JP2017197307A - Drive device, conveyance device and image formation apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a drive device, a conveyance device and an image formation apparatus which can reduce the noise of the device.SOLUTION: A drive device includes: a drive source such as a drive motor 1; drive transmission means which transmits the driving force of the drive source to a swing member such as a switching claw 23 provided so as to be able to swing so that the swing member can take the first posture and the second posture selectively; swing holding means which holds the swing member at the first posture or the second posture in a state where driving of the drive source is maintained; and swing direction switching means which switches the swing direction of the swing member without changing the rotation direction of the drive source.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

  The present invention relates to a driving device, a conveying device, and an image forming apparatus.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a conveyance device that selectively changes the conveyance destination of a conveyance object such as a recording medium by changing the posture of a swinging member such as a branching claw is known.

  Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-228561 describes a transport device that swings swing members such as branch claws in different directions by rotating a drive source such as a drive motor forward and backward as the transport device. In addition, the transport device includes swing holding means for holding the swing member in the first posture or the second posture while maintaining the drive of the drive source.

  In recent years, there has been a demand for noise reduction of devices. However, in Patent Document 1, in order to return the swing member to the first posture after swinging the swing member in one direction and changing the swing member from the first posture to the second posture, the drive motor is temporarily used. After stopping, it is necessary to drive the drive motor in the reverse direction. Therefore, when the swinging member is returned from the second posture to the first posture, there is a problem that a startup noise of the drive motor is generated, which hinders the reduction of the noise of the device.

  In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides the swing member so that the drive source and the swing member provided so as to be swingable can selectively take the first posture and the second posture. Drive transmission means for transmitting the driving force of the drive source to the rocking means, and rocking holding means for holding the rocking member in the first posture or the second posture while maintaining driving of the driving source. Is provided with swing direction switching means for switching the swing direction of the swing member without changing the rotation direction of the drive source.

  According to the present invention, the noise of the apparatus can be reduced.

1 is a schematic configuration diagram illustrating an overall configuration of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment. The schematic block diagram which shows the switching claw periphery. 6A and 6B are diagrams for explaining operations of a switching claw and a paper discharge reverse driving roller when transporting a sheet to a duplex transport path. FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a driving device that drives a switching claw 23. The schematic block diagram seen from the X direction of FIG. The schematic block diagram of a 1st electromagnetic clutch. The figure which shows an example which made the drive transmission path | route from an output shaft to a rocking | fluctuation axis | shaft the speed-up path. The figure which shows an example which made the drive transmission path | route from an output shaft to a rocking | fluctuation shaft the deceleration path | route. The schematic sectional drawing which shows the drive device which made the gear train of the 1st drive transmission path | route odd number, and made the gear train of the 2nd drive transmission path | route even. FIG. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a drive device according to Modification 1. FIG. 6A is a diagram illustrating rotation of a discharge reverse driving roller, a switching claw, and a fixing roller when a sheet is conveyed to a discharge unit. FIG. 6B is a diagram illustrating rotation of the paper discharge reverse driving roller, the switching claw, and the fixing roller when the paper is conveyed to the reversing unit. FIG. 9 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a driving device according to Modification 2. FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of a drive transmission mechanism for transmitting a driving force to a switching claw in a driving device according to Modification 2; FIG. 10 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a driving device of Modification 3. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram illustrating an example of an automatic document feeder. The schematic block diagram which shows an example of a post-processing apparatus. The perspective view of a paper feed tray. The perspective view of the paper feed tray which shows a mode that the bottom plate was raised.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing the overall configuration of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
In FIG. 1, a laser printer 100 as an image forming apparatus includes four image forming units 1Y as image forming means for forming toner images of yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C), and black (K). , M, C, K. A secondary transfer device 16 comprising an intermediate transfer unit 10 as primary transfer means, and a secondary transfer roller 15 for transferring a toner image on the intermediate transfer belt 11 to a sheet-like paper (recording medium) as a sheet; A fixing device 17 for fixing the toner image transferred to the paper is provided. Also, a paper discharge unit 18 that discharges the paper, a reversing unit 19 that introduces the paper into the double-sided path after printing the first side during duplex printing, and a switching that switches the paper transport destination between the paper discharge unit 18 and the reversing unit 19 A nail 23 is provided. Furthermore, a paper feed tray 24 for storing paper P, a paper feed transport path 22 for transporting paper from the paper feed tray 24, a double-side transport path 21 for transporting paper from the reversing unit 19 during double-sided printing, and the like are provided. Yes.

  The four image forming units 1Y, 1M, 1C, and 1K use Y, M, C, and K toners (developers) of different colors as image forming materials, but the other configurations are the same. It will be replaced when the life is reached. An image forming unit 1K for forming a K toner image will be described as an example. The image forming unit 1K includes a cylindrical photosensitive member 2 as an image carrier, a charging device that charges the surface of the photosensitive member 2, and the surface of the charged photosensitive member 2 is exposed with image information to be statically exposed on the photosensitive member 2. An exposure device 3 for forming an electrostatic latent image is provided. Further, the electrostatic latent image on the photoconductor 2 is developed with K toner to form a K toner image on the photoconductor 2, and the developer cartridge 5 installed above the development device 4 and containing K toner. And a cleaning device 6 for cleaning the surface of the photoreceptor 2 after the transfer.

  The intermediate transfer unit 10 includes an endless intermediate transfer belt 11 that superimposes toner images on the plurality of photoreceptors 2. Further, it has a primary transfer roller 12 or the like that is disposed to face the photoreceptor 2 via the intermediate transfer belt 11 and transfers a toner image formed on the surface of the photoreceptor to the intermediate transfer belt 11.

  The fixing device 17 includes a fixing roller 17a including a heat source such as a halogen lamp, and a pressure roller 17b that rotates while contacting the fixing roller 17a with a predetermined pressure. The fixing roller 17a and the pressure roller 17b forms a fixing nip.

  A registration roller pair 14 is provided on the upstream side of the secondary transfer roller 15 in the sheet conveyance direction. The paper P is transported so that the leading edge is orthogonal to the transporting direction of the paper P, but there may be a case where the skew is transported in a state where the leading edge is not perpendicular to the transporting direction and is inclined. In order to correct the skew of the paper P, the front end of the paper P is brought into contact with the registration roller pair 14 and once the paper P is slackened, the paper is transported to the secondary transfer device 16 at a predetermined timing. Is done. The slack and the stiffness of the sheet P itself correct the skew of the sheet P following the nip portion where the leading edge of the sheet P is parallel to the rotation axis of the registration roller pair 14, and the toner image on the intermediate transfer belt 11 is corrected. The position can be accurately transferred to the paper.

  When an image is formed by the laser printer 100, the paper P loaded on the paper feed tray 24 is fed by the paper feed roller 13, passes through the paper feed conveyance path 22, and is once slackened by the resist roller pair 14 that is stopped. It is formed. Thereafter, the conveyance of the paper P by the registration roller pair 14 starts at a predetermined timing with respect to the toner image on the intermediate transfer belt 11, passes through the secondary transfer device 16, the fixing device 17, and the paper discharge unit 18 to the paper discharge tray 20. The paper is ejected. Alternatively, the sheet P is switched by the switching claw 23 and conveyed to the reversing unit 19, where the sheet P is reversed and guided to the secondary transfer position again via the double-sided conveyance path 21. Then, the paper is discharged to the paper discharge tray 20.

FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram showing the periphery of the switching claw 23.
In the present embodiment, the paper discharge unit 18 has a paper discharge roller pair including a paper discharge reverse drive roller 25 and a paper discharge driven roller 18a, and the reversing unit 19 is a paper discharge reverse drive roller 25 and a reverse driven. A pair of reversing rollers including a roller 19a is provided. In the present embodiment, the drive roller for the paper discharge roller pair and the drive roller for the reverse roller pair are used as a common drive roller.

  The switching claw 23, which is a swing member, is adjacent to the upstream side of the paper discharge reversal drive roller 25 in the paper transport direction, and is disposed between the paper transport path of the reversing unit 19 and the paper transport path of the paper discharge unit 18. . A swing shaft 23a is provided at the downstream end of the switching claw 23 in the sheet conveying direction, and the switching claw 23 is supported so as to be swingable with the swing shaft 23a as a fulcrum. The switching claw 23 swings so as to take a first posture indicated by a solid line in the drawing and a second posture indicated by a dotted line in the drawing.

  When the paper is discharged to the paper discharge tray 20, the switching claw 23 is set to the first posture indicated by the solid line in the figure, and the paper discharge reverse drive roller 25 is driven to rotate clockwise in the figure. As a result, the paper P that has passed through the fixing device 17 is guided to the paper discharge unit 18 by the switching claw 23, and the paper discharge tray 20 is formed by the paper discharge roller pair including the paper discharge reverse driving roller 25 and the paper discharge driven roller 18 a. Is discharged.

FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining the operations of the switching claw 23 and the paper discharge reverse driving roller 25 when the paper P is transported to the double-side transport path 21.
When the image forming operation is started as shown in FIG. 3A, the switching claw 23 is swung from the first posture shown by the dotted line in the drawing to the second posture shown by the solid line in the drawing. Further, the paper discharge reversing drive roller 25 is rotated counterclockwise in the drawing. As a result, the paper P that has passed through the fixing device 17 is guided to the reversing unit 19 by the switching claw 23 and is conveyed by a reversing roller pair including the paper discharge reversing driving roller 25 and the reversing driven roller 19a.

  As shown in FIG. 3B, when the rear end Pt of the paper P passes through the branch portion between the paper discharge portion 18 and the reversing portion 19 and reaches the position shown in FIG. 25 is rotated in the clockwise direction in the figure to switch back the sheet and convey it to the duplex conveying path 21. Further, the switching claw 23 is swung so that the switching claw 23 changes from the second posture to the first posture. As a result, the paper P is transported to the duplex transport path 21 and an image is formed on the second surface of the paper, and then transported to the paper discharge unit 18 by the switching claw 23 and discharged to the paper discharge tray 20 by the pair of paper discharge rollers. Paper.

FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the drive device 30 that drives the switching claw 23.
The drive device 30 is a swing member, and includes a motor 31 that is a drive source that drives the switching claw 23 that is a transport destination guide member. The motor 31 is attached to a bracket 41. The motor shaft of the motor 31 passes through the bracket 41, and teeth are formed on the outer periphery of the motor shaft to form a motor gear 31a.

  As a drive transmission path to the switching claw 23, two systems of drive transmission paths for rotating the output shaft t as a drive output member in different directions are provided. The first drive transmission path R1, which is one of the two systems of drive transmission paths, is a belt drive transmission path composed of a first input pulley 35, a first output pulley 36, and a first timing belt 38 stretched between them. It has become. On the other hand, the second drive transmission path R2 which is the other of the two systems of drive transmission paths is a gear drive transmission path configured by the second input gear 32 and the second output gear 34. A first electromagnetic clutch 37 is provided in the first drive transmission path R1, and a second torque limiter 33 is provided in the second drive transmission path R2.

  The first input pulley 35 of the first drive transmission path R1 and the second input gear 32 of the second drive transmission path R2 are an integrally molded product, and this integrally molded product is fixedly supported by the bracket 41 and the side plate 42. A fixed shaft s is rotatably supported. The motor gear 31a and the second output gear 34 of the second drive transmission path R2 mesh with the second input gear 32.

  The output shaft t is rotatably supported by the bracket 41 and the side plate 42 via bearings 41a and 42a, and the second output gear 34 and the first output pulley 36 are rotatable on the output shaft t. It is supported. A first electromagnetic clutch 37 is attached to the output shaft t adjacent to the first output pulley 36. A connecting claw 37 a is provided on the surface of the first electromagnetic clutch 37 that faces the first output pulley 36, and the connecting claw 37 a (see FIG. 6) engages with the connecting hole 36 a of the first output pulley 36. Match. A second torque limiter 33 is attached to the output shaft t adjacent to the second output gear 34. The second torque limiter 33 is engaged with the mounting pin u1 that passes through the output shaft t, and is fixed so as to rotate integrally with the output shaft t. The connection claw 33 a of the second torque limiter 33 is engaged with the connection hole 34 a of the second output gear 34.

  The output shaft t passes through the side plate 42, and an output gear 39 that meshes with a swinging gear 43 fixed to the swinging shaft 23 a of the switching claw 23 rotates at the end of the output shaft t on the switching claw 23 side. It is supported freely. Further, the output shaft limiter 40 is fixed to the output shaft t so as to engage with the mounting pin u2 penetrating the output shaft t and rotate integrally with the output shaft t. The connecting claw 40 a of the output torque limiter 40 is engaged with the output gear 39.

  The set torque of the second torque limiter 33 is set larger than the set torque of the output torque limiter 40 and lower than the drive transmission torque from the first electromagnetic clutch 37 to the output shaft t.

FIG. 5 is a schematic configuration diagram viewed from the X direction of FIG.
As shown in FIG. 5, when the switching claw 23 takes the first posture, the first abutting member 44 a against which the switching claw 23 abuts, and when the switching claw 23 takes the second posture, the switching claw And a second abutting member 44b against which 23 abuts. That is, in the present embodiment, the first butting member 44a and the second butting member 44b constitute stopper means for stopping the switching claw 23 in the first posture or the second posture.

FIG. 6 is a schematic configuration diagram of the first electromagnetic clutch 37.
The first electromagnetic clutch 37 includes a shaft fixing portion 37e, an electromagnetic coil portion 37d, a rotor portion 37c, an armature 37b, a drive connecting member 37f, and the like. The shaft fixing portion 37e has an insertion hole into which the output shaft t is inserted, and the insertion hole has a D-shaped cross section. The output shaft t is notched and has a D-shaped section so as to fit in the D-shape. A section D-shaped portion of the output shaft t extends to a location where the first electromagnetic clutch 37 is attached. The shaft fixing portion 37e is fixed so as to rotate with the output shaft t by fitting the D-shaped portion of the cross section of the shaft fixing portion 37e with the D shape portion of the output shaft t.

  An electromagnetic coil portion 37d is rotatably attached to the shaft fixing portion 37e with respect to the shaft fixing portion 37e. On the other hand, the rotor portion 37c is fixed to the shaft fixing portion 37e so as to rotate integrally with the shaft fixing portion 37e. The armature 37b is attached to a drive connecting member 37f having a pair of connecting claws 37a extending to the first output pulley side. A pair of coupling holes 36a are formed on the surface of the first output pulley 36 that is the driven coupling member that faces the first electromagnetic clutch 37, and the coupling claws 37a of the driving coupling member 37f are fitted into these coupling holes 36a. doing. Thereby, the 1st electromagnetic clutch 37 and the 1st output pulley 36 can rotate integrally.

  When the first electromagnetic clutch 37 is OFF, the drive connecting member 37f is in a free state and is in a state in which it can idle with respect to the shaft fixing portion 37e. As a result, drive transmission from the first output pulley 36 to the output shaft t is interrupted, and the drive connecting member 37f and the first output pulley 36 idle with respect to the output shaft t.

  When the clutch is ON, a current flows through the electromagnetic coil portion 37d, and electromagnetic force is generated. When the electromagnetic force is generated, the armature 37b of the metal disk is attracted to the electromagnetic coil portion 37d by the electromagnetic force, and the drive connecting member 37f integrated with the armature 37b slides toward the rotor portion 37c. Then, the armature 37b is attracted to the rotor portion 37c, the driving force transmitted to the first output pulley 36 is transmitted to the output shaft t via the first electromagnetic clutch 37, and the output shaft t rotates.

  In the first electromagnetic clutch 37 of the present embodiment, the drive connecting member 37f may be provided so as to be slidable in the axial direction, and the first output pulley 36 serving as the driven connecting member is made rotatable with respect to the output shaft t. That's fine. Therefore, compared with the case where the first output pulley 36 is configured to be slidable in the axial direction, the gap with the output shaft t can be reduced, and the first output pulley 36 can be prevented from being inclined with respect to the output shaft t. it can.

  As shown in FIG. 4, when the first electromagnetic clutch 37 is turned on, the driving force is transmitted from the first drive transmission path R1 to the output shaft t. As described above, since the set torque of the second torque limiter 33 is lower than the drive transmission torque to the output shaft t of the first electromagnetic clutch 37, the drive transmission from the second drive transmission path R2 to the output shaft t is cut off. Then, the second output gear 34 idles. Therefore, the output shaft t is rotationally driven in the direction opposite to the rotational direction of the motor gear 31a by the drive transmission from the first drive transmission path R1, and the switching claw 23 swings in one direction. On the other hand, when the first electromagnetic clutch 37 is turned off, the driving force is transmitted from the second output gear 34 to the output shaft t via the second torque limiter 33, and the output shaft t is in the same direction as the motor gear 31a, that is, When the drive is transmitted through the first drive path, it is driven to rotate in the opposite direction. Thereby, the swinging direction of the switching claw 23 is switched, and swings in the direction opposite to the one direction. Thus, in the present embodiment, the first drive transmission path R1, the second drive transmission path R2, and the path switching means constituted by the first electromagnetic clutch and the second torque limiter, the motor 31 as a drive source. The swing direction switching means is configured to switch the swing direction of the switching claw 23 as the swing member without changing the rotation direction.

  For example, when the motor 31 rotates clockwise (CW) when viewed from the motor gear 31a side, when the first electromagnetic clutch 37 is turned on, the output shaft t rotates counterclockwise (CCW) and the swing shaft 23a. Swings clockwise. Then, as can be seen from FIG. 5, the switching claw 23 swings clockwise in the figure. Then, when the switching claw 23 is in the second posture, it abuts against the second abutting member 44b and the swinging is restricted. When the switching claw 23 comes into contact with the second abutting member 44b, the torque becomes equal to or greater than the set torque of the output torque limiter 40, the output gear 39 is idled relative to the output shaft t, and the switching claw 23 is in the second posture. Hold. Accordingly, the switching claw 23 can be held in the second posture while the drive of the drive motor 31 is maintained.

  When the switching claw 23 is changed from the second posture to the first posture, the first electromagnetic clutch 37 is turned off, and the drive transmission path is switched from the first drive transmission path R1 to the second drive transmission path R2. When the drive transmission path is switched to the second drive transmission path R2, the output shaft t rotates clockwise (CW), the swing shaft 23a rotates counterclockwise (CCW), and the switching claw 23 rotates counterclockwise. Swing around (CCW). And when it becomes the 1st attitude | position shown in previous FIG. 5, the switching nail | claw 23 will contact | abut the 1st abutting member 44a, and rocking | fluctuation will be controlled. Since the set torque of the output torque limiter 40 is lower than the set torque of the second torque limiter 33 as described above, before the torque of the output shaft t reaches the set torque of the second torque limiter 33, the output torque limiter 40 interrupts the drive transmission to the output gear 39. As a result, the output gear 39 idles relative to the output shaft t, and the switching claw 23 maintains the first posture. Accordingly, the switching claw 23 can be held in the first posture while the drive of the drive motor 31 is maintained.

  Thus, in this embodiment, the drive of the drive motor 31 as a drive source is maintained by the stopper means constituted by the first abutting member 44a and the second abutting member and the output torque limiter as the drive limiting means. In this state, swing holding means for holding the switching claw 23 as the swing member in the first posture or the second posture is configured.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, the switching claw 23 can be held in the first posture or the second posture while the drive motor is driven, and the rotation direction of the motor is switched by switching the drive transmission path. Without this, the switching claw 23 can be swung in different directions. As a result, the switching claw 23 can be swung in different directions by continuously rotating the motor 31 in one direction. Therefore, unlike the drive device that switches the swing direction of the switching claw 23 by rotating the motor forward / reversely, there is no need to stop the motor when switching the swing direction of the switching claw 23. As a result, when the swinging direction of the switching claw 23 is switched, no rising sound of the motor is generated, and the apparatus can be quieted.

  In the present embodiment, a torque limiter is provided in the second drive transmission path R2, and an electromagnetic clutch is provided in the first drive transmission path R1, thereby switching the drive transmission path. As a result, the following advantages can be obtained compared to switching the drive transmission path by providing an electromagnetic clutch in each of the drive transmission paths. That is, power is not consumed when the driving force is transmitted from the second drive transmission path to the output shaft t. Thereby, compared with the case where an electromagnetic clutch is provided also in 2nd drive transmission path | route R2, power consumption can be reduced.

  In addition, when an electromagnetic clutch is provided for each drive transmission path, the drive clutch is switched by switching the electromagnetic clutch of one drive transmission path from ON to OFF and then switching the electromagnetic clutch of one drive transmission path from OFF to ON. The route will be switched. On the other hand, in the present embodiment, by setting one as a torque limiter, when the electromagnetic clutch of the other drive transmission path is turned off, the drive transmission path is switched to one, and when the electromagnetic clutch is turned on, the other drive transmission is transferred. Switch to the route. Therefore, there is an advantage that the drive switching time can be shortened as compared with the case where the drive transmission path is switched by providing an electromagnetic clutch in each drive transmission path.

  In the present embodiment, the first electromagnetic clutch 37 and the second torque limiter 33 are provided coaxially. The shaft for providing the electromagnetic clutch and the shaft for providing the torque limiter need to be rotary shafts that are rotatably supported via bearings. Therefore, when the shaft for providing the electromagnetic clutch and the shaft for providing the torque limiter are provided on different shafts, the two shafts need to be the rotation shafts. On the other hand, by providing the first electromagnetic clutch 37 and the second torque limiter 33 coaxially as in the present embodiment, the number of rotation shafts can be reduced to one, compared to the case where two rotation axes are used. Thus, bearings and the like can be reduced, and the cost of the apparatus can be reduced.

  Further, a torque limiter may be provided on the first drive transmission path R1, and an electromagnetic clutch may be provided on the second drive transmission path R2.

  In the above description, the diameter of the output gear 39 and the diameter of the oscillating gear 43 are the same, the number of teeth is the same, and the switching claw 23 is driven at the same rotational speed as the output shaft t. As shown in FIG. 7, the speed may be increased by reducing the diameter of the swing gear 43 and reducing the number of teeth of the swing gear 43 to be smaller than the number of teeth of the output gear. By increasing the speed, the transport path can be quickly switched, and high-speed transport is possible. Moreover, the freedom degree of arrangement | positioning of the switching nail | claw 23 can be raised and the freedom degree of the layout of an apparatus can be raised.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 8, the diameter of the oscillating gear 43 may be increased, and the number of teeth of the oscillating gear 43 may be made larger than the number of teeth of the output gear to reduce the speed. By decelerating, the switching claw 23 slowly abuts against the abutting member, and the impact sound when the switching claw 23 abuts against the abutting member can be reduced. Thereby, the noise of the apparatus can be reduced.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 9, the first drive transmission path R <b> 1 may be configured by an odd number of gear trains of the first input gear 135, the first idler gear 138, and the first output gear 136. As a result, when the driving force is transmitted from the first drive transmission path R1 composed of an odd number of gear trains, and from the second drive transmission path R2 composed of an even number of gear trains of the second input gear 32 and the second output gear 34. The direction of rotation of the output shaft t can be made different when the driving force is transmitted. Therefore, even with this configuration, the switching claw 23 can be swung in different directions without switching the rotation direction of the motor 31.

  Next, a modified example of the drive device 30 will be described.

[Modification 1]
FIG. 10 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the drive device 30A of the first modification.
As shown in FIG. 10, the driving device 30A of the first modification includes a switching claw 23 that is a swing member, a paper discharge reversing drive roller 25 that is a normal / reverse output target rotating body that rotates forward and backward, and a unidirectional direction. It drives the fixing roller 17a, which is a unidirectional output target rotating body that rotates only.

  As shown in FIG. 10, in addition to the second input gear 32 described above, the fixing gear 52 attached to the shaft 171 of the fixing roller 17a meshes with the motor gear 31a. Further, a first output pulley 36 of the first drive transmission path R1, a second output gear 34 of the second drive transmission path R2, and a first electromagnetic clutch 37 are provided on the shaft 25a of the paper discharge reverse driving roller 25. . The second drive transmission path R2 is provided with a second electromagnetic clutch 51 instead of the second torque limiter, and the second electromagnetic clutch 51 is connected to the discharge reverse driving roller 25 to which the first electromagnetic clutch 37 is attached. It is attached to the shaft 25a. The second electromagnetic clutch 51 has the same configuration as that of the first electromagnetic clutch 37, and the connection claw of the second electromagnetic clutch 51 is engaged with the second output gear 34.

  Thus, the following advantages can be obtained by providing the first electromagnetic clutch 37 and the second electromagnetic clutch 51 coaxially. That is, in general, electromagnetic clutches have a shorter life than drive transmission members such as gears and pulleys, and require periodic replacement. When exchanging the electromagnetic clutch, the shaft to which the electromagnetic clutch is attached is accessed, the life-long electromagnetic clutch is removed from the shaft, and a new electromagnetic clutch is attached to the shaft. When the first electromagnetic clutch 37 and the second electromagnetic clutch 51 are provided on different shafts, it is necessary to allow the operator to access the respective shafts, and it is necessary to provide a space for this in the image forming apparatus. . As a result, the size of the printer is increased. On the other hand, as in the first modification, by providing the first electromagnetic clutch 37 and the second electromagnetic clutch 51 coaxially, the shaft on which the first electromagnetic clutch 37 and the second electromagnetic clutch 51 are provided (paper discharge reversal). What is necessary is just to enable an operator to access the axis | shaft 25a) of the drive roller 25. FIG. Therefore, the printer can be reduced in size as compared with the configuration in which the electromagnetic clutch is attached to different shafts.

  An output gear 39, an output torque limiter 40, and a swing gear 43 that constitute a drive transmission mechanism for transmitting a driving force to the switching claw 23 are opposite to the motor side of the shaft 25a of the paper discharge reverse drive roller 25. It is provided near the end. Specifically, the end of the fixing roller 17a opposite to the motor side of the shaft 171 and the end of the discharge reverse driving roller 25 opposite to the motor side of the shaft 25a are connected via bearings 55a and 55b. The output gear 39, the output torque limiter 40, and the swing gear 43 are arranged outside the side plate 55 on the other end side that is rotatably supported.

  As described above, the drive transmission mechanism for transmitting the driving force to the switching claw 23 including the output gear 39, the output torque limiter 40, and the swing gear 43 is used as the first drive transmission path R1 and the second drive transmission path in the apparatus. By providing it on the side opposite to the side on which R2 is disposed, a drive transmission mechanism for transmitting the driving force to the switching claw 23 can be disposed in the empty space on the opposite side. As a result, the apparatus can be reduced in size as compared with the case where a drive transmission mechanism for transmitting a driving force to the switching claw 23 is also arranged on the motor side.

  FIG. 11A is a diagram for explaining the rotation of the paper discharge reverse driving roller 25, the switching claw 23, and the fixing roller 17a when the paper P is conveyed to the paper discharge unit 18, and FIG. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating rotation of a paper discharge reverse driving roller 25, a switching claw 23, and a fixing roller 17a when conveying P to a reversing unit 19.

  When the image forming operation is started, the motor 31 is rotated clockwise (CW) as viewed from the motor gear 31a side. Then, as shown in FIG. 10, the driving force is transmitted from the motor gear 31a to the fixing gear 52, and the fixing roller 17a rotates counterclockwise (CCW) in the drawing as shown in FIG.

  When transporting the paper P to the paper discharge unit 18, the second electromagnetic clutch 51 is turned on and the first electromagnetic clutch 37 is turned off. Then, a driving force is output to the shaft 25a of the paper discharge reversal drive roller 25 via the second drive transmission path R2, and the paper discharge reverse drive roller 25 rotates clockwise in the drawing as shown in FIG. Move. Further, the switching claw 23 swings counterclockwise (CCW) in the drawing, hits the first abutting member 44a, and assumes the first posture. If it becomes a 1st attitude | position, as above-mentioned, the drive transmission to the switching nail | claw 23 will be restrict | limited by the effect | action of the output torque limiter 40, and the switching claw 23 will not be hold | maintained in a 1st attitude | position. On the other hand, the drive of the motor 31 is input to the paper discharge reversal drive roller 25 via the second drive transmission path R2, and the paper discharge reverse drive roller 25 continues to rotate counterclockwise in the drawing. As a result, the sheet P conveyed by the fixing roller 17a is conveyed to the sheet discharge unit 18 by the switching claw 23, and is discharged from the sheet discharge tray by the pair of sheet discharge rollers including the sheet discharge reverse driving roller 25 and the sheet discharge driven roller 18a. 20 (see FIG. 1).

  On the other hand, when the paper P is conveyed to the reversing unit 19, the second electromagnetic clutch 51 is turned off and the first electromagnetic clutch 37 is turned on. Then, a driving force is output to the shaft 25a of the paper discharge reversal drive roller 25 via the first drive transmission path R1, and the paper discharge reverse drive roller 25 is rotated counterclockwise (as shown in FIG. 11B). CCW). Further, the switching claw 23 swings clockwise (CW) in the drawing, hits the second abutting member 44b, and assumes the second posture. If it becomes a 2nd attitude | position, as mentioned above, the drive transmission to the switching claw 23 will be restrict | limited by the effect | action of the output torque limiter 40, and the switching claw 23 will hold | maintain a 2nd attitude | position. On the other hand, the drive of the motor 31 is input to the paper discharge reverse driving roller 25 via the first drive transmission path R1, and the paper discharge reverse drive roller 25 continues to rotate counterclockwise in the drawing. As a result, the paper P conveyed by the fixing roller 17a is conveyed to the reversing unit 19 by the switching claw 23 and conveyed by a reversing roller pair including the paper discharge reversing driving roller 25 and the reversing driven roller 19a.

  When the trailing edge of the paper P passes through the branch between the paper discharge unit 18 and the reversing unit 19, the first electromagnetic clutch 37 is turned off and the second electromagnetic clutch 51 is turned on. Then, as shown in FIG. 11A, the paper discharge reverse drive roller 25 rotates clockwise (CW) in the drawing, and the paper is reversed by the reverse roller pair composed of the paper discharge reverse drive roller 25 and the reverse driven roller 19a. P is transferred back. Further, the switching claw 23 swings counterclockwise (CCW) in the figure and assumes the first posture. As a result, the paper P is guided to the double-sided conveyance path 21 (see FIG. 1) by the switching claw 23, and the paper P is conveyed to the double-sided conveyance path 21.

  In the first modification, the fixing roller 17a, the paper discharge reverse driving roller 25, and the switching claw 23 are driven by the motor 31. As a result, the number of motors can be reduced and the cost of the apparatus can be reduced as compared with the case where the fixing roller 17a, the paper discharge reversal driving roller 25, and the switching claw 23 are driven by different motors.

  In particular, the rotation direction of the paper discharge reversing drive roller 25 and the swinging direction of the switching claw 23 can be switched while the motor 31 is rotated in one direction, so that the fixing roller 17a is stopped in one direction ( CCW direction) can be continued. In addition, the rotation direction of the paper discharge reverse driving roller 25 when the paper P is transported to the double-sided transport path 21 by switching back at the reversing unit 19 and the discharge when the paper is transported to the paper discharge tray 20 by the paper discharge unit 18. The rotation direction of the paper reversal drive roller 25 is the same direction. Further, the switching claw 23 takes the first posture when the paper P is transported to the double-side transport path 21 by switching back by the reversing unit 19 and when the paper P is transported to the paper discharge unit 18. Therefore, the sheet P is conveyed to the paper discharge unit 18 by the fixing roller 17a while the paper P is switched back by the reversing unit 19 and conveyed to the double-sided conveyance path 21, and the paper discharge reverse driving roller 25 and the paper discharge driven roller 18a It can be conveyed to the paper discharge tray 20 by a pair of paper discharge rollers. As a result, the paper P on which the double-sided image is formed is conveyed to the paper discharge unit 18 while the paper P having the image recorded on one side is being conveyed to the double-sided conveyance path 21, and is discharged to the paper discharge tray 20. Can increase the productivity of double-sided printing.

  In addition, the second drive transmission path R2 formed of a gear train has higher durability than the first drive transmission path R1 for belt drive transmission. Therefore, it is preferable that the drive transmission path with high frequency of use is the second drive transmission path R2. In the present embodiment, the rotation direction of the reverse drive roller 25 (the clockwise direction in FIG. 11) when the paper P is conveyed to the paper discharge unit 18 is frequently used. Therefore, it is preferable that the second drive transmission path for rotating the reverse drive roller 25 in the clockwise direction (CW direction) in FIG.

[Modification 2]
FIG. 12 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a driving device 30B of the second modification.
The drive device 30B of the second modification has a drive idler gear 61 having internal teeth and external teeth that mesh with the motor gear 31a. The drive idler gear 61 is rotatably supported on a fixed shaft s fixed to the bracket 41 and the side plate 42. The motor gear 31 a meshes with the internal teeth of the drive idler gear 61.

  By meshing the motor gear 31a with the inner teeth of the drive idler gear 61, the meshing rate with the motor gear 31a can be increased, and the occurrence of uneven rotation, noise and vibration can be suppressed. Further, the meshing portion with the motor gear 31a can be covered by the drive idler gear 61, and the meshing noise can be shielded by the drive idler gear 61, so that the apparatus can be quiet.

  Further, the engagement with the motor gear 31a which is the first engagement has the highest noise application rate. In the second modification, the meshing with the motor gear 31a having a high noise application rate is performed only with the inner teeth of the drive idler gear 61, so that the two gears mesh with the motor gear 31a as in the first modification. Noise can be effectively suppressed as compared with the configuration.

  A drive output gear 62 meshes with the drive idler gear 61. The drive output gear 62 is attached so as to rotate integrally with a rotating shaft X supported rotatably on the bracket 41 and the side plate 42 via bearings 41b and 42c. A fixing output gear 63 is attached to the roller side end of the rotating shaft X so as to rotate integrally with the rotating shaft X, and the fixing output gear 63 is fixed to the shaft 171 of the fixing roller 17a. It meshes with the gear 52.

  The second drive transmission path R2 has two stages, and the first stage is composed of a second input pulley 131, a second output pulley 133, and a second timing belt 132 stretched around the pulley. Belt drive transmission. The second stage is a gear train composed of the second input gear 32 and the second output gear 34. The second input pulley 131 is configured integrally with the drive output gear 62. The second output pulley 133 is configured integrally with the second input gear 32, and this integrated object is rotatably supported by a second fixed shaft W fixed to the bracket 41 and the side plate 42. The second output gear 34 that meshes with the second input gear 32 is rotatably supported on the shaft 25 a of the paper discharge reverse driving roller 25. The second electromagnetic clutch 51 is attached to the shaft 25a of the paper discharge reversal drive roller 25 and is engaged with the second output gear 34 from the axial direction.

  On the other hand, the first drive transmission path R1 is a belt transmission composed of the first input pulley 35, the first output pulley 36, and the first timing belt 38 stretched over them, as in the first modification. ing. The first input pulley 35 is rotatably supported on the rotary shaft X, and the first output pulley 36 is attached to the shaft 25a so as to rotate integrally with the shaft 25a of the paper discharge reversal drive roller 25. . The first electromagnetic clutch 37 is attached to the rotary shaft X and is engaged with the first input pulley 35 from the axial direction.

  In the second modification, the first drive transmission path R1 and the second drive transmission path R2 include a belt drive transmission unit having belt members stretched around a plurality of pulleys. Thus, even if the paper discharge reversal drive roller 25 is located at a location farther from the motor 31 due to the layout, the motor 31 is driven by the paper reversal drive roller 25 with the minimum necessary drive transmission member. Can transmit power. Thereby, compared with the case where 1st, 2nd drive transmission path | route R2 is comprised only with a gear train, a number of parts can be reduced.

  In the second modification, the first electromagnetic clutch 37 is provided on the rotation axis X, and the second electromagnetic clutch 51 is provided on the shaft 25a of the paper discharge reverse driving roller 25. The first electromagnetic clutch 37 and the second electromagnetic clutch 51 are provided on different axes. Since the electromagnetic clutch is longer in the axial direction than the gear and the pulley, when the first electromagnetic clutch 37 and the second electromagnetic clutch 51 are provided on the same axis, the apparatus may be increased in size in the axial direction. Therefore, by providing the first electromagnetic clutch 37 and the second electromagnetic clutch 51 on different shafts as in the second modification, it is possible to prevent the apparatus from becoming large in the axial direction.

FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram of a drive transmission mechanism for transmitting a driving force to the switching claw 23 in the driving device 30B of the second modification.
As shown in FIG. 13, in the second modification, the drive transmission mechanism for transmitting the driving force to the switching claw 23 includes a switching input pulley 139, a switching output pulley 143, and a switching timing belt stretched around these pulleys. 142 and belt drive transmission. The switching input pulley 139 is attached to the end of the shaft 25a of the paper discharge reverse driving roller 25 opposite to the motor side so as to rotate integrally with the shaft 25a. The switching output pulley 143 is rotatably supported on the swing shaft 23a. The output torque limiter 40 is attached to the swing shaft 23a so as to rotate integrally with the swing shaft 23a, and is engaged with the switching output pulley 143 from the axial direction.

  As described above, the drive transmission mechanism for transmitting the driving force to the switching claw 23 is the belt drive transmission, so that the switching input can be performed even if the switching claw 23 is disposed away from the paper discharge reversal driving roller 25. The driving force can be transmitted to the switching claw 23 by three members including the pulley 139, the switching output pulley 143, and the switching timing belt 142 stretched around these pulleys. Thereby, the number of parts can be reduced as compared with the case where the drive transmission mechanism for transmitting the driving force to the switching claw 23 is configured by a gear train, and the cost of the apparatus can be reduced.

  The driving force of the motor 31 is transmitted to the fixing roller 17a through the driving idler gear 61, the driving output gear 62, the rotation shaft X, the fixing output gear 63, and the fixing gear 52, and the fixing roller 17a is rotationally driven.

  Further, the second drive transmission path R2 is transmitted from the second drive transmission path R2 by setting the second drive transmission path R2 as a two-stage gear train including the belt drive transmission and the second input gear 32 and the second output gear 34. The rotation direction of the paper discharge reversal drive roller 25 at that time can be reversed from the rotation direction when the drive is transmitted from the first drive transmission path R1 constituted only by the belt drive transmission. Thereby, also in the modified example 2, by controlling the first electromagnetic clutch 37 and the second electromagnetic clutch 51, the rotation direction of the paper discharge reverse driving roller 25 is switched while the motor 31 is rotated in one direction. It is possible to switch the swinging direction of the switching claw 23 that is driven and transmitted through the shaft 25a of the paper discharge reverse driving roller 25.

  Specifically, when the first electromagnetic clutch 37 is turned on and the second electromagnetic clutch 51 is turned off, the driving force is transmitted to the first input pulley 35 via the first electromagnetic clutch 37, and the first drive transmission path R1 is set. Then, a driving force is transmitted to the shaft 25a of the paper discharge reversal driving roller 25. Then, the paper discharge reverse driving roller 25 is driven to rotate in one direction. On the other hand, the second output gear 34 idles with respect to the shaft 25 a of the paper discharge reversal drive roller 25.

  Further, the switching input pulley 139 rotates integrally with the shaft 25 a of the paper discharge reverse driving roller 25, is input to the switching output pulley 143 via the switching timing belt 142, and is input to the swing shaft 23 a via the output torque limiter 40. A driving force is input, and the switching claw 23 swings. When the switching claw 23 hits the abutting member, the drive transmission to the swing shaft 23a is limited by the action of the output torque limiter, and the switching output pulley 143 rotates idly with respect to the swing shaft 23a.

  On the other hand, when the second electromagnetic clutch 51 is turned on and the first electromagnetic clutch 37 is turned off, the drive transmission to the first input pulley 35 is cut off, and the first input pulley 35 receives the driving force from the first output pulley 36. And idle around the rotation axis X. On the other hand, a driving force is input from the second output gear 34 to the shaft 25a of the paper discharge reversal drive roller 25 through the second electromagnetic clutch 51, and the paper discharge reverse drive roller 25 is driven to rotate in the direction opposite to the one direction. To do. Further, the switching input pulley 139 rotates integrally with the shaft 25 a of the paper discharge reverse driving roller 25, and the driving force is transmitted to the switching output pulley 143 via the switching timing belt 142. Then, the driving force is transmitted to the swing shaft 23a via the output torque limiter 40, and the switching claw 23 swings in the opposite direction. When the switching claw 23 hits the abutting member, the drive transmission to the swing shaft 23a is limited by the action of the output torque limiter, and the switching output pulley 143 rotates idly with respect to the swing shaft 23a.

[Modification 3]
FIG. 14 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a drive device 30C of the third modification.
In the driving device 30C according to the third modification, as in the second modification, the inner teeth of the driving idler gear 61 are engaged with the motor gear 31a.

  The fixing output gear 63 is rotatably supported by a fixing fixing shaft v fixed to the bracket 41 and the side plate 42. The fixing output gear 63 has a first gear portion 63a that meshes with the external teeth of the drive idler gear 61, and a second gear portion 63b that meshes with the fixing gear 52 provided on the shaft 171 of the fixing roller 17a. The fixing roller 17a is driven to rotate by the driving force of the motor 31 being transmitted through the driving idler gear 61, the fixing output gear 63, and the fixing gear.

  The first drive transmission path R <b> 1 includes a first input pulley 35, a first output pulley 36, a first timing belt 38 stretched around these pulleys, and a first electromagnetic clutch 37. The second drive transmission path R <b> 2 includes a second input gear 32, a second output gear 34, and a second torque limiter 33.

  The second input gear 32 of the second drive transmission path R2 is attached to the rotary shaft X so as to rotate integrally with the rotary shaft X rotatably supported by the bracket 41 and the side plate 42 via bearings. , Meshed with the external teeth of the drive idler gear 61. The second output gear 34 is rotatably supported on the shaft 25 a of the paper discharge reversal drive roller 25. The second torque limiter 33 is attached to the shaft 25a so as to rotate integrally with the shaft 25a of the paper discharge reversing drive roller 25, and is engaged with the second output gear 34 from the axial direction.

  The first input pulley 35 of the first drive transmission path R1 is rotatably supported by the rotation axis X. The first electromagnetic clutch 37 is attached to the rotary shaft X so as to rotate integrally with the rotary shaft X, and is engaged with the first input pulley 35 from the axial direction. The first output pulley is attached to the shaft 25a so as to rotate integrally with the shaft 25a of the paper discharge reverse driving roller 25.

  An output gear 39 is rotatably supported near the end of the discharge roller driving roller 25 opposite to the motor side of the shaft 25a, and meshes with a swing gear 43 provided on the swing shaft 23a. . Further, an output torque limiter 40 is attached in the vicinity of the end of the discharge reversing drive roller 25 opposite to the motor side of the shaft 25a so as to rotate integrally with the shaft 25a. The output torque limiter 40 is engaged with the output gear 39 from the axial direction.

  Also in the third modification, by switching the drive transmission path, it is possible to switch the rotation direction of the paper discharge reversal drive roller 25 and the swinging direction of the switching claw 23 while rotating the motor in one direction.

  Further, when driving is being transmitted to the shaft 25a of the paper discharge reversing drive roller 25 via the second drive transmission path R2, the first input pulley 35 is routed via the first output pulley 36 and the first timing belt 38. The driving force is transmitted, and the engine rotates idly in the direction opposite to the rotation direction of the rotation axis X. On the other hand, the first electromagnetic clutch 37 rotates in the same direction as the rotation axis X. The electromagnetic clutch has a relative rotational speed that can be driven and connected, and the rotational direction of the first input pulley and the rotational direction of the rotational shaft are different from each other. Therefore, it is preferable to set the rotational speed of the rotary shaft X to half or less of the relative rotational speed at which the electromagnetic clutch can be driven and connected. In the third modification, as the electromagnetic clutch, the relative rotational speed that can be driven and connected is 500 rpm, and therefore, the rotational speed of the rotary shaft X is preferably set to 250 rpm or less.

  In the third modification, the second torque limiter 33 and the first electromagnetic clutch 37 are provided on different shafts. Since the second torque limiter 33 and the first electromagnetic clutch 37 are longer in the axial direction than the pulleys and gears, when the second torque limiter 33 and the first electromagnetic clutch 37 are provided coaxially, the device becomes longer in the axial direction. End up. Therefore, by providing the second torque limiter 33 and the first electromagnetic clutch 37 on different shafts, the device can be moved in the axial direction as compared with the case where the second torque limiter 33 and the first electromagnetic clutch 37 are provided coaxially. Can be shortened.

  In addition, the above-described driving device according to the embodiment and the modification can be used, for example, in an automatic document feeder (ADF) 200 shown in FIG. For example, a switching claw 203 that is a swinging member that switches whether the document G from which the image shown in FIG. 15 is read is conveyed to the document discharge tray 202 or the document reversing unit 203, and a document reversing unit that rotates forward and backward. The driving devices according to the first to third modifications described above can be used to drive the original reversing drive roller 204 and the original discharge roller 205 that always rotates in one direction.

  In addition, the drive device 30 described above can be used as a post-processing device that receives a paper image formed by the image forming apparatus 100 shown in FIG. 16 and performs post-processing such as binding processing on the paper. For example, the switching claw 305 for switching the conveyance path by swinging between the conveyance path Pt1 to the paper discharge tray and the conveyance path Pt2 to the binding processing unit 303, and the conveyance path of the bundle of sheets that have been bound are set. The driving device of this embodiment can also be used to drive the switching claw 307 that is switched by swinging between the transport path Pt3 transported to the center folding unit 304 and the transport path pt to the paper discharge tray 308. In addition, a switching claw 306 for switching back the sheet conveyed to the conveyance path Pt1 to the sheet discharge tray 308 and conveying the sheet to the binding processing unit 303, a conveyance roller 301 and a sheet discharge roller 302 that rotate forward and backward. The driving devices of Modifications 1 to 3 can be used for driving.

  In addition to the switching claw, for example, as shown in FIGS. 17 and 18, the driving device of this embodiment can be used to drive the swing plate 24 b that moves the bottom plate 24 a of the paper feed tray 24 up and down. Further, the driving device of this embodiment can be used to drive the swing plate 24 b and the paper feed roller 13.

What was demonstrated above is an example, and there exists an effect peculiar for every following aspect.
(Aspect 1)
The drive source such as the drive motor 1 and the swinging member such as the switching claw 23 provided so as to be swingable can selectively take the first posture and the second posture. In the drive device comprising: drive transmission means for transmitting the driving force; and swing holding means for holding the swing member in the first posture or the second posture in a state where the drive of the drive source is maintained. Oscillating direction switching means for switching the oscillating direction of the oscillating member without changing the rotation direction of the drive source is provided.
According to this, the rocking member can be held in the first posture or the second posture in a state where the drive of the drive source is maintained by the rocking holding means, and further, the rotation of the drive source can be performed by the rocking direction switching means. The swing direction of the swing member can be switched without changing the direction. As a result, the drive source can be continuously driven to rotate in one direction, and the posture of the swing member can be changed. When the posture of the swing member is changed, a rising sound of the drive source is not generated, and the device The noise can be reduced.

(Aspect 2)
In aspect 1, the swing member is a transport destination guide member such as a switching claw 23 that guides a transported object to any one of a plurality of transport destinations.
According to this, when the conveyance destination guide member is swung to change the conveyance destination of the conveyance object such as the paper P, it is possible to prevent the motor from generating a rising noise and to reduce the noise of the apparatus. Can do.

(Aspect 3)
In the aspect 1 or 2, the swing holding means is a stopper means (in this embodiment, the first abutting member 44a and the stop pawl 23) that stops the swing member such as the switching claw 23 in the first posture and the second posture. And the second abutting member 44b) and drive transmission limiting means such as an output torque limiter 40 for limiting the drive transmission to the swinging member.
According to this, when the swing of the swing member is stopped by the stopper means, the drive transmission limiting means such as the output torque limiter 40 controls the drive transmission to the swing member, and the swing member is in the first posture. Or it is held in the second posture. Accordingly, the swing member can be held in the first posture or the second posture in a state where the drive of the drive source such as the motor is maintained.

(Aspect 4)
In any of the first to third aspects, the swing direction switching means (in this embodiment, the first drive transmission path R1, the second drive transmission path R2, and the electromagnetic clutch and torque limiter provided in each drive transmission path are configured. The driving force of a driving source such as a motor 31 is transmitted to a forward / reverse output target rotating body such as a paper discharge reversing driving roller 25 that rotates forward and backward via a driving path switching unit.
According to this, it is possible to drive the swinging member such as the switching claw 23 and the forward / reverse output target rotating body such as the paper discharge reverse driving roller 25 rotating forward and backward by one drive source. The number of drive sources can be reduced as compared with the case where the normal / reverse output target rotator is driven by different drive sources. Thereby, the cost of the apparatus can be reduced. In addition, the apparatus can be reduced in size. Furthermore, the noise of the apparatus can be reduced.

(Aspect 5)
In aspect 4, the output target rotating body is a paper discharge reversing roller such as a paper discharge reversal drive roller 25 that carries the paper in a switchback manner or transports it to a paper discharge unit.
As a result, the rotation direction of the paper discharge reversing roller can be switched by switching the swinging direction switching means, and the paper can be conveyed to the paper discharge unit, or the paper can be switched back and conveyed to the double-sided path. .

(Aspect 6)
In any one of the first to fifth aspects, a driving transmission path (in this embodiment, the fixing gear 52) transmits the driving force of the driving source such as the motor 31 to the one-way output target rotating body such as the fixing roller 17a that rotates only in one direction. Etc.).
According to this, the swinging member such as the switching claw 23 and the one-way output target rotating body such as the fixing roller 17a can be driven by one driving source, and the swinging member and the one-way output target rotating body can be driven. The number of drive sources can be reduced as compared with those driven by different drive sources. Thereby, the cost of the apparatus can be reduced. In addition, the apparatus can be reduced in size. Furthermore, the noise of the apparatus can be reduced.

(Aspect 7)
In any one of aspects 1 to 6, the drive transmission means includes a drive output member such as an output shaft t from which the drive force is output from the swing direction switching means, and the drive force is applied to the swing member via the drive output member. Drive is transmitted from the drive output member to the swing member so that the swing member such as the switching claw 23 is accelerated relative to the drive output member.
According to this, as described with reference to FIG. 7, the swinging member such as the switching claw 23 can be quickly swung.

(Aspect 8)
In any one of the first to sixth aspects, the drive transmission means includes a drive output member such as the output shaft t from which the drive force is output from the swing direction switching means, and the swing member such as the switching claw 23 with respect to the drive output member. Is transmitted from the drive output member to the swing member so that the speed is reduced.
According to this, as described with reference to FIG. 8, the swinging member such as the switching claw 23 can be swung slowly, and the impact sound when hitting the butting members 44 a and 44 b can be reduced. Therefore, the noise of the device can be reduced.

(Aspect 9)
In any one of Aspects 1 to 8, the drive transmission means includes a drive output member such as the shaft 25a of the paper discharge reversal drive roller 25 from which a driving force is output from the swinging direction switching means, and the drive output member via the drive output member. A transmission mechanism (output gear 39) transmits driving force from the drive output member to the swinging member on one end side in the swinging axis direction of the swinging member such as the switching claw 23. , The swing gear 43 and the output torque limiter 40) are arranged, and the rotation direction switching means (the first drive transmission path R1, the second drive transmission path R2, and the electromagnetic clutch or torque are arranged on the other end side in the swing axis direction. A path switching means constituted by a limiter or the like) is arranged.
According to this, as described in the first modification, when the transmission mechanism for transmitting the driving force from the drive output member to the swinging member and the rotation direction switching unit are arranged on one end side in the swinging shaft direction. In comparison, it is possible to reduce the size of the device in which the drive device is mounted in the axial direction.

(Aspect 10)
In any one of aspects 1 to 9, the drive transmission means includes a drive output member such as an output shaft t from which the drive force is output from the swing direction switching means, and the drive force is applied to the swing member via the drive output member. Drive transmission from the drive output member to the swinging member such as the switching claw 23 is performed by meshing of the gears.
According to this, drive transmission from the drive output member to the swing member can be performed with an inexpensive configuration.

(Aspect 11)
In any one of the first to ninth aspects, the drive transmission means includes a drive output member such as the shaft 25a of the paper discharge reversal drive roller 25 from which the drive force is output from the swing direction switching means, and the drive output member via the drive output member. The driving force is transmitted to the swing member, and the drive transmission from the drive output member to the swing member such as the switching claw 23 is performed via the belt.
According to this, as described in the second modification, even if the distance between the drive output member and the swing member is large, the pulley provided on the drive output member, the pulley provided on the swing member, Drive transmission can be performed with a belt member such as a timing belt. When drive transmission is performed by meshing the gears, if the drive transmission is possible with three members, the gear diameter needs to be increased and the device becomes larger, but the drive transmission through the belt increases the size. Rather, it is possible to transmit the drive to the swing member disposed at a position away from the drive output member by three members.

(Aspect 12)
In the first to eleventh aspects, the swing direction switching means selectively drives between the two systems of drive transmission paths for swinging the swing member in different directions and the two systems of drive transmission paths. Switching means (configured by an electromagnetic clutch arranged on one drive transmission path and a torque limiter arranged on the other drive transmission path).
According to this, the drive output member can be rotationally driven in different directions by switching the drive transmission path to the drive output member by the path switching means. Accordingly, the swinging member can be swung in different directions while the motor is rotated in one direction.

(Aspect 13)
In the twelfth aspect, the path switching means includes drive transmission switching means such as a plurality of electromagnetic clutches provided in each drive transmission path and capable of switching between a state of transmitting the driving force and a state of interrupting the transmission of the driving force.
According to this, as described in the first modification, the drive transmission path can be switched by controlling the drive transmission switching means such as the electromagnetic clutch of each drive transmission path.

(Aspect 14)
In the aspect 13, the drive transmission switching means such as the electromagnetic clutch of each drive transmission path is arranged on different axes.
According to this, as described in the second modification, it is possible to reduce the axial size as compared with the case where drive transmission switching means such as an electromagnetic clutch of each drive transmission path is provided on the same axis.

(Aspect 15)
In the aspect 13, the drive transmission switching means such as the electromagnetic clutch of each drive transmission path is arranged on the same axis.
According to this, as described in the first modification, a device in which a speed switching device such as an image forming device is mounted so that an operator can access only a shaft to which a drive transmission switching unit such as an electromagnetic clutch is attached. If configured, the drive transmission switching means of each drive transmission path can be exchanged. Thereby, compared with the structure which attached the drive transmission switching means to the mutually different rotating shaft, size reduction of the apparatus by which a drive device is mounted can be achieved.

(Aspect 16)
In the twelfth aspect, the path switching means is provided with drive transmission switching means such as an electromagnetic clutch capable of switching between a state in which the driving force is transmitted and a state in which the transmission of the driving force is interrupted, on one drive transmission path, Switching drive drive transmission limiting means such as a second torque limiter 33 for limiting is provided in the other drive transmission path.
According to this, as described in the embodiment, when one drive transmission path is in the drive transmission state by the drive transmission switching means, the drive transmission is restricted by the switching drive drive transmission restriction means such as the second torque limiter 33. When the drive transmission of one drive transmission path by the drive transmission switching means is cut off, the drive transmission is allowed by the switching drive drive transmission limiting means, and the drive transmission from the other drive transmission path to the output drive transmission member Is done. Thereby, the drive transmission path can be switched between one drive transmission path and the other drive transmission path. Therefore, the drive transmission path to the output drive transmission member can be switched in the time required for the switching operation of one drive transmission switching means. Therefore, it is possible to shorten the time required for switching the drive transmission path, compared to the case where two drive transmission switching means are provided corresponding to each of the two drive transmission paths.

(Aspect 17)
In the aspect 16, the drive transmission switching means such as an electromagnetic clutch and the switching drive drive transmission limiting means such as a torque limiter are arranged on different axes.
According to this, as described in the third modification, it is possible to reduce the axial size as compared with the case where the drive transmission switching unit and the switching drive transmission limitation unit are arranged coaxially.

(Aspect 18)
In the aspect 16, the drive transmission switching means such as an electromagnetic clutch and the switching drive drive transmission limiting means such as a torque limiter are arranged on the same axis.
According to this, as described in the embodiment, it is possible to reduce the number of shafts that are rotatably supported via a bearing or the like, and the cost of the apparatus can be reduced.

(Aspect 19)
In any one of aspects 16 to 18, the swing holding means includes drive transmission limiting means such as an output torque limiter 40 that limits drive transmission to the swing member, and sets the drive limit value of the drive transmission limiting means. The drive limit value of the switching drive drive transmission limiting means such as the second output torque limiter 33 is smaller than the drive limit value.
According to this, as described in the embodiment, when the swinging member such as the switching claw 23 is stopped by the stopper unit, the drive transmission is transmitted by the switching drive drive transmission limiting unit such as the second torque limiter 33. Before being restricted, the drive transmission of the drive transmission restriction means such as the output torque limiter 40 is restricted. As a result, even if a swinging member such as the switching claw 23 is stopped by the stopper means, drive transmission can be performed from the switching drive drive transmission limiting means such as the second torque limiter 33.

(Aspect 20)
In any one of Aspects 13 to 19, the driven connecting member such as the first input pulley 35 that is drivingly connected to the drive transmission switching means such as an electromagnetic clutch is disposed coaxially with the drive transmission switching means.
According to this, as described in the embodiment, it is possible to suppress the driven connecting member such as the first input pulley 35 from being inclined with respect to the shaft.

(Aspect 21)
In any one of aspects 1 to 20, the output gear such as the motor gear 31a of the drive source such as the motor 31 is meshed with the internal gear.
According to this, as described in the second modification, the meshing rate with the output gear such as the motor gear 31a is increased, and the occurrence of uneven rotation, noise and vibration can be suppressed. Further, the meshing portion with the output gear can be covered by the internal gear, and the meshing noise can be shielded by the internal gear, so that the apparatus can be made quiet.

(Aspect 22)
In a transport device that includes a swinging member such as a switching claw 23 and swings the swinging member to guide a transported object such as paper P to be transported to one of a plurality of transport destinations. As a driving means for driving the moving member, the driving device according to any one of aspects 1 to 21 is used.
According to this, it is possible to reduce the noise of the transport device.

(Aspect 23)
In an image forming apparatus including an image forming unit that forms an image and a driving unit that drives a swing member, the driving device according to any one of aspects 1 to 22 is used as the driving unit.
According to this, it is possible to reduce the noise of the image forming apparatus.

1: Image forming unit 2: Photoconductor 3: Exposure device 4: Developing device 5: Developer cartridge 6: Cleaning device 10: Intermediate transfer unit 11: Intermediate transfer belt 12: Primary transfer roller 13: Paper feed roller 14: Registration roller Pair 15: Secondary transfer roller 16: Secondary transfer device 17: Fixing device 17a: Fixing roller 17b: Pressure roller 18: Paper discharge unit 18a: Paper discharge driven roller 19: Reversing unit 19a: Reverse driven roller 20: Paper discharge Tray 21: Double-sided conveyance path 22: Paper feed conveyance path 23: Switching claw 23a: Oscillating shaft 24: Paper feed tray 24a: Bottom plate 24b: Oscillating plate 25: Discharge reverse drive roller 25a: Discharge reverse drive roller shaft 30: Drive device 31: Motor 31a: Motor gear 32: Second input gear 33: Second torque limiter 33a: Connection claw 34: Second output gear 34a: Connection hole 35: First input Pulley 36: first output pulley 36a: connecting hole 37: first electromagnetic clutch 37a: connecting claw 37b: armature 37c: rotor part 37d: electromagnetic coil part 37e: shaft fixing part 37f: drive connecting member 38: first timing belt 39 : Output gear 40: output torque limiter 40 a: coupling claw 41: bracket 41 a: bearing 41 b: bearing 42: side plate 43: swing gear 44 a: first abutting member 44 b: second abutting member 51: second electromagnetic clutch 52 : Fixing gear 55: side plate 55a: bearing 61: drive idler gear 62: drive output gear 63: fixing output gear 63a: first gear part 63b: second gear part 100: laser printer (image forming apparatus)
131: second input pulley 132: second timing belt 133: second output pulley 135: first input gear 136: first output gear 138: first idler gear 139: switching input pulley 142: switching timing belt 143: switching output pulley 171: Fixing roller shaft 202: Document discharge tray 203: Switching claw 203: Document reversing unit 204: Document reverse drive roller 205: Document discharge roller 301: Conveying roller 302: Paper discharge roller 303: Binding processing unit 304: Medium Folding unit 305: switching claw 306: switching claw 307: switching claw 308: paper discharge tray G: document P: paper R1: first drive transmission path R2: second drive transmission path s: fixed shaft t: output shafts u1, u2 : Mounting pin v: Fixing fixed axis W: Second fixed axis X: Rotating axis

JP-A-11-231359

Claims (23)

A driving source;
Drive transmission means for transmitting a driving force of the drive source to the swing member so that the swing member provided so as to be swingable can selectively take the first posture and the second posture;
In a drive device comprising swing holding means for holding the swing member in the first posture or the second posture while maintaining the drive of the drive source,
A drive device comprising a swing direction switching means for switching the swing direction of the swing member without changing the rotation direction of the drive source. The drive device according to claim 1,
The drive device according to claim 1, wherein the swing member is a transport destination guide member that guides a transported object to any one of a plurality of transport destinations. The drive device according to claim 1 or 2,
The swing holding means includes stopper means for stopping the swing member in the first posture and the second posture, and drive transmission limiting means for limiting drive transmission to the swing member. A drive device. The drive device according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
A driving apparatus that transmits the driving force of the driving source to a forward / reverse output target rotating body that rotates forward and backward via the swing direction switching means. The drive device according to claim 4, wherein
The driving device according to claim 1, wherein the output target rotating body is a paper discharge reversing roller for switchback transporting the paper or transporting the paper to a paper discharge unit. The drive device according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
A drive device comprising a drive transmission path for transmitting a drive force of the drive source to a unidirectional output target rotating body that rotates only in one direction. The drive device according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
The drive transmission means includes a drive output member that outputs a drive force from the swing direction switching means, and transmits the drive force to the swing member via the drive output member,
A drive device wherein drive transmission is performed from the drive output member to the swing member so that the swing member is accelerated relative to the rotational speed of the drive output member. The drive device according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
The drive transmission means includes a drive output member that outputs a drive force from the swing direction switching means, and transmits the drive force to the swing member via the drive output member,
A drive device wherein drive transmission is performed from the drive output member to the swing member so that the swing member decelerates with respect to the rotational speed of the drive output member. The drive device according to any one of claims 1 to 8,
The drive transmission means includes a drive output member that outputs a drive force from the swing direction switching means, and transmits the drive force to the swing member via the drive output member,
A transmission mechanism for transmitting a driving force from the drive output member to the swing member is disposed on one end side of the swing member in the swing shaft direction, and the swing direction switching means is disposed on the other end side in the swing shaft direction. A drive device characterized by comprising: The drive device according to any one of claims 1 to 9,
The drive transmission means includes a drive output member that outputs a drive force from the swing direction switching means, and transmits the drive force to the swing member via the drive output member,
A drive device characterized in that drive transmission from the drive output member to the swing member is performed by meshing of gears. The drive device according to any one of claims 1 to 9,
The drive transmission means includes a drive output member that outputs a drive force from the swing direction switching means, and transmits the drive force to the swing member via the drive output member,
A drive device characterized in that drive transmission from the drive output member to the swing member is performed via a belt. The drive device according to any one of claims 1 to 11,
The swing direction switching means includes two drive transmission paths for swinging the swing member in different directions, and path switching means for selectively switching the drive transmission path between the two drive transmission paths. A drive device comprising: The drive device according to claim 12, wherein
The path switching means includes a plurality of drive transmission switching means provided in each drive transmission path and capable of switching between a state of transmitting a driving force and a state of interrupting the transmission of the driving force. The drive device according to claim 13,
A drive device characterized in that the drive transmission switching means of each drive transmission path is arranged on different axes. The drive device according to claim 13,
A drive device characterized in that the drive transmission switching means of each drive transmission path is arranged on the same axis. The drive device according to claim 12, wherein
The path switching means is provided with a drive transmission switching means capable of switching between a state in which driving force is transmitted and a state in which transmission of driving force is interrupted, on one drive transmission path, and drive driving transmission for blocking switching that restricts driving transmission. A drive device characterized in that a limiting means is provided in the other drive transmission path. The drive device according to claim 16, wherein
The drive device characterized in that the drive transmission switching means and the switching drive drive transmission restriction means are arranged on different axes. The drive device according to claim 16, wherein
A drive apparatus characterized in that the drive transmission switching means and the switching drive drive transmission restriction means are arranged coaxially. The drive device according to any one of claims 16 to 18,
The swing holding means has drive transmission limiting means for limiting drive transmission to the swing member, and the drive limit value of the drive transmission limit means is set to be greater than the drive limit value of the switching drive drive transmission limit means. A drive device characterized by being made smaller. The drive device according to any one of claims 13 to 19,
A drive device characterized in that a driven connecting member that is drivingly connected to the drive transmission switching means is arranged coaxially with the drive transmission switching means. The drive device according to any one of claims 1 to 20,
A drive device characterized in that an output gear of the drive source is meshed with an internal gear. In a conveying apparatus that includes an oscillating member and guides an object to be conveyed to one of a plurality of conveying destinations by oscillating the oscillating member.
A conveying device using the driving device according to any one of claims 1 to 21 as driving means for driving the swing member. An image forming means for forming an image;
In an image forming apparatus including a driving unit that drives a swing member,
23. An image forming apparatus using the driving device according to claim 1 as the driving unit.

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