JP2014145997A - Image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

An image forming apparatus capable of smoothly assembling a removing roller to a supply unit.
[Solution]
A guide portion 37 that guides the paper dust removing roller 25 to face the registration roller 24 is formed on the frame 31 of the paper feeding unit 9 so that the upper end of the guide portion 37 is opened, and the paper dust removing unit 32 is attached to the frame 31. In the state where the paper dust removing roller 25 is held horizontally, the both ends in the left and right direction of the paper dust removing roller 25 are fitted to the respective guide portions 37 of the pair of side frames 34 from above, and then the paper dust removing roller After making 25 face the registration roller 24, the support member 61 is assembled to the support member accommodating portion 36 so as to cover the upper end portion of the guide portion 37.
[Selection] Figure 4

Description

  The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus that forms an image on a recording medium.

  As an image forming apparatus, an image forming apparatus including an image forming unit that forms an image on a recording medium and a supply unit configured to supply the recording medium to the image forming unit is known.

  For example, a color laser printer having a registration driving roller and a paper dust removing roller and including a paper feeding unit that feeds paper to an image forming unit has been proposed (for example, see Patent Document 1 below).

JP 2012-206805 A

  However, in the above-described color laser printer described in Patent Document 1, the paper dust removing roller is supported in the paper dust containing box and supported at the end of the bearing guide groove of the side frame of the paper feeding unit. Has been.

  Here, the bearing guide groove is a substantially rectangular through-hole that is long in the axial direction between the registration driving roller and the paper dust removing roller. That is, both ends of the bearing guide groove are closed in the direction between the axes of the registration driving roller and the paper dust removing roller.

  Therefore, in order to assemble this paper dust removing roller to the frame, the end of the paper dust removing roller is inserted into the bearing guide groove while holding the paper dust containing box obliquely with respect to the frame, It may be difficult to smoothly perform the assembly work.

  Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus capable of smoothly assembling a removal roller with respect to a casing.

(1) In order to achieve the above-described object, an image forming apparatus of the present invention includes a housing that supports an image forming unit configured to form an image on a recording medium, and an image forming device that is supported in the housing. A supply unit configured to supply a recording medium to the unit.

  The supply unit includes a conveyance roller configured to convey the recording medium, and a removal roller configured to remove deposits adhering to the recording medium, and the removal roller faces the conveyance roller. A removal unit; a biasing member that biases the removal roller toward the conveyance roller; a support member that supports the biasing member; and a guide unit that guides the removal roller so as to face the conveyance roller.

  The guide portion has an open end that is opened in a direction orthogonal to the axial direction of the removal roller.

  The support member is supported by the housing so as to cover the open end.

  According to such a configuration, when the removal roller is assembled to the housing, first, the end of the removal roller is received in the guide so as to pass through the open end of the guide, and then slides in the guide. be able to. And after making a removal roller oppose a conveyance roller, while attaching a supporting member so that an open end part may be covered, a biasing member can be assembled | attached and a removal roller can be assembled | attached to a housing | casing.

  That is, the removal roller can be easily received in the guide portion using the open end portion and can be opposed to the transport roller.

As a result, the removal roller can be smoothly assembled to the housing.
(2) The housing may have a support member accommodating portion that communicates with the open end of the guide portion and accommodates the support member. The support member may include a contact portion that protrudes to the opposite side with respect to the biasing member and has a contact surface that intersects the protruding direction. In this case, the support member housing portion may include a positioning portion that extends substantially parallel to the direction in which the contact surface extends and contacts the contact surface in a direction that intersects the direction in which the contact surface extends.

  According to such a configuration, the support member can be positioned in a direction intersecting the direction in which the contact surface extends by bringing the contact portion of the support member into contact with the positioning portion of the support member housing portion.

  Therefore, it is possible to suppress the support member from rattling in the direction intersecting with the direction in which the contact surface extends.

As a result, the biasing member can be reliably positioned with respect to the removal roller, and the removal roller can be reliably biased by the biasing member.
(3) The housing moves to an opening that communicates the inside and outside of the housing, an opening / closing member that opens and closes the opening, a contact position that contacts the support member, and a release position that releases the contact with the support member. And a moving member configured as described above. In this case, the moving member may be disposed at the contact position in conjunction with the operation of the opening / closing member closing the opening, and may be disposed at the release position in conjunction with the operation of the opening / closing member opening the opening. Further, the support member moves in a direction toward the conveyance roller when the moving member is arranged at the contact position, and moves in a direction away from the conveyance roller when the moving member is arranged at the release position. Good.

  According to such a configuration, the supporting member can be moved toward the transport roller in conjunction with the closing operation of the opening / closing member, and the removal roller can be pressed against the transport roller by the biasing force of the biasing member.

  Therefore, the recording medium can be reliably conveyed in the image forming operation.

  In addition, the supporting member can be retracted from the conveying roller in conjunction with the opening operation of the opening / closing member, the urging force of the urging member against the removing roller can be reduced, and the pressing force of the removing roller against the conveying roller can be reduced.

Therefore, when the recording medium is jammed between the removal roller and the conveying roller, the opening can be opened to easily remove the jammed recording medium.
(4) The housing may include an interlocking mechanism for interlocking the opening / closing member and the moving member.

According to such a configuration, the opening / closing member and the moving member can be reliably linked.
(5) The support member may include a second contact portion that extends in a direction substantially orthogonal to the direction in which the contact surface extends. In this case, the support member housing portion may include a second positioning portion that extends in a direction substantially orthogonal to the direction in which the contact surface extends and contacts the second contact portion.

  According to such a configuration, the support member can be positioned in the direction in which the contact surface extends by bringing the second contact portion of the support member into contact with the second positioning portion of the support member housing portion.

  Therefore, it is possible to prevent the support member from rattling in the direction in which the contact surface extends.

As a result, the biasing member can be more reliably positioned with respect to the removal roller, and the removal roller can be biased more reliably by the biasing member.
(6) The positioning portion and the second positioning portion may be formed continuously and integrally. In this case, a concave portion that is recessed on the opposite side to the direction in which the contact surface extends may be formed at a boundary portion between the contact portion and the second contact portion.

  According to such a configuration, the positioning portion that extends substantially parallel to the direction in which the contact surface extends and the second positioning portion that extends in a direction substantially orthogonal to the direction in which the contact surface extends are continuous. That is, the support member housing portion is formed substantially at a right angle in the continuous portion between the positioning portion and the second positioning portion.

  Generally, since it is difficult to form such a continuous portion with a right angle with high accuracy, when the support member is positioned with respect to the support member accommodating portion, the continuous portion between the positioning portion and the second positioning portion is: There is a case where it interferes with a boundary portion between the contact portion and the second contact portion. When the continuous part of the positioning part and the second positioning part interferes with the boundary part between the contact part and the second contact part, the contact of the contact part with the positioning part and the second contact with the second positioning part In some cases, it may be difficult to simultaneously realize the contact of the portions.

  However, a concave portion is formed in the support member at a boundary portion between the contact portion and the second contact portion.

  Therefore, when positioning the support member with respect to the support member accommodating portion, the continuous portion of the positioning portion and the second positioning portion can be received in the recess, and the continuous portion of the positioning portion and the second positioning portion is Interference with the boundary portion between the contact portion and the second contact portion can be suppressed.

  Thereby, the contact of the contact part with the positioning part and the contact of the second contact part with the second positioning part can be realized simultaneously.

As a result, the support member can be accurately positioned with respect to the support member housing portion.
(7) The support member may include a third contact portion that extends to the opposite side of the second contact portion with respect to the contact portion. In this case, the support member housing portion may include a third positioning portion that extends in a direction substantially orthogonal to the direction in which the contact surface extends and contacts the third contact portion.

  According to such a configuration, the support member can be further positioned in the direction in which the contact surface extends by bringing the third contact portion of the support member into contact with the third positioning portion of the support member housing portion.

  Therefore, it is possible to further suppress the support member from rattling in the direction in which the contact surface extends.

As a result, the biasing member can be more reliably positioned with respect to the removal roller, and the removal roller can be biased more reliably by the biasing member.
(8) The support member housing portion may have an insertion opening into which the support member is inserted.

According to such a configuration, the support member can be easily inserted into the support member accommodating portion via the insertion opening.
(9) The support member may include a protrusion that protrudes along the direction in which the contact surface extends on the side opposite to the contact part and is elastically deformable.

  According to such a configuration, when the support member is inserted into the support member housing portion, the projecting portion is inserted into the insertion opening while elastically deforming the projecting portion, and after the support member is inserted into the support member housing member, the projecting portion is inserted. It can be restored elastically.

For this reason, after the support member is inserted into the support member housing portion, it is possible to prevent the support member from being detached from the support member housing portion by interfering with the peripheral portion of the insertion opening.
(10) The guide portion is formed continuously on the downstream side in the guide direction of the first guide portion and the first guide portion formed on the upstream side in the guide direction for guiding the removal roller, and is wider than the first guide portion. And a narrow second guide portion.

  According to such a configuration, when the removal roller is guided by the guide portion, first, the removal roller can be smoothly received in the relatively wide first guide portion.

  Thereafter, the removal roller can be received in a relatively narrow second guide portion along the first guide portion, and the removal roller can be positioned with respect to the transport roller.

As a result, while the removal roller can be smoothly received with respect to the guide portion, the removal roller can be reliably positioned with respect to the transport roller.
(11) The supply unit may include a frame constituting a conveyance path for the recording medium. In this case, the guide part may be provided in the frame.

  According to such a configuration, since both the guide portion and the conveyance path are provided on the frame, the removal roller can be accurately positioned with respect to the conveyance path.

  According to the image forming apparatus of the present invention, the removal roller can be smoothly assembled to the housing.

FIG. 1 is a central sectional view showing a printer as a first embodiment of an image forming apparatus of the present invention. 2 is a perspective view of the sheet feeding unit shown in FIG. 1 as viewed from the right front side. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the paper feed unit shown in FIG. FIG. 4 is an explanatory view for explaining the assembling operation of the paper feeding unit shown in FIG. 2 and showing the process of assembling the paper dust removing unit to the frame. FIG. 5 shows a cross-sectional view of the frame shown in FIG. FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the assembling operation of the paper feeding unit following FIG. 4 and shows a process of assembling the pressing member to the frame. 7 shows the support member shown in FIG. 6, FIG. 7A is a perspective view seen from the front upper side, and FIG. 7B is a perspective view seen from the lower front side. FIG. 8 is an explanatory view for explaining the assembly operation of the support member shown in FIG. 7. FIG. 8A shows a state in which the rear end portion of the support member is inserted into the support member accommodating portion, and FIG. 8C shows a state in which the support member is further inserted into the support member housing portion while pressing the front end portion of the support member against the lower inner peripheral surface of the support member housing portion, and FIG. 8C is continued from FIG. The state which the assembly | attachment operation | work of the supporting member with respect to a part was completed is shown. FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the assembling operation of the paper feeding unit following FIG. 8, and shows a process of assembling the compression spring to the frame. FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram for explaining a paper feeding unit in the second embodiment, showing a biased state of the paper dust removing roller when the top cover is closed, and a rear view of the left end portion of the paper feeding unit. is there. In addition, in FIG. 10, the part enclosed with the continuous line is shown as sectional drawing. FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of the sheet feeding unit shown in FIG. FIG. 12 is an explanatory diagram for explaining a paper feeding unit according to the second embodiment, showing a biased state of the paper dust removing roller when the top cover is opened, and a rear view of the left end portion of the paper feeding unit. is there. In addition, in FIG. 12, the part enclosed with the continuous line is shown as sectional drawing.

FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view of the paper feeding unit shown in FIG.

1. Overall Configuration of Printer As shown in FIG. 1, a printer 1 as an example of an image forming apparatus is a horizontal type direct tandem color printer.

  In the following description, when referring to the direction of the printer 1, the state in which the printer 1 is horizontally placed is used as the upper and lower reference. That is, the upper side in FIG. 1 is the upper side, and the lower side in FIG. 1 is the lower side. 1 is the front side, and the right side of FIG. 1 is the rear side. In addition, when the printer 1 is viewed from the front side, the left and right reference is used. That is, the front side in FIG. 1 is the right side and the back side is the left side.

  The printer 1 includes a main body casing 2 as an example of a substantially box-shaped housing. A top cover 4 as an example of an opening / closing member that opens and closes a main body opening 3 as an example of an opening is provided at the upper end of the main body casing 2 so as to be swingable with the rear end as a fulcrum. In the main casing 2, the printer 1 includes a paper feeding unit 9 as an example of a supply unit, a process unit 5 as an example of a plurality of image forming units, a plurality of LED units 6, a transfer unit 7, and a fixing unit. 8 and.

  The sheet feeding unit 9 is disposed in the front lower end of the main casing 2. The paper feed unit 9 includes a pickup roller 10, a registration roller 24 as an example of a transport roller, and a paper dust removal roller 25 as an example of a removal roller.

  The pickup roller 10 is disposed at the lower end of the paper feed unit 9 above the front end of a paper feed tray 22 described later.

  The registration roller 24 is rotatably supported on the upper end portion of the paper feeding unit 9. The registration roller 24 is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape extending in the left-right direction as an example of the axial direction.

  The paper dust removing roller 25 is disposed opposite to the front upper side of the registration roller 24 and is rotatably supported. The paper dust removing roller 25 is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape extending in the left-right direction.

  All the process units 5 are detachably provided in the main casing 2. The plurality of process units 5 correspond to one of yellow, magenta, cyan, and black, respectively, and are arranged in parallel at intervals in the front-rear direction.

  The process unit 5 includes a photosensitive drum 11, a scorotron charger 12, a developing roller 13, and a supply roller 14.

  The photosensitive drum 11 is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape that is long in the left-right direction, and is rotatably provided at the rear lower end of the process unit 5.

  The scorotron charger 12 is disposed opposite to the rear upper side of the photosensitive drum 11 with a space therebetween.

  The developing roller 13 is rotatably supported on the front upper side of the photosensitive drum 11 so as to be in contact with the photosensitive drum 11. The developing roller 13 is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape extending in the left-right direction.

  The supply roller 14 is rotatably supported on the front upper side of the developing roller 13 so as to be in contact with the developing roller 13. The supply roller 14 is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape extending in the left-right direction.

  Further, the process unit 5 includes a layer thickness regulating blade 15 that regulates the thickness of the toner supplied to the developing roller 13. The process unit 5 contains toner on the upper side of the developing roller 13 and the supply roller 14.

  Each of the plurality of LED units 6 is disposed opposite to the upper side of the photosensitive drum 11 of the plurality of process units 5.

  The transfer unit 7 is disposed opposite to the lower side of the plurality of process units 5. The transfer unit 7 includes a driving roller 16, a driven roller 17, a conveyance belt 18, and a plurality of transfer rollers 19.

  The driving roller 16 is rotatably supported at the rear end portion of the transfer unit 7.

  The driven roller 17 is rotatably supported at the front end portion of the transfer unit 7.

  The conveying belt 18 is wound around the driving roller 16 and the driven roller 17 so that the upper portion thereof is in contact with all the photosensitive drums 11 from the lower side. The conveyor belt 18 is moved in a circular motion by the driving of the driving roller 16 and the driven roller 17 so that the upper portion thereof moves from the front side toward the rear side.

  Each of the plurality of transfer rollers 19 is disposed opposite to the lower side of each of the plurality of photosensitive drums 11 so as to sandwich the upper portion of the conveyance belt 18.

  The fixing unit 8 is disposed opposite to the rear side of the transfer unit 7. The fixing unit 8 includes a heating roller 20 and a pressure roller 21 facing the heating roller 20.

  When a print job is input to the printer 1, an image forming operation is started. Then, the toner in the process unit 5 is triboelectrically charged positively between the supply roller 14 and the developing roller 13 and is carried on the surface of the developing roller 13 as a thin layer having a constant thickness by the layer thickness regulating blade 15. The

  On the other hand, the surface of the photosensitive drum 11 is uniformly positively charged by the scorotron charger 12 and then exposed by the LED unit 6 based on predetermined image data. Thereby, an electrostatic latent image based on the image data is formed on the surface of the photosensitive drum 11. The toner carried on the developing roller 13 is supplied to the electrostatic latent image on the surface of the photosensitive drum 11, whereby the toner image is carried on the surface of the photosensitive drum 11.

  A sheet P as an example of a recording medium is accommodated in a sheet feed tray 22 provided at the bottom of the main casing 2 and is picked up by the rotation of the pickup roller 10 and then U-turns to the rear upper side by various rollers. The sheet is fed between the photosensitive drum 11 and the conveyor belt 18 one by one at a predetermined timing by driving the registration roller 24 and following the paper dust removing roller 25. At this time, adhered matter such as paper dust attached to the printing surface of the paper P adheres to the paper dust removing roller 25 and is removed from the printing surface of the paper P. Then, the transport belt 18 transports between all the photosensitive drums 11 and all the transfer rollers 19 from the front side to the rear side. At this time, the toner image is transferred to the paper P by the transfer bias applied to the transfer roller 19.

  The paper P is heated and pressed when it passes between the heating roller 20 and the pressure roller 21. At this time, the toner image is thermally fixed on the paper P.

Thereafter, the paper P is conveyed so as to make a U-turn to the front upper side, and is discharged onto a paper discharge tray 23 provided on the top cover 4.
2. Paper Feed Unit As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the paper feed unit 9 includes a frame 31, a paper dust removal unit 32 as an example of a removal unit, and a pressing member 33.
(1) Frame As shown in FIG. 4, the frame 31 is formed in a substantially prismatic shape that is long in the left-right direction. The frame 31 includes a pair of left and right side frames 34, a registration roller 24, and a transport frame 35.

  Each of the pair of side frames 34 is provided at both left and right ends of the frame 31. The side frame 34 is formed in a substantially prismatic shape extending in the vertical direction. The side frame 34 includes a side plate 30.

  The side plate 30 constitutes an inner wall in the left-right direction of the side frame 34 and is formed in a substantially rectangular shape in side view extending in the up-down direction. The side plate 30 has a support member accommodating portion 36, a guide portion 37, and a boss support portion 38.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the support member accommodating portion 36 is disposed at the upper end portion of the side plate 30. The support member accommodating portion 36 is formed in a substantially rectangular tube shape having a front end portion opened and a rear end portion closed. In other words, the insertion opening 48 is formed at the front end portion of the support member accommodating portion 36. The support member accommodating portion 36 includes a receiving portion 41, a fitting portion 39, and an engaging portion 40.

  The receiving portion 41 is disposed at a substantially central portion in the front-rear direction of the support member housing portion 36. The receiving part 41 is formed in a substantially rectangular shape in plan view so as to cut out the support member housing part 36 in the entire vertical direction. The front-rear direction length of the receiving part 41 is longer than the front-rear direction length of a bearing part described later of the paper dust removing unit 32.

  The fitting portion 39 is formed in a substantially rectangular shape in sectional view so as to be recessed from the inner surface to the rear side at the lower end portion of the rear wall of the support member housing portion 36. The upper inner peripheral surface 47 of the fitting portion 39 extends in the front-rear direction.

  The engaging portion 40 is provided on the front side of the receiving portion 41 on the upper wall of the front end portion of the support member accommodating portion 36. The engaging portion 40 includes a first wall 42 as an example of a positioning portion that extends downward from the rear end edge of the upper wall on the front side of the receiving portion 41, and a second positioning that extends forward from the lower end edge of the first wall 42. A second wall 43 as an example of the unit is integrally provided.

  The guide part 37 is arrange | positioned under the support member accommodating part 36, as shown in FIG. The guide portion 37 extends to the rear lower side continuously to the lower end portion of the receiving portion 41, and is formed so as to penetrate in a substantially U shape in side view with an upper end portion 49 as an example of an open end portion opened upward. The guide part 37 is integrally provided with a first guide part 44 and a second guide part 45.

  The first guide part 44 is the upper half of the guide part 37. The groove width of the first guide portion 44 is longer than the length in the front-rear direction of a bearing portion 52 described later of the paper dust removing unit 32.

  The second guide part 45 is the lower half of the guide part 37. The groove width of the second guide portion 45 is slightly shorter than the groove width of the first guide portion 44 and slightly longer than the length in the front-rear direction of a bearing portion 52 described later of the paper dust removing unit 32.

  The registration roller 24 is disposed between the pair of side frames 34 on the lower rear side of the guide portion 37. Each of the left and right end portions of the registration roller 24 is rotatably supported by the respective side plates 30 of the pair of side frames 34.

  The boss support portion 38 is disposed on the front side of the guide portion 37. The boss support portion 38 is formed as a concave groove having a substantially V shape in side view so as to be recessed from the front end portion of the side plate 30 to the rear side.

  The conveyance frame 35 is installed between the pair of side frames 34 below the guide portion 37 and the boss support portion 38. The conveyance frame 35 is formed in a substantially prismatic shape extending in the left-right direction. As shown in FIG. 1, a transport path 46 as an example of a transport path is formed in the transport frame 35.

The conveyance path 46 is formed so as to extend in the vertical direction substantially at the center in the front-rear direction of the conveyance frame 35 and to bend toward the rear side as it goes upward. The upper end portion of the conveyance path 46 faces the upper end portion of the registration roller 24.
(2) Paper dust removing unit As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the paper dust removing unit 32 is disposed between the upper ends of the pair of side frames 34. The paper dust removing unit 32 includes a paper dust container 51 and a paper dust removing roller 25.

  The paper dust container 51 is formed in a substantially box shape extending in the left-right direction. The paper dust container 51 includes a bearing 52 and a support boss 53.

  The bearing portion 52 is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape so as to penetrate the rear lower end portion of the left and right outer wall of the paper dust container 51 and protrude outward in the left and right direction from the left and right outer wall of the paper dust container 51. Yes. The bearing portion 52 includes a receiving portion 54.

  The receiving part 54 is provided in the upper end part of the bearing part 52, and is formed in the substantially flat plate shape extended in front and rear, right and left. The receiving portion 54 includes an engagement boss 55.

  The engaging boss 55 is formed in a substantially cross shape in plan view that protrudes upward from the upper surface of the receiving portion 54.

  The support boss 53 is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape that protrudes outward in the left-right direction from the front lower end of the left-right outer wall of the paper dust container 51.

  The paper dust removing roller 25 is supported in the rear end portion of the paper dust container 51 as shown in FIG. The paper dust removing roller 25 includes a roller shaft 25A and a roller body 25B.

  The roller shaft 25A is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape extending in the left-right direction from the metal.

  The roller body 25B is formed of a hard resin material or the like into a substantially cylindrical shape extending in the left-right direction, and covers the roller shaft 25A so as to expose both left and right ends of the roller shaft 25A. The roller body 25B is formed to be longer than the horizontal length of the image forming area of the photosensitive drum 11 so as to be in contact with the entire width of the paper P.

  Then, as shown in FIG. 4, the paper dust removing roller 25 is configured such that the outer end of the roller shaft 25 </ b> A is inserted into the bearing portion 52 of the paper dust containing portion 51 from the inner side in the left-right direction. 51 is disposed in the rear lower end portion of 51.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the paper dust removing unit 32 has a bearing portion 52 fitted in a lower end portion of the second guide portion 45 of the side plate 30, and a support boss 53 supporting the boss of the side plate 30. By being fitted in the portion 38, it is supported between the upper ends of the pair of side frames 34. In this state, the paper dust removing roller 25 is in contact with the registration roller 24 from the front upper side.
(3) Pressing member As shown in FIGS. 3 and 6, the pressing member 33 includes a support member 61 and a compression spring 62 as an example of an urging member.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 7, the support member 61 is formed in a flat plate shape that is substantially rectangular in plan view and extends in the front-rear direction. The support member 61 includes a lower wall 64, a pair of left and right side walls 63, a front wall 65, and a rear wall 66.

  The lower wall 64 is formed in a substantially flat plate shape extending in the front-rear direction. Specifically, the front half 64A of the lower wall 64 extends along the front-rear direction. Further, the rear half 64B of the lower wall 64 extends from the rear end portion of the front half 64A so as to incline to the rear upper side. The lower wall 64 includes a pair of front and rear engaging protrusions 70 and a fitting protrusion 71 as an example of a third contact portion.

  Each of the pair of engaging protrusions 70 is formed in a substantially prismatic shape extending from the lower surface of the rear half 64B of the lower wall 64 toward the rear lower side.

  The fitting protrusion 71 is formed in a substantially bent flat plate shape that extends from the rear end of the lower wall 64 to the rear lower side, bends rearward at the lower end thereof, and extends rearward.

  Each of the pair of side walls 63 is formed in a flat plate shape having a substantially rectangular shape in side view extending upward from each of both left and right end portions of the lower wall 64. The side wall 63 includes a contact protrusion 67 as an example of a contact portion and a receiving recess 68 as an example of a recess.

  The contact protrusion 67 is formed in a substantially triangular shape in side view so as to protrude from the upper end edge of the side wall 63 toward the front upper side above the rear end portion of the front half 64 </ b> A of the lower wall 64. That is, the front upper side is an example of the protruding direction of the contact protrusion 67. A front surface 69 as an example of a contact surface of the contact protrusion 67 extends in the vertical direction. That is, the vertical direction is an example of the direction in which the front surface 69 extends. That is, the front surface 69 extends in a direction intersecting with the direction toward the front upper side as an example of the protruding direction.

  The receiving recess 68 is disposed on the front side of the contact protrusion 67. The receiving recess 68 is cut out so as to be recessed downward from the upper surface of the side wall 63 continuously to the front surface 69 of the contact protrusion 67, and is formed in a substantially U shape in side view with the upper end opened. . That is, the receiving recess 68 is formed at a boundary portion between the contact protrusion 67 and the portion 75 on the front side of the contact protrusion 67 of the side wall 63.

  The front wall 65 is formed in a substantially flat plate shape that extends upward from the side wall 63 toward the upper side from the front end portion of the lower wall 64.

  The rear wall 66 is formed in a substantially flat plate shape that extends upward from the rear end portion of the lower wall 64 on the front side of the fitting protrusion 71.

  In addition, the support member 61 includes an elastic portion 72.

  The elastic portion 72 is formed in a bent plate shape having a substantially L shape in cross-sectional view continuously from the upper end portion of the front wall 65 to the front end portion of the lower wall 64. Specifically, the elastic portion 72 is partitioned inside a notch 73 having a substantially U shape in a bottom view formed continuously from the upper end portion of the front wall 65 to the front end portion of the lower wall 64, and the upper end portion of the front wall 65. Extends downward from the bottom, bent at the lower end thereof to the rear side, and extends to the rear side. The elastic part 72 includes a protruding part 74.

  The protruding portion 74 is disposed at the rear end portion of the elastic portion 72. The projecting portion 74 is formed in a substantially hemispherical shape that bulges downward from the lower surface of the elastic portion 72.

  The support member 61 has a fitting projection 71 fitted into the fitting portion 39 of the support member housing portion 36, and the abutting protrusion 67 rearward of the engaging portion 40 of the support member housing portion 36. The support member accommodating portion 36 is fitted so as to be opposed from the side. In this state, the rear half 64 </ b> B of the lower wall 64 of the support member 61 is opposed to the upper side of the guide portion 37 so as to cover the upper end portion 49 of the guide portion 37.

  The upper end of the compression spring 62 is engaged with the rear half 64B of the lower wall 64 of the support member 61 so as to receive the pair of engaging projections 70, and the lower end of the compression spring 62 engages with the engaging boss 55. It is engaged with the receiving part 54 of the paper dust container 51 so as to receive it. As a result, the paper dust removing roller 25 is urged toward the registration roller 24.

  In this state, the fitting protrusion 71 of the support member 61 is in contact with the upper inner peripheral surface 47 of the fitting portion 39 of the support member accommodating portion 36 and is positioned in the vertical direction. That is, the upper inner peripheral surface 47 of the fitting portion 39 is an example of a third positioning portion.

  Further, the front end portion of the support member 61 is positioned in the vertical direction and the front-rear direction by the contact protrusion 67 being caught by the engaging portion 40. Specifically, the contact protrusion 67 is in contact with the first wall 42 of the engaging portion 40 from the rear side on the front surface 69. Further, the side wall 63 of the support member 61 is in contact with the second wall 43 of the engagement portion 40 from below in a portion 75 on the front side of the contact protrusion 67. In the following description, a portion 75 on the front side of the contact protrusion 67 in the side wall 63 is referred to as a contact portion 75. The contact portion 75 is an example of a second contact portion.

Further, the protruding portion 74 of the support member 61 faces the lower inner peripheral surface of the support member accommodating portion 36 from the upper side with a slight gap.
3. Assembling the paper feeding unit 9, as shown in FIG. 4, first, the paper dust removing unit 32 is assembled to the frame 31.

  In order to assemble the paper dust removing unit 32 to the frame 31, the paper dust removing unit 32 is arranged substantially horizontally with respect to the frame 31 above the frame 31.

  Then, in a state where the paper dust removing unit 32 is held substantially horizontally with respect to the frame 31, the bearing portion 52 is fitted into the receiving portion 41 of the support member housing portion 36, and the support boss 53 is the support member. It inserts between a pair of side frames 34 so that the front side of the accommodating part 36 may be passed.

  Thereafter, the paper dust removing unit 32 is pushed downward. Then, the paper dust removing unit 32 moves rearward and downward until the paper dust removing roller 25 contacts the registration roller 24 while being guided by the guide portion 37 of the support member accommodating portion 36 at the bearing portion 52. That is, the direction from the front upper side to the rear lower side is an example of a guide direction. The front upper side is an example of the upstream side in the guiding direction, and the rear lower side is an example of the downstream side in the guiding direction.

  As shown in FIG. 6, when the paper dust removing roller 25 comes into contact with the registration roller 24 and the support boss 53 is fitted into the boss support portion 38, the assembly of the paper dust removing unit 32 to the frame 31 is completed. To do.

  Next, in order to assemble the paper feeding unit 9, the support member 61 is assembled to the frame 31.

  In order to assemble the support member 61 to the frame 31, first, as shown in FIG. 8A, the support member 61 is inserted into the insertion opening 48 of the support member accommodating portion 36 from the rear end portion.

  Then, the contact protrusion 67 of the support member 61 contacts the second wall 43 of the engagement portion 40 of the support member accommodating portion 36 from the front side.

  Next, in order to assemble the support member 61 to the frame 31, as shown in FIG. 8B, while pressing the support member 61 against the lower inner peripheral surface of the support member accommodating portion 36 so as to bend the elastic portion 72, It pushes back toward the inside of the support member accommodating portion 36.

  Then, the support member 61 moves to the rear side so that the contact protrusion 67 passes through the lower side of the second wall 43 toward the rear side. As a result, the fitting protrusion 71 of the support member 61 is inserted into the fitting portion 39 of the support member accommodating portion 36.

  Then, as shown in FIG. 8C, when the contact protrusion 67 is disposed on the rear side of the engaging portion 40, the elastic portion 72 is restored, and the support member 61 is moved slightly upward. Thereby, the contact protrusion 67 is opposed to the first wall 42 of the engaging portion 40 from the rear side.

  Thereby, the assembly of the support member 61 to the frame 31 is completed.

  Next, in order to assemble the paper feeding unit 9, a compression spring 62 is assembled to the frame 31 as shown in FIG. 9.

  In order to assemble the compression spring 62 to the frame 31, the compression spring 62 is disposed on the outer side in the left-right direction of the side plate 30 of the side frame 34, and one end thereof engages with the rear half 64 </ b> B of the lower wall 64 of the support member 61. Then, the other end is fitted into the guide portion 37 from the outside in the left-right direction so as to be engaged with the receiving portion 54 of the paper dust container 51.

  Thereby, the compression spring 62 is assembled | attached with respect to the flame | frame 31, and the support member 61 is pressed to the front upper side.

  Thereby, as shown in FIG. 3, the contact protrusion 67 is pressed against the first wall 42 of the engaging portion 40 from the rear side. Further, the contact portion 75 is pressed against the second wall 43 of the engaging portion 40 from below. Further, the fitting protrusion 71 is pressed against the upper inner peripheral surface 47 of the fitting portion 39 from below.

In this manner, the support member 61 is positioned in the support member housing portion 36, and the assembly of the paper feed unit 9 is completed.
4). Operation and Effect (1) According to the printer 1, as shown in FIG. 4, the upper end portion of the guide portion 37 that guides the paper dust removing roller 25 to the registration roller 24 is opened upward and the support member accommodating portion. It continues to 36 receiving parts 41.

  Therefore, when assembling the paper dust removing unit 32 to the frame 31, each of the left and right ends of the paper dust removing roller 25 is paired with a pair of sides while the paper dust removing unit 32 is held horizontally with respect to the frame 31. Each guide part 37 of the frame 34 can be received from above.

  Then, after the paper dust removing roller 25 is made to face the registration roller 24, the support member 61 is assembled to the support member accommodating portion 36 so as to cover the upper end portion of the guide portion 37.

  That is, the paper dust removing unit 32 can be easily received in the guide portion 37 and opposed to the registration roller 24 using the upper end portion of the guide portion 37 and the receiving portion 41 of the support member housing portion 36.

As a result, the paper dust removing unit 32 can be smoothly assembled to the frame 31.
(2) According to this printer 1, as shown in FIG. 3, the contact protrusion 67 of the support member 61 is contacted from the rear side to the first wall 42 of the engagement portion 40 of the support member accommodating portion 36. The support member 61 can be positioned in the front-rear direction.

  Therefore, it can suppress that the supporting member 61 rattles in the front-back direction.

As a result, the compression spring 62 can be reliably positioned with respect to the paper dust removing roller 25, and the paper dust removing roller 25 can be reliably urged by the compression spring 62.
(3) According to the printer 1, as shown in FIG. 3, the contact portion 75 of the support member 61 is brought into contact with the first wall 42 of the engagement portion 40 of the support member accommodating portion 36 from below. The support member 61 can be positioned in the vertical direction.

  Therefore, it is possible to prevent the support member 61 from rattling in the vertical direction.

As a result, the compression spring 62 can be more reliably positioned with respect to the paper dust removing roller 25, and the paper dust removing roller 25 can be more reliably biased by the compression spring 62.
(4) According to the printer 1, as shown in FIG. 3, the engaging portion 40 is configured such that the first wall 42 and the second wall 43 are continuous at a substantially right angle.

  In general, it is difficult to accurately form such a continuous portion substantially at a right angle. Therefore, when the support member 61 is positioned with respect to the support member accommodating portion 36, the first wall 42 and the second wall 43 May interfere with the boundary portion between the contact portion 75 and the contact protrusion 67. When the continuous part of the first wall 42 and the second wall 43 interferes with the boundary part between the contact part 75 and the contact protrusion 67, the contact of the contact protrusion 67 with the first wall and the second wall 43 It may be difficult to realize the contact of the contact portion 75 at the same time.

  However, a receiving recess 68 is formed in the support member 61 at a boundary portion between the contact portion 75 and the contact protrusion 67.

  Therefore, when the support member 61 is positioned with respect to the support member housing portion 36, a continuous portion of the first wall 42 and the second wall 43 can be received in the receiving recess 68, and the first wall 42 and the second wall 42 can be received. It can suppress that the continuous part with the wall 43 interferes with the boundary part of the contact part 75 and the contact protrusion 67. FIG.

  Thereby, the contact of the contact protrusion 67 with the first wall and the contact of the contact portion 75 with the second wall 43 can be realized simultaneously.

As a result, the support member 61 can be accurately positioned with respect to the support member accommodating portion 36.
(5) According to the printer 1, the fitting protrusion 71 of the support member 61 is brought into contact with the upper inner peripheral surface of the fitting portion 39 of the support member accommodating portion 36, and the support member 61 is further moved in the vertical direction. Can be positioned.

  Therefore, it is possible to further suppress the support member 61 from rattling in the vertical direction.

As a result, the compression spring 62 can be more reliably positioned with respect to the paper dust removing roller 25, and the paper dust removing roller 25 can be more reliably biased by the compression spring 62.
(6) According to the printer 1, as shown in FIG. 6, the insertion opening 48 into which the support member 61 is inserted is formed at the front end portion of the support member housing portion 36.

Therefore, the support member 61 can be easily inserted into the support member accommodating portion 36 through the insertion opening 48.
(7) According to the printer 1, as shown in FIG. 7B, the support member 61 includes the elastic portion 72 having the protruding portion 74 protruding downward at the lower end portion.

  Therefore, when the support member 61 is inserted into the support member accommodating portion 36, as shown in FIG. 8B, the elastic portion 72 having the protrusion 74 is inserted into the insertion opening 48 while being elastically deformed, as shown in FIG. 8C. In addition, after the support member 61 is inserted into the support member accommodating portion 36, the elastic portion 72 having the protruding portion 74 can be elastically restored.

As a result, after the support member 61 is inserted into the support member accommodating portion 36, the protrusion 74 is caused to interfere with the lower inner peripheral surface of the insertion opening 48, and the contact protrusion 67 is caused to interfere with the engagement portion 40. Thus, the support member 61 can be prevented from being detached from the support member accommodating portion 36.
(8) According to the printer 1, as shown in FIG. 3, when the bearing 52 of the paper dust removing unit 32 is received in the guide 37, the first guide 44 having a relatively wide width can be smoothly smoothed. Can accept.

  Thereafter, the bearing portion 52 of the paper dust removing unit 32 is received along the first guide portion 44 into the second guide portion 45 having a relatively narrow width, and the paper dust removing roller 25 is positioned with respect to the registration roller 24. be able to.

As a result, it is possible to reliably position the paper dust removing roller 25 with respect to the registration roller 24 while allowing the paper dust removing roller 25 to be smoothly received in the guide portion 37.
(9) According to this printer 1, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, both the guide portion 37 and the conveyance path 46 are provided in the frame 31, so that the paper dust removing roller 25 is placed on the conveyance path 46. Can be positioned accurately.
5. Second Embodiment A second embodiment of the printer 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. Note that in the second embodiment, the same members as those in the first embodiment described above are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof is omitted.
(1) Outline of Second Embodiment In the first embodiment described above, the front end portion of the support member 61 is moved by bringing the contact portion 75 of the support member 61 into contact with the second wall 43 of the engagement portion 40. Positioned vertically.

On the other hand, in the second embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the contact member 75 of the support member 61 is pressed by a link member 82 that swings in conjunction with the top cover 4, thereby supporting the support member. The front end portion of 61 is positioned in the vertical direction.
(2) Configuration of Second Embodiment In the second embodiment, the top cover 4 includes an action portion 81 as an example of an interlocking mechanism, as shown in FIG.

  The action part 81 is formed in a substantially rectangular flat plate shape in rear view extending downward from the front lower end part of the top cover 4. The action part 81 includes a cover side engaging part 84.

  The cover side engaging portion 84 is formed in a substantially triangular shape in rear view protruding from the lower end portion of the action portion 81 outward in the left-right direction.

  In the main casing 2, a link member 82 is provided as an example of a moving member that swings by being in contact with the action portion 81 and presses or releases the support member 61.

  The link member 82 is disposed on the outer side in the left-right direction of the action portion 81 and on the upper side of the paper feeding unit 9. The link member 82 is formed in a substantially L shape in rear view that extends in the vertical direction and bends outward in the horizontal direction at the lower end thereof. The link member 82 includes a link side engaging portion 85, a rotating shaft 86, and a pressing portion 87.

  The link side engaging portion 85 is formed in a substantially triangular shape in rear view that protrudes inward in the left-right direction from the upper end portion of the link member 82.

  The rotation shaft 86 is provided at a bent portion of the link member 82 and is supported so as to be rotatable in the main body casing 2.

  The pressing portion 87 is provided at the outer side end portion of the link member 82 in the left-right direction, and is disposed on the upper side of the receiving portion 41 of the support member housing portion 36.

The link member 82 can swing between a contact position where the pressing portion 87 contacts the support member 61 and a release position where the pressing portion 87 moves away from the support member 61 with the rotation shaft 86 as a fulcrum. It is. The pressing position of the link member 82 is shown in FIG. 10, and the release position of the link member 82 is shown in FIG. Further, the link member 82 is always attached by the compression spring 83 locked to the upper end thereof so that the upper end thereof is directed inward in the left-right direction with the rotation shaft 86 as a fulcrum, that is, toward the release position. It is energized.
(3) Operation of the paper feed unit (3-1) When the top cover is closed When the top cover 4 is closed, such as during the image forming operation described above or during standby for the image forming operation, as shown in FIG. The lower end portion of the action portion 81 of the top cover 4 is brought into contact with the upper end portion of the top cover 4 from the inner side in the left-right direction, and the link member 82 is disposed at the contact position against the urging force of the compression spring 83.

  Then, as shown in FIG. 11, the pressing portion 87 of the link member 82 contacts the front end portion of the support member 61, and the front end portion of the support member 61 is moved downward.

As a result, the compression spring 62 is compressed by the support member 61, and the paper dust removing roller 25 is pressed against the registration roller 24.
(3-2) When Top Cover is Opened When the top cover 4 is opened, such as when the paper P is jammed between the paper dust removing roller 25 and the registration roller 24 in the image forming operation, as shown in FIG. Further, the contact of the action part 81 with respect to the link member 82 is released, and the link member 82 is arranged at the release position by the urging force of the compression spring 83.

  Then, as shown in FIG. 13, the pressing portion 87 of the link member 82 is separated from the front end portion of the support member 61, and the front end portion of the support member 61 is moved upward.

Accordingly, the compression of the compression spring 62 by the support member 61 is released by the amount of movement of the support member 61, and the pressing force of the paper dust removing roller 25 against the registration roller 24 is reduced.
(4) Effects (4-1) According to the printer 1 of the second embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the support member 61 is moved toward the registration roller 24 in conjunction with the closing operation of the top cover. The paper dust removing roller 25 can be pressed against the registration roller 24 by the downward movement and the urging force of the compression spring 62.

  Therefore, the paper P can be reliably conveyed in the image forming operation.

  Further, as shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, the supporting member 61 is retracted from the registration roller 24 in conjunction with the opening operation of the top cover 4, and the urging force of the compression spring 62 against the paper dust removing roller 25 is reduced. The pressing force of the paper dust removing roller 25 against the registration roller 24 can be reduced.

Therefore, when the paper P is jammed between the paper dust removal roller 25 and the registration roller 24, the main body opening 3 can be opened to easily remove the jammed paper P.
(4-2) According to the printer 1 of the second embodiment, the top cover 4 and the link member 82 can be reliably linked with a simple configuration in which the action portion 81 is provided on the top cover 4.
(4-3) Moreover, also in 2nd Embodiment, the effect similar to above-described 1st Embodiment can be acquired.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Printer 2 Main body casing 3 Main body opening part 4 Top cover 5 Process unit 9 Paper feed unit 24 Registration roller 25 Paper dust removal roller 31 Frame 36 Support member accommodating part 37 Guide part 42 1st wall 43 2nd wall 44 1st guide part 45 Second guide portion 46 Conveying path 47 Upper inner peripheral surface of fitting portion 48 Opening 61 Support member 62 Compression spring 67 Abutting projection 68 Receiving recess 69 Front surface of abutting projection 71 Fitting projection 74 Projecting portion 75 Abutting portion 81 Action part 82 Link member P Paper

Claims (11)

A housing that supports an image forming unit configured to form an image on a recording medium;
A supply unit supported in the housing and configured to supply a recording medium to the image forming unit;
The supply unit
A transport roller configured to transport a recording medium;
A removal unit configured to remove deposits adhering to the recording medium, the removal roller being opposed to the transport roller;
A biasing member that biases the removal roller toward the transport roller;
A support member for supporting the biasing member;
A guide portion that guides the removing roller so as to face the transport roller;
The guide portion has an open end that is open in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the removal roller,
The image forming apparatus, wherein the support member is supported by the casing so as to cover the open end. The housing includes a support member accommodating portion that communicates with the open end portion of the guide portion and accommodates the support member;
The support member includes a contact portion that protrudes to the opposite side with respect to the biasing member and has a contact surface that intersects the protruding direction.
The support member accommodating portion includes a positioning portion that extends substantially parallel to a direction in which the contact surface extends and contacts the contact surface in a direction intersecting with the direction in which the contact surface extends. Item 2. The image forming apparatus according to Item 1. The housing is
An opening communicating the inside and outside of the housing;
An opening and closing member for opening and closing the opening;
A moving member configured to move to a contact position that contacts the support member and a release position in which contact with the support member is released;
The moving member is disposed at the abutting position in conjunction with the operation of the opening / closing member closing the opening, and is disposed at the release position in conjunction with the operation of the opening / closing member opening the opening,
The support member moves in a direction toward the transport roller when the moving member is disposed at the contact position, and moves away from the transport roller when the movable member is disposed at the release position. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2, wherein The image forming apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the housing includes an interlocking mechanism for interlocking the opening / closing member and the moving member. The support member includes a second contact portion extending in a direction substantially orthogonal to a direction in which the contact surface extends,
3. The image according to claim 2, wherein the support member accommodating portion includes a second positioning portion that extends in a direction substantially orthogonal to a direction in which the contact surface extends and contacts the second contact portion. Forming equipment. The positioning portion and the second positioning portion are integrally formed continuously,
6. The image according to claim 5, wherein a concave portion is formed in a boundary portion between the abutting portion and the second abutting portion so as to be recessed on the side opposite to a direction in which the abutting surface extends. Forming equipment. The support member includes a third contact portion that extends to the opposite side of the second contact portion with respect to the contact portion,
The said support member accommodating part is provided with the 3rd positioning part extended in the direction substantially orthogonal to the direction where the said contact surface is extended, and contact | abutted with the said 3rd contact part. Image forming apparatus. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the support member housing portion has an insertion opening into which the support member is inserted. The image forming apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the support member includes a protruding portion that protrudes along a direction in which the contact surface extends on the side opposite to the contact portion and is elastically deformable. The guide portion is
A first guide part formed on the upstream side in the guide direction for guiding the removal roller;
The second guide portion, which is formed continuously downstream of the first guide portion in the guiding direction and has a narrower width than the first guide portion. The image forming apparatus described in the item. The supply unit includes a frame constituting a conveyance path of the recording medium,
The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the guide portion is provided on the frame.

Images