JP4353139B2 - Image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus such as a laser printer, and is particularly effective when applied to an image forming apparatus having a double-sided printing function.

An image forming apparatus such as a laser printer is usually provided with a rotating member such as an open / close door in order to remove a recording paper jammed inside, or to repair or replace a built-in component.
For example, in the invention described in Patent Document 1, a rotating shaft is provided on a tray which is a kind of the rotating member, and the tray (rotating member) is inserted into the image forming apparatus main body by inserting the rotating shaft into the shaft hole. It is assembled so that it can rotate.
JP 2004-149274 A

  By the way, in an image forming apparatus in which a rotating member such as a tray is assembled with a structure similar to that of the invention described in Patent Document 1, a portion provided with a rotating shaft or a shaft hole is usually elastic in the axial direction of the rotating shaft. The rotating member (tray) is assembled by inserting the rotating shaft into the shaft hole after being deformed and displaced. And the fitting state (engagement state) of a rotating shaft and a shaft hole returns the site | part (henceforth this site | part is called a fitting part) in which the rotating shaft or the shaft hole was provided to the original position shape. Held by.

Therefore, if the fitting portion is easily deformed, a rotating member such as a tray can be easily assembled, so that the assembling property of the rotating member can be improved.
However, if the fitting portion is easily deformed, there is a high possibility that the fitted state between the rotating shaft and the shaft hole is easily released due to, for example, vibration during transportation. If the rotating member is detached during transportation, the rotating member, that is, the image forming apparatus is damaged.

On the other hand, if the fitting portion has a structure that is difficult to deform, the rotating member is hardly detached during transportation, but the assembling property of the rotating member may be significantly deteriorated.
In view of the above points, an object of the present invention is to prevent the rotating member from coming off due to vibration during transportation or the like without impairing the assembling property of the rotating member.

The present invention, in order to achieve the object, in the invention according to claim 1, image forming means for forming an image on a recording medium, and a frame member of the image forming unit is held, the first elastically deformable A first rotating member rotatably assembled to the frame member via the arm portion, and a second rotating member rotatably assembled to the frame member via the elastically deformable second arm portion, One of the arm portion and the frame member is provided with a first rotation shaft, and the other is provided with a first shaft hole into which the first rotation shaft is inserted, and either the second arm portion or the frame member is provided. A second rotation shaft is provided on one side, and a second shaft hole into which the second rotation shaft is inserted is provided on the other side. Further, the second rotation member is a first rotation member. When the first arm is in a predetermined position with respect to the axial direction of the first rotation axis Wherein the first restricting member is provided to regulate to or greater than a predetermined size elastically deformed.

  Accordingly, in the present invention, when the second rotating member is in a predetermined position with respect to the first rotating member, the elastic deformation of the first arm portion is restricted by the first restricting member, so that vibration is externally applied. Even if added, the fitting state (engaged state) is maintained without the first rotating shaft coming out of the first shaft hole.

  On the other hand, when the first rotating member is located at a position deviated from the predetermined position with respect to the second rotating member, the elastic deformation of the first arm portion is not restricted by the first restricting member. The first rotating member can be easily assembled to the frame member.

Therefore, according to the present invention, it is possible to prevent the first rotating member from being detached due to vibration during transportation or the like while improving the assembly property of the first rotating member by making the first arm portion elastically deformable. Can do.
The “frame main body” is a skeleton member that holds and fixes the image forming means and the like. In addition to the so-called “frame”, in an image forming apparatus in which the image forming means and the like are assembled in a housing. Such a casing is also included in the “frame member” of the present invention.
Further, “to restrict deformation displacement beyond a predetermined dimension” means, as clearly understood from the gist of the invention, “to restrict deformation displacement to such an extent that the fitted state is not released”. Such a numerical value is determined by the rigidity of the fitting portion, the dimensions of the rotating shaft and the shaft hole, and the like.

In the invention according to claim 2 , when the second arm portion is in a predetermined position with respect to the frame member, the second arm portion is elastically deformed by a predetermined dimension or more in the axial direction of the second rotation shaft. A second restricting member for restricting the operation is provided.

  As a result, in the present invention, when the second rotating member is in a predetermined position with respect to the frame member, the elastic deformation of the second arm portion is restricted by the second restricting member, so that vibration is applied from the outside. However, the fitting state (engaged state) is maintained without the second rotating shaft being detached from the second shaft hole.

  On the other hand, when the second rotating member is at a position deviated from the predetermined position with respect to the frame member, since the elastic deformation of the second arm portion is not restricted by the second restricting member, the second arm portion is moved in the axial direction. The second rotating member can be easily assembled to the frame member.

  Therefore, according to the present invention, it is possible to prevent the second rotating member from coming off due to vibration during transportation, etc., while improving the assemblability of the second rotating member by making the second arm portion elastically deformable. Can do.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
In the present embodiment, the image forming apparatus according to the present invention is applied to a so-called laser printer, and the present embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings.

1. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an appearance of a laser printer 1 according to the present embodiment. The laser printer 1 is installed with the upper side of the paper as the upper side in the direction of gravity, and usually the rear side of the paper as the front side. used.

  The housing 3 of the laser printer 1 is formed in a substantially box shape (cubic shape), and a recording medium discharged from the housing 3 after printing is placed on the upper surface side of the housing 3. A paper discharge tray 5 is provided. In the present embodiment, paper such as paper or an OHP sheet is assumed as the recording medium.

  Further, the paper discharge tray 5 is configured with an inclined surface 5a that is inclined so as to descend from the upper surface of the housing 3 toward the rear side, and printing is finished on the rear end side of the inclined surface 5a. A discharge unit 7 (see FIG. 2) for discharging the recording medium is provided.

  The upper cover 9 formed in a substantially U-shape so as to surround the paper discharge tray 5 (inclined surface 5a) in the casing 3 includes a case where the laser printer 1 is connected to the network and a case where the laser printer 1 is disconnected from the network. Are provided, a line switch 1a for switching, a job cancel switch 1b for forcibly ending (interrupting) printing, and the like.

2. Configuration of Laser Printer FIG. 2 is a side sectional view showing a main part of the laser printer 1. The image forming unit 10 constitutes an image forming unit that forms an image on a recording medium, and the feeder unit 20 constitutes a part of a conveying unit that supplies the recording medium to the image forming unit 10. .

  The first discharge chute 30 and the second discharge chute 40 are turned approximately 180 ° so as to make a U-turn in the conveyance direction of the recording medium on which image formation has been completed in the image forming unit 10, and the recording medium is fixed to the fixing unit 90 ( The details will be described later), and a guide member for guiding to the discharge portion 7 provided above is configured.

  The forward / reverse switching mechanism 50 constitutes a paper discharge roller reversing mechanism that reverses the transport direction of the recording medium discharged from the image forming unit 10 and transports the recording medium whose transport direction is reversed to the image forming unit 10 side again. The double-sided printing unit 60 constitutes a conveyance path for the recording medium whose conveyance direction is reversed by the forward / reverse switching mechanism 50. These devices 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, and the like are housed in the housing 3 in a state of being assembled to a frame member 100 (see FIG. 8 and the like) that is a skeleton member.

2.1. Feeder unit The feeder unit 20 includes a paper feed tray 21 housed in the lowermost part of the housing 3, a paper feed roller 22 that is provided above the front end of the paper feed tray 21 and conveys a recording medium to the image forming unit 10, and The sheet feeding roller 22 includes a separation roller 23 and a separation pad 24 that separate the recording medium conveyed one by one. Then, the recording medium placed on the paper feed tray 21 is conveyed to the image forming unit 10 disposed substantially at the center in the housing 3 so as to make a U-turn on the front side in the housing 3. The

  Note that paper dust adhered to the image forming surface (printing surface) of the recording medium is disposed outside the top of the portion of the recording medium conveyance path from the paper feed tray 21 to the image forming unit 10 that is turned into a substantially U shape. A paper dust removing roller 25 is disposed, and an opposing roller 26 that presses the recording medium to be conveyed against the paper dust removing roller 25 is disposed inside the top.

  In addition, a registration roller 27 including a pair of rollers for adjusting the conveyance state of the recording medium by applying a conveyance resistance to the recording medium at the entrance of the image forming unit 10 in the conveyance path from the paper feed tray 21 to the image forming unit 10. Is arranged.

2.2. Image Forming Unit The image forming unit 10 includes a scanner unit 70, a process cartridge 80, a fixing unit 90, and the like.
2.2.1. Scanner unit The scanner unit 70 is provided in the upper part of the housing 3 and forms an electrostatic latent image on the surface of a photosensitive drum 81 described later. Specifically, a laser light source, a polygon mirror, an fθ lens, It is composed of a reflecting mirror and a reflecting mirror.

  The laser beam based on the image data emitted from the laser light source is deflected by the polygon mirror, passes through the fθ lens, the optical path is folded back by the reflecting mirror, and the optical path is further bent downward by the reflecting mirror. As a result, the surface of the photosensitive drum 81 is irradiated and an electrostatic latent image is formed.

2.2.2. Process cartridge The process cartridge 80 is detachably disposed in the housing 3 below the scanner unit 70. The process cartridge 80 includes a photosensitive drum 81, a charger 82, a transfer roller 83, a developing cartridge 84, and the like. It is composed of

  The photosensitive drum 81 constitutes an image carrying means for carrying an image to be transferred to a recording medium, and a cylindrical drum main body 81a formed by a positively chargeable photosensitive layer whose outermost layer is made of polycarbonate or the like, In the axial center of the drum main body 81a, a drum shaft 81b extending along the longitudinal direction of the drum main body 81a and rotatably supporting the drum main body 81a is configured.

  The charger 82 serves as a charging means for charging the surface of the photosensitive drum 81, and is opposed to the photosensitive drum 81 at a predetermined interval so as not to come into contact with the photosensitive drum 81 at the upper rear side of the photosensitive drum 81. It is installed. Note that the charger 82 according to the present embodiment employs a scorotron charger that charges the surface of the photosensitive drum 81 substantially uniformly using corona discharge.

  The transfer roller 83 is disposed opposite to the photosensitive drum 81 and rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the photosensitive drum 81, and is opposite to the charge charged on the photosensitive drum 81 when the recording medium passes near the photosensitive drum 81. Forming a transfer means for transferring the toner adhering to the surface of the photosensitive drum 81 to the printing surface of the recording medium by applying a negative charge (in this embodiment, a negative charge) to the recording medium from the side opposite to the printing surface. It is.

  The developing cartridge 84 includes a toner storage chamber 84a that stores toner, a toner supply roller 84b that supplies the toner to the photosensitive drum 81, a developing roller 84c, and the like.

  The toner stored in the toner storage chamber 84a is supplied to the developing roller 84c side by the rotation of the toner supply roller 84b, and the toner supplied to the developing roller 84c side is carried on the surface of the developing roller 84c. In addition, the thickness of the toner carried by the layer thickness regulating blade 84d is adjusted to be constant (uniform) at a predetermined thickness, and then supplied to the surface of the photosensitive drum 81 exposed by the scanner unit 70.

2.2.3. Fixing unit The fixing unit 90 is disposed on the downstream side of the photosensitive drum 81 in the conveyance direction of the recording medium, and fixes the toner transferred to the recording medium by heating and melting. Specifically, the fixing unit 90 is disposed on the printing surface side of the recording medium to heat the toner, and the fixing unit 90 is disposed on the opposite side of the heating roller 91 with the recording medium interposed therebetween. The pressure roller 92 is configured to be pressed toward the heating roller 91.

  Incidentally, the heating roller 91 according to the present embodiment includes a metal tube whose surface is coated with a fluororesin, and a halogen lamp for heating in the metal tube, while the pressure roller 92 is a metal tube. The made roller shaft is covered with a roller made of a rubber material.

In the image forming unit 10 described above, an image is formed on a recording medium as follows.
That is, the surface of the photosensitive drum 81 is uniformly positively charged by the charger 82 as it rotates, and then exposed by high-speed scanning of the laser beam emitted from the scanner unit 70. As a result, an electrostatic latent image corresponding to the image to be formed on the recording medium is formed on the surface of the photosensitive drum 81.

  Next, when the developing roller 84 c rotates, the positively charged toner carried on the developing roller 84 c is formed on the surface of the photosensitive drum 81 when it contacts the photosensitive drum 81. The electrostatic latent image, that is, the surface of the photosensitive drum 81 that is uniformly positively charged, is supplied to an exposed portion exposed to a laser beam and having a lowered potential. As a result, the electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive drum 81 is visualized, and a toner image by reversal development is carried on the surface of the photosensitive drum 81.

  Thereafter, the toner image carried on the surface of the photosensitive drum 81 is transferred to a recording medium by a transfer bias applied to the transfer roller 83. Then, the recording medium to which the toner image has been transferred is conveyed to the fixing unit 90 and heated, and the toner transferred as the toner image is fixed to the recording medium, thereby completing the image formation.

2.3. FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the first discharge chute 30, FIGS. 4 and 5 are perspective views of the first discharge chute 30, and FIG. 6 is a side view of the first discharge chute 30. 7 is a front view showing a state in which the first discharge chute 30 is assembled to the frame member 100, FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA of FIG. 7, and FIG. 9 shows the first discharge chute 30 on the frame member 100. It is a perspective view which shows the assembled state.

  10 is a view as seen from the direction of arrow A in FIG. 9, FIG. 11 is a view showing a state where the frame member 100 and the first discharge chute 30 are removed in FIG. 10, and FIG. 12 is a rear cover when the rear cover 3b is opened. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the relationship between 3b and the first discharge chute 30, and FIG. 13 is a perspective view of FIG.

  In the laser printer 1 according to this embodiment, the first discharge chute 30 is disposed on the rear end side in the housing 3 as shown in FIG. Near the first discharge chute 30, a rear cover 3 b that opens and closes an opening 3 a formed in the housing 3 is rotatably attached to the frame member 100.

  The first discharge chute 30 is disposed on the downstream side of the fixing unit 90 in the transport direction in the transport direction of the recording medium, and the transport direction of the recording medium in which image formation has been completed in the image forming unit 10. The recording medium is guided to the second discharge chute 40 by turning about 90 °.

  The first discharge chute 30 is disposed on the downstream side of the front chute 31 disposed in the first contact portion of the recording medium discharged from the fixing unit 90 and the front chute 31 in the recording medium conveyance direction. The outer chute 32 is formed.

  In this embodiment, hook-shaped first and second hooks (not shown) are formed on the front chute 31, while the first and second hooks are engaged with the outer chute 32 as shown in FIG. By forming the first and second locking holes 32b and 32c to be combined, the first hook is engaged with the first locking hole 32b, and the second hook is engaged with the second locking hole 32c, The front chute 31 is detachably fixed to the outer chute 32.

  Further, a protrusion 32d that protrudes toward the front chute 31 is formed on a contact surface (assembly surface) of the outer chute 32 with the front chute 31, while a contact surface (assembly) of the front chute 31 with the outer chute 32 is formed. A positioning hole 31d into which the protrusion 32d fits is formed in the surface).

  In this embodiment, after the front chute 31 is engaged and assembled to the outer chute 32, the fastening of the front chute 31 and the outer chute 32 is made strong by using fastening means such as a bolt 33.

  Each of the front chute 31 and the outer chute 32 is formed with a plurality of protruding front chute ribs 31a and outer chute ribs 32a extending in the recording medium conveyance direction, and the recording medium includes these ribs 31a, It is guided toward the second discharge chute 40 while contacting the tip end side of 32a.

  In this embodiment, since the recording medium conveyance direction is turned by approximately 90 degrees at the first discharge chute 30, as shown in FIG. 2, the recording medium conveyance direction and the normal direction of the recording medium are orthogonal to each other. When viewed from the direction in which the recording medium is conveyed, the tip side of the outer chute rib 32a, that is, the portion of the outer chute rib 32a that comes into contact with the recording medium at the time of conveyance is substantially arc-shaped so that the recording medium is conveyed smoothly.

  On the other hand, the front chute ribs 31a provided at the portions corresponding to both ends in the axial direction of the heating roller 91 among the plurality of front chute ribs 31a are compared to the other front chute ribs 31a as shown in FIGS. The front chute rib 31a (hereinafter referred to as the extended chute rib 31a) extending to the heating roller 91 side, that is, the front chute rib 31a, ie, the extended chute rib 31a. Of these, the portion that contacts the recording medium during conveyance is formed in a substantially arc shape as seen from the direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction of the recording medium and the normal direction of the recording medium, like the outer chute rib 32a.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 3, a hole 31 e that penetrates the front chute 31 is formed between the front chute rib 31 a and the front chute rib 31 a in the front chute 31. Similarly, a hole 32e penetrating the outer chute 32 is also formed between the outer chute rib 32a and the outer chute rib 32a in the outer chute 32.

  Further, the outer chute 32 extends so as to cover the entire rear surface side of the front chute 31, that is, the side opposite to the portion where the front chute rib 31a is provided. An elastically deformable arm portion 35 extending toward the side is integrally formed.

  And the shaft hole 35a in which the 1st rotating shaft 101 (refer FIG.8 and FIG.11) provided in the frame member 100 is inserted is provided in the lower end side of the arm part 35, and the 1st rotating shaft 101 is provided. The first discharge chute 30 (outer chute 32) is assembled to the frame member 100 so as to be rotatable toward the opening 3a side by being rotatably fitted (engaged) with the shaft hole 35a.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 2, the outer chute 32 (first discharge chute 30) is provided with a first paper discharge roller 34a, and on the other hand, the first discharge on the fixing unit 90 side, that is, the frame member 100 side. A first pinch roller 34b is provided at a position facing the paper roller 34a.

  The first paper discharge roller 34a is a conveyance roller that applies a conveyance force to the recording medium by rotating while contacting the recording medium. The first pinch roller 34b is connected to the first paper discharge roller 34a with the recording medium interposed therebetween. The recording medium is pressed toward the first paper discharge roller 34a from the opposite side. For this reason, the recording medium discharged from the fixing unit 90 is conveyed to the second discharge chute 40 side so as to be sandwiched between the first discharge roller 34a and the first pinch roller 34b.

  Further, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the first paper discharge roller 34a is rotatably supported by the driven gear 34c, the fixing unit 90, or the frame member 100 that rotates in conjunction with the first paper discharge roller 34a. The drive side gear 34d is engaged with the driven side gear 34c and is rotated, and the heating side gear 34e that is rotated in conjunction with the heating roller 91 while being engaged with the drive side gear 34d is rotated.

  In other words, the first paper discharge roller 34a rotates by obtaining a rotational force from the fixing unit 90 (frame member 100) side via the driven gear 34c rotatably supported by the first discharge chute 30. Become.

  By the way, in this embodiment, the drive side gear 34d and the heating roller side gear 34e are rotatably supported by the fixing unit 90 or the frame member 100, and the first discharge chute 30 is rotatable with respect to the frame member 100. Since it is assembled, when the first discharge chute 30 rotates to open toward the opening 3a, the meshing state of the driven gear 34c and the driving gear 34d is released, and the driving gear 34d changes to the driven gear 34c. The rotational force cannot be transmitted.

  Thus, in the present embodiment, the first discharge chute 30 is driven by the moment around the first rotation shaft 101 generated in the first discharge chute 30 when the drive side gear 34d rotates and the driven gear 34c rotates. The position of the driven gear 34c and the direction of rotation of the driving gear 34d are set so as to rotate toward the side gear 34c, that is, to the right in FIG.

  Specifically, the driven side gear 34c is arranged so that the driven side gear 34c is positioned between the shaft hole 35a of the first discharge chute 30 and the driving side gear 34d, and in FIG. Rotate to

  As a result, when the drive side gear 34d rotates, the first discharge chute 30 tends to rotate rightward in FIG. 6, and therefore a moment around the first rotation shaft 101 generated in the first discharge chute 30 (hereinafter, this moment is referred to as “moment”). The first discharge chute 30 tries to rotate in a direction approaching the driven gear 34c side.

  Further, by contacting (collising) the fixing unit 90 with both ends of the first discharge chute 30 in the width direction (left and right direction), an excessive chute rotation moment is prevented from acting on the first discharge chute 30. A stopper 36 is provided.

  Incidentally, in the present embodiment, the front chute 31 is made of resin having excellent heat resistance such as polybutylene terephthalate or polyethylene terephthalate, and the front chute rib 31a, the first and second hooks, the positioning hole 31d and the hole 31e are integrally formed. Is formed.

  On the other hand, the outer chute 32 is made of resin (for example, polystyrene) that is inferior in heat resistance to the front chute 31, and the outer chute rib 32a, the first locking hole 32b, the second locking hole 32c, and the protrusion 32d. The hole 32e, the arm portion 35, the shaft hole 35a, the stopper 36, and the like are formed by integral molding.

  By the way, the rear cover 3 b is also fitted (engaged) with the frame member 100 so as to be rotatable in the same structure as the first discharge chute 30. That is, as shown in FIGS. 8 to 11, elastically deformable arm portions 3 c extending downward are provided at both ends in the width direction (left and right direction) of the rear cover 3 b, and the arm portions 3 c A shaft hole 3d into which the second rotation shaft 102 formed in the frame member 100 is inserted is provided on the lower end side.

  Then, when the rear cover 3 b is at a predetermined angle with respect to the first discharge chute 30, the arm portion 35 of the first discharge chute 30 is predetermined in the axial direction (left-right direction) of the first rotation shaft 101. A first displacement restricting protrusion 3e that restricts elastic deformation beyond the size is provided.

  Since the first displacement restricting protrusion 3e rotates integrally with the rear cover 3b, the first displacement restricting protrusion 3e extends from the arm portion 35 when the rear cover 3b is opened as shown in FIGS. On the other hand, when the rear cover 3b is closed, the first displacement restricting projection 3e is located in the vicinity of the arm 35 as shown in FIGS.

  For this reason, when the rear cover 3b is closed, the first displacement restricting projection 3e restricts the arm portion 35 from being elastically deformed in the axial direction. On the other hand, when the rear cover 3b is opened, the first cover The elastic deformation of the arm portion 35 is not restricted by the displacement restricting projection 3e.

  In addition, when the rear cover 3b is at a predetermined angle with respect to the frame member 100, the arm 3c of the rear cover 3b is attached to the frame member 100 in the axial direction (left-right direction) of the second rotating shaft 102 as shown in FIG. ) Is provided with a second displacement restricting protrusion 103 that restricts elastic deformation of a predetermined dimension or more.

  Since the arm 3c rotates integrally with the rear cover 3b, the second displacement restricting projection 103 is located at a position shifted from the arm 3c toward the opening 9a while the rear cover 3b is opened. In the state where 3b is closed, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 10, the second displacement restricting protrusion 103 is positioned in the vicinity of the arm 3c.

  For this reason, when the rear cover 3b is closed, the arm portion 3c is restricted from being elastically deformed in the axial direction by the second displacement restricting protrusion 103. On the other hand, when the rear cover 3b is opened, the second portion The elastic deformation of the arm 3c is not restricted by the displacement restricting protrusion 103.

  Incidentally, in FIG. 4, the sensor actuator 37 constitutes a part of a paper discharge sensor that rotates by contacting the recording medium and constitutes a conveyance state detecting means for detecting the conveyance state of the recording medium. In this embodiment, the sensor actuator 37 and the optical sensor 38 described later constitute a paper discharge sensor.

  Specifically, the sensor actuator 37 is rotatably assembled to the front chute 31 so that its longitudinal direction is parallel to the direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction of the recording medium and the normal direction of the recording medium. A contact lever 37a that contacts the recording medium is formed at a portion corresponding to one longitudinal end of the front chute 31 and substantially at the center in the longitudinal direction, and an optical sensor such as a photocoupler is disposed at the other end. A shielding lever 37b is formed to block the light irradiated to 38.

  For this reason, when the recording medium is conveyed on the front chute 31, the contact lever 37a contacts the recording medium and the sensor actuator 37 rotates, whereby the shielding lever 37b is displaced from the optical path and the optical sensor 38 receives light. . On the other hand, when the recording medium is completely discharged, the shielding lever 37b returns to the position of the optical path, so that the optical sensor 38 cannot receive light. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the conveyance state of the recording medium is detected based on the light reception state and the conveyance speed.

2.4. Second Discharge Chute FIG. 14 is a perspective view of the upper cover 9 as viewed from the second discharge chute 40 side, and FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the second discharge chute 40 is provided on the upper cover 9 with a predetermined gap 40 a with respect to the first discharge chute 30. The recording medium turned by 90 ° is further turned by approximately 90 ° and guided to the discharge unit 7.

  Further, a gap 40 a between the first discharge chute 30 and the second discharge chute 40 is a recording medium conveyance path (conveyance path indicated by a thick two-dot chain line) whose conveyance direction is reversed by the forward / reverse switching mechanism 50. Part of it. Incidentally, in FIG. 2, a conveyance path indicated by a thick one-dot chain line indicates a conveyance path of the recording medium conveyed by the feeder unit 20.

  Incidentally, as shown in FIG. 14, the second discharge chute 40 is provided with a first guide rib 41 and a second guide rib 42 with which the recording medium conveyed from the first discharge chute 30 comes into contact. Reference numerals 41 and 42 denote directions that are substantially orthogonal to the recording medium conveyance direction and are substantially parallel to the recording surface of the recording medium, that is, the direction indicated by the arrow B in FIG. .) Are arranged side by side.

Incidentally, in this embodiment, the number of the first guide ribs 41 is seven, the number of the second guide ribs 42 is four, and the second guide ribs 42 are arranged for every two or one first guide rib 41. ing.
The portion of the first guide rib 41 that contacts the recording medium, that is, the shape of the tip 41a of the first guide rib 41 (hereinafter, this tip portion is referred to as the first contact portion 41a) is as shown in FIG. The second guide rib 42 is curved in a substantially arcuate shape when viewed in the width direction B, that is, a portion that contacts the recording medium, that is, a tip 42a of the second guide rib 42 (hereinafter, this tip portion is referred to as a second contact). A part of the portion 42a) is formed so as to be displaced from the first contact portion 41a toward the center of bending when viewed in the width direction B.

  Here, the curvature center side refers to the side where the center of curvature of the first contact portion 41a exists, but in this embodiment, the curvature of the first contact portion 41a is not constant, and therefore there are a plurality of centers of curvature. However, all the centers of curvature are on the upper right side of the page. Therefore, in the present embodiment, a part of the second contact portion 42a is present on the upper right side of the drawing with respect to the first contact portion 41a.

  In the present embodiment, the radius of curvature of the upper left end portion and the lower right end portion of the paper surface of the second contact portion 42a is made larger than that of the other portions, or these portions are made linear, so that they can be viewed from the width direction B. Thus, the upper left end portion and the lower right end portion of the paper surface of the second contact portion 42a are formed so as to substantially coincide with the first contact portion 41a.

  By the way, when printing on the front side is completed (hereinafter, this case is referred to as being conveyed in the forward direction), the recording medium is conveyed from the upper left end of the sheet toward the lower right end of the sheet. When the transport direction is reversed by the forward / reverse switching mechanism 50 (hereinafter, this case is referred to as being transported in the reverse direction), the recording medium is directed from the lower right end portion on the paper surface toward the upper left end portion on the paper surface. Be transported.

  For this reason, when the recording medium is conveyed in the forward direction, the lower right side of the paper corresponds to the downstream side in the conveying direction, and when the recording medium is conveyed in the opposite direction, the upper left side of the paper is conveyed. This corresponds to the downstream side in the direction. Therefore, in the present embodiment, regardless of the conveyance direction of the recording medium, the portion of the second contact portion 42a on the downstream side in the conveyance direction substantially coincides with the first contact portion 41a when viewed from the width direction B. Become.

  By the way, as shown in FIG. 14, the first guide rib 41 is integrally formed with the upper cover 9 with resin, while the second guide rib 42 is resin-molded separately from the upper cover 9. The upper cover 9 is detachably assembled.

  In the present embodiment, the first guide rib 41, that is, the upper cover 9 is made of ABS (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene) or PS (polystyrene), and the second guide rib 42 is made of POM (polyacetal). The hardness of the second contact portion 42a is higher than the hardness of the first contact portion 41a.

  In the present embodiment, the second guide rib 42 is provided with a locking projection using elastic deformation such as a locking claw (not shown), and the locking hole in which the locking claw is locked to the upper cover 9. (Not shown), the second guide rib 42 is detachably assembled to the upper cover 9.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 2, a second paper discharge roller 43 is rotatably supported on the discharge portion 7 side of the second discharge chute 40, and the second paper discharge roller 43 and the second paper discharge roller 43 are supported. Conveyance roller means for conveying the recording medium is constituted by a forward / reverse switching mechanism 50 that rotationally drives the roller 43.

  That is, the second paper discharge roller 43 rotates while contacting the recording medium, thereby applying a conveying force to the recording medium. At this time, the second pinch roller 43b is disposed opposite to the second paper discharge roller 43 so as to sandwich the recording medium in cooperation with the second paper discharge roller 43 so that the conveyance force is surely applied to the recording medium. Thus, the contact surface pressure between the recording medium and the second paper discharge roller 43 is increased.

  Then, as shown in FIG. 14, the rotation shaft 43 a of the second paper discharge roller 43 is rotatably assembled to the upper cover 9 via a sliding bearing portion 42 b integrally formed of the same material as the second guide rib 42. It has been.

  Therefore, on the discharge portion 7 side of the second guide rib 42, as shown in FIG. 15, a slide bearing portion 42b having an open cross-sectional shape with a substantially C-shaped cross section is integrally formed, The upper cover 9 is formed with a recess 9b into which the sliding bearing portion 42b is fitted. The second guide rib 42 is assembled to the upper cover 9 in a state where the sliding bearing portion 42 b is fitted in the recess 9 b and positioned with respect to the upper cover 9.

2.5. Forward / reverse switching mechanism 2.5.1. General Structure of Forward / Reverse Switching Mechanism The forward / reverse switching mechanism 50 switches the direction of rotation of the second paper discharge roller 43, thereby discharging the recording medium conveyed from the first discharge chute 30 to the discharge unit 7 (discharge tray 5). ) Side and the case of transporting to the gap 40a (see FIG. 2) side.

  FIG. 16 shows the forward / reverse switching mechanism 50 when the second paper discharge roller 43 conveys the recording medium to the discharge unit 7 (hereinafter, this case is referred to as normal rotation of the second paper discharge roller 43). FIG. 17 shows the forward / reverse switching mechanism 50 when the second paper discharge roller 43 transports the recording medium toward the gap 40a (hereinafter, this case is referred to as reversing the second paper discharge roller 43). FIG.

  The forward / reverse switching mechanism 50 includes a plurality of gears 52a to 52a that transmit the rotational force generated by a drive source (not shown) such as an electric motor to the second paper discharge roller 43, as shown in FIG. 52h, a gear 52c (hereinafter, this gear 52c is referred to as a planetary gear 52c) is swung around a rotation center of a gear 52b (hereinafter, this gear 52b is referred to as a sun gear 52b), and a swing arm 53 is swung. Solenoid 54 that is an actuator for swinging the actuator, a link arm 55 that transmits the operation of the electromagnetic solenoid 54 to the swing arm 53, and a restoring force that returns the swing arm 53 to the forward rotation position (position shown in FIG. 16). Is provided with a restoring spring 56 or the like that acts on the swing arm 53.

2.5.2. Operation of the forward / reverse switching mechanism When the second paper discharge roller 43 is rotated forward, the energization of the electromagnetic solenoid 54 is interrupted, and the planetary gear 52c and the gear 52d are swung so as to mesh as shown in FIG. The moving arm 53 is operated. Thereby, the rotational force generated by the drive source is transmitted in the order of the gear 52a → the sun gear 52b → the planetary gear 52c → the gear 52d → the gear 52e → the second paper discharge roller 43.

  On the other hand, when the second paper discharge roller 43 is reversely rotated, the electromagnetic solenoid 54 is energized to operate the swing arm 53 so that the planetary gear 52c and the gear 52f mesh with each other as shown in FIG. Thus, the rotational force generated by the drive source is transmitted in the order of gear 52a → sun gear 52b → planet gear 52c → gear 52f → gear 52g → gear 52h → gear 52d → gear 52e → second paper discharge roller 43.

  Since the number of gears in the power transmission path from the drive side to the second paper discharge roller 43 is an odd number (three in this embodiment) between the forward rotation value and the reverse rotation time, the second The direction of rotation of the paper discharge roller 43 is reversed between forward rotation and reverse rotation.

2.4. 18 is a perspective view of the double-sided printing unit 60 as viewed from above, and FIG. 19 is an enlarged perspective view of the double-sided printing unit conveyance roller (first conveyance roller 62).

  As shown in FIG. 2, the duplex printing unit 60 is mounted between the image forming unit 10 and the paper feed tray 22 and constitutes a conveyance path for the recording medium whose conveyance direction is reversed by the forward / reverse switching mechanism 50. To do.

  The double-sided printing unit 60 has a plurality of guide ribs 61 formed in a protruding shape so as to extend in the conveyance direction (front-rear direction) of the recording medium, and the conveyance force to the recording medium by contacting the recording medium while rotating. The first to third conveying rollers 62 to 64 are provided.

  At this time, the first conveyance roller 62 is a surface that contacts the guide rib 61 of the recording medium, and contacts the recording medium at a substantially central portion in the width direction (left-right direction) of the recording medium, and the rotation shaft thereof is It is installed so as to be parallel to the width direction of the recording medium.

  On the other hand, the second conveyance roller 63 and the third conveyance roller 64 are surfaces of the recording medium opposite to the surfaces that contact the guide ribs 61 and are in contact with the recording medium on the width direction end side of the recording medium. At the same time, the rotation axis of the second conveying roller 63 and the third conveying roller 64 is inclined with respect to the width direction of the recording medium so that the direction of the conveying force is inclined in the width direction with respect to the conveying direction of the recording medium. It is installed to tilt.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 19, the pinch roller 65 that presses the recording medium against the first conveying roller 62 is rotatably assembled to a pinch roller holder 104 provided on the frame member 100 side. The rotation shaft 61a is a shaft that rotates the first transport roller 62.

In the duplex printing unit 60 having the above-described configuration, the recording medium is conveyed as follows.
That is, the recording medium conveyed to the double-sided printing unit 60 is first provided at a portion facing the second conveying roller 63 and the third conveying roller 64 and the slider portion 66 and the second conveying roller that are in surface contact with the recording medium. While being sandwiched between 63 and the third transport roller 64, the double-sided printing unit 60 is transported while being slightly inclined with respect to the transport direction (front-rear direction).

When the leading end side of the recording medium reaches the first conveyance roller 62, the recording medium is conveyed to the image forming unit 10 so as to be sandwiched between the first conveyance roller 62 and the pinch roller 65.
3. Features of Laser Printer According to Embodiment In the rear cover 3b according to the present embodiment, when the rear cover 3b is at a predetermined angle with respect to the first discharge chute 30, the arm portion 35 of the first discharge chute 30 performs the first rotation. Since the first displacement restricting protrusion 3e that restricts elastic deformation of a predetermined dimension or more in the axial direction (left-right direction) of the shaft 101 is provided, as described above, when the rear cover 3b is closed, the first displacement The arm portion 35 is restricted from being elastically deformed in the axial direction by the displacement restricting projection 3e. On the other hand, when the rear cover 3b is opened, the elastic deformation of the arm portion 35 is restricted by the first displacement restricting protrusion 3e. It will never be done.

  For this reason, when the rear cover 3b is closed, the first displacement regulating projection 3e restricts the arm portion 35 from being elastically deformed in the axial direction. The shaft hole 35a of the 1 discharge chute 30 and the first rotating shaft 101 of the frame member 100 are not disengaged, and the fitted state (engaged state) is maintained.

  On the other hand, in the state where the rear cover 3b is opened or the rear cover 3b is removed from the frame member 100, the elastic deformation of the arm portion 35 is not restricted by the first displacement restricting projection portion 3e. It can be easily elastically deformed.

  Therefore, the first discharge chute 30 is detached from the frame member 100 due to vibration during transportation, etc., while improving the ease of assembling the first discharge chute 30 to the frame member 100 by making the arm portion 35 easily elastically deformed. Can be prevented.

  Further, in the frame member 100, when the rear cover 3b is at a predetermined angle with respect to the frame member 100, the arm portion 3c of the rear cover 3b is elastically deformed by a predetermined dimension or more in the axial direction (left-right direction) of the second rotating shaft 102. Since the second displacement restricting protrusion 103 that restricts the movement is provided, as described above, the arm 3c is elastically deformed in the axial direction by the second displacement restricting protrusion 103 when the rear cover 3b is closed. On the other hand, in the state where the rear cover 3b is opened, the elastic deformation of the arm 3c is not restricted by the second displacement restricting protrusion 103.

  For this reason, when the rear cover 3b is closed, the arm portion 3c is restricted from being elastically deformed in the axial direction by the second displacement restricting protrusion 103. Therefore, even if vibration is applied from the outside, the rear cover is restricted. The fitting state (engaged state) is maintained without the shaft hole 3d of 3b and the second rotating shaft 102 of the frame member 100 being disengaged.

  On the other hand, in the state where the rear cover 3b is opened, the elastic deformation of the arm portion 3c is not restricted by the second displacement restricting protrusion 103, so that the arm portion 3c can be easily elastically deformed in the axial direction.

  Therefore, it is possible to prevent the rear cover 3b from being detached from the frame member 100 due to vibration during transportation or the like while improving the ease of assembling the rear cover 3b to the frame member 100 by making the arm 3c elastically deformable. .

  In the present embodiment, the first discharge chute 30 tends to rotate toward the driven gear 34c due to the chute rotation moment, so that the meshing state of the driven gear 34c and the drive gear 34d is released. Can be prevented in advance. Accordingly, the rotational force can be reliably transmitted from the drive side gear 34d to the driven side gear 34c, so that the recording medium can be reliably conveyed.

  Further, since it is possible to reliably prevent the meshing state between the driven gear 34c and the driving gear 34d from being released, it is possible to prevent the meshing state between the driven gear 34c and the driving gear 34d from being released. There is no need to provide a lock mechanism or the like or take measures to increase the holding force of the lock mechanism.

  Further, since the stopper 36 for preventing an excessive chute rotation moment from acting on the first discharge chute 30 is provided, the meshing pressure between the drive side gear 34d and the driven side gear 34c becomes excessively large. Can be prevented. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent the gear teeth from being worn at an early stage, and thus it is possible to prevent the durability of the drive side gear 34d and the driven side gear 34c from being deteriorated.

  By the way, the recording medium conveyed on the first discharge chute 30 is given conveyance force from the first paper discharge roller 34a, but the recording medium is sandwiched between the first paper discharge roller 34a and the first pinch roller 34b. In this case, the recording medium is often jammed while being sandwiched between the first paper discharge roller 34a and the first pinch roller 34b.

  In contrast, in the present embodiment, the first paper discharge roller 34a is provided on the first discharge chute 30, while the first pinch roller 34b is provided on the frame member 100 side. Even if the recording medium is jammed between the paper roller 34a and the first pinch roller 34b, if the first discharge chute 30 is rotated to open, the first paper discharge roller 34a is simultaneously moved to the first pinch. Since it is separated from the roller 34b, the jammed recording medium can be easily removed.

  By the way, as shown in FIG. 2, the recording medium transported by the duplex printing unit 60 is largely turned when the recording medium is ejected from the duplex printing unit 60. When ejected from the unit 60, a large conveyance resistance acts on the leading end side of the recording medium.

  For this reason, there is a high possibility that the recording medium will be greatly inclined when discharged from the duplex printing unit 60. When the recording medium is conveyed to the image forming unit 10 with a large inclination, the image cannot be accurately transferred to the recording medium.

  For this, the first conveyance roller 62 and the pinch are arranged so that the contact portion between the first conveyance roller 62 and the recording medium is symmetric with respect to the substantially center in the width direction of the recording medium (direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction). It is desirable to arrange the roller 65.

  Therefore, in the present embodiment, the first transport roller 62 and the pinch roller 65 are arranged at the substantially center in the width direction, thereby suppressing the number of the first transport roller 62 and the pinch roller 65 to a minimum, and the first transport roller. The contact portion between 62 and the recording medium is symmetrical with respect to the approximate center in the width direction of the recording medium.

Therefore, in the present embodiment, it is possible to reliably prevent the recording medium from being conveyed to the image forming unit 10 in an inclined state while suppressing an increase in the manufacturing cost of the leather printer 1.
By the way, if the first transport roller 62 is arranged at the approximate center in the width direction, it is needless to say that the pinch roller 65 needs to be arranged at the approximate center in the width direction.

  However, since the pinch roller 65 is disposed at a position facing the first conveyance roller 62 with the recording medium interposed therebetween, in order to provide the pinch roller 65 in the double-sided printing unit 60, the end portion in the width direction of the double-sided printing unit 60 is used. A beam-like arm extending from the center to the width direction is provided, and a pinch roller 65 must be attached to the arm.

  For this reason, if the 1st conveyance roller 62 is arrange | positioned in the approximate center, while the vertical dimension of the double-sided printing unit 60 expands, there exists a possibility of causing the manufacturing cost rise of the double-sided printing unit 60, ie, the leather printer 1. FIG.

  On the other hand, in this embodiment, since the pinch roller 65 is fixed to the frame member 100, the arm as described above is not required to arrange the pinch roller 65 at the substantially center in the width direction.

  Accordingly, the first transport roller 62 and the pinch roller 65 can be arranged at the substantially center in the width direction while preventing the double-sided printing unit 60 from expanding in the vertical direction and preventing the production cost of the leather printer 1 from increasing. As a result, it is possible to reliably prevent the recording medium from being conveyed to the image forming unit 10 while being inclined while suppressing an increase in the manufacturing cost of the leather printer 1.

4). Correspondence Relationship between Embodiments and Invention Specific Items In the present embodiment, the image forming unit 10 corresponds to the image forming unit described in the claims, and the frame member 100 corresponds to the frame member described in the claims. The first discharge chute 30 and the rear cover 3b correspond to the rotating member described in the claims.

  The arm portion 35 and the arm portion 3c correspond to the fitting portion described in the claims, and the first rotation shaft 101 and the second rotation shaft 102 correspond to the rotation shaft described in the claims. The shaft hole 35a and the shaft hole 3d correspond to the shaft holes recited in the claims.

  The arm portion 35 corresponds to the arm portion and the first arm portion described in the claims, the shaft hole 35a corresponds to the first shaft hole described in the claims, and the arm portion 3c corresponds to the patent. The arm portion and the second arm portion described in the claims correspond to each other, the shaft hole 3d corresponds to the second shaft hole described in the claims, and the first discharge chute 30 is described in the claims. The rear cover 3b corresponds to the second rotating member described in the claims.

  The first discharge chute 30 corresponds to the guide member described in the claims, the first discharge roller 34a corresponds to the transport roller described in the claims, and the stopper 36 corresponds to the claims. The first displacement restricting protrusion 3e corresponds to the restricting member and the first restricting member described in the claims, and the second displacement restricting protrusion 103 is in the claims. It corresponds to the described regulating member and second regulating member.

(Other embodiments)
In the above-described embodiment, the present invention is applied in order to maintain the fitting state of the first discharge chute 30 and the rear cover 3b. However, the application of the present invention is not limited to this, and other rotating members (open / close) It can also be applied to members.

  In the above-described embodiment, the first paper discharge roller 34a obtains the rotational force from the heating roller 91. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, obtains the rotational force from another drive roller. You may do it.

  In the above-described embodiment, the driving force of the heating roller 91 is transmitted to the first paper discharge roller 34a via a gear. However, the present invention is not limited to this, for example, instead of the gear. Further, a vehicle (tire) having a large friction coefficient such as rubber may be used for the outer peripheral surface, and the rotational force may be transmitted by a frictional force instead of the meshing of the gears.

  In the above-described embodiment, one first transport roller 62 is provided at the substantially center in the width direction. However, the contact portion between the first transport roller 62 and the recording medium may be symmetrical with respect to the center in the width direction. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the first conveying rollers 62 may be arranged on both ends in the width direction.

  Further, in the above-described embodiment, the shaft hole is provided in the arm part on the first discharge chute 30 and the rear cover 3b side, and the rotation shaft is provided on the frame member 100 side, but the present invention is not limited to this, On the contrary, a rotation shaft may be provided in the arm part on the first discharge chute 30 and the rear cover 3b side, and a shaft hole may be provided on the frame member 100 side.

  Moreover, in the above-mentioned embodiment, although the arm part was provided in the 1st discharge chute 30 and the rear cover 3b side, this invention is not limited to this, You may provide an arm part in the frame member 100 side.

  In the above-described embodiment, the present invention is applied to an image forming apparatus compatible with double-sided printing. However, the application of the present invention is not limited to this, and the present invention is also applied to an image forming apparatus compatible with single-sided printing. Can do.

  In the above-described embodiment, the image forming apparatus according to the present invention is applied to a laser printer. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and can be applied to, for example, a copying machine or an ink jet printer. .

  Further, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment as long as it matches the gist of the invention described in the claims.

1 is a perspective view showing an appearance of a laser printer according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a principal part sectional side view which shows the laser printer which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a disassembled perspective view of the 1st discharge chute concerning the embodiment of the present invention. It is a perspective view of the 1st discharge chute concerning an embodiment of the present invention. It is a perspective view of the 1st discharge chute concerning an embodiment of the present invention. It is a side view of the 1st discharge chute concerning an embodiment of the present invention. It is a front view which shows the state which assembled | attached the 1st discharge chute | shoot with the frame member which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is AA sectional drawing of FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the state which assembled | attached the 1st discharge chute | shoot with the frame member which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is A arrow directional view of FIG. It is a figure which shows the state which removed the frame member and the 1st discharge chute in FIG. It is a figure which shows the relationship between a rear cover and a 1st discharge chute when the rear cover which concerns on embodiment of this invention is opened. It is the perspective view which looked at FIG. 12 from the paper surface upper side. It is the perspective view which looked at the upper cover concerning the embodiment of the present invention from the 2nd discharge chute side. It is AA sectional drawing of FIG. It is a figure which shows the state which carries out the normal conveyance of the 2nd paper discharge roller in the normal / reverse switching mechanism which concerns on this embodiment. It is a figure which shows the state which reversely conveys the 2nd discharge roller in the normal / reverse switching mechanism which concerns on this embodiment. It is the perspective view which looked at the double-sided printing unit which concerns on embodiment of this invention from the upper side. It is an expansion perspective view of the conveyance roller (1st conveyance roller) part for double-sided printing units which concerns on embodiment of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Laser printer, 3 ... Housing | casing, 3a ... Opening part, 3b ... Rear cover, 3c ... Arm part,
3d ... shaft hole, 3e ... first displacement regulating projection, 5 ... discharge tray, 5a ... inclined surface,
7 ... Discharge unit, 9 ... Upper cover, 9b ... Concave portion, 10 ... Image forming unit, 20 ... Feeder unit,
21 ... paper feed tray, 22 ... paper feed tray, 22 ... paper feed roller, 25 ... paper dust removing roller,
26 ... opposite roller, 27 ... registration roller, 30 ... first discharge chute,
31 ... Front chute, 31a ... Front chute rib, 31a ... Rib,
31a ... extended chute rib, 31d ... positioning hole, 31e ... hole,
32 ... Outer chute, 32a ... Outer chute rib, 32b ... Locking hole,
32b ... 1st locking hole, 32c ... 2nd locking hole, 32d ... Projection part, 32e ... Hole,
34a: first paper discharge roller, 34b: first pinch roller, 34c: driven gear,
34d ... Drive-side gear, 35 ... Arm, 35a ... Rotating shaft, 35a ... Shaft hole,
36 ... stopper, 37 ... sensor actuator, 37a ... contact lever,
37b ... shielding lever, 38 ... optical sensor, 40 ... second discharge chute, 40a ... gap,
41 ... rib, 41 ... first guide rib, 41a ... tip, 41a ... first contact portion,
42 ... 1st guide rib 41 and 2nd guide rib, 42 ... 2nd guide rib, 42a ... tip,
42a ... second contact portion, 42b ... sliding bearing portion, 43 ... second discharge roller,
43a ... rotating shaft, 43b ... second pinch roller, 50 ... forward / reverse switching mechanism,
52a to 52h ... gear, 53 ... oscillating arm, 54 ... electromagnetic solenoid,
55 ... Link arm, 60 ... Double-sided printing unit, 61 ... Guide rib, 61a ... Rotating shaft,
62 ... 1st conveyance roller, 65 ... Pinch roller, 66 ... Slider part,
70: scanner unit, 80 ... process cartridge, 81 ... photosensitive drum,
81a ... drum body, 81b ... drum shaft, 82 ... charger, 83 ... transfer roller,
84: Development cartridge, 84a: Toner storage chamber, 84b: Toner supply roller,
84c ... developing roller, 84d ... layer thickness regulating blade, 90 ... fixing unit,
91 ... heating roller, 92 ... pressure roller, 100 ... frame member,
101 ... 1st rotating shaft, 102 ... 2nd rotating shaft, 103 ... 2nd displacement control protrusion part,
104: Pinch roller holder.

Claims (2)

Image forming means for forming an image on a recording medium;
A frame member holding the image forming means;
A first rotating member rotatably assembled to the frame member via an elastically deformable first arm,
A second rotating member rotatably assembled to the frame member via the second arm via an elastically deformable second arm;
One of the first arm part and the frame member is provided with a first rotation shaft, and the other is provided with a first shaft hole into which the first rotation shaft is inserted.
Either one of the second arm part and the frame member is provided with a second rotation shaft, and the other is provided with a second shaft hole into which the second rotation shaft is inserted,
Furthermore, when the second rotating member is in a predetermined position with respect to the first rotating member, the first arm portion is not less than a predetermined dimension in the axial direction of the first rotating shaft. An image forming apparatus comprising a first restricting member for restricting elastic deformation. The frame member restricts the second arm portion from being elastically deformed by a predetermined dimension or more in the axial direction of the second rotation shaft when the second arm portion is in a predetermined position with respect to the frame member. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a second regulating member is provided .

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