JP2010127997A - Image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image forming apparatus capable of suppressing the tilt of a first cover part in the opening direction even if the operation is stopped in the middle of the rotation of a cover body. <P>SOLUTION: The image forming apparatus includes: a first locking means having a first engagement part 48b disposed on the apparatus body and a first locking part 44 disposed on the first cover part 31a; a second locking means having a second engagement part 48a disposed on the apparatus body and a second locking part 41c disposed on the second cover part 31b; an operating member 41 disposed on the second cover part 31b; an interlocking member 43 that operates the first locking means cooperatively with the locking releasing operation of the operating member 41; and a third locking means constituted of a rotation restricting engagement part 41g disposed on the second locking part 41c and a rotation restricting locking part 43b disposed on the interlocking member 43, configured to release the second and first locking means from locking by means of the operating member 41 and lock the rotation restricting engagement part 41g on the rotation restricting locking part 43b, and then, restrict the relative movement of the first cover part 31a and the second cover part 31b. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, a printer, or a facsimile machine.

Some image forming apparatuses that form an image on a sheet such as a sheet are provided with a plurality of sheet conveyance paths. For example, an image forming apparatus having a double-sided printing function including a main transport path and a sub transport path disposed in parallel with the main transport path is known.
In such an image forming apparatus, when an image is formed on both sides of a sheet, the sheet on which the image is formed on one side by the image forming unit is conveyed from the downstream side of the fixing device to the sub conveying path. Lead to. Then, the sheet whose front and back sides are reversed in the sub conveyance path is supplied again to the upstream side of the main conveyance path, and an image is formed on the other surface of the sheet.

  In such an image forming apparatus having a plurality of conveyance paths, there is an area where the main conveyance path and the sub conveyance path partially overlap, and sheet jamming is likely to occur in the overlap area. For this reason, in such an image forming apparatus, a cover portion is provided on the back surface of the apparatus main body so that the overlapping region can be opened from the apparatus main body of the image forming apparatus, and the main transport path and / or the sub-portion is provided as necessary. The conveyance path is partially opened, and the jammed sheet can be removed from the main conveyance path or the sub conveyance path.

  By the way, in the above-described image forming apparatus, generally, the main transport path is disposed inside the apparatus main body with respect to the sub transport path, and in order to open at least a part of the main transport path, a plurality of times are required. It is necessary to perform an opening operation. In order to eliminate the complexity of the opening operation and to easily open at least a part of the main transport path by a single operation, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-26883 discloses a part of the back surface of the main body of the image forming apparatus. Is formed from an open / close member, and the open / close member is opened with respect to the apparatus main body so that the main transport path and the sub transport path can be opened and closed.

  An image forming apparatus described in Patent Document 1 includes an apparatus main body having a main transport path through which a sheet is transported and a sub transport path that is arranged in parallel with the main transport path and through which the sheet is transported. And a cover body rotatably provided from the closed position to the open position. The cover body includes a first cover part and a second cover part, and the first cover part and the second cover part are locked to the apparatus main body. The second cover part is located closer to the apparatus main body than the first cover part. The cover body includes an operation lever and an interlocking arm member. The operation lever is provided in the second cover part, and locks or unlocks the second cover part. A gripping part, which is an operation part of the operating lever, extends to the outside of the first cover part, and includes a protrusion for holding the first cover part there. The interlocking arm member locks or unlocks the first cover part in conjunction with locking or unlocking of the second cover part.

  With such a configuration, the image forming apparatus described in Patent Document 1 interlocks with the release of the engagement between the apparatus main body and the second cover part by the operation of the operation lever, and the apparatus main body, the first cover part, and the like. Can be released and the cover body can be rotated from the closed position to the open position. That is, the first cover portion and the second cover portion can be integrally moved to the open position by a single operation using the operation lever, and the first transport path can be opened, and the first position can be changed from the open position to the first position. The second transport path can be opened by rotating only the second cover portion toward the apparatus main body.

  The protrusion of the operation lever holds the first cover in a state where the operation lever is rotated when opening the cover body, and the first cover in the storage state where the operation lever is not rotated. The position and the shape are set so as not to interfere with (maintain) the part. Thus, when the second cover portion is rotated to open the second transport path from the state where the cover body is open (the state where the first transport path is opened), the operating lever is returned to the stored state. Thus, the rotation of the second cover portion is not hindered.

JP 2005-55862 A

  By the way, in the image forming apparatus described in Patent Document 1, when the operation lever is rotated to open the cover body, the first cover portion is held only by the protrusion of the operation lever. . For this reason, if the operating lever is returned to the retracted state while the cover body is rotating for some reason (the engagement of the first cover portion with the apparatus main body is released), the first cover portion that is no longer held is opened. There was a risk of falling in the direction. For example, when the operation is stopped during the turning operation of the cover body and the operation lever is returned to the retracted state, the second cover portion is held via the operation lever. The cover part of 1 may be in a state where it is not held. If it will be in such a state, the 1st cover part will fall in an opening direction.

  Accordingly, the present invention provides an image including an apparatus main body and a cover body that has a first cover portion and a second cover portion and is provided so as to be rotatable with respect to the apparatus main body from a closed position to an open position. An object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus capable of preventing the first cover portion from falling in the opening direction even when the operation is stopped in the middle of the rotation operation of the cover body. To do.

  The image forming apparatus of the present invention includes an apparatus main body in which a first conveyance path and a second conveyance path for conveying a sheet are formed in parallel, a first cover portion, and a second cover portion. And a cover body rotatably provided from the closed position to the open position with respect to the apparatus main body, and in a state where the cover body is located at the closed position, At least a part of the second transport path is defined by one surface side of the second cover part, and at least a part of the first transport path is defined by the other surface side of the second cover part, An image forming apparatus in which one surface of the apparatus main body is formed by the other surface of the first cover portion, the image forming apparatus being provided in the first engagement portion and the first cover portion provided in the device main body; A first locking portion locked to the first engaging portion; In the closed position, the first engagement portion is engaged with the first engagement portion, so that the first cover portion is removably engaged with the apparatus main body. A locking means; a second engagement portion provided in the apparatus main body; and a second engagement portion provided in the second cover portion and locked to the second engagement portion. In the closed position, the second engagement portion is engaged with the second engagement portion, so that the second cover portion is removably engaged with the apparatus main body. A locking means, an operating member that is provided on the second cover portion and performs a locking release operation of the second locking means, and the first locking in conjunction with a locking releasing operation of the operating member. An interlocking member for operating the means, a rotation restricting engagement portion provided at the second engaging portion, and a rotation restricting engaging portion provided at the interlocking member. When the second locking means and the first locking means are unlocked by the operating member and the second cover part is opened together with the first cover part, the rotation restriction is applied. An image forming apparatus comprising: a third locking unit that restricts relative movement between the first cover part and the second cover part when the rotation restriction locking part is locked to the engagement part. About.

  The second locking portion includes a second contact portion, and the interlocking member includes a first contact portion that contacts the second contact portion. The stop portion and the interlocking member are preferably configured such that the second abutting portion presses the first abutting portion in accordance with the unlocking operation of the operation member.

  The first locking portion is configured to be rotatable around a first fulcrum member disposed on the first cover portion along a direction orthogonal to the sheet conveying direction. It is preferable that the second locking portion is configured to be rotatable around a second fulcrum member disposed in the second cover portion along a direction orthogonal to the sheet conveying direction.

  The rotation restricting engagement portion includes the second abutting portion, and includes an engaging protrusion that protrudes toward the first abutting portion. It is preferable that the first contact portion includes a locking protrusion that protrudes from the first contact portion toward the second contact portion.

  Moreover, it is preferable that the said interlocking member is urged | biased so that the said 1st contact part may contact the said 2nd contact part of the said 2nd latching | locking part.

  The first transport path is a main transport path through which the sheet is transported during image formation, and the second transport path is a state in which the front and back surfaces of the sheet on which the image has been formed are reversed. Preferably, it is a sub-transport path that transports to the main transport path.

  According to the image forming apparatus of the present invention, the apparatus main body, and the cover body that has the first cover portion and the second cover portion and is provided so as to be rotatable from the closed position to the open position with respect to the apparatus main body. In the image forming apparatus provided with the above, even when the operation is stopped during the turning operation of the cover body, the first cover portion can be prevented from falling in the opening direction.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of an image forming apparatus of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of an embodiment of an image forming apparatus of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a state in which the cover body is opened in the image forming apparatus illustrated in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the cover body 31 in a state where it is locked to the apparatus main body 11 in the closed position, omitting most of the second cover portion 31b. FIG. 4 is a side view showing the cover body 31 in a state of being locked to the apparatus main body 11 in the closed position.

  As shown in FIG. 1, an image forming apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment includes an image forming unit, which will be described later, and a pair of sheet feeding devices 12a and 12b arranged above and below in the apparatus main body 11. . The image forming apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment selectively feeds sheets (sheets) stored in the sheet feeding apparatuses 12a and 12b one by one to the image forming unit to form an image on the sheet. is there. The image forming apparatus 10 may be a copying machine, a printer, a facsimile machine or the like, or a complex machine of these.

  The image forming unit includes a charging device 16, an exposure unit 18, a developing device 20, a cleaning member 22 and the like arranged around a photosensitive drum 14 as an image carrier. Then, the charger 16 uniformly charges the surface of the photosensitive drum 14, and the exposure unit 18 exposes the photosensitive drum 14 according to the image data to remove static electricity, thereby electrostatically charging the surface of the photosensitive drum 14. A latent image is formed. The electrostatic latent image formed on the surface of the photosensitive drum 14 is developed into a toner image by the developing device 20. This toner image is transferred by a transfer roller 24 onto a sheet conveyed through a main conveyance path 28 (described later). The cleaning member 22 removes the toner remaining on the photosensitive drum 14 after the toner image is transferred to the paper.

  Inside the apparatus main body 11, a main transport path 28 and a sub transport path 88 are formed as transport paths for transporting paper. The main conveying path 28 is formed in a substantially vertical direction inside the back side (left side in FIG. 1) of the apparatus main body 11 from the outlet of the paper supply apparatus 12a to the paper discharge port 30 provided at the upper part of the apparatus main body 11. Yes. The sub-transport path 88 is formed in parallel outside the main transport path 28 (on the back side of the apparatus main body 11). The sub-transport path 88 is a path for transporting the sheet on which an image has been formed to the main transport path 28 in a state where the front and back are reversed.

The paper supplied from the paper feeder 12a or 12b to the main transport path 28 is transported to the image forming section through the main transport path 28, and the toner image is transferred by the image forming section as described above. . The toner image is fixed on the sheet on which the toner image is transferred by the fixing unit 62.
Here, the paper on which the toner image is fixed by the fixing unit 62 is immediately discharged from the paper discharge port 30 to the paper discharge tray 72 during single-sided printing. On the other hand, during double-sided printing, the paper discharged from the fixing unit 62 is conveyed (switched back) in the reverse direction, and is transferred to the sub-conveying path 88 by the path switching member 63 disposed on the exit side of the fixing unit 62. be introduced. The sheet is reversed by passing through the sub-transport path 88 and is supplied again to the upstream side of the main transport path 28. The sheet supplied again to the main transport path 28 forms an image on the other side by the image forming unit, and is discharged from the discharge port 30 to the discharge tray 72 via the fixing unit 62.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the rear side of the apparatus main body 11 on the back side of the apparatus main body 11 of the image forming apparatus 10, that is, the side where the main conveyance path 28 and the sub conveyance path 88 are located (left side in FIG. 1). A cover body 31 is provided so as to form a part. The cover body 31 is provided in the apparatus main body 11 via a fulcrum shaft 32 at the lower end portion thereof. The fulcrum shaft 32 is disposed along the direction in which the axial direction crosses the main transport path 28 and the sub transport path 88 (direction perpendicular to the sheet transport direction). The cover body 31 is configured to be rotatable between a closed position (position shown in FIG. 1) and an open position (position shown in FIG. 2) around the fulcrum shaft 32.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the cover body 31 is rotatable to the apparatus main body 11 by the same fulcrum shaft 32 as the first cover part 31 a provided rotatably on the apparatus main body 11 by the fulcrum shaft 32. And a second cover portion 31b provided on the outer side. The second cover portion 31b is located on the inner side (front side) of the apparatus main body 11 than the first cover portion 31a. In FIG. 3, only the inner hook portion 41 c and the shaft body 42 are mainly shown for the second cover portion 31 b, and other members are not shown.

In the state where the cover body 31 is located at the closed position, the outer surface side of the first cover portion 31 a forms at least a part of the outer surface (back surface) of the apparatus main body 11.
In the state where the cover body 31 is located at the closed position, the inner surface side (the apparatus main body 11 side) of the second cover portion 31 b forms at least a part of the main transport path 28.
Furthermore, in a state where the cover body 31 is located at the closed position, the inner surface side of the first cover portion 31a and the outer surface side of the second cover portion 31b form at least a part of the sub-transport path 88. That is, the sub conveyance path 88 is formed between the first cover part 31a and the second cover part 31b.

  The image forming apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment includes the cover body 31 having such a configuration, so that when a paper jam occurs in the main conveyance path 28, the cover body 31 is closed as shown in FIG. Then, the jammed paper can be processed by rotating to the open position shown in FIG. On the other hand, when a paper jam occurs in the sub-transport path 88, the cover body 31 is rotated to the open position shown in FIG. The jammed sheet can be processed by rotating the sheet to the right side in FIG.

Next, with reference to FIGS. 1-9, the structure and effect | action of the cover body 31 are demonstrated in detail.
FIG. 5 is a partially enlarged side view showing a part of the cover body 31 shown in FIG. 4 in an enlarged manner. FIG. 6 is a side view showing the cover body 31 in a state where the engagement with the apparatus main body 11 is released. FIG. 7 is a side view showing the cover body 31 in the middle of opening. FIG. 8 is a partially enlarged side view (corresponding to FIG. 5) showing the function and effect of the cover body 31 in the image forming apparatus 10 shown in FIG.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the cover body 31 is rotatable to the apparatus main body 11 by the same fulcrum shaft 32 as the first cover part 31 a provided rotatably on the apparatus main body 11 by the fulcrum shaft 32. And a second cover portion 31b provided on the front side. Furthermore, the cover body 31 includes an operation lever 41 as an operation member, an interlocking arm member 43 as an interlocking member, and an outer hook portion 44 as a first locking portion.

  The operation lever 41 is rotatably supported by the second cover portion 31b via a shaft body 42 as a second fulcrum member extending in the width direction of the second cover portion 31b. The operating lever 41 includes a gripping portion 41a, an extending portion 41b extending upward from the gripping portion 41a, and an inner hook portion 41c as a second locking portion extending inward in a direction orthogonal to the extending portion 41b. Have.

  Although details will be described later, the inner hook portion 41c is locked to a hook pin 48a as a second engaging portion provided in the apparatus main body 11, and the inner hook portion 41c and the hook pin 48a. Thus, the “second locking means” in the present invention is configured. The second locking means is configured such that the inner cover portion (second locking portion) 41c is locked to the hook pin (second engaging portion) 48a in the closed position, whereby the second cover portion 31b is attached to the apparatus main body 11. It is a means which latches to detachably.

  One end and the other end of the shaft body 42 are attached to the inner hook portion 41c. The shaft body 42 is rotatably supported by the second cover portion 31b at both ends thereof. As a result, the operation lever 41 and the inner hook portion 41 c are rotatable around the center of the shaft body 42. The shaft body 42 is disposed along a direction in which the axial direction crosses the main transport path 28 and the sub transport path 88 (a direction orthogonal to the sheet transport direction). Therefore, the operation lever 41 has a distal end outside the first cover portion 31a around the shaft body 42 in a plane perpendicular to the main transport path 28 and the sub transport path 88 and parallel to the sheet transport direction. It is free to turn toward. Similarly, the inner hook portion 41c is rotatable about the shaft body 42 in a plane orthogonal to the main transport path 28 and the sub transport path 88 and parallel to the sheet transport direction.

  The operation lever 41 performs the unlocking operation of the second locking means, and is provided only on the near side in FIG. 3 among the both ends of the shaft body 42, and the other end portion of the shaft body 42. Only the inner hook portion 41c is provided (the grip portion 41a and the extension portion 41b are not provided).

  As shown in FIG. 6 and the like, the grip portion 41a is formed with a protrusion 51 protruding upward. The inner surface side of the protrusion 51 is an inclined surface 51a. The inclined surface 51a is set so as to come into contact with the end portion 311 of the first cover portion 31a when the cover body 31 rotates in the opening direction.

  As shown in FIG. 4, a claw 41d extending upward is formed at the tip of the inner hook portion 41c. As shown in FIG. 5, a flat surface 41f is formed on the upper surface of the inner hook portion 41c. An inclined surface 41e that is inclined at a predetermined angle is formed on the end surface on the rear side (the side opposite to the claw 41d) of the inner hook portion 41c. At the corner where the flat surface 41f and the inclined surface 41e intersect, an engagement protrusion 41g as a rotation restricting engagement portion has a predetermined height from the flat surface 41f toward the lower end (flat surface 43a) of the interlocking arm member 43. It is provided protruding.

  The engagement protrusion 41g is a protrusion provided so as to protrude from the side facing the interlocking arm member 43 in the inner hook portion 41c toward the lower end (flat surface 43a) of the interlocking arm member 43. The front end of the engagement protrusion 41g is formed in an arc shape, and abuts against the lower end (flat surface 43a) of the interlocking arm member 43 at the closed position of the cover body 31.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the interlocking arm member 43 can move in the vertical direction at the closed position of the cover body 31 along one side surface (front surface in FIG. 3) of the first cover portion 31 a. Further, the first cover portion 31a is provided.

  As shown in FIG. 5, a flat surface 43 a is formed at the lower end of the interlocking arm member 43. A locking projection 43b as a rotation restricting locking portion is provided at a corner portion on the front side (the device main body 11 side) of the interlocking arm member 43 so as to protrude downward by a predetermined height. The locking protrusion 43b is a protrusion provided so as to protrude from the side (flat surface 43a) facing the inner hook portion 41c of the interlocking arm member 43 toward the engaging protrusion 41g. The front end of the locking projection 43b is formed in a flat shape with a rounded corner, and is in contact with the flat surface 41f of the inner hook portion 41c at the closed position of the cover body 31.

  That is, the engagement protrusion 41g provided on the inner hook portion 41c and the flat surface 43a of the interlocking arm member 43 are pressed against each other with a predetermined force by the downward biasing of the interlocking arm member 43 by the biasing means. Is done. The interlocking arm member 43 is biased so that the flat surface 43a contacts the engaging protrusion 41g. Thereby, the interlocking arm member 43 is operated to move in conjunction with the rotation of the operation lever 41.

  In the present embodiment, the engagement protrusion 41g also serves as the “rotation restricting engagement portion” and the “second contact portion” in the present invention. Further, the locking protrusion 43b corresponds to the “rotation restriction locking portion” in the present invention. The flat surface 43a corresponds to the “first contact portion” in the present invention. Furthermore, the “third locking means” in the present invention is constituted by the engaging protrusion 41 g which is the rotation restricting engaging portion and the locking protrusion 43 b which is the rotation restricting engaging portion. The third locking means releases the locking of the second locking means 48a, 41c and the first locking means 48b, 44 by the operation lever 41, and the second cover part together with the first cover part 31a. When opening 31b, it is means for restricting the relative movement of the first cover part 31a and the second cover part 31b by the rotation restriction engaging part 43b being engaged with the rotation restriction engaging part 41g. .

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the upper end of the interlocking arm member 43 is in contact with the rear end side of an outer hook portion 44 described later, and the interlocking arm member 43 extends along one side surface of the first cover portion 31a. Thus, the outer hook portion 44 is operated by moving in the vertical direction.

  A pair of outer hook portions 44, 44 as first locking portions are disposed on the upper side of both side surfaces of the first cover portion 31a. A claw 44 a extending upward is formed at the tip of the outer hook portion 44. Although the details will be described later, the outer hook portion 44 is locked to a hook pin 48b as a first engaging portion provided in the apparatus main body 11, and the outer hook portion 44 and the hook pin 48b. Thus, the “first locking means” in the present invention is configured. The first locking means is configured such that the outer cover portion (first locking portion) 44 is locked to the hook pin (first engaging portion) 48 b in the closed position, whereby the first cover portion 31 a is attached to the apparatus main body 11. It is a means which latches to detachably. The interlocking arm member 43 is a member that operates the first locking means in conjunction with the unlocking operation of the operation lever 41.

  A pair of outer hook parts 44 and 44 are connected by the shaft body 45 as a 1st fulcrum member extended in the width direction of the 1st cover part 31a. The shaft body 45 is located closer to the first cover portion 31a (outside the apparatus main body 11) than the inner hook portion 41c. The shaft body 45 is supported at both ends by support pieces (not shown) provided on the first cover portion 31a, and the axial direction of the shaft body 45 crosses the main transport path 28 and the sub transport path 88 (sheet). It is disposed along a direction perpendicular to the transport direction. As a result, the outer hook portion 44 is rotatable around a shaft body 45 in a plane perpendicular to the main transport path 28 and the sub transport path 88 and parallel to the paper transport direction.

  The outer hook portion 44 is urged so that the rear end side rotates downward. That is, the outer hook portion 44 is biased in a direction to be engaged with the hook pin 48b. And as above-mentioned, the outer hook part 44 is rotationally operated by the up-and-down movement of the interlocking arm member 43 which contact | abutted to the rear end side. In other words, the inner hook portion (second locking portion) 41c and the interlocking arm member (interlocking member) 43 have the engagement protrusion (second contact portion) 41g as the operation lever 41 is unlocked. It is comprised so that the flat surface (1st contact part) 43a may be pressed. Further, the inner hook portion 41c is biased in a direction to be engaged with the hook pin 48a.

As shown in FIG. 2, a transfer roller 24 constituting a part of the image forming unit is disposed on the inner surface side of the second cover unit 31b. The transfer roller 24 is urged to the inside of the apparatus main body 11 by a spring member 46 provided in the second cover portion 31b. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, a spring member 47 is disposed on the upper inner surface of the first cover portion 31a.
On the other hand, the cover body 31 is urged to the outside (back side) of the apparatus main body 11 by the urging force of the spring member 46 and the spring member 47 in the closed position. Therefore, as will be described later, when the lock between the apparatus main body 11 and the cover body 31 is released, the cover body 31 is pushed out of the apparatus main body 11 and can be easily moved to the open position.

  The apparatus main body 11 includes a hook pin 48b as a first engaging portion at a position corresponding to the two claws 44a in the first cover portion 31a, and two claws 41d in the second cover portion 31b. A hook pin 48a as a second engaging portion is provided at a corresponding position. The claw 44 a is locked to the hook pin 48 b and the claw 41 d is locked to the hook pin 48 a, so that the cover body 31 is locked to the apparatus main body 11 in the closed position.

  Here, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, when the cover body 31 is in the closed position, the grip portion 41a is housed on the other surface side of the first cover portion 31a, and the claw 41d is engaged with the hook pin 48a. The claw 44a is locked to the hook pin 48b.

  Since the image forming apparatus 10 of the present embodiment has the above-described configuration, the cover 31 is rotated from the closed position to the open position by operating the operation lever 41, and the main conveyance path 28 or the sub conveyance path 88. When a paper jam occurs, the main conveyance path 28 or the sub conveyance path 88 can be opened to eliminate the paper jam.

  That is, as shown in FIG. 6, when the operation lever 41 is rotated from the lower side to the outside (back side) of the apparatus body 11 by manually operating the grip portion 41 a, the operation lever 41 is centered on the shaft body 42. Rotate. The inner hook portion 41c rotates downward, the claw 41d is detached from the hook pin 48a, and the locking between the apparatus main body 11 and the second cover portion 31b is released.

  Further, as the operation lever 41 rotates, the locking between the apparatus main body 11 and the first cover portion 31a by the outer hook portion 44 is released via the interlocking arm member 43. That is, with the rotation of the operation lever 41, the engaging protrusion 41g provided at the rear end of the inner hook portion 41c pushes up the flat surface 43a of the interlocking arm member 43 and moves the interlocking arm member 43 upward. Thereby, the upper end part of the interlocking arm member 43 pushes up the rear end part of the outer hook part 44, the outer hook part 44 rotates around the shaft body 45, and the nail | claw 44a falls below. As a result, the claw 44a of the outer hook portion 44 is disengaged from the hook pin 48b, and the locking between the apparatus main body 11 and the first cover portion 31a is released.

  Since the operation lever 41 is attached to the second cover part 31b by the shaft body 42, the locking of the first cover part 31a and the second cover part 31b to the apparatus main body 11 is released as described above. Thereafter, when the grip portion 41 a of the operation lever 41 is pulled outward (in a direction away from the apparatus main body 11), the second cover portion 31 b rotates around the fulcrum shaft 32. As a result, the first cover portion 31a located outside the second cover portion 31b also rotates about the fulcrum shaft 32, and the cover body 31 rotates toward the open position.

Then, the cover body 31 rotates toward the open position, and along with the rotation, the end portion 311 of the first cover portion 31a is an inclined surface of the projection portion 51 of the operation lever 41 as shown in FIG. The first cover portion 31 a (cover body 31) is held by the operation lever 41 in contact with 51 a.
Further, in this state, as shown in FIG. 8, the locking projection 43b provided at the lower end of the interlocking arm member 43 is the same as the engagement projection 41g provided on the upper surface of the inner hook portion 41c (that is, the operation lever 41). It will be in the state located adjacent to the inner side (apparatus body 11 side).

  As described above, when the operating lever 41 is operated to rotate the cover body 31 to the open position, the cover body 31 is held and rotated by the protrusion 51. Therefore, the cover body 31 is rotated in a state where the first cover portion 31a is held by the protruding portion 51, and the main transport path 28 is exposed at the open position. Therefore, when a paper jam occurs in the main transport path 28, the jammed paper can be removed.

  On the other hand, when a paper jam occurs in the sub-transport path 88, the cover body 31 is opened as shown in FIG. 2 and then the second cover portion 31b is rotated around the fulcrum shaft 32 toward the apparatus main body 11 side. You can do it. In this manner, the jammed paper can be removed by rotating the second cover portion 31b toward the apparatus main body 11 with respect to the first cover portion 31a to open the sub-transport path 88. it can.

  After the paper jam clearing operation is completed, it is only necessary to press the first cover portion 31a toward the apparatus main body 11 side. That is, by pressing the first cover portion 31a toward the apparatus main body 11, the first cover portion 31a rotates from the open position to the closed position around the fulcrum shaft 32. The cover portion 31b is pushed by the first cover portion 31a, and the cover body 31 reaches the closed position. Then, the claw 41d of the first cover portion 31a is locked to the hook pin 48b, the claw 44a of the second cover portion 31b is locked to the hook pin 48a, and the cover body 31 is locked to the apparatus main body 11. It becomes.

According to the image forming apparatus 10 of the present embodiment having the above configuration, for example, the following effects are exhibited.
In the image forming apparatus 10 of the present embodiment, for example, when the opening operation is interrupted during the rotation of the cover body 31 and the operation lever 41 is returned to the retracted position, the operation lever 41 (projection 51) is moved to the first cover. The portion 31a (end portion 311) is not held. In such a state, the first cover portion 31a is in a free state and tends to fall in the opening direction (toward the outside) by its own weight.

  Here, in the present embodiment, “the rotation restricting / engaging portion 43b provided on the interlocking member 43 and the rotation restricting / engaging portion 41g provided on the second engaging portion 41c are provided. When the second locking means 48a, 41c and the first locking means 48b, 44 are unlocked and the second cover part 31b is opened together with the first cover part 31a, the rotation restricting engagement part 41g is provided with a third locking means for restricting the relative movement between the first cover portion 31a and the second cover portion 31b when the rotation restriction locking portion 43b is locked to 41g.

  Therefore, when the protrusion 51 of the operation lever 41 does not hold the first cover portion 31a by interrupting the rotation operation during the rotation of the cover body 31 and returning the operation lever 41 to the original position. However, as shown in FIG. 8, the locking protrusion 43b of the interlocking arm member 43 locks the engaging protrusion 41g of the inner hook portion 41c (that is, the operation lever 41), so that One cover portion 31a can be held. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the first cover portion 31a from falling outside the apparatus main body 11 (that is, toward the opening direction).

As mentioned above, although embodiment of this invention was described, this invention is not limited to embodiment mentioned above, It can implement with a various form.
For example, the configuration of the first locking means, the second locking means, the operation member, the interlocking member, the third locking means, the first abutting portion, the second abutting portion, etc. is the same as that of the above embodiment. It is not restricted to each structure in.

1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of an embodiment of an image forming apparatus of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a state in which a cover body is opened in the image forming apparatus illustrated in FIG. 1. FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the cover body 31 in a state where it is locked to the apparatus main body 11 in the closed position, omitting most of the second cover portion 31b. It is a side view which shows the cover body 31 of the state latched by the apparatus main body 11 in the closed position. FIG. 5 is a partially enlarged side view showing a part of the cover body 31 shown in FIG. 4 in an enlarged manner. It is a side view which shows the cover body 31 of the state which cancelled | released locking with the apparatus main body 11. It is a side view which shows the cover body 31 in the middle of opening. FIG. 6 is a partially enlarged side view (corresponding to FIG. 5) showing the operational effect of the cover body 31 in the image forming apparatus 10 shown in FIG.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Image forming apparatus, 11 ... Apparatus main body, 28 ... Main conveyance path | route (1st conveyance path), 31 ... Cover body, 31a ... 1st cover part, 31b ... 2nd cover part , 41... Operation lever (operation member), 41 c .. inner hook part (second locking part, second locking means), 41 g... Engaging protrusion (rotation restricting engagement part, third Locking means, second contact portion), 42... Shaft (second fulcrum member), 43... Interlocking arm member (interlocking member), 43 a... Flat surface (first contact portion), 43b... Locking protrusion (rotation restricting locking portion, third locking means), 44... Outer hook portion (first locking portion, first locking means), 45. First fulcrum member), 48a... Hook pin (second engaging portion, second locking means), 48b... Hook pin (first engaging portion, first locking means), 88. Sub-transport (Second transport path)

Claims (6)

An apparatus main body in which a first conveyance path and a second conveyance path for conveying a sheet are formed in parallel, a first cover part, and a second cover part, respectively, and closed with respect to the apparatus main body A cover body rotatably provided from the position to the open position,
In a state where the cover body is located at the closed position, at least a part of the second transport path is defined by one surface side of the first cover portion and one surface side of the second cover portion, An image forming apparatus in which at least a part of the first transport path is defined by the other surface side of the two cover portions, and one surface of the apparatus main body is formed by the other surface of the first cover portion,
A first engaging portion provided in the apparatus main body and a first engaging portion provided in the first cover portion and engaged with the first engaging portion; First locking means for detachably locking the first cover portion with respect to the apparatus main body by locking the first locking portion to the first engaging portion;
A second engagement portion provided in the apparatus main body and a second engagement portion provided in the second cover portion and engaged with the second engagement portion; Second locking means for locking the second cover portion to the apparatus main body so as to be detachable by the second locking portion being locked to the second engaging portion;
An operating member provided on the second cover portion for performing an unlocking operation of the second locking means;
An interlocking member that operates the first locking means in conjunction with the unlocking operation of the operating member;
The rotation restricting engagement portion provided in the second locking portion and the rotation restricting locking portion provided in the interlocking member. The operation member causes the second locking means and the first locking portion to be provided. When the locking means is released and the second cover part is opened together with the first cover part, the rotation restriction locking part is locked to the rotation restriction engaging part, thereby An image forming apparatus comprising: a third locking unit that restricts relative movement between the first cover part and the second cover part. The second locking portion includes a second contact portion,
The interlocking member includes a first contact portion that contacts the second contact portion,
The said 2nd latching | locking part and the said interlocking member are comprised so that a said 2nd contact part may press the said 1st contact part with the latching release operation | movement of the said operation member. 2. The image forming apparatus according to 1. The first locking portion is configured to be rotatable around a first fulcrum member disposed in the first cover portion along a direction orthogonal to the sheet conveying direction,
2. The second locking portion is configured to be rotatable around a second fulcrum member disposed in the second cover portion along a direction orthogonal to the sheet conveying direction. Or the image forming apparatus according to 2; The rotation restricting engagement portion includes the second contact portion, and includes an engagement protrusion provided to protrude toward the first contact portion,
The image formation according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the rotation restricting / locking portion includes a locking protrusion provided so as to protrude from the first contact portion toward the second contact portion. apparatus.   The image according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the interlocking member is urged so that the first contact portion comes into contact with the second contact portion of the second locking portion. Forming equipment. The first transport path is a main transport path through which the sheet is transported during image formation,
6. The image formation according to claim 1, wherein the second transport path is a sub-transport path that transports the sheet on which an image has been formed to the main transport path in a state where the front and back sides of the sheet are reversed. apparatus.

Images