JP3768981B2 - Image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus, and more particularly, to a multi-function peripheral having an image reading unit above an image forming unit, and further, a recording paper discharge stacking unit is disposed between the image forming unit and the image reading unit. It is suitable for application to a multifunction machine.

  In such a small-sized / medium-sized multi-function peripheral in which an image reading unit is provided above the image forming unit and a recording paper discharge stacking unit is disposed between the image forming unit and the image reading unit, image formation is performed. In order to perform maintenance such as trouble processing of the image forming section, internal cleaning, replacement of consumable parts, etc., a configuration for opening the inside of the image forming section is usually required.

  Conventionally, the image reading unit is slid in the translation direction with respect to the image forming unit main body arranged at the lower part to open the inside of the image forming unit, the image forming unit, and the upper part of the image forming unit. A method is employed in which the interior of the image forming unit is opened by opening and closing the upper lid member provided at the top of the image forming unit while ensuring a sufficient space between the image reading unit and the image reading unit. .

JP 2002-154705 A

  However, in the case where the image reading unit slides in the translation direction with respect to the image forming unit main body, it is necessary to provide a rail member, a bearing, and the like that slidably hold the heavy image reading unit, and the number of parts increases. There was a problem. Further, in this method, since the image reading unit needs to be slid, the area occupied by the apparatus main body is increased, and there is a problem that it is necessary to secure a large installation space.

  In addition, a sufficient space is secured between the image forming unit and the image reading unit disposed on the upper part, and the upper lid member provided on the upper part of the image forming unit can be opened and closed to access the inside of the image forming unit. Therefore, it is necessary to ensure a sufficient opening between the image forming unit and the image reading unit.

  In order to secure a sufficiently large opening, it is necessary to increase the height of the image forming apparatus. This increases the height of the document table of the image reading unit, which also deteriorates operability. There is a problem that the apparatus main body becomes large.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to make effective use of the space between the image forming unit and the image reading unit, to confirm the inside of the image forming unit, and to facilitate replacement of consumable parts. It is an object of the present invention to provide an image forming apparatus capable of ensuring a sufficient open space.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides:
An image forming means for forming an image;
An opening / closing member that is a part of the exterior of the main body of the image forming means and can be opened and closed;
Openable and closable image reading means for reading an image;
Anda Brighter link member to connects the image reading means and said image forming means,
In the image forming apparatus in which the opening and closing member is opened and closed in conjunction with the opening and closing operation of the image reading means by the link member,
The image reading means has a protrusion for pressing the link member, and when the image reading means is closed, the protrusion of the image reading means presses the opening / closing member via the link member. The image forming apparatus is characterized.

  With this configuration, the occupation height of the image forming apparatus can be reduced, and a sufficient space for opening the inside of the image forming unit can be secured. Therefore, access to the inside of the image forming unit is facilitated, and the operation can be simplified. Since the inside of the image forming unit can be confirmed satisfactorily, trouble processing and replacement of internal consumable parts can be easily performed.

The link member has a holding means for holding the opening / closing member , the opening / closing member has a restricting means whose operation is restricted by the holding means of the link member, and when the opening / closing member is closed, It is also preferable that the holding means of the link member presses the restricting means of the opening / closing member .

It is also preferable that the link member has another protrusion that contacts the protrusion of the image reading unit .

It is also preferable that a space is provided between the image forming unit and the image reading unit, and the opening / closing member is opened to the space side .

It is also preferable to have a cartridge that houses the image forming unit and is detachable from the main body of the image forming unit, and the cartridge is attached and detached by opening the opening / closing member. It is also preferable that the recording material is discharged and stacked on the upper surface of the opening / closing member .

Further, with respect to the opening angle of the image reading means, by which a large opening angle of the closing member such as a cover of the CRG door, it is possible to further reduce the occupied height, trouble such as jamming processing of the image forming section When performing maintenance such as processing, internal cleaning, and replacement of consumable parts such as a cartridge (hereinafter referred to as CRG), it is very effective as a configuration for opening the inside of the image forming unit.

According to the present invention, it is possible to reduce the occupied height in images forming apparatus as much as possible, through the link, by performing opening and closing operations of the opening and closing member of the image forming means in accordance with the opening and closing operation of the image reading means The operability can be greatly improved. Further, the opening / closing member can be reliably closed at a predetermined position in accordance with the closing operation of the image reading means.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In all the drawings of the following embodiments, the same or corresponding parts are denoted by the same reference numerals.

First, an image forming apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 1 shows a state in which a scanner and a CRG door (opening / closing member) 6 are opened in an image forming apparatus (hereinafter referred to as a multi-function machine) having an image reading unit at the top of the image forming unit according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 shows a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the printer. The CRG door 6 is a part of the exterior of the image forming unit, and is an outer wall member that can be rotated and opened about an arbitrary rotation center with respect to the image forming unit.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the multifunction machine 1 is roughly composed of a printer 2 as an image forming unit and a scanner 3 as an image reading unit. The scanner 3 is disposed above the printer 2 so as to sandwich the paper discharge stacking unit.

  The scanner 3 is attached to the printer 2 so as to be rotatable about a rotation center A at the rear part. In addition, the printer 2 and the scanner 3 are connected to each other at the front portion by a lower link 4 and an upper link 5 as a pair of link members provided on the left and right.

  Next, the internal structure of the printer 2 will be described. That is, as shown in FIG. 2, the printer 2 is a laser printer that forms an image by an electrophotographic method when the process cartridge 101 is mounted and records the image on a recording sheet.

  In this process cartridge 101, a photosensitive drum 102 as an image carrier is rotatably provided in a housing, and a latent image formed by irradiating a charged photosensitive drum 102 with a light image corresponding to image information is provided. The recording paper is developed with toner.

  Further, a laser scanner unit 103 for irradiating the photosensitive drum 102 with a light image is provided at the front part (right side in FIG. 2) of the apparatus main body.

  The recording sheets stored in the sheet feeding cassette 105 are separated and fed one by one by the sheet feeding roller 106 and the sheet separating means 107 based on a print signal from a host computer (not shown). The The separated recording paper is conveyed by a conveying roller pair 108 to a transfer unit including a photosensitive drum 102 and a transfer roller 109 pressed against the photosensitive drum 102.

  On the other hand, image information from the host computer is irradiated as a light image from the polygon mirror 104 to the photosensitive drum 102 to form a latent image corresponding to the image information. The formed latent image is visualized by being developed with toner, and the toner image is transferred onto a recording sheet at a pressure contact portion between the photosensitive drum 102 and the transfer roller 109.

  The recording paper onto which the toner image has been transferred is conveyed to a fixing unit composed of a fixing film 110 and a pressure roller 111 pressed against the fixing film 110, and the toner image is fixed. The recording sheet on which the toner image is fixed is conveyed by the discharge roller pair 112 and is discharged to the discharge stacking unit 113 above the printer 2.

Further, the paper discharge stacking unit 113 is provided on the upper surface of the CRG door 6 as a part of the housing of the printer 2. Further, the CRG door 6 is disposed on the frame body 7 of the printer 2 so as to be rotatable around a rotation center A. By opening the CRG door 6 with respect to the main body of the printer 2, the inside of the printer 2 can be opened, and access to the CRG, jamming of recording paper, and the like are possible.

  The scanner 3 is a conventionally known flat bed type scanner, and the internal structure thereof is the same as that of the conventional flat bed type scanner, and thus the description thereof is omitted.

  Next, an opening / closing mechanism for the scanner and the CRG door will be described. FIG. 3 shows the open / close link mechanism when the scanner is closed, and FIG. 4 shows the open / close link mechanism when the scanner is open.

  As shown in FIG. 3, a scanner rotation support portion 3 a is provided at the lower rear portion of the scanner 3.

  The scanner 3 is rotatably attached to the printer 2 by a scanner rotation holding portion 7b that is a part of the frame body 7 of the printer 2 main body with the rotation center A as an axis. Further, the counter rotation center end is fixed by hooking a claw of a latch 8 provided inside the printer 2 into a recess of the hook 3b provided at the front end of the scanner 3.

  The latch 8 is always biased by the latch spring 9 in the direction in which the hook 3b is hooked around the latch rotation center portion 8a.

  The latch 8 and the latch release button 10 shown in FIG. 1 are held so as to interlock on the same axis. When the latch release button 10 is depressed, the latch 8 hung on the hook 3b of the scanner 3 is released, and the front portion of the scanner is lifted upward. Accordingly, the scanner 3 is configured to be rotatable about the rotation center A.

  Further, the printer 2 and the scanner 3 are connected by a pair of link members, that is, a lower link 4 and an upper link 5. Of these, the lower link 4 is supported by the lower link rotation holding portion 7a of the frame 7 of the printer 2 so that the lower link rotation support portion 4a can rotate. On the other hand, in the upper link 5, the upper link rotation support portion 5 a is rotatably supported by an upper link rotation holding portion 3 c provided at the lower portion of the scanner 3.

  The lower link 4 and the upper link 5 are rotatably joined to the lower link joint 4b and the upper link joint 5b on the side opposite to the support part side, respectively. By being joined in this way, the lower surface of each scanner 3, the frame 7, the lower link 4 and the upper link 5 of the printer 2 are rotatably supported by the rotation support portion, and a four-bar link is configured. Has been.

A link protrusion (holding means) 4 c protruding in the direction of the CRG door 6 is provided at the tip of the lower link 4 on the opposite side of the rotation support portion. Further, a guide groove (regulating means) 6a is provided on the side surface of the CRG door 6 so that the link protrusion 4c is almost fitted and slid.

  In addition, the link protrusion 4c moves back and forth in the guide groove 6a as the lower link 4 rotates. The link protrusion 4c pushes up the upper surface of the guide groove 6a, so that the CRG door 6 is rotated in the opening direction, and the CRG door 6 is rotated in the closing direction by pushing down the lower surface.

  Further, a protrusion 4 d is provided on the upper surface portion of the lower link 4. Further, a projection 3d is provided on the lower surface of the scanner 3 at a position where the projection 4d is pressed downward when the scanner 3 is closed.

  When the protrusion 4d is pressed downward by the protrusion 3d, the lower surface of the guide groove 6a is simultaneously pressed downward by the link protrusion 4c. Therefore, the CRG door 6 can be reliably closed at a predetermined position in accordance with the closing completion operation of the scanner 3.

  Next, the opening / closing operation of the scanner 3 and the CRG door 6 will be described. The direction of rotation is shown clockwise and counterclockwise toward the planes of FIGS. 3 and 4 respectively.

  That is, as shown in FIG. 3, during the steady operation, the scanner 3 is fixed to the printer 2 by the hook 3b at the tip opposite to the rotation center of the scanner rotation support portion 3a being caught by the latch 8. Yes.

  Then, when the inside of the printer 2 is opened for the replacement work of the cartridge 100 or the jam processing, the latch release button 10 is pressed. Thereby, the latch 8 interlocked with the latch release button 10 is rotated counterclockwise, and the hook 3 b is released from the latch 8. Then, when the counter-rotation support portion side of the scanner 3 is free, the scanner 3 can be rotated about the rotation center A.

  Further, the scanner 3 rotates counterclockwise around the rotation center A by lifting the tip of the scanner 3 opposite to the rotation support portion.

  At this time, the scanner 3, the frame 7 of the printer 2, the lower link 4, and the upper link 5 constitute a four-bar link. Therefore, as the scanner 3 rotates, the lower link 4 rotates on a predetermined trajectory clockwise around the lower link rotation support portion 4a, and the upper link 5 counteracts around the upper link joint 5b. It rotates on a predetermined trajectory clockwise.

  At the same time, the link protrusion 4 c provided on the lower link 4 rotates on a predetermined locus as the lower link 4 rotates. At the same time, the upper surface of the guide groove 6a that is almost fitted is pushed up.

  When the guide groove 6a is pushed up, the CRG door 6 is pushed up and rotates counterclockwise around the CRG door rotation support portion 6b. As a result, when the scanner 3 is opened, the CRG door 6 is simultaneously opened, and the inside of the printer 2 can be accessed.

  When the scanner 3 is closed, the scanner 3 is rotated clockwise by pushing down the tip of the scanner 3 opposite to the rotation support side. At this time, since the lower surface of the scanner 3, the frame 7 of the printer 2, the lower link 4, and the upper link 5 form a four-bar link, the lower link 4 rotates the lower link as the scanner 3 rotates. The upper link 5 is rotated on a predetermined locus counterclockwise around the support portion 4a, and the upper link 5 is rotated on a predetermined locus clockwise around the upper link joint 5b.

  The link protrusion 4c provided on the lower link 4 is also rotated on a predetermined locus as the lower link 4 rotates, and pushes down the lower surface of the guide groove 6a that is substantially fitted. When the guide groove 6a is pushed down, the CRG door 6 is pushed down and rotates clockwise around the CRG door rotation support portion 6b.

On the other hand, a biasing force is always applied to the latch 8 clockwise by the latch spring 9. Just before the scanner 3 is completely closed, when the hook 3b enters from above, the hook 3b is rotated counterclockwise against the urging force of the latch spring 9, and the latch 8 is again rotated clockwise by the latch spring 9. Is rotated. Therefore, the hook 3b is caught by the latch 8, and the tip of the scanner 3 opposite to the rotation center is fixed.

  As shown in FIG. 5, when the scanner 3 is completely closed, the projection 3d of the scanner 3 pushes the projection 4d of the lower link downward, so that the guide projection 6c is simultaneously formed by the link projection 4c. The lower surface is pressed downward. Therefore, the CRG door 6 can be reliably closed at a predetermined position.

  Regarding the scanner 3, it is preferable to make the opening angle as small as possible in consideration of the occupied height and stability of the apparatus. On the other hand, regarding the CRG door 6, it is desirable to make the opening angle large in consideration of easy access to the inside of the printer 2.

  Therefore, as in the first embodiment, the configuration in which the CRG door 6 is opened via the lower link 4 and the upper link 5 as link members is simply compared with the configuration in which the CRG door 6 is simply pulled up by the scanner 3. Thus, the opening angle of the CRG door 6 with respect to the opening angle of the scanner 3 can be increased. This facilitates access to the CRG without sacrificing stability.

  In the first embodiment, the scanner rotation support portion 3a and the CRG door rotation support portion 6b constitute the same rotation center A, but they do not necessarily have to coincide with each other. Then, the opening angle of the CRG door 6 with respect to the scanner 3 is adjusted by adjusting the rotation center position of the scanner rotation support portion 3 a and the CRG door rotation support portion 6 b and the angle of the guide groove 6 a of the CRG door 6. be able to.

  Next, an image forming apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 6 shows an internal structure of a printer and a scanner in a multifunction machine as an image forming apparatus according to the second embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the scanner 3 includes a contact image sensor (CIS) 114 serving as a document reading unit, and a document placement tray 115 and a document discharge tray 116 provided on the upstream side and the downstream side of the CIS 114, respectively. And is configured.

  Further, the original 117 (sheet material) is set on the original placing tray 115 so that the original surface faces upward, for example, and is conveyed one by one from the uppermost original 117 to the original reading unit by the pickup roller 118.

  The conveyed document 117 is subjected to photoelectric reading of an image on the document by the contact image sensor 114, and the document 117 that has been read is placed on the document discharge tray 116 in the document reading unit with the document surface facing downward, for example. To be discharged.

  As in the first embodiment, the lower link 4 and the upper link 5 (both not shown in FIG. 6) have a four-bar link configuration between the scanner 3 and the printer 2. . Note that the opening / closing of the scanner 3 and the interlocking of the CRG door 6 are the same as those in the first embodiment, and thus the description thereof is omitted.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a state in which the scanner and the CRG door are opened in the multifunction machine according to the first embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an internal structure of a printer of a multifunction machine according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an opening / closing link mechanism in a state where the scanner of the multifunction machine according to the first embodiment of the present invention is closed. FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an opening / closing link mechanism in a state where the scanner of the multifunction machine according to the first embodiment of the present invention is opened. 1 is a perspective view of a multifunction machine in a steady state according to a first embodiment of the present invention. It is a basic diagram which shows the internal structure of the printer and scanner by 2nd Example of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

A Rotation center 1 MFP 2 Printer 3 Scanner 3a Scanner rotation support part 3b Hook 3c Upper link rotation holding part 3d Projection 4 Lower link 4a Lower link rotation support part 4b Lower link joint 4c Link protrusion 4d Projection 5 Upper link 5a Upper Link rotation support portion 5b Upper link joint portion 6 CRG door 6a Guide groove 6b Door rotation support portion 7 Frame body 7a Lower link rotation holding portion 7b Scanner rotation holding portion 8 Latch 8a Latch rotation center portion 9 Latch spring 10 Latch release button 100 Cartridge DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 101 Process cartridge 101a Case 102 Photosensitive drum 103 Laser scanner unit 104 Polygon mirror 105 Paper feed cassette 106 Paper feed roller 107 Paper separation means 108 Carrying roller pair 109 Transfer roller 110 Fixing film 111 Pressure roller 12 discharge rollers 113 paper receiver 114 contact image sensor 115 document tray 116 document discharge tray 117 document 118 pickup roller

Claims (6)

An image forming means for forming an image;
An openable / closable member that is a part of the exterior of the main body of the image forming means,
Openable and closable image reading means for reading an image;
Anda Brighter link member to connects the image reading means and said image forming means,
In the image forming apparatus in which the opening and closing member is opened and closed in conjunction with the opening and closing operation of the image reading means by the link member,
The image reading means has a protrusion for pressing the link member, and when the image reading means is closed, the protrusion of the image reading means presses the opening / closing member via the link member. A featured image forming apparatus. The link member has a holding means for holding the opening / closing member , the opening / closing member has a restricting means whose operation is restricted by the holding means of the link member, and when the opening / closing member is closed, The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the holding member holding member presses the restricting member of the opening / closing member . The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the link member has another protrusion that contacts the protrusion of the image reading unit . The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein a space is provided between the image forming unit and the image reading unit, and the opening / closing member opens to the space side . The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a cartridge that accommodates the image forming unit and is detachable from a main body of the image forming unit, and the cartridge is attached and detached by opening the opening / closing member. . The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein a recording material is discharged and stacked on an upper surface of the opening / closing member .

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