JP2018154020A - Image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain an image forming apparatus capable of conveying a long recording medium while suppressing the size of the image forming apparatus, as compared with a configuration in which there is no crossing portion in a conveyance path of the recording medium when forming an image on one side of the recording medium.SOLUTION: An image forming apparatus 10 includes: a paper feeding section 12 which stores a paper sheet P in a bent state with respect to a paper feeding start position 60 and feeds the paper sheet P; an image forming section 16 which forms an image on the paper sheet P; and a conveyance path 14 which conveys the paper sheet P from the paper feeding section 12 to an external discharge section 80 via the image forming section 16 and has a crossing portion when forming the image on one side of the paper sheet P.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus.

  Patent Document 1 below discloses an image forming apparatus including a paper feed tray that feeds paper in a substantially parallel or oblique direction to the horizontal direction of the image forming apparatus main body and on which the paper is stacked. .

  Patent Document 2 below discloses an image forming apparatus including a paper feed tray that feeds paper in a substantially vertical direction with respect to the horizontal direction of the main body of the image forming apparatus and on which the paper is stacked.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-142868 JP 2008-250028 A

  In order to feed paper in a state where the paper is arranged in a substantially flat shape, the length of the paper feed tray is required to ensure the length of the paper, and the overall length of the image forming apparatus may be increased.

  The present invention is an image forming apparatus capable of conveying a long recording medium while suppressing the size of the image forming apparatus as compared with a configuration in which there is no portion intersecting the conveyance path of the recording medium when forming an image on one side of the recording medium. Is the purpose.

  An image forming apparatus according to a first aspect of the present invention accommodates a sheet recording medium in a bent state with respect to a sheet feeding start position, a sheet feeding unit that feeds the recording medium, and a recording medium on the recording medium. An image forming unit that forms an image on the recording medium, and a conveyance path for conveying the recording medium from the paper feeding unit to the external discharge unit via the image forming unit, and intersects at the time of image formation on one side of the recording medium And a part of the conveyance path.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, a sheet recording medium is accommodated while being bent with respect to a sheet feeding start position, and an image is formed on the recording medium, and a sheet feeding unit that feeds the recording medium. An image forming unit and a conveyance path for conveying the recording medium from the paper feeding unit to the external discharge unit only once through the image forming unit, and an upstream portion and a downstream portion in the conveying direction are The conveyance path having an intersecting portion.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the image forming apparatus according to the first or second aspect, at least the downstream end in the paper feeding direction of the paper feeding unit is above or below the intersection of the conveyance path. The crossing section is configured such that a path from the paper feeding section to the image forming section and a path from the image forming section to the discharge section intersect.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the image forming apparatus according to the third aspect, the paper feeding unit is disposed so as to cover a part of the image forming unit from both sides in the vertical direction.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the image forming apparatus according to the first or second aspect, a fixing device that fixes an image formed on the recording medium is provided on a side of the image forming unit. The paper feeding unit is disposed so as to cover a part of the image forming apparatus excluding the fixing device from both sides in the vertical direction, and at least the downstream end in the paper feeding direction is below the intersection of the conveyance paths. The crossing section is configured such that a path from the paper feeding section to the image forming section and a path from the image forming section to the fixing device cross each other.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, a long recording medium is conveyed while suppressing the size of the image forming apparatus as compared with a configuration in which there is no portion intersecting the recording medium conveyance path when forming an image on one side of the recording medium. can do.

  According to the second aspect of the present invention, compared to a configuration in which there is no portion intersecting the recording medium conveyance path when the recording medium is conveyed to the discharge unit only once through the image forming unit, the image formation is performed. A long recording medium can be conveyed while suppressing the size of the apparatus.

  According to the third aspect of the present invention, the size of the image forming apparatus is suppressed as compared with the configuration in which the path from the paper feeding unit to the image forming unit and the path from the image forming unit to the discharge unit do not intersect. However, a long recording medium can be conveyed.

  According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the paper feed unit can be made compact compared to a configuration in which the paper feed unit covers a part of the image forming unit from one side in the vertical direction.

  According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, as compared with the configuration in which the paper feeding unit is arranged so as to cover a part including a part of the fixing device, the fixing is performed before the recording medium is conveyed to the image forming unit. Heating by heat dissipation from the device is suppressed.

1 is a schematic configuration diagram illustrating an image forming apparatus according to a first embodiment. FIGS. 4A to 4C are side views illustrating the operation of a sheet feeding unit provided in the image forming apparatus according to the first embodiment. It is a schematic block diagram which shows the image forming apparatus which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. It is a schematic block diagram which shows the image forming apparatus which concerns on 3rd Embodiment. It is a schematic block diagram which shows the image forming apparatus which concerns on 4th Embodiment. It is a schematic block diagram which shows the image forming apparatus which concerns on a 1st comparative example. It is a schematic block diagram which shows the image forming apparatus which concerns on a 2nd comparative example.

  Hereinafter, an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, in each drawing, the direction indicated by the arrow Y is the apparatus height direction, and the direction indicated by the arrow X is the apparatus width direction. In addition, a direction (indicated by Z) orthogonal to each of the apparatus height direction and the apparatus width direction is defined as an apparatus depth direction. In each drawing, the image forming apparatus is viewed from the front, and the apparatus height direction, the apparatus width direction, and the apparatus depth direction are described as a Y direction, an X direction, and a Z direction. Further, when it is necessary to distinguish one side and the other side in the X direction, the Y direction, and the Z direction, when the image forming apparatus is viewed from the front, the upper side is the Y side, the lower side is the -Y side, and the right side is the X side. Side, left side is described as -X side, back side as Z side, and front side as -Z side.

[First Embodiment]
<Overall configuration>
FIG. 1 shows an image forming apparatus 10 according to the first embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the image forming apparatus 10 contains a sheet P as a sheet recording medium and feeds the sheet P, and a plurality of conveyance roll pairs 15 that convey the sheet P. Is provided, and a transport path 14 for transporting the paper P in the direction of arrow A (the counterclockwise direction in FIG. 1). Further, the image forming apparatus 10 includes an image forming unit 16 that forms a toner image as an example of an image on the surface (image forming surface) of the paper P in the middle of the conveyance path 14, and a side (X side) of the image forming unit 16. ) And a fixing device 18 for fixing the toner image on the surface of the paper P by heating and pressing. The fixing device 18 is disposed on the side (−X side) of the image forming unit 16. The image forming unit 16 and the fixing device 18 are arranged inside the housing 20 as an example.

  The image forming unit 16 includes an image carrier 22 having a photoreceptor layer formed on the surface and rotating in the direction of the arrow. The image forming unit 16 is formed on the surface of the image carrier 22, a charging device 24 that charges the surface of the image carrier 22, an exposure device 26 that forms an electrostatic latent image on the surface of the image carrier 22, and the image carrier 22. And a developing device 28 for developing the electrostatic latent image as a toner image. Further, the image forming unit 16 includes a transfer roll 30 that transfers the toner image formed on the surface of the image carrier 22 to the paper P, and a cleaning device 32 that cleans the surface of the image carrier 22 after the transfer. Yes.

  In the image forming unit 16, a support roll 33 and a guide unit 34 are arranged on both sides of the transfer roll 30 in the conveyance direction (arrow A direction) of the paper P, and endless conveyance is performed between the support roll 33 and the guide unit 34. A belt 36 is wound around. The transfer roll 30 is disposed inside the conveyance belt 36. By transporting the transport belt 36 in the direction of arrow A, the paper P is transported to a transfer portion where the image carrier 22 and the transfer roll 30 face each other.

  On the side (−X side) opposite to the fixing device 18 of the image forming unit 16, a transport roll pair 48 that transports the paper P is disposed. The conveyance roll pair 48 is disposed on the upstream side in the conveyance direction of the paper P with respect to the image forming unit 16. Further, on the side (X side) opposite to the image forming unit 16 of the fixing device 18, a transport roll pair 50 for transporting the paper P is disposed. The conveyance roll pair 50 is disposed on the downstream side in the conveyance direction of the paper P with respect to the fixing device 18. In the present embodiment, as an example, the transport roll pair 48 is disposed outside the housing 20, and the transport roll pair 50 is disposed inside the housing 20. By the transport roll pair 48 and the transport roll pair 50, the paper P is transported in the substantially horizontal direction (X direction) from the image forming unit 16 toward the downstream side in the transport direction of the fixing device 18. In the image forming apparatus 10, the transport path 14 includes a fifth path 14 </ b> E (described later) that transports the paper P from the image forming unit 16 toward the downstream side in the transport direction of the fixing device 18.

<Paper Feeder 12>
Next, the paper feeding unit 12 will be described.

  The paper supply unit 12 is stored in the storage unit 52 in the downstream of the storage unit 52 in which a plurality of papers P are stored and the paper supply direction of the storage unit 52 (the direction of arrow D in FIG. 2, that is, the same direction as the arrow A). And a feeding roll 54 for feeding the paper P to be fed from the upper surface side. Further, the paper feed unit 12 includes a transport roll 56 that transports the paper P fed by the feed roll 54, and a multifeed prevention roll 58 that is disposed so as to contact the transport roll 56 via the paper P. ing. The double feed prevention roll 58 has a function of preventing double feed of the paper P. The feeding roll 54 is disposed at a paper feeding start position 60 where paper feeding of the paper P from the storage unit 52 is started.

  The storage unit 52 includes a guide unit 52 </ b> A that stores the paper P while being bent with respect to the paper feed start position 60. The guide portion 52A has a curved shape and supports the paper P in a bent state. The guide portion 52A is disposed on the opposite side of the image forming portion 16 with respect to the paper P. Further, the guide portion 52A is configured to accommodate the paper P such that the bending angle of the paper P is 90 degrees or more with respect to the paper feed start position 60. Here, the bend angle with respect to the paper feed start position 60 is a bend angle of the paper P with respect to a state in which the paper P is arranged in a planar shape from the paper feed start position 60. When the bend angle of the paper P is smaller than 90 degrees with respect to the paper feed start position 60, the paper P approaches the configuration in which the paper P is arranged in a state close to a plane from the paper feed start position 60, and the paper feed unit including the storage unit It can grow.

  In the present embodiment, the storage unit 52 is disposed so as to cover (enclose) the image forming unit 16 from the lower side in the vertical direction (−Y side) of the image forming unit 16 toward the upper side in the vertical direction (Y side). . The accommodating part 52 is provided with a substantially semicircular part in part, and one end side (the lower side in the vertical direction in the present embodiment) of the substantially semicircular part extends in the direction of the paper feed start position 60. The shape is substantially J-shaped. In the present embodiment, the storage unit 52 is disposed so as to cover (enclose) one side (−X side) and the lower side in the vertical direction (−Y side) of the image forming unit 16.

  The accommodating part 52 includes a guide part 52B facing the guide part 52A. The guide part 52B has a curved shape and is disposed inside the guide part 52A. The paper P is accommodated between the guide part 52A and the guide part 52B. As an example, the guide part 52 </ b> B extends from the lower part on the housing part 52 side of the housing 20 so as to curve upward (Y side) in the vertical direction.

  Further, the accommodating portion 52 includes a cover 62 at the upstream end in the paper feeding direction of the paper P. The cover 62 includes a shaft portion 62A that is rotatably supported at the upper end (Y side) of the guide portion 52A, and the front end portion 62B side of the cover 62 rotates in the arrow C direction. The distal end portion 62B of the cover 62 is configured to close the accommodating portion 52 in a state where the distal end portion 62B is rotated to a position approaching the guide portion 52B. In addition, with the distal end portion 62B of the cover 62 rotated upward as indicated by the arrow C, the accommodating portion 52 is opened. The paper P can be replenished by inserting the paper P into the housing 52 in a state where the housing 52 is opened by the rotation of the cover 62.

  The paper feed unit 12 includes a lifter 64 that moves up and down the downstream end of the paper P in the paper feed direction below the paper feed start position 60 (−Y side). The lifter 64 is configured such that one end portion 64A on the opposite side to the paper feeding direction of the paper P is rotatably supported, and the other end portion 64A rotates in the vertical direction (arrow B direction). The uppermost sheet P is brought into contact with the feeding roll 54 in a state where the other end portion 64A of the lifter 64 is raised and a part of the sheet P is lifted.

  In the paper feeding unit 12, as an example, the other end portion 64 </ b> A of the lifter 64 is raised and a part of the paper P is lifted in conjunction with an operation in which the front end portion 62 </ b> B of the cover 62 closes the housing portion 52. ing.

  In FIG. 2, a sheet feeding operation of the sheet feeding unit 12 is shown in a schematic configuration diagram. In FIG. 2, the length of the paper P in the longitudinal direction is shortened for easy understanding of the configuration. As shown in FIG. 2A, the double feed prevention roll 58 is rotatably supported by the holder 70. The holder 70 is configured to swing in the vertical direction around a shaft portion 70 </ b> A disposed at the lower portion opposite to the double feed prevention roll 58. A spring member 72 that biases the double feed prevention roll 58 in a direction in which it is pressed against the transport roll 56 is provided below the holder 70. As shown in FIG. 2B, when a driving force is transmitted from a motor (not shown), the double feed prevention roll 58 rotates in the arrow R2 direction, and the transport roll 56 rotates in the arrow R3 direction. It has become. The holder 70 is provided with a torque limiter 74 connected to a motor-side gear (not shown). The torque limiter 74 is configured to block transmission of driving force from the motor to the double feed prevention roll 58 when an overload is applied to the double feed prevention roll 58 due to the double feed of two or more sheets P. As a result, the rotation of the double feed prevention roll 58 is limited, and the double feed prevention function works, so that only one sheet P is conveyed by the rotation of the conveyance roll 56.

  As shown in FIG. 1, when feeding paper, the paper P is lifted by the lifter 64, and the feeding roll 54 comes into contact with the uppermost paper P. In FIG. 2B, for ease of understanding of the configuration, the lifter 64 does not move and the feeding roll 54 moves downward, but in reality, the paper P on the lifter 64 is on the upper side. To contact the feeding roll 54. As shown in FIG. 2B, when the feeding roll 54 contacts the uppermost sheet P on the lifter 64 and rotates in the direction of arrow R1, the sheet P is fed out in the sheet feeding direction (arrow D direction). It is. The paper P is transported to the contact portion between the transport roll 56 and the double feed prevention roll 58 by the feeding roll 54. At the contact portion between the transport roll 56 and the double feed prevention roll 58, the double feed prevention roll 58 and the transport roll 56 rotate in the same direction (arrow R2 direction, arrow R3 direction).

  As shown in FIG. 2C, the paper P is transported between the transport roll 56 and the double feed prevention roll 58, and the feeding roll 54 is separated from the uppermost paper P on the lifter 64. At that time, the double feed prevention function of the double feed prevention roll 58 prevents the double feed of the paper P, so that only one paper P is sent downstream in the paper feed direction (arrow D direction). As a result, the paper P is fed from the paper feed unit 12.

<Transfer route 14>
Next, the conveyance path 14 will be described.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the transport path 14 includes a plurality of transport roll pairs 15 that assist the transport of the paper P, and transports the paper P fed by the paper feed unit 12 in the direction of arrow A. The conveyance path 14 includes a first path 14 </ b> A that conveys the paper P in a substantially horizontal direction (X direction) along the lower portion of the housing 20 from the downstream side of the facing portion between the conveyance roll 56 and the double feed prevention roll 58. . Further, the transport path 14 is disposed on the downstream side in the transport direction of the first path 14A on the side (X side) of the fixing device 18 of the housing 20, and the sheet P is moved from the lower side of the housing 20 to the upper side (Y side). The second path 14 </ b> B for transporting toward the vehicle is provided. Further, the transport path 14 transports the paper P along the upper portion of the housing 20 from the fixing device 18 side toward the image forming unit 16 side (−X side) on the downstream side in the transport direction of the second path 14B. A path 14C is provided. Further, the transport path 14 is a fourth path 14D that transports the paper P from the upper side of the housing 20 to the position of the transport roll pair 48 toward the lower side (−Y side) on the downstream side in the transport direction of the third path 14C. I have. Further, the transport path 14 transports the paper P to the image forming unit 16 and the fixing device 18 in the housing 20 on the downstream side in the transport direction of the fourth path 14D, and further transports the paper P to the discharge unit 80 outside the housing 20. A fifth path 14E for transporting in a substantially horizontal direction (X direction) is provided.

  The transport path 14 is provided with a guide portion 82A that guides the paper P transported to the middle of the first path 14A and the second path 14B. An end of the guide portion 82A on the upstream side in the conveyance direction is formed continuously with the guide portion 52A of the paper feeding unit 12. The paper P is transported along the guide portion 82A by the pair of transport rollers 15 inside the guide portion 82A. An end of the guide portion 82A on the downstream side in the conveyance direction is curved from the lower side (−Y side) of the housing 20 to the upper side (Y side) and extends to a position where it does not interfere with the fifth path 14E. A guide plate 84 that is concavely curved is disposed at a curved portion that becomes a boundary between the first path 14A and the second path 14B.

  The transport path 14 is provided with a guide portion 82B that guides the paper P transported on the third path 14C from the middle of the second path 14B. An end portion of the guide portion 82B on the downstream side in the transport direction is formed continuously with the guide portion 52B of the sheet feeding portion 12. The paper P is transported along the guide portion 82B by the pair of transport rollers 15 inside the guide portion 82B. The end of the guide portion 82B on the upstream side in the conveyance direction is curved from the upper side (Y side) to the lower side (−Y side) of the housing 20 and extends to a position where it does not interfere with the fifth path 14E. A guide plate 86 that is concavely curved is disposed at a curved portion that becomes a boundary between the second path 14B and the third path 14C. Furthermore, a guide plate 88 that is curved in a concave shape is disposed at a curved portion that becomes a boundary between the third path 14C and the fourth path 14D.

  The fourth path 14 </ b> D is provided inside the guide part 52 </ b> B of the paper feeding part 12. In other words, the fourth path 14 </ b> D is provided inside the storage portion 52 in which the paper P is stored. A guide plate 90 that guides the paper P to the transport roll pair 48 and is curved in a concave shape is provided at the downstream end of the fourth path 14D in the transport direction.

  In the conveyance path 14, the sheet P is guided along a plurality of auxiliary conveyance roll pairs while being along the guide portions 84 </ b> A, 82 </ b> B and guide plates 84, 86, 88, 90 arranged inside the guide portions 82 </ b> A, 82 </ b> B. 15 is transported to the transport roll pair 48. The interval at which the auxiliary conveyance roll pair 15 is arranged is set to be less than the minimum sheet length that can be conveyed. The transport roll pair 48 includes a registration aligning mechanism that controls the transport timing of the paper P to the image forming unit 16. A space for looping the paper P is formed immediately before the conveyance direction of the conveyance roll pair 48.

  In the fifth path 14E, the paper P is transported to the image forming unit 16 by the transport belt 36, and the toner image on the image carrier 22 is transferred onto the paper P. Further, the paper P is conveyed to the fixing device 18 and the toner image on the paper P is fixed as an image by heating and pressing. Then, the paper P is discharged to the discharge unit 80 by the transport roll pair 50.

  The transport path 14 is configured such that the second path 14B and the fifth path 14E intersect at an intersection 92 when an image is formed on one side of the paper P. In other words, the transport path 14 is configured to transport the paper P from the paper feeding unit 12 to the external discharge unit 80 via the image forming unit 16 only once, and includes an upstream portion and a downstream portion in the transport direction. Is provided with an intersection 92. The intersection 92 is located downstream of the fixing device 18 and the conveyance roll pair 50 in the conveyance direction of the fifth path 14E and outside the housing 20. Further, at least the downstream end of the storage unit 52 in the sheet feeding direction (that is, the sheet feeding start position 60 side) of the sheet feeding unit 12 is disposed below (−Y side) the intersection 92 of the transport path 14. Yes. Further, in the intersection 92, the second path 14B of the conveyance path 14 from the paper feeding unit 12 to the image forming unit 16 and the fifth path 14E of the conveyance path 14 from the image forming unit 16 to the discharge unit intersect. It is configured. The conveyance path 14 is configured such that the trailing edge of the paper P passes through the intersection 92 when the leading edge of the maximum length of the paper P reaches the intersection 92.

<Action>
Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described.

  As shown in FIG. 1, in the image forming apparatus 10, a storage unit 52 is provided in the paper feeding unit 12, and a plurality of sheets P are stored in the storage unit 52. In the storage section 52, the paper P is stored in a state bent with respect to the paper feed start position 60. Further, the image forming apparatus 10 is provided with a transport path 14 for transporting the paper P from the paper feeding unit 12 to the external discharge unit 80 via the image forming unit 16. The transport path 14 is configured such that the second path 14B and the fifth path 14E in the transport path 14 intersect at an intersection 92 when an image is formed on one side of the paper P.

  As shown in FIG. 2, in the paper feeding unit 12, the lifter 64 is raised so that the feeding roll 54 comes into contact with the uppermost paper P, and the paper P is fed in the paper feeding direction (arrow D) by the rotation of the feeding roll 54. Direction). Further, the paper P is transported between the transport roll 56 and the multi-feed prevention roll 58, so that the multi-feed is suppressed and only one paper P is sent to the downstream side. As a result, the paper P is fed from the paper feed unit 12.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 1, the paper P is transported in the direction of arrow A along the first path 14A, the second path 14B, the third path 14C, and the fourth path 14D of the transport path 14. That is, in the first path 14A, the second path 14B, the third path 14C, and the fourth path 14D, the sheet P is moved along the guide plates 84, 86, 88, and 90 by the plurality of transport roll pairs 15. It is transported to a pair of transport rolls 48 for registration alignment.

  Further, the sheet P is transported to the image forming unit 16 along the fifth path 14E of the transport path 14 in accordance with the timing of image formation. In the image forming unit 16, the toner image formed on the image carrier 22 is transferred to the paper P. Thereafter, the paper P is conveyed to the fixing device 18, and the toner image on the paper P is fixed as an image by heating and pressing. Further, the sheet P is conveyed in the direction of arrow A along the fifth path 14E, passes through the intersection 92 with the second path 14B, and is discharged to the discharge unit 80.

  In the image forming apparatus 10 described above, the paper P is stored in the storage unit 52 in a state bent with respect to the paper feed start position 60. Further, the transport path 14 is configured such that the second path 14B and the fifth path 14E in the transport path 14 intersect at an intersection 92 when an image is formed on one side of the paper P. For this reason, in the image forming apparatus 10, it is possible to convey a long sheet P while suppressing the size of the image forming apparatus 10 compared to a configuration in which there is no portion that intersects the sheet conveyance path when forming an image on one side of the sheet. it can.

  Further, in the image forming apparatus 10, the paper feeding unit 12 is at least downstream in the paper feeding direction (in the direction of arrow D, that is, the same direction as the arrow A) of the storage unit 52 below the intersection 92 of the transport path 14. (−Y side). Further, in the intersection 92, the second path 14B of the conveyance path 14 from the paper feeding section 12 to the image forming section 16 and the fifth path 14E of the conveyance path 14 from the image forming section 16 to the discharge section intersect. It is configured. Therefore, in the image forming apparatus 10, the size of the image forming apparatus 10 is suppressed as compared with a configuration in which the path from the paper feeding unit to the image forming unit and the path from the image forming unit to the discharge unit do not intersect. Long paper P can be conveyed.

[Second Embodiment]
Next, an image forming apparatus according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. In addition, about the same component as 1st Embodiment mentioned above, the same number is attached | subjected and the description is abbreviate | omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the image forming apparatus 130 includes a paper feeding unit 132 that feeds the paper P, and the paper P fed from the paper feeding unit 132 in the direction of arrow A (the counterclockwise direction in FIG. 4). ) Is conveyed. The image forming apparatus 130 includes an image forming unit 16 that forms a toner image on the paper P in the middle of the transport path 134 and a toner image on the paper P on the downstream side (X side) of the image forming unit 16. And a fixing device 108 for fixing by heating and pressing. In this embodiment, as an example, a partition plate 20 </ b> A is disposed between the image forming unit 16 and the fixing device 108 in the housing 20.

  The paper feed unit 132 includes a storage unit 140 that stores a plurality of papers P. The accommodating portion 140 is longer in the longitudinal direction of the sheet P to be accommodated than the accommodating portion 52 of the image forming apparatus 10 (see FIG. 1) of the first embodiment.

  More specifically, the accommodating portion 140 includes a curved guide portion 132A that accommodates the sheet P in a state of being bent with respect to the sheet feeding start position 60. In addition, the accommodating portion 140 includes a curved guide portion 132B that is disposed inside the guide portion 102A so as to face the guide portion 132A. In the accommodating part 140, the paper P is accommodated between the guide part 132A and the guide part 142B. The storage unit 140 is configured to store the paper P such that the bending angle of the paper P is 90 degrees or more with respect to the paper feed start position 60. In the present embodiment, the storage unit 140 is disposed so as to cover (enclose) one side (−X side) and both sides in the vertical direction of the image forming unit 16. It is configured to be bent so that the bending angle is about 180 degrees.

  Further, the image forming apparatus 130 is provided with a fixing device 108 on the side (X side) of the image forming unit 16. The downstream end of the storage unit 140 in the sheet feeding direction is disposed so as to cover a portion including the upper side (Y side) of the fixing device 108. The paper feed start position 60 is disposed on the lower side (−Y side) of the fixing device 108.

  The transport path 134 includes a first path 14A, a second path 14B, a third path 14C, a fourth path 14D, and a fifth path 14E. The second path 14B is provided with a first guide part 134A and a second guide part 134B for guiding the paper P from the outside. A space is provided between the first guide part 134A and the second guide part 134B, and the paper P conveyed through the fifth path 14E passes therethrough. In addition, the image forming apparatus 130 includes a housing 142 that surrounds the entire components of the apparatus.

  The transport path 134 is configured such that the second path 14 </ b> B and the fifth path 14 </ b> E intersect at the intersection 92 when an image is formed on one side of the paper P. In other words, the transport path 134 is configured to transport the paper P from the paper feed unit 132 to the external discharge unit 80 through the image forming unit 16 only once, and includes an upstream portion and a downstream portion in the transport direction. Is provided with an intersection 92. The intersection 92 is located downstream of the fixing device 108 in the conveyance direction of the fifth path 14E and outside the housing 20. In addition, the sheet feeding unit 132 is disposed at least on the downstream end (sheet feeding start position 60 side) in the sheet feeding direction of the storage unit 140 on the lower side (−Y side) than the intersection 92 of the transport path 134. In the intersection 92, the second path 14B of the transport path 134 from the paper feed unit 12 to the image forming unit 16 and the fifth path 14E of the transport path 134 from the image forming unit 16 to the discharge unit intersect. It is configured.

  Furthermore, the accommodating part 140 is arrange | positioned so that a part of image forming part 16 may be covered from an up-down direction both sides. The transport path 134 is configured such that the trailing edge of the sheet P passes through the intersecting portion 92 when the leading end of the maximum length sheet P reaches the intersecting portion 92.

  In the image forming apparatus 130 described above, it is possible to transport a long sheet P while suppressing the size of the image forming apparatus 130 as compared with a configuration in which there is no portion intersecting the sheet transport path when forming an image on one side of the sheet. .

  Further, in the image forming apparatus 130, the sheet feeding unit 132 has at least the downstream end (sheet feeding start position 60 side) of the storage unit 140 in the sheet feeding direction below the intersection 92 of the transport path 134 (−Y side). Are arranged. In the intersection 92, the second path 14B of the transport path 134 from the paper feed unit 12 to the image forming unit 16 and the fifth path 14E of the transport path 134 from the image forming unit 16 to the discharge unit intersect. It is configured. For this reason, in the image forming apparatus 130, the size of the image forming apparatus 130 is suppressed as compared with the configuration in which the path from the paper feeding unit to the image forming unit and the path from the image forming unit to the discharge unit do not intersect. Long paper P can be conveyed.

  Further, in the image forming apparatus 130, the accommodating portion 140 is disposed so as to cover a part of the image forming portion 16 from both sides in the vertical direction. For this reason, in the image forming apparatus 130, the paper feeding unit 132 can be made compact compared to a configuration in which the paper feeding unit covers a part of the image forming unit from one side in the vertical direction.

[Third Embodiment]
Next, an image forming apparatus according to the third embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. In addition, about the same component as 1st and 2nd embodiment mentioned above, the same number is attached | subjected and the description is abbreviate | omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the image forming apparatus 210 includes a paper feed unit 212 that feeds the paper P, and the paper P fed from the paper feed unit 212 in the direction of arrow E (the clockwise direction in FIG. 8). ) Is provided. The paper feed unit 212 includes a storage unit 216 that stores a plurality of papers P.

  The accommodating portion 216 includes a curved guide portion 216A that accommodates the paper P in a state of being bent with respect to the paper feed start position 60, and a curved shape that is disposed to face a part of the guide portion 102A outside the guide portion 102A. The guide part 216B is provided. In the storage portion 216, the paper P is stored on the upper side (Y side) of the guide portion 216A and between the guide portion 216A and the guide portion 142B. In the present embodiment, the paper feed start position 60 where the paper P is fed from the paper feed unit 212 by the feed roll 54 is provided on the upper side (Y side) of the housing 20. The accommodating portion 216 is configured to bend so that the bending angle of the paper P is 90 degrees or more with respect to the paper feed start position 60. The storage unit 216 is disposed so as to cover (enclose) one side (−X side) and both sides in the vertical direction of the image forming unit 16, and the bending angle of the paper P with respect to the paper supply start position 60 is set. It is configured to be curved so as to be about 180 degrees.

  Further, the image forming apparatus 210 includes a fixing device 108 that fixes the toner image formed on the paper P to the side (X side) of the image forming unit 16. The downstream end of the storage unit 216 in the paper feeding direction (the same direction as the arrow E) is disposed so as to cover a portion including the lower side (−Y side) of the fixing device 108.

  The transport path 214 includes a plurality of transport roll pairs 15 and transports the paper P fed by the paper feed unit 212 in the direction of arrow E. The transport path 214 includes a first path 214 </ b> A that transports the paper P in a substantially horizontal direction (X direction) along the upper portion of the housing 20 from the downstream side of the facing portion between the transport roll 56 and the double feed prevention roll 58. . The transport path 214 is disposed on the downstream side in the transport direction of the first path 214A and on the side of the fixing device 18 of the housing 20, and the sheet P is directed from the upper side of the housing 20 to the lower side (−Y side). A second path 214B for conveying is provided. The conveyance path 214 is a third path that conveys the sheet P from the fixing device 18 side toward the image forming unit 16 side (−X side) on the lower side of the housing 20 on the downstream side in the conveyance direction of the second path 214B. 214C is provided. Further, the transport path 214 is a fourth path 214D that transports the sheet P from the lower side of the housing 20 to the position of the transport roll pair 48 toward the upper side (Y side) on the downstream side in the transport direction of the third path 214C. I have. Further, the transport path 214 transports the sheet P to the image forming unit 16 and the fixing device 18 in the housing 20 on the downstream side in the transport direction of the fourth path 214D, and further transports the sheet P to the discharge unit 80 outside the housing 20. A fifth path 214E for transporting in a substantially horizontal direction (X side) is provided.

  The second path 214B is provided with a first guide portion 218A and a second guide portion 218B that guide the paper P from the outside. A space is provided between the first guide portion 218A and the second guide portion 218B so that the paper P conveyed through the fifth path 14E passes therethrough.

  The fourth path 214D is provided with a first guide part 220A and a second guide part 220B for guiding the paper P from the outside.

  The conveyance path 214 is configured such that the second path 214 </ b> B and the fifth path 214 </ b> E intersect at the intersection 222 when an image is formed on one side of the paper P. In other words, the transport path 214 is configured to transport the paper P from the paper feed unit 212 to the external discharge unit 80 through the image forming unit 16 only once, and includes an upstream portion and a downstream portion in the transport direction. Is provided with an intersecting portion 222 that intersects. The intersecting portion 222 is located outside the housing 20 on the downstream side of the fixing device 108 in the conveyance direction of the fifth path 214E. In addition, the sheet feeding unit 212 is arranged such that at least the downstream end (the sheet feeding start position 60 side) of the storage unit 216 is located above (Y side) the intersection 222 of the transport path 214. Further, the intersecting portion 222 intersects the second route 214B of the transport route 214 from the paper feed unit 212 to the image forming unit 16 and the fifth route 214E of the transport route 214 from the image forming unit 16 to the discharge unit 80. It is supposed to be configured. Further, the storage unit 216 of the sheet feeding unit 212 is disposed so as to cover a part of the image forming unit 16 from both sides in the vertical direction. The conveyance path 214 is configured such that the trailing edge of the paper P passes through the intersection 222 when the leading edge of the maximum length of the paper P reaches the intersection 222.

  In the image forming apparatus 210, the storage unit 216 of the paper feeding unit 212 is configured to store the paper P so that the back side of the paper P with respect to the image forming surface P1 is bent concavely. In addition, the image forming apparatus 210 includes a housing 226 that surrounds the entire components of the apparatus.

  In the image forming apparatus 210 described above, it is possible to transport a long sheet P while suppressing the size of the image forming apparatus 210 as compared with a configuration in which there is no portion intersecting the sheet transport path when forming an image on one side of the sheet. .

  Further, in the image forming apparatus 210, the paper feeding unit 212 is arranged such that at least the downstream end (the paper feeding start position 60 side) of the storage unit 216 is above (Y side) the intersection 222 of the transport path 214. Further, the intersecting portion 222 intersects the second route 214B of the transport route 214 from the paper feed unit 212 to the image forming unit 16 and the fifth route 214E of the transport route 214 from the image forming unit 16 to the discharge unit 80. It is supposed to be configured. For this reason, in the image forming apparatus 130, the size of the image forming apparatus 210 is suppressed as compared with the configuration in which the path from the paper feeding unit to the image forming unit and the path from the image forming unit to the discharge unit do not intersect. Long paper P can be conveyed.

  Further, in the image forming apparatus 210, the accommodating portion 216 is disposed so as to cover a part of the image forming portion 16 from both sides in the vertical direction. For this reason, in the image forming apparatus 210, the paper feeding unit 212 can be made compact compared to a configuration in which the paper feeding unit covers a part of the image forming unit from one side in the vertical direction.

[Fourth Embodiment]
Next, an image forming apparatus according to the fourth embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. In addition, about the same component as 1st-3rd embodiment mentioned above, the same number is attached | subjected and the description is abbreviate | omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the image forming apparatus 170 includes a paper feeding unit 172 that feeds the paper P, and the paper P fed from the paper feeding unit 172 in the direction of arrow A (the counterclockwise direction in FIG. 6). ) Is conveyed. In addition, the image forming apparatus 170 includes a fixing device 108 that is disposed apart from the side (X side) of the image forming unit 16. The image forming unit 16 is disposed in the housing 182. The fixing device 108 is disposed in a housing 184 that is disposed away from the housing 182. Between the housing 182 and the housing 184, a first path 174A described later, which is a part of the transport path 174, is provided.

  The paper feed unit 172 includes a storage unit 176 that stores a plurality of papers P. The storage unit 176 stores the paper P in a state of being bent with respect to the paper feed start position 60 by the guide parts 132A and 132B, and is curved so that the bending angle of the paper P is 90 degrees or more with respect to the paper feed start position 60. It has been configured. That is, in the present embodiment, the storage unit 176 is disposed so as to cover (enclose) one side (−X side) and both sides in the vertical direction of the image forming unit 16. It is set as the structure curved so that the bending angle of P might be about 180 degree | times.

  The accommodating portion 176 is disposed so as to cover a part of the image forming portion 16 excluding the fixing device 108 from both sides in the vertical direction.

  The conveyance path 174 includes a first path 174A between the housing 182 and the housing 184 for conveying the paper P fed from the paper feeding unit 172 from the lower side in the vertical direction toward the upper side (Y side). Yes. The transport path 174 includes a second path 174B that transports the paper P from the right side to the left side (−X side) of the housing 20 on the downstream side in the transport direction of the second path 174A. Further, the conveyance path 174 has a third path 174C that conveys the sheet P from the upper side of the housing 182 to the position of the conveyance roll pair 48 toward the lower side (−Y side) on the downstream side in the conveyance direction of the second path 174B. I have. Further, the conveyance path 174 conveys the paper P to the image forming unit 16 and the fixing device 18 on the downstream side in the conveyance direction of the third path 174C, and further the paper P to the discharge unit 80 outside the housing 184 in a substantially horizontal direction. A fourth path 174D for conveying in the (X direction) is provided.

  The conveyance path 174 is configured such that the first path 174A and the fourth path 174D intersect at the intersection 180 when an image is formed on one side of the paper P. In other words, the transport path 174 is configured to transport the paper P from the paper feed unit 172 to the external discharge unit 80 through the image forming unit 16 only once, and includes an upstream portion and a downstream portion in the transport direction. Is provided with an intersecting portion 180. The intersecting portion 180 is located downstream of the image forming portion 16 in the conveyance direction of the fourth path 174D and upstream of the fixing device 18. Further, at least the downstream end (sheet feeding start position 60 side) of the storage unit 176 in the sheet feeding direction of the sheet feeding unit 172 is disposed below (−Y side) the intersection 180 of the transport path 174. The intersecting unit 180 is configured such that the first path 174A of the transport path 174 from the paper feed unit 172 to the image forming unit 16 and the fourth path 174D of the transport path 174 from the image forming unit 16 to the discharge unit 80 intersect. It is said that. Further, the storage unit 176 of the paper feeding unit 172 is disposed so as to cover a part of the image forming unit 16 from both sides in the vertical direction. The transport path 174 is configured such that the trailing edge of the paper P passes through the intersection 180 when the leading edge of the maximum length of the paper P reaches the intersection 180. The image forming apparatus 170 includes a housing 186 that surrounds the entire components of the apparatus.

  In the image forming apparatus 170 described above, it is possible to transport a long sheet P while suppressing the size of the image forming apparatus 210 as compared with a configuration in which there is no portion intersecting the sheet transport path when forming an image on one side of the sheet. . Further, in the image forming apparatus 170, the size of the image forming apparatus 170 is suppressed as compared with the configuration in which the path from the paper feeding unit to the image forming unit and the path from the image forming unit to the discharge unit do not intersect. Long paper P can be conveyed.

  Further, in the image forming apparatus 170, the storage unit 176 of the paper feeding unit 172 is disposed so as to cover a part of the image forming unit 16 from both sides in the vertical direction. For this reason, in the image forming apparatus 170, the paper feeding unit 172 can be made compact compared to a configuration in which the paper feeding unit covers a part of the image forming unit from one side in the vertical direction.

  Further, in the image forming apparatus 170, the storage unit 176 of the paper feeding unit 172 is disposed so as to cover a part of the image forming unit 16 excluding the fixing device 108 from both sides in the vertical direction. Therefore, in the image forming apparatus 170, the fixing device is provided before the paper P is conveyed to the image forming unit 16, as compared with a configuration in which the paper feeding unit is disposed so as to cover a part including a part of the fixing device. Heating by heat dissipation from 108 is suppressed.

[First Comparative Example]
FIG. 6 shows an image forming apparatus 300 according to the first comparative example. As shown in FIG. 6, the image forming apparatus 300 includes a paper feeding unit 302 that feeds the paper P, and the paper P fed from the paper feeding unit 302 in the direction of arrow A (the counterclockwise direction in FIG. 6). ) Is conveyed. The paper feed unit 302 includes a storage unit 306 that stores a plurality of papers P. The accommodating portion 306 includes a pair of upper and lower guide portions 306 </ b> A and 306 </ b> B that support the paper P, and the paper feed start position 60 is disposed on the side (−X side) of the housing 20 on the image forming portion 16 side. . The storage unit 306 is configured to store the paper P in a state bent with respect to the paper feed start position 60. In the present embodiment, the storage unit 306 is disposed so as to cover the side (−X side) and the upper side (Y side) of the image forming unit 16 with respect to the paper feed start position 60. Further, the storage unit 306 extends from the upper side (Y side) of the image forming unit 16 to the upper side (Y side) of the fixing device 108.

  The conveyance path 304 conveys the sheet P fed from the sheet feeding unit 302 to the conveyance roll pair 48, conveys the sheet P to the image forming unit 16 and the fixing device 108, and further to the discharge unit 80. A second path 304B for conveying. The conveyance path 304 has no portion that intersects when an image is formed on one side of the paper P.

  In the image forming apparatus 300 described above, the conveyance path 304 does not have a portion that intersects when one side of the paper P is formed. Therefore, in the image forming apparatus 300, the length of the conveyance path 304 is longer than that of the first to fourth image forming apparatuses 10, 130, 210, and 170 (see FIGS. 1, 3, 4, and 5). It cannot be ensured and the long paper P cannot be conveyed.

[Second Comparative Example]
FIG. 7 shows an image forming apparatus 320 according to the second comparative example. As shown in FIG. 7, the image forming apparatus 320 includes a paper feed unit 322 that feeds the paper P, and a transport path 324 that transports the paper P fed from the paper feed unit 322 in the direction of arrow A. I have. The paper feed unit 322 includes a storage unit 326 that stores a plurality of papers P. The accommodating portion 326 is disposed on the upper side (Y side) of the housing 20 that accommodates the image forming portion 16 and the fixing device 108. The paper feed start position 60 provided with the feeding roll 54 is disposed on the upper side (Y side) of the image forming unit 16 in the housing 20.

  The accommodating portion 326 includes a curved guide portion 326A that accommodates the paper P while being bent with respect to the paper feed start position 60, and a guide portion 326B that guides the paper P inside the guide portion 326A. The accommodating portion 326 is configured to be curved so that the bending angle of the paper P is about 180 degrees with respect to the paper feed start position 60. In addition, the storage unit 326 is arranged such that the paper feed start position 60 is located on the lower side (−Y side) in the vertical direction, and the upstream side in the paper feed direction of the paper P is above the paper feed start position 60 (Y side). ) So that the sheet P is folded.

  The conveyance path 324 includes a first path 324 </ b> A that conveys the sheet P fed from the sheet feeding unit 322 to the conveyance roll pair 48 while curving downward (substantially −Y side). The conveyance path 324 includes a second path 324 </ b> B that conveys the paper P to the image forming unit 16 and the fixing device 18 and further conveys the paper P to the discharge unit 80.

  The conveyance path 324 is provided with a curved outer guide portion 328 that guides the paper P conveyed through the first path 324A.

  In the image forming apparatus 320 described above, the conveyance path 324 has no portion that intersects when one side of the paper P is formed. In the image forming apparatus 320, the length of the transport path 304 for transporting the paper P becomes longer, but the first to fourth image forming apparatuses 10, 130, 210, and 170 (FIGS. 1, 3, 4, and 5). Compared with the reference), the height dimension of the image forming apparatus 320 is increased.

  In the first to fourth embodiments, the arrangement and number of guide portions or guide plates that guide the paper P and the arrangement and number of conveyance roll pairs that assist the conveyance of the paper P can be changed.

  Further, although the present invention has been described in detail with respect to specific embodiments, the present invention is not limited to such embodiments, and various other embodiments are possible within the scope of the present invention. It is clear to the contractor.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Image forming apparatus 12 Accommodating part 12 Paper feeding part 14 Conveyance path 16 Image forming part 18 Fixing apparatus 52 Accommodating part (an example of a paper feeding part)
60 Feeding start position 80 Discharging unit 92 Crossing unit 100 Image forming apparatus 102 Paper feeding unit 104 Conveying path 108 Fixing apparatus 130 Image forming apparatus 132 Paper feeding part 134 Conveying path 140 Storage part (an example of a paper feeding part)
170 Image forming apparatus 172 Paper feed unit 174 Conveying path 176 Storage unit (an example of a paper feed unit)
180 Crossing section 210 Image forming apparatus 212 Paper feeding section 214 Conveying path 216 Storage section (an example of a paper feeding section)
222 Intersection

Claims (5)

A sheet-feed recording medium stored in a bent state with respect to a sheet feeding start position, and a sheet feeding unit that feeds the recording medium;
An image forming unit that forms an image on the recording medium;
A transport path for transporting the recording medium from the paper feeding section to an external discharge section via the image forming section, the transport path having a portion that intersects during image formation on one side of the recording medium;
An image forming apparatus. A sheet-feed recording medium stored in a bent state with respect to a sheet feeding start position, and a sheet feeding unit that feeds the recording medium;
An image forming unit that forms an image on the recording medium;
A transport path for transporting the recording medium from the paper feed unit to the external discharge unit via the image forming unit only once, and there is a portion where the upstream portion and the downstream portion in the transport direction intersect each other. The transport path;
An image forming apparatus. The paper feed unit is disposed at least at the downstream end in the paper feed direction above or below the intersection of the transport path,
3. The configuration according to claim 1, wherein the intersecting portion is configured such that a path from the sheet feeding unit to the image forming unit and a path from the image forming unit to the discharge unit intersect each other. Image forming apparatus.   The image forming apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the paper feeding unit is disposed so as to cover a part of the image forming unit from both sides in the vertical direction. A fixing device for fixing an image formed on the recording medium is provided on a side of the image forming unit,
The paper feeding unit is disposed so as to cover a part of the image forming apparatus excluding the fixing device from both sides in the vertical direction, and at least the downstream end in the paper feeding direction is below the intersection of the conveyance paths. Are located in
3. The configuration according to claim 1, wherein the intersecting portion is configured such that a path from the sheet feeding unit to the image forming unit intersects a path from the image forming unit to the fixing device. Image forming apparatus.