JP3711547B2 - Electrophotographic equipment - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an electrophotographic apparatus having a paper discharge device that discharges a continuous paper with a toner image fixed while folding the paper with a swing fin.
[0002]
[Prior art]
FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a conventional electrophotographic apparatus. When a printing operation start signal is issued from the controller that controls the electrophotographic apparatus, the photoconductive photoconductor 1 rotates at a speed corresponding to the printing speed of the electrophotographic apparatus. The photoconductor 1 is applied with a high voltage of + by the charger 2, and the surface of the photoconductor 1 is uniformly charged with + charge. The polygon mirror 3 is a polyhedral reflecting mirror that starts rotating as soon as power is supplied to the electrophotographic apparatus, and rotates at a constant speed with high accuracy as long as the power is turned on. The laser light output from the laser tube 4 is reflected by the polygon mirror 3 and irradiated through the Fθ lens 5 while being scanned on the photosensitive member 1.
[0003]
Character or graphic data converted into a dot image from the controller is issued to the electrophotographic apparatus as a laser light ON / OFF signal, and a portion on the surface of the photoreceptor 1 that is not irradiated with the laser light is formed. Charges disappear on the photosensitive member 1 irradiated with the laser beam, and toner, which is powder ink charged positively by the developing device 6, is attracted to the portion by static electricity, and a toner image is formed on the photosensitive member 1. .
[0004]
The toner image on the photoreceptor 1 is transferred onto the sheet 9 conveyed by the tractors 8a and 8b by the transfer device 7, and further preheated by the preheating plate 10 of the fixing unit, and then is heated by the heat roll 11 and the pressure roll 12. The toner image is melted and fixed on the paper 9 by being pressurized and heated.
[0005]
The printed paper 9 is folded on the table 13 that moves up and down in the paper discharge section according to the folding perforations, and then folded while being folded by the rotating paddle 15 after being folded by the swinging motion of the swing fin 14. It is done.
[0006]
The paper that has been printed by the above series of steps is stacked by the paper discharge device.
[0007]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
In the conventional paper discharge device, the paper is arranged immediately after passing through the fixing unit in order to simplify the mechanism, and the paper is further stacked up and down. Therefore, as the printing speed is increased, the sheet heated by the fixing unit is folded before being sufficiently cooled and compressed by the weight of the sheet, so that the unconsolidated toner on the sheet is fused, When cutting the paper, there has been a problem of toner peeling.
[0008]
Further, since the sheets are stacked in the vertical direction and stacked, the stacking capacity of the sheets is limited in terms of space.
[0009]
Further, in the case of the above configuration, it is inconvenient to handle the paper because it is not possible to partially remove the paper or confirm the printing during stacking.
[0010]
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to sufficiently cool the paper and increase the margin of toner peeling without impairing the functions of the prior art, and to increase the stacking capacity and improve the paper handling.
[0011]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
An object of the present invention is to provide an electrophotographic apparatus having a paper discharge device that discharges a continuous paper on which a toner image is fixed while folding it with a swing fin, and a first belt conveyor is provided at a rear stage of the swing fin, and a rear stage of the first belt conveyor. to the second belt conveyor having a slow paper conveying speed than the first conveyor belt is provided, on both sides of the first belt conveyor is achieved by Rukoto provided paper cooling blower.
[0013]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the present invention. Since the configuration from the sheet conveyance to the fixing unit is not particularly different from the conventional one, the description thereof will be omitted, and a belt conveyor type paper discharge device will be described. The belt conveyor type paper discharge apparatus includes two belt conveyors (conveyor 16 and conveyor 17) and a table 18. Each of the belt conveyors includes a conveyor frame 19, a motor 20, a drive pulley 21, a timing belt 22, and a driven belt. It consists of a driving roller 24 joined via a pulley 23, a passive roller 25 and a conveyor belt 26.
[0014]
Therefore, the conveyor belt 26 is configured to rotate by the power of the motor 20.
[0015]
The sheet that has passed through the fixing unit is folded by the swing fin 14 and folded while being displaced on the conveyor belt 26 on which the conveyor 16 moves, so that a gap is formed between the sheets. Cooling air is blown into this gap by the cooling blowers 27 provided on both sides of the conveyor 16 to effectively cool the paper.
[0016]
Here, FIG. 2 shows the relationship between the conveying speed of the conveyor belt 26 of the conveyor 16 and the sheet temperature. It can be seen that the sheet temperature decreases by increasing the conveyance speed. This is because the paper cooling effect is improved because the gap between the papers increases as the conveyance speed increases. Depending on the conveyor belt 26 conveyance speed, there is a region where paper jam occurs. Therefore, the most efficient paper cooling is possible by setting the maximum conveyance speed at which the paper conveyance speed of the conveyor 16 does not occur. It can be.
[0017]
When the paper conveyed on the conveyor 16 with a gap between the papers is transferred to the conveyor 17, the paper is shifted by making the paper conveyance speed on the conveyor 17 slower than the paper conveyance speed on the conveyor 16. Compress and stack. As a result, the sheet stacking capacity per unit length of the conveyor 17 can be increased, and the length of the conveyor machine can be greatly shortened.
[0018]
It is also possible to increase the stacking capacity by extending the length of the conveyor 17 or adding another belt conveyor 28 as shown in FIG.
[0019]
【The invention's effect】
According to the present invention, the toner can be effectively paper cooling Ki out possible to tolerance up to peeling, the operator since it is possible to increase the Stacking capacity relatively easily significant workability Increases efficiency.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing a practical example of an electrophotographic apparatus of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing a relationship between a sheet conveying speed of a conveyor belt and a sheet temperature.
FIG. 3 is a schematic view showing a practical example of the electrophotographic apparatus of the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a schematic view of a conventional electrophotographic apparatus.
[Explanation of symbols]
16, 17 is a conveyor, 18 is a table, 19 is a conveyor frame, 20 is a motor, 21 is a drive pulley, 22 is a timing pulley, 23 is a driven pulley, 24 is a driving roller, 25 is a passive roller, 26 is a conveyor belt, 27 Is a cooling blower.

Claims (1)

In an electrophotographic apparatus having a paper discharge device for discharging a continuous paper on which a toner image is fixed while folding it with a swing fin,
A first belt conveyor is provided at the rear stage of the swing fin, and a second belt conveyor having a paper transport speed slower than the first belt conveyor is provided at the rear stage of the first belt conveyor, An electrophotographic apparatus comprising a paper cooling blower on both sides.

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