JP3410912B2 - Transfer device - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a sheet discharged from a sheet discharge unit of an image forming apparatus when a finisher, a sorter, a stapler, or other post-processing apparatus is disposed on the side of the image forming apparatus. The present invention relates to a transfer device for transferring a sheet to a post-processing device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, there are increasing cases in which post-processing devices such as finishers, sorters, and staplers are arranged beside the image forming apparatus. Such a post-processing device is provided as an option, and when using the post-processing device, it is necessary to install a conveying device that conveys the paper discharged from the paper discharge unit of the image forming apparatus to the post-processing device. is there.

[0003]

However, this type of conventionally used transporting device requires a dedicated mounting part for mounting the transporting device to the image forming apparatus, which requires time and effort for mounting. The increase in cost has increased.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a carrier device which can be easily mounted without using a dedicated mounting part.

[0005]

The invention according to claim 1 is
The paper discharged from the paper discharge unit of the image forming apparatus, in which a paper discharge unit and a stack unit of the paper discharged from the paper discharge unit are formed in the upper part of the main body case, is arranged on the side of the image forming apparatus. In the transport device for transporting the sheet to the post-processing device, the case body accommodating the sheet transport mechanism is placed on the upper part of the stack part and attached to the main body case, and the upper surface part of the stack part is slanted toward the paper discharge part. An inclined surface that is inclined downward is formed, and a guided surface that is in sliding contact with the inclined surface is formed on the lower surface portion of the case body. Therefore, when the case body is attached to the main body case, the guided surface of the case body is brought into sliding contact with the inclined surface of the stack portion to move the case body to the attachment position.
Therefore, when the case body is attached to the main body case, vertical positioning can be easily performed without using a dedicated attachment part.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the invention, a rib extending along the sheet discharge direction is formed on the inclined surface of the stack portion, and the rib is provided on the guided surface of the case body. And a fitting portion that fits in is formed. Therefore, when the case body is attached to the main body case, the rib formed on the inclined surface of the stack portion and the fitting portion formed on the guided surface of the case body are fitted to move the case body to the mounting position. Therefore, when the case body is attached to the main body case, the positioning of the sheet in the direction orthogonal to the sheet discharge direction can be easily performed without using a dedicated attachment part.

[0007]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows a state in which a post-processing device 2 such as a finisher, a sorter, and a stapler is arranged beside the image forming apparatus 1. Inside the main body case 3 of the image forming apparatus 1, a plurality of paper feed trays 5 accommodating the paper 4 and an image forming means for forming an image and transferring the image to the paper 4 fed from the paper feed tray 5. 6, a fixing unit 7 for fixing the image transferred to the sheet 4 and the like are provided. On the upper part of the main body case 3, a paper ejection section 8 for ejecting the paper 4 on which the image is formed.
And a stack section 9 for stacking the sheets 4 discharged from the sheet discharge section 8. It should be noted that the sheets 4 discharged from the sheet discharge section 8 when the post-processing device 2 is not used are stacked on the stack section 9.

Between the image forming apparatus 1 and the post-processing apparatus 2, there is provided a carrying apparatus for carrying the paper 4 discharged from the paper discharge section 8 to the post-processing apparatus 2. This transport device includes a transport mechanism 12 including a plurality of pairs of feed rollers 10 and a guide plate 11 for transporting the paper 4 discharged from the paper discharge unit 8 to the post-processing device 2, and the transport mechanism 12. The case body 13 that has been housed is the main component. On the upper surface portion of the stack portion 9, an inclined surface 14 is formed which is inclined in a convex curved state obliquely downward toward the paper discharge portion 8 along the paper discharge direction from the paper discharge portion 8. A plurality of ribs 15 extending along the paper discharge direction of the paper 4 are formed on the inclined surface 14.

A guided surface 16 is formed on the lower surface of the case body 13 so as to be in sliding contact with the inclined surface 14 when the case body 13 is once placed on the stack part 9 and then moved to the mounting position. ing. On the guided surface 16, a plurality of ribs 17, which are fitting portions that fit into the ribs 15, are formed along the paper discharge direction of the paper 4. These ribs 15 and 17 are formed so that the inner side surfaces of the pair of ribs 17 centering on the paper center contact the outer side surfaces of the pair of ribs 15 centering on the paper center when fitted together. .

Positioning pins 18 for mounting the case body 13 at the mounting position are provided on the left and right sides of the case body 13.
The body case 3 has four positioning holes 19 into which the positioning pins 18 are fitted. The positioning pin 18 is fitted into the positioning hole 19 to position the case body 13 at the mounting position of the body case 3, and then the case body 13 is fixed to the body case 3 by tightening the fixing screw 20.

On the upper surface of the case body 13, there is formed a stack portion 21 for ejecting the paper 4 when the post-processing device 2 is not used.

In such a structure, the image forming apparatus 1
When the post-processing device 2 is used by arranging the post-processing device 2 on the side, the case body 13 is attached to the main body case 3, and
The sheet 4 discharged from the sheet discharge unit 8 is conveyed to the post-processing apparatus 2 by the conveying mechanism 12 housed inside.

When the case body 13 is attached to the body case 3, the back surface A of the case body 13 is set to the back surface B of the body case 3.
The case body 13 is placed on the stack portion 9 in a state of being in contact with. At this time, the ribs 15 formed on the inclined surface 14 of the stack portion 9 and the ribs 17 formed on the guided surface 16 of the case body 13 are in a fitted state in which the side surfaces are in contact with each other. After that, the case body 13 is moved along the sloped surface 14 toward the paper discharge section 8, the positioning pin 18 is fitted into the positioning hole 19 as shown in FIG.

When the case body 13 is moved to the mounting position where the positioning pin 18 fits into the positioning hole 19, the case body 13 slidably contacts the guided surface 16 with the inclined surface 1, and the inclined surface 1
Since it moves downward along the line 4, the case body 13 can be moved to the mounting position without being displaced in the vertical direction. Moreover, since the case body 13 moves downward along the inclined surface 14, it can be moved with a slight force, and can be easily moved to the mounting position. Also,
Since the ribs 15 of the inclined surface 14 and the ribs 17 of the case body 13 are fitted to each other, when the case body 13 is moved to the mounting position, the case body 13 moves in the front-back direction which is a direction orthogonal to the paper discharge direction. It is possible to prevent displacement.

[0015]

According to the first aspect of the invention, when the case body accommodating the sheet conveying mechanism is attached to the main body case, the guided surface formed on the lower surface portion of the case body is set on the upper surface portion of the stack portion. The case body can be moved to the mounting position by sliding it against the formed inclined surface, and therefore, when mounting the case body to the main body case, the case body can be prevented from being displaced in the vertical direction, and the case body can be prevented from being displaced. It is possible to easily perform vertical positioning when mounting on the case without using a dedicated mounting component.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, when the case body is attached to the main body case, the rib is formed on the inclined surface of the stack portion along the paper discharge direction and the guided surface of the case body. It is possible to move the case body to the mounting position by fitting it with the fitted fitting part, and therefore, when mounting the case body to the main body case, the case body is displaced in the direction orthogonal to the paper discharge direction. Therefore, when the case body is attached to the main body case, the positioning of the sheet in the direction orthogonal to the sheet discharge direction can be easily performed without using a dedicated attachment part.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional front view showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a state in which a main body case and a case body are separated.

FIG. 3 is a front view showing a state in which the case body is being attached to the main body case.

FIG. 4 is a front view showing a state in which a case body is attached to a main body case.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Image forming device 2 Aftertreatment device 3 body case 4 sheets 8 Paper output section 9 Stack part 12 Transport mechanism 13 case body 14 slope 15 ribs 16 Guided surface 17 Fitting part

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (56) References JP-A-7-128921 (JP, A) JP-A-2-70655 (JP, A) JP-A-5-19565 (JP, A) (58) Field (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) B65H 5/00 G03G 15/00 530 G03G 15/00 534

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] 1. A sheet discharged from the sheet discharge section of an image forming apparatus, wherein a sheet discharge section and a stack section of sheets discharged from the sheet discharge section are formed on an upper part of a main body case. In a conveying device which is arranged on the side of the sheet conveying device to the post-processing device, a case body accommodating a sheet conveying mechanism is arranged on the upper part of the stack part and attached to the main body case, and the paper discharge device is provided on the upper surface part of the stack part. And a guide surface that is in slidable contact with the inclined surface on the lower surface of the case body. 2. A stack portion is provided with a rib extending along a paper discharge direction on an inclined surface, and a guide portion of a case body is formed with a fitting portion for fitting with the rib. The carrier device according to claim 1.