JP2011123399A - Conveying device and image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a conveying device and an image forming apparatus, wherein image disturbance due to movement of a conveying member is reduced. <P>SOLUTION: The image forming apparatus 10 includes: an intermediate transfer body 104; support rolls 116 and 118 supporting the intermediate transfer body 104; and movement prevention rolls 510 and 512 which are located on upstream side of a transfer position P1, where an image conveyed by the intermediate transfer body 104 is transferred to paper, in the moving direction of the intermediate transfer body 104, and prevent the intermediate transfer body 104 from moving toward the support rolls 116 and 118. The movement prevention rolls 510 and 512 are arranged so that their ends 510a and 512a are located on a plane 10 formed by connecting contact positions P4 and P5 where the support rolls 116 and 118 become in contact with the intermediate transfer body 104 respectively. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a conveyance device and an image forming apparatus.

  Patent Document 1 discloses a latent image carrier that carries a latent image, an intermediate transfer belt on which an image obtained by visualizing the latent image on the latent image carrier is transferred, and the intermediate transfer belt. In an image forming apparatus comprising a transfer member for transferring an image on the intermediate transfer belt to a recording material in a state where a transfer nip area is formed on the image forming apparatus, the image forming apparatus is provided so as to be rotatable with respect to the image forming apparatus main body. A door unit that opens and closes the apparatus main body, and a transfer unit that is provided inside the door unit and has the transfer member. The transfer unit forms a transfer nip area with the intermediate transfer belt, and A retract mechanism that holds the transfer member movably between a retract position separated from the intermediate transfer belt, and a shape formed on the image forming apparatus main body side to position the transfer member at the set position. The image forming apparatus is disclosed having a contact portion in contact with the positioning groove that is.

JP 2007-128108 A

  SUMMARY An advantage of some aspects of the invention is that it provides a conveyance device and an image forming apparatus that can reduce image distortion caused by movement of a conveyance member.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, a belt-like conveyance member that conveys an image on one surface, a plurality of support members that support the conveyance member from the other surface, and an image conveyed by the conveyance member are transferred to a recording medium. A movement preventing member that is located upstream of the transfer position in the moving direction of the conveying member and prevents the conveying member from moving to the other surface side.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, the movement preventing member has an end on the conveying member side on a surface formed by connecting positions where the two supporting members adjacent to each other come into contact with the conveying member. It is a conveying apparatus of Claim 1 arrange | positioned so that a part may be located.

  The present invention according to claim 3 is the transport apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the movement preventing member is disposed so as to be separated from the transfer position by an insulation distance or more.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect, the movement preventing member is disposed on the opposite side to the surface where the leading end of the recording medium collides with the conveying member. The conveying apparatus as described.

  The present invention according to claim 5 further includes an attachment / detachment structure that supports at least one of the plurality of support members and is attached to and detached from the main body of the transfer device, and the movement preventing member is supported by the attachment / detachment structure. It is the conveying apparatus in any one of the Claims 1 thru | or 4 which are made.

  The present invention according to claim 6 is the transport apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the transport device includes a plurality of the movement preventing members, and the plurality of the travel members are arranged along a moving direction of the transport member. .

  The present invention according to claim 7 includes: an image forming unit that forms an image; and a transport device that transports an image formed by the image forming unit, and the transport device is a belt-shaped belt that transports an image on one surface. A plurality of supporting members that support the conveying member from the other surface, and a position upstream of a transfer position where an image conveyed by the conveying member is transferred to a recording medium. And a movement preventing member that prevents the conveying member from moving to the other surface side.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, it is possible to provide a transport device that can reduce image distortion due to movement of the transport member, as compared with the case where the present configuration is not provided.

  According to the second aspect of the present invention, in addition to the effects of the first aspect of the present invention, the conveyance that can extend the life of the movement preventing member as compared with the case without the present configuration. An apparatus can be provided.

  According to the third aspect of the present invention, in addition to the effects of the first or second aspect of the present invention, a safe conveying device can be provided as compared with the case where the present configuration is not provided. .

  According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, in addition to the effects of the first aspect of the present invention according to any one of the first to third aspects, the movement of the conveying member due to the collision of the leading end of the recording medium is suppressed. It is possible to provide a transfer device capable of

  According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, in addition to the effects of the first aspect of the present invention, the replacement of the movement preventing member, and It is possible to provide a transport apparatus that can easily perform positioning with respect to the support member.

  According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, in addition to the effects of the first to fifth aspects of the present invention, an image produced by the movement of the conveying member is compared with the case where the present configuration is not provided. It is possible to provide a transport device that can reduce disturbance.

  According to the seventh aspect of the present invention, it is possible to provide an image forming apparatus capable of reducing image disturbance due to movement of the conveying member, as compared with the case where the present configuration is not provided.

1 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention from the front side. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a part of an image forming unit included in the image forming apparatus illustrated in FIG. 1 from the front side. FIG. 2 is a front view showing a support unit included in the image forming apparatus shown in FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the support unit shown in FIG. 3 from the downward direction. It is a figure explaining the position where the movement prevention roll which the support unit shown in FIG. 3 has is arrange | positioned.

Next, embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 shows an image forming apparatus 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the image forming apparatus 10 includes an image forming apparatus main body 12, and an image forming unit 20, a transfer device 100, a paper feeding device 200, and a fixing device are included in the image forming apparatus main body 12. 280 and a cleaning device 300 are provided. A conveyance path 600 is formed in the image forming apparatus main body 12.

  The image forming unit 20 is used as an image forming unit that forms an image made of a developer, and includes a yellow developer image forming unit 24Y, a magenta developer image forming unit 24M, a cyan developer image forming unit 24C, and a black developing unit. It has an agent image forming unit 24K. The yellow developer image forming unit 24Y, the magenta developer image forming unit 24M, the cyan developer image forming unit 24C, and the black developer image forming unit 24K are photosensitive drums 26Y, 26M, 26C, which are used as image carriers, respectively. Each of which forms a yellow developer image using a yellow developer, a magenta developer image using a magenta developer, and a cyan developer image using a cyan developer image. A developer image is formed, and a black developer image is formed using a black developer. Details of the yellow developer image forming unit 24Y, the magenta developer image forming unit 24M, the cyan developer image forming unit 24C, and the black developer image forming unit 24K will be described later.

The transfer device 100 includes an intermediate transfer member 104, primary transfer devices 150Y, 150M, 150C, and 150K, and a secondary transfer device 170. The intermediate transfer member 104 is used as an image holding member that holds an image formed by the developer formed in the image forming unit 20 and is used as a belt-like conveyance member that conveys an image on one side. In this embodiment, the intermediate transfer member 104 has a belt shape, is endless, and has a plurality of support rolls 110, 112, 114, 116, 118, 120 and the other surface, that is, a surface that holds a developer image. And is supported so that it can rotate from the opposite side. The intermediate transfer member 104 is made of, for example, polycarbonate resin, polyvinylidene fluoride resin, polyalkylene phthalate resin, polycarbonate / polyalkylene phthalate blend material, thermoplastic resin such as ethylene tetrafluoroethylene copolymer, polyimide, polyimide, and the like. A material obtained by dissolving or dispersing a conductive agent in a thermosetting resin such as a polyamide copolymer can be used, and one having a volume resistance of, for example, 10 ¹¹ to 10 ¹⁴ Ω · cm is used.

  The plurality of support rolls 110, 112, 114, 116, 118, and 120 are used as a plurality of support members that support the intermediate transfer body 104 from the other surface. In addition, at least one of the plurality of support rolls 110, 112, 114, 116, 118, 120 is used as a transmission roll that transmits driving to the intermediate transfer body 104, and a drive such as a gear train is omitted from the drawing. For example, a drive from a drive source (not shown) such as a motor is transmitted via a transmission mechanism, and the intermediate transfer member 104 is rotated by rotating the drive. In this embodiment, the support roll 110 is used as a drive transmission roll. In addition, at least one of the plurality of support rolls 110, 112, 114, 116, 118, and 120 is used as a tension roll that applies tension to the intermediate transfer member 104. In this embodiment, the support roll 114 is a tension roll. Used as a roll.

  The primary transfer devices 150Y, 150M, 150C, and 150K have primary transfer rolls 152Y, 152M, 152C, and 152K (see FIG. 2) to which a primary transfer bias is applied, respectively, and photosensitive drums 26Y, 26M, The image formed of the developer formed on the surfaces of 26C and 26K is transferred to the intermediate transfer member 104.

  The secondary transfer device 170 includes a secondary transfer roll 172, and the above-described support roll 118 is provided at a position facing the secondary transfer roll 172 with the intermediate transfer body 104 interposed therebetween. By applying a transfer bias to the toner, the developer is secondarily transferred from the intermediate transfer member 104 to the sheet.

  The support roll 118 is supported by the support unit 500. The support unit 500 is used as an attachment / detachment structure that is attached to and detached from the image forming apparatus main body 12 that is also used as the transport apparatus main body, and is attached to and detached from the image forming apparatus main body 12. Details of the support unit 500 will be described later.

  The fixing device 280 includes a heating roll 282 that heats the paper and a pressure roll 284 that presses the paper against the heating roll 282.

  The sheet feeding device 200 stores sheets used as recording media in a stacked state, for example, two sheet storage units 204 and 204, and delivery rolls 206 and 206 for feeding out the sheets stored in the sheet storage units 204 and 204. And retard rolls 208 and 208 used to prevent the sheets from being fed out in an overlapped state.

  The conveyance path 600 is a conveyance path through which a sheet is conveyed from the sheet feeding device 200 toward the secondary transfer device 170 and discharged from the secondary transfer device 170 to the outside of the image forming apparatus main body 12. Along the transport path 600, in order from the upstream side in the paper transport direction, the paper feed device 200, the transport rolls 604 and 604, the registration roll 610, the secondary transfer device 170, the paper transport devices 612, 612, and 612, The fixing device 280 and the discharge roll 616 described above are provided.

  The transport rolls 604 and 604 transport the paper toward the registration roll 610. The registration roll 610 temporarily stops the movement of the leading edge of the sheet conveyed toward the secondary transfer device 170 toward the secondary transfer device 170, so that the developer image on the intermediate transfer member 104 is primary. The movement of the leading edge of the sheet toward the secondary transfer device 170 is resumed so as to coincide with the timing at which the transferred portion reaches the position of the secondary transfer device 170.

  The sheet conveying devices 612, 612, and 612 convey the sheet toward the fixing device 280 so as to support the sheet on which the unfixed developer image is transferred on the upper surface from the lower side. The discharge roll 616 conveys the sheet on which the developer image is fixed by the fixing device 280 toward the outside of the image forming apparatus main body 12.

  The cleaning device 300 includes a cleaning blade 304 that is used as a scraping member that scrapes off the developer from the surface of the intermediate transfer member 104. Further, the cleaning device 300 has a roll brush 308 having a function of removing the developer from the surface of the intermediate transfer member 104 and a function of charging the intermediate transfer member 104.

  FIG. 2 shows the yellow developer image forming unit 24Y. The magenta developer image forming unit 24M, the cyan developer image forming unit 24C, and the black developer image forming unit 24K have the same configuration as the yellow developer image forming unit 24Y described below, although the developer colors used are different. Since there is, explanation is omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the yellow developer image forming unit 24Y includes the above-described photoreceptor drum 26Y, charging device 30Y, latent image forming device 32Y, developing device 34Y, and cleaning device 38Y. The charging device 30Y includes, for example, a charging roll and uniformly charges the surface of the photosensitive drum 26Y. For example, an LED array is used as the latent image forming device 32Y. The latent image forming device 32Y forms a latent image on the surface of the photosensitive drum 26Y by irradiating the surface of the photosensitive drum 26Y uniformly charged by the charging device 30Y with light.

  The developing device 34Y has a developing roller 36Y used as a developer holding member, and the yellow roller is supplied to the photosensitive drum 26Y by the developing roller 36Y, and the latent image formed on the surface of the photosensitive drum 26Y is yellow. Develop with the developer. The cleaning device 38Y has, for example, a scraping member, and the yellow developer image remaining on the surface of the photosensitive drum 26Y after the yellow developer image is transferred to the intermediate transfer member 104 by the primary transfer roll 152Y. Scrape off the developer image.

  FIG. 3 shows an enlarged view of the vicinity of the support unit 500, and FIG. 4 shows the support unit 500. As shown in FIG. 3, the secondary transfer device 170 includes the above-described secondary transfer roll 172, a support roll 174 positioned downstream of the secondary transfer roll 172 in the direction in which the sheet is conveyed, and a secondary transfer. It has a separating belt 176 that is stretched over a roll 172 and a support roll 174 and supported so as to be able to rotate. The secondary transfer roll 172 is grounded. The separation belt 176 is used to separate the sheet on which the developer image has been secondarily transferred from the intermediate transfer member 104 so as to attract the sheet.

  The support unit 500 has a support unit main body 502, and is supported by the support unit main body 502 so that the above-described support roll 118 can rotate. In addition, an application roll 504 that is used as a bias application member that contacts the support roll 118 and applies a bias for secondary transfer to the support roll 118 is mounted on the support unit main body 502. A power supply unit 506 is connected to the application roll 504.

  With the configuration described above, the secondary transfer roll 172 is in a position where it comes into contact with the intermediate transfer member 104 via the separation belt 176, and the developer image conveyed by the intermediate transfer member 104 is transferred to the sheet. At the transfer position P1, which is the position, the developer on the surface of the intermediate transfer member 104 is transferred to the sheet conveyed through the conveyance path 600. At this time, the leading end of the sheet first collides with a collision position P2, which is a position upstream of the transfer position P1 in the conveyance direction of the intermediate transfer body 104, and is then guided from the collision position P2 to the transfer position P1. .

  Further, in the support unit main body 502 of the support unit 500, the intermediate transfer body 104 collides with the intermediate transfer body 104 so that the movement prevention rolls 510 and 512 can rotate with respect to the support unit main body 502. At the position P2, the front end portion of the sheet is attached so as to be disposed at a position opposite to the colliding surface side. The movement preventing rolls 510 and 512 are located upstream of the transfer position P1 in the rotation direction of the intermediate transfer body 104, and the intermediate transfer body 104 is located on the side of the support roll 116 and the support roll 118 that are support members adjacent to each other. That is, the intermediate transfer member 104 is prevented from moving to the side opposite to the side holding the developer. For this reason, for example, the leading edge of the paper collides with the collision position P2, and the intermediate transfer body 104 is pushed toward the support roll 116 and the support roll 118, or the intermediate transfer body 104 vibrates by rotating. However, the intermediate transfer member 104 is hardly moved to the support roll 116 and the support roll 118 by the movement preventing rolls 510 and 512.

FIG. 5 illustrates the positions where the movement prevention rolls 510 and 512 are disposed.
As shown in FIG. 5, the movement preventing rolls 510 and 512 have a contact position P4 and a contact position P5 that are positions where the support roll 116 and the support roll 118 that are adjacent to each other come into contact with the intermediate transfer body 104, respectively. It arrange | positions so that the edge parts 510a and 5012a by the side of a conveyance member may be located on the surface S10 formed by connecting. Therefore, the movement prevention rolls 510 and 512 prevent the intermediate transfer body 104 from moving toward the support rolls 116 and 118 without applying tension to the intermediate transfer body 104.

  The fact that the end portions 510a and 512a of the movement prevention rolls 510 and 512 are located on the surface S10 means that the movement prevention rolls 510 and 512 are processed with tolerances and, for example, when the movement prevention rolls 510 and 512 are assembled to the support unit main body 502. Tolerances that occur in For example, when the movement preventing rolls 510 and 512 have a diameter of 10 mm, the end portions 510a and 512a may be separated from the surface S10 by about 0.5 mm to 1 mm.

  Since the movement prevention rolls 510 and 512 are disposed so that the end portions 510a and 512a of the movement prevention rolls 510 and 512 are positioned on the surface S10, the movement prevention rolls 510 and 512 are driven by the intermediate transfer member 104. For example, the members that support the movement preventing rolls 510 and 512 such as bearings have a long life, and the movement preventing rolls 510 and 512 are less likely to wear due to contact with the intermediate transfer member 104, and the movement preventing rolls. 510 and 512 have a long life.

  The movement prevention roll 512, which is a movement prevention member closer to the transfer position P1, is disposed such that the distance L1 between the transfer position P1 and the transfer position P1 is equal to or greater than the insulation distance from the transfer position. For this reason, safety is ensured. Here, the insulation distance refers to a distance for achieving electrical insulation without isolation by an insulator.

  Further, the movement preventing rolls 510 and 512 are arranged along the moving direction of the intermediate transfer member 104. For this reason, the movement of the intermediate transfer member 104 at a position between the movement prevention roll 510 and the movement prevention roll 512 is particularly difficult to occur.

  Further, as described above, since the movement preventing rolls 510 and 512 are supported by the support unit main body 502 that is a member on which the support roll 118 is supported, the positioning is made accurately with respect to the support roll 118. Further, the movement preventing rolls 510 and 512 can be easily taken out from the image forming apparatus main body 12 and attached to the image forming apparatus main body 12.

  As described above, the present invention can be applied to an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, a facsimile machine, and a printer, and a conveyance device used in these image forming apparatuses, for example.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Image forming apparatus 12 ... Image forming apparatus main body 104 ... Intermediate transfer body 116 ... Support roll 118 ... Support roll 170 ... Secondary transfer apparatus 172 ... Secondary transfer roll 500 ... support unit 510 ... movement prevention roll 510a ... end 512 ... movement prevention roll 512a ... end L1 ... distance P1 ... transfer position P2 ... collision position P2 ... Collision position P4 ... Contact position P5 ... Contact position S10 ... Surface

Claims (7)

A belt-like conveying member that conveys an image on one side;
A plurality of support members for supporting the transport member from the other surface;
A movement preventing member that is positioned upstream of the transfer position in which the image conveyed by the conveying member is transferred to a recording medium in the moving direction of the conveying member and prevents the conveying member from moving to the other surface side. When,
Conveying device having   The movement preventing member is arranged such that an end portion on the conveying member side is located on a surface formed by connecting positions where the two adjacent supporting members are in contact with the conveying member. The transport apparatus according to claim 1.   The transport apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the movement preventing member is disposed so as to be separated from the transfer position by an insulation distance or more.   4. The transport device according to claim 1, wherein the movement preventing member is disposed on a side opposite to a surface side where a leading end portion of a recording medium collides with the transport member with respect to the transport member. An attachment / detachment structure that supports at least one of the plurality of support members and is attached to and detached from the transfer apparatus body;
The transport apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the movement preventing member is supported by the detachable structure. A plurality of the movement preventing members;
The transport apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of the moving members are arranged along a moving direction of the transport member. An image forming unit for forming an image;
A conveying device for conveying an image formed by the image forming unit;
Have
The transfer device
A belt-like conveying member that conveys an image on one side;
A plurality of support members for supporting the transport member from the other surface;
A movement preventing member that is positioned upstream of the transfer position in which the image conveyed by the conveying member is transferred to a recording medium in the moving direction of the conveying member and prevents the conveying member from moving to the other surface side. When,
An image forming apparatus.

Images