JP2014106303A - Image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent an operation error of a knob member formed in an opening/closing cover, to prevent a problem from occurring due to the operation error.SOLUTION: An image forming apparatus is configured so as to partially expose a device body by opening a front cover 6. Power to be generated by pulling a lever 65 formed in the closed front cover is transmitted to a cam plate 62 via a support shaft 66. An interlock switch 61 is turned off, to prohibit image forming operation of an image forming part 5. During image forming operation, the support shaft 66 is displaced in a thrust direction by a solenoid 83, to prohibit power from being transmitted from the support shaft 66 to the cam plate 62.

Description

  The present invention includes a copying machine, a printer, a facsimile machine, and the like that includes an image forming unit for forming an image on a recording material inside the apparatus main body, and can expose at least a part of the apparatus main body by opening an opening / closing cover. The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus.

  In this type of image forming apparatus, an opening / closing cover for exposing the inside of the apparatus main body is provided for the purpose of jamming of the recording material and replacement work of the components of the image forming unit. When performing jam processing or parts replacement work, the opening / closing cover is opened to expose the inside of the apparatus main body, and the work of removing the jammed recording material is performed, or the work of replacing the component parts is performed. Usually, an interlock switch (image forming operation prohibiting means) is provided so that the image forming operation is not performed while the worker is performing such work. The interlock switch is turned off when the open / close cover is opened to prohibit the image forming operation, and is turned on when the open / close cover is closed to enable the image forming operation.

  Patent Document 1 discloses an image forming apparatus including such an interlock switch. In this image forming apparatus, a handle is integrally attached to a substantially central portion of a shaft extending in the horizontal direction provided on the back surface of the opening / closing cover. The handle can be operated by the user through an opening formed in the opening / closing cover. Two lock claws are integrally attached near both ends of the shaft. The shaft is urged by a spring toward one rotation direction around the shaft axis, and the two locking claws are configured to be caught by the protrusion on the apparatus main body side by the urging force of the spring. When the operator moves the handle in a predetermined opening operation direction by grasping the handle or the like, the shaft rotates around the shaft axis in the rotation direction against the urging force of the spring using this as a power. As a result, the two lock claws attached integrally with the shaft rotate around the shaft axis and disengage from the protrusion on the apparatus main body side. As a result, the lock of the opening / closing cover is released, and the opening / closing cover can be opened. In this image forming apparatus, when the opening / closing cover is opened, the interlock switch is turned off, and the laser irradiation of the laser optical unit mounted on the opening / closing cover is prohibited.

  When the open / close cover is opened during the image forming operation, the interlock switch is turned off to stop the image forming operation. However, there is some time lag before the operation is completely stopped. Therefore, even after the opening / closing cover is opened, there is a possibility that the operation does not stop for a while. Therefore, the interlock switch is preferably configured to be turned off when only the handle is moved in the opening operation direction with the open / close cover closed so that the interlock switch is turned off in advance before the open / close cover is opened. In this case, the image forming operation can be prohibited at an earlier timing than when the interlock switch is turned off in conjunction with the opening operation of the opening / closing cover, and the operation can be stopped more quickly.

  However, the conventional handles provided on the open / close cover are generally exposed to the outside of the device and are easily installed by the operator so that the operator can quickly perform jam processing and parts replacement work. ing. For this reason, a person around the image forming apparatus may accidentally move the handle, or an object around the image forming apparatus may hit the handle and move the handle. If the interlock switch is turned off during the image forming operation due to such an erroneous operation of the handle, the image forming operation is interrupted, so that the image forming material such as toner and ink is wasted or the recording material is jammed. Problems occur.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide an image forming apparatus capable of suppressing the occurrence of a problem due to an erroneous operation of a handle member provided on an opening / closing cover. is there.

  In order to achieve the above object, according to the present invention, an image forming unit for forming an image on a recording material is provided inside the apparatus main body, and at least a part of the apparatus main body can be exposed by opening the opening / closing cover. In such an image forming apparatus, a power transmission member that transmits opening operation power when the handle member provided on the open / close cover in the closed state is moved in a predetermined opening operation direction, and the opening operation power is transmitted from the power transmission member. The image forming operation prohibiting means for prohibiting the image forming operation of the image forming unit and the power transmission member when the predetermined power non-transmission condition is satisfied, And power transmission control means for making a power non-transmission state that is not transmitted to the means.

  According to the present invention, when the handle member provided on the opening / closing cover is moved in a predetermined opening operation direction, the opening operation power is transmitted from the power transmission member to the image forming operation prohibiting means, and the image forming operation of the image forming unit is performed. It is forbidden. However, in the present invention, when a predetermined power non-transmission condition is satisfied, the power transmission member is in a power non-transmission state, and the opening operation power is not transmitted to the image forming operation prohibiting unit. Therefore, by setting the power non-transmission condition so that the predetermined power non-transmission condition is satisfied when it is not desired to prohibit the image formation operation (during the image formation operation, etc.), image formation is possible even if the handle member is operated incorrectly. Operation is not prohibited.

  As mentioned above, according to this invention, the outstanding effect that generation | occurrence | production of the problem by erroneous operation of the handle member provided in the opening / closing cover can be suppressed is acquired.

1 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of an image forming apparatus according to Embodiment 1. FIG. 2 is an external perspective view of the image forming apparatus. FIG. FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating a configuration of a lock mechanism and an interlock switch provided on a front cover of the image forming apparatus. (A) is a side view of the lock mechanism showing a state when the lock mechanism is in a locked state, and (b) is a side view of the lock mechanism showing a state when the lock mechanism is in an unlocked state. It is. FIG. 3 is a top view showing a power transmission switching mechanism in the first embodiment. It is a perspective view which shows the connection location of a nail | claw member and a support shaft when the nail | claw member in the lock mechanism is a power transmission possible state which can rotate integrally with a support shaft. It is a perspective view which shows the connection location of a nail | claw member and a support shaft when the nail | claw member and support shaft in the lock mechanism are in the power non-transmission state which can rotate relatively. It is a perspective view which shows the support structure of the drawer unit in the image forming apparatus. It is a perspective view which shows the structure of the pull lever in a modification. (A) is a side view of the lock mechanism showing a state when the lock mechanism in the modified example is in a locked state, and (b) is a view of the lock mechanism showing a state when the lock mechanism is in an unlocked state. It is a side view. 6 is a perspective view showing a front cover in an image forming apparatus according to Embodiment 2. FIG. It is the perspective view which looked at the operation recessed part of the front cover from the back side.

Embodiment 1
Hereinafter, an embodiment of an image forming apparatus according to the present invention (hereinafter, this embodiment is referred to as “Embodiment 1”) will be described.
FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of an image forming apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment.
FIG. 2 is an external perspective view of the image forming apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment.
The image forming apparatus 1 according to the first exemplary embodiment is a so-called tandem color copying machine, and includes an automatic document feeder (hereinafter referred to as “ADF”) 10 and an image forming apparatus main body 11. The image forming apparatus main body 11 mainly includes a paper feeding unit 3, an image reading unit 4, and an image forming unit 5. A front cover 6 provided on the front surface of a drawer unit 80 described later is disposed on the front side F of the image forming unit 5. In the present specification, the front side F of the image forming apparatus 1 means the front side as viewed from the user who operates the image forming apparatus 1, and the rear side R means the back side.

  The ADF 10 includes a document tray 20, a paper feed roller 21, a conveyance belt 22, a paper discharge roller 23, and a paper discharge tray 24. The ADF 10 is attached to the image reading unit 4 through an opening / closing mechanism (not shown) such as a hinge.

  The paper feeding roller 21 separates the originals (not shown) placed on the original tray 20 one by one and conveys them toward the image reading unit 4. The conveyance belt 22 conveys the original document separated by the paper feed roller 21 to the image reading unit 4. The paper discharge roller 23 discharges a document discharged from the image reading unit 4 by the conveyance belt 22 to a discharge tray 24 below the document tray 20.

  The sheet feeding unit 3 includes a sheet feeding cassette 30 and a sheet feeding unit 31. The paper feed cassette 30 accommodates paper (not shown) that is a recording material having different paper sizes. The paper feed unit 31 conveys the paper stored in the paper feed cassette 30 until it passes through the image forming position of the image forming unit 5.

  The image reading unit 4 includes a housing 40, a scanning optical unit 41, a contact glass 42, and driving means (not shown).

  The scanning optical unit 41 is provided inside the housing 40 and includes an LED unit. The scanning optical unit 41 emits light in the main scanning direction from the LED unit, and is scanned in the sub-scanning direction in the entire irradiation region by the driving unit. Thereby, the scanning optical unit 41 reads a two-dimensional color image of the document.

  The contact glass 42 is provided on the upper portion of the housing 40 of the image reading unit 4 and constitutes the upper surface portion of the housing 40. The driving means includes a wire fixed to the scanning optical unit 41, a plurality of driven pulleys and driving pulleys bridged by the wires, and a motor for rotating the driving pulley.

  The image forming unit 5 includes a tandem image forming apparatus 50, an exposure unit 51, a secondary transfer apparatus 52, a fixing unit 53, an intermediate transfer belt 54, a primary transfer roller 55, a main conveyance path, and a reverse conveyance path. The sheet conveying guide members 70 and 73 to be formed are included.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the exposure unit 51 is disposed adjacent to the tandem image forming apparatus 50. The exposure unit 51 performs exposure on the photosensitive drum 74 provided for each color.

  The tandem image forming apparatus 50 includes four toner image forming portions 75 of yellow, cyan, magenta, and black on the intermediate transfer belt 54 along the rotation direction of the intermediate transfer belt 54. Although not shown in detail, each toner image forming unit 75 includes a charging device, a developing device, a photoconductor cleaning device, a charge eliminating device, and the like around each photoconductor drum 74. Each photosensitive drum 74 and each device provided around the photosensitive drum 74 are unitized to form one process cartridge.

  In the tandem image forming apparatus 50, a visible image (toner image) formed by toner is formed on each photoconductive drum 74 based on the image information read by the image reading unit 4 and separated by color. It has become. The visible image formed on each photoconductive drum 74 is transferred to the intermediate transfer belt 54 between each photoconductive drum 74 and the primary transfer roller 55.

  On the other hand, a secondary transfer device 52 is provided on the opposite side of the tandem image forming device 50 with the intermediate transfer belt 54 interposed therebetween. In the illustrated example, the secondary transfer device 52 is configured such that a secondary transfer belt 56 that is an endless belt is stretched between two support rollers 57. Then, by pressing the secondary transfer belt 56 against the intermediate transfer belt 54, the toner image formed on the intermediate transfer belt 54 is transferred from the paper feeding unit 3 to the paper conveyed via the main conveyance path. It is configured. Further, as the secondary transfer device 52, a secondary transfer roller may be employed instead of the secondary transfer belt 56.

  A fixing unit 53 is provided downstream of the secondary transfer device 52 in the sheet conveyance direction. The fixing unit 53 is configured by pressing a pressure roller 59 against a fixing belt 58 that is an endless belt. The fixing unit 53 applies heat and pressure to the paper by the pressure roller 59 to melt the toner of the toner image transferred onto the paper and fix it on the paper as a color image.

  As shown in FIG. 1, a reverse conveyance path is provided below the secondary transfer device 52 and the fixing unit 53. The reverse conveyance path reverses the front and back sides of the paper discharged from the fixing unit 53 in order to form an image on both sides of the paper, and supplies the paper to the secondary transfer device 52 again via the main conveyance path. Is to do.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the front cover 6 is attached to the front portion of the carrier 81. The carrier 81 is supported by the rail 82 so as to be movable in the front-rear direction (the directions of arrows F and R in FIG. 2) with respect to the image forming unit 5. Further, the carrier 81 is provided with the secondary transfer device 52, the fixing unit 53, and the paper transport guide members 70 and 73 that form the main transport path and the reverse transport path shown in FIG. As a result, a drawer unit 80 on which the carrier 81, the secondary transfer device 52, the fixing unit 53, and the paper transport guide members 70 and 73, which are support structures, are configured.

  The front cover 6, which is an open / close cover, is configured integrally with the drawer unit 80. The user inserts a finger into the operation recess 6 a provided in the front cover 6, grasps a handle member described later disposed inside the operation recess 6 a, and pulls the drawer unit 80 to the front side F, thereby forming an image of the drawer unit 80. It can be pulled out of the part 5. As the drawer unit 80 moves, the front cover 6 is opened. As a result, the inside of the image forming unit 5 can be exposed. When the front cover 6 of the drawer unit 80 pulled out to the front side F is pushed to the rear side R and the drawer unit 80 is accommodated inside the image forming unit 5, the front cover 6 is closed, and the front cover 6 is an exterior member of the image forming apparatus main body 11. To become part of.

  As described above, the secondary transfer device 52, the fixing unit 53, and the sheet conveyance guide members 70 and 73 are movable in the front-rear direction with respect to the image forming unit 5 while being supported by the carrier 81. When the apparatus 1 is used, it is stored in the image forming unit 5. On the other hand, by opening the front cover 6 (by pulling out the drawer unit 80 to the front side F of the image forming unit 5), these components 52, 53, 70, 73 or other components in the image forming unit 5 It is possible to exchange or remove jammed paper (jammed paper) jammed in the image forming unit 5.

In the first embodiment, the front cover 6 is configured integrally with a drawer unit 80 on which some of various components constituting the image forming unit 5 are mounted. However, the front cover 6 is separate from the drawer unit 80. You may comprise. For example, the drawer unit 80 may be pulled out after the front cover 6 is opened and the inside of the image forming unit 5 is exposed.
In addition, the components mounted on the drawer unit 80 are appropriately selected.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a configuration of a lock mechanism and an interlock switch provided in the front cover 6.
The lock mechanism 60 as the component lock means mainly includes a claw member 64, a lever 65 as a handle member, a support shaft 66, and a torsion coil spring (not shown). The support shaft 66 is disposed so as to extend in the left-right direction (a direction orthogonal to the front-rear direction FR on the horizontal plane), and is supported rotatably with respect to the front cover 6.

  A claw member 64 is attached to the peripheral surface of the support shaft 66, and the claw member 64 can rotate integrally with the support shaft 66 when it can rotate together with the support shaft 66 (power transmission possible state). The cover 6 can be rotated. The claw member 64 has a groove 64a that can be hooked on a fixing member 63 composed of two pins fixed to the image forming portion 5, and abuts against the fixing member 63 when the drawer unit 80 is housed, so that the fixing member 63 becomes a groove 64a. And a guide surface 64b made of an inclined surface for guiding so as to be fitted.

FIG. 4A is a side view of the lock mechanism showing the lock mechanism 60 in a locked state (component removal prohibition state), and FIG. 4B shows the lock mechanism 60 in an unlocked state. It is a side view of the lock mechanism which shows a mode when it is (component parts detachable state).
The claw member 64 can move between a lock position as shown in FIG. 4A and an unlock position as shown in FIG. 4B by rotating integrally with the support shaft 66. . The torsion coil spring is provided by being wound around the support shaft 66, and biasing force is applied to the support shaft 66 so that the claw member 64 rotates the support shaft 66 in a direction toward the fixing member 63 (clockwise direction in the drawing). give. Thereby, when the front cover 6 is closed (when the drawer unit 80 is accommodated), the groove 64a of the claw member 64 is caught by the fixing member 63, and the claw member 64 is held in the locked position.

  The lever 65 is fixedly disposed on the peripheral surface of the support shaft 66 and is rotatable with respect to the front cover 6 together with the support shaft 66. The tip of the lever 65 protrudes into an operation recess 6 a formed on the front surface of the front cover 6. When the user puts a finger into the operation recess 6a and pulls the tip of the lever 65 toward the front side to rotate the lever 65 (open operation), the rotational force (open operation power) of the lever 65 rotates the support shaft 66, As a result, the claw member 64 attached to the peripheral surface of the support shaft 66 rotates and is positioned at the unlock position. As a result, the lock mechanism 60 is unlocked, the front cover 6 can be opened, and the drawer unit 80 can be pulled forward. That is, components such as the secondary transfer device 52, the fixing unit 53, and the paper transport guide members 70 and 73 mounted on the drawer unit 80 can be detached from the apparatus main body.

  The interlock switch 61 as an image forming operation prohibiting unit is configured by a micro switch provided in the image forming unit 5 and can turn on / off various operations including the image forming operation of the image forming apparatus 1. When the interlock switch 61 is on, the image forming apparatus 1 is in an image forming operation enabled state (image forming operation enabled state). When the interlock switch 61 is off, the image forming operation is performed. The state is prohibited (image forming operation prohibited state).

  The on / off switching of the interlock switch 61 is performed when the cam surface of the cam plate 62 attached on the peripheral surface of the support shaft 66 is in contact with or separated from the interlock switch 61. As shown in FIG. 4A, the cam plate 62 contacts the interlock switch 61 and turns it on when the lock mechanism 60 is in the locked state. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 4B, when the lock mechanism 60 is in the unlocked state, it is separated from the interlock switch 61 and turned off.

  When image formation is performed by the image forming apparatus 1, the front cover 6 is closed and the lock mechanism 60 is locked. At this time, since the support shaft 66 receives a rotational biasing force due to the spring force of the torsion coil spring, the claw member 64 is maintained in the locked position, and the cam plate 62 is maintained in contact with the interlock switch 61. Is done. While the claw member 64 is maintained at the locked position, the drawer unit 80 is prohibited from being pulled out. Therefore, the secondary transfer device 52, the fixing unit 53, and the sheet conveyance mounted on the drawer unit 80 are kept. Removal of components such as the guide members 70 and 73 from the apparatus main body is prohibited. Further, since the image forming operation is possible while the cam plate 62 is in contact with the interlock switch 61, the image forming operation can be performed.

  Further, when performing jam processing for removing the jammed paper or exchanging various components, the front cover 6 needs to be pulled out together with the drawer unit 80 to open the front cover 6. At this time, the user first puts a finger into the operation recess 6a of the front cover 6 and grasps the lever 65 to perform the opening operation. As a result, the lever 65 rotates against the spring force of the torsion coil spring. Then, the rotational force (opening operation power) of the lever 65 rotates the support shaft 66, and the opening operation power is transmitted to the claw member 64, whereby the claw member 64 rotates from the locked position to the unlocked position. When the claw member 64 is in the unlock position, the drawer unit 80 can be pulled out. Therefore, the user can pull the front cover 6 together with the drawer unit 80 to the front side and open the front cover 6 by pulling the lever 65 or the operation concave portion 6a with his finger.

  By opening the front cover 6 in this way, the components such as the secondary transfer device 52, the fixing unit 53, and the paper transport guide members 70 and 73 mounted on the drawer unit 80 are exposed to the outside. Exchange work can be performed. Further, by opening the front cover 6 in this manner, the inside of the image forming unit 5 is also exposed, so that the replacement work can be performed for the components arranged inside the image forming unit 5. . Further, by opening the front cover 6, the main conveyance path and the reverse conveyance path inside the image forming unit 5 are also exposed, so that jam processing for removing jammed paper can be performed.

  When the jam processing and the replacement work are finished, the user pushes the front cover 6 and the drawer unit 80 toward the rear side R of the image forming unit 5. When the front cover 6 and the drawer unit 80 are pushed in, the guide surface 64 b of the claw member 64 hits the fixing member 63. Then, by further pressing, the guide surface 64b is guided by the fixing member 63, and the claw member 64 is rotated against the spring force of the torsion coil spring. When the upper end of the guide surface 64b reaches the fixing member 63, the contact between the guide surface 64b and the fixing member 63 is released, the claw member 64 is rotated by the spring force of the torsion coil spring, and the fixing member 63 is inserted into the groove 64a of the claw member 64. Fits. Thereby, the claw member 64 is hooked on the fixing member 63 to be in the locked position, and the lock mechanism 60 is in the locked state. Then, the cam plate 62 comes into contact with the interlock switch 61 to turn on the interlock switch 61, so that an image forming operation can be performed.

  Here, a person around the image forming apparatus 1 mistakenly moves the lever 65 during the image forming operation (particularly during paper passing), or an object around the image forming apparatus hits the lever 65 and moves the lever 65. There are times when it falls. In the first embodiment, the lever 65 is arranged inside the operation recess 6a so that the lever 65 is not easily operated erroneously. However, the tip of the lever 65 is still externally connected via the operation recess 6a. There is a possibility that the lever 65 is erroneously operated because it is accessible. If the lever 65 is mistakenly operated during the image forming operation (particularly during paper passing) and the interlock switch 61 is turned off, the image forming operation is interrupted, and the toner used in the image forming operation is wasted. Jam processing occurs.

  Further, when the lever 65 is erroneously operated during the image forming operation (particularly during paper passing) and the claw member 64 moves to the unlock position and the lock mechanism 60 is unlocked, the secondary mounted on the drawer unit 80 is mounted. Positioning of components such as the transfer device 52, the fixing unit 53, and the paper transport guide members 70 and 73 is released. As a result, the relative positional relationship between these component parts and the component parts on the image forming apparatus main body side is deviated, and an appropriate image forming operation is hindered, and in particular, a paper jam occurs.

  Therefore, in the first embodiment, by using the following power transmission switching mechanism, even if the lever 65 is erroneously operated during the image forming operation, the interlock switch 61 is turned off or the lock mechanism 60 is unlocked. It is prevented from becoming a state.

FIG. 5 is a top view illustrating the power transmission switching mechanism according to the first embodiment.
FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a connection portion between the claw member 64 and the support shaft 66 when the claw member 64 is in a state where power can be transmitted integrally with the support shaft 66.
FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a connecting portion between the claw member 64 and the support shaft 66 when the claw member 64 and the support shaft 66 are in a power non-transmission state in which the claw member 64 and the support shaft 66 are relatively rotatable.

  On one end side of the support shaft 66 (the right side in FIG. 5 and the near side in FIGS. 6 and 7), an urging force that applies a biasing force that displaces the support shaft 66 to the other end side in the axial direction (thrust direction) is applied. A spring 84 is arranged as a means. Further, on the other end side of the support shaft 66 (the left side in FIG. 5, the back side in FIGS. 6 and 7), a solenoid that presses the support shaft 66 so as to be displaced toward the one end side along the axial direction is disposed. ing. The other end of the support shaft 66 is always in contact with the end of the advance / retreat shaft of the solenoid 83 by the biasing force of the spring 84. Therefore, the displacement of the support shaft 66 in the axial direction can be freely controlled by moving the advance / retreat axis of the solenoid 83 back and forth.

  In the first embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the support shaft 66 has a D-shaped portion 66a having a D-shaped cross section and a circular shape inscribed in the cross section of the D-shaped portion 66a. A small diameter portion 66b having a circular cross section with a small diameter is provided. The cam plate 62, the two claw members 64, and the lever 65 attached to the peripheral surface of the support shaft 66 are each formed with a D-shaped fitting hole into which the D-shaped portion 66a of the support shaft 66 is fitted. ing.

  The lever 65 is fixedly disposed on the support shaft 66 in a state where the D-shaped portion 66a of the support shaft 66 is fitted in the fitting hole. Therefore, the lever 65 of the first embodiment always operates integrally with the support shaft 66. That is, it rotates together with the support shaft 66 and is displaced together with the support shaft 66 in the axial direction.

  Further, in the two claw members 64, displacement of the support shaft 66 in the axial direction is restricted by two ribs 85 provided on the back surface of the front cover 6, respectively. Therefore, even if the support shaft 66 is displaced in the axial direction, the positions of the two claw members 64 are not displaced. When the advance / retreat axis of the solenoid 83 is in the advance position as shown in FIG. 6, the axial position of the support shaft 66 is a position where the D-shaped portion 66 a of the support shaft 66 fits into the fitting hole of the two claw members 64. Is positioned. Thereby, the support shaft 66 and the two claw members 64 are in a state where power can be transmitted so that they can rotate together. As a result, when the support shaft 66 is rotated by the opening operation of the lever 65, the two claw members 64 can also be rotated and moved to the unlock position.

  On the other hand, when the advance / retreat axis of the solenoid 83 is in the retracted position as shown in FIG. 7, the axial position of the support shaft 66 is a position where the small diameter portion 66 b of the support shaft 66 enters the fitting hole of the two claw members 64. Positioned. Thereby, it will be in the power non-transmission state in which the two claw members 64 can rotate relative to the support shaft 66. As a result, even if the support shaft 66 is rotated by opening the lever 65, the two claw members 64 are not rotated. At this time, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the two claw members 64 are urged in the direction in which the claw members 64 are directed toward the fixing member 63 by springs 87 as urging means. Therefore, even when the small diameter portion 66b of the support shaft 66 is inserted into the fitting holes of the two claw members 64, the two claw members 64 maintain the locked position and the lock mechanism 60 is unlocked. There is nothing.

  The cam plate 62 has the same configuration as the two claw members 64 described above. That is, the cam plate 62 is restricted from displacement in the axial direction of the support shaft 66 by the two ribs 86 provided on the back surface of the front cover 6. Therefore, even if the support shaft 66 is displaced in the axial direction, the position of the cam plate 62 is not displaced. When the advance / retreat axis of the solenoid 83 is at the advance position as shown in FIG. 6, the axial position of the support shaft 66 is positioned at a position where the D-shaped portion 66 a of the support shaft 66 fits into the fitting hole of the cam plate 62. Is done. Thereby, the support shaft 66 and the cam plate 62 are in a power transmission enabled state in which the support shaft 66 and the cam plate 62 can rotate together. As a result, when the support shaft 66 is rotated by opening the lever 65, the cam plate 62 is also rotated and can be moved to a position away from the interlock switch 61.

  On the other hand, when the advance / retreat axis of the solenoid 83 is in the retreat position as shown in FIG. 7, the axial position of the support shaft 66 is positioned at a position where the small diameter portion 66 b of the support shaft 66 enters the fitting hole of the cam plate 62. The As a result, the cam plate 62 enters a power non-transmission state in which the cam plate 62 can rotate relative to the support shaft 66. As a result, even if the support shaft 66 is rotated by the opening operation of the lever 65, the cam plate 62 does not rotate. At this time, the cam plate 62 is urged in a direction to contact the interlock switch 61 by urging means (not shown). Therefore, even in the power non-transmission state where the small-diameter portion 66b of the support shaft 66 enters the fitting hole of the cam plate 62, the cam plate 62 is maintained at a position where it abuts on the interlock switch 61, and the interlock switch 61 is turned off. Never become.

  As described above, in Embodiment 1, the rotational force of the support shaft 66 is transmitted to the two claw members 64 and the cam plate 62 by controlling the solenoid 83 to change the position of the support shaft 66 in the axial direction. It is possible to switch between a power transmission enabled state and a power non-transmitted state that is not transmitted. Then, when it is not desired to prohibit the image forming operation or when it is not desired to make the component parts removable, the control unit (not shown) controls the solenoid 83 so that the power non-transmission state is established. Position the axial position.

  Specifically, for example, when the power non-transmission condition that the image forming operation is being performed is satisfied, the control unit controls the solenoid 83 to set the power non-transmission state. Thus, even if the lever 65 is accidentally moved during the image forming operation, the interlock switch 61 is not turned off and the lock mechanism 60 is not unlocked. Therefore, it is possible to prevent a situation in which the image forming operation is interrupted and the toner is wasted or unnecessary jam processing occurs.

  In the first embodiment, power is not generated when the image forming operation is not performed and the image forming operation may be prohibited or the components may be removable. The transmission cancellation condition is set to be satisfied. When the power non-transmission cancellation condition is satisfied, the control unit controls the solenoid 83 to position the support shaft 66 in the axial direction so that the power can be transmitted. Accordingly, when the user performs an opening operation on the lever 65 when the front cover 6 is opened in order to perform jam handling or parts replacement work, the support shaft 66 rotates, and thereby the claw member 64 also rotates. As a result, the lock mechanism 60 is unlocked and the front cover 6 can be opened. When the user opens the lever 65 and the support shaft 66 rotates, the cam plate 62 also rotates and the interlock switch 61 is turned off. As a result, it is possible to perform jam processing and parts replacement work in a state where the image forming operation is prohibited.

Next, the configuration of the carrier 81 that is a support structure of the drawer unit 80 in the present embodiment will be described.
FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing the carrier 81 of the drawer unit 80.
The structure portion on the front side F of the carrier 81 is configured by a single front side plate 81A. Further, the structure portion on the rear side R of the carrier 81 includes two rear plates 81B and 81C arranged on the left and right sides, and a stay 81D as a connecting member for connecting them. The front plate 81A and the two rear plates 81B and 81C are connected by two slide rails 81G and 81H. As a result, the carrier 81 forms a single support structure and supports each component such as the secondary transfer device 52, the fixing unit 53, and the paper transport guide members 70 and 73.

  Positioning pins 81E and 81F serving as positioning members protruding rearward are formed on the rear side surfaces of the right rear plate 81B and the left rear plate 81C, respectively. In a state where the drawer unit 80 is housed inside the apparatus main body, the positioning pins 81E and 81F enter the positioning holes provided on the apparatus main body side, so that each component supported by the carrier 81 is appropriate for the apparatus main body. It is positioned at the correct position.

  Here, the positioning pins 81E and 81F can be positioned more stably as the distance from each other increases. However, when the positioning pins 81E and 81F that are separated from each other are formed in a single structure body, The size of the structure portion is increased. In the case where the positioning pins 81E and 81F are formed at positions apart from the structure portion having a large size, it is difficult to achieve high positional accuracy of the positioning pins 81E and 81F on the structure portion. In the present embodiment, these positioning pins 81E and 81F are respectively formed on two rear plates 81B and 81C which are separate structural body portions. In this case, the individual rear side plates 81B and 81C on which the positioning pins 81E and 81F are formed can be reduced in size. Therefore, the positioning pins 81E and 81F can be formed on the rear plates 81B and 81C with high positional accuracy. And by connecting these rear side plates 81B and 81C with high accuracy by the stay 81D, high positioning accuracy of the positioning pins 81E and 81F can be realized.

  Further, the stay 81D for connecting the rear plates 81B and 81C is useful for securing the strength on the rear side of the carrier 81. In the present embodiment, the stay 81D is formed by a channel member having a cross-sectional shape of a square pipe to ensure the necessary strength. In the present embodiment, the stay 81D supports the lower part of the heaviest fixing unit 53 among the components supported by the carrier 81.

[Modification]
Next, a modification of the power transmission switching mechanism of the first embodiment will be described.
FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the pull lever 67 in this modification.
FIG. 10A is a side view of the lock mechanism showing a state when the lock mechanism 60 is in a locked state, and FIG. 10B is a lock showing a state when the lock mechanism 60 is in an unlocked state. It is a side view of a mechanism.
In the first embodiment described above, the opening operation with respect to the lever 65 is an operation of pulling the tip of the lever 65 and rotating the lever 65 around the rotation axis of the support shaft 66. However, in this modification, the holding lever 67 is grasped. The operation is to pull straight toward the front side. Since the configuration of this modification is the same as that of the first embodiment except that the configuration of the pull lever 67 is different, only the points different from the first embodiment will be described below.

  The pull lever 67 is provided in the operation recess 6 a of the front cover 6 so as to be movable in the front-rear direction with respect to the front cover 6. A concave notch 67 a that opens downward is formed at the rear of the pull lever 67. The arm 68 is fixed to the support shaft 66. A protrusion 69 is provided at the tip of the arm 68. The protrusion 69 is provided so as to enter the notch 67 a of the pull lever 67. As the pull lever 67 moves in the front-rear direction, the front and rear edges of the notch 67a abut against the protrusion 69, and the arm 68 is rotated about the support shaft.

  According to this modification, the user pulls the pull lever 67 forward when performing jam handling or parts replacement work. As a result, as shown in FIG. 10B, the rear edge of the notch 67a of the pull lever 67 hits the protrusion 69 and pulls the protrusion 69 forward. When the protrusion 69 is pulled out to the front side, the support shaft 66 integrated with the arm 68 is rotated against the spring force of the torsion coil spring to rotate the claw member 64 to the unlock position. As a result, the lock mechanism 60 is unlocked. Further, as the support shaft 66 rotates against the spring force of the torsion coil spring, the cam plate 62 also rotates, the interlock switch 61 is turned off, and the image forming operation is prohibited.

  The user can pull out the front cover 6 and the drawer unit 80 to the front side F by further pulling forward while holding the pull lever 67. When the user releases the finger from the pull lever 67, the support shaft 66 is rotated by the spring force of the torsion coil spring, whereby the arm 68 is rotated and the projection 69 is moved backward. The protrusion 69 hits the rear edge of the notch 67a of the pull lever 67 and pushes it back, and the pull lever 67 is moved backward.

[Embodiment 2]
Next, another embodiment of the image forming apparatus according to the present invention (hereinafter, this embodiment is referred to as “Embodiment 2”) will be described.
FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing the front cover 6 according to the second embodiment.
FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the operation recess 6a of the front cover 6 according to the second embodiment as viewed from the back side.
In the second embodiment, an opening / closing lid member 90 is installed in the opening of the operation recess 6a. The opening / closing lid member 90 is pivotally attached to the lower edge of the opening of the operation recess 6a by a hinge. When the opening / closing lid member 90 is in the closed state, the opening of the operation recess 6a is closed to shield the lever 65 from the outside. When the opening / closing lid member 90 is in the open state, the operation recess 6a is opened, and the lever 65 can be accessed from the outside. The opening / closing lid member 90 is biased in a direction to maintain the closed state by a biasing means (not shown). The user can operate the lever 65 with the opening / closing lid member 90 opened by pushing the opening / closing lid member 90 into the operation recess 6a.

  Further, a slider 91 and a solenoid 92 which are lid lock mechanisms are provided on the back surface of the front cover 6. The slider 91 is provided on the lateral edge of the opening of the operation recess 6a, and is attached to the back surface of the front cover 6 so as to be slidable in the left-right direction. The slider 91 is attached to the advance / retreat axis of the solenoid 92 and slides in the left-right direction as the solenoid 92 advances / retreats. When the advance / retreat axis of the solenoid 92 is in the advance position, the tip of the slider 91 projects into the opening of the operation recess 6 a and faces the back surface of the opening / closing lid member 90. Thus, even if the user tries to push the opening / closing lid member 90 toward the inside of the operation recess 6a, the opening / closing lid member 90 cannot be opened, and the operation of the lever 65 is prohibited. On the other hand, when the advance / retreat axis of the solenoid 92 is in the retracted position, the tip of the slider 91 is retracted from the opening of the operation recess 6a. Thus, when the user pushes the opening / closing lid member 90 toward the inside of the operation recess 6a, the opening / closing lid member 90 can be opened, and the lever 65 can be operated.

  In the second embodiment, since the opening / closing lid member 90 as described above is provided, the lever 65 is shielded from the outside. Therefore, compared to the conventional configuration in which the lever 65 is not shielded from the outside, a person around the image forming apparatus may accidentally move the lever 65, or an object around the image forming apparatus may hit the lever 65 and move the lever 65. The possibility of moving it is greatly reduced.

  Moreover, in the second embodiment, by controlling the solenoid 92 of the lid lock mechanism to change the horizontal position of the slider 91, the opening / closing lid member 90 is prohibited from being opened and the lever 65 is accessed. Can be switched between a handle operation prohibition state in which the opening / closing lid member 90 is open and a handle operation enabling state in which the lever 65 can be accessed. Then, when it is not desired to prohibit the image forming operation, or when it is not desired to make the component parts removable, the control unit (not shown) controls the solenoid 92 so that the left and right sides of the slider 91 are set so that the handle operation is prohibited. By positioning the direction position, as in the case of the first embodiment described above, a situation in which the image forming operation is interrupted due to an erroneous operation of the lever 65 and toner is wasted, or unnecessary jam processing occurs. Can be prevented.

  Also in the second embodiment, a power transmission switching mechanism as in the above-described first embodiment (including modifications) may be provided. In this case, even if the lever 65 is erroneously operated, it is possible to prevent a situation in which the image forming operation is interrupted and the toner is wasted or unnecessary jam processing occurs. In particular, in this case, a detection unit that detects that the opening / closing lid member 90 is in an open state is installed, the detection unit detects that the opening / closing lid member 90 is in an open state, and the image forming operation is being performed. When a certain condition is satisfied, the power transmission switching mechanism is preferably configured so as to be in a power non-transmission state.

What has been described above is merely an example, and the present invention has a specific effect for each of the following modes.
(Aspect A)
An image forming unit that includes an image forming unit 5 that forms an image on a recording material such as paper in the apparatus main body, and at least a part of the apparatus main body can be exposed by opening an opening / closing cover such as a front cover 6. In the apparatus, the power transmission of the support shaft 66, the cam plate 62, and the like for transmitting the opening operation power when the handle members such as the lever 65 and the pulling lever 67 provided on the open / close cover in the closed state are moved in a predetermined opening operation direction. An image forming operation prohibiting means such as an interlock switch 61 that prohibits an image forming operation of the image forming unit 5 by the opening operation power transmitted from the member and the power transmitting member, and an image forming operation being performed When a predetermined power non-transmission condition such as a condition is satisfied, the power is set so that the power transmission member does not transmit the opening operation power to the image forming operation prohibiting unit. It reaches the switching mechanism 83,66B, and having a power transmission control means 84, and the like.
According to this, even if the lever 65 is erroneously operated during the image forming operation, the image forming operation is not interrupted, and it is possible to prevent a situation where toner is wasted or unnecessary jam processing occurs. be able to.

(Aspect B)
An image forming unit that includes an image forming unit 5 that forms an image on a recording material such as paper in the apparatus main body, and at least a part of the apparatus main body can be exposed by opening an opening / closing cover such as a front cover 6. In the apparatus, a power transmission member such as a support shaft 66 that transmits opening operation power when a handle member such as a lever 65 and a pulling lever 67 provided on the open / close cover in a closed state is moved in a predetermined opening operation direction; It is prohibited to remove components such as the secondary transfer device 52, the fixing unit 53, and the paper conveyance guide members 70 and 73 constituting the image forming unit 5 from the apparatus main body 11, and the opening operation power is transmitted from the power transmission member. The component parts locking means such as the claw member 64 that enables the component parts to be removed from the apparatus main body and the predetermined power such as the condition that the image forming operation is being performed. A power transmission control means such as a power transmission switching mechanism 83, 66b, 84, etc., in which when the transmission condition is satisfied, the power transmission member is placed in a power non-transmission state in which the opening operation power is not transmitted to the component lock means; It is characterized by having.
According to this, even if the lever 65 is erroneously operated during the image forming operation, the components can be detached from the apparatus main body, and the relative positional relationship between the component parts and the apparatus main body does not shift. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of unnecessary jam processing.

(Aspect C)
In the aspect A or B, the predetermined power non-transmission condition includes a condition that the image forming unit 5 is performing an image forming operation.
According to this, even if the lever 65 is erroneously operated during the image forming operation, it is possible to prevent a situation in which the image forming operation is interrupted or unnecessary jam processing occurs.

(Aspect D)
In the above aspect C, the opening / closing lid member 90 that shields the handle member from the outside in the closed state and allows the handle member to be accessed from the outside in the open state, and that the opening / closing lid member 90 is in the open state. The predetermined power non-transmission condition includes a condition that the detection means detects that the opening / closing lid member is in an open state.
According to this, a power transmission member can be made into a power non-transmission state more appropriately.

(Aspect E)
An image forming unit that includes an image forming unit 5 that forms an image on a recording material such as paper in the apparatus main body, and at least a part of the apparatus main body can be exposed by opening an opening / closing cover such as a front cover 6. In the apparatus, the power transmission of the support shaft 66, the cam plate 62, and the like for transmitting the opening operation power when the handle members such as the lever 65 and the pulling lever 67 provided on the open / close cover in the closed state are moved in a predetermined opening operation direction. And an image forming operation prohibiting means such as an interlock switch 61 for prohibiting an image forming operation of the image forming unit 5 by transmitting opening operation power from the power transmitting member, and the handle member in the closed state. And an open / close lid member 90 that allows the handle member to be accessed from the outside in the open state.
According to this, compared to the conventional configuration in which the handle member is not shielded from the outside, it is possible to suppress erroneous operation of the handle member, and it is possible to obviate a situation such as an image forming operation being interrupted or unnecessary jam processing occurring. Can be prevented.

(Aspect F)
An image forming unit that includes an image forming unit 5 that forms an image on a recording material such as paper in the apparatus main body, and at least a part of the apparatus main body can be exposed by opening an opening / closing cover such as a front cover 6. In the apparatus, a power transmission member such as a support shaft 66 that transmits opening operation power when a handle member such as a lever 65 and a pulling lever 67 provided on the open / close cover in a closed state is moved in a predetermined opening operation direction; It is prohibited to remove components such as the secondary transfer device 52, the fixing unit 53, and the paper conveyance guide members 70 and 73 constituting the image forming unit 5 from the apparatus main body 11, and the opening operation power is transmitted from the power transmission member. The component parts locking means such as the claw member 64 that enables the component parts to be removed from the apparatus main body by being done, and the handle member is shielded from the outside in the closed state, When the state is characterized by having a lid member 90 which allows access from the outside to the handle member.
According to this, compared to the conventional configuration in which the handle member is not shielded from the outside, erroneous operation of the handle member can be suppressed, and an image forming operation is interrupted or unnecessary jam processing occurs. Can be prevented.

(Aspect G)
In the aspect E or F described above, there is provided an opening / closing lid locking means such as a lid locking mechanism 91, 92 that prohibits the opening / closing lid portion from being opened when a predetermined opening / closing lid locking condition is satisfied. To do.
According to this, erroneous operation of the handle member can be suppressed more reliably.

(Aspect H)
In any one of the above aspects A to G, a drawer portion such as a drawer unit 80 that can be pulled out from a position inside the apparatus main body closed by the opening / closing cover is provided, and the drawer portion includes the image The apparatus includes a support structure such as a carrier 81 that is removably supported by some of the components that form the forming unit 5, and when the drawer is housed inside the device body, the device At least two positioning members such as positioning pins 81E and 81F for positioning the above-mentioned part of the components with respect to the main body are respectively formed on separate structural parts such as two rear side plates 81B and 81C. The support structure is configured by connecting the two to each other by a connecting member such as a stay 81D.
According to this, the positioning function and the strength securing function are divided into separate structural body parts (rear side plates 81B, 81C and stay 81D), respectively, so that it is easy to achieve both high positioning accuracy and strength securing. .

(Aspect I)
In the aspect H, the connecting member is a member having a square pipe shape in cross section.
Thereby, weight reduction can be achieved, ensuring intensity | strength.

(Aspect J)
In the above aspect H or I, the connecting member supports the part of the components from below.
In particular, by supporting components having a relatively large mass, such as the fixing unit 53, from below with a connecting member, such heavy components can be attached to and detached from the support structure by pulling up or down from above. It becomes. Therefore, the replacement work is facilitated as compared with a configuration in which heavy components are attached and detached in the horizontal direction.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Image forming apparatus 3 Paper feeding part 4 Image reading part 5 Image forming part 6 Front cover 6a Operation recessed part 52 Secondary transfer apparatus 53 Fixing unit 60 Locking mechanism 61 Interlock switch 62 Cam plate 63 Fixing member 64 Claw members 65, 67 Lever 66 Support shaft 66a D-shaped portion 66b Small diameter portion 68 Arm 69 Protrusion 70, 73 Paper transport guide member 80 Drawer unit 81 Carrier 81A Front side plate 81B Right rear side plate 81C Left rear side plate 81D Stay 81E, 81F Positioning pins 81G, 81H Slide rail 82 Rail 83 Solenoid 84, 87 Spring 85, 86 Rib 90 Opening / closing lid member 91 Slider 92 Solenoid

JP 2008-122452 A

Claims (10)

In an image forming apparatus provided with an image forming unit for forming an image on a recording material in the apparatus main body, and capable of exposing at least a part of the apparatus main body by opening an opening / closing cover.
A power transmission member for transmitting opening operation power when the handle member provided on the open / close cover in the closed state is moved in a predetermined opening operation direction;
An image forming operation prohibiting unit that prohibits an image forming operation of the image forming unit by transmitting opening operation power from the power transmitting member;
And a power transmission control means for bringing the power transmission member into a power non-transmission state in which the opening operation power is not transmitted to the image forming operation prohibiting means when a predetermined power non-transmission condition is satisfied. Image forming apparatus. In an image forming apparatus provided with an image forming unit for forming an image on a recording material in the apparatus main body, and capable of exposing at least a part of the apparatus main body by opening an opening / closing cover.
A power transmission member for transmitting opening operation power when the handle member provided on the open / close cover in the closed state is moved in a predetermined opening operation direction;
A component lock that prohibits the removal of the component parts constituting the image forming unit from the apparatus main body and allows the component parts to be removed from the apparatus main body by transmitting the opening operation power from the power transmission member. Means,
Power transmission control means for bringing the power transmission member into a power non-transmission state in which the opening operation power is not transmitted to the component lock means when a predetermined power non-transmission condition is satisfied. Forming equipment. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 or 2,
The predetermined power non-transmission condition includes a condition that the image forming unit is performing an image forming operation. The image forming apparatus according to claim 3.
An open / close lid member that shields the handle member from the outside when in the closed state, and allows the handle member to be accessed from the outside when in the open state;
Detecting means for detecting that the opening / closing lid member is in an open state;
The predetermined power non-transmission condition includes a condition that the detection unit detects that the opening / closing lid member is in an open state. In an image forming apparatus provided with an image forming unit for forming an image on a recording material in the apparatus main body, and capable of exposing at least a part of the apparatus main body by opening an opening / closing cover.
A power transmission member for transmitting opening operation power when the handle member provided on the open / close cover in the closed state is moved in a predetermined opening operation direction;
An image forming operation prohibiting unit that prohibits an image forming operation of the image forming unit by transmitting opening operation power from the power transmitting member;
An image forming apparatus comprising: an opening / closing lid member that shields the handle member from the outside when in the closed state and allows the handle member to be accessed from the outside when in the open state. In an image forming apparatus provided with an image forming unit for forming an image on a recording material in the apparatus main body, and capable of exposing at least a part of the apparatus main body by opening an opening / closing cover.
A power transmission member for transmitting opening operation power when the handle member provided on the open / close cover in the closed state is moved in a predetermined opening operation direction;
A component lock that prohibits the removal of the component parts constituting the image forming unit from the apparatus main body and allows the component parts to be removed from the apparatus main body by transmitting the opening operation power from the power transmission member. Means,
An image forming apparatus comprising: an opening / closing lid member that shields the handle member from the outside when in the closed state and allows the handle member to be accessed from the outside when in the open state. The image forming apparatus according to claim 5 or 6,
An image forming apparatus comprising: an opening / closing lid locking means for prohibiting the opening / closing lid portion from being opened when a predetermined opening / closing lid locking condition is satisfied. The image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7,
It has a drawer part that can be pulled out from the inside of the apparatus body closed by the opening and closing cover,
The drawer portion includes a support structure that is removably supported by some of the components constituting the image forming unit.
At least two positioning members for positioning the partial components with respect to the apparatus main body when the drawer portion is accommodated in the apparatus main body are formed in separate structure parts, and each structure part The image forming apparatus is characterized in that the support structure is configured by connecting the two to each other by a connecting member. The image forming apparatus according to claim 8.
The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the connecting member is a member having a square pipe shape in cross section. The image forming apparatus according to claim 8 or 9,
The image forming apparatus, wherein the connecting member supports the part of the components from below.

Images