JP2012230400A - Sheet conveyance device and image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a sheet conveyance device and an image forming apparatus that are able to guide a sheet conveyance unit to a predetermined position efficiently and safely and attach or detach it, without attaching or detaching a robust structure such as a frame on the sheet conveyance device body side and a component such as a stay.SOLUTION: In a first paper feeder, protrusions 1a provided on left and right frames 1 are configured such that a conveying unit 5 is insertably guided to the conveying device body from the upstream side in the sheet conveying direction X via slide movement along an opening 5a formed in a unit side plate 8 provided integrally with the conveying unit 5, then the conveying unit 5 is guided above the conveying device body, and, in addition, guided in a sheet width direction orthogonal to the sheet conveying direction X. Without interfering with a stay 26 disposed in the conveyance device body, the conveying unit 5 is guided to a predetermined attaching position by engagement of the protrusions 1a and the opening 5a.

Description

  The present invention relates to sheet conveyance that is connected to or incorporated in an image forming apparatus such as a copier, a facsimile, a printer, a plotter, an ink jet printer, a printing apparatus including a stencil printing apparatus, or a multifunction machine having a plurality of functions thereof. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a sheet conveying unit mounting guide method for guiding a sheet conveying unit to a predetermined position when the sheet conveying unit is mounted on the sheet conveying apparatus main body using a sheet conveying apparatus having a detachable sheet conveying unit in the apparatus and the sheet conveying apparatus main body.

  In an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, a facsimile, a printer, a plotter, an ink jet printer, a stencil printing apparatus, etc., or a multifunction machine having a plurality of these functions, the image forming apparatus can be slidable or detachable. (See, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2).

  Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-139042 discloses a guard member that holds one or a plurality of units and mechanical components and is slidable in the front-rear direction with respect to the main body of the image forming apparatus and is provided below the drawer unit. And a functional member disposed in the vicinity of the guard member and responsible for the function of the image forming apparatus. The guard member is in contact with the flat surface when placed on the flat surface in a state where the drawer unit is separated from the main body. The functional member is arranged so as not to contact the flat surface, and the functional member is arranged to protrude downward from the guard member in a state where the drawer unit is arranged in the image forming apparatus main body. A technique relating to a drawer unit of an image forming apparatus is described.

  Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-213529 is a paper feeding device that is provided as a detachable unit in an image forming apparatus main body, includes a calling roller that calls at least a recording medium, and includes a drive source that drives the calling roller. A technique relating to a sheet feeding device in which a drive source is arranged inside a unit side plate in a direction orthogonal to the sheet feeding direction is described.

  Recent image forming apparatuses such as copiers, facsimiles, printers, plotters, ink jet printers, stencil printing apparatuses, and multifunctional machines having a plurality of these functions perform maintenance such as sensors for detecting the presence or absence of jammed paper. It has necessary parts, and the inside of the apparatus is unitized and can be attached and detached as necessary. In addition, all of these units are not necessarily installed at the time of factory shipment, and may be installed after the factory shipment depending on the function desired by the user.

Considering the above contents as a premise, in the technique described in Patent Document 1 (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-139042), the image forming apparatus body is slid in the front-rear direction and mounted and arranged inside the image forming apparatus body. There is a technical problem that the drawer unit is mounted at a predetermined position while avoiding various members arranged in the main body of the image forming apparatus, that is, the pillars and stays of the frame as the structure. Therefore, it does not contribute to efficiency or safety when attaching and detaching.
In the technique described in Patent Document 2 (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2006-213529), the width in the direction orthogonal to the paper feeding direction is reduced, the weight balance is improved, and the feeling of weight when the paper feeding unit is attached / detached is reduced. Although the attachment / detachment is improved to some extent, the attachment / detachment / insertion direction of the sheet feeding unit is mounted and arranged inside the image forming apparatus main body, and does not guide the sheet feeding unit to a predetermined position.

  Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above-described circumstances, and can be efficiently and safely without attaching or detaching a structure such as a frame on the main body side of the sheet conveying apparatus or a component such as a stay that is robustly configured. A sheet conveying device that can guide the sheet conveying unit to a predetermined position and can be attached and detached, an image forming apparatus that connects and incorporates the sheet conveying device, a predetermined value when the sheet conveying unit is attached to the main body of the sheet conveying device The main object is to realize and provide a mounting guide method for a sheet conveying unit that guides to a position.

In order to solve the above-described problems and achieve the above-mentioned object, the invention according to each claim employs the following characteristic means / invention-specific matters (hereinafter referred to as “configuration”).
The invention according to claim 1 is a sheet conveying apparatus including conveying means for conveying a sheet, a sheet conveying unit configured to be detachable from the sheet conveying apparatus main body, and the sheet conveying unit as the sheet conveying apparatus main body. Guiding means for guiding the sheet conveying unit to a predetermined position when the sheet conveying unit is attached to the sheet conveying apparatus after guiding the sheet conveying unit to be inserted into the sheet conveying apparatus main body from the upstream side or the downstream side in the sheet conveying direction. The sheet conveying apparatus main body is guided upward or downward, and further guided in a direction perpendicular to the sheet conveying direction, and is arranged in the sheet conveying apparatus main body by the guiding means. The sheet conveying unit is guided to the predetermined position without interfering with a member that is present.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the sheet conveying apparatus according to the first aspect, the sheet conveying unit includes any one of the guiding unit and a guided unit guided by the guiding unit. The main body has one of the guide means and the guided means.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the sheet conveying apparatus according to the second aspect, the guide means is any one of a protrusion and a hole member having a hole into which the protrusion is inserted, and the guided means is the protrusion. And any one of the hole members provided with the holes.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the sheet conveying apparatus according to the third aspect, the protrusion has a slip prevention portion that does not come out of the hole when the protrusion is fitted into the hole.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the sheet conveying apparatus according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, the sheet conveying unit is an openable / closable guide member opening / closing means for guiding the sheet conveyed by the conveying means. And a closing means for closing the guide member opening / closing means when the sheet conveying unit is attached to or detached from the sheet conveying apparatus main body.

  According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the sheet conveying device according to any one of the first to fifth aspects, an image reading device, an automatic document feeder, and a manual paper feeding device are disposed above the sheet conveying device main body. It is characterized by arranging at least one of the above.

  According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, in the sheet conveying device according to any one of the first to sixth aspects, a sheet stacking device is disposed below the sheet conveying unit.

  According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image forming apparatus in which the sheet conveying device according to any one of the first to seventh aspects is connected.

  According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image forming apparatus comprising the sheet conveying apparatus according to any one of the first to seventh aspects.

  According to a tenth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a sheet conveying apparatus that includes a sheet conveying unit that includes a conveying unit that conveys a sheet, and is configured to be detachable from the sheet conveying apparatus body, and the sheet conveying unit is the sheet conveying apparatus. A method for mounting and guiding a sheet transport unit that guides the sheet transport unit to a predetermined position when the sheet transport unit is mounted on the main body, wherein the mounting guide method moves the sheet transport unit from the upstream side or the downstream side in the sheet transport direction to the sheet transport apparatus body. After being guided so as to be insertable, the sheet conveying apparatus main body is guided upward or downward, and further guided in a direction perpendicular to the sheet conveying direction. The sheet conveying unit is guided to the predetermined position without interfering with an arranged member. .

  According to an eleventh aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image forming apparatus having a structure and a unit configured to be detachable from the structure, and guiding the unit to a predetermined position when the unit is mounted on the structure. The structure has a protrusion, the unit has a hole into which the protrusion is inserted, the hole has a protrusion insertion portion for inserting the protrusion, and the protrusion guides the protrusion in the vertical direction of the structure. A moving up and down guide part and a moving holding part for moving and holding the protrusion in a direction perpendicular to a direction when the unit is mounted and inserted into the structure are provided.

According to the present invention, it is possible to realize and provide a novel sheet conveying apparatus, an image forming apparatus, and a sheet conveying unit mounting guide method by solving the above problems. The effects of the invention for each claim are as follows.
According to the first aspect of the present invention, the sheet conveying unit is guided and attached to a predetermined position inside the sheet conveying apparatus main body without removing, for example, a frame part or the like of the sheet conveying apparatus main body which is configured to be robust by the above configuration. It is possible to realize and provide a sheet conveying apparatus capable of performing the above.

  According to the second and third aspects of the invention, the configuration allows the operator to easily recognize the movement start position and movement end position of a series of attachment / detachment operations of the sheet conveying unit.

  According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, it is possible to prevent the sheet conveying unit from being accidentally detached during the series of guiding operations of the sheet conveying unit.

  According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, it is possible to prevent the guide member opening / closing means that can easily remove the jammed sheet (jam paper) from being accidentally opened and closed when the sheet conveying unit is attached / detached.

  According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, even in the case where at least one of the image reading device, the automatic document feeder, and the manual paper feeder is arranged on the upper portion of the sheet conveying device main body, the devices are removed. The sheet conveying unit to be arranged in the lower part can be easily attached and detached.

  According to the seventh aspect of the present invention, even when there is a large capacity sheet stacking device at the lower part of the sheet conveying unit, for example, the sheet conveying unit to be arranged at the upper part can be easily attached and detached.

  According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, an image forming apparatus (or an image forming apparatus system) in which a sheet conveying apparatus having a sheet conveying unit that is easily attached to and detached from the sheet conveying apparatus is connected is realized and provided. Can do.

  According to the ninth aspect of the present invention, it is possible to realize and provide an image forming apparatus having a sheet conveying unit that can be easily attached to and detached from the sheet conveying apparatus.

  According to the tenth aspect of the present invention, the sheet conveying unit is guided and attached to a predetermined position inside the sheet conveying apparatus main body without removing, for example, a frame part or the like of the sheet conveying apparatus main body which is configured to be robust by the above configuration. It is possible to realize and provide a sheet conveyance unit mounting guide method that can be performed.

  According to the eleventh aspect of the present invention, with the above-described configuration, the image forming unit can guide and attach the unit to a predetermined position inside the structure without removing, for example, a frame part or the like of the structure that is firmly configured. An apparatus can be realized and provided.

1 is an overall configuration diagram of an image forming apparatus system including a sheet conveying apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is an external appearance perspective view for demonstrating the exterior components of the conveying apparatus main body in the 1st paper feeding apparatus of FIG. (A) is a front view of the main part showing the engagement / insertion state between the opening of the sheet conveying unit and the convex portion of the frame on the conveying apparatus main body side when the conveying unit is inserted and attached to the conveying apparatus main body. FIG. 4B is an enlarged front view of the opening of the sheet conveying unit. It is a perspective view of the principal part of FIG. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a main part showing an engagement / insertion state between an opening of a sheet conveyance unit and a convex portion and a hook portion of a frame on the conveyance device main body side. Engagement / insertion between the opening of the sheet conveying unit and the convex part of the frame on the conveying apparatus main body when the sheet conveying unit is fully lifted with respect to the conveying apparatus main body and then slid / moved to the left It is a front view of the principal part which shows a state. It is a perspective view of the principal part of FIG. It is an external appearance perspective view which shows a sheet | seat conveyance unit and the guide plate opening / closing mechanism provided in it. It is a perspective view of the principal part which shows the closing means which closes a guide plate opening / closing mechanism. It is a figure which shows a modification, Comprising: It is a perspective view of the flame | frame by the side of a conveying apparatus main body. FIG. 11 is a view showing a modified example different from FIG. 10, and is a perspective view of a main part showing a wobbling prevention / positioning mechanism of the sheet conveying unit. FIG. 12 is a perspective view illustrating a state where the sheet conveying unit is hung for introducing the modification of FIG. 11.

  DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Embodiments including the best mode and examples for carrying out the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the embodiment, the modified example, and the like, components such as members and components having the same function are denoted by the same reference numerals as much as possible. In order to simplify the drawings and the description, even components that are to be represented in the drawings may be omitted as appropriate without being specifically described in the drawings.

An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. First, an overall configuration of an image forming apparatus system as an example of a sheet conveying apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to FIG.
FIG. 1 schematically shows the overall configuration of an image forming apparatus system. In the drawing, on the right side of the image forming apparatus 50 (upstream side in the sheet conveying direction X), a first sheet feeding apparatus 10 (hereinafter also referred to as “first sheet feeding apparatus 10”) as a sheet conveying apparatus and a first sheet conveying apparatus. 2 paper feeders 20 (hereinafter also referred to as “second paper feeder 20”) are connected and arranged. Specific examples of the image forming apparatus 50 include any one of a copying machine, a facsimile machine, a printer, a plotter, an ink jet printer, a printing apparatus including a stencil printing apparatus, or a multifunction machine having a plurality of functions.

The first sheet feeder 10 is provided with two upper sheet feeders 13A and lower sheet feeders 13B as sheet stackers. The upper sheet feed unit 13A separates and feeds the sheet feed tray 11 serving as a sheet feed tray on which sheets S as an example of sheets are stacked and stored, and the uppermost sheet on the sheet feed tray 11 one by one. Sheet feeding / separating means (consisting of a calling roller and a separating roller pair) is disposed.
Similarly, the lower paper feed unit 13B has a paper feed tray 12 on which the paper S is stacked and stored, and a sheet feeding / separating unit (caller) for separating and feeding the uppermost paper on the paper feed tray 12 one by one. A roller and a separation roller pair).

  Further, the first sheet feeding device 10 receives the sheet S fed from the sheet feeding trays 11 and 12 through a sheet feeding port 51 as a sheet feeding port formed at the right end of the image forming apparatus 50. When the sheet conveying path 14 serving as the sheet conveying path to be sent to the image forming apparatus 50 and the second sheet feeding apparatus 20 are connected, the sheet conveying path 14 that merges from the second sheet feeding apparatus 20 to the sheet conveying path 14 is used. A relay transport path (or relay transport section) 15 is arranged.

The relay transport path 15 is transported from the vertical transport path (or vertical transport section) 15b that transports the paper S transported from the second paper feeding device 20 to above the paper feed tray 11, and further from the vertical transport path 15b. And a horizontal conveyance path (or horizontal conveyance portion) 15a for conveying the sheet S above the sheet feed tray 11. In the horizontal conveyance path 15a, a conveyance roller as a conveyance unit that conveys a sheet (sheet), a guide unit that guides the sheet (sheet), a guide plate (not shown) as a guide member, and the like are disposed. Similarly, a conveyance roller as a conveyance unit that conveys a sheet (sheet), a guide unit that guides the sheet (sheet), a guide plate (not shown) as a guide member, and the like are also disposed in the vertical conveyance path 15b. .
In the figure, reference numeral 5 denotes a sheet conveying unit (hereinafter referred to as “conveying unit”) that is configured as a unit having a vertical conveying path 15b.

  In addition, it is also possible to convey horizontally between the paper feed tray 11 and the paper feed tray 12, and in that case, the vertical conveyance path 15b can replace the horizontal conveyance path.

Similar to the first paper feeding device 10, the second paper feeding device 20 includes two upper paper feeding units 23 </ b> A and a lower paper feeding unit 23 </ b> B as sheet stacking devices. In the upper sheet feeding unit 23A, a sheet feeding tray 21 on which the sheets S are stacked and stored, and a sheet feeding separation unit (calling roller, separation sheet) for separating and feeding the uppermost sheet on the sheet feeding tray 21 one by one. Configured by a pair of rollers).
Similarly, the lower paper feed unit 23B has a paper feed tray 22 on which the paper S is stacked and stored, and a sheet feeding / separating means (calling) for separating and feeding the uppermost paper on the paper feed tray 22 one by one. A roller and a separation roller pair).

  Further, similarly to the first paper feeding device 10, the second paper feeding device 20 receives the paper S fed from the paper feeding trays 21 and 22, and the upstream end of the transport unit 5 of the first paper feeding device 10. When connecting a sheet conveying path 24 as a sheet conveying path to be fed to a third sheet feeding device (not shown), a relay conveying path as a sheet relay conveying path that merges from a third sheet feeding device (not shown) to the sheet conveying path 24 25 are arranged.

  An image reading device 60 for reading an image of a document and an automatic document feeder (ADF) 70 are arranged on an upper portion of a sheet conveying device main body 17 (hereinafter referred to as “conveying device main body 17”) of the first sheet feeding device 10. Yes. These are the same as those conventionally known, and a detailed description thereof will be omitted. A manual sheet feeder 80 is disposed on the upper portion of the sheet conveying apparatus main body 18 (hereinafter referred to as “conveying apparatus main body 18”) of the second sheet feeding apparatus 20, and this is also the same as that conventionally known. Detailed description thereof is omitted.

  The number of paper feed devices and the number of paper feed trays to be mounted are not limited to the specific example shown in FIG. 1, and a plurality of paper transport paths for transporting paper from upstream to downstream may be arranged. Is possible. In addition, the arrangement of the image reading device 60, the automatic document feeding device 70, and the manual paper feeding device 80 disposed on the upper portion of the paper feeding device is reversed, or a number of any of the devices are arranged or removed. It is also possible to eliminate it.

Next, the attachment and detachment of the transport unit 5 that is configured integrally with the vertical transport path 15b according to the present invention in the relay transport path 15 in FIG. 1 will be described in detail.
As shown in FIG. 2, when the relay transport path 15 is disposed in the transport device body 17, there are an exterior component 2 and an exterior component 3 to be operated when a jam occurs in the transport unit.
In the case of a system that does not have the second paper feeding device 20, these relay conveyance paths 15 do not have to be arranged, and at that time, the exterior parts 2 and 3 are fixed by a predetermined method and are erroneously operated. There is nothing. In order to attach and detach the transport unit 5 configured to have the vertical transport path 15b with respect to the transport apparatus main body 17, the exterior part 4 fixed by a predetermined method is removed and the work is performed. The exterior components 2 to 4 are also members that should be called exterior panels.

As shown in FIGS. 3 to 7, the transport device main body 17 has a frame 1 that forms a casing as a structure. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the upper portions of the left and right frames 1 are connected and reinforced by a stay 26 as a connecting / reinforcing member. The frame 1 is formed of sheet metal, for example, but may be formed of resin or the like that can ensure a predetermined strength. In both figures, the left and right frames 1 have convex portions 1a as protrusions (or protruding members) whose front ends protrude toward the front side of the paper surface for mounting the transport unit 5 in both figures.
The convex portion 1a has a round bar / cylindrical shape, and is fixed integrally at substantially the same height position of the left and right frames 1 by, for example, screw fastening, caulking, or welding. The convex portions 1 a of the left and right frames 1 have a function as guide means / guide members that guide when the transport unit 5 is attached to and detached from the transport apparatus body 17.
As shown in FIG. 5, at the tip of the convex portion 1a, the tip of the convex portion 1a does not come out from an opening 5a formed in a unit side plate (or unit housing) 8 constituting the transport unit 5 described later. , A hook portion 1b is provided as an escape prevention portion integrally formed with an outer diameter larger than that of the convex portion 1a. Accordingly, the conveyance unit 5 that has been guided to move to the position shown in FIG. 6 and FIG.

As shown in FIGS. 3 to 8, the transport unit 5 rotatably supports the pair of upper and lower transport rollers 30 and 31 as transport means for transporting the paper and the transport rollers 30 and 31 via a bearing (not shown). In addition, a hole member having an opening 5a as a hole into which the convex portion 1a of the left and right frames 1 is fitted, a unit side plate 8 as a unit body, and a driving means 9 that rotationally drives the transport rollers 30 and 31 are provided. ing.
The unit side plate 8 is formed of, for example, a sheet metal, but may be formed of a resin or the like that can ensure a predetermined strength.

As shown in FIG. 3 and the like, the left and right unit side plates 8 formed with the openings 5a are bent at right angles from the portions supporting the conveying rollers 30 and 31, and the left and right unit side plates 8 are bent. An opening 5a, which is a long hole penetrating through, is formed.
Further, the bent unit side plate 8 is formed with a fastening hole 5b for fastening and fixing to the transport device body 17 with a screw when the transport unit 5 occupies a predetermined mounting position as a target. ing.
The openings 5a of the left and right unit side plates 8 function as guided means and guided members guided by the convex portions 1a of the left and right frames 1.

As shown in an enlarged view in FIG. 3B, the opening 5a is substantially L-shaped, and has a convex part insertion part 5a1 as a protrusion insertion part, a vertical guide part 5a2, and a right and left movement as a movement holding part. It is comprised from the holding | maintenance part 5a3.
The protrusion insertion part 5a1 can be inserted with a hook part 1b integrally formed at the tip of the protrusion 1a, and has a larger hole than the vertical guide part 5a2 and the left / right movement holding part 5a3.
The vertical guide portion 5a2 is formed to extend in the vertical direction Z so that the conveyance unit 5 can be guided in the vertical direction Z (vertical direction Z) of the conveyance device body 17 with the convex portion 1a inserted. Moreover, as shown in FIG. 5, since the outer diameter of the hook part 1b integrally formed at the tip of the convex part 1a is larger than the opening widths of the vertical guide part 5a2 and the left and right movement holding part 5a3, the convex part 1a The conveyance unit 5 can be guided in the vertical direction Z and the sheet width direction Y without coming off.
The left-right movement holding unit 5a3 moves and guides the conveyance unit 5 in the vertical direction while moving and guiding the conveyance unit 5 in a direction (sheet width direction Y) perpendicular to the direction (sheet conveyance direction X) when the conveyance unit 5 is mounted and inserted into the conveyance device body 17. Z can be held, and after the conveyance unit 5 is guided to a predetermined position (mounting position), the conveyance unit 5 can be held so as to be easily screwed.

  As described above, the positional relationship between the protrusions 1a disposed on the left and right frames 1 on the transport device body 17 side and the openings 5a formed on the left and right unit side plates 8 on the transport unit 5 side is the transport unit. When mounting 5 inside the transport apparatus main body 17, the transport unit 5 is guided to the target mounting position in an efficient and safe manner so as not to interfere with the left and right frames 1, stays 26, etc. The transport unit 5 can be detached.

  The opening distance between the left and right frames 1 of the conveying apparatus body 17 is larger than the guide plate width (the size in the sheet width direction Y orthogonal to the sheet conveying direction X) of the conveying unit 5. The distance between the convex portions 1 a is larger than the opening distance between the left and right frames 1. As a result, the transport unit 5 can be disposed inside the transport apparatus main body 17 and the transport unit 5 does not enter the transport apparatus main body 17 any more in the sheet transport direction. The unit 5 is not accidentally damaged.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 8, the driving means 9 that rotationally drives the transport rollers 30 and 31 includes a pulley 32 integrally provided on the shaft of the transport roller 30, and the unit side plate 8 below the transport roller 30. Between the pulley 32 and the pulley 33, the drive motor fixed to the drive motor (hidden behind the unit side plate 8 and cannot be seen), the two pulleys 33 integrally provided on the output shaft of the drive motor , A pulley 35 provided integrally with the shaft of the conveying roller 31, and a belt (not shown) in FIG. It is mainly composed of a state in which it is intentionally removed.
In the present invention, the driving means 9 provided in the transport unit 5 is not an essential configuration and may be provided on the transport device body 17 side. In the case of such a configuration, for example, by providing an engagement pin on each shaft of the transport rollers 30 and 31 and providing a coupling to be engaged with this on the output shaft of the drive motor on the transport device body 17 side, When the unit 5 occupies a target mounting position by engaging the left and right movement holding portion 5a3 while the opening 5a is guided by the projection 1a, the engagement pin is driven by the drive By engaging with the coupling of the output shaft of the motor, the driving force may be transmitted from the driving motor provided on the conveying device body 17 side.

  Next, an operation including an operation when the transport unit 5 is attached to and detached from the transport apparatus main body 17 will be described. With regard to this attachment / detachment operation, the operation for removing / removing the transport unit 5 from / from the transport device body 17 is performed in the opposite direction to the operation for mounting, and therefore the mounting operation will be particularly described. When the transport unit 5 is attached to or attached to the transport apparatus main body 17, it must be fitted inside the transport apparatus main body 17 while avoiding the frame 1 and the stay 26 that are pillars of the structure.

First, when the transport unit 5 is attached to the transport apparatus body 17, the transport unit 5 is inserted into the transport apparatus body 17 from upstream to downstream in the sheet transport direction X. In FIG. 1, the first paper feeder 10 is inserted from the right side (or right side surface) to the left back side. At that time, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the convex portions 1 a of the left and right frames 1 are fitted (loosely fitted) into the convex portion insertion portions 5 a 1 of the openings 5 a in the left and right unit side plates 8 of the transport unit 5. .
Further, the transport unit 5 is inserted from below the stay 26, and is slid and moved upward while avoiding the stay 26. At that time, the conveyance unit 5 is slid and moved upward using the vertical guide portion 5a2 of the opening 5a while being guided by the convex portion 1a of the frame 1.

  According to the present embodiment, as described above, the conveyance unit 5 is inserted into the conveyance device body 17 from the upstream side to the downstream side in the sheet conveyance direction X, so that the right side that forms the conveyance device body 17 in the first sheet feeding device 10. The planar portion of the frame 1 that is the two pillars on the other side can be used as a member that slides and fixes to the opening 5 a formed in the unit side plate 8 of the transport unit 5. When a relatively large transport unit 5 or the like as in the present embodiment is installed, the work can be stably performed. Moreover, since it inserts from the outer side of the conveying apparatus main body 17, workability | operativity is good compared with the modification at the time of insertion of the conveying unit 5 as shown in FIG.

  According to the present embodiment, the upper stay 26 can be avoided by sliding and moving the transport unit 5 as described above. Therefore, a large unit can be inserted while avoiding a stay or the like that is a part of the structure, and can be installed at a predetermined position. Compared to a modified example to be described later, there is an advantage that the transport unit 5 can be prevented from dropping and damage can be prevented from being applied to the transport unit 5.

  As a modification of the present embodiment, it is also possible to adopt a configuration in which the transport unit 5 is slid (lowered) from above to below. In that case, the stay is provided below, and the transport unit 5 is inserted from above the stay to avoid the stay. According to this modification, the transport unit 5 can be guided downward by its own weight as compared with the above-described embodiment, and thus there is an advantage that workability is improved.

Finally, after the transport unit 5 is raised, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the transport unit 5 is moved using the left and right movement holding portion 5 a 3 of the opening 5 a while being guided by the convex portion 1 a of the frame 1. Slide and move to the left in both figures and hold. In this state, screws are inserted from the fastening holes 5 b in the left and right unit side plates 8 of the transport unit 5, and screwed into female screws threaded in the left and right frames 1, so that the transport unit 5 is connected to the left and right frames of the transport device body 17. 1 can be fastened and fixed.
According to the present embodiment, by holding the transport unit 5 shifted from the right side to the left side in both drawings, the transport unit 5 can be held in the fully raised state, so that the screws can be securely and easily held. it can.

  As a modification of the present embodiment, after the transport unit 5 is fully lifted, it can be moved and shifted from the left side to the right side in the opposite direction to that shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. Advantages and effects at this time are the same as those of the present embodiment described above.

  In the present embodiment, the conveyance unit 5 is guided in the sheet width direction Y orthogonal to the sheet conveyance direction X, so that the conveyance unit 5 can be temporarily held easily even at a position higher than the insertion position. Can be fixed. When removing the transport unit 5 for maintenance or the like, it is also possible to easily remove the above-mentioned fixation and guide it to the insertion position shown in FIGS.

As shown in FIG. 8, the transport unit 5 includes a predetermined guide plate opening / closing mechanism 6a as an openable / closable guide member opening / closing means for guiding the paper transported by the transport rollers 30, 31 for removing jammed paper. Have. The guide plate opening / closing mechanism 6a includes a guide member opening / closing operation member 6 for opening / closing the guide plate opening / closing mechanism 6a. The guide plate opening / closing mechanism 6a shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 represents a closed state.
During the series of attachment / detachment operations related to the transport unit 5 as described above, the guide plate may be accidentally opened and closed. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 9, the screw fastening portion 6b of the guide plate opening / closing mechanism 6a can be fastened with screws 7 as closing means so that the guide plate does not open and close carelessly.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, the transport unit 5 can be easily moved to a predetermined position (mounting position) and fixed without attaching or detaching the components of the transport apparatus body 17 that is configured to be robust. be able to. When the image reading device 60, the automatic document feeder 70, or the manual paper feeder 80 is disposed on the upper portion of the transport device body 17, the transport unit 5 can be attached / detached without attaching / detaching these devices.

  In the above-described embodiment, it is not limited to the combination of the convex part 1a provided on the frame 1 on the conveying device body 17 side as the guiding means / guide member and the opening 5a provided on the conveying unit 5 side as the guided means / guided member. On the contrary, a combination of a protrusion provided on the transport unit 5 side and a hole provided in the frame 1 on the transport device body 17 side is also possible. However, the provision of the projections as the projections on the frame 1 is superior in maintaining strength compared to the provision of the apertures as the holes in the column-shaped frame 1.

  In addition, if the combination of the guide means / guide member and the guided means / guide member does not need to be so low with a simple configuration as in the above-described embodiment, for example, a convex portion A combination with a recess that can be loosely fitted is also possible. When this combination is employed, a slidable / movable groove may be formed on the concave portion side so that the convex portion 1a including the hook portion 1b does not come off.

  With reference to FIG. 10, the modification about the time of insertion in the conveyance apparatus main body 17 of the conveyance unit 5 is demonstrated. The modified example shown in the figure has a configuration in which the conveying unit 5 is inserted and moved from the upstream side to the downstream side in the sheet conveying direction X in comparison with the embodiment shown in FIGS. Contrary to this, the conveyance unit 5 is changed from the downstream to the upstream in the sheet conveyance direction X so that the conveyance unit 5 is inserted into the conveyance device main body 17, and for this reason, the attachment / arrangement position of the hanging portion 1 b at the tip of the convex portion 1 a. Is mainly different from the upstream side in the sheet conveying direction X to the downstream side in the conveying apparatus main body 17.

  In this modification, the transport unit 5 is slid / moved upward Za on the convex portion 1 a provided inside the frame 1. Further, the opening 5a of the transport unit 5 is slid and moved upward Za while being guided by the convex portion 1a on the transport device main body 17 side, and the transport unit 5 is screwed to the frame 1 which is a structure. Screwing may be performed from the inside or from the outside. According to this modification, as compared with the above-described embodiment, the work can be performed only inside the transport device body 17, so that space saving around the transport unit 5 of the first paper feed device 10 can be achieved.

  With reference to FIG. 11 and FIG. 12, the modification about the fixation after the conveyance unit 5 moves is demonstrated. When the transport unit 5 is inserted from the right side of the first paper feeding device 10 to the left back side as shown in the above embodiment example shown in FIG. 12, the back side (left side) of the first paper feeding device 10 is screwed. Difficult to do. As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, since the center of gravity of the transport unit 5 is above only by screw fastening / fixing to the frame 1 with respect to the fastening hole 5b of the unit side plate 8, the transport is performed as indicated by the thick arrow 28 in FIG. In the drawing of the unit 5, the upper left end portion swings and swings so as to bow, and the transport unit 5 cannot be fixed at the mounting position in a state where it is accurately positioned. Therefore, a modification shown in FIG. 11 was created.

The modification shown in FIG. 11 uses the rail bracket 27 for fixing the horizontal conveyance path 15a shown in FIG. 1 as compared with the embodiment shown in FIGS. The main difference is that the side plate 8 is abutted against the rail bracket 27 to avoid wobbling. The rail bracket 27 is fixed to a predetermined position of the left and right upper frame 1.
Specifically, the front and rear side plate surfaces 8a provided integrally with the unit side plate 8 of the conveyance unit 5 are abutted and held so as to lean against the rail bracket 27, whereby the upper left end portion of the conveyance unit 5 is illustrated. Avoid wobbling. Thereby, it is possible to perform positioning in the sheet conveying direction X on the back side opposite to the frame 1 in the conveying unit 5 and positioning in the sheet width direction Y.

The sheet conveying apparatus of the present invention is not limited to the one connected to the image forming apparatus shown in the above-described embodiment or modification, and includes a copying machine, a facsimile, a printer, a plotter, an inkjet printer, a stencil printing apparatus, and the like. Needless to say, the present invention can also be applied to a printing apparatus or the like included in an image forming apparatus such as a multi-function machine having a plurality of functions.
As described above, in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 9 and the modification shown in FIGS. 10 to 11, the invention related to the sheet conveyance unit mounting guide method described in the section for solving the problem is provided. It can be said that it was described and used.

  Those skilled in the art can easily understand and implement the following invention from the technical ideas shown in the above-described embodiments and modifications. That is, in an image forming apparatus having a structure and a unit configured to be detachable from the structure, and guiding the unit to a predetermined position when the unit is mounted on the structure, the structure includes: And the unit has a hole into which the protrusion is inserted. The hole is a protrusion insertion part for inserting the protrusion, and a vertical guide part for guiding and moving the protrusion in the vertical direction of the structure. And a movement holding portion that moves and holds the protrusion in a direction orthogonal to a direction in which the unit is mounted and inserted into the structure.

  As described above, the present invention has been described with respect to specific embodiments, modifications, and the like. However, the technical scope disclosed by the present invention is as exemplified in the above-described embodiments, modifications, or examples. The present invention is not limited, and may be configured by appropriately combining them, and various embodiments, modifications, or examples may be configured within the scope of the present invention in accordance with the necessity and application. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

  The present invention can be applied or applied mutatis mutandis other than an image forming apparatus, and can be applied to any general electronic device, structure, or unit that inserts and attaches a unit to a predetermined target position of the apparatus main body. But it is applicable.

1 Frame (Sheet conveying device body, structure)
1a Convex part (guide means, protrusion)
1b Hanging part (prevention part)
5 Transport unit (sheet transport unit)
5a Opening (guided means, hole)
5a1 Convex part insertion part (projection insertion part)
5a2 Vertical guide part 5a3 Left / right movement holding part (movement holding part)
6 Guide plate opening / closing mechanism (configures guide member operating member, guide member opening / closing means)
6a Guide plate opening / closing mechanism (configures guide plate opening / closing pressing part, guide member opening / closing means)
6b Screw fastening part (closing means fastening part)
7 Screw (closing means)
8 Unit side plate (sheet transport unit body)
9 Driving means 10 First paper feeding device (sheet conveying device)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 Paper feed tray 12 Paper feed tray 13A Upper paper feed part 13B Lower paper feed part 14 Paper conveyance path (sheet conveyance path)
15 Relay transport path 15a Horizontal transport path 15b Vertical transport path 17 Conveyor body (sheet transport apparatus body)
20 Second paper feeding device (sheet conveying device)
21 Paper feed tray 22 Paper feed tray 23A Upper paper feed section 23B Lower paper feed section 24 Paper transport path (sheet transport path)
25 Relay transport path 26 Stay 27 Rail bracket 30, 31 Transport roller (transport means)
32, 33, 35 Pulley 34 Belt 50 Image forming apparatus 51 Paper feed port (sheet feed port)
60 Image reader 70 Automatic document feeder 80 Manual paper feeder S Paper (sheet, sheet-like recording medium)
X Sheet transport direction Y Sheet width direction Z Vertical direction (vertical direction)

JP 2006-139042 A JP 2006-213529 A

The present invention relates to sheet conveyance that is connected to or incorporated in an image forming apparatus such as a copier, a facsimile, a printer, a plotter, an ink jet printer, a printing apparatus including a stencil printing apparatus, or a multifunction machine having a plurality of functions thereof. The present invention relates to an apparatus and an image forming apparatus having the apparatus .

Recent image forming apparatuses such as copiers, facsimiles, printers, plotters, ink jet printers, stencil printing apparatuses, or multi-function machines having a plurality of these functions , maintenance of sensors for detecting the presence or absence of jammed paper The inside of the apparatus is unitized and can be attached and detached as necessary. In addition, all of these units are not necessarily installed at the time of factory shipment, and may be installed after the factory shipment depending on the function desired by the user.

Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above-described circumstances, and can be efficiently and safely without attaching or detaching a structure such as a frame on the main body side of the sheet conveying apparatus or a component such as a stay that is robustly configured. sheet conveying apparatus capable of guiding detachable sheet conveyance units to a predetermined position, the primary purpose of providing to realize the image forming equipment or to internal or coupled to the sheet conveying device.

In order to solve the above-described problems and achieve the above-mentioned object, the invention according to each claim employs the following characteristic means / invention-specific matters (hereinafter referred to as “configuration”).
The invention of claim 1, wherein, in the sheet conveying device comprising a conveying means for conveying the sheet, which is detachably configured for sheet over preparative conveying apparatus main body and is selectively connected to the upstream side in the sheet conveying direction A sheet transfer conveyance path connected to the sheet conveyance path of the sheet conveyance apparatus; a sheet conveyance unit provided therein; and a predetermined time when the sheet conveyance unit is attached to the sheet conveyance apparatus main body from the sheet conveyance direction . Guiding means for guiding the position, and the sheet conveying unit includes any one of the guiding means and guided means guided by the guiding means, and the sheet conveying apparatus body includes the guiding means and wherein comprising the other of the guide means, said guide means is either one of the opening to fit the convex portions and it from the sheet conveying direction, the guided The step is the other of the convex portion and the opening portion, and the opening portion has a substantially L shape when viewed from the sheet conveyance direction, and the convex portion insertion portion into which the convex portion can be inserted, and the convex portion In the state in which the sheet conveying unit is inserted, the sheet conveying unit is lifted above the sheet conveying apparatus main body and is vertically extended so as to be movable and guided, and in the sheet width direction orthogonal to the sheet conveying direction. And a movement holding portion formed to extend in the sheet width direction so as to move and guide the sheet conveyance unit and to hold the sheet conveyance unit in the vertical direction, and the sheet conveyance unit includes the guide unit. by, without interfering with the member which is arranged in the sheet conveying device body, characterized in that it is guided in front Symbol place.

According to a second aspect of the invention, the sheet conveying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the convex portion, the upper and lower guide portions, when fitted to the movable holding unit, upper and lower guide portions, missing not come out of the movable holding unit It has a prevention part.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the sheet conveying apparatus according to the first or second aspect , the sheet conveying unit includes an openable / closable guide member opening / closing means for guiding a sheet conveyed by the conveying means, and the sheet And a closing unit configured to close the guide member opening / closing unit when the conveyance unit is attached to or detached from the main body of the sheet conveying apparatus.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the sheet conveying apparatus according to any one of the first to third aspects, an image reading device, an automatic document feeder, and a manual sheet feeding device are provided on an upper portion of the sheet conveying device body. It is characterized by arranging at least one of the above.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the sheet conveying apparatus according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, a sheet stacking device is disposed below the sheet conveying unit.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the sheet conveying apparatus according to any one of the first to fifth aspects, the convex portion is on the sheet conveying apparatus main body side, and the opening is on the sheet conveying unit side. , Each of which is arranged .
The invention according to claim 7 is the sheet conveying apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the convex portion is on the sheet conveying unit side and the opening is on the sheet conveying apparatus main body side. , Each of which is arranged.
According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, in the sheet conveying apparatus according to any one of the first to sixth aspects, the sheet conveying unit occupies the predetermined position with respect to the sheet conveying apparatus main body. In order to stop the swing of the upper end portion of the sheet conveying unit about a predetermined position to the downstream side in the sheet conveying direction, one end of the sheet conveying unit is placed on an abutting member disposed in the sheet conveying apparatus main body. It is characterized in that the part is abutted.
A ninth aspect of the present invention is the sheet conveying apparatus according to the eighth aspect, wherein the abutting member is a member constituting a downstream sheet relay conveying path connected to the sheet relay conveying path of the sheet conveying unit. It is characterized by being.

A tenth aspect of the present invention is an image forming apparatus including the sheet conveying apparatus according to any one of the first to ninth aspects.

According to the present invention, it is possible to realize and provide a novel sheet conveying apparatus and image forming apparatus by solving the above problems. The effects of the invention for each claim are as follows.
According to the first aspect of the present invention, with the above-described configuration, the movement start position and the movement end of a series of attachment and detachment operations of the sheet conveyance unit can be performed without removing, for example, frame parts or the like of the sheet conveyance apparatus main body that is robustly configured. It is possible to realize and provide a sheet conveying apparatus capable of guiding and mounting the sheet conveying unit to a predetermined position inside the sheet conveying apparatus main body in a state where the operator can easily recognize the position.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, it is possible to prevent the sheet conveying unit from being accidentally detached during the series of guiding operations of the sheet conveying unit.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, it is possible to prevent the guide member opening / closing means that can easily remove the jammed sheet (jam paper) from being opened or closed by mistake when the sheet conveying unit is attached or detached.

According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, even an apparatus in which at least one of an image reading apparatus, an automatic document feeder, and a manual sheet feeder is disposed on the upper portion of the sheet conveying apparatus body is removed. The sheet conveying unit to be arranged in the lower part can be easily attached and detached.

According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, even when, for example, a large capacity sheet stacking device is present at the lower part of the sheet conveying unit, the sheet conveying unit to be disposed at the upper part can be easily attached and detached.

The convex portion can be disposed on the sheet conveying apparatus main body side, and the opening can be disposed on the sheet conveying unit side (Claim 6). Conversely, the convex portion is disposed on the sheet conveying unit side. The openings can also be arranged on the main body side of the sheet conveying apparatus, respectively. In this case, the arrangement of the convex portion on the sheet conveying apparatus main body side maintains the strength on the sheet conveying apparatus main body side as compared with the case where the opening is provided on, for example, the frame component on the sheet conveying apparatus main body side. Is excellent.
According to the eighth and ninth aspects of the present invention, with the above-described configuration, it is possible to avoid the swing of the upper end portion of the sheet conveying unit around the predetermined position toward the downstream side in the sheet conveying direction. The unit can be positioned in the sheet conveyance direction and the sheet width direction.

According to the tenth aspect of the present invention, an image forming apparatus having a sheet conveying unit that can be easily attached to and detached from the sheet conveying apparatus can be realized and provided.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 8, the driving means 9 that rotationally drives the transport rollers 30 and 31 includes a pulley 32 integrally provided on the shaft of the transport roller 30, and the unit side plate 8 below the transport roller 30. Between the pulley 32 and the pulley 33, the drive motor fixed to the drive motor (hidden behind the unit side plate 8 and cannot be seen), the two pulleys 33 integrally provided on the output shaft of the drive motor , A pulley 35 provided integrally with the shaft of the conveying roller 31, and a belt (not shown) in FIG. It is mainly composed of a state in which it is intentionally removed.
In the present invention, the driving means 9 provided in the transport unit 5 is not an essential configuration and may be provided on the transport device body 17 side. In the case of such a configuration, for example, by providing an engagement pin on each shaft of the transport rollers 30 and 31 and providing a coupling to be engaged with this on the output shaft of the drive motor on the transport device body 17 side, When the unit 5 occupies the target mounting position by engaging the convex part 1a with the left and right movement holding part 5a3 while the opening part 5a is guided by the convex part 1a, the engaging pin is the driving motor. By engaging with the coupling of the output shaft, a driving force may be transmitted from a driving motor provided on the conveying device body 17 side.

In the above-described embodiment, it is not limited to the combination of the convex part 1a provided on the frame 1 on the conveying device body 17 side as the guiding means / guide member and the opening 5a provided on the conveying unit 5 side as the guided means / guided member. On the contrary, a combination of a protrusion provided on the transport unit 5 side and a hole provided in the frame 1 on the transport device body 17 side is also possible. However, compared to providing an opening as a hole in the column-shaped frame 1, providing the frame 1 with a projection as a protrusion is superior in maintaining strength.

In this modification, the transport unit 5 is slid / moved upward Za on the convex portion 1 a provided inside the frame 1. Further, the opening 5a of the transport unit 5 is slid and moved upward Za while being guided by the convex portion 1a on the transport device main body 17 side, and the transport unit 5 is screwed to the frame 1 as a structure. Screwing may be performed from the inside or from the outside. According to this modification, as compared with the above-described embodiment, the work can be performed only inside the transport device body 17, so that space saving around the transport unit 5 of the first paper feed device 10 can be achieved.

1 Frame (Sheet conveying device body, structure)
1a convex portion (guide hand stage)
1b Hanging part (prevention part)
5 Transport unit (sheet transport unit)
5a opening (guided hand stage)
5a1 Convex insertion part ( configures an opening )
5a2 Vertical guide ( configures an opening )
5a3 Left / right movement holding section ( opening section, movement holding section)
6 Guide plate opening / closing mechanism (configures guide member operating member, guide member opening / closing means)
6a Guide plate opening / closing mechanism (configures guide plate opening / closing pressing part, guide member opening / closing means)
6b Screw fastening part (closing means fastening part)
7 Screw (closing means)
8 Unit side plate (sheet transport unit body)
9 Driving means 10 First paper feeding device (sheet conveying device)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 Paper feed tray 12 Paper feed tray 13A Upper paper feed part 13B Lower paper feed part 14 Paper conveyance path (sheet conveyance path)
15 Relay transport path (sheet relay transport path)
15a Horizontal conveying path 15b Vertical conveying path 17 Conveying device main body (sheet conveying device main body)
20 Second paper feeding device (sheet conveying device)
21 Paper feed tray 22 Paper feed tray 23A Upper paper feed section 23B Lower paper feed section 24 Paper transport path (sheet transport path)
25 Relay transport path 26 Stay 27 Rail bracket (butting member)
30, 31 Conveying roller (conveying means)
32, 33, 35 Pulley 34 Belt 50 Image forming apparatus 51 Paper feed port (sheet feed port)
60 Image reader 70 Automatic document feeder 80 Manual paper feeder S Paper (sheet, sheet-like recording medium)
X Sheet transport direction Y Sheet width direction Z Vertical direction (vertical direction)

Claims (11)

In a sheet conveying apparatus provided with conveying means for conveying a sheet,
A sheet conveying unit configured to be detachable from the sheet conveying apparatus main body, and guide means for guiding the sheet conveying unit to a predetermined position when the sheet conveying unit is mounted on the sheet conveying apparatus main body,
The guide means guides the sheet transport unit from the upstream side or the downstream side in the sheet transport direction so that the sheet transport unit can be inserted into the sheet transport apparatus body, and then guides the sheet transport unit body upward or downward. It is configured to guide in the direction perpendicular to the sheet conveying direction,
The sheet conveying apparatus, wherein the sheet conveying unit is guided to the predetermined position by the guide means without interfering with a member disposed in the sheet conveying apparatus main body. The sheet conveying apparatus according to claim 1,
The sheet conveying unit has one of the guiding means and guided means guided by the guiding means, and the sheet conveying apparatus main body has one of the guiding means and the guided means. A sheet conveying apparatus characterized by the above. In the sheet conveying apparatus according to claim 2,
The guide means is any one of a protrusion and a hole member having a hole into which the protrusion is inserted, and the guided means is any one of the hole member having the protrusion and the hole. A sheet conveying apparatus. In the sheet conveying apparatus according to claim 3,
The sheet conveying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the protrusion has a slip prevention portion that does not slip out of the hole when the protrusion is fitted into the hole. In the sheet conveying apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
The sheet conveying unit has an openable / closable guide member opening / closing means for guiding a sheet conveyed by the conveying means,
A sheet conveying apparatus comprising: a closing means for closing the guide member opening / closing means when the sheet conveying unit is attached to or detached from the sheet conveying apparatus main body. In the sheet conveying apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
At least one of an image reading device, an automatic document feeder, and a manual sheet feeder is arranged on the upper portion of the main body of the sheet conveying device. In the sheet conveying apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
A sheet conveying apparatus comprising a sheet stacking device disposed below the sheet conveying unit.   An image forming apparatus comprising the sheet conveying device according to claim 1 connected thereto.   An image forming apparatus comprising the sheet conveying device according to claim 1. A sheet conveying apparatus having a sheet conveying unit that is configured to be detachable from the sheet conveying apparatus body and includes a conveying unit that conveys a sheet; and when the sheet conveying unit is attached to the sheet conveying apparatus body A method for mounting and guiding a sheet conveying unit for guiding to a position,
The mounting guide method guides the sheet transport unit from the upstream side or the downstream side in the sheet transport direction so as to be insertable into the sheet transport apparatus body, and then guides the sheet transport apparatus body upward or downward. Guiding in a direction perpendicular to the sheet conveying direction,
The sheet feeding unit loading guide method, wherein the sheet feeding unit is guided to the predetermined position by the loading guidance method without interfering with a member disposed in the sheet conveying apparatus main body. In an image forming apparatus having a structure and a unit configured to be detachable from the structure, and guiding the unit to a predetermined position when the unit is mounted on the structure,
The structure has a protrusion, and the unit has a hole for fitting the protrusion.
The hole includes a protrusion insertion portion for inserting the protrusion, a vertical guide portion for guiding and moving the protrusion in the vertical direction of the structure, and a direction orthogonal to a direction when the unit is attached to and inserted into the structure. An image forming apparatus comprising a movement holding unit that moves and holds the protrusion.

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