JP2008304824A - Image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image forming apparatus having a removing means for receiving and removing jammed paper caused in a drawer unit such as a paper supply tray or an ADU, or a reverse conveyance path or the like. <P>SOLUTION: The image forming apparatus includes: the drawer unit which can be drawn out from an apparatus main body and on which paper is stacked or which conveys the paper; and a mechanism capable of drawing out the drawer unit from the apparatus main body through a guide member, and the image forming apparatus is characterized in that it includes a flexible sheet member coupling an inner side in the drawing-out direction of the drawer unit with a part of the apparatus main body. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine or a printer, and more particularly to an image forming apparatus having a paper feeding / conveying means.

  Conventionally, when a sheet is fed from a sheet feeding tray, a sheet feeding jam often occurs. In such a case, as shown in FIG. 5A, the operator pulls out the paper feed tray which is a drawer unit, and removes the paper jammed around the paper feed roller from the narrow space. However, as shown in FIG. 5B, when paper is dropped from the upper surface of the tray to the apparatus main body when the drawer unit is pulled out, the paper enters the apparatus (the back side of the paper feed tray) and it is difficult to remove the paper in a narrow space. Become.

  FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining a conventional paper jam handling method.

  In the case of the ADU that is a drawer unit, when paper is discharged between the bottom of the ADU and the middle plate of the apparatus main body, the paper remains on the middle plate even if the ADU frame is pulled out. If you put your hand from above, there is a risk of injury from parts inside the device.

As a technique for avoiding the inconvenience that the paper falls inside the apparatus and is difficult to remove, a side regulating plate on the back side in the pulling-out direction of the paper feed tray is provided with a protruding member for preventing a remaining paper protruding to the paper side. In the case of a method that is arranged above the top surface of the paper at the time of paper feeding and that pulls out the remaining paper together when the paper feed tray is pulled out (see, for example, Patent Document 1) or a vertical transport structure (lower open), Is provided with a sheet fall prevention member (lateral protrusion) and a sheet fall prevention member (carrying guide closed) below the paper feed guide plate to prevent the fallen paper from entering under the paper feed tray (for example, , Refer to Patent Document 2).
JP-A-9-77291 JP-A-6-156775

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus having a removing unit for removing jammed paper generated in a drawer unit such as a paper feed tray or ADU, or a reverse conveyance path.

  The above object is achieved by the following configuration.

  (1) In an image forming apparatus having a drawer unit that can be pulled out from the apparatus main body and that stacks or conveys paper, and a mechanism that can pull out the drawer unit from the apparatus main body via a guide member, the drawer unit An image forming apparatus comprising: a flexible sheet member that connects a back side in the drawing direction and a part of the apparatus main body.

  (2) In an image forming apparatus having a door unit that forms a sheet transport path in combination with an inner side wall on the side surface of the apparatus main body, the door unit is hinge-coupled on the heel side of the apparatus main body, An image forming apparatus comprising a flexible sheet member that connects a part of a main body.

  When the drawer unit is pulled out or when the jammed paper falls into the machine through the reverse conveyance path and remains in the machine, it can be easily taken out.

  Hereinafter, an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described.

  FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing the overall configuration of the image forming apparatus.

  In FIG. 1, the image forming apparatus includes a double-sided document automatic feeder RADF and an image forming apparatus main body A.

  The double-sided document automatic feeder RADF is located at the upper part of the image forming apparatus main body A and can be opened and closed. The document on the document feed tray a is transported to a paper feed roller b, a separation roller c, a registration roller d, and a transport drum e, and the document is transported.

  Next, the image forming apparatus main body A includes an image reading apparatus 1, a control unit 2 that is a control unit, an image writing unit 3, an image forming unit 4, a paper feed tray 5 that is a drawer unit, a conveyance unit 6, a fixing device 7, The paper discharge unit 8 and a re-conveying unit (hereinafter also referred to as ADU) 9 which is a drawer unit are configured. The details of the drawer unit will be described later.

  The optical system of the image reading apparatus 1 includes an exposure unit 14 including a light source and a first mirror, a V mirror unit 15 including a second mirror and a third mirror, a lens 16, and a CCD image sensor 17. Document reading by the double-sided document automatic feeder RADF is performed at a position where the exposure unit 14 is stopped at the initial position below the slit exposure glass 13. Reading a document on the platen glass 11 is performed while moving the exposure unit 14 and the V mirror unit 15.

  Image information of the original image read by the image reading apparatus 1 is subjected to image processing by the control unit 2 including image processing means, converted into a signal as image data, and temporarily stored in a memory. Output light from a semiconductor laser (not shown) included in the image writing means 3 is applied to the photosensitive drum 21 which is an image carrier to form an electrostatic latent image.

  In the image forming means 4, a charge (negative charge in the present embodiment) is added to the photosensitive drum 21, which is an image carrier, by the charger 22, and the electrostatic latent image is irradiated by laser light from the image writing means 3. An image is formed, and the electrostatic latent image is visualized by the developing device 23 according to the present invention to become a toner image (in this embodiment, a negative charge). Next, the paper is conveyed from the cassette paper feeding means 5 by the paper feed roller 45, transferred onto the paper P synchronized with the toner image by the registration roller 49, transferred by the transfer device 29A, and the paper P is peeled off by the separator 29B. The paper P onto which the toner image has been transferred is conveyed by the conveying means 6, fixed by the fixing means 7, and discharged to the paper discharge tray 81 outside the apparatus by the paper discharge means 8. On the other hand, the transfer residual toner is removed by a cleaning device 26 as a cleaning means. In the case of duplex copying, the paper P on which the image is formed on the first side is sent to the re-transport unit 9 by the transport path switching plate 82, reversed, and again after the image is formed on the second side in the image forming unit 4. Then, the paper is discharged by a paper discharge means 8 to a paper discharge tray 81 outside the apparatus. In the case of reverse paper discharge, the paper P branched from the normal paper discharge path by the transport path switching plate 82 is switched back and upside down in the reverse paper discharge unit 83 and then discharged from the apparatus by the paper discharge means 8. The paper is discharged to the paper tray 81.

  Next, the drawer unit (paper feed tray, ADU) according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

  FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a method of removing a paper jam from the YY section of the paper feed tray of FIG.

  As described above, paper that has clogged the sides of the paper feed roller 45 and dropped from the top surface when the drawer unit is pulled out, or paper that has stagnated on the middle plate of the main body of the device below the bottom of the ADU, The paper enters the narrow space and the removal process becomes difficult.

  The present invention is for avoiding such inconvenience.

  In FIG. 2, the paper feed tray 5 is supported by guide rails 5 </ b> A and 5 </ b> B (see FIG. 1) that are guide members and can be pulled out. Both ends of a flexible sheet member 52 (for example, a polyester sheet), which is a belt-like elastic thin plate, are formed on the upper surface portion u of the side plate 51 on the back side in the drawing direction of the paper feed tray 5 and the fixing portion q of the apparatus main body. It is carried and connected. FIG. 2A shows a state in which the sheet feeding tray 5 is mounted on the apparatus main body, and a space S that can accommodate the slack of the sheet member 52 is secured. As shown in FIG. 2B, when a paper feed jam occurs, when the paper feed tray 5 is pulled out of the apparatus, the sheet member 52 is drawn and the jammed paper received by the sheet member 52 is simultaneously received. P1 is also drawn to the sheet member 52, and as shown in FIG. 2C, it is pulled out together with the paper feed tray 51 to the front surface of the apparatus main body, and a part of the paper P1 is exposed to the front side of the apparatus. Can be removed.

  As shown in FIG. 2D, when the lower surface portion w of the side plate 51 on the back side in the drawing direction of the paper feed tray 5 and the fixing portion q of the apparatus main body are connected by the sheet member 52 in the same manner as described above, a particularly small size is obtained. The sheet of size can be easily removed by sliding on the sheet member 52.

  FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing a method of removing ADU jams as seen from the ZZ cross section of the re-conveying means (ADU) of FIG.

  A jam that occurs in the ADU frame is caused by the paper that is reversed in the narrow gap under the ADU frame is unpinned from the reverse roller 93 (see FIG. 1), or other paper than the reverse sheet slips out of the reverse roller 93 due to double feed or the like. In some cases, it may fall on the middle plate (receiving plate) 94 (see FIG. 1) of the apparatus main body skeleton and cannot be removed.

  In FIG. 3, the ADU 9 is supported by guide rails 9A and 9B (see FIG. 1) as guide members and can be pulled out. A fixing portion q1 of the sheet spreading member B provided on the lower surface w1 of the side plate 91 on the back side in the pull-out direction of the ADU 9 and slidable along a guide member (not shown) in the direction of arrow f and the middle plate 94 of the apparatus main body skeleton. And a flexible sheet member 92 (for example, a polyester sheet) which is a belt-like elastic thin plate. The sheet member B is brought close to a stopper (not shown) on the lower surface w1 by a spring (not shown). 3A shows a state in which the ADU 9 is mounted on the apparatus main body, and a space S1 in which the slack of the sheet member 92 can be accommodated is secured. As shown in FIG. 3B, when an ADU jam occurs, when the ADU 9 is pulled out of the apparatus, the sheet member 92 is pulled together and at the same time the jammed paper P2 is also drawn, as shown in FIG. , It is pulled out together with the ADU 9 to the front of the apparatus main body, and a part of the paper P1 is exposed to the front side of the apparatus, so that the operator can easily remove it.

  In the case of a small-size paper jam, as shown in FIG. 3D, the sheet spreading member B is slid against a spring (not shown) to a predetermined position w2 to further expose the small-size paper. Pull it until it is jammed. Thereafter, the sheet member B automatically returns to the original position w1.

  Furthermore, the sheet member for jam processing described above can be applied to a conveyance path for reverse discharge.

  FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example in which a sheet member for jam processing is applied to a reverse paper discharge unit different from the configuration of FIG.

  FIG. 4A is a cross-sectional view of the reverse paper discharge portion and the jam processing sheet member mounting portion as viewed from the front of the apparatus main body.

  FIG. 4B is a schematic view viewed from the direction of the arrow Y in FIG.

  FIG. 4C is a diagram illustrating the reverse paper discharge unit opened with the back side of the apparatus main body as a fulcrum.

  FIG. 4D is a schematic view seen from the direction of arrow Y in FIG.

  4 (a) and 4 (c), reference numeral 70 denotes a side door that constitutes a reverse discharge section, which includes a discharge roller 71, a roller 73A that forms a reverse roller 73, and a discharge tray 74. It can rotate freely as indicated by an arrow E via 72. The apparatus main body side includes 73B that forms a reverse roller 73, a conveyance roller 76, gates G1 and G2, and the like. In the closed state, the side door 70 is combined with the inner wall 75 on the side surface of the apparatus main body to form the reverse conveyance paths t2 and t3.

  4A, in the case of reverse paper discharge with the above configuration, the fixed paper P is fed from the direction of the arrow k, is sandwiched and transported by the transport roller 76, and passes through the gate G1 indicated by the dotted line. Then, it passes through the gate G2 indicated by the dotted line along the conveyance path t1, is sandwiched and conveyed by the reverse roller 73 from the reverse conveyance path t1, and reaches the sheet storage portion 77 along the reverse conveyance path t3. Thereafter, after the paper P is temporarily stopped with the rear end of the paper P sandwiched between the reversing rollers 73, the reversing roller 73 reverses, and the paper P rises with the rear end being the front end and switched to a solid line state. Then, the paper is discharged to the paper discharge tray 74 through the gate G2 while being reversed via the paper discharge roller 71.

  However, the sheet nipped and conveyed by the reversing roller 73 is unintentionally removed from the nipping edge of the sheet for some reason, or enters the sheet storage unit 77 by double feed or the like, resulting in a reversal discharge jam that is difficult to remove. Problems may occur.

  The present invention is intended to facilitate jam handling when such a problem occurs.

  In FIG. 4, a hinge connection (one point) is made between a fulcrum u which is a predetermined portion of the lower surface of the apparatus body front side of the side door 70 and one end portion of a sheet member 78 which is a flexible member (a belt-like elastic thin plate). And the fixing portion q2 of the storage portion 77 on the apparatus main body side and the other of the sheet member 78 are connected. Further, one end of a spring 79 is locked to a substantially middle portion u1 on the front side of the other side of the apparatus main body of the sheet member 78, and the other end is locked to a fixing portion u2 on the apparatus main body side. That is, the sheet member 78 is stored in the sheet storage portion 77 in the shape of a long and narrow groove.

  As shown in FIG. 4A, the jam processing when the paper P1 is removed from the reversing roller 73 and enters the sheet storage portion 77 and remains on the sheet member 78 is as follows.

  When the sheet remaining on the sheet member 78 opens the side door 70 through a handle (not shown), the sheet member 78 hinged to the fixed portion u rotates about the rotating column 72 as a fulcrum. As shown in FIG. 4 (d), the side door 70 is tilted against the spring 79, and the remaining paper P1 appears together with the sheet member 78 and can be easily removed. After the sheet P1 is removed, the side door 70 is closed and the sheet member 78 is pulled back to the original position by the spring 79.

  It is possible to easily remove jammed paper that is difficult to remove by receiving jammed paper on the sheet member as described above.

1 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an overall configuration of an image forming apparatus. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating a method of removing a paper jam as viewed from a YY section of the paper feed tray in FIG. 1. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a method for removing an ADU jam as seen from a ZZ cross section of the re-transport means (ADU) in FIG. 1. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example in which a jam processing sheet member is applied to a reverse discharge unit different from the configuration of FIG. 1. It is a figure for demonstrating the conventional paper jam handling method.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Image reading apparatus 2 Control part 21 Photosensitive drum 23 Developing apparatus 5 Paper feed tray 52,78,92 Sheet member 70 Side door 72 Rotating support | pillar 73 Reverse roller 75 Inner side wall 79 Spring 9 Re-transport means (ADU)

Claims (6)

In an image forming apparatus having a drawer unit that can be pulled out from the apparatus main body and that stacks or conveys sheets, and a mechanism that can pull out the drawer unit from the apparatus main body via a guide member, the pull-out direction of the drawer unit An image forming apparatus comprising a flexible sheet member that connects a back side and a part of the apparatus main body. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sheet member is an elastic thin plate. 3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the drawer unit is attached to the apparatus main body, a space capable of accommodating the slack of the sheet member is provided on the back side of the drawer unit. In an image forming apparatus having a door unit that forms a sheet conveyance path in combination with an inner side wall on the side of the apparatus main body, the door unit is hinged on the heel side of the apparatus main body, and a predetermined portion on the lower surface of the door unit and the apparatus main body An image forming apparatus comprising a flexible sheet member that connects a part of the image forming apparatus. The sheet member is an elastic thin plate, and one end of the sheet member is hinged to the lower surface of the door unit on the front side of the apparatus main body, and the other end is in a direction perpendicular to the sheet conveying direction. The image forming apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the image forming apparatus is held by a fixed portion. The image forming apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the sheet member is stored in the apparatus main body in a U shape in a state in which the door unit is closed.

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