direction, and the front side in the magazine storage direction is opened outward from the back side. As a result, when the magazine 100 is stored in the magazine storage unit 200, the access to the trap 350 is improved and workability is improved.

  In the present embodiment, the structure in which both side guide plates 352 and 352 are opened outward has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this configuration, and only one of the side guide plates 352 faces outward. It may be open.

  The height of the side guide plate 352 is preferably as low as possible so that at least the guide bearing 112 is in sliding contact with the magazine 100 when it is stored, and the magazine 100 can be stored smoothly. This is because the magazine guide 202 in the magazine storage unit 200 is arranged at a position where the side guide plate 352 does not interfere when the trap 350 is stored inside the apparatus, but the side guide plate 352 has a high height. This is because the distance between the rear side of the side guide plate 352 and the front side of the magazine guide 202 when the wrapping 350 is installed becomes large and may be caught when the magazine 100 is stored, and the stability of storing the magazine 100 is impaired.

  The reinforcing rib 353 is disposed on the running surface side of the caster 111 in the tread plate 351, and is formed so as to extend in the magazine storage direction at a substantially central position in the width direction that does not overlap the running area of the caster 111. .

  Specifically, the plate material is bent into a concave cross section, and both ends thereof are bent outward to provide flaps, and the flaps are joined to the tread plate 351. As a result, the strength of the tread plate 351 can be ensured, and the thickness of the entire trap 350 including the side guide plate 352 can be reduced compared to the case where the reinforcing rib 353 is provided on the back surface of the tread plate 351, thereby hindering the work of the operator. There is no advantage.

  In this embodiment, a description is given of a mode in which the trap 350 is attached to the apparatus main body via the trap hinge 361 so as to be rotatable. However, the trap 350 is stored in the apparatus as a separate member that can be detached from the apparatus. As required, the magazine storage unit 200 may be installed and used so that the floor surface and the device installation surface are installed.

<Configuration of positioning unit>
7 is a plan view showing the configuration of the positioning unit 250, FIG. 8 is a side view showing the configuration of the positioning unit, and FIG. 9 is a front view showing the configuration of the positioning unit 250. As shown in FIGS. 7 to 9, reference numeral 251 denotes an installation bracket installed on the floor surface of the magazine storage unit 200, and is configured by arranging two L-shaped members extending in the magazine storage direction so as to face each other. is doing.

  A main body 252 is attached between the installation brackets 251 and 251. The main body 252 has a roller support shaft 253 that extends through in the width direction, and lift rollers 255 are rotatably attached to both ends of the roller support shaft 253. The both ends of the roller support shaft 253 to which the lift roller 255 is attached are held by holding brackets 254 connected to the main body 252.

  The lift roller 255 is in contact with a positioning pin bracket 114 attached to the bottom of the magazine 100 and lifts the entire magazine 100 traveling in the magazine storage direction. The height of the upper end of the lift roller 255 is the magazine storage portion. 200 is set to be the height reference of the magazine 100 at 200.

  Specifically, the main body portion 252 is provided with a height adjustment bolt 256 that adjusts the relative height between the installation bracket 251 and the main body portion 252. By adjusting the height adjustment bolt 256, the height adjustment bolt 256 is adjusted. The height position of the lift roller 255 from the floor surface of the magazine storage unit 200 can be adjusted.

  A positioning guide 257 that can be fitted to the positioning pin 113 at the bottom of the magazine 100 is attached to the upper surface of the main body 252. The positioning guide 257 is made of a U-shaped member and is arranged so that the opening side faces the front side in the magazine storage direction. Further, the upper surface on the opening side of the positioning guide 257 is processed into a tapered shape in order to improve the ease of entering the magazine 100.

  The positioning unit 250 is provided at two locations on the front side and the back side in the magazine storage direction of the magazine storage unit 200, but the difference between them is only the height from the floor surface. However, the positioning unit 250 on the near side is lower in height from the floor surface. This point will be described below.

  FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a state in which the magazine 100 has started to be stored in the magazine storage unit 200. As shown in FIG. 10, the height of the upper surface of the positioning guide 257 in the positioning unit 250 on the near side from the floor surface is lower than the height of the positioning pins 113 provided on the back side of the bottom of the magazine 100 from the floor surface. Is set to Thus, the magazine 100 can pass above the positioning unit 250 on the front side.

  FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating a state immediately before the magazine 100 is completely stored in the magazine storage unit 200. As shown in FIG. 11, the positioning pin 113 provided on the near side of the bottom of the magazine 100 is set to a height that can be fitted to the positioning guide 257 of the positioning unit 250 on the near side.

  Therefore, when the magazine 100 is moved in the storage direction as it is, first, the lift roller 255 and the positioning pin bracket 114 of the magazine 100 are in sliding contact with each other, and the positioning pin bracket 114 rides on the lift roller 255 as it is. As a result, the caster 111 of the magazine 100 is separated from the floor surface.

  FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating a state where the positioning of the magazine 100 in the magazine storage unit 200 is completed. As shown in FIG. 12, when the magazine 100 is further moved with the magazine 100 riding on the lift roller 255, the positioning pins 113 of the magazine 100 are fitted from the opening side of the U-shaped positioning guide 257. Then, the position of the magazine 100 in the magazine storage direction is determined.

  Thus, when the magazine 100 rides on the lift roller 255, the movement direction of the magazine 100 that can be moved not only in the magazine storage direction but also in the width direction by the caster 111 is restricted only in the magazine storage direction. The magazine can be stored smoothly.

  Further, the positioning error in the height direction of the magazine 100 due to the accuracy of the parts of the caster 111 can be eliminated by using the height of the lift roller 255 as a reference, and the positioning of the magazine 100 in the height direction can be performed with higher accuracy. Can do.

<Configuration of magazine damper unit>
Next, the configuration of the magazine damper unit, which is a characteristic part of the present invention, will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 13 is a plan view showing the configuration of the magazine damper unit, and shows a state before the magazine damper unit operates.

  As shown in FIG. 13, the magazine damper unit 300 reduces the traveling speed of the magazine 100 to reduce the impact force between the magazine 100 and the apparatus main body, and engages with the damper engagement pin 117 of the magazine 100. An engagement member 301 is provided.

  The engagement member 301 is sandwiched between an installation bracket 303 installed on the floor surface of the magazine storage unit 200 and a cover bracket 304 attached to the installation bracket 303, and is a rotation shaft 305 serving as a rotation center. It is rotatably attached via.

  At the engagement side tip of the engagement member 301, a contact projection 301a that contacts the damper engagement pin 117 of the magazine 100 and a holding projection 301b that holds the damper engagement pin 117 are formed.

  Specifically, when the magazine 100 is stored in the magazine storage unit 200, the damper engagement pin 117 of the magazine 100 first contacts the contact protrusion 301 a of the engagement member 301, and the rotation shaft 305 is centered as it is. After the engaging member 301 is rotated and the engaging member 301 is rotated to a predetermined angle, the holding projection 301b is engaged with the damper engaging pin 117 to hold the magazine 100.

  One end of a shock absorber 302 is rotatably connected to the rear end portion of the engaging member 301 via a connecting shaft 306.

  The shock absorber 302 presses the rear end portion of the engagement member 301 to rotate the engagement member 301 around the rotation shaft 305 and urges the shock absorber 302, and the other end of the shock absorber 302 is interposed via a fulcrum shaft 307. The mounting bracket 303 is rotatably attached. Further, the lower end portion of the connecting shaft 306 is fitted into an arcuate guide hole 308 formed in the installation bracket 303 with the rotating shaft 305 as the center.

  The shock absorber 302 functions to change the rotation direction of the engagement member 301 in accordance with the engagement state between the damper engagement pin 117 of the magazine 100 and the engagement member 301. This point will be described with reference to FIGS.

  FIG. 13 shows a state in which the damper engagement pin 117 of the magazine 100 is in contact with the contact protrusion 301 a of the engagement member 301. In this state, since the engagement side tip of the engagement member 301 faces the front side in the magazine storage direction, the shock absorber 302 presses the engagement member 301 to rotate clockwise. Thus, the impact force when the magazine 100 is housed can be reduced by reducing the traveling speed of the magazine 100 while allowing the engaging member 301 to rotate counterclockwise.

  FIG. 14 shows the angle of the engaging member 301 at which the function of decelerating the traveling speed of the magazine 100 in the magazine damper unit 300 and the function of pressing the magazine 100 toward the back in the magazine storage direction are switched.

  Specifically, a center line L2 connecting the shaft center of the fulcrum shaft 307 of the shock absorber 302 and the shaft center of the connecting shaft 306, the shaft center of the connecting shaft 306, and the shaft center of the rotating shaft 305 of the engaging member 301 are defined. The connecting center line L3 is in a straight line and overlaps the center line L1 connecting the axis center of the fulcrum shaft 307 and the axis center of the rotating shaft 305.

  In this state, the engaging member 301 sandwiches the damper engaging pin 117 of the magazine 100 between the abutting protrusion 301a and the holding protrusion 301b at the engaging end, and the pressing force of the shock absorber 302 is engaged. They do not contribute to the rotation of the member 301 and are in a balanced state.

  FIG. 15 is a diagram illustrating a state in which the magazine 100 is positioned. In this state, since the engagement side tip of the engagement member 301 faces the back side in the magazine storage direction, the shock absorber 302 presses the engagement member 301 to rotate counterclockwise. As a result, the shock absorber 302 presses and holds the magazine 100 whose positioning has been completed toward the back side.

<Magazine storage using a wrap>
In the image forming apparatus A configured as described above, an operation of storing the magazine 100 in the magazine storage unit 200 will be described below with reference to FIG.

  First, the paper roll R is set on the magazine 100 removed from the magazine storage unit 200, and the trapping 350 is rotated so as to be installed between the floor surface of the magazine storage unit 200 and the apparatus installation surface.

  Next, the operator moves the magazine 100 with the casters 111 and runs on the tread plate 351 of the trap 350. At this time, the lateral guide plate 352 of the trap 350 and the guide bearing 112 of the magazine 100 are in sliding contact with each other so that the position in the width direction is regulated, and the magazine 100 is smoothly stored in the magazine guide 202 in the magazine storage unit 200. It has become.

  When the operator further moves the magazine 100 into the magazine storage unit 200, the damper engagement pin 117 of the magazine 100 is engaged with the engagement member 301 of the magazine damper unit 300. As a result, the traveling speed of the magazine 100 is reduced. When the magazine 100 is further stored, the entire magazine 100 rides on the lift roller 255 of the positioning unit 250, and the caster 111 is separated from the floor surface.

  When the magazine 100 is further stored in this state, finally, the positioning pins 113 provided on the near side and the far side of the bottom of the magazine 100 are respectively positioned on the positioning guides 257 of the positioning unit 250 on the far side and the near side. The positioning of the magazine 100 in the magazine storage unit 200 is completed.

  At this time, the engaging member 301 of the magazine damper unit 300 is in an engaged state as shown in FIG. 15, and the engaging side tip of the engaging member 301 faces the back side in the magazine storage direction. The shock absorber 302 presses the engaging member 301 to rotate counterclockwise. As a result, the shock absorber 302 presses and holds the magazine 100 at the magazine setting position to the back side, and an advantageous effect is obtained in preventing the magazine 100 from being displaced due to vibrations of the apparatus itself. It is done.

<Other embodiments>
The configuration of the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and includes various other configurations. That is, in the embodiment, the exposure engine using laser light as the image recording unit has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, image exposure using a liquid crystal shutter or an ink jet printer may be used. Therefore, the image forming medium may also be paper made of not only a photographic material but also other materials.

  As described above, the present invention is extremely useful because it provides a highly practical effect of reducing the moving speed of the magazine moving in the magazine storage section and positioning the magazine in the storage direction. And industrial applicability is high.

1 is a partial cross-sectional view illustrating a configuration of a photographic processing system including an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a side view which shows the structure of a lower magazine. It is a front view which shows the structure of a lower magazine. It is a top view which shows the structure of a magazine storage part. It is a side view which shows the structure of a magazine storage part. It is a figure which shows the structure of a trap. It is a top view which shows the structure of a positioning unit. It is a side view which shows the structure of a positioning unit. It is a front view which shows the structure of a positioning unit. It is a side view which shows the state which began to store the magazine in a magazine storage part. It is a figure which shows the state immediately before making a magazine storage completion of a magazine. It is a figure which shows the state which positioning in the magazine storage part of the magazine was completed. It is a top view which shows the structure (non-engagement state) of a magazine damper unit. It is a top view which shows the structure (equilibrium state) of a magazine damper unit. It is a top view which shows the structure (engagement state) of a magazine damper unit.

Explanation of symbols

A image forming apparatus P paper R paper roll 100 magazine 111 caster 117 damper engaging pin 200 magazine storage portion 202 magazine guide 250 positioning unit 300 magazine damper unit 301 engaging member 302 shock absorber (buffer member)
305 Rotating shaft

Claims (3)

A magazine for storing recording paper is detachably stored in a magazine storage section inside the apparatus main body, and an image forming apparatus for printing an image on recording paper taken out from the magazine,
Damper means for decelerating the moving speed of the magazine moving in the magazine storage section;
The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the damper unit is further configured to position the magazine in the magazine storage portion in the storage direction. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1,
The damper means has an engaging member that engages with the magazine,
The engagement member is formed to be rotatable around a rotation axis serving as a rotation center,
The engagement side tip of the engagement member abuts on the magazine moving in the magazine storage part and gradually rotates toward the back side in the magazine storage direction around the rotation shaft. While the movement speed of the magazine is reduced,
When the engagement-side distal end portion of the engagement member rotates to a predetermined angle, the magazine is engaged by the engagement member, and positioning of the magazine in the magazine storage portion is performed. An image forming apparatus. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2,
The damper means further includes a buffer member connected to a rear end portion of the engagement member and pressing the rear end portion to rotate the engagement member around the rotation axis.
The buffer member is
When decelerating the moving speed of the magazine, the engaging side tip of the engaging member urges the engaging member in a rotation direction facing the near side in the magazine storage direction,
When positioning the magazine, the engaging side tip of the engaging member is configured to urge the engaging member in a rotational direction facing the back side in the magazine storage direction. Forming equipment.

Images