JP2023025540A - Sheet conveying device and image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

To more easily perform attachment and detachment of a conveying unit.SOLUTION: A conveying unit has projections, and a device body has fitting holes for receiving the projections, a first surface for guiding the tips of the projections, a second surface for guiding the side faces of the projections, and a third surface for guiding the undersurfaces of the projections. The conveying unit is moved downward with the projections located above the fitting holes and the projections are thereby guided to the first surfaces and the second surfaces and brought into contact with the third surfaces, and subsequently the conveying unit is moved in an insertion direction and the projections are thereby guided to the third surfaces and fitted to the fitting holes. At least one of the first surface and the second surface has an inclined part that is inclined in the vertical direction to move the position of the projection when seen from above to a position allowing fitting to the fitting hole in association with the operation by which the conveying unit is moved downward with the projection located above the fitting hole.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

The present invention relates to a sheet conveying device that conveys a sheet and an image forming apparatus that forms an image on a sheet.

In image forming apparatuses such as printers, copiers, multifunction machines, and commercial printing machines, parts that perform specific functions are configured as units that can be attached to and detached from the main body (housing) of the image forming apparatus. It facilitates operations such as removing jammed sheets and regular maintenance. In Patent Document 1, when a sensor unit having a sensor for detecting color misregistration and density of a toner image is inserted into an apparatus body, a pin provided on the back side of the sensor unit in the insertion direction is inserted into a fitting hole on the side of the apparatus body. A configuration is described in which the sensor unit is positioned by fitting. Further, in the above document, it is described that a guide member extending from the front side to the back side in the main body of the apparatus is provided in order to guide attachment and detachment of the sensor unit.

Of the units that are detachable from the apparatus main body, a conveying unit that conveys sheets is relatively frequently attached and detached for purposes such as cleaning toner stains and removing sheet jams. Therefore, it is desired that the transfer unit can be attached and detached easily.

JP-A-2007-233168

By the way, depending on the positional relationship of the members arranged in the apparatus main body and the frame of the apparatus main body, as described in the above document, a linear space extending from the front side to the back side of the image forming apparatus may be used to define the attachment/detachment path of the conveying unit. It can be difficult to secure. In this case, in a state in which the transport unit is inserted into the space inside the apparatus main body, after aligning the protrusions on the transport unit side with the fitting holes on the apparatus main body side within the apparatus main body, the protrusions are fitted into the fitting holes. It is conceivable to let However, the difficulty in accurately aligning the protrusions located on the inner side of the apparatus main body with the fitting holes may reduce the workability of attaching and detaching the transport unit.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, the present invention provides a sheet conveying device and an image forming apparatus in which a conveying unit can be attached and detached more easily.

One aspect of the present disclosure is a sheet conveying apparatus including an apparatus main body and a conveying unit that is detachable from the apparatus main body and conveys a sheet, wherein the conveying unit is installed in the apparatus main body. The apparatus main body has a projection projecting from a side surface of the transport unit on the downstream side in the insertion direction when the transport unit is inserted, and the apparatus main body includes a fitting hole for receiving the projection. a first surface that extends upward from the fitting hole and guides the tip of the projection; a second surface that extends upward from the fitting hole and guides the side surface of the projection; a third surface that guides the lower surface of the protrusion on the upstream side of the fitting hole in the insertion direction, and the conveying unit moves downward from a state in which the protrusion is located above the fitting hole. so that the protrusion is guided by the first surface and the second surface and comes into contact with the third surface, and then the transport unit is moved in the insertion direction. , the projection is guided by the third surface and fitted into the fitting hole, and at least one of the first surface and the second surface is configured such that the projection is positioned above the fitting hole; As the conveying unit is moved downward from the positioned state, the position of the projection when viewed from above is moved to a position where it can be fitted into the fitting hole. The sheet conveying device is characterized in that it has a slanted portion that is slanted at an angle.

According to the present invention, it is possible to attach and detach the transport unit more easily.

1 is a schematic diagram of an image forming apparatus according to a first embodiment; FIG. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of arrangement of transport units in the first embodiment; FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a pre-fixing transport section according to a comparative example; FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing cross-sectional configurations of a transport unit and a support member according to a comparative example; FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing a state in the middle of an operation for fitting a positioning pin of a transport unit according to a comparative example into a fitting hole of a support member; 4A to 4D are top views (a to d) showing how the transport unit is mounted according to the first embodiment, and (e to h) are schematic diagrams showing the positional relationship between the positioning pins and the fitting holes. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a rear support member according to the first embodiment; FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a front support member according to the first embodiment; The perspective view of the support member of the back side which concerns on 2nd Embodiment.

Hereinafter, embodiments according to the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings.

<First embodiment>
First, an image forming apparatus and a sheet conveying apparatus according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic structure of a laser beam printer, which is an image forming apparatus 1 according to this embodiment. An apparatus main body 1A (a housing including a frame and an exterior) of the image forming apparatus 1 includes a sheet feeding section 51, sheet conveying sections 50, 54, and 55, an image forming section 513, and a pre-fixing conveying section 57. , and a fixing device 58 are incorporated.

The sheet feeding unit 51 feeds sheets S, which are recording materials, one by one. The sheet conveying portions 50 , 54 , 55 convey the sheet S fed from the sheet feeding portion 51 toward the transfer portion of the image forming portion 513 . An image forming unit 513 transfers a toner image formed by an electrophotographic process onto a sheet S at a transfer unit. The pre-fixing conveying portion 57 conveys the sheet S that has passed through the transfer portion to the fixing device 58 . The fixing device 58 fixes the unfixed toner image on the sheet S received from the pre-fixing conveying portion 57 to the sheet S. FIG. The configuration and operation of each unit will be described below.

The sheets S are stored in the storage in the form of being stacked on a lift-up device 52 provided in the storage (cassette) of the sheet feeding unit 51 . Sheets are fed one by one in accordance with image forming timing. Here, the feeding unit 53 employs a known sheet separation method, such as a method of separating the sheet S by a frictional force of a feeding roller or the like, or a method of separating the sheet S by adsorbing the sheet S to the feeding belt by air suction. A delivery system can be used. The image forming apparatus 1 shown in FIG. 1 uses a sheet feeding unit using air suction. The sheet S sent out by the feeding unit 53 is conveyed to the conveying unit 55 via the conveying units 54 and 50 . After skew correction of the sheet S, the conveying unit 55 feeds the sheet S to the transfer section in synchronization with the timing at which the toner image formed by the image forming section 513 reaches the transfer section.

In parallel with the process of conveying the sheet S to the transfer section described above, the image forming section 513 creates a toner image. The image forming unit 513 includes process units PY, PM, PC, and PK for forming toner images of yellow, magenta, cyan, and black colors, and a transfer unit for transferring the toner images formed by the process units PY to PK onto a sheet S. and a transcription unit TU as means.

The configuration of each of the process units PY to PK is substantially the same, except that the toner colors used for development are different. Each of the process units PY to PK has a photoreceptor 508 as an image carrier, a charging device (not shown), an exposure device 511, a developing device 510, a primary transfer device 507, and a photoreceptor cleaner 509. FIG. When the image forming unit 513 is requested to start forming a toner image (start image formation), the photoreceptor 508 rotates and the charging device uniformly charges the surface of the photoreceptor 508 . The exposure device 511 irradiates the photoreceptor 508 with light modulated based on an image signal (video signal) sent from the control unit of the image forming apparatus 1 via the diffraction unit 512 or the like to expose the photoreceptor 508 . writes an electrostatic latent image on the surface of the The developing device 510 develops and visualizes the electrostatic latent image as a toner image with a developer containing toner. The toner image formed on the photosensitive member 508 is transferred (primary transfer) to an intermediate transfer belt 506 as an intermediate transfer member by a primary transfer device 507 . Adhered matter such as transfer residual toner remaining on the surface of the photoreceptor 508 that has passed through the primary transfer device 507 is removed by the photoreceptor cleaner 509, and the surface of the photoreceptor 508 is prepared for the next image formation.

The transfer unit TU includes an endless intermediate transfer belt 506, a plurality of rollers (503 to 505) around which the intermediate transfer belt 506 is stretched, and secondary rollers 503 facing the inner secondary transfer roller 503 with the intermediate transfer belt 506 interposed therebetween. a transfer roller 56; The intermediate transfer belt 506 is stretched around a drive roller 504 , a tension roller 505 and a secondary transfer inner roller 503 , and is conveyed clockwise in the figure by the rotation of the drive roller 504 . A secondary transfer nip portion as a transfer portion is formed between the secondary transfer roller 56 and the intermediate transfer belt 506 .

As described above, the toner images of the respective colors formed by the process units PY to PK are multi-transferred so as to overlap each other on the surface of the intermediate transfer belt 506 which is driven to be conveyed. As a result, a full-color toner image is formed on the intermediate transfer belt 506, carried by the intermediate transfer belt 506, and conveyed to the transfer portion. Then, the toner image is transferred (secondary transfer) from the intermediate transfer belt 506 to the sheet S by applying a predetermined pressure and bias voltage to the transfer portion by the secondary transfer roller 56 .

The pre-fixing transport section 57 transports the sheet S having the unfixed toner image transferred in the transfer section to the fixing device 58 . Details of the pre-fixing transport section 57 will be described later.

The fixing device 58 is fixing means for fixing the toner image on the sheet S to the sheet S. As shown in FIG. The fixing device 58 of this embodiment has a pair of rotating bodies that rotate while holding the sheet S therebetween, and a heating means that heats the toner image on the sheet S. Adopts a heat fixing method that adds A rotating body pair is constituted by rollers and/or belts facing each other. As the heating means, known means such as a halogen lamp, a ceramic heater, an induction heating mechanism, etc. can be used. The toner is melted by heat and pressure at the nip portion (fixing nip) of the pair of rotating bodies, and then fixed, whereby a fixed image fixed on the sheet S is obtained.

After passing through the fixing device 58 , the branch conveying portion 59 selects a route to be discharged to the discharge tray 500 or to be conveyed to the reversing conveying portion 501 . In the case of single-sided printing, the sheet S on which the image is formed on the first side is discharged as it is to the discharge tray 500 as a product. In the case of double-sided printing, the sheet S on which an image is formed on the first side is conveyed to the reversing conveying unit 501 and then conveyed to the re-feeding unit 502 by switchback conveying. It is conveyed to the transfer section again. Then, the sheet S on which the image is formed on the second side opposite to the first side by passing through the transfer section and the fixing device 58 is discharged to the discharge tray 500 as a product.

The configuration of the image forming unit 513 described above is an example, and for example, a direct transfer type image forming unit that directly transfers a toner image formed on an image carrier onto a sheet without an intermediate transfer member may be used. . Further, as the image forming unit, an image forming apparatus having a printing mechanism of an inkjet method or an offset printing method may be used.

(Conveyance section before fixing)
The pre-fixing conveying portion 57 as a sheet conveying device according to this embodiment will be described. The pre-fixing transport section 57 includes at least one transport unit 100 that transports the sheet S. As shown in FIG. The conveying unit 100 includes an endless belt 102 (see also FIG. 3) which is made breathable by a process of forming a large number of holes, a plurality of support rollers 103 for stretching and driving the endless belt 102, and the endless belt 102. and a fan 104 disposed inside. The conveying unit 100 rotates (conveys) the endless belt 102 by driving at least one support roller 103 and sucks air from the inner side of the endless belt 102 by means of a fan 104 so that the sheet S is spread on the surface of the endless belt 102 . is adsorbed and transported. The conveying unit 100 is formed by integrating an endless belt 102, a plurality of support rollers 103, and a fan 104 as a detachable unit with respect to the apparatus main body 1A, which is the apparatus main body of the sheet conveying apparatus.

A plurality of transport units 100 may be arranged side by side in one image forming apparatus. FIG. 2 shows a transfer section (56, 503) in the first housing 550a when the apparatus main body 1A of the image forming apparatus 1 is divided into two housings, a first housing 550a and a second housing 550b. is arranged, and the fixing device 58 is arranged in the second housing 550a. Then, the pre-fixing transport unit 57 transports the sheet S from the transfer unit to the fixing device 58 while delivering the sheet S from the first housing 550a to the second housing 550b. , 100b and 100c. The first transport unit 100a and the second transport unit 100b are arranged in the first housing 550a and transport the sheet S toward the second housing 550b. The third transport unit 100c is arranged in the second housing 550b and transports the sheet S received from the first housing 550a.

The pre-fixing transport section 57 is provided between the transfer section (56, 503) and the fixing device 58 (between the transfer process and the fixing process), and fixes the sheet S carrying an unfixed toner image. It is a device for conveying to device 58 . Therefore, it is desired to position the transport unit 100 with high accuracy in the mounted state so that the image on the sheet S is not disturbed due to the positional deviation of the transport unit 100 .

In addition, since the pre-fixing transport section 57 handles the sheet S carrying an unfixed toner image, it is used in an environment where toner tends to adhere. Therefore, the conveying unit 100 is attached and detached with relatively high frequency in order to clean the adhering toner, remove sheet jams, perform regular maintenance, and the like. Therefore, a configuration that allows the transfer unit 100 to be attached and detached more easily is desired.

In the following description, the term “front-rear direction” refers to the direction in which the operator accesses the apparatus main body 1A when attaching or detaching the transport unit 100 . In the front-to-rear direction, the downstream side of the insertion direction when inserting the transport unit 100 from the outside to the inside of the apparatus main body 1A (the rear side or the back side of the apparatus main body 1A) is the rear side of the apparatus main body 1A or simply the "rear side." ”. In the front-rear direction, the upstream side of the insertion direction of the transport unit 100 (the front side and front side of the apparatus main body 1A, the side where the opening and the door through which the transport unit 100 can pass) is defined as the front side of the apparatus main body 1A. Or simply "front side". “Vertical direction” refers to the vertical direction when the image forming apparatus 1 is installed on a horizontal plane. Further, the “horizontal direction” is a direction that perpendicularly crosses the front-rear direction and the up-down direction, and refers to the left-right direction when the image forming apparatus 1 is viewed from the front side.

(Detachable Configuration of Transport Unit in Comparative Example)
Next, the attachment/detachment configuration of the transport unit 100 in the pre-fixing transport section 57Z of the comparative example and points to be improved will be described. Except for the shape of the support member 110a on the rear side, the pre-fixing transport section 57Z of the comparative example has substantially the same configuration as the pre-fixing transport section 57 of the present embodiment. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a transport unit 100 and support members 110a and 120a according to a comparative example. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing a cross section of the transport unit 100 and the support member 110a according to the comparative example cut along a virtual plane extending in the front-back direction and the up-down direction of the image forming apparatus 1. As shown in FIG. FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a state in the middle of the operation of fitting the positioning pin 101 of the transport unit 100 according to the comparative example into the fitting hole 111a of the support member 110a.

As shown in FIG. 3, the conveying unit 100 is in a posture in which the sheet width direction (the generatrix direction of the endless belt 102 and the rotation axis direction of the support roller 103) faces the front-rear direction of the image forming apparatus 1, and the support members 110a and 120a are arranged. It is mounted while being supported by A rear end of the transport unit 100 is supported by a first support member 110a, and a front end of the transport unit 100 is supported by a second support member 120a. The support members 110a and 120a are members fixed to the frame of the apparatus main body 1A.

The transport unit 100 has a positioning pin 101 and a positioning member 106 as positioning members that guarantee the positional accuracy of the transport unit 100 in the mounted state. The positioning pin 101 is a protrusion projecting further rearward (downstream in the insertion direction of the transport unit 100 ) from the rear side surface of the transport unit 100 . In this embodiment, a plurality (two in the illustrated example) of positioning pins 101 are provided, which are spaced apart from each other in the left-right direction (the direction crossing the insertion direction of the transport unit 100 when viewed from above). .

A fitting hole 111a for receiving the positioning pin 101 is provided in the rear supporting member 110a. A plurality of fitting holes 111 a (two in the illustrated example) are provided at positions corresponding to the plurality of positioning pins 101 . The fitting hole 111a is a recess that is recessed rearward in the front-rear direction, which is the direction in which the transport unit 100 is inserted into the apparatus main body 1A. The fitting hole 111a may penetrate the support member 110a in the front-rear direction.

The positioning pin 101 is a cylindrical projection extending rearward of the apparatus main body 1A, and has a truncated cone-like tapered shape (FIGS. 4 and 5) at its tip. The tapered shape allows the positioning pin 101 to be more smoothly fitted into the fitting hole 111a. By making one fitting hole 111a a circular hole slightly larger than the positioning pin 101 and making the other fitting hole 111a an oblong hole extending in the left-right direction, the component tolerance of the transport unit 100 can be absorbed. can be done.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the transport unit 100 is positioned in the vertical and horizontal directions by fitting the positioning pins 101 into the fitting holes 111a. At this time, a plurality of positioning pins 101 aligned in a direction intersecting the front-rear direction are fitted into a plurality of fitting holes 111a, so that rotation of the conveying unit 100 around any of the positioning pins 101 is also restricted at the same time. be. The positioning member 106 provided at the front end of the transport unit 100 is supported (held) by the front support member 120a, so that the transport unit 100 is positioned in the front-rear direction.

In general, the transport unit 100 is arranged close to the upstream and downstream transport mechanisms (the other transport units 100, the fixing device 58, etc.) in order to improve the reliability of delivery of the sheet S. FIG. Therefore, in order to guide the mounting of the conveying unit 100 around the mounting position of the conveying unit 100 (predetermined position in the apparatus main body 1A at which the sheet S can be conveyed), from the front side to the rear side of the apparatus main body 1A. Placing a guide member across can be difficult. In other words, it may be difficult to secure an attachment/detachment path for the transport unit 100 as a linear space extending from the front side to the back side of the apparatus main body 1A.

As shown in FIG. 2, in the case of the transport units 100b and 100c that transfer the sheet S between the housings in the configuration in which the apparatus main body 1A is divided into a plurality of housings, a part of the housing is the transport unit 100b and the transport unit 100c. It may interfere with wearing of 100c. That is, when viewed from the front side of the image forming apparatus 1, does the frame member 550f forming the frame of the first housing 550a or the second housing 550b overlap the transport units 100b and 100c positioned at the mounting position? , or in close proximity. For this reason as well, it may be difficult to provide a configuration in which the transport unit 100 can be mounted by inserting the transport unit 100 linearly from the front side to the back side of the apparatus main body 1A.

For the reasons described above, when the transport unit 100 is attached to the apparatus main body 1A, the transport unit 100 is placed on the rear side of the apparatus main body 1A in a state in which the upper, lower, left, and right positions of the positioning pins 101 are aligned with the fitting holes 111a in advance. Insertion can be difficult. In this case, after inserting the transport unit 100 into the apparatus main body 1A through an opening provided in the front surface of the apparatus main body 1A, the positioning pins 101 are aligned with the fitting holes 111a in the vertical and horizontal positions in the apparatus main body 1A. Become.

However, there is a limit to the size of the opening of the apparatus main body 1A, and the main body 105 (parts other than the positioning member) and the support member 120a of the transport unit 100 are present in front of the fitting hole 111a when viewed from the operator. Therefore, it is difficult to ensure the visibility of the fitting hole 111a. Therefore, in the configuration of the comparative example, it may be difficult to align the positioning pin 101 with the fitting hole 111a and fit it into the fitting hole 111a after the transport unit 100 is inserted into the apparatus main body 1A.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, a plurality of surfaces (112a, 112b, 112c) are provided on the support member 110a, and the positioning pin 101 is brought into contact with these surfaces to align the fitting hole 111a. is also conceivable. However, in the comparative example, the surface 112b2 having the opening of the fitting hole 111a provided in the lower portion of the rear surface 112b protrudes forward from the rear surface 112b of the support member 110a. there is This is because, as shown in FIG. 4, the air E sucked by the fan 104 in the air suction type transport unit 100 is discharged through the space 113a above the fitting hole 111a. The space 113 a is also used as a space for receiving a part of the operator's hand when the operator holds the gripping portion 108 provided at the rear end of the main body 105 of the transport unit 100 . That is, since the space 113a is provided above the protruding fitting hole 111a, it becomes easier to hold and move the transport unit 100. As shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 5, in the comparative example, the positioning pin 101 rides on the surface 112d covering the upper portion of the fitting hole 111a in the apparatus body 1A, and the positioning pin 101 moves to a position where it can be fitted into the fitting hole 111a. It can be difficult to let go. The position where the fitting hole 111a can be fitted is a position where the tip of the positioning pin 101 faces the fitting hole 111a from the front side (the upstream side in the insertion direction of the transport unit 100) with respect to the fitting hole 111a. is.

(Detachable configuration of transport unit in this embodiment)
In the present embodiment, a plurality of surfaces for guiding the positioning pins 101 are arranged on the rear supporting member 110b, and the carrying unit 100 is positioned to a position where it can be fitted into the fitting hole as the transport unit 100 is moved downward. A ramp is provided for moving the pin 101 . The rear and front support members 110b and 120b according to this embodiment will be described below.

As shown in FIG. 7, the rear support member 110b has a fitting hole 111b for receiving the positioning pin 101, a side surface portion 112o, a rear surface portion 112p, and a lower surface portion 112q. The rear surface portion 112p is a surface that extends vertically and horizontally. The side surface portion 112o is a surface that extends forward from the right end of the rear surface portion 112p and spreads in the vertical direction and the front-rear direction. The lower surface portion 112q is a surface that extends forward from the lower portion of the fitting hole 111b and spreads in the left-right direction and the front-rear direction. How these surfaces (112o, 112p, 112q) guide the positioning pin 101 when the transport unit 100 is attached will be described later.

The rear surface portion 112p is a first surface that extends upward from the fitting hole 111b and guides the tip of the positioning pin 101 (the rear surface, the downstream surface in the insertion direction of the transport unit 100). The side surface portion 112o is a second surface that extends upward from the fitting hole 111b and guides the side surface of the positioning pin 101 in the left-right direction (the direction crossing the insertion direction when viewed from above). The lower surface portion 112q is a third surface that guides the lower surface of the positioning pin 101 on the front side (upstream side in the insertion direction) of the fitting hole 111b. At least one of the first surface and the second surface is provided with an inclined portion that is inclined with respect to the vertical direction. In this embodiment, the rear surface portion 112p as the first surface is provided with the slope p2 as the inclined portion.

The fitting hole 111b is opened in a surface 112r extending downward from the lower end of the slope p2 of the rear surface portion 112p, and protrudes forward from the upper portion (vertical portion) of the rear surface portion 112p. By arranging the fitting hole 111b to protrude forward from a part of the rear surface portion 112p, a space 113b is secured above the slope p2 as a discharge path for the air sucked by the fan 104 of the transport unit 100. be done. The space 113b is formed above the slope p2, between the rear surface portion 112p of the support member 110a and the rear end portion of the transport unit 100 in the front-rear direction, and on the left side of the side surface portion 112o of the support member 110a. As in the case of the comparative example, the provision of the space 113b above the slope p2 facilitates the work of holding and moving the transport unit 100 . The gripping portion (FIG. 4) of the transport unit 100 is arranged, for example, at a position overlapping the slope p2 when viewed from above.

As shown in FIG. 8, the support member 120b that supports the positioning member 106 on the front side of the transport unit 100 has two surfaces, a side surface portion 121a and a bottom surface portion 121b. The side surface portion 121a is a surface that guides the side surface of the positioning member 106 in the left-right direction. The lower surface portion 121b is a surface that positions and supports the transport unit 100 together with the rear support member 110b when the transport unit 100 is mounted at the mounting position.

The lower surface portion 121b is also a surface that supports the lower surface of the positioning member 106 while allowing the transport unit 100 to move in the front-rear direction when the positioning pin 101 is fitted into the fitting hole 111b. The side surface portion 121a and the lower surface portion 121b guide the positioning member 106, thereby stabilizing the posture of the transport unit 100 when the positioning pin 101 is fitted into the fitting hole 111b.

(Work flow when mounting the transport unit)
An example of the work flow for mounting the transport unit 100 to the apparatus main body 1A in the pre-fixing transport section 57 having the above-described configuration will be described. FIGS. 6A to 6D are top views showing how the conveying unit 100 is mounted inside the apparatus main body 1A. 6(e) to 6(f) in the lower row show the transport unit 100 and the support along the lines EE, FF, GG, and HH shown in the upper FIGS. 6(a to d). It is a cross section of the member 110b, showing the positional relationship between the positioning pin 101 and the fitting hole 111b.

When attaching the transport unit 100 to the apparatus main body 1A in which the transport unit 100 is not attached, first, an operator inserts the transport unit 100 into the apparatus main body 1A through the opening on the front side of the apparatus main body 1A. (Fig. 6(a)). At this point, when viewed from the front side to the rear side, the positioning pin 101 does not necessarily overlap the fitting hole 111b, and the positioning pin 101 is normally positioned above the fitting hole 111b (see FIG. 6). (e)).

Next, in preparation for fitting the positioning pin 101 into the fitting hole 111b, the operator moves the transport unit 100 to the right side and abuts the positioning pin 101 against the side surface portion 112o of the rear support member 110b (FIG. 6). (b)). As a result, the positioning pin 101 is aligned with the fitting hole 111b in the left-right direction (FIG. 6(f)). Further, by moving the transport unit 100 to the right, the front positioning member 106 of the transport unit 100 hits the side surface portion 121a of the front support member 120b. As a result, the posture of the transport unit 100 is stabilized.

Next, the operator moves the transport unit 100 downward along the side surface portion 112o of the rear support member 110b (FIG. 6(g)). As a result, the positioning pin 101 maintains a position in contact with the side surface portion 112o in the left-right direction, and along the slope p2 of the rear surface portion 112p of the support member 110b in the front-rear direction, is positioned forward of the opening position of the fitting hole 111b. (Fig. 6(c)). In other words, the support member 110b shifts the position of the protrusion when viewed from above as the transport unit 100 is moved downward from the state in which the protrusion of the transport unit 100 is positioned above the fitting hole. It has an inclined portion inclined with respect to the vertical direction so as to move to a position where it can be fitted into the fitting hole. The inclined surface p2 as the inclined portion in this embodiment is provided on the rear surface portion 112p as the first surface of the support member 110b, and is a surface that is inclined downward toward the front side (upstream side in the insertion direction of the transport unit 100). be.

When the positioning pin 101 comes into contact with the lower surface portion 112q of the support member 110b, the positioning pin 101 is aligned with the fitting hole 111b when viewed from the front side to the rear side. 101 is positioned in front of the fitting hole 111b. That is, the positioning pin 101 is guided to a position where it can be fitted into the fitting hole 111b by the first to third surfaces of the support member 110b (FIG. 6(h)).

Finally, the operator pushes the transport unit 100 rearward (downstream in the insertion direction). As a result, the positioning pin 101 fits into the fitting hole 111b (FIG. 6(d)). That is, when the transport unit 100 is moved in the insertion direction, the projection is guided by the third surface of the support member and fitted into the fitting hole. The positioning member 106 on the front side is provided with an uneven portion such as a stepped shape formed by embossing. Then, when the transport unit 100 reaches the predetermined mounting position, the concave and convex portions of the positioning member 106 and the support member 120b are engaged to position the transport unit 100 in the front-rear direction. As a result, the transport unit 100 is positioned in the vertical, front-rear, and left-right directions at the mounting position with respect to the apparatus main body 1A, and the mounting of the transport unit 100 is completed.

When removing the transport unit 100 from the apparatus main body 1A, the operator pulls out the transport unit 100 forward to disengage the positioning pin 101 from the fitting hole 111b. Then, the worker can take out the transport unit 100 to the outside of the apparatus main body 1A by lifting the transport unit 100 upward and pulling it out toward the front side of the apparatus main body 1A.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the rear support member 110b arranged in the apparatus main body 1A is provided with the rear surface portion 112p (first surface), the side surface portion 112o (second surface), and the lower surface portion 112q. Three surfaces (third surface) are provided to guide the positioning pin 101 (projection). Of these, the rear surface portion 112p is provided with an inclined surface p2 as an inclined portion. That is, the positioning pins 101 (protrusions) of the transport unit 100 inserted into the apparatus main body 1A are guided to positions where they can be fitted into the fitting holes 111b by the three surfaces and the inclined portion provided on the apparatus main body 1A. can be done. Therefore, even if the visibility of the positioning pin 101 is low, it is possible to attach and detach the transport unit 100 more easily.

(Modification)
In this embodiment, the side surface portion 112o of the rear support member 110b is configured as a vertical wall surface extending substantially parallel to the vertical direction. good. In this case, the slope of the side surface portion 112o is inclined downward so as to approach the fitting hole 111b in the horizontal direction (the direction crossing the insertion direction of the transport unit 100 when viewed from above). As a result, as the transport unit 100 is moved downward from the state in which the positioning pin 101 is positioned above the fitting hole 111b, the positioning pin 101 moves to a position where the positioning pin 101 can be fitted in the fitting hole 111b in the horizontal direction. can be moved. The inclined portion may be arranged only on the side surface portion 112o, or may be arranged on both the side surface portion 112o and the rear surface portion 112p.

Further, the first surface, the second surface and the third surface provided on the apparatus main body 1A do not necessarily have to be surfaces of one member, and a plurality of surfaces independently attached to the frame of the apparatus main body 1A. You may be comprised by the member of.

<Second embodiment>
The configuration of the pre-fixing transport section according to the second embodiment will be described. This embodiment differs from the first embodiment in the shape of the projection for positioning the transport unit. Elements with the same reference numerals as those of the first embodiment have substantially the same configurations and functions as those described in the first embodiment, and differences from the first embodiment will be mainly described below.

As shown in FIG. 9, the transport unit 100 in this embodiment has only one positioning prism 107 as a projection for positioning. Correspondingly, only one fitting hole 111c for receiving the positioning prism 107 is provided in the rear supporting member 110b. The positioning prism 107 has a prism shape elongated in the left-right direction, and the fitting hole 111c is also elongated in the left-right direction. That is, the positioning prism 107 is a projection that protrudes rearward (downstream in the insertion direction of the transport unit 100) from the rear side surface of the transport unit 100 and extends in the left-right direction (direction intersecting the insertion direction). . The fitting hole 111c is one long hole extending in the left-right direction (direction intersecting the insertion direction). Even with such a configuration, by fitting the positioning square pillar 107 into the fitting hole 111c, vertical and horizontal positioning and rotation regulation of the transport unit 100 can be performed.

Here, as in the first embodiment, the support member 110b has three surfaces that guide the positioning prism 107: a rear surface portion 112p (first surface), a side surface portion 112o (second surface), and a lower surface portion 112q ( third surface). Further, the rear surface portion 112p is provided with an inclined surface p2 (inclined portion) that is inclined forward toward the lower side.

In this embodiment as well, the positioning prism 107 is guided by the rear surface portion 112p, the side surface portion 112o, and the lower surface portion 112q of the support member 110b by the same work flow as in the first embodiment, and the positioning prism 107 is fitted into the fitting hole 111c. can be combined. That is, the positioning pins 101 (protrusions) of the transport unit 100 inserted into the apparatus main body 1A are guided to positions where they can be fitted into the fitting holes 111b by the three surfaces and the inclined portion provided on the apparatus main body 1A. can be done. Therefore, even if the visibility of the positioning pin 101 is low, it is possible to attach and detach the transport unit 100 more easily.

Also in this embodiment, as described as the modified example of the first embodiment, the side surface portion 112o may be provided with an inclined portion.

(Other embodiments)
In the above-described embodiments, the sheet conveying apparatus provided with the air suction type conveying unit 100 as the conveying unit has been described. This technology may be applied to

Further, in the above-described embodiments, a sheet conveying device arranged inside an image forming apparatus having an image forming function has been described, but the present technology can also be applied to sheet conveying devices other than image forming apparatuses. For example, a large-capacity feeding device that is connected to the upstream side of the image forming apparatus and conveys sheets toward the image forming apparatus, or a binding device that is connected to the downstream side of the image forming apparatus and binds sheets on which images are formed by the image forming apparatus. A sheet processing apparatus that performs processing such as processing is exemplified. Also, the present technology may be applied to a sheet conveying device (for example, a sorting device that sorts sheet-shaped media) unrelated to the image forming device.

1A Apparatus main body/57 Sheet conveying device (pre-fixing conveying unit)/100, 100a, 100b, 100c Conveying unit/101, 107 Projection (positioning pin, positioning prism)/111b, 111c Fitting hole/ 112o... second surface (side surface)/112p... first surface (rear surface)/112q... third surface (lower surface)/550a... first housing/550b... second housing/p2... tilt part (slope)

Claims (11)

A sheet conveying apparatus comprising: an apparatus main body; and a conveying unit that is detachable from the apparatus main body and conveys a sheet,
The transport unit has a protrusion that protrudes downstream in the insertion direction from a side surface of the transport unit on the downstream side in the insertion direction when the transport unit is inserted into the apparatus main body,
The apparatus main body includes a fitting hole for receiving the protrusion, a first surface extending upward from the fitting hole and guiding a tip of the protrusion, a first surface extending upward from the fitting hole, and the a second surface that guides the side surface of the protrusion; and a third surface that guides the lower surface of the protrusion on the upstream side of the fitting hole in the insertion direction,
By moving the conveying unit downward from a state in which the protrusion is located above the fitting hole, the protrusion is guided by the first surface and the second surface, and is guided by the third surface. After abutting on the surface of the carrier unit, the projection is guided by the third surface and fitted into the fitting hole by moving the transport unit in the insertion direction,
At least one of the first surface and the second surface is viewed from above as the transport unit is moved downward from a state in which the protrusion is positioned above the fitting hole. has an inclined portion inclined with respect to the vertical direction so as to move the position of the protrusion of the above to a position where it can be fitted into the fitting hole,
A sheet conveying device characterized by: The inclined portion is provided on the first surface and is inclined from top to bottom toward the upstream side in the insertion direction.
2. The sheet conveying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: The inclined portion is provided on the second surface and is inclined downward from above so as to approach the fitting hole in a direction intersecting the insertion direction when viewed from above.
3. The sheet conveying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: The conveying unit includes an endless belt having air permeability, a plurality of rollers for stretching the belt, and a fan for sucking air from the inside of the belt to attract the sheet to the belt. ,
Air sucked by the fan is discharged through a space above the inclined portion.
4. The sheet conveying device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The transport unit has a gripping portion for gripping the transport unit,
The grip portion is positioned above the slant portion and overlaps the slant portion when viewed from above.
The sheet conveying apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The device main body has a first housing and a second housing, and is configured to transfer the sheet from the first housing to the second housing,
The conveying unit is arranged in the first housing and conveys the sheet toward the second housing, or is arranged in the second housing and receives the sheet from the first housing. configured to carry a
The sheet conveying apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: Part of the first housing or part of the second housing overlaps the transport unit when viewed in the insertion direction in a state in which the transport unit is attached to the apparatus main body,
7. The sheet conveying device according to claim 6, wherein: the protrusion includes a plurality of protrusions spaced apart from each other in a direction intersecting the insertion direction when viewed from above;
A plurality of the fitting holes are provided corresponding to the plurality of protrusions,
The sheet conveying device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that: The protrusion is one protrusion extending in a direction intersecting the insertion direction when viewed from above,
The fitting hole is one long hole extending in the direction intersecting the insertion direction,
The sheet conveying device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that: The apparatus main body includes a first support member that supports a downstream end of the transport unit in the insertion direction, and a second support member that supports an upstream end of the transport unit in the insertion direction. , has
The fitting hole, the first surface, the second surface and the third surface are provided on the first support member,
The second support member allows the transport unit to move in the insertion direction when the transport unit is moved downward from a state in which the protrusion is positioned above the fitting hole. supporting the transport unit;
The sheet conveying device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that: A sheet conveying device according to any one of claims 1 to 10;
an image carrier that carries a toner image;
a transfer means for transferring the toner image from the image carrier to the sheet;
fixing means for fixing the toner image on the sheet;
An image forming apparatus comprising
The conveying unit conveys the sheet onto which the toner image has been transferred by the transfer unit toward the fixing unit.
An image forming apparatus characterized by:

Images