JP2020121752A - Layer transfer device - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a layer transfer device whose cover can be opened by a user even if a power source is turned off in a state where a movable member is positioned at a non-lock position.SOLUTION: A layer transfer device 1 comprises a cover 22 that can move between a closing position where an opening of an enclosure main body 21 is closed and an opening position where the opening is opened, and solenoid 91. The solenoid has: a plunger 91A that can move between a lock position at which the cover 22 is locked at the closing position and a non-lock position at which the locking is released; a housing 91B that supports the plunger 91A so that the plunger can move between an inward position and an outward position; a coil that generates magnetic force by being electrified; and a permanent magnet that holds the plunger 91A positioned at the inward position by magnetic force that restricts the plunger from going toward the outward position. Further the layer transfer device 1 comprises holding members (a coil spring 94 and a long hole 21H) that hold the plunger positioned at the outward position by holding force that restricts the plunger from going toward the inward position.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

The present invention relates to a layer transfer device including a cover that opens and closes an opening of a housing body.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as an image forming apparatus, one having a fixing device for fixing a toner image on a sheet is known (see Patent Document 1). Specifically, in this technique, the fixing device includes a heating roller that heats the sheet, a pressure roller that sandwiches the sheet between the heating roller, a cover that covers the heating roller, and a lock member that locks the cover. , Are provided. The lock member is held in the locked position by turning off the solenoid when the temperature of the heating roller is equal to or higher than the predetermined temperature, and is turned on when the temperature of the heating roller is lower than the predetermined temperature. It is configured to be retained in the unlocked position.

JP 04-245276 A

However, in the prior art, when the temperature of the heating roller is lower than the predetermined temperature and the solenoid is turned on, the power is turned off when the power is turned off in the state where the lock member is in the unlocked position. Is shut off and turned off, the lock member moves from the unlocked position to the locked position, and the cover is locked. Therefore, in this case, there is a problem that the user cannot open the cover even though the temperature of the heating roller is sufficiently low and opening the cover causes no problem.

Therefore, in the present invention, in the structure in which the movable member for locking the cover can be switched between the locked position and the unlocked position by energization, the power is turned off with the movable member being in the unlocked position. Even so, it is an object to provide a layer transfer device that allows a user to open the cover.

In order to solve the above problems, a layer transfer apparatus according to the present invention includes a housing body having an opening, a cover movable between a closed position that closes the opening and an open position that opens the opening, and a solenoid. And a plunger movable between a locked position that locks the cover in the closed position and an unlocked position that unlocks the cover, and the plunger located outside the inner position and the inner position. A housing that movably supports an outer position located at, a coil that generates a magnetic force by energization, and a plunger that is located at the inner position by a magnetic force that restricts the outward direction. A solenoid having: a permanent magnet for holding; and a holding member for holding the plunger located at the outer position with a holding force that restricts the plunger from moving toward the inner position.
When the first current flows through the coil at the outer position, the plunger moves toward the inner position against the holding force of the holding member by the first magnetic force of the coil, When a second current in the opposite direction to the first current flows through the coil at the one side position, the second magnetic force in the opposite direction to the first magnetic force of the coil resists the magnetic force of the permanent magnet. It is possible to move to the outer position.

With this configuration, the position of the plunger can be held in the locked position or the unlocked position without continuing to energize the coil. For example, the power is turned off after switching the plunger from the locked position to the unlocked position. Even in the case of the above, the permanent magnet or the holding member can hold the plunger in the unlocked position. Therefore, even when the power is turned off while the plunger (movable member) is in the unlocked position, the user can open the cover.

The holding member includes a spring that urges the plunger toward the outer position, and a restricting portion that restricts movement of the plunger due to the urging force of the spring, and the plunger is the outer member. When a first current flows through the coil at the position, the first magnetic force of the coil moves toward the inward position against the biasing force of the spring, and after reaching the inward position, When the second magnet is held at the inner position by the permanent magnet and the second current flows through the coil at the inner position, the second magnetic force of the coil cancels the magnetic force of the permanent magnet. The spring may move toward the outer position, reach the outer position, and then be held at the outer position by the spring and the restriction portion.

Further, the plunger may be located at the lock position at the inner position and at the unlocked position at the outer position.

The cover includes a slide member that moves in association with the movement of the plunger, and the cover is disengaged from the housing body and an engaging position that can be engaged with the housing body when the cover is in the closed position. The slide member includes a lock lever movable to a non-engagement position, and the slide member restricts a movement of the lock lever from the engagement position to the non-engagement position when the plunger is located at the lock position. However, when the plunger is located at the non-locking position, the movement of the lock lever from the engaging position to the non-engaging position may be allowed.

Further, the layer transfer device includes a rotatable first rotating member that is connected to the plunger and the slide member, and includes a rotating shaft of the first rotating member and a first rotating member. The distance to the connecting portion of the plunger may be smaller than the distance from the rotating shaft to the connecting portion of the first rotating member and the slide member.

According to this, even if the stroke amount of the plunger is small, the stroke amount of the slide member can be increased, so that the regulation/release of the movement of the lock lever can be more favorably performed.

Further, the layer transfer device includes a second rotating member that is rotatable between a first position and a second position, and the second rotating member is configured such that the lock lever moves from the engaging position to the non-operating position. When moving toward the engagement position, the lock member engages with the lock lever and can move from the first position to the second position, and the slide member is provided when the plunger is in the lock position. By contacting the second rotating member, the movement of the second rotating member from the first position toward the second position is restricted, and when the plunger is located at the unlocked position, It may be configured to allow the movement of the second rotating member from the first position toward the second position by being separated from the second rotating member.

According to this, since the second rotating member that interlocks with the operation of the lock lever is interposed between the lock lever and the slide member, the movement of the lock lever is changed by the second rotating operation without increasing the size of the lock lever. It can be regulated well by the member and the slide member.

Further, the layer transfer device includes a first sensor that detects that the lock lever is located at the engagement position, and a control unit, and the control unit controls the plunger from the lock position to the unlock position. When it is decided to move the coil to the position, a command to apply the second current to the coil is issued only when it is determined that the lock lever is located at the engagement position based on the signal from the first sensor. It may be configured to output.

When the user attempts to move the lock lever from the engagement position to the non-engagement position when moving the plunger from the locked position to the unlocked position, the user's force is transmitted to the slide member via the lock lever, In some cases, the slide member cannot be moved by using the biasing force of the spring. On the other hand, in the above-described configuration, the second current flows through the coil only when the lock lever is located at the engagement position, so that the slide member can be reliably moved by the spring.

Also, when the control unit determines to move the plunger from the locked position to the unlocked position, the lock lever is located at the engagement position based on a signal from the first sensor. If it is determined that there is no such error, an error may be notified.

According to this, when the slide member cannot be moved by the urging force of the spring, an error is notified, so that the user can be made aware that the lock of the cover cannot be unlocked.

Further, the layer transfer device includes a second sensor that detects the position of the plunger, and a control unit, and the control unit outputs a command to cause the first current to flow through the coil, When it is determined that the plunger is not in the lock position based on the signal from the second sensor, an error may be notified.

According to this, when the cover should be locked (when the command to flow the first current is output), but when the cover cannot be locked due to a circuit failure or the like, the second sensor detects and notifies the error. It is possible to prevent the user from accidentally opening the cover when the cover should be locked.

Further, the layer transfer device includes a temperature sensor that detects a temperature in the housing body, and a control unit, and the control unit energizes the coil to move the plunger from the unlocked position. A first energization process of moving the plunger to the unlocked position by energizing the coil by a process different from the first energization process and a first energization process of moving the plunger to the unlocked position; May be performed, the first energization process may be performed when the temperature is equal to or higher than the first temperature, and the second energization process may be performed when the temperature is lower than the second temperature. ..

According to this, since the cover is locked when the temperature is equal to or higher than the first temperature, it is possible to prevent the user from touching a high-temperature member inside the housing body.

Further, the layer transfer device includes a control unit capable of performing a layer transfer process of transferring at least one layer of a multilayer film including a plurality of layers to a toner image on a sheet, and the control unit starts the layer transfer process. In such a case, the coil may be energized to move the plunger from the unlocked position to the locked position regardless of the temperature inside the housing body.

According to this, when the layer transfer process is started, the cover is locked regardless of the temperature inside the housing body, and therefore, for example, when the cover is opened during the layer transfer process, the user may accidentally rotate the cover. It is possible to suppress contact with the member.

Further, the layer transfer apparatus according to the present invention includes a housing body having an opening, a cover movable between a closed position that closes the opening and an open position that opens the opening, and the cover at the closed position. A rack gear movable between a locked position for locking and an unlocked position for unlocking, a switching gear meshing with the rack gear, and a first driving force for rotating the switching gear in a predetermined direction by energization. A stepping motor that generates a second driving force that rotates the switching gear in a direction opposite to the predetermined direction.
The rack gear moves toward the lock position when the stepping motor generates the first driving force in the unlocked position, and the rack gear generates the second driving force in the locked position. Then, it moves toward the unlocked position.

With this configuration, the position of the rack gear can be held in the locked position or the unlocked position without continuing to energize the stepping motor, so that, for example, the power supply is switched after the rack gear is switched from the locked position to the unlocked position. Even when turned off, the rack gear can be held in the unlocked position. Therefore, even when the power is turned off while the rack gear (movable member) is in the unlocked position, the user can open the cover.

According to the present invention, in the structure in which the movable member (plunger, rack gear) for locking the cover can be switched between the locked position and the unlocked position by energization, in the state where the movable member is located in the unlocked position, The user can open the cover even when the power is turned off.

It is a figure which shows the layer transfer apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure showing the state where the cover of the layer transfer device was opened. It is a perspective view showing a lock lever. It is a side view showing the structure around a lock lever, and a figure showing a state where a lock lever is located in an engagement position, and a figure showing a state where a lock lever is slightly deviated from an engagement position. It is a figure (c) showing the state where a lock lever is located in a non-engagement position. It is a side view showing a lock lever regulation mechanism in a locked state. It is a figure which shows the structure of a solenoid, The figure (a) which shows the state when moving a plunger to a lock position, the figure (b) which shows a state when hold|maintaining a plunger in a lock position, and a plunger non-locking position. It is a figure (c) showing the state when it is moved to. FIG. 9 is a side view showing the lock lever regulating mechanism in the unlocked state. It is a flow chart which shows operation of a control part. It is a flow chart which shows the 1st electricity supply processing. It is a flow chart which shows the 2nd electricity supply processing. It is a figure which shows the modification of a lock lever control mechanism.

Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
An embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings as appropriate. In the following description, first, the overall configuration of the layer transfer device will be briefly described, and then the configuration of the characteristic portion of the present invention will be described.
In the following description, the direction will be described as the direction shown in FIG. That is, the right side of FIG. 1 is “front”, the left side of FIG. 1 is “rear”, the front side of FIG. 1 is “left”, and the back side of FIG. 1 is “right”. Moreover, the upper and lower sides of FIG.

As shown in FIG. 1, the layer transfer apparatus 1 is an apparatus for forming a toner image on a sheet S by an image forming apparatus such as a laser printer and then transferring a foil such as a gold foil onto the toner image on the sheet S. Is. That is, the layer transfer device 1 forms the foil image on the sheet S by transferring the foil onto the toner image on the sheet S. The layer transfer device 1 includes a housing 2, a sheet tray 3, a sheet transport unit 10, a film supply unit 30, and a transfer unit 50.

The housing 2 is made of resin or the like, and includes a housing body 21 and a cover 22. The housing body 21 has an opening 21A (see FIG. 2) at the top. The opening 21A is an opening for attaching and detaching a film unit FU, which will be described later, to the housing body 21. The cover 22 is a member for opening and closing the opening 21A. The rear end of the cover 22 is rotatably supported by the housing body 21. The cover 22 is rotatable between a closed position (position in FIG. 1) that closes the opening 21A and an open position (position in FIG. 2) that opens the opening 21A.

The cover 22 includes a lock lever 81 that can be engaged with the housing body 21. The lock lever 81 is located at the front end of the cover 22. The lock lever 81 will be described in detail later.

The sheet tray 3 is a tray on which sheets S such as paper and OHP film are placed. The sheet tray 3 is provided on the rear portion of the housing 2. The sheet S is placed on the sheet tray 3 with the surface on which the toner image is formed facing downward.

The sheet conveying unit 10 includes a sheet supply mechanism 11 and a sheet discharge mechanism 12. The sheet supply mechanism 11 is a mechanism that conveys the sheets S on the sheet tray 3 one by one toward the transfer unit 50. The sheet supply mechanism 11 includes a pickup roller and a conveyance roller.

The sheet discharge mechanism 12 is a mechanism that discharges the sheet S that has passed through the transfer unit 50 to the outside of the housing 2. The sheet discharge mechanism 12 includes a plurality of transport rollers.

The film supply unit 30 is a unit that supplies the multilayer film F so as to be superposed on the sheet S conveyed from the sheet supply mechanism 11. The film supply unit 30 includes a film unit FU and a drive source such as a motor (not shown).

As shown in FIG. 2, the film unit FU is attachable to and detachable from the housing body 21 through the opening 21A in a direction orthogonal to the axial direction of the supply reel 31 described later. The film unit FU includes a supply reel 31 and a take-up reel 35. A multi-layer film F is wound around the supply reel 31.

The multilayer film F is a film including a plurality of layers. Specifically, the multilayer film F is
It has a supporting layer and a supported layer. The support layer is a tape-shaped transparent base material made of a polymer material, and supports the supported layer. The supported layer has, for example, a peeling layer, a transfer layer, and an adhesive layer. The peeling layer is a layer for facilitating peeling of the transfer layer from the support layer, and is arranged between the support layer and the transfer layer. The peeling layer contains a transparent material that is easily peeled from the support layer, for example, a wax resin.

The transfer layer is a layer that is transferred to the toner image and includes a foil. The foil is a metal such as gold, silver, copper, aluminum or the like and is a thin metal. The transfer layer contains a coloring material such as gold, silver, or red, and a thermoplastic resin. The transfer layer is arranged between the peeling layer and the adhesive layer. The adhesive layer is a layer for facilitating adhesion of the transfer layer to the toner image. The adhesive layer contains a material that easily adheres to the toner image heated by the transfer unit 50, which will be described later, such as vinyl chloride resin or acrylic resin.

The supply reel 31 is made of resin or the like and has a supply shaft portion 31A around which the multilayer film F is wound. One end of the multilayer film F is fixed to the supply shaft portion 31A. The multilayer film F is wound around the supply reel 31 with the support layer on the outside and the supported layer on the inside.

The take-up reel 35 is made of resin or the like and has a take-up shaft portion 35A for taking up the multilayer film F. The other end of the multilayer film F is fixed to the winding shaft portion 35A. The multilayer film F is wound around the take-up reel 35 with the support layer on the outside and the supported layer on the inside.

Note that, in FIG. 1 and the like, for convenience, a state in which the multilayer film F is maximally wound around both the supply reel 31 and the take-up reel 35 will be illustrated. In reality, when the film unit FU is new, the diameter of the roll-shaped multilayer film F wound around the supply reel 31 is the maximum, and the multilayer film F is wound around the take-up reel 35. Or the diameter of the roll-shaped multilayer film F wound around the take-up reel 35 is the smallest. Further, when the film unit FU has reached the end of its life (when the multilayer film F has been used up), the diameter of the roll-shaped multilayer film F wound on the take-up reel 35 becomes the maximum, and the supply reel 31 receives the multilayer film F. The diameter of the roll-shaped multilayer film F that is not wound or that is wound around the supply reel 31 is the minimum.

With the film unit FU mounted on the layer transfer device 1, the take-up reel 35 is rotationally driven counterclockwise in the drawing by a drive source (not shown). When the take-up reel 35 rotates, the multilayer film F wound around the supply reel 31 is drawn out, and the drawn-out multilayer film F is wound around the take-up reel 35. Specifically, during the foil transfer, the pressure roller 51 and the heating roller 61, which will be described later, feed the multilayer film F, so that the multilayer film F is pulled out from the supply reel 31. Then, the multilayer film F delivered from the pressure roller 51 and the heating roller 61 is wound on the winding reel 35.

The transfer portion 50 is a portion for transferring the transfer layer onto the toner image formed on the sheet S by heating and pressing the sheet S and the multilayer film F in a stacked state. The transfer unit 50 includes a pressure roller 51 and a heating roller 61. The transfer section 50 superposes the sheet S and the multilayer film F on each other at the nip portion between the pressure roller 51 and the heating roller 61 to heat and press.

The pressure roller 51 is a roller in which the circumference of a cylindrical core metal is covered with a rubber layer made of silicon rubber. The pressure roller 51 is disposed on the upper side of the multilayer film F and is capable of contacting the back surface of the sheet S (the surface opposite to the surface on which the toner image is formed).

Both ends of the pressure roller 51 are rotatably supported by the cover 22. The pressure roller 51 sandwiches the sheet S and the multilayer film F together with the heating roller 61, and is rotationally driven by a drive source (not shown) to rotate the heating roller 61 as a follower.

The heating roller 61 is a roller in which a heater is arranged inside a metal tube formed in a cylindrical shape, and heats the multilayer film F and the sheet S. The heating roller 61 is arranged below the multilayer film F and is in contact with the multilayer film F.

In this embodiment, the heating roller 61 is moved by the contact/separation mechanism 70 for contacting/separating the heating roller 61 with respect to the multilayer film F. When the cover 22 is closed, the contacting/separating mechanism 70 moves the heating roller 61 to a contact position where it contacts the multilayer film F at the timing when the sheet S is supplied to the transfer section 50. Further, the contacting/separating mechanism 70 positions the heating roller 61 at the separated position where it is separated from the multilayer film F when the cover 22 is opened or when the foil transfer is not performed on the sheet S in the transfer section 50. There is.

In the layer transfer apparatus 1 configured as described above, the sheets S placed on the sheet tray 3 with the surface of the sheets S facing downward are conveyed one by one toward the transfer unit 50 by the sheet supply mechanism 11. The sheet S is superposed on the multilayer film F supplied from the supply reel 31 on the upstream side of the transfer section 50 in the sheet conveying direction, and is conveyed to the transfer section 50 in a state where the toner image on the sheet S and the multilayer film F are in contact with each other. It

In the transfer unit 50, when the sheet S and the multilayer film F pass through the nip portion between the pressure roller 51 and the heating roller 61, they are heated and pressed by the heating roller 61 and the pressure roller 51, and a toner image is formed. The foil is transferred onto it. On the downstream side of the transfer section 50, the multilayer film F is peeled off from the sheet S.

The multilayer film F separated from the sheet S is wound on the winding reel 35. On the other hand, the sheet S from which the multilayer film F has been peeled off is discharged by the sheet discharge mechanism 12 to the outside of the housing 2 with the surface on which the foil is transferred facing downward.

The layer transfer device 1 further includes a temperature sensor Sa and a control unit 100. The temperature sensor Sa is a sensor that detects the temperature inside the housing body 21.

The control unit 100 includes a CPU, a RAM, a ROM, and an input/output circuit, and performs control by performing various arithmetic processing based on programs and data stored in the ROM and the like. The operation of the control unit 100 will be described in detail later.

As shown in FIG. 3, one lock lever 81 is provided at each end of the cylindrical shaft 82. The shaft 82 is rotatably supported by the cover 22. A handle 83 that is operated by the user is provided at the center of the shaft 82 in the axial direction. The lock lever 81 and the handle 83 are fixed to the shaft 82. As a result, when the user rotates the handle 83, each lock lever 81 rotates together with the shaft 82.

As shown in FIG. 4A, the lock lever 81 has a hook-shaped tip, and the tip is engageable with a lock pin RP provided on the housing body 21. When the cover 22 is in the closed position, the lock lever 81 engages with the lock pin RP (position shown in FIG. 4A) and disengages from the lock pin RP (see FIG. 4). (Position (c)).

The housing body 21 further includes a first sensor Sb, a second rotating member 84, and a second sensor Sc. The first sensor Sb is a sensor for detecting that the lock lever 81 is located at the engagement position.

The first sensor Sb has an arm portion Sb1 capable of contacting the tip portion of the lock lever 81. The first sensor Sb outputs a signal indicating that the lock lever 81 is located at the engagement position when the arm portion Sb1 is located at the position shown in FIG. 4A, and the arm portion Sb1 is located at the position shown in FIG. 4A. It has a function of outputting a signal indicating that the lock lever 81 is not located at the engagement position when the position is slightly deviated from the position.

Here, the tip portion of the lock lever 81 is farther from the rotation center of the lock lever 81 than the center portion of the lock lever 81, for example. As a result, the tip end portion of the lock lever 81 has a larger movement amount than the central portion when the lock lever 81 rotates by a predetermined amount. Therefore, by disposing the arm portion Sb1 of the first sensor Sb at a position where it can come into contact with the tip end portion of the lock lever 81, even if the lock lever 81 slightly moves from the engagement position, the lock lever 81 moves It is possible for the first sensor Sb to output a signal indicating that it is not located at the engagement position.

The second rotating member 84 is rotatable between a first position shown in FIG. 4(a) and a second position shown in FIG. 4(c). The second rotating member 84 has a first boss 84A that can come into contact with the lock lever 81 and a second boss 84B (see FIG. 4B) that can come into contact with a slide member 92 described later. When the lock lever 81 moves from the engagement position to the non-engagement position, the second rotation member 84 engages the first boss 84A so that the second rotation member 84 moves from the first position to the second position. It is possible to move to.

Specifically, the lock lever 81 has a first surface 81A and a second surface 81B that can come into contact with the first boss 84A. The first surface 81A is located closer to the rotation center of the lock lever 81 than the second surface 81B. The second surface 81B extends from the first surface 81A at an angle different from that of the first surface 81A. When the lock lever 81 rotates by a predetermined angle, the first surface 81A pushes the first boss 84A larger than the second surface 81B pushes the first boss 84A. The angle of the second surface 81B is set.

The second rotating member 84 is biased toward the lock lever 81 by a torsion spring (not shown). As a result, when the lock lever 81 moves from the non-engagement position to the engagement position, the second rotation member 84 has the first boss 84A supported by the first surface 81A or the second surface 81B while the torsion spring is being supported. The urging force of moves from the second position to the first position.

The slide member 92 is linearly movable between the locked position shown in FIGS. 4(a) and 4(b) and the unlocked position shown in FIG. 4(c). As shown in FIG. 4B, the slide member 92 comes into contact with the second boss 84B of the second rotating member 84 at the lock position, so that the second rotating member 84 moves from the first position to the second position. Restricts movement towards position. Further, as shown in FIG. 4C, the slide member 92 is moved from the first position of the second rotating member 84 to the first position by being separated from the second boss 84B of the second rotating member 84 in the unlocked position. Allows movement towards two positions.

As a result, the slide member 92 restricts the movement of the lock lever 81 from the engaged position to the non-engaged position via the second rotating member 84 at the lock position. Further, the slide member 92 allows the lock lever 81 to move from the engaged position to the non-engaged position in the non-locked position.

As shown in FIG. 4A, when the slide member 92 is located at the lock position and the lock lever 81 is located at the engagement position, the second boss 84B of the second rotating member 84 and the slide member 92 are separated from each other. There is a gap between them. Accordingly, when the slide member 92 is moved directly between the locked position and the unlocked position, the second boss 84B does not hinder the linear movement of the slide member 92, and the slide member 92 can be smoothly moved. Has become. Further, by forming such a gap, the lock lever 81 located at the engagement position can be slightly rotated by a user operation. When the lock lever 81 slightly moves from the engagement position in this way, as described above, the signal indicating that the lock lever 81 is not located at the engagement position is output from the first sensor Sb. It

The second sensor Sc is a sensor for detecting the position of the slide member 92. Since the slide member 92 is interlocked with the plunger 91A described later, the second sensor Sc detects the position of the slide member 92, thereby indirectly detecting the position of the plunger 91A. The second sensor Sc is an optical sensor, and has a light emitting unit Sc1 that emits light and a light receiving unit Sc2 that can receive light from the light emitting unit Sc1. The slide member 92 has a detected portion 92A located between the light emitting portion Sc1 and the light receiving portion Sc2 in the locked position. The detected portion 92A is configured to be disengaged from between the light emitting portion Sc1 and the light receiving portion Sc2 when the slide member 92 moves from the locked position to the unlocked position.

The second sensor Sc outputs a signal indicating that the slide member 92 is located at the lock position when the light of the light emitting portion Sc1 is blocked by the detected portion 92A and no light is input to the light receiving portion Sc2. .. In addition, in the second sensor Sc, the slide member 92 is located at the lock position when light is input to the light receiving unit Sc2 due to the detected portion 92A being removed from between the light emitting unit Sc1 and the light receiving unit Sc2. It outputs a signal indicating that there is no. Specifically, the second sensor Sc has each position from the position where the slide member 92 is displaced from the lock position to the non-lock position side by a predetermined distance (the position where the light is removed from the detected portion 92A) to the non-lock position. At, a signal indicating that the vehicle is not in the lock position is output.

As shown in FIG. 5, the housing body 21 further includes a lock lever restricting mechanism 90 for restricting or permitting the lock lever 81 from moving from the engaged position to the disengaged position. The lock lever regulating mechanism 90 includes a solenoid 91, the above-mentioned slide member 92, and the first rotating member 93. As shown in FIG. 6A, the solenoid 91 includes a plunger 91A made of a magnetic material, a housing 91B that movably supports the plunger 91A, a coil 91C and a permanent magnet 91D provided in the housing 91B. ing.

As shown in FIG. 6(a), the plunger 91A is formed in a cylindrical shape, and is located at the inner position indicated by the solid line and the inner position indicated by the chain double-dashed line and the outer position located outside the inner position. It is movable in the axial direction between the two positions. An engagement groove A1 that can be engaged with the first rotating member 93 (see FIG. 5) is formed at one end of the plunger 91A. In the present embodiment, as will be described later, the cover 22 is locked at the closed position when the plunger 91A is located at the inner position, and the lock of the cover 22 is unlocked when the plunger 91A is located at the outer position. Let's decide. That is, in this embodiment, the plunger 91A is located at the lock position at the inner position and at the unlocked position at the outer position.

The permanent magnet 91D generates a magnetic force that holds the plunger 91A in the lock position (see FIG. 6B). That is, when the coil 91C is not energized, the permanent magnet 91D holds the plunger 91A located at the inner position with a magnetic force that restricts the outward movement of the plunger 91A.

The coil 91C is a member that generates a magnetic force when energized. The coil 91C generates a first magnetic force in a predetermined direction as shown in FIG. 6(a) when the first current is applied, and the combined force of the first magnetic force and the magnetic force of the permanent magnet 91D causes a resultant force. It is possible to move the plunger 91A to the lock position. In addition, the coil 91C generates a second magnetic force in the direction opposite to the predetermined direction as shown in FIG. 6C when a second current in the direction opposite to the first current is applied, and the coil 91C is permanent. It is possible to cancel the magnetic force of the magnet 91D.

As shown in FIGS. 5 and 7, the first rotation member 93 is rotatable between the locked position shown in FIG. 5 and the unlocked position shown in FIG. 7. The first rotation member 93 has an engagement piece 93A that engages with the engagement groove A1 of the plunger 91A. The first rotation member 93 is connected to the plunger 91A by the engagement piece 93A engaging with the engagement groove A1, and can be interlocked with the plunger 91A.

The first rotation member 93 and the second rotation member 84 are rotatable about the same rotation axis X1. The first rotation member 93 extends from the rotation axis X1 toward the slide member 92. An elongated hole-shaped engagement hole 93B is formed at the end of the first rotating member 93 on the slide member 92 side.

The slide member 92 has a first protrusion 92B that engages with the engagement hole 93B of the first rotating member 93. The first protrusion 92B engages with the engagement hole 93B, so that the slide member 92 is connected to the first rotating member 93 and can interlock with the first rotating member 93. As a result, the first rotating member 93 and the slide member 92 can be moved to their locked or unlocked positions in association with the movement of the plunger 91A.

When the plunger 91A, the slide member 92, and the first rotating member 93 are located at the lock position shown in FIG. 5, the lock lever 81 is restricted from moving from the engagement position to the non-engagement position. The cover 22 is locked in the closed position. Further, when the slide member 92 and the first rotating member 93 are respectively located at the non-locking position shown in FIG. 7, the lock lever 81 is allowed to move from the engaging position to the non-engaging position, so that the cover 22 The lock to the closed position is released.

The slide member 92 further has a second protrusion 92C that engages with the long hole 21H formed in the housing body 21. The slide member 92 is biased toward the unlocked position by a coil spring 94, which is an example of a spring. That is, the coil spring 94 urges the plunger 91A toward the unlocked position (outward position) via the slide member 92 and the first rotating member 93. One end of the coil spring 94 is supported by the spring support portion 21S provided on the housing body 21, and the other end is in contact with the slide member 92.

In the unlocked position, the slide member 92 is held in the unlocked position by the second protrusion 92C contacting one end of the elongated hole 21H by the biasing force of the coil spring 94. That is, the elongated hole 21H, more specifically, the frame of the housing body 21 in which the elongated hole 21H is formed, corresponds to a restricting portion that restricts the movement of the plunger 91A due to the biasing force of the coil spring 94. Further, the coil spring 94 and the elongated hole 21H, more specifically, the frame of the housing body 21 in which the elongated hole 21H is formed holds the slide member 92 in the unlocked position when the coil 91C of the solenoid 91 is not energized. That is, the coil spring 94 and the long hole 21H correspond to a holding member that holds the plunger 91A located at the outer position with a holding force that restricts the inward position.

The distance from the rotation axis X1 of the first rotation member 93 to the connecting portion (engagement piece 93A) of the first rotation member 93 and the plunger 91A is the distance from the rotation axis X1 to the first rotation member 93 and the slide member 92. Is smaller than the distance to the connecting portion (first protrusion 92B). As a result, the stroke of the slide member 92 can be made larger than the stroke of the plunger 91A.

The operation of the lock lever restricting mechanism 90 configured as above will be described.
As shown in FIG. 6C, when the first current flows through the coil 91C in a state where the plunger 91A is in the unlocked position, the plunger 91A is moved by the combined force of the first magnetic force of the coil 91C and the magnetic force of the permanent magnet 91D. It moves toward the lock position shown in FIG. At this time, the plunger 91A moves against the biasing force of the coil spring 94 transmitted through the slide member 92 and the first rotating member 93 shown in FIG.

When the coil 91C is de-energized after the plunger 91A reaches the lock position shown in FIG. 6A, the permanent magnet 91D holds the plunger 91A in the lock position as shown in FIG. 6B. More specifically, the force that holds the plunger 91A in the locked position by the permanent magnet 91D is set to be larger than the biasing force of the coil spring 94, which causes the plunger 91A, the slide member 92, and the first rotating member 93 to move toward 5 is held in the locked position.

As shown in FIG. 6(b), when the second current in the opposite direction to the first current flows through the coil 91C in the state where the plunger 91A is held at the lock position, as shown in FIG. 6(c), The magnetic force of the permanent magnet 91D is canceled by the second magnetic force in the direction opposite to the first magnetic force of the coil 91C. As a result, the coil spring 94 moves the plunger 91A, the slide member 92, and the first rotating member 93 from the locked position to the unlocked position. After the plunger 91A, the slide member 92, and the first rotating member 93 reach the unlocked position, the second protrusion 92C of the slide member 92 contacts one end of the elongated hole 21H, so that the plunger 91A, the slide member 92, and The first rotating member 93 is held in the unlocked position. In this state, even if the coil 91C is de-energized, the permanent magnet 91D alone cannot defeat the urging force of the coil spring 94 to pull the plunger 91A into the locked position, so that the plunger 91A, the slide member 92, and the first The rotating member 93 is held in the unlocked position.

Next, the operation of the control unit 100 will be described with reference to FIGS. The control unit 100 constantly repeats the processing shown in FIG. 8 while the power of the layer transfer apparatus 1 is turned on.

In the process shown in FIG. 8, the control unit 100 first detects the temperature inside the housing body 21 based on the signal received from the temperature sensor Sa (S1). After step S1, the control unit 100 determines whether the temperature is equal to or higher than a predetermined temperature (S2).

When it is determined in step S2 that the temperature is equal to or higher than the predetermined temperature (Yes), the control unit 100 determines whether the slide member 92 is located at the unlocked position based on the signal from the second sensor Sc. Judge (S3).

When it is determined in step S3 that the slide member 92 is located at the unlocked position (Yes), the control unit 100 executes the first energization process (S4) and proceeds to the process of step S7. Here, the first energization process is a process of energizing the coil 91C to move the plunger 91A and the like from the unlocked position to the locked position. The first energization process will be described in detail later. When it is determined in step S3 that the slide member 92 is not in the unlocked position (No), the control unit 100 skips step S4 and proceeds to the process of step S7.

When it is determined in step S2 that the temperature is lower than the predetermined temperature (No), the control unit 100 determines whether or not the slide member 92 is located at the lock position based on the signal from the second sensor Sc. Yes (S5). When it is determined in step S5 that the slide member 92 is located at the lock position (Yes), the control unit 100 executes the second energization process (S6), and proceeds to the process of step S7. Here, the second energization process is a process of energizing the coil 91C by a process different from the first energization process to move the plunger 91A and the like from the locked position to the unlocked position. The second energization process will be described in detail later. When it is determined that the slide member 92 is not located at the lock position in step S5 (No), the control unit 100 skips step S6 and proceeds to the process of step S7. Here, the predetermined temperature is an example of the first temperature and the second temperature. That is, in this embodiment, the first temperature and the second temperature are set to the same value. The first temperature and the second temperature are not limited to this, and may be different temperatures. For example, after the second temperature is set to a value lower than the first temperature, the first energization process is executed when the temperature inside the housing body 21 is equal to or higher than the first temperature, and the first energization process is executed. The second energization process may be executed when the temperature inside the housing body 21 that is equal to or higher than the first temperature becomes lower than the second temperature.

In step S7, the control unit 100 determines whether or not there is a layer transfer command. When it is determined in step S7 that there is no layer transfer command (No), the control unit 100 ends this processing.

When it is determined in step S7 that there is a layer transfer command (Yes), the control unit 100 determines whether or not the slide member 92 is located at the unlocked position based on the signal from the second sensor Sc. (S8). When it is determined that the slide member 92 is located at the unlocked position in step S8 (Yes), the control unit 100 executes the first energization process to move the slide member 92 and the like from the unlocked position to the locked position. (S9).

After step S9 or when it is determined No in step S8, the control unit 100 executes the layer transfer process (S10), and ends the present process. In the layer transfer process, the control unit 100 controls the sheet transport unit 10, the film supply unit 30, and the transfer unit 50 to transfer the transfer layer of the multilayer film F onto the toner image on the sheet S.

When the layer transfer process is started by receiving the layer transfer command, the control unit 100 executes the processes of steps S8 and S9 to output the command to cause the first current to flow through the coil 91C. Unless the slide member 92 does not move to the lock position and an abnormality has occurred, control is performed to position the slide member 92 and the like at the lock position. That is, when the slide member 92 or the like is not located at the lock position when starting the layer transfer process, the control unit 100 energizes the coil 91C regardless of the temperature inside the housing main body 21 to cause the slide member to move. 92 or the like is moved from the unlocked position to the locked position.

In the first energization process shown in FIG. 9, the control unit 100 first outputs a command to cause the first current to flow through the coil 91C, thereby causing the first current to flow through the coil 91C (S21). After step S21, the control unit 100 acquires a signal from the second sensor Sc (S22) and determines whether the slide member 92 is located at the lock position based on this signal (S23).

When it is determined in step S23 that the slide member 92 is not located at the lock position (No), the control unit 100 reports an error (S24), and ends this processing. In other words, the control unit 100 outputs the command to flow the first current to the coil 91C (S21), but the slide member 92 (plunger 91A) is moved to the locked position based on the signal from the second sensor Sc. If it is determined that the error has not occurred (S23: No), an error is notified (S24).

Here, as a cause of the abnormality in which the slide member 92 does not move to the lock position even though the control unit 100 outputs the command to flow the first current to the coil 91C, for example, the current is supplied to the coil 91C. Examples include circuit failures. In this case, the lock lever restricting mechanism 90 should be locked by the first energization process, but cannot be locked. Therefore, the control unit 100, for example, "cannot normally lock the cover 22. Therefore, do not open the cover 22." or the like, and notifies the user of an error message prompting the user not to open the cover 22 by an image or a sound.

When it is determined in step S23 that the slide member 92 is located at the lock position (Yes), the lock lever restricting mechanism 90 can be normally locked, so the control unit 100 notifies the error. Then, the first energization process ends.

In the second energization process shown in FIG. 10, the control unit 100 first obtains a signal from the first sensor Sb (S31) and determines whether the lock lever 81 is located at the engagement position based on this signal. A judgment is made (S32). When it is determined in step S32 that the lock lever 81 is not located at the engagement position (No), the control unit 100 reports an error (S36) and ends the second energization process. That is, when the control unit 100 determines to move the slide member 92 and the like from the locked position to the unlocked position (in the present embodiment, it is determined as No in step S2 shown in FIG. 8 and Yes in step S5). If it is determined that the lock lever 81 is not located at the engagement position based on the signal from the first sensor Sb, an error is notified.

Here, as a cause of the lock lever 81 not being located at the engagement position, for example, as shown in FIG. 4B, the lock lever 81 is slightly tilted from the engagement position by the user's operation, and the second time The moving member 84 is strongly pressed against the slide member 92. In this case, the slide member 92 may not move due to friction with the second rotating member 84 even when the second current is applied to the coil 91C. Therefore, the control unit 100 may display an error message such as "the cover 22 may not be unlocked, so stop the operation of the handle 83 and correct the direction of the handle 83 to the correct direction." Notify the user by, for example,

When it is determined in step S32 that the lock lever 81 is located at the engagement position (Yes), the control unit 100 outputs a command to flow the second current to the coil 91C, thereby causing the second current to flow to the coil 91C. (S33). That is, when the control unit 100 determines to move the slide member 92 and the like from the locked position to the unlocked position, the control unit 100 determines that the lock lever 81 is located at the engagement position based on the signal from the first sensor Sb. Only in that case, a command to flow the second current through the coil 91C is output. In step S33, the control unit 100 energizes the coil 91C by a process of outputting a command of flowing the second current to the coil 91C, which is different from the process of outputting the command of flowing the first current to the coil 91C.

After step S33, the control unit 100 acquires a signal from the second sensor Sc (S34) and determines whether the slide member 92 is located at the unlocked position based on this signal (S35). When it is determined in step S35 that the slide member 92 is not in the unlocked position (No), the control unit 100 notifies the error (S36) and ends the second energization process.

Here, as the cause of the abnormality in which the slide member 92 does not move to the unlocked position even though the control unit 100 outputs the command to supply the second current to the coil 91C, for example, the current is supplied to the coil 91C. There is a failure of the circuit to do. Therefore, when it is determined No in step S35, the control unit 100 notifies the user of an error message such as “could not unlock the cover 22 normally” by using an image or a sound. ..

When it is determined in step S35 that the slide member 92 is located at the unlocked position (Yes), the lock lever restricting mechanism 90 can be normally unlocked, so the control unit 100 The second energization process is ended without notifying an error.

Next, an example of operations of the control unit 100 and the lock lever regulation mechanism 90 will be described.
When the temperature inside the housing body 21 is equal to or higher than the predetermined temperature, the control unit 100 sets the lock lever regulating mechanism 90 to the locked state by executing the processes of steps S3 and S4. Specifically, the control unit 100 executes the first energization process when the temperature inside the housing body 21 is equal to or higher than the predetermined temperature and the slide member 92 and the like are in the unlocked position.

As a result, as shown in FIG. 6A, the first current flows through the coil 91C, and the magnetic force of the coil 91C and the permanent magnet 91D causes the plunger 91A to move to the lock position and slide in conjunction with the plunger 91A. The member 92 and the like move to the lock position shown in FIG.

When the slide member 92 and the like move to the lock position, the control unit 100 determines No in step S3, and thereafter, the first energization process is not executed. In this state where the first energization process is not executed, that is, when the coil 91C is not energized, the permanent magnet 91D holds the plunger 91A and the like in the locked position (see FIG. 6B). The restriction mechanism 90 is maintained in the locked state.

After that, when the temperature inside the housing body 21 becomes lower than the predetermined temperature, the control unit 100 determines Yes in steps S2 and S5, and executes the second energization process (S6). As a result, as shown in FIG. 6C, since the second current flows through the coil 91C, the magnetic force of the permanent magnet 91D is canceled by the magnetic force of the coil 91C, and the slide member 92 and the like move to the coil spring 94 (see FIG. 5). 4C, the lock lever 81 can be moved from the engagement position to the non-engagement position.

After the slide member 92 and the like are moved to the unlocked position in this way, the slide member 92 and the like remain in the unlocked position even if the power of the layer transfer device 1 is turned off. That is, even if the coil 91C is de-energized from the state of FIG. 6C, the magnetic force of the permanent magnet 91D alone resists the biasing force of the coil spring 94 (see FIG. 5) to move the plunger 91A to the locked position. Since it cannot be retracted, the plunger 91A and the like are held in the unlocked position. Therefore, even if the power is turned off after the position of the slide member 92 or the like is switched from the locked position to the unlocked position, the slide member 92 or the like is held at the unlocked position by the coil spring 94 and the elongated hole 21H, so that the user can cover. 22 can be opened.

As described above, according to this embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.
Even if the coil 91C is not energized continuously, the slide member 92 and the like can be held in the locked position or the unlocked position. Therefore, even if the power is turned off with the slide member 92 and the like in the unlocked position. The user can open the cover 22.

The distance from the rotating shaft X1 of the first rotating member 93 to the connecting portion of the first rotating member 93 and the plunger 91A is the distance from the rotating shaft X1 to the connecting portion of the first rotating member 93 and the slide member 92. By making it smaller than this, the stroke amount of the slide member 92 can be made larger than the stroke amount of the plunger 91A, so that the movement of the lock lever 81 can be regulated/released better.

Since the second rotating member 84 interlocked with the operation of the lock lever 81 is interposed between the lock lever 81 and the slide member 92, the movement of the lock lever 81 is changed to the second rotation without increasing the size of the lock lever 81. The member 84 and the slide member 92 can favorably regulate.

Only when the lock lever 81 is located at the engagement position, the control unit 100 outputs a command to cause the second current to flow through the coil 91C, so that the coil spring 94 can reliably move the slide member 92 to the unlocked position. it can.

If the lock lever 81 is not located at the engagement position, that is, if the slide member 92 cannot be moved by the urging force of the coil spring 94, an error is notified and the user is aware that the cover 22 cannot be unlocked. Can be made.

When the cover 22 cannot be locked due to a circuit failure or the like when the cover 22 should be locked (when the command to flow the first current is output), the second sensor Sc detects the error and notifies the error. It is possible to prevent the user from accidentally opening the cover 22 when the 22 should be locked.

When the temperature inside the housing body 21 is equal to or higher than the predetermined temperature, the cover 22 is locked, so that it is possible to prevent the user from touching a hot member inside the housing body 21.

When the layer transfer process is started, the cover 22 is locked regardless of the temperature inside the housing body 21, so that the cover 22 is opened during the layer transfer process, for example, so that the user mistakenly selects a member that is rotating. It is possible to suppress touching.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, but can be used in various forms as exemplified below. In the following description, members having substantially the same structure as those of the above-described embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted.

In the above embodiment, the lock lever restricting mechanism for restricting the rotation of the lock lever 81 and the second rotating member 84 is composed of the plunger 91A, the slide member 92 and the first rotating member 93. It is not limited to this. For example, as shown in FIG. 11, as the lock lever restricting mechanism, a mechanism including a rack gear 210 movable between a locked position shown by a solid line and an unlocked position shown by a chain double-dashed line may be used.

Specifically, the lock lever regulating mechanism 200 according to this embodiment includes a rack gear 210, a stepping motor 220, a switching gear 231 that meshes with the rack gear 210, and a gear 232 that transmits the driving force of the stepping motor 220 to the switching gear 231. It is configured. The stepping motor 220 can generate a first driving force for rotating the switching gear 231 in a predetermined direction and a second driving force for rotating the switching gear 231 in a direction opposite to the predetermined direction when energized. Has become.

The rack gear 210 moves toward the locked position when the stepping motor 220 generates the first driving force in the unlocked position. Further, the rack gear 210 moves toward the unlocked position when the stepping motor 220 generates the second driving force at the locked position. In this configuration as well, the position of the rack gear 210 is held at the locked position or the unlocked position when the stepping motor 220 is not energized. Therefore, for example, the power is turned off after the rack gear 210 is switched from the locked position to the unlocked position. Even when the rack gear 210 is turned off, the rack gear 210 can be held in the unlocked position. Therefore, even if the power is turned off while the rack gear 210 is in the unlocked position, the user can open the cover.

In this embodiment, the rack gear 210 does not have to be a magnetic body.

The mechanism for locking or unlocking the cover 22 in the closed position may be configured only by the solenoid plunger as illustrated in the above embodiment. In this case, the cover can be locked/unlocked by inserting/removing the plunger into/from the hole formed in the cover. Further, in this case, the spring for moving the plunger from the position shown in FIG. 6B to the position shown in FIG. 6C may be provided between the plunger and the housing of the solenoid.

Further, the lock lever restricting mechanism may be configured by omitting the first rotating member 93 as in the above-described embodiment and including a plunger and a slide member fixed to the tip of the plunger.

In the above embodiment, the magnetic force of the permanent magnet 91D holds the plunger 91A and the like in the locked position, and the biasing force of the coil spring 94 and the like holds the plunger 91A and the like in the unlocked position. However, the present invention is not limited to this. Absent. For example, conversely, the plunger or the like may be held in the unlocked position by the magnetic force of the permanent magnet, and the plunger or the like may be held in the locked position by the biasing force of the coil spring or the like. That is, the plunger may be configured to be located in the unlocked position in the inner position and in the locked position in the outer position.

Further, instead of the coil spring 94 in the embodiment, a solenoid that generates a magnetic force that moves the slide member 92 to the unlocked position may be provided. Even in this form, the plunger or the like can be moved to the lock position by causing the first current to flow through one solenoid and the second current through the other solenoid. Further, in this state, when the solenoid is de-energized, the permanent magnet of one solenoid can hold the plunger or the like in the locked position. Similarly, you can move the plunger, etc. to the unlocked position by passing a current reverse to the above to each solenoid, and then when the power is turned off, the permanent magnet of the other solenoid will move the plunger, etc. to the unlocked position. Can be held at.

In the above-described embodiment, the movement of the lock lever 81 is regulated by bringing the second rotating member 84 into contact with the slide member 92, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the second rotating member 84 is not provided. The movement of the lock lever 81 may be restricted by bringing the lock lever 81 into contact with the slide member 92.

Although the cover 22 is rotatable in the above-described embodiment, the present invention is not limited to this, and the cover 22 may be slidable.

Although the coil spring 94 is illustrated as the spring in the above embodiment, the present invention is not limited to this, and the spring may be, for example, a torsion spring or a leaf spring.

In the above-described embodiment, the elongated hole 21H is illustrated as the restricting portion, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the restricting portion may be, for example, a protrusion.

In the above-described embodiment, the first sensor Sb including the arm portion Sb1 that interlocks with the movement of the lock lever 81 has been illustrated, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the first sensor may be, for example, an optical sensor. .. Further, in the above-described embodiment, the first sensor Sb is provided at a position where the position of the lock lever 81 can be detected, but the present invention is not limited to this, and a member (for example, the second rotating member) that operates in conjunction with the lock lever 81. The first sensor may be provided at a position where the position of 84) can be detected.

Although an optical sensor is illustrated as the second sensor Sc in the above-described embodiment, the present invention is not limited to this, and the second sensor is, for example, a contact sensor such as the first sensor Sb in the above-described embodiment. It may be. Further, in the above-described embodiment, the second sensor Sc is configured to indirectly detect the position of the plunger 91A by detecting the position of the slide member 92, but the present invention is not limited to this. The two sensors may be sensors that directly detect the position of the plunger 91A or sensors that detect the position of the first rotating member 93.

In the above-described embodiment, as the first sensor Sb, a sensor that outputs a signal both when the lock lever 81 is located at the engagement position and when it is not located is illustrated, but the present invention is not limited to this. A sensor that outputs a signal when the lock lever 81 is located at the engagement position or when the lock lever 81 is not located at the engagement position and does not output a signal at the other time may be used. Similarly, the second sensor may be a sensor that outputs a signal when the slide member 92 is positioned at the lock position and when the slide member 92 is not positioned, and outputs no signal at the other time.

In the above-described embodiment, the layer transfer device 1 is configured as a device different from the image forming device such as a laser printer, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the layer transfer device is configured integrally with the image forming device. Good.

Although the transfer layer including the foil is exemplified in the above-described embodiment, the present invention is not limited to this, and the transfer layer may be formed of a thermoplastic resin without including the foil or the coloring material, for example.

Although the multilayer film F is composed of four layers in the above-described embodiment, the present invention is not limited to this, and the multilayer film may have any number of layers as long as it has a transfer layer and a support layer. Good.

The elements described in the above-described embodiments and modifications may be implemented in any combination.

1 layer transfer device 21 housing body 21A opening 21H long hole 22 cover 91 solenoid 91A plunger 91B housing 91C coil 91D permanent magnet 92 sliding member 93 first rotating member 94 coil spring

Claims (12)

A housing body having an opening,
A cover movable between a closed position that closes the opening and an open position that opens the opening;
A solenoid,
A plunger movable between a locked position that locks the cover in the closed position and an unlocked position that unlocks the lock;
A housing for movably supporting the plunger between an inner position and an outer position located outside of the inner position;
A coil that generates a magnetic force when energized,
A solenoid having a permanent magnet that holds the plunger located at the inner position with a magnetic force that restricts going toward the outer position;
A holding member that holds the plunger located at the outer position with a holding force that restricts the plunger from moving toward the inner position;
The plunger is
When a first current flows through the coil at the outer position, the first magnetic force of the coil moves toward the inner position against the holding force of the holding member,
When a second current in the opposite direction to the first current flows through the coil at the inner position, the second magnetic force in the opposite direction to the first magnetic force of the coil resists the magnetic force of the permanent magnet. The layer transfer device is movable toward the outer position. The holding member includes a spring that urges the plunger toward the outer position, and a restricting portion that restricts movement of the plunger due to the urging force of the spring,
The plunger is
When a first current flows through the coil at the outer position, the first magnetic force of the coil moves toward the inner position against the biasing force of the spring and reaches the inner position. And then held in the inward position by the permanent magnet,
When the second current flows through the coil at the inner position, the magnetic force of the permanent magnet is canceled by the second magnetic force of the coil, whereby the spring moves toward the outer position, The layer transfer device according to claim 1, wherein after the outermost position is reached, the outermost position is held by the spring and the restricting portion. The plunger is
Located in the lock position in the inward position,
The layer transfer device according to claim 2, wherein the layer transfer device is located at the unlocked position at the outer position. A slide member that moves in conjunction with the movement of the plunger,
The cover includes a lock lever that is movable to an engagement position that can be engaged with the housing body and a non-engagement position that is disengaged from the housing body when the cover is in the closed position.
The slide member is
When the plunger is located at the lock position, restricts movement of the lock lever from the engagement position toward the non-engagement position,
4. The movement of the lock lever from the engagement position toward the non-engagement position is allowed when the plunger is located at the non-locking position. The layer transfer device described in 1. A rotatable first rotating member connected to the plunger and the slide member,
The distance from the rotating shaft of the first rotating member to the connecting portion of the first rotating member and the plunger is greater than the distance from the rotating shaft to the connecting portion of the first rotating member and the slide member. The layer transfer device according to claim 4, wherein the layer transfer device is also small. A second rotation member rotatable between a first position and a second position,
The second rotating member engages with the lock lever and moves from the first position to the second position when the lock lever moves from the engagement position to the non-engagement position. Is possible,
The slide member is
When the plunger is located at the lock position, it contacts the second rotating member to restrict movement of the second rotating member from the first position to the second position,
When the plunger is located at the unlocked position, the plunger is moved away from the second rotating member to allow movement of the second rotating member from the first position toward the second position. The layer transfer device according to claim 4 or 5. A first sensor for detecting that the lock lever is located at the engagement position;
And a control unit,
The control unit is
When it is determined to move the plunger from the locked position to the unlocked position, only when it is determined that the lock lever is located at the engagement position based on the signal from the first sensor, The layer transfer device according to any one of claims 4 to 6, wherein a command to flow the second current through the coil is output. The control unit is
When it is determined that the plunger is moved from the locked position to the unlocked position and it is determined that the lock lever is not located at the engagement position based on the signal from the first sensor, The layer transfer device according to claim 7, wherein an error is notified. A second sensor for detecting the position of the plunger;
And a control unit,
The control unit is
If it is determined that the plunger is not located at the lock position based on the signal from the second sensor, even though the command to output the first current to the coil is output, an error is notified. The layer transfer device according to claim 1, wherein A temperature sensor for detecting the temperature in the housing body,
And a control unit,
The control unit is
A first energization process of moving the plunger from the unlocked position to the locked position by energizing the coil;
By energizing the coil by a process different from the first energizing process, a second energizing process for moving the plunger from the locked position to the unlocked position can be executed.
When the temperature is equal to or higher than the first temperature, the first energization process is executed,
The layer transfer device according to claim 1, wherein the second energization process is executed when the temperature is lower than the second temperature. A control unit capable of performing a layer transfer process for transferring at least one layer of a multilayer film composed of a plurality of layers to a toner image on a sheet,
The control unit is
When the layer transfer process is started, the coil is energized to move the plunger from the unlocked position to the locked position regardless of the temperature inside the housing body. The layer transfer device according to any one of claims 1 to 10. A housing body having an opening,
A cover movable between a closed position that closes the opening and an open position that opens the opening;
A rack gear that is movable between a locked position that locks the cover in the closed position and an unlocked position that unlocks the lock,
A switching gear that meshes with the rack gear,
A stepping motor that generates a first driving force that rotates the switching gear in a predetermined direction and a second driving force that rotates the switching gear in a direction opposite to the predetermined direction when energized;
The rack gear is
When the stepping motor generates the first driving force in the unlocked position, the stepping motor moves toward the locked position,
A layer transfer device, wherein when the stepping motor generates the second driving force at the locked position, the stepping motor moves toward the unlocked position.

Images