JP2012036010A - Sheet conveying device and image forming device including the same - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a sheet conveying device that suppresses occurrence of abnormal sound of a sheet conveyed to a curved conveyance path curved in the conveying direction, which is caused by stiffening rollers regardless of the rotating direction of conveying rollers while ensuring sheet stacking performance although being inexpensive and having a simple structure, and also to provide an image forming device including the same.SOLUTION: A sheet conveying device 30 is provided with a plurality of first conveying rollers 31, ..., and a plurality of second conveying rollers 32. The device includes the stiffening rollers 34, ..., disposed coaxially with at least the conveying rollers 32, ... of the first and second conveying rollers (31, ...), (32, ...) and having a larger diameter than that of the conveying rollers 32. The stiffening rollers 34, ..., respectively include a first stiffening roller 34a, ..., which imparts a conveying force to a sheet P and a second stiffening roller 34b, ..., whose conveying force to the sheet P is smaller than the conveying force of the first stiffening roller 34a, ..., to the sheet P.

Description

  The present invention relates to a sheet conveying apparatus and an image forming apparatus that can be applied to an image forming apparatus such as a printer, a copier, and a multifunction peripheral.

  In a sheet conveying apparatus provided in an image forming apparatus, when a sheet such as a document or recording paper processed after the image reading process or image forming process is completed in the image forming apparatus is conveyed to a discharge tray, the sheet is placed on the discharge tray. In order to convey with good stackability, it is required to stack the sheets on the discharge tray in a state where the sheets are aligned.

  FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram for explaining an example of a conventional sheet conveying apparatus A1 in which the stacking property is lowered. FIG. 9A is a schematic side view of the discharge state of the sheet P conveyed to the discharge tray B4 as viewed from the axial direction X of the conveyance rollers (B1,...), (B2,...). FIG. 9B is a schematic side view of the transport state of the sheet P as viewed from the transport direction Y of the sheet P.

  The sheet conveying apparatus A1 shown in FIG. 9 includes a plurality of first conveying rollers B1,... Arranged coaxially and a plurality of coaxially arranged facing each of the plurality of first conveying rollers B1,. .., And is rotated by the rotation of the first transport rollers (drive rollers fixed to the drive roller shaft E1) B1,... And the first transport rollers B1,. The sheet P is conveyed while being sandwiched between second conveying rollers (driven rollers fixed to the driven roller shaft E2) B2,.

  In such a conventional sheet conveying apparatus A1, when conveying the sheet P to the one side Y1 in the conveying direction Y, the downstream end (tip) P1 of the one side Y1 of the sheet P in the conveying direction Y hangs down, and the leading end P1 is advanced. The upstream end (rear end) P2 of the one side Y1 in the transport direction Y is the first after the sheet P is transported by contact with the discharge tray B4 or by early contact of the leading end P1 of the sheet P with the discharge tray B4. 2 Inconveniences such as being stuck on the conveying rollers B2,... (So-called rear end remaining (see α portion in FIG. 9A)) are likely to occur. Alternatively, the stacking property may be deteriorated by the sheet P to which curling is applied in the fixing process.

JP 2006-151617 A

  For this reason, when the sheet P is conveyed from the sheet conveying apparatus A1 to the one side Y1 in the conveying direction Y, the leading end P1 of the sheet P does not immediately sag, and the trailing end P2 of the sheet P is set to the conveying roller B2. Of the first and second transport rollers (B1,...), (B2,...) So that the trailing edge remaining does not occur and the curling of the sheet P applied in the fixing process can be suppressed. A waist roller B3,... (Which is disposed coaxially with at least one of the transport rollers (the first transport roller B1, upper side in the example shown in FIG. 10 described later) and has a larger diameter than the rollers B1,. 10) may be provided.

FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram for explaining an example of a conventional sheet conveying apparatus A2 provided with the waist rollers B3,. FIG. 10A is a schematic side view of the discharge state of the sheet P conveyed to the discharge tray B4 as viewed from the axial direction X of the conveyance rollers (B1,..., (B2,...).
FIG. 10B is a schematic side view of the transport state of the sheet P as viewed from the transport direction Y of the sheet P.

  A sheet conveying apparatus A2 shown in FIG. 10 has a seating roller B3,... Coaxially arranged with respect to the first conveying rollers B1,. The seating rollers B3,... Have a diameter larger than the diameter of the first transport rollers B1,... And are configured to rotate integrally with the first transport rollers B1,. Fixed). That is, the conveying force is applied to the sheet P with respect to all the individual seating rollers B3,.

  In such a conventional sheet conveying apparatus A2, when conveying the sheet P to one side Y1 in the conveying direction Y, the corrugated shape in the axial direction X is imparted to the sheet P by the waist rollers B3,. By maintaining the transport posture of the sheet P as much as possible, it is possible to prevent the leading edge P1 of the sheet P from drooping early, the remaining rear end of the sheet P, or the fixing curl of the sheet P.

  However, in such a conventional sheet conveying apparatus A2, the seating rollers B3,... Can prevent the leading end P1 of the sheet P from drooping early, the rear end remaining of the sheet P, or the fixing curl of the sheet P. When the sheet P is guided to the curved conveyance path D (see FIG. 11 described later) curved in the conveyance direction Y, the undulation in the axial direction X occurs. There is an inconvenience that abnormal sound is generated when the sheet P is transported to the curved transport path D curved in the transport direction Y.

  FIG. 11 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the state in which the sheet P, which has been undulated in the axial direction X, is transported to the curved transport path D curved in the transport direction Y in an example of the conventional sheet transport apparatus A2, viewed from the axial direction X. .

As shown in FIG. 11, the sheet P transported (switched back) to the other side Y2 in the transport direction Y by the transport rollers (B1,...), (B2,. When guided along a path D (in this example, a reverse conveyance path for reversing the front and back of the sheet P when forming a double-sided image), the sheet P waved in the axial direction X by the seating rollers B3,. May be forcibly bent along the curved conveyance path D curved in the conveyance direction Y, and an abnormal sound (specifically, a sound such as a burr) may occur when the undulation returns. That is, since the conveying amount of the sheet P per unit time varies depending on the difference in peripheral speed due to the difference in diameter between the seating rollers B3,... And the first conveying rollers B1,. The amplitude of the undulation increases, and the abnormal sound is more likely to occur.

  This is particularly the case where the sheet P moves to the curved conveyance path D while the undulation of the sheet P is relatively large (specifically, the distance between the seating rollers B3,. This is particularly noticeable in a downsized image forming apparatus having a relatively short distance.

  With respect to this point, Patent Document 1 discloses that the back roller is fixed to the conveyance roller during normal rotation in the normal paper discharge state and rotates integrally to convey the recording material, and the reverse roller is locked to the conveyance roller during reversal. A configuration is disclosed in which the recording material is released and is driven to rotate by the conveyed recording material.

  However, in the configuration described in Patent Document 1, the structure of the seating roller is complicated, resulting in an increase in cost, and no consideration is given to the corrugation of the sheet conveyed in the normal rotation direction.

  Therefore, the present invention is simple in structure and low in cost, while ensuring sheet stackability, and inconvenience related to the corrugation of the sheet by the seating roller (particularly, the sheet conveyed to the curved conveyance path curved in the conveyance direction). An object of the present invention is to provide a sheet conveying apparatus capable of suppressing the occurrence of abnormal noise) regardless of the rotation direction of the conveying roller, and an image forming apparatus including the sheet conveying apparatus.

  In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present inventor has conducted extensive research and found that, as in the conventional configuration, the sheet-feeding roller is configured to apply a conveying force to all of the individual seating rollers. Inconvenience (especially abnormal noise of the sheet conveyed in the curved conveyance path curved in the conveyance direction) due to the undulation of the sheet due to the occurrence of the sheet, while no conveyance force is applied to the sheet with respect to all the individual seating rollers In this case, although the inconvenience related to the undulation can be eliminated, the conveying force to the sheet is reduced, and therefore, the rear end of the sheet is generated, and it has been found that the stackability of the sheet cannot be secured.

  The present inventor pays attention to this point, and if the sheet conveying force is not applied to a part of each seating roller, or the structure is reduced, the sheet is simple and low in cost. The occurrence of the remaining trailing edge can be avoided, and therefore the amplitude of the corrugation of the sheet can be reduced while ensuring the stackability of the sheet, and thereby the inconvenience related to the corrugation (particularly, it is conveyed to the curved conveyance path curved in the conveying direction). The present invention has been completed by finding that the occurrence of abnormal noise in the sheet) can be suppressed regardless of the rotation direction of the conveying roller.

That is, the present invention includes a plurality of first conveying rollers disposed coaxially and a plurality of second conveying rollers disposed coaxially so as to face the plurality of first conveying rollers, A sheet conveying device that conveys a sheet while sandwiching a sheet between the rotated first conveying roller and the second conveying roller, and is coaxial with at least one of the first and second conveying rollers And a seating roller having a diameter larger than the diameter of the conveying roller, the seating roller having a first seating roller for imparting a conveying force to the sheet, and a conveying force to the sheet said sheet seen including a conveying force smaller than the second waist application rollers to the first waist application rollers, the first waist application rollers and the second waist with rollers, said first and second waist application rollers coaxially In the axial direction of the upper transport rollers It rotates integrally with the conveying roller in a state of being between, and has the structure having a small friction coefficient of the surface of the second waist with roller than the friction coefficient of the surface of the first waist with roller A sheet conveying apparatus is provided.

  Here, the phrase “the conveyance direction to the sheet is smaller than the conveyance force to the sheet of the first waist roller” referred to the second waist roller is a concept including a case where no conveyance force is applied to the sheet.

  In addition, the present invention includes a sheet conveying device according to the present invention and a curved conveying path curved in the sheet conveying direction, and the sheet is conveyed from the sheet conveying device toward the curved conveying path. An image forming apparatus is also provided.

  According to the present invention, since the waist roller includes the first waist roller and the second waist roller, the structure is simple and the cost can be kept low. In addition, the waist roller can impart a wave shape in the axial direction to a sheet (specifically, a recording sheet or an original) by the waist roller, and the waist roller further imparts a conveying force to the sheet. Therefore, it is possible to avoid the occurrence of the rear end of the sheet, thereby ensuring the stackability of the sheet. In addition, the seating roller is not configured to apply a conveying force to the sheet with respect to all the individual seating rollers, but in addition to the first waisting roller that applies the conveying force to the sheet, Including the second seating roller having a transporting force smaller than that of the first seating roller to the sheet, regardless of the rotation direction of the first and second transporting rollers. The difference in sheet conveyance amount per unit time due to the difference in peripheral speed between the seating roller and the coaxial conveyance roller can be reduced, and consequently, the amplitude of the sheet undulation can be reduced. The occurrence of a curved conveyance path curved in the conveyance direction, for example, an abnormal sound of the sheet conveyed to the curved conveyance path in the image forming apparatus according to the present invention can be suppressed.

In addition , the first waist roller and the second waist roller that rotate integrally with the transport roller on the same axis have a friction coefficient of the surface of the first waist roller. Since the friction coefficient of the surface of the sheet is reduced, the sheet is more easily slipped by the second waist roller than by the first waist roller. As a result, the conveyance force to the sheet by the second waist roller is smaller than the conveyance force to the sheet by the first waist roller, so that the waist roller and the waist roller are coaxial. It is possible to reduce the difference in sheet conveyance amount per unit time due to the difference in peripheral speed with the upper conveyance roller. Note that the friction coefficient of the surface of the second waist roller may be a friction coefficient that does not give a conveying force to the sheet.

  In the present invention, it is possible to exemplify a mode in which the waist roller and the transport roller coaxial with the waist roller are arranged symmetrically with respect to the center in the axial direction of the transport roller.

  In this specific matter, the seating roller and the transport roller coaxial with the seating roller are arranged symmetrically with respect to the center in the axial direction, so that it is possible to apply a transport force to the sheet symmetrically with respect to the center. it can. As a result, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of skew (oblique feeding). In this aspect, it can be suitably used for the configuration of center-based sheet conveyance.

  In the present invention, it is possible to exemplify an aspect in which, in the axial direction, among the waist rollers, a central portion is the first waist roller and both ends are the second waist rollers.

  In this specific matter, among the waist rollers, the central portion in the axial direction is the first waist roller and both end portions are the second waist rollers. Therefore, in the central portion in the axial direction, It is possible to suppress the occurrence of inconvenience related to the corrugation of the sheet while realizing stable sheet conveyance.

  In the present invention, of the waist rollers, the waist roller closest to the center position in the axial direction can be exemplified as the first waist roller.

  In this specific matter, among the waist rollers, the waist roller closest to the center position in the axial direction is the first waist roller, so that a conveying force can be applied in the vicinity of the center position. In addition, even when a plurality of types of sheets are used, a sheet having a size smaller than the maximum size can be reliably conveyed.

  In the present invention, among the waist rollers, the waist roller closest to the center position in the axial direction is configured to transport a minimum size sheet that can be used in an image forming apparatus provided with the sheet transport device. The aspect currently performed can be illustrated.

  In this specific matter, the configuration is such that, among the waist rollers, the waist roller closest to the center position in the axial direction can transport the minimum size sheet that can be used in the image forming apparatus provided with the sheet transport device. Therefore, in the center reference sheet conveyance configuration, even if the sheet is the minimum size, the minimum size sheet can be reliably conveyed. In this case, the waist roller closest to the center position can be provided at a position where a usable minimum size sheet can be conveyed.

  In the present invention, the waist roller may be provided on the shaft of the transport roller coaxial with the seat roller, or may be provided on the transport roller itself.

  For example, a mode in which the waist roller is provided at one end in the axial direction of the transport roller coaxial with the waist roller can be exemplified.

  In this specific matter, since the waist roller is provided at one end in the axial direction of the transport roller coaxial with the waist roller, the waist roller is coaxially moved from the transport roller to the axial direction. Compared to the difference between the diameter of the seating roller and the diameter of the conveying roller even if the maximum amplitude of the corrugation of the sheet is the same as compared with the case of being separated (for example, provided in the center between adjacent conveying rollers) The amplitude ratio can be increased, and the material cost can be reduced accordingly. Further, the waist roller and the transport roller can be made into one assembly part, and the assembly process of the waist roller and the transport roller can be shortened.

  As described above, according to the present invention, the seating roller includes the first seating roller that imparts a transport force to the sheet, and the transport force to the sheet is the transport force of the first seating roller to the sheet. Including the smaller second waisting roller, the structure is simple and low cost, and the stacking property of the sheet is ensured, while the inconvenience related to the corrugation of the sheet by the waisting roller (particularly, curved conveyance curved in the conveyance direction) It is possible to suppress the occurrence of an abnormal sound of the sheet conveyed to the path regardless of the rotation direction of the conveyance roller.

An image forming apparatus having a sheet over preparative conveying device is a schematic sectional view seen from the front. FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating a conveyance path in the image forming apparatus illustrated in FIG. 1. FIG. 2 is a schematic side view of the sheet conveying device in the image forming apparatus shown in FIG. It is a schematic block diagram of the 1st and 2nd waisting roller of 1st Embodiment, and its peripheral part, Comprising: (a) is a schematic side view which looked at the 1st waisting roller part from the conveyance direction, (b ) Is a schematic side view of the first waist roller portion viewed from the axial direction, (c) is a schematic side view of the second waist roller portion viewed from the transport direction, and (d) is a first side view. It is the schematic side view which looked at the 2 waisting roller part from the axial direction. It is a schematic block diagram of the 1st and 2nd waisting roller of 2nd Embodiment, and its peripheral part, Comprising: (a) is a schematic side view which looked at the 1st waisting roller part from the conveyance direction, (b ) Is a schematic side view of the first waist roller portion viewed from the axial direction, (c) is a schematic side view of the second waist roller portion viewed from the transport direction, and (d) is a first side view. It is the schematic side view which looked at the 2 waisting roller part from the axial direction. 6 is a table showing the positional relationship and the outer diameter of the back roller depending on the destination of the image forming apparatus. It is a table | surface which shows the result of Comparative Examples 1 and 2 and an Example. FIG. 10 is a table showing the results of examining abnormal sound generation on the reverse conveyance path due to the difference in paper type in Comparative Example 1 and Example, and (a) is a table showing results for each paper size in Comparative Example 1; (B) is a table showing the results for each paper size in the example. It is explanatory drawing for demonstrating an example of the conventional sheet conveying apparatus in which stack property falls, (a) is the schematic side view which looked at the discharge state of the sheet conveyed by the discharge tray from the axial direction of the conveyance roller. FIG. 5B is a schematic side view of the sheet conveyance state as viewed from the sheet conveyance direction. It is explanatory drawing for demonstrating an example of the conventional sheet conveying apparatus provided with the back roller, Comprising: (a) is the outline which looked at the discharge state of the sheet conveyed by the discharge tray from the axial direction of the conveyance roller. It is a side view, (b) is the schematic side view which looked at the conveyance state of the sheet | seat from the conveyance direction of the sheet | seat. FIG. 10 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a state in which a sheet undulated in the axial direction is conveyed to a curved conveyance path curved in the conveyance direction in an example of a conventional sheet conveying apparatus when viewed from the axial direction.

  Embodiments according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. The following embodiment is an example embodying the present invention, and does not limit the technical scope of the present invention.

(Description of overall configuration of image forming apparatus)
Figure 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view as viewed from the front of the image forming apparatus 100 provided with a sheet over preparative conveying device 30.

  An image forming apparatus 100 shown in FIG. 1 is a color image forming apparatus that forms multicolor and single color images on a sheet P (hereinafter referred to as “paper”) P such as recording paper in accordance with image data transmitted from the outside. It is. The image forming apparatus 100 includes a document reading device 108 and an apparatus main body 110, and the apparatus main body 110 is provided with an image forming unit 102 and a sheet conveyance system 103.

  The image forming unit 102 includes an exposure unit 1, a plurality of developing units 2, a plurality of photosensitive drums 3, a plurality of cleaning units 4, a plurality of chargers 5, an intermediate transfer belt unit 6, a plurality Toner cartridge units 21... And a fixing unit 7.

  The sheet conveyance system 103 includes a sheet feeding unit 80 including a sheet feeding tray 81 and a manual sheet feeding tray 82, a conveyance path (a main conveyance path 76, a reverse conveyance path 77) and a discharge tray 91 described later.

  An upper part of the apparatus main body 110 is provided with an original placing table 92 made of transparent glass on which an original (sheet) is placed, and an optical unit 90 for reading the original is provided below the original placing base 92. . A document reading device 108 is provided above the document table 92. The document reading device 108 automatically conveys the document on the document placing table 92. Further, the document reading device 108 is attached to the apparatus main body 110 so as to be pivotable by opening the front side, and the document can be placed manually by opening the document placing table 92. .

  The document reading device 108 can read a document that is automatically conveyed or a document placed on the document placing table 92. The entire image of the original read by the original reading device 108 is sent as image data to the apparatus main body 110 of the image forming apparatus 100, and an image formed based on the image data in the apparatus main body 110 is recorded on the paper P.

  The image data handled in the image forming apparatus 100 corresponds to a color image using a plurality of colors (here, black (K), cyan (C), magenta (M), and yellow (Y)). Therefore, the developing unit 2,..., The photosensitive drum 3,..., The cleaning unit 4,. A plurality of (here, four are provided, each being black, cyan, magenta, and yellow) so as to be formed, and a plurality of (here, four) image stations are configured by these.

  The chargers 5,... Are charging means for uniformly charging the surface of the photosensitive drums 3,... To a predetermined potential. In addition to the charger type as shown in FIG. A type charger can be used.

  The exposure unit 1 is configured as a laser scanning unit (LSU) including a laser emitting unit and a reflection mirror. The exposure unit 1 is provided with a polygon mirror that scans a laser beam, and optical elements such as lenses and mirrors for guiding the laser beam reflected by the polygon mirror to the photosensitive drums 3. In addition to this, as the exposure unit 1, for example, a method using a writing head in which light emitting elements such as EL (electroluminescence) and LED (light emitting diode) are arranged in an array can be employed.

  The exposure unit 1 exposes the charged photoconductive drums 3... According to the input image data, so that an electrostatic latent image corresponding to the image data is displayed on the surface of each photoconductive drum 3. To form.

  The toner cartridge units 21,... Are units that contain toner, and are supplied to the developing tanks of the developing units 2,. In the apparatus main body 110 of the image forming apparatus 100, the toner supplied from the toner cartridge units 21,... To the developing tanks of the developing units 2,... Is controlled so that the toner concentration of the developer in the developing tank is constant. .

  The developing units 2... Visualize the electrostatic latent images formed on the respective photosensitive drums 3 with toners of four colors (Y, M, C, K). Further, the cleaning units 4... Remove and collect toner remaining on the surface of the photosensitive drums 3... After development and image transfer.

  The intermediate transfer belt unit 6 disposed above the photosensitive drums 3,... Has an intermediate transfer belt 61 that acts as an intermediate transfer member, an intermediate transfer belt drive roller 62, an intermediate transfer belt driven roller 63, and a plurality of intermediate transfer rollers. 64, and an intermediate transfer belt cleaning unit 65.

  Four intermediate transfer rollers 64,... Are provided corresponding to each color of Y, M, C, and K. The intermediate transfer belt drive roller 62 stretches the intermediate transfer belt 61 together with the intermediate transfer belt driven roller 63 and the intermediate transfer rollers 64, and is driven to rotate, whereby the intermediate transfer belt 61 moves in the direction of movement (arrow in FIG. 1). In the M direction, the driven roller 63 and the intermediate transfer rollers 64,.

  Each intermediate transfer roller 64,... Is applied with a transfer bias for transferring the toner image formed on the photosensitive drum 3,.

  The intermediate transfer belt 61 is provided so as to come into contact with the respective photosensitive drums 3. The intermediate transfer belt 61 forms a color toner image (multicolor toner image) on the surface by sequentially transferring the toner images of the respective colors formed on the photosensitive drums 3. The intermediate transfer belt 61 is, for example, endless using a film having a thickness of about 100 μm to 150 μm.

  Transfer of the toner image from the photosensitive drums 3 to the intermediate transfer belt 61 is performed by intermediate transfer rollers 64 that are in contact with the back side of the intermediate transfer belt 61. A high-voltage transfer bias (a high voltage having a polarity (+) opposite to the toner charging polarity (-)) is applied to the intermediate transfer rollers 64,... The intermediate transfer roller 64,... Is based on a metal (for example, stainless steel) shaft having a diameter of 8 mm to 10 mm, and the surface thereof is a conductive elastic material (for example, a resin material such as EPDM (ethylene-propylene-diene rubber) or urethane foam). It is the roller covered with. The intermediate transfer rollers 64,... Serve as transfer electrodes that uniformly apply a high voltage to the intermediate transfer belt 61 by the conductive elastic material. In this embodiment, a roller-shaped transfer electrode is used as the transfer electrode, but a transfer electrode such as a brush can be used in addition to this.

  As described above, the toner images visualized in accordance with the respective hues on the respective photosensitive drums 3 are stacked on the intermediate transfer belt 61. The toner images stacked on the intermediate transfer belt 61 are transferred to the sheet by the transfer roller 10 constituting the secondary transfer mechanism unit disposed at the contact position between the sheet P and the intermediate transfer belt 61 by the circumferential movement of the intermediate transfer belt 61. Transferred onto P. However, the configuration of the secondary transfer mechanism is not limited to the transfer roller, and a transfer configuration such as a corona charger or a transfer belt can be used.

  At this time, the transfer roller 10 has a transfer nip formed between the transfer roller 10 and a voltage for transferring the toner onto the paper P (a polarity (+) opposite to the toner charge polarity (−)). Is applied). A transfer nip is formed between the transfer roller 10 and the intermediate transfer belt 61 by the transfer roller 10 and the intermediate transfer belt driving roller 62 being pressed against each other. In order to obtain the transfer nip constantly, one of the transfer roller 10 and the intermediate transfer belt driving roller 62 is a hard roller made of a hard material (metal or the like), and the other is a soft material (elastic rubber or foam). The elastic roller is made of a resin material such as a functional resin.

  When the transfer roller 10 transfers the toner image from the intermediate transfer belt 61 onto the paper P, the toner may remain on the intermediate transfer belt 61 without being transferred onto the paper P. The toner remaining on the intermediate transfer belt 61 causes toner color mixing in the next step. For this reason, the toner remaining on the intermediate transfer belt 61 is removed and collected by the intermediate transfer belt cleaning unit 65. Specifically, the intermediate transfer belt cleaning unit 65 includes a cleaning member (for example, a cleaning blade) that contacts the intermediate transfer belt 61. The driven roller 63 supports the intermediate transfer belt 61 from the inner side (back side), and the cleaning member is in contact with the intermediate transfer belt 61 so as to be pressed toward the driven roller 63 from the outer side.

  The paper feed tray 81 is a tray that previously stores paper P on which image formation (printing) is performed, and is provided below the exposure unit 1 in the apparatus main body 110. Further, the paper P on which an image is formed (printed) is placed on the manual paper feed tray 82. The discharge tray 91 is provided above the image forming unit 102 in the apparatus main body 110 and stacks the sheets P on which image formation (printing) has been performed face-down.

  Further, the apparatus main body 110 is provided with a main conveyance path 76 for sending the paper P sent from the paper feed tray 81 and the manual paper feed tray 82 to the discharge tray 91 through the transfer roller 10 and the fixing unit 7. ing. In the vicinity of the main conveyance path 76, pickup rollers 11a and 11b, a plurality of (here, first and second) conveyance rollers 12a and 12b, a registration roller 13, a transfer roller 10, a heat roller 71 in the fixing unit 7, and a pressure A roller 72 is disposed. In the vicinity of the reverse conveyance path 77, a plurality of (here, third and fourth) conveyance rollers 12c and 12d are arranged.

  The first to fourth transport rollers 12a to 12d are small rollers for promoting and assisting the transport of the paper P. The pickup roller 11 a is provided near the paper supply side of the paper feed tray 81, picks up the paper P one by one from the paper feed tray 81, and supplies it to the main transport path 76. Similarly, the pickup roller 11 b is provided near the paper supply side of the manual paper feed tray 82, picks up the paper P one by one from the manual paper feed tray 82, and supplies it to the main transport path 76.

  The registration roller 13 temporarily holds the paper P that is being transported in the main transport path 76. Then, the registration roller 13 transfers the sheet P at the timing when the leading edge of the toner image on the photosensitive drum 3,... Is aligned with the downstream end (hereinafter referred to as the leading edge) P1 of one side Y1 in the transport direction Y of the sheet P. It is conveyed to the roller 10.

  The fixing unit 7 fixes an unfixed toner image on the paper P, and includes a heat roller 71 and a pressure roller 72 that act as a fixing roller. The heat roller 71 is driven to rotate so as to convey the paper P while sandwiching the paper P together with the pressure roller 72 that is driven to rotate. The heat roller 71 is heated by a heater 71a provided on the inner side, and is maintained at a predetermined fixing temperature based on a signal from the temperature detector 71b. The heat roller 71 heated by the heater 71a thermally bonds the multicolor toner image transferred onto the paper P together with the pressure roller 72 to the paper P, thereby melting, mixing, and pressing the multicolor toner image. Heat fix.

(About transport route)
FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the conveyance paths 76 and 77 in the image forming apparatus 100 shown in FIG.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the image forming apparatus 100 includes a main conveyance path 76 and a reverse conveyance path 77 as the conveyance paths through which the paper P is conveyed, as described above. It is configured to convey a sheet. The reverse conveyance path 77 is curved in the conveyance direction Y and constitutes a curved conveyance path.

  The main transport path 76 is a transport path for transporting the paper P between the paper feeding unit 80 and the sheet transport apparatus 30.

  The reverse conveyance path 77 is a conveyance path that conveys the paper P that is conveyed to the other side Y2 in the direction opposite to the one side Y1 in the conveyance direction Y. From the sheet conveyance device 30 to the fixing unit 7, the sheet conveyance device 30, and the like. The transfer is connected to a connection portion Sb (see FIG. 1) between the image forming unit 102 and the paper feed unit 80 through a part of the main transfer route 76 to the branching unit Sa between It is a route. Accordingly, in the main conveyance path 76 and the reverse conveyance path 77, a common conveyance path is provided between the sheet conveyance device 30 and the branch portion Sa.

  A branch claw 84 is disposed in the branch portion Sa. The branching claw 84 has a first posture for guiding the paper P from the fixing unit 7 toward the sheet conveying device 30 (an attitude indicated by a solid line in FIG. 2), and reverse rotation of conveying rollers 31 and 32 (to be described later) in the sheet conveying device 30. A second posture (two points in FIG. 2) that guides the paper P, which is transported to the other side Y2 in the direction opposite to the one side Y1 in the transport direction Y, to the reverse transport path 77 side (rotation in the direction of arrow A2 in FIG. 2). The posture is indicated by a chain line).

  In the image forming apparatus 100 having such a configuration, the paper P supplied from each of the paper feed trays 81 and 82 is transported to the registration roller 13 by the first transport roller 12a provided along the main transport path 76, and the paper At the timing when the leading edge P1 of P and the leading edge of the toner image on the intermediate transfer belt 61 are aligned, the toner image is transferred onto the paper P. Thereafter, the sheet P passes through the fixing unit 7 so that the unfixed toner on the sheet P is melted and fixed by heat.

  When the branching claw 84 is in the first posture and printing of a single-sided image of the paper P is performed, the paper P from the fixing unit 7 rotates forward (in the direction of arrow A1 in FIG. 2) via the second transport roller 12b. ) And conveyed to the discharge tray 91.

  Further, when printing is performed on both sides of the paper P, the leading end P1 side of the paper P that has passed through the fixing unit 7 is once transferred to the outside, and the upstream side end (hereinafter referred to as the rear side) of the one side Y1 in the transport direction Y of the paper P. After the P2 passes through the branch portion Sa, the branch claw 84 is set to the second posture, and the transport rollers 31 and 32 are rotated in reverse to transport the paper P to the other side Y2 in the transport direction Y (switch). And is conveyed to the connecting portion Sb by the third and fourth conveying rollers 12c and 12d while being reversed upside down along the reverse conveying path 77. The paper P that has been conveyed to the transfer nip via the registration roller 13 is printed on the back surface, and then conveyed to the conveyance rollers 31 and 32 that have been rotated in the forward direction, and discharged to the discharge tray 91.

(Sheet conveying device)
3 is a schematic side view of the sheet conveying device 30 in the image forming apparatus 100 shown in FIG.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the image forming apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment includes a sheet conveying device 30 that conveys the paper P and a rotation driving unit 40.

  The sheet conveying device 30 includes a plurality of (here, four) first discharge rollers (an example of the first conveying roller) 31,... And a plurality of (here, four) second discharging rollers (an example of the second conveying roller). ) 32... The first discharge rollers 31,... Have the same diameter and are arranged coaxially. The second discharge rollers 32,... Have the same diameter, and are arranged coaxially so as to face the first discharge rollers 31,. The sheet conveying device 30 includes a first discharge roller (drive roller) 31 that is rotationally driven, and a second discharge roller (driven roller) 32 that is driven to rotate as the first discharge roller 31 rotates. ,... Are conveyed while being sandwiched between them. Specifically, the sheet conveying device 30 conveys the paper P toward the discharge tray 91 and reversely rotates when the first and second discharge rollers (31,...), (32,...) Rotate forward. Sometimes, the paper P is conveyed toward the reverse conveyance path 77.

  The sheet conveying device 30 further includes a driving roller shaft 31a and a driven roller shaft 32a. The first discharge rollers 31 are fixed to the drive roller shaft 31a. The second discharge rollers 32,... Are fixed to the driven roller shaft 32a so as to face the first discharge rollers 31,. The sheet conveying device 30 further includes a biasing member (here, a winding spring) 33 that biases the second discharge rollers 32,... Toward the first discharge rollers 31,.

  The first and second discharge rollers (31,...), (32,...) And the urging member 33 are provided on the main body frame 30a of the sheet conveying device 30, and the first discharge rollers 31,. One end of the drive roller shaft 31a is provided so as to protrude from the main body frame 30a of the sheet conveying apparatus 30 to the outside in the axial direction (arrow X in FIG. 3).

  Here, the drive roller shaft 31a is a single one, and is provided so as to be rotatable around the axis with respect to the main body frame 30a of the sheet conveying apparatus 30.

  Here, a plurality of (here, two) driven roller shafts 32a are juxtaposed along the axial direction X, and a plurality of (here, two) second discharge rollers 32,. . The driven roller shaft 32a is rotatable about the axis with respect to the main body frame 30a of the sheet conveying device 30 so that the second discharge rollers 32,... Face the corresponding first discharge rollers 31,. , And can be reciprocated along the vertical direction (the direction of arrow Z in the figure). The sheet conveying device 30 is nipped in a state where the sheet P is pressed by the second discharge rollers 32,... At the nip portion N between the first discharge rollers 31,. It is designed to be conveyed.

  Specifically, the urging member 33 is configured to urge the second discharge rollers 32,... Toward the first discharge rollers 31,. The main body frame 30a of the sheet conveying device 30 is disposed between the first discharge roller 31,. The pressing force of the second discharge rollers 32,... To the first discharge rollers 31, by the urging member 33 is such a pressure that the paper P is properly conveyed.

  The sheet conveying device 30 further includes a plurality of (here, four) waist rollers 34,. The waist rollers 34,... Are arranged coaxially with at least one of the first and second discharge rollers (31,...), (32,...) (Here, the second discharge rollers 32,...). And has a diameter larger than the diameter of the second discharge rollers 32. The seating rollers 34,... May be arranged coaxially with any one of the first and second discharge rollers (31,...), (32,...), Or the first and second discharge rollers. The rollers (31,...), (32,...) May be arranged coaxially. When disposed on both the first and second discharge rollers (31,...), (32,...), The waist roller 34 on the first discharge roller 31,. It is arranged so that it does not overlap with the side waist roller 34 in the axial direction X.

  As a result, when the sheet conveying device 30 conveys the paper P, the corrugated roller 34,... Imparts a corrugated shape in the axial direction X to the paper P by the waist roller 34,. It is possible to prevent premature sag of the leading edge P1, the remaining trailing edge of the paper P, or fixing curling of the paper P.

  Specifically, the waist roller 34,... Is provided at the end portion on one side X1 or the end portion on the other side X2 in the axial direction X with respect to the second discharge rollers 32,. The seating rollers 34 may be provided for the driven roller shaft 32a.

  Here, the waist roller 34,... May be arranged one by one or every other roller 32,... In the second discharge roller 32,. A plurality of rollers 32 may be arranged at one or every other roller 32. Further, a combination of these arrangement configurations may be used. In the present embodiment, two lowering rollers 34,... Are provided between the two rollers 32, 32 at both ends and the inner two rollers 32, 32, respectively.

  The rotational drive unit 40 rotationally drives a drive roller shaft 31 a provided with the first discharge rollers 31,..., And rotational drive from the transport drive motor 41 (here, a stepping motor) and the transport drive motor 41. And a drive transmission mechanism 42 for transmitting to the drive roller shaft 31a.

  The conveyance drive motor 41 is provided in the apparatus main body 110 so that the rotation shaft 41 a is along the axial direction X.

  Here, the drive transmission mechanism 42 includes a gear train in which a plurality of gears are arranged, and includes a drive gear 42a, a roller gear 42b, and an intermediate gear 42c.

  The drive gear 42 a is connected to the rotation shaft 41 a of the transport drive motor 41. The roller gear 42b is connected to an end portion of the driving roller shaft 31a that protrudes outward in the axial direction X from the main body frame 30a of the sheet conveying device 30. The intermediate gear 42c is rotatably supported by a rotating shaft 110a fixed to the apparatus main body 110, and meshes with the drive gear 42a and the roller gear 42b.

  The conveyance drive motor 41 is electrically connected to the output system of the control unit so as to obtain a drive signal (ON signal) or a drive stop signal (OFF signal) from a control unit (not shown). A rotation instruction signal for instructing a direction is transmitted to the conveyance drive motor 41 to drive the conveyance drive motor 41, so that the first discharge roller 31 is moved in one direction A1 (one side Y1 in the conveyance direction Y, see FIG. 2). Alternatively, it can be rotationally driven in the other direction A2 (the other side Y2 in the transport direction Y, see FIG. 2).

  In the sheet conveying apparatus 30 described above, when the switched-back sheet P is guided to the reverse conveying path 77 (see FIG. 2), the sheet P waved in the axial direction X by the seating rollers 34,. When the sheet is forcedly curved along the reverse conveyance path 77 curved in the direction Y and the undulation is returned, the sheet per unit time is caused by the difference in the peripheral speed between the seating roller 34,. Since the transport amount of P is different, the amplitude of the corrugation of the paper P increases due to the difference in the transport amount, and abnormal noise is easily generated. In this embodiment, the seating rollers 34,. The first seating roller 34a,... That applies transport force to P, and the transport force to the paper P are smaller than the transport force to the paper P of the first seating roller 34a,. Including cases.) Waist with roller 34b, and consists ... and can have a structure of the following first and second embodiments.

(First embodiment)
In the first embodiment, the first waist roller 34a,... Is configured to rotate integrally with the two inner second discharge rollers 32,. The second waist roller 34b,... Is configured to be rotatable around the axis with respect to the two outer second discharge rollers 32,.

  FIG. 4 is a schematic configuration diagram of the first and second waist rollers 34a and 34b and their peripheral portions according to the first embodiment. FIG. 4A shows a schematic side view of the first waist roller 34a viewed from the conveyance direction Y. FIG. FIG. 4B shows a schematic side view of the first waisting roller 34a viewed from the axial direction X. FIG. FIG. 4C shows a schematic side view of the second waisting roller 34b viewed from the conveyance direction Y. FIG. 4 (d) shows a schematic side view of the second waisting roller 34 b portion viewed from the axial direction X. 4 (a) and 4 (b), the two first waisting rollers 34a,... Shown in FIG. 3 are represented by the right first waisting roller 34a. In FIG. 4C and FIG. 4D, the two second waist rollers 34b,... Shown in FIG. 3 are represented by the left second waist roller 34b. The same applies to FIG. 5 described later.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the second discharge rollers 32,... Have a waist roller attachment portion 32 b at one end portion on one side X1 or the other side X2 in the axial direction X.

  As shown in FIGS. 4 (a) and 4 (b), the first waist roller 34a,... Has the same outer diameter and the inner diameter is the second discharge roller 32,. The outer peripheral surface 341a is formed on the outer peripheral surface 321a of the waist roller mounting portion 32b of the second discharge roller 32,... It is fixed by.

  4 (c) and 4 (d), the second waist roller 34b,... Has the same outer diameter as that of the first waist roller 34a,. In addition, the inner diameter of the second discharge rollers 32,... Is a ring shape that is substantially the same as the outer diameter of the waist roller attachment portion 32b. The second waist rollers 34b,... Are inserted into the second discharge rollers 32,... So that the inner peripheral surface 341b slides on the outer peripheral surface 321a of the waist roller mounting portion 32b of the second discharge rollers 32,. Has been.

  The main body frame 30a of the sheet conveying apparatus 30 is provided with a cover member 36 (see FIG. 4C) that covers the driven roller shaft 32a. Thus, the second waist roller 34b,... Is formed by the surface 32c of the first discharge roller 31,... Facing the second waist roller 34b and the surface 36a of the cover member 36 facing the second waist roller 34b. The movement of the one side X1 and the other side X2 in the axial direction X is restricted, so that the second discharge rollers 32,.

  In order to reduce the burden on the paper P when the corrugated shape is given to the paper P (for example, occurrence of scratches, etc.), the first and second waist rollers (34a,...), (34b,...) Can be made of an elastic member such as a foamable resin.

  Examples of the foamable resin material include polyurethane (specifically, urethane sponge (Polon LE-20 manufactured by Inoac), silicone rubber, ethylene-propylene rubber (EPDM), and the like. Examples of the first and second discharge rollers 31 and 32 include a resin such as POM (polyacetal) having excellent strength and impact resistance.

(Second Embodiment)
In the second embodiment, the first waist roller 34a,... And the second waist roller 34b, all rotate integrally with the second discharge roller 32, and the first waist roller 34a,. The surface friction coefficient of the second waist roller 34b,... Is smaller than the surface friction coefficient.

  FIG. 5 is a schematic configuration diagram of the first and second waist rollers 34a and 34b and their peripheral portions according to the second embodiment. FIG. 5A shows a schematic side view of the first waisting roller 34a viewed from the conveyance direction Y. FIG. FIG. 5B is a schematic side view of the first waist roller 34a portion viewed from the axial direction X. FIG. 5C shows a schematic side view of the second waisting roller 34b viewed from the conveyance direction Y. FIG. 5D shows a schematic side view of the second waisting roller 34b viewed from the axial direction X. FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the second discharge rollers 32,... Have a waist roller attachment portion 32 b at one end portion on one side X1 or the other side X2 in the axial direction X.

  The first waist roller 34a,... And the second waist roller 34b, all have the same outer diameter, and the outer diameter of the waist roller mounting portion 32b whose inner diameter is the second discharge roller 32,. The inner peripheral surface 341a is fixed to the outer peripheral surface 321a of the seating roller mounting portion 32b of the second discharge roller 32,... By an adhesive F.

  5 (c) and 5 (d), the surface of the second waist roller 34b,... Has a smaller coefficient of friction than the surface coefficient of the first waist roller 34a,. It is covered with a layer (here, a releasable resin layer) 342b.

  As in the first embodiment, the first and second waist rollers (34a,...) Are used to reduce the burden on the paper P (for example, the occurrence of scratches) when the wavy shape is imparted to the paper P. ), (34b,...) Can be made of an elastic member such as a foamable resin.

  Examples of the foamable resin material include polyurethane (specifically, urethane sponge (Polon LE-20 manufactured by Inoac), silicone rubber, ethylene-propylene rubber (EPDM), and the like. As the resin layer 342b, for example, a fluororesin material such as polytetrafluoroethylene can be used. Examples of the first and second discharge rollers 31 and 32 include a resin such as POM (polyacetal) having excellent strength and impact resistance.

  As shown in FIG. 3, in the first and second embodiments, the second discharge rollers 32,... And the seating rollers 34, ((34 a,..., (34 b,...)) Are centered in the axial direction X. Are arranged symmetrically.

  Specifically, in the first and second embodiments, among the waist rollers 34,... ((34a,..., (34b,...)), The central portion in the axial direction X is the first waist roller 34a,. Further, both end portions are set as second waisting rollers 34b,.

  Specifically, in the axial direction X of the configuration of the center reference sheet conveyance, from the center position β (see FIG. 3) of the paper P toward the outside, the first side X1 and the other side X2 (the left-right direction shown in FIG. 3) Two discharge rollers 32, a first waist roller 34a, a second waist roller 34b, and a second discharge roller 32 are provided in this order.

  That is, among the waist rollers 34,... ((34a,..., (34b,...)), The waist roller closest to the center position β in the axial direction X is the first waist roller 34a,. ing.

  Among the waist rollers 34,... ((34a,..., (34b,...)), The waist roller closest to the center position β in the axial direction X is the minimum size that can be used in the image forming apparatus 100. The sheet P is configured to be able to transport a sheet P (for example, a minimum size such as A6 size). Specifically, the waist roller closest to the center position β is provided at an interval smaller than the width in the axial direction X of the smallest usable paper P.

  According to the sheet conveying apparatus 30 described above, since the waist roller 34,... Is composed of the first waist roller 34a,... And the second waist roller 34b,. And that can keep costs down. Further, the corrugated shape in the axial direction X can be imparted to the sheet P by the seating rollers 34,... And the first seating rollers 34a,. Therefore, the remaining trailing edge of the paper P can be avoided, and the stackability of the paper P can be ensured. In addition, the seating rollers 34,... Are not configured to apply a transport force to the paper P with respect to all the individual seating rollers 34,. In addition to the rollers 34a,..., The first and second discharges include the second waisting rollers 34b,... Having a transporting force to the paper P smaller than the transporting force of the first waisting rollers 34a,. Regardless of the direction of the rotation direction A1, A2 of the rollers (31,...), (32,...), The sheet per unit time due to the difference in peripheral speed between the seating rollers 34,. The difference in the transport amount of P can be reduced, and as a result, the amplitude of the undulation of the paper P can be reduced, thereby suppressing the occurrence of inconvenience related to the undulation (particularly, the abnormal sound of the paper P conveyed to the reverse conveyance path 77). can do.

  Further, in the first embodiment, the first waist roller 34a,... Is configured to rotate integrally with the second discharge roller 32, so that the first discharge roller 32,. The seating rollers 34a, ... also rotate. Further, since the second waist roller 34b,... Is configured to be rotatable around the axis with respect to the second discharge roller 32,..., The second discharge roller 32,. ,... Are in a free state without being constrained. Accordingly, the first waist roller 34a,... Imparts a conveying force to the paper P, but the second waist roller 34b,... Does not impart a conveying force to the paper P. 34,... ((34a,...), (34b,...)) And the second discharge rollers 32,. .

  Moreover, in 2nd Embodiment, the 1st waist roller 34a, ... and the 2nd waist roller 34b, ... which rotate integrally with the 2nd discharge roller 32, ... are the surfaces of the 1st waist roller 34a, ... Is configured such that the friction coefficient of the surface of the second waist roller 34b,... Is smaller than the friction coefficient of the second waist roller 34b,. P becomes slippery. Thereby, the conveying force to the paper P by the second waist roller 34b,... Is smaller than the conveying force to the paper P by the first waist roller 34a,. .. ((34a,...), (34b,...)) And the second discharge rollers 32,... Can be reduced in the difference in the transport amount of the paper P per unit time.

  In the first and second embodiments, the seating rollers 34, ... ((34a, ...), (34b, ...)) and the second discharge rollers 32, ... are arranged symmetrically with respect to the center in the axial direction X. As a result, the conveyance force can be applied to the paper P symmetrically with respect to the center. As a result, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of skew (oblique feeding).

  Moreover, in 1st and 2nd embodiment, the center part is made into the 1st waist roller 34a, ... in the axial direction X among the waist rollers 34, ..., and both ends have the 2nd waist roller 34b, ... By doing so, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of inconvenience related to the undulation of the paper P while realizing the stable conveyance of the paper P at the center in the axial direction X.

  Further, in the first and second embodiments, among the waist rollers 34,..., The waist roller closest to the center position β in the axial direction X is the first waist roller 34a,. A conveyance force can be applied in the vicinity of the center position β, and even when a plurality of types of sheets P such as A3 to A6, B4, and B5 are used, a sheet P having a size smaller than the maximum size can be reliably conveyed. .

  In the first and second embodiments, among the waist rollers 34,..., The waist roller 34a,... Closest to the center position β in the axial direction X is the smallest size that can be used in the image forming apparatus 100. With the configuration capable of transporting the paper P, the minimum-size paper P can be reliably transported even with the minimum-size paper P in the center-based sheet transport configuration.

  In the first and second embodiments, the waist roller 34,... Is provided on the waist roller mounting portion 32b, so that the waist roller 34,. As compared to the case where the maximum amplitude of the corrugation of the paper P is the same as compared to the case where the maximum amplitude of the corrugation of the paper P is the same (for example, the case where the driven roller shaft 32a is provided at the center between the adjacent second discharge rollers 32). It is possible to increase the amplitude ratio with respect to the difference between the diameters of the second discharge rollers 32,... And the material cost. Further, the seating roller 34,... And the second discharge roller 32,... Can be made into one assembly part, and the assembly process of the seating roller 34,. It becomes possible to do.

  In this embodiment, the curved conveyance path (here, the reverse conveyance path 77 constituting the curved conveyance path) is provided at a position where the paper P is conveyed to the other side Y2 in the conveyance direction Y and switched back. Even if the paper P is provided at a position where the paper P is transported to the one side Y1 in the transport direction Y, inconveniences related to the corrugation of the paper P can be avoided. Further, although the sheet conveying device 30 is provided at a position where the sheet P on which an image is formed is conveyed, the inconvenience related to the undulation of the document can be similarly avoided even when the sheet conveying apparatus 30 is provided at a position where an original on which an image is read is conveyed.

(Example)
Next, since the occurrence of abnormal noise in the reverse conveyance path 77 was examined in the example for the configuration of the first embodiment, it will be described below together with comparative examples 1 and 2.

  Here, in Comparative Example 1, in the image forming apparatus 100 shown in FIG. 1, all of the individual seating rollers 34,... Integrally rotate with the second discharge rollers 32. Further, in Comparative Example 2, the image forming apparatus 100 shown in FIG. 1 has a configuration in which all of the individual seating rollers 34,... Are rotatable about the axis with respect to the second discharge rollers 32,.

  FIG. 6 is a table showing the positional relationship between the seating rollers 34,... And the size of the outer diameter depending on the destination of the image forming apparatus 100.

  As shown in FIG. 6, in the Japanese (centimeter) specification and the US (inch) specification, the outer diameters d1 to d4 of the seating rollers 34,. In the European specification (centimeter) specification, the outer diameters d2 and d3 of the two inner waist rollers 34 and 34 are 21 mm, and the outer diameters d1 and d4 of the two outer waist rollers 34 and 34 are 20 mm. . Also, any of the second discharge rollers 32, ... has an outer diameter d of 15 mm.

  The results of Comparative Examples 1 and 2 and the example are shown in FIG. In FIG. 7, “X” indicates that an abnormal sound has occurred, and “◯” indicates that no abnormal sound has occurred. Further, the case where the rear end remainder occurred was indicated as “X”, and the case where the rear end remainder did not occur was indicated as “◯”. The same applies to FIG. 8 described later. Note that “lock” in FIG. 7 means a configuration in which the second discharge roller 32 and the waist roller 34 rotate together, and “free” means that the waist roller 34 rotates with respect to the second discharge roller 32. This means a free configuration.

  As shown in FIG. 7, when the conveying force is applied to the sheet P for all of the individual seating rollers 34,... As in Comparative Example 1, the remaining trailing edge can be eliminated, but the anti-transfer path 77. An abnormal noise occurs in the paper P conveyed to the front. On the other hand, when the configuration is such that the conveying force is not applied to the sheet P with respect to all of the individual seating rollers 34,... Although the problem can be solved, the conveyance force to the paper P is reduced, so that the rear end of the paper P is generated, and the stackability of the paper P cannot be secured.

  In this regard, if the configuration is such that the conveying force is not applied to the sheet P with respect to a part of each of the seating rollers 34,... In addition, the remaining trailing edge of the paper P can be eliminated, and the stackability of the paper P can be secured.

  Further, in Comparative Example 1 and Example, the occurrence of abnormal noise in the reverse conveyance path 77 due to the difference in the type of paper P was examined, and the result is shown in FIG.

  In the comparative example shown in FIG. 8 (a), abnormal sounds frequently occur in B4 size / legal (LGL) size and A3 size / double letter (WLT) size, whereas in the example shown in FIG. 8 (b). No abnormal noise was observed for any size.

30 Sheet Conveying Device 31 First Discharge Roller 31a Drive Roller Shaft 32 Second Discharge Roller 32a Driven Roller Shaft 32b Seating Roller Mounting Part (One End of Second Discharge Roller)
34 Seating roller 34a First seating roller 34b Second seating roller 342b Surface layer 77 Reverse transport path (an example of a curved transport path)
100 Image forming apparatus F Adhesive P Paper (an example of a sheet)
X axis direction Y transport direction Y1 transport side Y2 transport direction other side α rear end remaining portion β center position

Claims (7)

A plurality of first conveying rollers arranged on the same axis; and a plurality of second conveying rollers arranged on the same axis so as to face the plurality of first conveying rollers, and the first conveying roller being rotated. A sheet conveying apparatus that conveys a sheet while nipping the sheet between a conveying roller and the second conveying roller,
A waist roller disposed coaxially with at least one of the first and second transport rollers and having a diameter larger than the diameter of the transport roller;
The waist with rollers, viewed contains a first waist with rollers for imparting a conveying force to the sheet, the conveying force to the sheet a conveying force smaller than the second waist application rollers to the sheet of the first waist with rollers,
The first waist roller and the second waist roller rotate integrally with the transport roller while being spaced apart from each other in the axial direction of the transport roller coaxial with the first and second waist rollers. The sheet conveying apparatus is characterized in that the friction coefficient of the surface of the second waist roller is made smaller than that of the surface of the first waist roller . The sheet conveying apparatus according to claim 1 ,
The sheet conveying apparatus, wherein the waist roller and a conveyance roller coaxial with the waist roller are arranged symmetrically with respect to a center in the axial direction of the conveyance roller. The sheet conveying apparatus according to claim 2 ,
The sheet conveying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a center portion of the waist roller in the axial direction is the first waist roller, and both end portions are the second waist roller. The sheet conveying apparatus according to claim 3 ,
Among the waist rollers, a seat roller closest to a center position in the axial direction is the first waist roller. The sheet conveying apparatus according to claim 3 or 4 , wherein
The waist roller closest to the center position in the axial direction among the waist rollers is configured to be able to transport a minimum size sheet that can be used in the image forming apparatus provided with the sheet transport device. A sheet conveying apparatus characterized by the above. A sheet conveying apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5 ,
The sheet conveying apparatus, wherein the waist roller is provided at one end in an axial direction of a conveyance roller coaxial with the waist roller. A sheet conveying device according to any one of claims 1 to 6 ,
A curved conveyance path curved in the sheet conveyance direction,
An image forming apparatus, wherein the sheet is conveyed from the sheet conveying device toward the curved conveying path.

Images