JP2007163697A - Image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To easily position a freely conveyed magazine into a mounting position of a housing unit. <P>SOLUTION: An image forming apparatus (A) is equipped with magazine guides 202 which guide a magazine 100 to a mounting position while regulating displacement in a carrying-in width direction within a predetermined range. The floor 203 of a magazine housing unit 200 is provided with a notch 258a where a pin 242a formed on the bottom face of the magazine 100 is fitted. The notch 258a has a pair of side edges 259a which position the pin 242a in the carrying-in width direction Y and a pair of aperture edges 260a which are disposed in a front side of the carrying-in direction X than the pair of side edges 259a and which guide the pin 242a while regulating the displacement of the magazine 100 in the carrying-in width direction Y to be smaller than the regulation by the magazine guides 202. An entrance part of the pair of aperture edges 260a at a front side of the carrying-in direction X spreads in the carrying-in width direction Y than a predetermined distance. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention includes a recording paper storage body that stores recording paper and has a plurality of rotating bodies provided on the bottom surface thereof and is conveyed via the plurality of rotating bodies, and a storage section that stores the recording paper storage body. The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus including a main body.

  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 a paper as a recording paper with a laser beam is known (see Patent Document 1).

  In the image forming apparatus according to Patent Document 1, a long paper as a recording paper is stored in a magazine as a recording paper storage body in a state of being wound in a roll shape, and this magazine is attached to a storage portion of the apparatus main body. Has been. Then, the paper is pulled out from the magazine according to the paper size to be printed and cut into a predetermined length by a cutter, and image exposure is performed on the paper having the predetermined length.

The magazine is installed on a magazine table or slide rail provided in the storage unit by an operator, and is slid along the magazine table or slide rail into the storage unit so that the magazine is placed in a predetermined mounting position. Positioned and mounted.
JP 2004-302284 A

  By the way, in the method of sliding a magazine on a magazine stand or the like when replacing the magazine as in a conventional image forming apparatus, an operator carries the magazine to the image forming apparatus and places the magazine on the magazine stand or the like. It is necessary to install it. For example, when using paper with a large paper width, such as an advertisement print, the size of the magazine increases and the weight of the magazine is heavy, so an operator may carry the magazine or place it on a magazine stand or the like. Handling becomes difficult.

  Therefore, by providing a caster as a rotating body on the bottom surface of the magazine, an operator can push and pull the magazine provided with the caster so that it can be attached to and detached from the apparatus main body without a magazine stand or the like. It is possible. In this way, even if the magazine is a little heavy, the operator can easily handle the magazine, and workability can be improved.

  Then, the magazine base and the slide rail for mounting the magazine at the mounting position in the image forming apparatus according to Patent Document 1 are not necessary. However, the magazine stand or the like has not only a role for mounting the magazine but also a function for positioning the magazine at a predetermined mounting position. In other words, the magazine base and the like are fixed to the apparatus main body, and the magazine is positioned on the mounting position at the same time by placing the magazine on the magazine base and sliding it to the mounting position.

  Here, if the magazine is not accurately positioned at the mounting position of the storage unit, the paper that is pulled out and conveyed from the magazine is skewed, and the paper is wrinkled or the image is tilted and exposed.

  As described above, in the configuration in which the casters are attached to the bottom surface of the magazine, the magazine can be easily moved, but the positioning of the accommodation portion at the mounting position is more important than ever.

  The present invention has been made in view of such a point, and an object of the present invention is to easily position a magazine that is freely transported at a mounting position of a storage portion.

  The present invention stores a recording paper in a loading width direction parallel to the floor surface of the storage unit and perpendicular to the loading direction when a recording paper storage unit such as a magazine is loaded into the storage unit of the apparatus main body and mounted in the mounting position. The displacement of the body is regulated in advance within a predetermined range, and finally the displacement is regulated to perform positioning so that the fitting portion provided in the recording paper storage body (or storage portion) can be accommodated in the storage portion. (Or a recording paper storage body) can be easily fitted to a fitted portion provided in the recording paper storage body. In addition, the fitting portion can be smoothly fitted to the fitted portion by forming a wide entrance at the fitted portion.

  More specifically, the present invention relates to a recording paper storage body that stores recording paper and has a plurality of rotating bodies provided on the bottom surface thereof, and is conveyed via the plurality of rotating bodies, and a storage section that stores the recording paper storage body. And an image forming apparatus in which the recording paper storage body is loaded into the storage unit from a predetermined loading direction and is detachably mounted on the apparatus main body at a mounting position in the storage unit. .

  The recording paper storage body transported through the plurality of rotating bodies is controlled in a predetermined range while displacement in the transporting width direction parallel to the floor surface of the housing portion and orthogonal to the transporting direction. A carrying-in guide that leads to the mounting position of the storage portion, and a fitting portion is provided on one of the floor surface of the storage portion and the bottom surface of the recording paper storage body, and the floor surface of the storage portion and the recording paper One of the bottom surfaces of the storage body is provided with a fitted portion that fits into the fitting portion, and the fitted portion is provided with a predetermined interval in the carry-in width direction and the recording is performed. A pair of positioning portions that are fitted to the fitting portion when the paper storage body reaches the mounting position and positions the fitting portion in the carrying-in width direction, and in front of the carrying direction than the pair of positioning portions. When the recording paper storage body is carried into the loading position. A pair of positioning guide portions that guide the fitting portion to the pair of positioning portions while restricting the displacement so that the displacement of the recording paper storage body in the carry-in width direction is much smaller than the restriction by the carry-in guide; In the pair of positioning guide portions, the inlet portion located on the near side in the carry-in direction is wider in the carry-in width direction than the predetermined interval.

  In the case of the above configuration, since the plurality of rotating bodies are provided on the bottom surface of the recording paper storage body, the recording paper storage body can be easily transported. When the recording paper storage body is mounted at the mounting position, the fitting portion provided on the bottom surface of the recording paper storage body (or the floor surface of the storage section) is connected to the floor surface of the storage section (or the recording paper storage body). The recording paper container is positioned in the loading width direction at the mounting position by being fitted to the pair of positioning portions of the fitted portion provided on the bottom surface.

  Here, assuming that the recording paper storage body is not guided by anything and the fitting portion is directly fitted to the pair of positioning portions, the recording paper storage body can be easily moved back and forth and left and right by a plurality of rotating bodies. Therefore, the fitting portion and the pair of positioning portions are easily displaced in the carry-in width direction, and it is difficult to smoothly fit the fitting portion and the pair of positioning portions. Conversely, if the recording paper storage body is loaded into the storage section with the displacement in the loading width direction completely regulated, there is no margin in the loading width direction, and the recording paper storage body is loaded to the loading position. It becomes difficult.

  Thus, in the above configuration, the displacement of the recording paper storage body in the carry-in width direction is allowed within the predetermined range of the carry-in guide until the fitting portion is fitted to the fitted portion, and the final Specifically, the pair of positioning guide portions of the fitted portion is regulated so that the displacement becomes smaller than the regulation by the carry-in guide, so that the recording paper storage body until the fitted portion approaches the fitted portion. Can be smoothly carried into the storage portion, and finally, the displacement of the recording paper storage body in the carry-in width direction is further regulated by fitting between the fitting portion and the fitted portion. be able to. At this time, since the displacement of the recording paper storage body in the carry-in width direction is allowed to be restricted within a predetermined range while being allowed by the carry-in guide, the fitting portion is fitted as compared with a configuration in which no carry-in guide is provided. It can be easily fitted to the part.

  Furthermore, the displacement of the recording paper storage body in the carry-in width direction is regulated in stages by the carry-in guide and the pair of positioning guide parts. Therefore, even if the fitting portion is carried in with a slight shift in the carrying width direction with respect to the pair of positioning portions, the fitting portion is moved to the pair of positioning guides. Can be reliably received by the portion, and the fitting portion can be guided by the pair of positioning guide portions and smoothly fitted to the pair of positioning portions.

  In this way, the recording paper storage body that is freely conveyed via the rotating body can be easily positioned at the mounting position inside the apparatus main body.

  Moreover, it is preferable that the said fitting part and the to-be-fitted part are each provided with two or more in the said carrying-in direction.

  By doing so, the recording paper storage body can be positioned in the carry-in width direction at a plurality of positions in the carry-in direction, and the positioning accuracy can be improved.

  Preferably, the fitting portion is a pin that is provided on a bottom surface of the recording paper storage body and protrudes downward, and the fitting portion is opposed to the floor surface of the storage portion. The disposed plate-like member is a notch portion that is provided from the front side in the carry-in direction toward the back side, and an entrance portion on the near side in the carry-in direction extends in the carry-in width direction, and the pair of pairs The positioning portion is provided to extend in the carry-in direction with the predetermined interval in the carry-in width direction, and forms a notch portion and a pair of edges that define the gap in the carry-in width direction of the notch portion And the pair of positioning guide portions are a pair of opening edge portions that are provided so that the distance in the carry-in width direction increases toward the near side in the carry-in direction, and forms an inlet portion of the notch portion. To do.

  According to the present invention, the recording paper storage body is carried into the storage portion while the displacement in the carry-in width direction is restricted within a predetermined range by the carry-in guide, and finally the bottom surface of the recording paper storage portion (or the storage portion The fitting portion provided on the floor surface) is displaced by a pair of positioning guide portions of the fitting portion provided on the floor surface of the storage portion (or the bottom surface of the recording paper container) from the carry-in guide. In addition, by strictly restricting, the recording paper storage body can be smoothly carried into the storage portion, and the fitting portion can be smoothly fitted to the pair of positioning portions of the fitted portion. In addition, even if the displacement of the recording paper storage body in the carry-in width direction is regulated stepwise by the carry-in guide and the pair of positioning guide portions, the inlet portions of the pair of positioning guide portions are connected to the pair of positioning portions. Thus, the fitting portion can be reliably received by the pair of positioning guide portions, and the stepwise regulation of the displacement in the carry-in width direction can be smoothly performed. it can.

  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 store a long paper P as a paper roll R wound in a roll shape. The upper magazine 90 is carried into the magazine accommodating portion 200 of the image forming apparatus A main body via the slide rail 91 (see FIG. 5), and is detachable from the image forming apparatus A main body at the mounting position in the magazine accommodating portion 200. It is attached to. On the other hand, the lower magazine 100 is loaded into the magazine accommodating portion 200 of the image forming apparatus A main body via the casters 111 and 111, and is detachable from the image forming apparatus A main body at the mounting position in the magazine accommodating portion 200. Installed. It is assumed that the lower magazine 100 stores 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 exposure transport roller 9 having 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 out downstream from 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, and transports the paper P transported from the first transport unit 11 to the development processing unit.

  A storage space S for temporarily storing the paper P to be transported is provided between the first transport unit 11 and the second transport unit 12.

  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 exposure unevenness, it is possible to prevent exposure unevenness by accommodating the paper P in the accommodation space S after the exposure processing and before the development processing. ing.

  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 a take-up mechanism.

  The paper P whose length in the transport direction is longer than a predetermined length is stored in the storage space S while being wound by the winding drum 20 or the like.

  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. 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. When the light emitted from the light emitting element 22a is blocked by the paper P, it is determined that the amount of sag is larger than a predetermined amount, and the paper P is further wound by the winding drum 20 or the like.

  Note that the paper P whose length in the transport direction is less than a predetermined length is received in the second transport unit 12 without being wound around the take-up drum 20 or the like, only once stored in the storage space S. Passed to the development processing unit.

  The magazines 90 and 100, the exposure engine 7, the first transport unit 11, the second transport unit 12, and the accommodation space S are disposed in a light-shielded casing C.

<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 houses a paper roll R obtained by winding a long paper P into a roll. 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. As described above, the magazine main body 101 and the magazine lid 102 are combined to form a storage portion of the substantially rectangular parallelepiped magazine 100. Note that the paper roll R is stored in the magazine 100 such that the roll axis thereof coincides with the longitudinal direction of the magazine 100.

  Rubber legs 115 (only one is shown in FIG. 3) are attached to the upper part of the side surface of the magazine cover 102 at both ends in the roll axis direction. The rubber legs 115 prevent the upper end portion of the side surface of the magazine lid portion 102 from coming into direct contact with the grounding surface to which the magazine is grounded when the magazine lid portion 102 is opened. This is advantageous in preventing scratches or damage to the surface.

  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.

  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 to one end in the longitudinal direction (the right side in FIG. 2) 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. It has been.

  On the lower surface of each lower frame 108, two casters 111, 111 that allow the magazine 100 to move are provided at both ends in the longitudinal direction, and further, guide bearings 112, 112,. Are arranged at intervals in the longitudinal direction.

  Each of the casters 111 includes a support 111a attached to the lower surface of the lower frame 108 so as to be rotatable around a vertical axis, and a roller 111b supported by the support 111a so as to be rotatable around a horizontal axis. Have. Thus, the magazine 100 moves in a predetermined direction by rotating the roller 111b around the horizontal axis, and the moving direction of the magazine 100 is changed by rotating the roller 111b together with the support 111a around the vertical axis. The

  Each of the guide bearings 112 is to be slidably contacted with a side guide plate 352 of a later-described trapping 350 and a magazine guide 202 of the magazine housing portion 200 inside the apparatus main body to restrict movement of the magazine 100 in the width direction. Therefore, a part of the outer peripheral surface of the guide bearing 112 is arranged so as to protrude beyond the magazine body 101 and the magazine lid 102 (see FIG. 3).

  In addition, a handle 110 configured in an inverted U shape by connecting three square pipes to the side surface (the right side surface in FIG. 2, the side surface directly facing in FIG. 3) on one end side in the longitudinal direction of the magazine body 101. 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. The magazine 100 accommodates the magazine 110 by gripping and pushing the handle 110, with the other end in the longitudinal direction (left side in FIG. 2) as the head and the one end in the longitudinal direction (right side in FIG. 2) as the tail. It is carried in along the predetermined carrying-in direction X (refer FIG. 4) in the part 200. FIG. In the present embodiment, with reference to when the handle 110 is pushed and the magazine 100 is conveyed, one end in the longitudinal direction is defined as the rear end in the longitudinal direction and the other end in the longitudinal direction is defined as the leading end in the longitudinal direction.

  On the side surface (left side surface in FIG. 2) of the magazine main body portion 101 in the longitudinal direction, the magazine 100 is provided in the magazine housing portion 200 when the magazine 100 is mounted at the mounting position in the magazine housing portion 200. An abutting member 118 that abuts against the protruding pin 204 is provided. The abutting member 118 is provided on the rear side in the longitudinal direction with respect to the surface of the front side surface in the longitudinal direction of the magazine body 101, and the protruding pin 204 abuts on the front side surface in the longitudinal direction of the corresponding contact member 118. 100 is positioned in the longitudinal direction of the magazine 100 (loading direction X described later) at the mounting position. A guide hole 118a into which a guide pin 204a of a projection pin 204 described later is loosely fitted is formed at the center of the front side surface in the longitudinal direction of the contact member 118.

  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.

  On the front (longitudinal rear side) of the magazine main body 101, 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. 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 accommodated 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.

  The magazine 100 is engaged with main body side positioning members 250A and 250B disposed on the floor surface 203 of the magazine housing part 200, which will be described later, between the lower frames 108 and 108 on the bottom surface of the magazine main body 101. Magazine-side positioning members 240A and 240B for positioning the tape are provided at two locations on the front side and the rear side in the longitudinal direction (see FIG. 7). This will be described in detail later.

  Of the two lower frames 108, 108, a longitudinally leading end of the lower frame 108 disposed on the left side when viewed from the longitudinal rear side toward the leading side is engaged with a magazine damper unit 300 described later. A damper engaging pin 117 is provided. In this embodiment, the rotating shaft of the guide bearing 112 exposed by cutting out a part of the leading end 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 housing>
FIG. 4 is a plan view showing a configuration of a lower magazine housing portion in which the magazine 100 is housed in the magazine housing portion 200 in the image forming apparatus, and FIG. 5 is a side view showing a configuration of the magazine housing portion. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the magazine housing portion 200 is configured by an area partitioned by four apparatus body frames 201 erected inside the housing C, and the lower part thereof is partitioned by a floor surface 203. Yes. This floor surface 203 constitutes a main body side reference surface. The magazine 100 is loaded in the predetermined loading direction X into the magazine housing portion 200. The carry-in direction X is a direction perpendicular to the paper conveyance direction in the image forming apparatus A and parallel to the floor surface 203, and the magazine 100 is loaded so that the longitudinal direction thereof coincides with the carry-in direction X and is mounted at the mounting position. Thus, the discharge direction of the paper P from the magazine 100 matches the paper conveyance direction in the image forming apparatus A. In the present specification, a direction Y perpendicular to the carry-in direction X and parallel to the floor surface 203 is defined as a carry-in width direction Y.

  Reference numerals 202 and 202 denote a pair of magazine guides. The magazine guides 202 and 202 extend in the loading direction X with a predetermined interval in the loading width direction Y, and are in sliding contact with the guide bearing 112 of the magazine 100. The displacement in the carry-in width direction Y is regulated so as to be within a predetermined range. If the width of the pair of magazine guides 202, 202 is set so as to completely restrict the displacement of the magazine 100 in the loading width direction Y, there is no room in the loading width direction Y when loading the magazine 100. The magazine 100 is caught by the pair of magazine guides 202 and 202, and it becomes difficult to carry in the reverse. Therefore, the width of the pair of magazine guides 202, 202 in the loading width direction Y is set to a width that restricts the displacement of the magazine 100 within a predetermined range while allowing a certain amount of displacement of the magazine 100 in the loading width direction Y. Has been. That is, the pair of magazine guides 202 and 202 constitute a carry-in guide that guides the magazine 100 carried into the magazine housing unit 200 to the mounting position while restricting displacement in the carry-in width direction Y within a predetermined range.

  Between the pair of magazine guides 202 and 202, main body side positioning members 250A and 250B for positioning the magazine 100 housed in the magazine housing portion 200 by engaging with the magazine side positioning members 240A and 240B, They are respectively disposed on the back side and the near side in the carry-in direction X (hereinafter, the back side in the carry-in direction X is simply referred to as the back side, and the near side in the carry-in direction X is also simply referred to as the near side). Details of the main body side positioning members 250A and 250B will be described later.

  A magazine damper unit 300 is provided on the back side in the loading direction X of the magazine housing portion 200 and on the exposure engine side (left side in FIG. 4) with respect to the magazine guide 202 in the loading width direction Y. This magazine damper unit 300 is for reducing the impact force by reducing the loading speed of the magazine 100 immediately before the magazine side positioning members 240A, 240B of the magazine 100 are engaged with the main body side positioning members 250A, 250B. is there.

  As will be described in detail later, only the engaging member 301 at the tip of the magazine damper unit 300 protrudes from the upper part of the magazine guide 202 and extends into the magazine accommodating portion 200, and this engaging member 301 is connected to the damper engaging pin 117 of the magazine 100. The magazine 100 is guided to a predetermined position while the shock absorber 302 relaxes the impact force at the time of engagement.

  In addition, on the inner surface of the housing C located on the back side in the loading direction X of the magazine housing portion 200, a protruding pin 204 is provided for positioning the magazine 100 mounted at the mounting position in the loading direction X. The protruding pin 204 protrudes from the rear side surface in the loading direction X in the housing C toward the front side in the loading direction X, and the front side surface of the protruding member 204 of the magazine 100 mounted at the mounting position. It comes to contact with. A guide pin 204 a that protrudes further toward the front side is provided at the center of the front side surface of the protrusion pin 204, and this guide pin 204 a is loosely fitted in a guide hole 118 a provided in the contact member 118 of the magazine 100. Thus, the front side surface of the protruding pin 204 and the front side surface in the longitudinal direction of the contact member 118 are configured to reliably contact each other.

  As shown in FIG. 5, a trap 350 is provided between the floor surface 203 of the magazine storage unit 200 and the apparatus installation surface at the magazine storage port that opens to the front side in the loading direction X of the magazine storage unit 200. It has been. The trap 350 is for smoothly carrying the magazine 100 into or out of the magazine housing portion 200.

<Configuration of the wrapping>
Hereinafter, the configuration of the trap 350 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. The trapping 350 extends in the carry-in direction X and is coupled to the image forming apparatus A main body via the trapping hinge 361 so as to be rotatable, and a pair of standing plates erected from both ends in the carrying-in width direction Y of the stepping board 351. Side guide plates 352 and 352, and reinforcing ribs 353 disposed at a substantially central position in the loading width direction Y of the tread plate 351 are provided.

  Since the trap 350 is rotatably supported by the trap hinge 361, the trap 350 is stored in the housing C and in the erected state between the floor 203 and the apparatus installation surface. It is configured to be switchable, and after being accommodated in the magazine 100, it is not hindered by the operator's work by setting the storage state.

  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 pair of side surface guide plates 352 and 352 are in sliding contact with the guide bearing 112 of the magazine 100 and restrict the displacement of the magazine 100 in the carry-in width direction Y within a predetermined range. The interval to Y is the same as the pair of magazine guides 202, 202. In addition, the inlet portions of the pair of side guide plates 352 and 352 are opened outward in the loading width direction Y toward the front side in the loading direction X, so that the magazine 100 is loaded when the magazine 100 is loaded into the magazine housing portion 200. The convenience of entering the lap lap 350 is improved, and workability is improved.

  In the present embodiment, both side guide plates 352 and 352 open to the outside in the carrying-in width direction Y. However, the present invention is not limited to this mode, and only one of the side guide plates 352 has a carrying-in width. You may open to the direction Y outer side.

  Note that the height of each 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 the magazine 100 is loaded, and the magazine 100 can be smoothly loaded. This is because the front end in the carry-in direction X of the pair of magazine guides 202, 202 having the same interval in the carry-in width direction Y and the rear end in the carry-in direction X of the pair of side guide plates 352, 352 are overlapped. The front end portions of the pair of magazine guides 202 and 202 are cut out so as not to interfere when the 350 is stored inside the apparatus. If the height of each side guide plate 352 is high, the length of the cutout becomes longer. As a result, the gap between the pair of side guide plates 352 and 352 and the pair of magazine guides 202 and 202 becomes large when the trap 350 is installed, and each caster 111 of the magazine 100 to be loaded may be caught in the gap. This is because the stability at the time of loading the magazine 100 is impaired.

  The reinforcing rib 353 is disposed on the traveling surface side of the caster 111 in the tread plate 351, and is formed to extend in the loading direction X at a substantially central position in the loading width direction Y that does not overlap the traveling area of the caster 111. ing.

  Specifically, the plate material is bent into a concave cross section, and both ends thereof are bent to provide flaps, and the flaps are joined to the tread plate 351. Accordingly, the strength of the tread plate 351 can be ensured, and the thickness of the entire trapp 350 can be reduced compared with the case where the reinforcing rib 353 is provided on the back surface of the tread plate 351, which is advantageous without hindering the work of the operator. .

  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 damper 362 for trapping controls the opening / closing speed of the trap 350. For example, even if the operator accidentally removes the trap 350 when opening / closing the trap 350, 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 provided on 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 provided. .

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

  Furthermore, in the present embodiment, a description has been 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. The floor 203 and the apparatus installation surface of the magazine housing unit 200 may be installed and used as needed, if necessary.

  The operation of carrying the magazine 100 into the magazine housing unit 200 using the thus configured trapping 350 will be described below with reference to FIG.

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

  Next, the operator moves the magazine 100 through the caster 111 and travels on the tread plate 351 of the trap 350 so that the longitudinal direction thereof coincides with the loading direction X. At this time, the pair of side guide plates 352, 352 of the trap 350 and the guide bearings 112, 112,... Of the magazine 100 are in sliding contact with each other, and the displacement in the loading width direction Y is restricted. The magazine 100 is smoothly accommodated in the guides 202 and 202.

  Subsequently, as in the case of the pair of side guide plates 352, 352 of the trap 350, the magazine 100 is moved in the loading width direction Y by the sliding contact between the guide bearings 112, 112, ... and the pair of magazine guides 202, 202. Is moved to the mounting position of the magazine housing portion 200 while the displacement of the magazine is regulated.

  When the magazine 100 approaches the mounting position, the damper engagement pin 117 of the magazine 100 is engaged with a magazine damper unit 300 described later, and the carry-in speed is reduced. Thereafter, when the magazine 100 reaches the mounting position, the magazine 100 is positioned in the loading width direction Y and the height direction by a positioning unit 230 described later, and in the loading direction X by the contact member 118 and the protruding pin 204. Positioned.

<Configuration of positioning unit>
Hereinafter, the positioning units 230A and 230B will be described in detail.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the positioning unit 230 </ b> A (230 </ b> B) includes a magazine-side positioning member 240 </ b> A (240 </ b> B) provided on the bottom surface of the magazine 100 and the main body-side positioning member 250 </ b> A (250 </ b> B) provided on the magazine housing portion 200. When the magazine 100 is mounted at the mounting position of the magazine housing portion 200, the corresponding magazine side positioning members 240A (240B) and the main body side positioning members 250A (250B) are engaged with each other. As a result, the magazine 100 is positioned at the mounting position of the magazine housing portion 200. In the reference numerals of the positioning unit 230, the magazine side positioning member 240, and the main body side positioning member 250, the subscripts A and a correspond to the leading side in the longitudinal direction of the magazine and the back side in the loading direction X, and the subscripts B and b are Corresponds to the rear side of the magazine in the longitudinal direction and the front side of the loading direction X.

  As described above, the magazine-side positioning members 240A and 240B are provided at two locations on the bottom surface of the magazine 100, that is, the front side and the rear side in the longitudinal direction. Here, since the magazine 100 is loaded so that the longitudinal direction coincides with the loading direction X, the leading side in the longitudinal direction can be referred to as the loading direction X back side, and the trailing side in the longitudinal direction is referred to as the loading direction X front side. be able to. Here, the magazine-side positioning member 240A on the back side in the loading direction X and the magazine-side positioning member 240B on the near side differ only in height from the floor surface 203 as described later, and the other configurations are the same. Therefore, the basic configuration will be described only for the magazine side positioning member 240A on the back side.

  As shown in FIG. 8, the magazine side positioning member 240 </ b> A includes a substantially rectangular parallelepiped riding block 241 a attached to the bottom surface of the magazine 100 at a substantially central position in the carry-in width direction Y, and a magazine 100 in the carry-in width direction Y. It has a pin 242a as a fitting portion that is attached to the riding block 241a at the center position and protrudes downward.

  The climbing block 241a has a climbing surface 243a as a climbing surface portion at the lower end surface, and the climbing surface 243a is configured to ride on a lift roller 255a described later when the magazine 100 is mounted at the mounting position. Has been.

  Each pin 242a has a cylindrical shape and is configured to fit into a notch 258a formed in a positioning guide 257a described later when the magazine 100 is mounted at the mounting position.

  Next, the main body side positioning members 250A and 250B will be described. Since the main body side positioning member 250A on the back side and the main body side positioning member 250B on the near side are different in height from the floor surface 203 as will be described later, the other configurations are the same. Only the rear main body side positioning member 250A will be described.

  As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the main body side positioning member 250 </ b> A includes lift rollers 255 a and 255 a as receiving portions on which the riding block 241 a provided on the magazine 100 rides, and the pins 242 a provided on the magazine 100. And a notch portion 258a as a fitted portion to be fitted.

  Specifically, the main body side positioning member 250B is installed on the floor surface 203 of the magazine housing portion 200 so that two installation brackets 251a and 251a having an L-shaped cross section and extending in the loading direction X face each other. .

  A main body 252a is attached between the installation brackets 251a and 251a. The main body portion 252a has a roller support shaft 253a extending in the carry-in width direction Y, and both ends of the roller support shaft 253a are held by a pair of holding brackets 254a and 254a connected to the main body portion 252a. Further, two lift rollers 255a and 255a are juxtaposed in the carry-in width direction Y with a notch 258a described later interposed therebetween, and the lift rollers 255a and 255a have their peripheral surfaces rotated in the carry-in direction X. It is rotatably attached to the roller support shaft 253a.

  The lift roller 255a is in contact with the climbing surface 243a of the climbing block 241a attached to the bottom of the magazine 100 and lifts the entire magazine 100 loaded in the loading direction X. The height of the upper end of the lift roller 255a from the floor surface 203 (the amount of protrusion from the floor surface 203) Ha1 is set so as to be the height reference of the magazine 100 in the magazine housing portion 200, and the caster 111 is placed on the floor. The height of the riding surface 243a from the floor surface 203 in the state of being in contact with the surface 203 (the distance between the riding surface 243a and the floor surface 203) ha1 is set higher. By doing so, when the magazine 100 is mounted at the mounting position, the riding block 241a rides on the lift roller 255a, and the magazine 100 is positioned in the height direction. In addition, each main body side positioning member 250A (250B) is provided with two lift rollers 255a, 255a (255b, 255b) arranged in the carrying-in width direction Y. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and one lift roller 255a (255b) is provided. A configuration may be provided in which only one is provided. However, since it is possible to prevent the magazine 100 riding on the lift rollers from being inclined in the carry-in width direction Y, it is preferable to provide a plurality of lift rollers side by side in the carry-in width direction Y.

  The main body 252a is provided with height adjustment bolts 256a, 256a,... For adjusting the relative height between the installation bracket 251a and the main body 252a, and the height adjustment bolts 256a are adjusted. By doing so, the height position of the lift roller 255a from the floor surface 203 of the magazine accommodating portion 200 can be adjusted.

  A positioning guide 257a for fitting the pin 242a at the bottom of the magazine 100 is attached to the upper surface of the main body 252a. The positioning guide 257a is formed of a U-shaped plate-like member disposed opposite to the floor surface 203, and opens to the near side in the loading direction X and extends from the near side to the far side in the loading direction X. A cutout portion 258a cut out is formed.

  The notch portion 258a includes a pair of side edge portions 259a and 259a as a pair of positioning portions that define an interval in the carry-in width direction Y of the notch portion 258a, and the pair of side edge portions 259a and 259a in the carry-in direction X. A pair of opening edge portions 260a, 260a as a pair of positioning guide portions that are continuously extended from the front side end portion to the front side and are provided so that the interval in the carry-in width direction Y increases toward the front side, and the pair of It is formed by the peripheral edge part 261a which connects the back side edge parts of the edge parts 259a and 259a. This notch part 258a positions the pin 242a in the carrying-in width direction Y. Specifically, when the magazine 100 is carried in the carrying-in direction X, the pins 242a provided in the magazine 100 are controlled to be displaced in the carrying-in width direction Y by the pair of opening edges 260a and 260a, and a pair of edge portions. Positioning in the carrying-in width direction Y is performed by being guided between 259a and 259a and fitting between the pair of edge portions 259a and 259a. That is, the distance between the pair of side edge portions 259a and 259a in the carry-in width direction Y is set to a distance at which the pins 242a are fitted, that is, the same as or slightly larger than the outer diameter of the pins 242a. Yes.

  The height Ha2 of the positioning guide 257a from the floor surface 203 is lower than the height Ha1 of the lift roller 255a from the floor surface 203 so that the riding block 241a riding on the lift roller 255a does not interfere with the lift roller 255a. The pin 242a provided on the climbing block 241a is set to a height that fits into the notch 258a when the climbing block 241a rides on the 255a.

  The upper surface of the positioning guide 257a on the opening side is processed into a taper shape so that the lifting block 241a does not interfere with the positioning guide 257a when the magazine 100 is loaded in the loading direction X. It is configured to protrude above the positioning guide 257a and toward the near side in the loading direction X.

  Here, the engaging operation between the magazine side positioning member 240A and the main body side positioning member 250A will be described below.

  When the magazine 100 is mounted at the mounting position, first, the end edge on the rear side in the loading direction X of the riding surface 243a comes into contact with the peripheral surface of the lift roller 255a. Then, when the magazine 100 is further loaded in the loading direction X, the climbing block 241a rides on the lift roller 255a. When the riding block 241a rides on the lift roller 255a, the caster 111 is lifted from the floor surface 203 as shown in FIG.

  The magazine 100 is further loaded in the loading direction X in a state where the caster 111 is lifted from the floor surface 203, so that the pin 242a is fitted between the pair of side edges 259a and 259a of the notch 258a (FIG. 11, (See Fig. 12. Note that Figs. 11 and 12 show the positioning unit 230B on the front side in the loading direction X). At this time, the pair of opening edge portions 260a and 260a, which are the entrance portions of the notch portion 258a, are expanded in the carry-in width direction Y toward the front side in the carry-in direction X. Even if it is slightly deviated, the displacement is restricted by the pair of opening edges 260a and 260a and the displacement of the magazine 100 in the loading width direction Y is further smaller than the restriction by the magazine guides 202 and 202. However, it is guided between the pair of edge portions 259a and 259a.

  In this manner, the caster 111 is prevented from being easily changed in the moving direction of the magazine 100 by fitting the pin 242a to the notch 258a in a state where the caster 111 is lifted from the floor surface 203. The pin 242a can be fitted into the notch 258a. That is, the pin 242a can be smoothly fitted between the pair of edge portions 259a and 259a along the pair of opening edge portions 260a and 260a of the notch portion 258a, and the movement direction of the magazine 100 can be easily changed to an undesired direction. Can be prevented. Here, since the lift roller 255a is supported so as to be rotatable in the carry-in direction X, the magazine 100 can be carried in the carry-in direction X easily and smoothly even when the caster 111 is lifted from the floor surface 203. be able to.

  Thus, the magazine side positioning member 240A on the back side is engaged with the body side positioning member 250A on the back side, and the magazine 100 is positioned.

  Similarly, on the front side in the loading direction X, the front magazine side positioning member 240B and the front main body side positioning member 250B are engaged to position the magazine 100.

  However, the riding operation of the riding blocks 241a and 241b onto the lift rollers 255a and 255b is configured such that the riding block 241a on the back side rides on the lifting roller 255a (255b) slightly earlier than the riding block 241b on the front side. Has been. In this way, the climbing blocks 241a and 241b can be climbed one by one, and the labor of the workers when climbing the climbing blocks 241a and 241b onto the lift rollers 255a and 255b can be dispersed to facilitate the climbing operation. Can be done.

  Next, the height of the magazine side positioning members 240A and 240B and the main body side positioning members 250A and 250B from the floor surface 203 will be described in detail with reference to FIG.

  Regarding the main body side positioning members 250A and 250B, the rear main body side positioning member 250A has a higher height from the floor surface 203 (hereinafter also simply referred to as height) than the front main body side positioning member 250B. It has become. That is, the height Ha1 of the rear lift roller 255a is higher than the height Hb1 of the front lift roller 255b, and the height Ha2 of the rear positioning guide 257a is closer to the front. It is higher than the height Hb2 of the positioning guide 257b.

  Accordingly, with respect to the magazine side positioning members 240A and 240B, when the casters 111, 111,... Are in contact with the floor 203, the back side magazine side positioning member 240A is closer to the front side of the magazine. The height from the floor surface 203 is higher than the positioning member 240B. That is, the height ha1 of the rear riding surface 243a is higher than the height hb1 of the front riding surface 243b, and the height ha2 of the rear pin 242a is the front pin. It is higher than the height hb2 of 242b.

  Further, regarding the height of the main body side positioning member 250B and the back magazine side positioning member 240A that pass each other when the magazine 100 is carried to the mounting position, the back side magazine side positioning member 240A is higher. The height from the floor surface 203 is higher than the main body side positioning member 250B on the near side. That is, the height ha1 of the back-side riding surface 243a is higher than the height Hb1 of the front-side lift roller 255b, and the height ha2 of the back-side pin 242a is the front-side positioning. It is higher than the height Hb2 of the guide 257b.

  In this way, when the magazine 100 is started to be carried into the magazine housing portion 200 as shown in FIG. 13 by making the height of the magazine-side positioning member 240A on the back side higher than the main-body-side positioning member 250B on the near side. Further, the run-up block 241a and the pin 242a provided on the back side of the magazine 100 do not ride on or fit on the lift roller 255b and the notch portion 258b provided on the front side of the floor surface 203. The magazine side positioning member 240A can pass over the main body side positioning member 250B on the near side.

  And since the main body side positioning member 250A on the back side is set to be higher than the main body side positioning member 250B on the near side in correspondence with the magazine side positioning member 240A on the back side, The back magazine-side positioning member 240A that has passed over the front-side main body-side positioning member 250B engages with the back-side main body-side positioning member 250A at the mounting position. At substantially the same time, the front magazine side positioning member 240B engages with the front body side positioning member 250B.

  As a result, when the magazine 100 is loaded into the magazine housing part 200 along the loading direction X and mounted at the mounting position, the magazine-side positioning members 240A and 240B are not corresponding to the main body-side positioning members 250B and 250A, respectively. Are engaged with the corresponding main body side positioning members 250A and 250B, respectively, and the magazine 100 is easily and smoothly positioned at the mounting position.

<Configuration of magazine damper unit>
FIG. 14 is a plan view showing the configuration of the magazine damper unit, and shows a state before the magazine damper unit operates.

  The magazine damper unit 300 reduces the loading speed of the magazine 100 to relieve the impact force between the magazine 100 and the apparatus main body, and presses the magazine 100 in the loading direction X, thereby pressing the contact member 118 of the magazine 100 into the magazine. The magazine 100 has a function of positioning the magazine 100 in the loading direction X by pressing against the protruding pins 204 provided in the storage unit 200. The magazine damper unit 300 includes an engaging member 301 that engages with a damper engaging pin 117 of the magazine 100 and a shock absorber 302 that is connected to the engaging member 301.

  The engagement member 301 is a rotation shaft that is sandwiched between an installation bracket 303 installed on the floor surface 203 of the magazine housing unit 200 and a cover bracket 304 attached to the installation bracket 303 and serves as a rotation center. It is attached to the cover bracket 304 via 305 so as to be rotatable.

  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 housed in the magazine housing portion 200, the damper engaging pin 117 of the magazine 100 first comes into contact with the contact protrusion 301 a of the engaging member 301, and the rotation shaft 305 is centered as it is. After the rotation of the engaging member 301 by a predetermined angle, the holding projection 301b engages 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 engaging member 301, and the other end of the shock absorber 302 is rotatably attached to the installation bracket 303 via a fulcrum shaft 307. 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. 14 shows a state where 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 loading direction X, the shock absorber 302 moves the engagement member 301 toward the front side in the loading direction X (see FIG. 14 (clockwise at 14). As a result, the loading speed of the magazine 100 is reduced while allowing the engagement member 301 to rotate in a direction in which the distal end of the engagement side is displaced toward the back side in the loading direction X (counterclockwise in FIG. 14). The impact force when the magazine 100 is carried in can be reduced.

  FIG. 15 shows the angle of the engagement member 301 at which the function of decelerating the loading speed of the magazine 100 in the magazine damper unit 300 and the function of pressing the magazine 100 in the loading direction X are switched. Specifically, the engagement member 301 that connects the axis L1 of the shock absorber 302 that connects the shaft center of the fulcrum shaft 307 and the shaft center of the connecting shaft 306 and the shaft center of the connecting shaft 306 and the shaft center of the rotating shaft 305. The axis L2 is in a straight line. In this state, the engaging member 301 sandwiches the damper engaging pin 117 of the magazine 100 between the abutting protrusion 301 a and the holding protrusion 301 b at the engaging end, and the pressing force of the shock absorber 302 is applied to the engaging member 301. It does not contribute to the rotation of the two, both are in a balanced state.

  FIG. 16 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 carry-in direction X, the shock absorber 302 moves the engagement member 301 to the back side in the carry-in direction X (see FIG. 16 to rotate (counterclockwise). As a result, the shock absorber 302 presses the contact member 118 of the magazine 100 against the projecting pin 204 provided in the magazine housing portion 200 to position the magazine 100 mounted at the mounting position in the loading direction X. Yes.

  According to the image forming apparatus A configured as described above, the magazine 100 can be easily transported by providing the casters 111, 111,... On the bottom surface of the magazine 100. As a result, even if the magazine 100 is heavy, the magazine 100 can be easily carried into the magazine housing portion 200 of the apparatus main body.

  As described above, when the magazine 100 is configured to be freely transported by the casters 111, 111,..., The traveling direction of the magazine 100 is easily changed by the force of the operator who transports the magazine 100. In other words, if the magazine 100 is to be mounted at the mounting position in the magazine housing portion 200 without being guided by a guide or the like, the operator needs to subtly adjust the magazine 100 to align with the mounting position. It becomes difficult to mount accurately at the mounting position. Therefore, in the above embodiment, when the magazine 100 is loaded at the loading position, the displacement in the loading width direction Y of the magazine 100 loaded into the loading position by the pair of magazine guides 202, 202 is regulated within a predetermined range. The magazine 100 is provided with a pair of opening edge portions 260a and 260a (260b and 260b) of the notch portion 258a while restricting the displacement of the magazine 100 in the loading width direction Y more strictly than the predetermined range. By smoothly fitting the pin 242a (242b) between the pair of side edges 259a, 259a (259b, 259b) of the main body side positioning member 250A (250B), the magazine 100 can be easily mounted at the mounting position. It can be easily positioned.

  At this time, the pair of magazine guides 202 and 202 regulate the displacement in the loading width direction Y to the extent that the magazine 100 can be displaced in the loading width direction Y within a predetermined range until the magazine 100 approaches the mounting position. Is transported with a slight margin in the loading width direction Y, so that the loaded magazine 100 is prevented from being caught by the pair of magazine guides 202, 202, and the magazine 100 can be smoothly moved to the vicinity of the mounting position. Can be brought in.

  Further, since the magazine 100 is carried to the mounting position in a state in which displacement is allowed within a predetermined range in the carry-in width direction Y by the pair of magazine guides 202, 202, the pin 242a has a pair of side edge portions 259a, 259a may be carried in a state slightly deviated in the carry-in width direction Y. Even in such a case, the pair of opening edges 260a and 260a of the notch 258a are in front of the carry-in direction X. The pin 242a can be reliably received by the pair of opening edges 260a, 260a, and is guided between the pair of side edges 259a, 259a. And can be fitted smoothly.

  In the embodiment, since the two positioning units 230A and 230B are provided side by side in the loading direction X, the positioning accuracy in the loading width direction Y can be improved.

<< 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, two positioning units 230A and 230B are provided in the loading direction X, but the present invention is not limited to this, and one or three or more positioning units may be provided. However, when three or more are provided, the non-corresponding members interfere with each other when the magazine 100 is loaded in the loading direction X with respect to the height of each magazine side positioning member and each main body side positioning member from the floor surface 203. Therefore, it is necessary to set the height at which the corresponding members are engaged with each other. That is, each magazine side positioning member corresponds so that the height from the floor surface 203 of each magazine side positioning member and each main body side positioning member becomes higher in order from the near side in the loading direction X toward the back side. It is necessary to set so as not to interfere with the main body side positioning member positioned on the near side in the loading direction X with respect to the main body side positioning member. This prevents the magazine-side positioning member and the main body-side positioning member from interfering with each other when the magazine 100 is loaded in the loading direction X and mounted at the mounting position, and the corresponding magazine-side positioning member And the main body side positioning member can be smoothly engaged.

  In the embodiment, the positioning units 230A and 230B perform positioning in the height direction of the magazine 100 at the mounting position and positioning in the carry-in width direction Y. However, the present invention is not limited to this. That is, you may comprise so that only the positioning to the carrying-in width direction Y may be performed.

  Furthermore, in the said embodiment, although notch part 258a, 258b is employ | adopted as a to-be-fitted part which pin 242a, 242b fits, it is not restricted to this. For example, the fitted portion is formed on the upper surface of the positioning guide 257a so as to extend from the front side edge in the carry-in direction X toward the back side in the carry-in direction X, and has a depth enough to fit the pin. It may be a groove. In addition, as shown in FIG. 17, the fitted portion includes two plate-like members 262a and 262a having edge portions 263a and 263a extending in the loading direction X, and the loading width direction Y of the edge portions 263a and 263a. It may be arranged such that the distance between the pins 242a is set to the distance at which the pins 242a are fitted. In such a case, the pair of side edge portions 263a, 263a constitutes a pair of positioning portions, and the pair of side edge portions 263a, 263a is carried in to smoothly guide the pin 242a between the pair of side edge portions 263a, 263a. A pair of opening edge portions 264a and 264a formed at the end portion in the front side in the direction X and extending in the carry-in width direction Y toward the front side form a pair of positioning guide portions. The plate-like members 262a and 262a may be made of a rod-like member instead of the plate-like member.

  Further, in the above-described embodiment, each magazine side positioning member 240A (240B) is constituted by a run-up block 241a (241b) and a pin 242a (242b), and each main body side positioning member 250A (250B) corresponding thereto is lift roller 255a, Although it is comprised by 255a (255b, 255b) and the notch part 258a (258b), it is not restricted to this. For example, conversely, a part of each magazine side positioning member 240A (240B) is constituted by lift rollers 255a, 255a (255b, 255b), and a part of each main body side positioning member 250A (250B) corresponding to that is mounted on the block. 241a (241b) may be configured, and a part of each magazine side positioning member 240A (240B) is configured by a notch 258a (258b), and a part of each main body side positioning member 250A (250B) corresponding thereto. May be constituted by pins 242a (242b).

  Of the main body side positioning members 250A (250B), the member that is engaged with the riding block 241a (241b) is not a lift roller, but any member that has a receiving surface portion on which the riding surface 243a rides. A member can be employed. For example, as shown in FIG. 18, it can be configured by positioning guides 257a (257b). In such a configuration, the upper surface 265a of the positioning guide 257a constitutes a receiving surface portion, and the riding surface 243a of the riding block 241a abuts against the upper surface 265a and slides on the upper surface 265a, whereby the riding surface 243a becomes the positioning guide 257a. I will ride. At this time, the loading direction X front side edge portion of the upper surface 265a of the positioning guide 257a is processed into a tapered shape, and the inclined surface portion 266a is formed at the loading direction X front side end portion of the upper surface 265a. The surface 243a can ride smoothly on the upper surface 265a. Further, the carry-in surface 243a is also tapered at the end in the loading direction X to form an inclined surface portion 266a at the end in the carry-in direction X of the carry-on surface 243a, and the inclined surface 267a and the ride-on surface 243a. By processing the joint into an R shape, the riding surface 243a can be more smoothly climbed onto the upper surface 265a. In this configuration, the height Ha2 of the positioning guide 257a (upper surface 265a) is set so that when the magazine 100 is loaded in the loading direction X, the riding surface 243a of the riding block 241a rides on the upper surface 265a of the positioning guide 257a. Thus, the height ha1 of the riding surface 243a is set higher. In addition, the height Hb2 of the positioning guide 257b (upper surface 265b, not shown) on the near side is lower than the height Ha2 of the positioning guide 257a on the back side, and the height ha2 of the pin 242a on the back side and the riding position are increased. The height hal of the surface 243a is lower, and when the magazine 100 starts to be carried into the magazine housing portion 200, the riding block 241a and the pin 242a provided on the back side of the magazine 100 are on the front side of the floor surface 203. The magazine-side positioning member 240A on the back side can pass over the main-body-side positioning member 250B on the near side without getting on or fitting on the provided positioning guide 257b.

  Furthermore, in the said embodiment, although the magazine 100 is comprised so that it may carry in to the carrying-in direction X with respect to the magazine accommodating part 200, it is not restricted to this. For example, the magazine 100 may be loaded into the magazine housing unit 200 from the loading direction Y with the arrow Y direction in FIG. In such a case, the paper roll R is stored in the magazine 100 so that its axis line coincides with the carry-in width direction X. Further, a plurality of positioning units 230 are provided in the carry-in direction Y, and the magazine 100 is positioned in the carry-in width direction X with the arrow X direction as the carry-in width direction. In this way, the other configuration can be configured in the same manner as in the above-described embodiment only by switching the loading direction and the loading width direction. In addition to the arrow Y direction, the loading direction can be set to an arbitrary direction.

  Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the height Ha1 of the lift roller 255a from the floor surface 203 is set higher than the height ha1 of the riding surface 243a from the floor surface 203, and the magazine 100 is lifted while being lifted upward. The block 241a rides on the lift rollers 255a and 255a, but is not limited to this. That is, the height Ha1 of the lift roller 255a from the floor surface 203 is set lower than the height ha1 of the riding surface 243a from the floor surface 203, and the magazine 100 of the floor surface 203 of the magazine housing portion 200 is set. Are brought into contact with the casters 111, 111,... When they are carried from the vicinity of the mounting position to the mounting position, and are inclined or depressed downward, and are lifted when the magazine 100 is mounted at the mounting position. Instead, it may be configured such that the climbing block 241a rides on the lift rollers 255a and 255a by descending downward. However, when the magazine side positioning member 240A on the back side in the loading direction X passes above the main body side positioning member 250B on the near side, the height is set such that the magazine side positioning member 240A and the main body side positioning member 250B do not interfere with each other. It is necessary to This prevents the magazine-side positioning member 240A and the main body-side positioning member 250B from not interfering with each other when the magazine 100 is loaded, while corresponding magazine-side positioning members 240A, 240B and the main-body-side positioning member 250A, 250B can be engaged. Further, when the climbing block 241a rides on the lift rollers 255a and 255a and the pin 242a is fitted into the notch 258a, the casters 111, 111,... Need not be in contact with the floor surface 203. By doing so, the pin 242a can be smoothly fitted to the fitting portion 258a in a state where the influence of the casters 111, 111,.

  In the above-described embodiment, the exposure engine using laser light as the image recording unit has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, image exposure using a liquid crystal shutter or an inkjet printer may be used. Therefore, the image forming medium may also be paper made of not only a photographic material but also other materials.

  In the above-described embodiment, the loading direction of the magazine 100 is indicated by the arrow X direction with respect to the apparatus body as shown in FIG. 4 and the like, but is not limited thereto. For example, it may be configured to be carried in from an oblique direction compared to the X direction, or to be carried in so as to draw an arc in the middle of carrying in. In short, the loading direction of the magazine 100 means a direction along the trajectory in which the magazine 100 is loaded. If the loading direction of the magazine 100 is bent or curved in the middle, the bending or bending of the magazine 100 is performed. The direction along the trajectory is the loading direction. Then, the magazine guides 202 and 202 regulate the displacement of the magazine 100 in the carrying-in width direction that is orthogonal to the carrying-in direction and parallel to the floor surface 203, and further, a pair of opening edges 260a and 260a ( 260b, 260b) restricts displacement of the magazine 100 in the loading width direction in the vicinity of the mounting position, and finally moves in the loading width direction when the pair of edge portions 259a, 259a (259b, 259b) are mounted. Any configuration may be used.

  As described above, the present invention provides a highly practical effect that a magazine configured to be detachable from the apparatus main body can be easily carried into the magazine housing portion and can be smoothly mounted and positioned at the mounting position. Therefore, the present invention is useful for an image forming apparatus having a magazine that can be freely transported via a rotating body such as a caster.

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 accommodating part. It is a side view which shows the structure of a magazine accommodating part. It is a figure which shows the structure of a trap. It is a side view which shows the whole structure of a positioning unit. It is a side view which shows the structure of the positioning unit of the loading direction back | inner side. It is a top view which shows the structure of a main body side positioning member. It is a side view which shows the state which the magazine side positioning member started engaging with the main body side positioning member. It is a front view which shows the state which positioning in the magazine accommodating part of the magazine was completed. It is the fragmentary sectional view which looked at the state which positioning in the magazine accommodating part of the magazine was completed from the side. It is a side view which shows the state which started carrying in the magazine in the magazine accommodating part. 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. It is a top view which shows the structure of the main body side positioning member which concerns on other embodiment of this invention. It is a side view which shows the structure of the positioning unit which concerns on other embodiment of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

A Image forming device P Paper (recording paper)
X Loading direction Y Loading width direction 100 Magazine (recording paper container)
111 casters (rotating bodies)
200 Magazine housing (housing)
202 Magazine guide (carry-in guide)
242a, 242b Pin (fitting part)
258a, 258b Notch (fitting part)
259a 259b A pair of edge portions (a pair of positioning portions)
260a, 260b A pair of opening edge portions (a pair of positioning guide portions)

Claims (3)

A recording paper storage body for storing recording paper and provided with a plurality of rotating bodies on the bottom surface and transported via the plurality of rotating bodies, and an apparatus main body having a storage portion for storing the recording paper storage bodies. The recording paper storage body is an image forming apparatus that is loaded into the storage section from a predetermined loading direction and is detachably mounted on the apparatus main body at a mounting position in the storage section.
The storage unit is configured to control the displacement of the recording paper storage unit transported through the plurality of rotating bodies in a predetermined range within a predetermined range parallel to the floor surface of the storage unit and perpendicular to the input direction. Further comprising a carry-in guide that leads to the mounting position of
One of the floor surface of the storage unit and the bottom surface of the recording paper storage body has a fitting portion, and the other of the floor surface of the storage portion and the bottom surface of the recording paper storage body has the fitting portion. To be fitted with the part,
The fitted portion is provided with a predetermined interval in the carry-in width direction and is fitted to the fitted portion when the recording paper storage body reaches the loading position, and the fitted portion is brought into the carry-in portion. A pair of positioning portions that are positioned in the width direction; and the recording paper storage body that is provided closer to the loading direction than the pair of positioning portions and is loaded into the mounting position. A pair of positioning guide portions for guiding the fitting portion to the pair of positioning portions while restricting the displacement so that the displacement in the carry-in width direction is much smaller than the restriction by the carry-in guide,
The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the pair of positioning guide portions have an inlet portion located on the near side in the carry-in direction extending in the carry-in width direction with respect to the predetermined interval. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1.
An image forming apparatus, wherein a plurality of the fitting parts and the fitted parts are provided in the carrying-in direction. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein
The fitting portion is a pin that is provided on the bottom surface of the recording paper storage body and projects downward.
In the plate-like member disposed on the floor surface of the housing portion so as to face the floor surface, the fitted portion is provided from the near side to the far side in the carry-in direction and is arranged in the carry-in direction. The front entrance is a notch that extends in the carry-in width direction,
The pair of positioning portions are provided to extend in the carry-in direction with the predetermined interval in the carry-in width direction, and form a pair of notches and define a gap in the carry-in width direction of the notches. The edge of the
The pair of positioning guide portions are a pair of opening edge portions that are provided so that a distance in the carry-in width direction increases toward the near side in the carry-in direction, and forms an entrance portion of the notch portion. Forming equipment.

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