JP2014047001A - Optional paper feeding device, image forming device, and image forming system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image forming system that achieves resource saving and weight reduction while maintaining a paper feeding function.SOLUTION: An image forming system 200 comprises an image forming device 10 and an optional paper feeding device 100. A frame member 101 of the optional paper feeding device 100 includes: a frame member 105 for holding a paper feeding portion 140 and a transfer portion 150; a post 104 for supporting the image forming device 10; and a base member 102 supporting the frame member 105 and the post 104. The post 104 is arranged on the base member 102 in a state of non-contact with the frame member 105, and transmits the load of the image forming device 10 from the post 104 to the base member 102 so that the influences due to the load of the image forming device 10 does not exert upon the frame member 105.

Description

  The present invention relates to an optional sheet feeding device, an image forming apparatus in which an optional sheet feeding device can be additionally arranged, and an image forming system including the option sheet feeding device and the sheet feeding device.

  Some image forming apparatuses include a plurality of paper storage units and paper feeding devices in the main body of the image forming apparatus, and a plurality of types of recording paper can be selectively used. However, it is not preferable for users who do not need a plurality of recording paper storage units because the main unit price is expensive. Therefore, an optional paper feeding device that can be installed in the main unit of the image forming apparatus is set as an option to reduce the main unit price. ing. The optional paper feeding device includes a recording paper storage unit and a recording paper feed mechanism that conveys the recording paper storage unit to the main body of the image forming apparatus. An image forming system can be constructed by combining the optional sheet feeding device and the image forming apparatus.

  Patent Document 1 discloses an image forming apparatus having a sheet storage section in an apparatus main body and a communication section to which an optional sheet feeding apparatus can be attached on the lower side of the apparatus main body. Alternatively, an image forming apparatus having a common fitting portion to which any one of the bottom plates having support legs of the apparatus main body can be selectively attached is disclosed.

  Here, the member that forms the paper feeding function of the optional paper feeding device is attached to a frame member that is the framework of the paper feeding device, and the optional paper feeding device includes a rubber foot and a paper feeding device foot portion that includes a caster device. It has. Then, the image forming apparatus is mounted on the frame member, and the frame member supports the load of the image forming apparatus. However, if resource saving and weight reduction of the paper feeding device are taken into consideration without considering the strength of the frame member, the strength of the frame member will be reduced, and the weight of the image forming apparatus cannot be endured, and deformation or the like will occur. Paper feed failure occurs.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and provides an optional sheet feeding device, an image forming apparatus, and an image forming system capable of saving resources and reducing the weight while maintaining a sheet feeding function. With the goal.

  An optional paper feeding apparatus according to the present invention is an optional paper feeding apparatus that can be detachably disposed below an image forming apparatus having a plurality of installation feet, and that supplies paper to the image forming apparatus. A column disposed immediately below the installation foot of the apparatus, a frame member for fixing a sheet feeding function member of the sheet feeding device, a base member for supporting the column and the frame member, and the column through the base member A sheet feeding device foot disposed immediately below the frame member, the column is disposed on the base member in a non-contact state with the frame member, and the load of the image forming apparatus is transmitted from the column to the base member. It is characterized by.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to save resources and reduce the weight of the optional paper feeding device while maintaining the paper feeding performance of the optional paper feeding device.

1 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an image forming system according to Embodiment 1. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a main part of a sheet feeding system according to a first embodiment. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating a main part of a paper feeding system according to a second embodiment. FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram illustrating a main part of a paper feeding system according to a third embodiment.

  Hereinafter, an optional sheet feeding device, an image forming apparatus, and an image forming system according to embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described.

<Embodiment 1>

  An image forming system according to Embodiment 1 will be described. FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing an image forming system according to the first embodiment. An image forming system 200 according to the first embodiment is configured by mounting an image forming apparatus 10 that forms the minimum basic configuration of an image forming system on an optional paper feeding apparatus 100. In addition to the sheet 45 from the sheet feeding unit 40, the image forming apparatus 10 conveys the sheet 145 from the sheet feeding unit 140 of the optional sheet feeding apparatus 100 to the image forming unit 60 and executes image formation. The image forming apparatus 10 includes four installation feet 20, and the image forming apparatus 10 can be arranged on the optional paper feeder 100 by the installation feet 20. Note that the image forming apparatus 10 can perform image forming processing independently without being connected to the optional paper feeding apparatus 100.

  Each device will be described below. First, the image forming apparatus 10 will be described. The image forming apparatus 10 includes a paper feed unit 40, a paper transport unit 50, an image forming unit 60, an intermediate transfer unit 70, and a fixing device 80.

  The paper feed unit 40 includes a paper feed tray 41 that stores the paper 45, a pickup roller 42 that takes out the paper 45 disposed at the top from the paper feed tray 41, and a separation roller 43 that prevents multiple paper feeds.

  The paper transport unit 50 includes a transport path 52 that guides the paper transported by the registration rollers 51 and other transport rollers (not shown).

  The image forming unit 60 includes image forming units 62Y, 62M, 62C, and 62K, a writing unit 65, an intermediate transfer unit 70, and a fixing device 80. The image forming units 62Y, 62M, 62C, and 62K form a color image with four colors of yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C), and black (K).

  The image forming units 62Y, 62M, 62C, and 62K include photosensitive drums 61Y, 61M, 61C, and 61K that are image carriers. The intermediate transfer unit 70 includes a plurality of rollers 71, 72, 73 and an intermediate transfer belt 74 as a flexible intermediate transfer member wound around the rollers 71, 72, 73. The writing unit 65 performs writing on each of the photosensitive drums 61Y, 61M, 61C, and 61K with a laser beam.

  The fixing device 80 fixes the sheets 45 and 145 on which the unfixed toner image is formed. The fixing device 80 includes a heating roller 81 and a fixing roller 82 pressed against the heating roller 81, and performs heat-pressing.

  The image forming units 62Y, 62M, 62C, and 62K are attached to and detached from the image forming apparatus 10 with the photosensitive drums 61Y, 61M, 61C, and 61K, and known charging devices, developing devices, and cleaning devices arranged around the photosensitive drums 61Y, 61M, 61C, and 61K. Configure as possible. The developing devices included in the image forming units 62Y, 62M, 62C, and 62K store yellow, magenta, cyan, and black toners, respectively. Each developing device supplies replenishing toner from a toner bottle (not shown) when the amount of toner inside becomes equal to or less than a predetermined amount.

  The intermediate transfer belt 74 is disposed to face each of the photosensitive drums 61Y, 61M, 61C, 61K. The intermediate transfer belt 74 is driven by one of a plurality of rollers 71, 72, and 73 by a drive motor (not shown). Thus, the intermediate transfer belt 74 is driven to rotate counterclockwise in FIG. Transfer rollers 75Y, 75M, 75C, and 75K as primary transfer units are arranged at positions inside the intermediate transfer belt 74 facing the photosensitive drums 61Y, 61M, 61C, and 61K, respectively, and a transfer bias for primary transfer is applied. To do. A belt cleaning device 63 that cleans the surface of the intermediate transfer belt 74 is disposed at a portion facing the roller 71. The intermediate transfer belt 74, rollers 71, 72, and 73, transfer rollers 75Y, 75M, 75C, and 75K, and the belt cleaning device 63 are configured as an integral unit and are detachable from the image forming apparatus 10.

  A transfer roller 53 as a secondary transfer unit that applies a secondary transfer bias is in contact with the intermediate transfer belt 74 at a position facing the roller 73. A part of the transfer roller 53 and the intermediate transfer belt 74 are arranged so as to face the conveyance path 52.

  The writing unit 65 irradiates the surface of each of the photosensitive drums 61Y, 61M, 61C, and 61K with the light-modulated laser beam, thereby forming a latent image for each color on the surface of the photosensitive drums 61Y, 61M, 61C, and 61K. . In the image forming apparatus 10, the writing unit 65 is disposed below the image forming units 62 </ b> Y, 62 </ b> M, 62 </ b> C, and 62 </ b> K, and irradiates laser light from below to above the image forming apparatus 10.

  When the image forming operation is started, the photosensitive drums 61Y, 61M, 61C, and 61K of the respective image forming units 62Y, 62M, 62C, and 62K are rotationally driven clockwise by a driving unit (not shown). As a result, the surfaces of the photosensitive drums 61Y, 61M, 61C, and 61K are uniformly charged to a predetermined polarity by the respective charging devices. Laser beams are irradiated from the writing unit 65 to the charged surfaces of the photosensitive drums 61Y, 61M, 61C, and 61K, and electrostatic latent images of the respective colors are formed on the respective surfaces. At this time, the image information to be exposed on each of the photosensitive drums 61Y, 61M, 61C, and 61K is single-color image information obtained by separating a desired full-color image into color information of yellow, magenta, cyan, and black. The electrostatic latent image formed in this way is visualized as a toner image by the toner of each developing device as it passes between each photosensitive drum 61Y, 61M, 61C, 61K and the developing device.

  When the intermediate transfer belt 74 is moved in the counterclockwise direction by a driving unit (not shown), the yellow formed by the image forming unit 62Y including a developing device having yellow toner located on the most upstream side in the belt moving direction. The toner image is transferred by the transfer roller 75Y. To the transferred yellow toner image, a magenta toner image formed by the image forming units 62M, 62C and 62K, and further a cyan toner image and a black toner image are sequentially superimposed and transferred by transfer rollers 75Y, 75M, 75C and 75K. Thus, the intermediate transfer belt 74 holds a full-color toner image on the surface thereof.

  Residual toner adhering to the surface of each photosensitive drum after the toner image is transferred is removed from the surface of the photosensitive drum by each cleaning device, and then the surface is subjected to a static eliminating action by a static eliminator (not shown). The potential is initialized to prepare for the next image formation. On the other hand, the paper 45 or the paper 145 is fed from the paper feeding unit 40 or the paper feeding unit 140 and sent to the transport path 52. Here, a paper detection mechanism (not shown) may be provided in the transport path 52 to detect the size and thickness of the papers 45 and 145. The fed sheets 45 and 145 are fed to the opposite part between the roller 72 and the transfer roller 53 by the registration roller 51 to measure the sheet feeding timing. At this time, a transfer voltage having a polarity opposite to the toner charging polarity of the toner image on the surface of the intermediate transfer belt 74 is applied to the transfer roller 53, whereby the toner images on the surface of the intermediate transfer belt 74 are collectively put on the sheets 45 and 145. And transcribe.

  The sheets 45 and 145 to which the toner images are transferred are fixed by the fixing device 80, conveyed by the paper discharge roller 91, and discharged to the paper discharge tray 92.

  Next, the optional paper feeder 100 will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, the optional sheet feeding device 100 includes a sheet feeding unit 140 and a transport unit 150 as a sheet feeding function unit. The sheet feeding unit 140 includes a sheet feeding tray 141, a pickup roller 142, a separation pad 143, a sheet feeding system driving unit (not shown), and the like, and one sheet from above a bundle of sheets 145 set on the sheet feeding tray 141. The sheets 145 are separated one by one and conveyed to the conveyance unit 150. The paper 145 transported to the transport unit 150 is transported from the connecting unit 160 to the image forming apparatus 10 to the paper transport unit 50 of the image forming apparatus 10.

  The transport unit 150 includes a transport roller 151, a transport path 152, and the like, and transports the paper 145 transported from the paper feed unit 140 to the image forming apparatus 10 installed in the upper part. The paper 145 transported to the paper transport unit 50 is discharged to a paper discharge tray 92 by a paper discharge roller 91 through an image forming process (the image forming unit 60 and the fixing device 80). The paper feed unit 140 and the transport unit 150 are fixed to the frame member 105.

  The optional paper feeder 100 also feeds paper via a base member 102, a paper feeder foot 103 constituted by a caster device fixed to the lower part of the base member 102 and in contact with the installation surface, and the base member 102. A column 104 that is fixed to stand right above the apparatus foot 103 and supports the image forming apparatus 10, and a frame member 105 that holds the sheet feeding unit 140 and the conveying unit 150 installed on the upper part of the base member 102. Prepare. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating a main part of the sheet feeding system according to the first embodiment.

  Here, the base member 102 is a plate-like member having rigidity for supporting the whole. The support column 104 is a columnar member having strength that can support the load of the image forming apparatus 10. The support column 104 is installed on the base member 102 so as not to contact the frame member 105 with a gap. Further, the image forming apparatus 10 places the installation foot 20 on the upper surface of the support column 104.

  For this reason, the load of the image forming apparatus 10 is supported by the installation foot 20, the column 104, the base member 102, and the paper feeding device foot 103, and the load is not applied to the frame member 105. In addition, the support | pillar 104 showed the state of the support | pillar 104a when not receiving the load of the installation leg | foot part 20 with the broken line in FIG. 2 (FIG. 3, FIG. 4 was also shown similarly). When the column 104a in the state of not receiving a load receives the load of the image forming apparatus 10, its length dimension decreases and the thickness dimension increases, but the column 104 does not contact the frame member 105. The frame member 105 is not affected.

  According to the image forming system 200 according to the first embodiment, the influence of the load of the image forming apparatus 10 affects only the column 104, the base member 102, and the sheet feeding device foot 103. For this reason, the frame member 105 is not affected by the load of the image forming apparatus 10, and does not adversely affect the sheet feeding / conveying functions of the sheet feeding unit 140 and the conveying unit 150. For this reason, the strength required to support the image forming apparatus 10 may be secured by the support column 104, the base member 102, and the sheet feeding device foot 103, and the material of the frame member 105 can be reduced while maintaining the sheet conveying performance. The weight can be reduced, and as a result, the optional paper feeder 100 can be reduced in weight and resources.

<Embodiment 2>
Next, an image forming system according to the second embodiment will be described. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating a main part of the sheet feeding system according to the second embodiment. FIG. 3 shows a state where the image forming apparatus 10 is lifted from the optional paper feeding apparatus 100. In the image forming system 300 according to the second embodiment, the reference pin 106 is formed upward from the upper end portion of the support column 104 of the optional sheet feeding device 100, and the reference pin 106 is formed on the lower surface of the installation foot portion 20 of the image forming apparatus 10. An insertion hole 21 that can be inserted is opened. The reference pin 106 can have a cylindrical shape.

  When the image forming apparatus 10 is arranged in the optional paper feeding apparatus 100, the reference pin 106 is inserted into the insertion hole 21 and the image forming apparatus 10 is installed in the optional paper feeding apparatus 100.

  According to the image forming system 300 according to the third embodiment, the position of the image forming apparatus 10 and the optional paper feeding apparatus 100 is not shifted, and the image forming apparatus 10 and the optional paper feeding apparatus 100 can be connected. Therefore, the load of the image forming apparatus 10 can be reliably transmitted to the support column 104, and the influence of the load of the image forming apparatus 10 on the frame member 105 can be prevented more reliably. Therefore, it is possible to save resources and reduce the weight of the optional paper feeder while maintaining the paper feed performance of the optional paper feeder.

<Embodiment 3>
Next, Embodiment 3 will be described. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating a main part of the sheet feeding system according to the third embodiment. In the image forming system 400 according to the third embodiment, the filling member 107 made of an elastic member is disposed in the gap between the frame member 105 and the support column 104 so as to be movable along the support column 104. The filling member 107 can be made of rubber, for example.

  According to the image forming system 400 according to the third embodiment, the load of the image forming apparatus 10 can be supported only by the support column 104, and the collapse of the support column 104 can be supported by the frame member 105 via the filling member 107. it can. At this time, the filling member 107 is formed of an elastic member, and the filling member 107 can be moved along the support column 104. Therefore, the deformation of the support column 104 due to the load of the image forming apparatus 10 affects the frame member 105. Does not affect.

  Therefore, the image forming system 400 according to the third embodiment can prevent the frame member 105 from being affected by the load of the image forming apparatus 10. For this reason, it is possible to save resources and reduce the weight of the optional sheet feeding device while maintaining the sheet feeding performance of the option sheet feeding device.

10: image forming apparatus 20: installation foot portion 21: insertion hole portion 100: optional paper feeding device 102: base member 103: paper feeding device foot 104: post 104a: post 105: frame member 106: reference pin 107: filling member 200 : Image forming system

JP 2009-294561 A

Claims (6)

An optional paper feeding device that can be detachably arranged on the lower side of the image forming apparatus having a plurality of installation feet, and supplies paper to the image forming apparatus,
A support column disposed immediately below the installation foot of the image forming apparatus;
A frame member for fixing a sheet feeding function member of the optional sheet feeding device;
A base member that supports the column and the frame member;
Via the base member, a sheet feeding device foot disposed directly under the support;
With
An optional sheet feeding device, wherein the column is disposed on the base member in a non-contact state with the frame member, and a load of the image forming apparatus is transmitted from the column to the base member.   The optional sheet feeding device according to claim 1, wherein an elastic filling member is disposed between the support column and the frame member so as to be movable along the support column.   The optional sheet feeding device according to claim 1, wherein the column includes a reference pin that protrudes from an upper end portion of the column. An image forming apparatus comprising an image forming unit that is disposed on the option sheet feeding device according to claim 3 and that forms an image on a sheet conveyed from the option sheet feeding device.
An image forming apparatus, wherein an insertion hole for inserting the reference pin is formed on a lower surface of an installation foot of the image forming apparatus. An optional sheet feeding device according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
An image forming apparatus including an image forming unit that forms an image on a sheet conveyed from the optional sheet feeding device;
An image forming system comprising: An optional sheet feeding device according to claim 3, and an image forming device according to claim 4,
An image forming system comprising: