JP4365175B2 - Drawer unit and image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, a printer, a facsimile, and the like, and a slidable drawer unit used therefor.

  In an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, a unit related to transfer paper transport is provided as a means for improving operability when removing remaining paper in the case of a paper jam occurring in the transfer paper transport path. There is a way to improve the visibility and accessibility. Such mechanisms include a mechanism that allows the unit to be completely removed from the main body and can be remounted from that state, and a part of the mechanism that can be pulled out and remounted from there. A user or service person manually operates the operation lever to pull out or attach the unit to / from the main unit.

  However, as the operability is improved, a configuration in which a plurality of units are pulled out and the size of the drawer unit supporting the units is increased, the weight of the drawer unit increases accordingly. In that case, the malfunction which the operation force which attaches / detaches a drawer | drawing unit increases also generate | occur | produces. In particular, the sliding resistance when the drawer unit and the positioning parts of the main unit are fitted increases in proportion to the increase in weight, so that a greater amount of force is required when operating the drawer unit, impairing comfort. Cause it.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a means for comfortably attaching and removing a large-sized drawer unit by providing an assist mechanism that operates by operating a drawer operation lever.

The drawer unit according to claim 1 of the present invention is a drawer unit that is slidable in the front-rear direction with respect to the apparatus main body by a slide rail. The support lever shaft for performing the slide operation is provided with a front plate and a rear plate. A link mechanism is provided that penetrates the side plate and is slidable in the front-rear direction of the apparatus main body, and that operates in conjunction with the slide operation of the support shaft, and the link mechanism is rotated by the slide operation of the support shaft. And a lever that is pivotally supported with a middle portion of the lever as a fulcrum, and one end of the lever is linked to the support shaft, and the other end of the lever is connected to the housing of the apparatus main body or the housing An abutting member capable of abutting against a part of the parts constituting the above is provided.

  According to the second aspect of the present invention, in the drawer unit of the first aspect, the support shaft of the operation lever has an operation width that can slide in the front-rear direction of the apparatus main body.

Which according to the claim 3 is the drawer unit according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the lever of the link mechanism, one end which is the side that links to the support shaft with respect to said fulcrum, from the other end of the lever also wherein said such a portion as a fulcrum and set Rukoto to be longer.

The image forming apparatus according to the claim 4, characterized Rukoto includes a drawer unit according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

  The present invention does not require an extra operation, and can easily attach and detach the enlarged drawer unit.

  The best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described below with reference to the embodiments shown in the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a tandem type indirect transfer type copying apparatus to which the present invention is applied. In the figure, reference numeral 100 denotes a copying apparatus main body, 200 a paper feed table, 300 a scanner, and 400 an automatic document feeder (ADF). The copying apparatus main body 100 is placed on a paper feed table 200, a scanner 300 is mounted on the copying apparatus main body 100, and an ADF 400 is further mounted thereon.

  The copying machine main body 100 is provided with an endless belt-like intermediate transfer member 10 in the center and is wound around three support rollers 14, 15 and 16 so that it can be rotated and conveyed clockwise in the drawing. In this example, an intermediate transfer body cleaning device 17 for removing residual toner remaining on the intermediate transfer body 10 after image transfer is provided on the left side of the second support roller 15 among the three support rollers.

  Further, yellow, cyan along the transport direction of the intermediate transfer body 10 so as to be positioned on the intermediate transfer body 10 between the first support roller 14 and the second support roller 15 of the three support rollers. The tandem image forming device 20 is configured by arranging four image forming units 18 of magenta and black side by side. An exposure device 21 is provided above the tandem image forming device 20 as shown in the figure.

  On the other hand, a secondary transfer device 22 is provided on the opposite side of the tandem image forming device 20 with the intermediate transfer member 10 interposed therebetween. In the illustrated example, the secondary transfer device 22 is configured such that a secondary transfer belt 24, which is an endless belt, is stretched between two rollers 23, and is connected to the third support roller 16 via the intermediate transfer body 10. The secondary transfer belt 24 is disposed so as to be pressed against it, and the image on the intermediate transfer body 10 is transferred to a sheet as a transfer material.

  A fixing device 25 for fixing the transferred image on the sheet is provided beside the secondary transfer device 22. The fixing device 25 is configured by pressing a pressure roller 27 against a fixing belt 26 that is an endless belt. The secondary transfer device 22 described above has a sheet transport function for transporting the image-transferred sheet to the fixing device 25. Of course, a transfer roller or a non-contact charger may be arranged as the secondary transfer device 22, but in such a case, it is difficult to provide this sheet conveyance function together.

  In the example shown in the drawing, a sheet for reversing the sheet to record images on both sides of the sheet in parallel with the tandem image forming device 20 described above is provided below the secondary transfer device 22 and the fixing device 25. A reversing device 28 is provided.

  The operation when making a copy using this color electrophotographic apparatus will be described. The document is set on the document table 30 of the automatic document feeder 400, or the automatic document feeder 400 is opened and the document is set on the contact glass 32 of the scanner 300, and the automatic document feeder 400 is closed and pressed by it.

  When a start switch (not shown) is pressed, when a document is set on the automatic document feeder 400, the document is transported and moved onto the contact glass 32, and then the document is set on the other contact glass 32. When this happens, the scanner 300 is immediately driven to cause the first traveling body 33 and the second traveling body 34 to travel. Then, the first traveling body 33 emits light from the light source and further reflects the reflected light from the document surface toward the second traveling body 34, and is reflected by the mirror of the second traveling body 34 and passes through the imaging lens 35. The document is placed in the reading sensor 36 and the original content is read.

  When a start switch (not shown) is pressed, one of the support rollers 14, 15 and 16 is also rotated by a drive motor (not shown) and the other two support rollers are driven to rotate. 10 is rotated and conveyed. At the same time, the photoconductors 40 are rotated by the individual image forming means 18 to form black, yellow, magenta, and cyan monochrome images on the photoconductors 40, respectively. Then, along with the conveyance of the intermediate transfer member 10, the single color images are sequentially transferred to form a composite color image on the intermediate transfer member 10.

  On the other hand, when a start switch (not shown) is pressed, one of the paper feed rollers 42 of the paper feed table 200 is selected and rotated, and a sheet is fed out from one of the paper feed cassettes 44 provided in the paper bank 43 in multiple stages and separated. The paper is separated one by one by the roller 45 and put into the paper feed path 46, conveyed by the transport roller 47, led to the paper feed path 48 in the copying machine main body 100, abutted against the registration roller 49 and stopped. When paper is fed from the manual feed tray 51, the paper feed roller 50 is rotated to feed out the sheets on the manual feed tray 51, separated one by one by the separation roller 52 and put into the manual feed path 53. Stop by hitting.

  Then, the registration roller 49 is rotated in synchronization with the composite color image on the intermediate transfer member 10, the sheet is fed between the intermediate transfer member 10 and the secondary transfer device 22, and transferred by the secondary transfer device 22. A color image is recorded on the sheet.

  The sheet after the image transfer is conveyed by the secondary transfer device 22 and sent to the fixing device 25. The fixing device 25 applies heat and pressure to fix the transferred image, and then the switching roller 55 is used to switch the discharge image. The paper is discharged at 56 and stacked on the paper discharge tray 57. Alternatively, it is switched by the switching claw 55 and put into the sheet reversing device 28, where it is reversed and guided again to the transfer position, and an image is recorded also on the back surface, and then discharged onto the discharge tray 57 by the discharge roller 56.

  On the other hand, the intermediate transfer member 10 after the image transfer is removed by the intermediate transfer member cleaning device 17 to remove residual toner remaining on the intermediate transfer member 10 after the image transfer, so that the tandem image forming device 20 can prepare for another image formation. Here, the registration roller 49 is generally used while being grounded, but it is also possible to apply a bias in order to remove paper dust from the sheet.

  Next, the configuration of the drawer unit of the electrophotographic apparatus will be described. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the drawer unit 500 in a state where the exterior panel or the like of the copying apparatus main body 100 is not attached. In FIG. 2, the drawer unit 500 is configured so that it can be pulled out and stored with respect to the copying apparatus main body 100 by means of a right slide rail 501 and a left slide rail (not shown). Although the illustration of the slide rail left is omitted in FIG. 2, the slide rail is provided in parallel with the slide rail right 501 at a symmetrical position. The drawer unit 500 is provided with transfer paper conveyance-related units such as a registration roller pair 49, a secondary transfer device 22, a conveyance device 24, a fixing device 25, and a switching claw 55. By pulling out the drawer unit 500, a transfer paper conveyance path is provided. Is exposed.

  In addition, an operation lever 502 that is used when the drawer unit 500 is attached / detached is provided substantially at the center of the drawer unit 500. When the drawer unit 500 is set in the copying machine main body 100, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the fitting holes 504a and 504b provided in the drawer unit front plate 504 and the fitting holes provided in the rear plate 505 (FIG. (Not shown) and fitting pins 101a to 100d provided on the copying machine main body 100 are respectively positioned by fitting.

  Next, an assist mechanism for operating the drawer unit 500 will be described. 5, the support shaft 503 of the drawer operation lever 502 is provided so as to communicate the drawer unit front plate 504 and the rear plate 505, and a lock member 506 provided at the rear end is provided with a fitting hole ( The copying machine main body 100 and the drawer unit 500 are locked with respect to the attaching / detaching direction. Further, the operation lever support shaft 503 is configured to slide with a certain stroke in the front-rear direction with respect to the drawer unit 500.

  The link lever 507 provided in the drawer unit 500 rotates around the fulcrum 507a, the portion 507b on the operation lever support shaft 503 side slides the operation lever support shaft 503 toward the front of the drawing, and the operation lever support shaft 503 with respect to the projection 503a. The portion 507c on the opposite side rotates in the opposite direction, and a slide lever 508 that is rotatably attached to the end portion of the portion 507c by a pin 507d protrudes toward the rear side plate side of the apparatus main body 100 from the rear side plate 505. Operates to contact the side plate. That is, the operating point of the link 507 is a main body rear side plate (not shown), and the drawer unit 500 is pulled out by the reaction when the link 507 is operated and the tip of the slide lever 508 hits the main body rear side plate. It has become.

  If the arm ratio from the fulcrum 507a of the link 507 is the force point side: the action point side = 2: 1 (the force point side means the portion 507b side on the projection 503a side, and the action point side is the body rear plate of the copying apparatus main body 100. The operating force when the operation lever 502 is pulled out can be reduced to ½ of the pulling sliding resistance when the pulling unit 500 is pulled out. When the fitting holes 504a and 504b and the fitting pins 101a to 101d are disengaged, the sliding resistance at the time of pulling becomes light and becomes only the resistance of the slide rail 501 thereafter. Therefore, the operating distance of the action point of the link 507 is only required to be the fitting distance of the fitting holes 504a and 504b. In this case, the slide stroke of the operation lever support shaft 503 is naturally determined to be twice the fitting distance based on the arm ratio.

Schematic cross-sectional view of a tandem type indirect transfer type copying apparatus to which the present invention is applied The perspective view which shows the structure of the drawer unit in the state which has not attached the exterior panel etc. of the copying machine main body Perspective view of the drawer unit set in the copying machine body Perspective view of the drawer unit set in the copying machine body Perspective view of drawer unit Enlarged perspective view of the main part

Explanation of symbols

10: Intermediate transfer member 14, 15, 16: Support roller 17: Intermediate transfer member cleaning device 18: Image forming means 20: Tandem image forming device 21: Exposure device 22: Secondary transfer device 23: Roller 24: Secondary transfer belt 25: fixing device 26: fixing belt 27: pressure roller 28: sheet reversing device 30: document table 32: contact glass 33: first traveling body 34: second traveling body 35: imaging lens 36: reading sensor 40: photosensitive Body 42: paper feed roller 43: paper bank 44: paper feed cassette 45: separation roller 46: paper feed path 47: transport roller 48: paper feed path 49: registration roller 51: manual feed tray 50: paper feed roller 52: separation roller 53: Manual paper feed path 55: Switching claw 56: Ejection roller 57: Ejection tray 100: Copier main bodies 101a to 100d: Fitting pin 200: Paper feed tray Le 300: Scanner 400: an automatic document feeder (ADF)
500: Drawer unit 501: Right slide rail 502: Operation lever 504: Drawer unit front side plates 504a, 504b: Fitting hole 505: Rear side plate 503: Drawer operation lever support shaft 503a: Same projection 506: Lock member 507: Link Lever 507a: same fulcrum 507b: part 507c on the same lever side of the operating lever 507c: part 507d on the opposite side of the same lever lever 508: same pin 508: slide lever

Claims (4)

In the drawer unit that can be slidable in the front-rear direction with respect to the device body by the slide rail,
A support shaft of the operation lever for performing the sliding operation is provided so as to be slidable in the front-rear direction of the apparatus main body through the front side plate and the rear side plate,
A link mechanism that operates in conjunction with the sliding movement of the support shaft,
The link mechanism includes a lever that is rotated by a sliding motion of the support shaft,
While supporting the middle part of the lever so as to be pivotable,
One end of the lever is linked to the support shaft,
A drawer unit, wherein a contact member capable of contacting the housing of the apparatus main body or a part of a part forming the housing is provided at the other end of the lever . 2. The drawer unit according to claim 1, wherein a support shaft of the operation lever has an operation width that can slide in a front-rear direction of the apparatus main body. The drawer unit according to claim 1 or 2,
The lever of the link mechanism, one end which is the side that links to the support shaft with respect to the fulcrum, the Rukoto such a portion serving as the fulcrum so as to be longer than the other side to set the lever Characteristic drawer unit. An image forming apparatus comprising Rukoto includes a drawer unit according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

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