JP2023183179A - Sheet conveyance device and image forming system - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a sheet conveyance device that can improve workability when adjusting a height of a caster and maintain a good position of the caster relative to a device body, and to provide an image forming system including the same.SOLUTION: The sheet conveyance device includes: a device body having a first screw portion; a caster having a second screw portion screwed to the first screw portion in a height direction, a wheel portion rotatably supported relative to the second screw portion, and an operation part rotated integrally with the second screw portion, and whose position in the height direction relative to the device body can be changed by the operation part being rotated to advance or retract the second screw portion relative to the first screw portion in the height direction; and an elastic portion provided to be sandwiched between the first screw portion and the second screw portion, and increasing the frictional force between the first screw portion and the second screw portion by being elastically deformed.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

The present invention relates to a sheet conveying device that conveys sheets and an image forming system equipped with the same.

Conventionally, there has been proposed a post-processing device that is connected to an image forming apparatus and performs post-processing such as stapling and punching on a sheet on which an image has been formed in the image forming apparatus (see Patent Document 1). A plurality of wheels are provided on the bottom surface of the casing of this post-processing device via bearing members, and the casing is configured to be supported by the plurality of wheels. The height of these wheels relative to the bottom surface of the casing is adjusted by a height adjustment male screw that is screwed into a rotation regulating member provided on the bearing member. The height adjusting male screw is fixed to the casing by tightening the height fixing male screw that is screwed into the rotation regulating member.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2009-217182

However, the height adjusting male screw described in Patent Document 1 can be operated only after loosening the height fixing male screw, which poses a problem in workability. Furthermore, if the height adjusting male screw is used with the height fixing male screw removed, for example, the height adjusting male screw becomes loose, making it impossible to maintain the position of the wheel relative to the housing of the post-processing device.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Therefore, the present invention provides a sheet conveying device that improves workability when adjusting the height of casters and can maintain the position of the casters with respect to the main body of the device, and an image forming system equipped with the same. The purpose is to

The present invention provides a sheet conveying device for conveying sheets, including a device main body having a frame, a first threaded portion provided on the frame, and a second threaded portion threadedly engaged with the first threaded portion in the height direction. A caster having a threaded portion, a wheel portion supported so as to be rotatable relative to the second threaded portion, and an operating portion that rotates integrally with the second threaded portion, the operating portion being rotatably operated. a caster whose position in the height direction with respect to the apparatus main body is changed by moving the second threaded part forward and backward in the height direction with respect to the first threaded part; An elastic part is provided to be sandwiched between the second threaded part and elastically deforms to increase the frictional force between the first threaded part and the second threaded part. shall be.

The present invention also provides a sheet conveying device that conveys a sheet, including a device main body having a frame, a first threaded portion provided on the frame, and a first engaging portion; a second screw portion that is screwed together in the height direction; a wheel portion that is rotatably supported relative to the second screw portion; an operating portion that rotates integrally with the second screw portion; a moving member supported movably in the height direction with respect to the part, the second threaded part being moved relative to the first threaded part when the operating part is rotated. casters that move forward and backward in the height direction and whose position in the height direction with respect to the device body is changed; the movable member has a second engaging part that can be engaged with the first engaging part; The caster has a biasing portion that biases the moving member so that the second engaging portion engages with the first engaging portion.

The present invention also provides a sheet conveying device that conveys a sheet, including a device main body having a frame, a first threaded portion provided on the frame, and a first engaging portion; a second screw portion that is screwed together in the height direction; a wheel portion that is rotatably supported relative to the second screw portion; an operating portion that rotates integrally with the second screw portion; a spring that generates a frictional force when in contact with the caster, the second screw portion moving forward and backward in the height direction with respect to the first screw portion when the operation portion is rotated; The apparatus is characterized by comprising casters whose position in the height direction with respect to the apparatus main body is changed.

According to the present invention, workability when adjusting the height of the casters can be improved, and the position of the casters with respect to the main body of the apparatus can be maintained well.

1 is an overall schematic diagram showing an image forming system according to a first embodiment; FIG. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the bottom plate and casters of the post-processing device. FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective view showing casters. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. 2; FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a caster according to a second embodiment. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB in FIG. 5; (a) is a front view showing casters in a standby state, and (b) is a front view showing casters in a height-adjusted state.

<First embodiment>
[overall structure]
As shown in FIG. 1, the image forming system 1S according to the first embodiment includes an image forming apparatus 1, an image reading apparatus 2, a document feeding apparatus 3, and a post-processing apparatus 4. The image forming system 1S forms an image on a sheet that is a recording material, processes the sheet using a post-processing device 4 as necessary, and outputs the sheet. Hereinafter, after explaining the simple operation of each device, the post-processing device 4 will be explained in detail.

The document feeding device 3 conveys the document placed on the document tray 18 to the image reading sections 16 and 19. The image reading units 16 and 19 are respectively image sensors that read image information from the surface of the document, and both sides of the document are read in one document conveyance. The document whose image information has been read is discharged to the document discharge section 20 . In addition, the image reading device 2 uses a driving device 17 to reciprocate the image reading unit 16 to obtain image information from a stationary original set on the original platen glass (including originals that cannot be used with the original feeder 3, such as booklet originals). can be read.

The image forming apparatus 1 is an electrophotographic apparatus including a direct transfer type image forming section 1B. The image forming section 1B includes a cartridge 8 including a photosensitive drum 9, and a laser scanner unit 15 disposed above the cartridge 8. When performing an image forming operation, the surface of the rotating photosensitive drum 9 is charged, and the laser scanner unit 15 exposes the photosensitive drum 9 based on image information to write an electrostatic latent image on the drum surface. The electrostatic latent image carried on the photosensitive drum 9 is developed into a toner image by charged toner particles, and the toner image is conveyed to a transfer section where the photosensitive drum 9 and the transfer roller 10 face each other. The control section of the image forming apparatus 1 causes the image forming section 1B to perform an image forming operation based on the image information read by the image reading sections 16 and 19 or the image information received from an external computer via the network.

The image forming apparatus 1 includes a plurality of feeding devices 6 that feed sheets as recording materials one by one at predetermined intervals. The sheet fed from the feeding device 6 is corrected for skew by a registration roller 7 and then conveyed to a transfer section, where the toner image carried on the photosensitive drum 9 is transferred. A fixing unit 11 is arranged downstream of the transfer section in the sheet conveyance direction. The fixing unit 11 includes a pair of rotating bodies that nip and convey the sheet, and a heating element such as a halogen lamp for heating the toner image, and fixes the image by heating and pressurizing the toner image on the sheet. Perform processing.

When a sheet on which an image has been formed is discharged to the outside of the image forming apparatus 1 , the sheet that has passed through the fixing unit 11 is conveyed to the post-processing device 4 via the horizontal conveyance path 14 . In the case of a sheet for which image formation has been completed on the first side in double-sided printing, the sheet that has passed through the fixing unit 11 is delivered to the reversing roller 12, is conveyed switchback by the reversing roller 12, and is again transferred to the registration section via the re-conveying section 13. It is conveyed to the ration roller 7. Then, the sheet passes through the transfer section and fixing unit 11 again to form an image on the second surface, and is then transported to the post-processing device 4 via the horizontal transport path 14.

The above-mentioned image forming section 1B is an example of an image forming means that forms an image on a sheet, and an electrophotographic unit of an intermediate transfer type that transfers a toner image formed on a photoreceptor to a sheet via an intermediate transfer member may be used. good. Furthermore, an inkjet printing unit or an offset printing printing unit may be used as the image forming means.

[Post-processing device]
The post-processing device 4 is provided with a receiving path CP11, an inner discharge path CP12, a first discharge path CP13, and a second discharge path CP14 as conveyance paths for conveying sheets, and an upper discharge tray as a discharge destination for discharging sheets. 25 and a lower discharge tray 37 are provided. The lower discharge tray 37 is arranged below the upper discharge tray 25. The receiving path CP11 as the first conveyance path is a conveyance path that receives and guides sheets from the horizontal conveyance path 14. The internal discharge path CP12 as a second conveyance path is a conveyance path that is disposed below the receiving path CP11, receives the sheet from the receiving path CP11, and guides the sheet toward the alignment section 4A. The first discharge path CP13 is a conveyance path for discharging sheets to the upper discharge tray 25, and the second discharge path CP14 as a third conveyance path extends from the intermediate stacking section 39 toward the bundle discharge roller pair 36, and the sheet This is a conveyance path that guides the bundle discharge roller pair 36.

The sheet discharged from the horizontal conveyance path 14 is received by an entrance roller pair 21 serving as a conveyance unit disposed on the receiving path CP11, and is conveyed toward the pre-reversal roller pair 22 through the receiving path CP11. The receiving path CP11 is provided with an entrance sensor 27 that changes an output value (for example, a voltage value or an output signal) based on the presence or absence of a sheet at a detection position between the entrance roller pair 21 and the pre-reversal roller pair 22. There is. The pre-reversal roller pair 22 conveys the sheet received from the entrance roller pair 21 toward the first discharge path CP13.

Note that the conveyance speed of the sheet by the pair of entrance rollers 21 may be set higher than the conveyance speed of the sheet passing through the horizontal conveyance path 14, and the conveyance speed of the sheet may be accelerated after the pair of entrance rollers 21 receives the sheet. . In this case, a one-way clutch may be installed between the first roller pair 61 and the second roller pair 62 that convey the sheet on the horizontal conveyance path 14 and the motor that drives them. Preferably, even if the sheet is pulled by the entrance roller pair 21, the first roller pair 61 and the second roller pair 62 are configured to idle due to the action of the one-way clutch.

When the sheet is ejected to the upper ejection tray 25 as the first stacking section, the sheet is guided to the first ejection path CP13 by a guide member 23 provided at a branch of the receiving path CP11 and the inner ejection path CP12. The first discharge path CP13 is provided with a pair of reversing rollers 24 as a first discharge section, and the pair of reversing rollers 24 discharges the sheet received from the pair of pre-reversing rollers 22 onto the upper discharge tray 25.

When the sheet is discharged to the lower discharge tray 37 as the second stacking section, the reversing roller pair 24 as the reversing section performs switchback conveyance to reverse the sheet received from the pre-reversing roller pair 22, and discharges the sheet inside. It is transported to path CP12. Specifically, the guide member 23 rotates after guiding the sheet to the first discharge path CP13. Thereby, the sheet is guided to the internal discharge path CP12 by the guide member 23.

The pair of inner discharge rollers 26, the pair of intermediate conveyance rollers 28, and the pair of kicking rollers 29 as a pair of rotating bodies arranged in the inner discharge path CP12 sequentially transfer the sheet received from the pair of reversing rollers 24 toward the alignment section 4A. transport. Note that when buffering sheets, the inner discharge roller pair 26 temporarily stops while holding the preceding sheet. Then, the inner discharge roller pair 26 rotates in reverse in synchronization with the succeeding sheet heading toward the reversing roller pair 24, and performs buffering by overlapping the preceding sheet with the succeeding sheet in the first discharge pass. The sheet buffering allows a plurality of sheets to be buffered regardless of the sheet length by repeatedly switching back the internal discharge roller pair 26.

The intermediate pre-loading sensor 38 detects the sheet between the intermediate conveying roller pair 28 and the kicking roller pair 29. As the entrance sensor 27 and the intermediate pre-loading sensor 38, for example, an optical sensor that uses light to detect the presence or absence of a sheet at a detection position, or a flag sensor that uses a flag that is pressed against the sheet is used.

The alignment section 4A as a processing section includes a bundle holding flag 30, an intermediate stacking section 39 as a third stacking section, a stack discharge guide 34, and a drive belt 35, and performs alignment processing on sheets. The intermediate stacking section 39 includes an intermediate upper guide 31 and an intermediate lower guide 32, and a plurality of sheets are stacked as a sheet bundle. The sheet bundle discharged toward the intermediate stacking section 39 by a kicking roller pair 29 consisting of a pair of rollers is pressed against the intermediate lower guide 32 by a bundle pressing flag 30.

The sheet bundle discharged to the intermediate stacking section 39 is guided downward along the intermediate lower guide 32, and is pushed against a vertical alignment plate provided at the downstream end of the intermediate stacking section 39 in the sheet conveying direction by the half-moon roller 33. Can be guessed. Further, the sheet bundle aligned in the sheet conveyance direction by the longitudinal alignment plate is aligned in the width direction perpendicular to the sheet conveyance direction by a horizontal alignment plate (not shown). Note that the half-moon roller 33 is set to a conveying pressure that causes the sheet bundle aligned on the intermediate stacking section 39 to slip over the sheet bundle.

After such alignment processing is performed, the sheet bundle is closed by, for example, a stapler (not shown). Then, the sheet bundle is pushed out by a bundle discharge guide 34 fixed to the drive belt 35, and delivered to a pair of bundle discharge rollers 36 via the second discharge path CP14. The sheet bundle is discharged to the outside of the machine by a pair of bundle discharge rollers 36 serving as a second discharge section, and is stacked on a lower discharge tray 37.

Both the upper discharge tray 25 and the lower discharge tray 37 are movable up and down with respect to the housing of the post-processing device 4 . The post-processing device 4 as a sheet conveying device is equipped with a sheet surface detection sensor that detects the top surface position (sheet stacking height) of the sheets on the upper discharge tray 25 and the lower discharge tray 37. When detected, the corresponding tray is lowered. Further, when a sheet is removed from the upper discharge tray 25 or the lower discharge tray 37, that tray is raised. Therefore, the upper discharge tray 25 and the lower discharge tray 37 are controlled to move up and down so as to keep the upper surface of the stacked sheets constant with respect to the discharge port through which the sheets are discharged.

[Caster configuration]
Next, the configuration of the casters 100 provided on the frame 140 of the post-processing device 4 will be described using FIGS. 2 to 4. The apparatus main body 130 (see FIG. 1) of the post-processing apparatus 4 has a frame 140, as shown in FIG. 2, and the frame 140 has a bottom plate 99.

The bottom plate 99 is made of a rectangular sheet metal member, and casters 100 are attached to each of its four corners. The four casters 100 attached to the bottom plate 99 have a similar configuration. The four casters 100 are supported by a mounting surface on which the post-processing device 4 is placed, and the casters 100 support the device main body 130 of the post-processing device 4. The bottom plate 99 is provided with a screw hole 105 as a first screw portion to which the caster 100 is attached. In this embodiment, the bottom plate 99 is provided with four screw holes 105 corresponding to the number of casters 100.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the caster 100, and FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the caster 100 includes a shaft member 101 as a second screw portion, a wheel portion 102, and an operation dial 103 as an operation portion. The shaft member 101 has a male thread with a thread groove formed on the outer circumferential surface 101b, and is screwed into a threaded hole 105 having a female thread in the height direction HD by rotating around the rotation axis AX1.

The wheel portion 102 is supported so as to be rotatable relative to the wheel support portion 101c of the shaft member 101. The height direction HD is parallel to the height direction of the post-processing device 4, that is, the vertical direction. Further, the height direction HD is parallel to the axial direction of the shaft member 101 when the casters 100 are attached to the apparatus main body 130 of the post-processing apparatus 4.

As shown in FIG. 4, the shaft member 101 has a flange portion 111 extending in a radial direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the shaft member 101, and an operation dial 103 is fixed to the flange portion 111. That is, when a user or a service person (hereinafter simply referred to as a user) rotates the operation dial 103, the shaft member 101 rotates together with the operation dial 103. When the operation dial 103 is rotated by the user, the shaft member 101 moves forward and backward in the height direction HD with respect to the screw hole 105 of the bottom plate 99, and the caster 100 is positioned in the height direction HD with respect to the device main body 130. is changed. The operation dial 103 is arranged below the bottom plate 99 and exposed outside the post-processing device 4 .

The outer circumferential surface 103a of the operation dial 103 is arranged at a position farther from the rotation axis AX1 than the outer circumferential surface 101b of the shaft member 101 in the radial direction orthogonal to the height direction HD. Therefore, the user can rotate the shaft member 101 with a light force by rotating the outer circumferential surface 103a.

In addition, in this embodiment, a male thread is formed in the entire area above the flange portion 111 on the outer circumferential surface 101b of the shaft member 101, and a female thread is formed in the entire area in the height direction HD on the inner circumferential surface of the screw hole 105. is formed. However, the range of the male thread formed in the shaft member 101 and the range of the female thread formed in the screw hole 105 are not limited to this, and the height of the caster 100 can be adjusted with respect to the bottom plate 99 within a predetermined adjustment range. If so, you can set it arbitrarily.

By the way, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, a locking process 104 is performed on the outer peripheral surface of the bolt-shaped shaft member 101. The locking process 104 is performed in a predetermined range PA1 in the height direction HD of the male thread of the shaft member 101, and the predetermined range PA1 is a part where the male thread of the shaft member 101 and the female thread of the screw hole 105 are screwed together. It is larger in the height direction HD than the range PA2. Further, the height of the predetermined range PA1 is longer than the sum of the height of the range PA2 and the amount by which the height of the caster 100 can be adjusted relative to the bottom plate 99 in the height direction HD.

A typical example of the locking process 104 is one in which the shaft member 101 and the screw hole 105 are locked by frictional force generated by the elastic repulsive force of special nylon such as Nylock (registered trademark). Specifically, nylon (104) is fused (adhered) to a predetermined area PA1 of the male thread of the shaft member 101. The nylon (104) is fused to a part of the entire circumference of the male screw of the shaft member 101 in the rotational direction of the male screw. That is, the nylon (104) serving as the elastic portion is provided so as to be sandwiched between the shaft member 101 and the screw hole 105.

When the shaft member 101 is screwed into the screw hole 105, the nylon (104) between the shaft member 101 and the screw hole 105 is elastically deformed, and the nylon (104) of the shaft member 101 is fused. The other side is pressed against the screw hole 105. This reduces the clearance between the shaft member 101 and the screw hole 105, increases the frictional force between the shaft member 101 and the screw hole 105, and prevents the shaft member 101 from loosening relative to the screw hole 105. .

As described above, in this embodiment, by rotating the operation dial 103 of the caster 100, the shaft member 101 is rotated with respect to the screw hole 105, and the height of the caster 100 with respect to the apparatus main body 130 of the post-processing apparatus 4 is increased. The position in the horizontal direction HD can be adjusted. As a result, the height of the post-processing device 4 can be adjusted according to the condition of the mounting surface on which the post-processing device 4 is placed, for example, when a carpet is spread on the mounting surface or when the mounting surface is tiled. can be adjusted. Therefore, the post-processing device 4 can appropriately receive the sheet from the image forming apparatus 1, and can reduce conveyance defects such as sheet jamming and skew feeding.

Further, since the height of the post-processing device 4 can be adjusted simply by rotating the operation dial 103 of the caster 100, no tools are required, and workability can be improved. Further, the outer circumferential surface 103a of the operation dial 103 is located further from the rotation axis AX1 than the outer circumferential surface 101b of the shaft member 101. Therefore, by rotating the outer circumferential surface 103a of the operation dial 103, the user can rotate the shaft member 101 with a light force, thereby improving workability. Furthermore, since the operation dial 103 is exposed below the post-processing device 4, it can be operated without removing the exterior of the post-processing device 4, thereby improving workability.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, the wheel portion 102 is supported so as to be relatively rotatable with respect to the shaft member 101, but the friction between the wheel portion 102 and the shaft member 101 and the friction between the shaft member 101 and the screw hole 105 and the operating force of the operating dial 103 have the following relationship.
(Frictional force between the wheel portion 102 and the shaft member 101) < (Frictional force between the shaft member 101 and the screw hole 105) < (Operation force of the operation dial 103) (Formula 1)

As is clear from Equation 1 above, the frictional force between the wheel part 102 and the shaft member 101 when the wheel part 102 rotates with respect to the shaft member 101 is the friction force between the shaft member 101 and the screw hole 105. Since the force is smaller than the force, the shaft member 101 does not rotate with the wheel portion 102. Therefore, even if the post-processing device 4 is moved by rolling the wheel portion 102, the shaft member 101 does not rotate along with the rotation of the wheel portion 102 about the rotation axis AX1, and the position of the caster 100 with respect to the device main body 130 is Can be maintained properly. This is because the locking process 104 increases the frictional force between the shaft member 101 and the screw hole 105 and reduces the loosening of the shaft member 101 with respect to the screw hole 105.

Further, since the force with which the user operates the operation dial 103 is greater than the frictional force between the shaft member 101 and the screw hole 105, the user can rotate the operation dial 103 and move the shaft member 101 into the screw hole. It can be easily moved forward and backward relative to 105. The locking torque of the shaft member 101 by the locking process 104 is appropriately set so that the operation force required for the user to rotate the operation dial 103 does not become excessive.

Furthermore, when the locking process 104 is performed using the frictional force generated by the elastic repulsive force of nylon, the height of the caster 100 can be repeatedly adjusted, and usability can be improved.

<Second embodiment>
Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the second embodiment, the structure of the casters and the mounting portion of the casters of the first embodiment are changed. Therefore, the same configurations as those in the first embodiment will be explained by omitting illustrations or using the same reference numerals in the figures.

[Caster configuration]
FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a caster 200 according to the second embodiment. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB in FIG. The apparatus main body 130 (see FIG. 1) of the post-processing apparatus 4 has a frame 140B, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, and the frame 140B has a bottom plate 99B and a fixed latch member 109. ing. The bottom plate 99B is made of a rectangular sheet metal member, and casters 200 are attached to each of its four corners. The four casters 200 attached to the bottom plate 99B have a similar configuration. The four casters 200 are supported by a mounting surface on which the post-processing device 4 is placed, and the casters 200 support the device main body 130 of the post-processing device 4.

The bottom plate 99B is provided with a screw hole 105 to which the caster 200 is attached and two engagement holes. Engagement portions 209a and 209b of the fixed latch member 109, which will be described later, engage with these engagement holes, respectively. Thereby, the fixed latch member 109 is positioned on the bottom plate 99B in the vicinity of the screw hole 105. The fixed latch member 109 has a plurality of teeth 109a arranged in a circumferential direction centered on the rotation axis AX1 and extending in the height direction HD, and a hole 109b into which the shaft member 101 is inserted. A plurality of teeth 109a as a first engaging portion are formed at the upper end of the fixed latch member 109.

The caster 200 includes a shaft member 101, a wheel portion 102, an operation dial 103, a cap member 107, a movable latch member 106 as a movable member, and a spring 108 as a biasing portion. Similar to the first embodiment, the shaft member 101 has a male thread with a thread groove formed on the outer circumferential surface 101b, and by rotating around the rotation axis AX1, the shaft member 101 has a female thread in the threaded hole 105. Screw it in the horizontal direction HD.

A flat part 101a with one side chamfered is formed at the upper end of the shaft member 101, and a cap member 107 serving as a holding member is fixed to the flat part 101a. The cap member 107 has a substantially cylindrical shape and is arranged to cover the upper part of the shaft member 101. Further, rail portions 107a, 107a are formed on the outer peripheral surface of the cap member 107, and the rail portions 107a, 107a are arranged on opposite sides of the rotation axis AX1.

The movable latch member 106 can be engaged with flat parts 106a, 106a that are slidably supported in the height direction HD with respect to the rail parts 107a, 107a of the cap member 107, and a plurality of teeth 109a of the fixed latch member 109. It has a plurality of teeth 106b. The flat portions 106a, 106a are formed by chamfering two inner peripheral surfaces of the movable latch member 106. The movable latch member 106 can be moved relative to the cap member 107 in the height direction HD by engaging the planar parts 106a, 106a with the rail parts 107a, 107a of the cap member 107, and can move around the rotation axis AX1. Supported in a manner that prevents relative rotation.

A plurality of teeth 106b as a second engaging portion formed at the lower end of the movable latch member 106 are arranged in a circumferential direction centered on the rotation axis AX1 and extend in the height direction HD. A spring 108 is disposed between the cap member 107 and the movable latch member 106 such that the movable latch member 106 is attached to the fixed latch member 109 such that the teeth 106b of the movable latch member 106 engage the teeth 109a of the fixed latch member 109. It is energized towards. That is, the spring 108 biases the movable latch member 106 in the first direction D1 parallel to the height direction HD, and is formed of, for example, a coil spring.

FIG. 7(a) is a front view showing the caster 200 in a standby state, and FIG. 7(b) is a front view showing the caster 200 in a height-adjusted state. As shown in FIG. 7A, in a standby state where the operation dial 103 is not rotated by the user and no external force is applied to the casters 200, the teeth 106b of the movable latch member 106 are the same as the teeth 109a of the fixed latch member 109. It meshes with the In other words, the teeth 106b engage with the teeth 109a in the circumferential direction. In other words, when viewed in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction (height direction HD) of the rotation axis AX1, the teeth 106b of the movable latch member 106 are aligned with the teeth 109a of the fixed latch member 109 in the axial direction (height direction HD) of the rotation axis AX1. direction HD).

As a result, the movable latch member 106 is restricted from rotating with less than a predetermined torque with respect to the bottom plate 99B to which the fixed latch member 109 is attached. Since the cap member 107 and the shaft member 101 are configured to rotate around the rotation axis AX1 together with the movable latch member 106, the cap member 107 and the shaft member 101 are also rotated with less than a predetermined torque with respect to the bottom plate 99B. Regulated.

In this manner, when the caster 200 is in the standby state, the engagement between the tooth 106b of the movable latch member 106 and the tooth 109a of the fixed latch member 109 is maintained by the urging force of the spring 108, and the caster 200 is rotated about the rotation axis AX1 of the shaft member 101. Rotation below a predetermined torque is regulated.

At this time, the sum of the frictional force between the wheel portion 102 and the shaft member 101, the frictional force between the shaft member 101 and the screw hole 105, the frictional force between the teeth 106b and the tooth 109a, and the operation dial 103 The relationship between the operating force and is as follows.
(Frictional force between the wheel portion 102 and the shaft member 101)<(Total of the frictional force between the shaft member 101 and the screw hole 105 and the frictional force between the teeth 106b and the tooth 109a)<(Operation dial 103 operating force) ... (Formula 2)

As is clear from Equation 2 above, the frictional force between the wheel part 102 and the shaft member 101 when the wheel part 102 rotates with respect to the shaft member 101 is the friction force between the shaft member 101 and the screw hole 105. less than the sum of the force and the frictional force between tooth 106b and tooth 109a. Therefore, the shaft member 101 does not rotate along with the wheel portion 102. Therefore, even if the after-treatment device 4 is moved by rolling the wheel portion 102, the shaft member 101 does not rotate along with the rotation of the wheel portion 102 about the rotation axis AX1, and the casters 200 and the main body of the after-treatment device 4 130 can be maintained properly. This is because the spring 108 urges the movable latch member 106 so that the teeth 106b and 109a engage, and the frictional force between the teeth 106b and 109a increases, causing This is because rotation below the torque is regulated.

When adjusting the height of the post-processing device 4, the user rotates the operation dial 103, and the shaft member 101 rotates together with the operation dial 103. Then, the shaft member 101 moves forward and backward in the height direction HD with respect to the screw hole 105 of the bottom plate 99B, and the position of the caster 200 in the height direction HD with respect to the apparatus main body 130 of the post-processing device 4 is changed. When the operation dial 103 is rotated by the user in this way, as shown in FIG. 7B, the movable latch member 106 is rotated in the first direction D1 (see FIG. ) in the second direction D2 opposite to the direction D2. This is because the teeth 106b and 109a are provided with inclined surfaces 106c and 109c, respectively. The inclined surfaces 106c and 109c are inclined with respect to the circumferential direction centered on the rotation axis AX1 and the height direction HD, and engage with each other when the caster 200 is in a standby state. The inclined surfaces 106c and 109c are provided on both side surfaces of the teeth 106b and 109a in the circumferential direction.

That is, when the operation dial 103 is rotated by the user, the movable latch member 106 also rotates around the rotation axis AX1 together with the operation dial 103. Then, the inclined surface 106c of the movable latch member 106 receives a force in the second direction D2 from the inclined surface 109c of the fixed latch member 109. As a result, the movable latch member 106 moves in the second direction D2 against the biasing force of the spring 108 so as to release the circumferential engagement between the teeth 106b and 109a.

When the movable latch member 106 is further rotated by a predetermined angle around the rotation axis AX1 after the engagement between the inclined surfaces 106c and 109c is released, the movable latch member 106 is moved in the first direction D1 by the biasing force of the spring 108. Then, the teeth 106b and 109a engage again in the circumferential direction.

In this way, the user can rotate the operation dial 103 because the operation force of the operation dial 103 is combined with the frictional force between the shaft member 101 and the screw hole 105 and the tooth 106b, as shown in Equation 2 above. This is because it is larger than the sum of the frictional forces with the teeth 109a. Furthermore, as described in the first embodiment, the outer circumferential surface 103a of the operation dial 103 is located farther from the rotation axis AX1 than the outer circumferential surface 101b of the shaft member 101. Therefore, by rotating the outer circumferential surface 103a of the operation dial 103, the user can rotate the shaft member 101 with a light force, thereby improving workability. The biasing force of the spring 108 is appropriately set so that the operating force required for the user to rotate the operating dial 103 does not become excessive.

As described above, in this embodiment, by rotating the operation dial 103 of the caster 200, the shaft member 101 is rotated with respect to the screw hole 105, and the height of the caster 200 with respect to the apparatus main body 130 of the post-processing apparatus 4 is increased. The position in the horizontal direction HD can be adjusted. As a result, the height of the post-processing device 4 can be adjusted according to the condition of the mounting surface on which the post-processing device 4 is placed, for example, when a carpet is spread on the mounting surface or when the mounting surface is tiled. can be adjusted. Therefore, the post-processing device 4 can appropriately receive the sheet from the image forming apparatus 1, and can reduce conveyance defects such as sheet jamming and skew feeding.

Further, since the height of the post-processing device 4 can be adjusted simply by rotating the operation dial 103 of the caster 200, no tools are required, and workability can be improved. Furthermore, since the operation dial 103 is exposed below the post-processing device 4, it can be operated without removing the exterior of the post-processing device 4, thereby improving workability.

Further, since the teeth 106b of the movable latch member 106 biased by the spring 108 engage with the teeth 109a of the fixed latch member 109, even if the post-processing device 4 is moved by rolling the wheel part 102, the rotation of the wheel part 102 The shaft member 101 does not rotate along with the rotation about the axis AX1. Therefore, the position (height) of the casters 200 relative to the apparatus main body 130 of the post-processing device 4 can be maintained appropriately.

Further, since the teeth 106b of the movable latch member 106 are movable relative to the teeth 109a of the fixed latch member 109, the height of the caster 200 can be repeatedly adjusted, and usability can be improved. That is, the teeth 106b of the movable latch member 106, the teeth 109a of the fixed latch member 109, and the spring 108 constitute a so-called ratchet mechanism.

<Other embodiments>
In the first embodiment, elastically deformable nylon is used as an example of the locking process 104, but the material is not limited thereto. For example, the locking process 104 may be performed using another resin instead of nylon, and the locking process 104 may be performed not on the shaft member 101 but on the screw hole 105. The resin used in place of nylon is preferably one that has high abrasion resistance and is elastically deformable.

Further, in the first embodiment, the screw hole 105 is formed in the bottom plate 99, but the invention is not limited thereto. For example, a nut member may be welded to the bottom plate 99, and the shaft member 101 may be screwed into a screw hole of the nut member. That is, the screw hole 105 may be provided integrally with the frame (99) of the post-processing device 4, or may be provided separately.

Furthermore, in the second embodiment, the movable latch member 106 and the fixed latch member 109 are engaged in the circumferential direction, so that the shaft member 101 is prevented from rotating with respect to the wheel portion 102. , but not limited to. For example, the spring 108 may be arranged between the bottom plate 99B and the cap member 107 and in contact with the bottom plate 99B. As a result, a frictional force is generated between the spring 108 and the bottom plate 99B, and the shaft member 101 may be configured not to rotate with respect to the wheel portion 102. Alternatively, the movable latch member 106 may be pressed against the bottom plate 99B by the spring 108, and a frictional force may be generated between the movable latch member 106 and the bottom plate 99B. In this case, the plurality of teeth 106b may not be formed on the movable latch member 106, and the shape of the contact surface between the movable latch member 106 and the spring 108 is not limited.

Further, in the second embodiment, the fixed latch member 109 having the teeth 109a that engage with the teeth 106b of the movable latch member 106 is attached to the bottom plate 99B, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the fixed latch member 109 may be omitted and the teeth 109a may be provided on the upper surface of the bottom plate 99B.

Further, in the second embodiment, the spring 108 is composed of a coil spring, but the spring 108 is not limited to this. For example, the spring 108 may be another spring such as a leaf spring, or another elastic member such as rubber or sponge may be used instead of the spring 108.

Further, in the second embodiment, the inclined surfaces 106c and 109c were provided on the teeth 106b and 109a, respectively, but the present invention is not limited to this. That is, the inclined surface may be provided on at least one of the teeth 106b and 109a.

Further, in any of the embodiments described above, the casters 100 and 200 provided in the post-processing device 4 have been described as an example, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the casters 100 and 200 are not limited to the post-processing device 4, but may be attached to other sheet conveyance devices such as an image forming device, a large-capacity feeding deck, and an optional feeder.

Further, the disclosure of this embodiment includes the following configuration examples and method examples.
(Configuration 1)
In a sheet conveying device that conveys sheets,
a device main body having a frame and a first screw portion provided in the frame;
a second threaded part that is threaded into the first threaded part in the height direction; a wheel part that is rotatably supported relative to the second threaded part; and a wheel part that rotates integrally with the second threaded part. an operating section, the second threaded section moves forward and backward in the height direction with respect to the first threaded section when the operating section is rotated, and the height relative to the main body of the apparatus is adjusted. a caster whose directional position is changed;
an elastic part that is provided to be sandwiched between the first threaded part and the second threaded part and increases the frictional force between the first threaded part and the second threaded part by elastically deforming; , comprising;
A sheet conveying device characterized by:
(Configuration 2)
The second threaded portion has a male thread,
The first threaded portion has a female thread that is threaded into the male thread,
The elastic portion is attached to a predetermined range in the height direction of the male screw,
The predetermined range is larger in the height direction than the range where the female thread and the male thread are screwed together.
The sheet conveying device according to configuration 1, characterized in that:
(Configuration 3)
The elastic portion is attached to a part of the entire circumference of the male screw in the rotation direction of the male screw.
The sheet conveying device according to configuration 2, characterized in that:
(Configuration 4)
The elastic part is made of elastically deformable resin.
The sheet conveying device according to any one of configurations 1 to 3, characterized in that:
(Configuration 5)
the resin is nylon;
The sheet conveying device according to configuration 4, characterized in that:
(Configuration 6)
The operating portion is rotatable together with the second threaded portion around a rotation axis extending in the height direction,
The outer circumferential surface of the operating portion is disposed at a position farther from the rotation axis than the outer circumferential surface of the second threaded portion in a radial direction perpendicular to the height direction.
The sheet conveying device according to any one of Structures 1 to 5, characterized in that:
(Configuration 7)
When the wheel portion rotates relative to the second threaded portion, the frictional force between the wheel portion and the second threaded portion is equal to the friction between the first threaded portion and the second threaded portion. less than force,
The sheet conveying device according to any one of Structures 1 to 6, characterized in that:
(Configuration 8)
A sheet conveying device connected to an image forming device that forms an image on a sheet,
comprising a processing section that performs processing on a sheet on which an image is formed by the image forming apparatus;
8. The sheet conveying device according to any one of Structures 1 to 7, characterized in that:
(Configuration 9)
In a sheet conveying device that conveys sheets,
a device main body including a frame, a first screw portion provided on the frame, and a first engagement portion;
a second threaded part that is threaded into the first threaded part in the height direction; a wheel part that is rotatably supported relative to the second threaded part; and a wheel part that rotates integrally with the second threaded part. A caster including an operating part and a moving member supported movably in the height direction with respect to the second threaded part, wherein the second threaded part is rotated by rotating the operating part. a caster that moves forward and backward in the height direction with respect to the first threaded portion and whose position in the height direction with respect to the device body is changed;
The moving member has a second engaging part that can be engaged with the first engaging part,
The caster has a biasing part that biases the moving member so that the second engagement part engages with the first engagement part.
A sheet conveying device characterized by:
(Configuration 10)
The movable member is rotatable together with the second threaded portion about a rotation axis extending in the height direction, and is movable relative to the second threaded portion in the height direction,
The second engaging portion engages with the first engaging portion in a circumferential direction around the rotation axis,
The sheet conveying device according to configuration 9, characterized in that:
(Configuration 11)
At least one of the first engaging part and the second engaging part has an inclined surface inclined with respect to the circumferential direction and the height direction.
The sheet conveying device according to configuration 10, characterized in that:
(Configuration 12)
The first engaging part and the second engaging part each have a plurality of teeth that engage with each other and extend in the height direction.
The sheet conveying device according to configuration 10 or 11, characterized in that:
(Configuration 13)
The biasing unit biases the moving member in a first direction with respect to the height direction,
When the operating portion is rotated while the first engaging portion and the second engaging portion are engaged, the moving member moves between the first engaging portion and the second engaging portion. moving in a second direction opposite to the first direction against the biasing force of the biasing portion so as to release the engagement in the circumferential direction;
The sheet conveying device according to any one of configurations 10 to 12, characterized in that:
(Configuration 14)
The caster includes a holding member fixed to the second threaded portion,
The holding member supports the movable member so as to be able to rotate integrally around the rotation axis and to be relatively movable in the height direction,
the biasing section is arranged between the holding member and the moving member;
The sheet conveying device according to any one of configurations 10 to 13, characterized in that:
(Configuration 15)
The operating portion is rotatable together with the second threaded portion around a rotation axis extending in the height direction,
The outer circumferential surface of the operating portion is disposed at a position farther from the rotation axis than the outer circumferential surface of the second threaded portion in a radial direction perpendicular to the height direction.
The sheet conveying device according to any one of configurations 9 to 14, characterized in that:
(Configuration 16)
When the wheel portion rotates relative to the second threaded portion, the frictional force between the wheel portion and the second threaded portion is equal to the friction between the first threaded portion and the second threaded portion. smaller than the sum of the force and the frictional force between the first engaging part and the second engaging part,
The sheet conveying device according to any one of configurations 9 to 15, characterized in that:
(Configuration 17)
A sheet conveying device connected to an image forming device that forms an image on a sheet,
comprising a processing section that performs processing on a sheet on which an image is formed by the image forming apparatus;
17. The sheet conveying device according to any one of configurations 9 to 16, characterized in that:
(Configuration 18)
In a sheet conveying device that conveys sheets,
a device main body including a frame, a first screw portion provided on the frame, and a first engaging portion;
a second threaded part that is threaded into the first threaded part in the height direction; a wheel part that is rotatably supported relative to the second threaded part; and a wheel part that rotates integrally with the second threaded part. A caster having an operation part and a spring that generates a frictional force by coming into contact with the frame, wherein when the operation part is rotated, the second threaded part is moved against the first threaded part. comprising casters that move forward and backward in the height direction and whose position in the height direction with respect to the device body is changed;
A sheet conveying device characterized by:
(Configuration 19)
an image forming device that forms an image on a sheet;
a sheet conveying device according to any one of Configurations 1 to 18, which is connected to the image forming apparatus;
An image forming system characterized by:

1: Image forming device / 1S: Image forming system / 4: Sheet conveying device (post-processing device) / 4A: Processing section (aligning section) / 100, 200: Caster / 101: Second screw section (shaft member) / 101b : Outer peripheral surface / 102: Wheel part / 103: Operation part (operation dial) / 103a: Outer peripheral surface / 104: Elastic part (locking treatment, nylon) / 105: First threaded part (screw hole) / 106: Moving member (Movable latch member) / 106b: Second engaging part (multiple teeth) / 107: Holding member (cap member) / 108: Biasing part, spring / 109a: First engaging part (multiple teeth) / 130 :Device main body/140, 140B:Frame/AX1:Rotation axis/D1:First direction/D2:Second direction/PA1:Predetermined range/PA2: Range/HD:Height direction

Claims (19)

In a sheet conveying device that conveys sheets,
a device main body having a frame and a first screw portion provided in the frame;
a second threaded part that is threaded into the first threaded part in the height direction; a wheel part that is rotatably supported relative to the second threaded part; and a wheel part that rotates integrally with the second threaded part. an operating section, the second threaded section moves forward and backward in the height direction with respect to the first threaded section when the operating section is rotated, and the height relative to the device main body is increased. a caster whose directional position is changed;
an elastic part that is provided to be sandwiched between the first threaded part and the second threaded part and increases the frictional force between the first threaded part and the second threaded part by elastically deforming; , comprising;
A sheet conveying device characterized by: The second threaded portion has a male thread,
The first threaded portion has a female thread that is threaded into the male thread,
The elastic portion is attached to a predetermined range in the height direction of the male screw,
The predetermined range is larger in the height direction than the range where the female thread and the male thread are screwed together.
The sheet conveying device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The elastic portion is attached to a part of the entire circumference of the male screw in the rotation direction of the male screw.
The sheet conveying device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The elastic part is made of elastically deformable resin.
The sheet conveying device according to claim 1, characterized in that: the resin is nylon;
The sheet conveying device according to claim 4, characterized in that: The operating portion is rotatable together with the second threaded portion around a rotation axis extending in the height direction,
The outer circumferential surface of the operating portion is disposed at a position farther from the rotation axis than the outer circumferential surface of the second threaded portion in a radial direction perpendicular to the height direction.
The sheet conveying device according to claim 1, characterized in that: When the wheel portion rotates relative to the second threaded portion, the frictional force between the wheel portion and the second threaded portion is equal to the friction between the first threaded portion and the second threaded portion. less than force,
The sheet conveying device according to claim 1, characterized in that: A sheet conveying device connected to an image forming device that forms an image on a sheet,
comprising a processing section that performs processing on a sheet on which an image is formed by the image forming apparatus;
The sheet conveying device according to claim 1, characterized in that: In a sheet conveying device that conveys sheets,
a device main body including a frame, a first screw portion provided on the frame, and a first engagement portion;
a second threaded part that is threaded into the first threaded part in the height direction; a wheel part that is rotatably supported relative to the second threaded part; and a wheel part that rotates integrally with the second threaded part. A caster including an operating part and a moving member supported movably in the height direction with respect to the second threaded part, wherein the second threaded part is rotated by rotating the operating part. a caster that moves forward and backward in the height direction with respect to the first threaded portion and whose position in the height direction with respect to the device body is changed;
The moving member has a second engaging part that can be engaged with the first engaging part,
The caster has a biasing part that biases the moving member so that the second engagement part engages with the first engagement part.
A sheet conveying device characterized by: The movable member is rotatable together with the second threaded portion about a rotation axis extending in the height direction, and is movable relative to the second threaded portion in the height direction,
The second engaging portion engages with the first engaging portion in a circumferential direction around the rotation axis,
The sheet conveying device according to claim 9. At least one of the first engaging part and the second engaging part has an inclined surface inclined with respect to the circumferential direction and the height direction.
The sheet conveying device according to claim 10. The first engaging part and the second engaging part each have a plurality of teeth that engage with each other and extend in the height direction.
The sheet conveying device according to claim 10. The biasing unit biases the moving member in a first direction with respect to the height direction,
When the operating portion is rotated while the first engaging portion and the second engaging portion are engaged, the moving member moves between the first engaging portion and the second engaging portion. moving in a second direction opposite to the first direction against the biasing force of the biasing portion so as to release the engagement in the circumferential direction;
The sheet conveying device according to claim 10. The caster includes a holding member fixed to the second threaded portion,
The holding member supports the movable member so as to be able to rotate integrally around the rotation axis and to be relatively movable in the height direction,
the biasing section is arranged between the holding member and the moving member;
The sheet conveying device according to claim 10. The operating portion is rotatable together with the second threaded portion around a rotation axis extending in the height direction,
The outer circumferential surface of the operating portion is disposed at a position farther from the rotation axis than the outer circumferential surface of the second threaded portion in a radial direction perpendicular to the height direction.
The sheet conveying device according to claim 9. When the wheel portion rotates relative to the second threaded portion, the frictional force between the wheel portion and the second threaded portion is equal to the friction between the first threaded portion and the second threaded portion. smaller than the sum of the force and the frictional force between the first engaging part and the second engaging part,
The sheet conveying device according to claim 9. A sheet conveying device connected to an image forming device that forms an image on a sheet,
comprising a processing section that performs processing on a sheet on which an image is formed by the image forming apparatus;
The sheet conveying device according to claim 9. In a sheet conveying device that conveys sheets,
a device main body including a frame, a first screw portion provided on the frame, and a first engagement portion;
a second threaded part that is threaded into the first threaded part in the height direction; a wheel part that is rotatably supported relative to the second threaded part; and a wheel part that rotates integrally with the second threaded part. A caster having an operation part and a spring that generates a frictional force by coming into contact with the frame, wherein when the operation part is rotated, the second threaded part is moved against the first threaded part. comprising casters that move forward and backward in the height direction and whose position in the height direction with respect to the device body is changed;
A sheet conveying device characterized by: an image forming device that forms an image on a sheet;
The sheet conveying device according to any one of claims 1 to 18, which is connected to the image forming apparatus.
An image forming system characterized by:

Images