JP5773860B2 - Sheet conveying apparatus and image forming apparatus provided with the same - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a sheet conveying apparatus that can be attached to and detached from an image forming apparatus, and in particular, a sheet conveying apparatus that includes a conveyance guide member that smoothly guides a sheet discharged from the sheet conveying apparatus to the inside of the image forming apparatus, and the same. The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus.

  Conventional image forming apparatuses such as copiers and printers are provided with one or a plurality of paper feed cassettes. This paper feed cassette is integrally provided at the lower part of the image forming apparatus, and the paper feed cassette arranged at the bottom constitutes the bottom of the image forming apparatus. The paper feeding cassette feeds printing paper to the image forming unit when a printing instruction is input to the image forming apparatus, and includes a sheet storage unit that stores a plurality of printing papers, and a printing paper from the sheet storage unit. And a feeding means for feeding the sheet to a conveyance path extending to the image forming unit. In this type of image forming apparatus, in consideration of user convenience, for example, an image forming apparatus in which two paper feed cassettes are provided in two upper and lower stages is used as a base unit, and an optional unit can be attached to and detached from the base unit. A paper cassette (hereinafter referred to as “option cassette”) is prepared. Therefore, when two paper cassettes are sufficient, the user can obtain a compact image forming apparatus by purchasing only the base unit. On the other hand, if two paper cassettes are not enough, the user can add additional paper cassettes by purchasing and installing the required number of optional cassettes in addition to the base unit. Can be obtained.

  The option cassette is connected to the bottom of the lowermost paper feed cassette (that is, the bottom of the image forming apparatus) in relation to the layout of the transport path of the printing paper and the feeding means. For this reason, the option cassettes are stacked in the vertical direction together with the two paper feed cassettes of the base unit. When the option cassette is connected to the bottom of the image forming apparatus, the transport path in the option cassette and the transport path in the image forming apparatus are aligned, and the transport path from the lowest option cassette to the image forming section Is formed. A gap is formed between the option cassette and the image forming apparatus, and the conveyance path is physically divided between the option cassette and the image forming apparatus. Conventionally, an option cassette is provided with a conveyance guide member disposed in the gap so that printing paper can be smoothly conveyed through such a gap (see Patent Document 1). Note that the paper conveyance device of Patent Document 1 corresponds to the option cassette, and the relay paper guide corresponds to the conveyance guide member.

JP-A-1-92147

  According to the above-mentioned Patent Document 1, the transport guide member protrudes upward from the upper surface of the option cassette when no external force is applied, and retracts into the option cassette when a downward external force is applied. It is configured as follows. As a result, even if the image forming apparatus and the option cassette are connected in a misaligned state, the conveyance guide member is buried in the option cassette, so that the conveyance guide member is prevented from being damaged. However, not only a downward force is applied to the conveyance guide member, but the side surface of the conveyance guide member is used in various situations such as when the image forming apparatus is connected to the option cassette or when the option cassette is conveyed. A lateral external force may be applied. For example, when an operator moves the image forming apparatus in the horizontal direction to lift the image forming apparatus while searching for the connection position, a horizontal force may be applied to the conveyance guide member. When such a lateral external force is applied, the conveyance guide member may bend and possibly bend. If the conveyance guide member is curved, even if the image forming apparatus and the optional cassette are accurately aligned, the conveyance guide member may not be aligned with the conveyance path on the image forming apparatus side, and the conveyance guide member may be damaged in some cases. is there.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a sheet conveying apparatus that can prevent the conveyance guide member from being damaged and can convey the sheet smoothly to the image forming apparatus, and the sheet conveying apparatus. Another object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus.

(1) The present invention is a detachable sheet conveying apparatus at the lower part of the image forming apparatus, which has a sheet conveying path that reaches a connecting surface connected to the bottom surface of the image forming apparatus, and an input unit to which an external force is applied. And a link member capable of changing an attitude between a first attitude in which the input section protrudes above the connection surface and a second attitude arranged below the position of the input section in the first attitude. And a third posture that is coupled to the link member and that immerses below the coupling surface, and a fourth posture that projects upward from the coupling surface and extends the sheet conveying path upward. And an urging means for urging the conveyance guide member toward the third posture side. In the sheet conveying apparatus, the conveyance guide member maintains the third attitude when the link member is in the first attitude, and the conveyance guide member is the first when the link member is in the second attitude. It is configured to maintain four postures.

  In a state where the sheet conveying apparatus of the present invention is not mounted on the image forming apparatus, the conveying guide member is maintained in a third posture so as to be immersed below the connecting surface by the urging unit. At this time, the link member maintains a first posture in which the input portion protrudes upward from the connection surface. On the other hand, when the sheet conveying apparatus is attached to the image forming apparatus, since the sheet conveying apparatus is attached to the lower part of the image forming apparatus, the operator lifts the image forming apparatus and places the image on the connection surface on the upper surface of the sheet conveying apparatus. Connect with the forming device in place. At this time, the lower part of the image forming apparatus comes into contact with the input part protruding from the connection surface, and presses the input part downward. As a result, the input unit moves downward against the urging force of the urging means, and the link member assumes the second posture. As the link member changes its posture from the first posture to the second posture, the conveyance guide member changes from the third posture to the fourth posture, and as a result, the sheet conveyance path is expanded upward by the conveyance guide member. With this configuration, when the image forming apparatus is connected to the sheet conveying apparatus, the conveyance guide member is prevented from being damaged due to contact with the image forming apparatus.

(2) The link member is formed in an arm shape that can rotate around a support shaft provided below the connection surface. The link member is provided with the input portion at a first end extending from the support shaft to one side, and a connecting portion with the transport guide member at a second end extending from the support shaft to the other side. .

  Thereby, the conveyance guide member moves between the third posture and the fourth posture in conjunction with the movement of the link member.

(3) The conveyance guide member includes a pair of plate-like members that are arranged to face each other and are supported so as to be movable between the third posture and the fourth posture, and each plate-like member is connected to the connection member. It is connected to the part.

  Accordingly, the conveyance path extended between the sheet conveyance apparatus and the image forming apparatus can smoothly guide both sides of the sheet to be passed upward.

(4) In the sheet conveying apparatus of the present invention, a protruding positioning member that determines a mounting position of the image forming apparatus on the connection surface is provided on the connection surface. In this case, the protruding height of the input portion in the first posture is lower than the protruding height of the positioning member.

  When the image forming apparatus is lifted and connected to the connection surface of the sheet conveying apparatus, the operator aligns the connection positions of the image forming apparatus and the sheet conveying apparatus with reference to the positioning member. When the input unit is lower than the positioning member, first, the bottom surface of the image forming apparatus abuts on the positioning member, and after the alignment, the bottom surface of the image forming apparatus abuts on the input unit. Accordingly, when the image forming apparatus and the sheet conveying apparatus are misaligned, the input unit is not pressed, so that the conveyance guide member does not protrude upward from the connection surface by mistake. For this reason, the conveyance guide member is prevented from being damaged due to contact with the image forming apparatus.

(5) The present invention can also be understood as an image forming apparatus including the sheet conveying device described above.

  According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a sheet conveying apparatus detachably attached to the image forming apparatus, wherein the sheet conveying path reaches a connecting surface connected to a bottom surface of the image forming apparatus, and a third is immersed below the connecting surface. A conveyance guide member that is movable between a posture and a fourth posture that protrudes upward from the connection surface and extends the sheet conveyance path upward; and the conveyance guide member that has been moved to the fourth posture. Holding means for holding in the state of the fourth posture.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to prevent the conveyance guide member from being damaged, such as bending or breakage, and to smoothly convey the sheet to the image forming apparatus.

1 is a front view illustrating a schematic configuration of a multifunction machine 10 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. It is a fragmentary sectional view of the front view which shows the internal structure of the principal part A in FIG. FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating a configuration of a sheet feeding device 17 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. 4 is a partial perspective view illustrating configurations of a side cover 42 and a guide expansion mechanism 50 of the sheet feeding device 17. FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustrating a configuration of a guide expansion mechanism 50 of the paper feeding device 17. FIG. FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view illustrating a configuration of a guide extension mechanism 50 of the paper feeding device 17. It is the elements on larger scale of the principal part B and the principal part C in FIG. It is sectional drawing which shows the cross-section of the cut surface DD in FIG. 3, and the cut surface EE. It is the elements on larger scale of the principal part F and the principal part G in FIG. FIG. 9 is a partial enlarged view of the main part F and the main part G in FIG. 8 when an external force is applied to the guide expansion mechanism 50. It is a perspective view which shows the structure of the paper feeder 90 which concerns on 2nd Embodiment of this invention. 6 is an exploded perspective view illustrating a configuration of a guide extension mechanism 92 of the paper feeding device 90. FIG. FIG. 12 is a partially enlarged view of a main part H in FIG. 11, showing a fixing structure of the guide expansion mechanism 92.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings as appropriate. In addition, each embodiment described below is only an example that embodies the present invention, and each embodiment can be changed without departing from the gist of the present invention.

<< First Embodiment >>
Hereinafter, a sheet feeding device 17 (an example of a sheet conveying device of the present invention) and a multifunction machine 10 (an example of an image forming device of the present invention) including the sheet feeding device 17 according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described.

[Multifunction machine 10]
The multifunction machine 10 is an image forming apparatus having various functions such as a printer, a copier, and a facsimile machine, and print paper (an example of the sheet of the present invention) using a printing material such as toner based on input image data. ). As shown in FIG. 1, the multifunction machine 10 is provided with a scanner 12 for reading an image of a document at the top and an electrophotographic image forming section 14 at the bottom. The image forming unit 14 includes a sheet feeding device 16 in which sheet feeding trays 21A and 22B are arranged in two upper and lower stages. In addition, a conveying unit (not shown), a transfer device, a fixing device, and a control unit that controls these units. It has. The multifunction machine 10 further includes a paper feeding device 17 connected as an optional device to the bottom of the image forming unit 14. Similarly to the paper feeding device 16, the paper feeding device 17 also has paper feeding trays 22 </ b> A and 22 </ b> B arranged in two upper and lower stages.

  When a print instruction is input to the multifunction device 10 together with image data to be printed, printing paper of a predetermined size is fed from one of the paper feed trays. The fed printing paper is conveyed to the transfer device, and a toner image corresponding to the image data is formed on the printing paper. Thereafter, toner is welded by the fixing device, and an image is printed on printing paper. The printing paper on which the image is printed is discharged from the image forming unit 14 to the paper discharge unit 19. Note that the present invention is not limited to the multifunction machine 10 and can be applied to a dedicated machine such as a printer, a copying machine, or a facsimile machine.

[Paper Feeder 16]
As shown in FIG. 2, the paper feeding device 16 is provided with feeding means 25 (25A, 25B) provided with a feeding roller 24 that takes out printing paper from each of the paper feeding trays 21A, 21B and feeds it. It has been. The feeding means 25A feeds printing paper stored in the upper paper feed tray 21A, and the feeding means 25B feeds printing paper contained in the lower paper feeding tray 21B. is there.

  A linear first conveyance path 29 extending vertically upward from an opening 27 formed in the bottom surface 26 of the image forming unit 14 is formed inside the paper feeding device 16. That is, the lower end of the first transport path 29 is the opening 27. A side cover 32 is attached to one side surface of the sheet feeding device 16 (right side surface as viewed from the front in this embodiment), and the inner side surface of the side cover 32 is the outer guide surface 29A of the first conveyance path 29. It is. The side cover 32 is configured to be openable and closable with the lower end portion of the side cover 32 as a rotation fulcrum with respect to the paper feeding device 16 so that the printing paper jammed in the first conveyance path 29 can be removed. Two transport rollers 30 </ b> A and 30 </ b> B are provided in the first transport path 29. In the first conveyance path 29, the conveyance roller 30A is disposed on the upper side, and the conveyance roller 30B is disposed on the lower side. Feeding paths 31A and 31B are formed from the sheet feeding trays 21A and 21B toward the first transport path 29, respectively. The printing paper fed by the feeding means 25A and 25B is conveyed to the first conveying path 29 through the feeding paths 31A and 31B, and further conveyed upward by the conveying roller 30A. The transport roller 30 </ b> B is used when transporting a printing sheet transported from a sheet feeding device 17 described later upward.

[Paper Feeder 17]
The sheet feeding device 17 is detachable from the lower part of the multifunction machine 10 and is used by being connected to the bottom surface 26 of the image forming unit 14. 1 and 2 show a state in which the paper feeding device 17 is connected to the bottom surface 26 of the image forming unit 14, that is, the lower side of the paper feeding device 17. FIG. It is shown.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the paper feeding device 17 is provided with feeding means 35 (35 </ b> A, 35 </ b> B) including a feeding roller 34 that takes out printing paper from each of the paper feeding trays 22 </ b> A, 22 </ b> B and feeds it. It has been. The feeding means 35A feeds printing paper stored in the upper paper feed tray 22A, and the feeding means 35B feeds printing paper stored in the lower paper feed tray 22B. is there.

  A second conveyance path 39 (an example of the sheet conveyance path of the present invention) extending in the vertical direction is formed inside the sheet feeding device 17. A side cover 42 is attached to one side surface of the sheet feeding device 17 (right side surface as viewed from the front in this embodiment), and the inner side surface of the side cover 42 is the outer guide surface 39A of the second conveyance path 39. It is. The side cover 42 is configured to be openable and closable with the lower end portion of the side cover 42 as a rotation fulcrum with respect to the paper feeding device 17 so that the printing paper jammed in the second conveyance path 39 can be removed.

  The upper end of the second transport path 39 reaches the upper surface of the paper feeding device 17, in other words, the connecting surface 36 (see FIGS. 2 and 3) to which the image forming unit 14 is connected. The second transport path 39 is opened upward from an opening 37 formed in the connecting surface 36. That is, the upper end of the second transport path 39 is the opening 37. In the present embodiment, in a state where the paper feeding device 17 is mounted on the image forming unit 14, the opening 37 of the connecting surface 36 and the opening 27 of the bottom surface 26 are aligned so as to face each other. A feeding path 41 </ b> B is formed from the lower sheet feeding tray 22 </ b> B toward the second conveyance path 39. In addition, a feeding path 41 </ b> A is formed from the upper sheet feeding tray 22 </ b> A toward the second transport path 39. The feeding path 41 </ b> A extends obliquely upward and joins the second transport path 39 at the opening 27 of the connecting surface 36. That is, the confluence portion between the feeding path 41 </ b> A and the second transport path 39 is the opening 27.

  One transport roller 40 is provided in the second transport path 39. The printing paper fed from the paper feed tray 22A by the feeding means 35A passes through the feeding path 41A and is conveyed to the opening 37 that is a junction with the second conveying path 39. Further, the printing paper fed from the paper feed tray 22B by the feeding means 35B is conveyed to the second conveying path 39 through the feeding path 41B, and further conveyed toward the upper opening 37 by the conveying roller 40. Is done. Then, the printing paper that has reached the opening 37 enters the opening 27 from the opening 37 and moves from the second conveyance path 39 of the paper feeding device 17 to the first conveyance path 29 of the paper feeding device 16, and the conveyance roller 30 </ b> B and the conveyance. The roller 30 </ b> A is further conveyed upward in the paper feeding device 16.

  As shown in FIG. 3, two protrusions 44 </ b> A and 44 </ b> B (an example of the positioning member of the present invention) are provided on the connecting surface 36 of the sheet feeding device 17. The protrusions 44 </ b> A and 44 </ b> B are for positioning the image forming unit 14 and the sheet feeding device 17 so as to be mounted at predetermined connection positions when the image forming unit 14 is connected to the connection surface 36. , Projecting upward from the connecting surface 36. Although not shown, the bottom surface of the image forming unit 14 is formed with two insertion holes into which the protrusions 44A and 44B are inserted. By inserting the protrusions 44A and 44B into these insertion holes, the connecting surface 36 is formed. The image forming unit 14 is aligned with the correct mounting position. In the present embodiment, the protrusions 44A and 44B are arranged on the back side of the sheet feeding device 17, and in particular, the protrusion 44A is in the vicinity of an input portion 77 of a link lever 58 described later provided on the back side of the feeding device 17. Is arranged.

[Guide expansion mechanism 50]
As shown in FIG. 3, the paper feeding device 17 includes a guide expansion mechanism 50. When the image forming unit 14 is connected to the connecting surface 36 of the paper feeding device 17, the guide expansion mechanism 50 is provided between the bottom surface 26 (see FIG. 2) of the image forming unit 14 and the connecting surface 36 of the paper feeding device 17. In addition, guide plates 55 and 56 (see FIG. 4) for guiding printing paper from the second transport path 39 to the first transport path 29 are arranged. 2 does not show the guide expansion mechanism 50 for convenience of explanation. Hereinafter, the guide extension mechanism 50 will be described in detail.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the guide expansion mechanism 50 is provided in the vicinity of the opening 37 in the paper feeding device 17. The opening 37 is formed in a rectangular shape that is long in the depth direction 7 of the sheet feeding device 17, and a guide expansion mechanism 50 is provided below the opening 37. As shown in FIG. 4, the guide expansion mechanism 50 is connected to two link levers 58 (an example of the link member of the present invention) supported by a frame (not shown) of the sheet feeding device 17 and the like, and the link lever 58. The guide member 54 (an example of the conveyance guide member of the present invention) and a support member 60 are provided. These are all formed by injection molding a synthetic resin.

  As shown in FIGS. 4 to 6, the guide member 54 has two guide plates 55 and 56 (an example of the plate member of the present invention) formed in a thin plate shape that is long in the depth direction 7. The two guide plates 55 and 56 are disposed so as to face each other. The guide plate 55 is disposed closer to the side cover 42 than the guide plate 56. As shown in FIG. 6, support shafts 62 are provided at both ends in the longitudinal direction of the guide plate 55. Support shafts 63 are also provided at both ends in the longitudinal direction of the guide member 56. When these support shafts 62 and 63 are inserted into and supported by support grooves 66 and 67 of the support member 60 to be described later, the guide member 54 has a third posture (the upper end of the guide member 54 is recessed below the connecting surface 36) ( The posture shown in FIG. 9 (corresponding to the third posture of the present invention) and the fourth posture (FIG. 10) in which the upper end protrudes upward from the connecting surface 36 and forms a conveyance path in the portion from the opening 37 to the opening 27. , Which corresponds to the fourth posture of the present invention).

  As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the two link levers 58 are each formed in an arm shape. These link levers 58 are arranged outside both ends of the guide member 54 in the longitudinal direction. As shown in FIG. 6, the link lever 58 is attached to a support plate 70 fixed to a frame (not shown) of the paper feeding device 17. The support plate 70 is located below the connecting surface 36, that is, provided inside the paper feeding device 17. The support plate 70 is disposed on the opposite side of the side cover 42 from the guide plate 56 so as to be along the longitudinal direction of the guide plates 55 and 56. Support shafts 72 are provided at both ends of the support plate 70. The support shaft 72 is inserted into a bearing hole 74 formed in the link lever 58. As a result, the link lever 58 can rotate about the support shaft 72.

  The link lever 58 includes a connecting portion 76 (an example of the connecting portion of the present invention) closer to the side cover 42 than the bearing hole 74 and an input portion 77 (an input of the present invention) on the opposite side of the side cover 42 from the bearing hole 74. Part). The input unit 77 is a portion to which an external force is input. Specifically, when the image forming unit 14 is connected to the connecting surface 36, the input unit 77 contacts the bottom surface 26 and receives a downward force from the image forming unit 14. Part. In the present embodiment, the link lever 58 is rotatably supported by the support shaft 72, so that the link lever 58 has a first posture in which the input portion 77 protrudes above the connecting surface 36 (FIGS. 7 and 9). And the second posture in which the input unit 77 is immersed below the connecting surface 36 (the posture shown in FIG. 10 and corresponds to the second posture of the present invention). Can be rotated between the two. In the second posture, the input unit 77 does not necessarily have to be immersed below the connection surface 36, and the input unit 77 is disposed at a position defined below the position of the input unit 77 in the first posture. It may be done.

  When the link lever 58 is in the first posture, the input portion 77 protrudes upward from the connecting surface 36. As shown in FIG. 7, the protruding height of the input portion 77 is provided on the connecting surface 36. It is lower than the protruding height of the projections 44A, 44B. Therefore, the image forming unit 14 does not come into contact with the input unit of the link lever 58 in the work process in which the image forming unit 14 is coupled to the coupling surface 36.

  The guide plates 55 and 56 are connected to the connecting portion 76 of the link lever 58. A through hole 79 through which the support shaft 62 of the guide plate 55 can be inserted and a through hole 80 through which the support shaft 63 of the guide plate 56 can be inserted are formed in the connecting portion 76. The support shaft 62 is inserted into the through hole 79 and the support shaft 63 is inserted into the through hole 80, whereby the guide plates 55 and 56 are connected to the connecting portion 76.

  The support member 60 is fixed to a frame (not shown) of the paper feeding device 17. The support member 60 has a support groove 66 for supporting the support shaft 62 of the guide plate 55 so as to be movable in the vertical direction, and a support groove 67 for supporting the support shaft 63 of the guide plate 56 so as to be movable in the obliquely up-down direction. And have. The support groove 66 is formed long in the vertical direction, and the guide plate 56 can move in the vertical direction by the length. Further, the support groove 67 is formed to be long in the diagonally up and down direction, and the guide plate 56 can move in the same direction by the length.

  In the present embodiment, the support shaft 62 of the guide plate 55 is inserted into the through hole 79, the support shaft 63 of the guide plate 56 is inserted into the through hole 80, and then each support shaft 62, 63 further supports the support member 60. It is inserted into the grooves 66 and 67 and supported. In this state, the link lever 58 is attached so as to be substantially horizontal. However, since the connecting portion 76 is formed longer than the input portion 77 and the guide plates 55 and 56 are supported by the connecting portion 76 so as to be movable in the vertical direction, a downward external force is applied to the input portion 77. In a state where it is not applied, the connecting portion 76 is urged downward by the weight of the connecting portion 76 and the guide plates 55 and 56. That is, the guide plates 55 and 56 are biased toward the third posture (posture shown in FIG. 9). In order to obtain such an urging force, setting the weight balance so that the load on the connecting portion 76 side is heavier than the input portion 77 of the link lever 58 corresponds to the urging means of the present invention. As another example of the urging means, an elastic member such as a spring that elastically urges the guide plates 55 and 56 toward the third posture can be used instead of the above-described weight balance. When such an elastic member is applied, for example, the guide plates 55 and 56 may be urged to the third posture side by an elastic member, or by urging the connecting portion 76 downward by the elastic member. The guide plates 55 and 56 may be indirectly urged toward the third posture side.

  Since the guide expansion mechanism 50 is configured as described above, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, when the image forming unit 14 is not coupled, the weight of the coupling unit 76 and the guide plates 55 and 56 is reduced. When the connecting portion 76 is lowered, the guide plates 55 and 56 maintain the third posture (posture shown in FIG. 9). At this time, the link lever 58 maintains the first posture (the posture shown in FIGS. 7 and 9) in which the input portion 77 protrudes upward from the connecting surface 36.

  On the other hand, when the image forming unit 14 is connected to the connecting surface 36 of the paper feeding device 17, the operator lifts the image forming unit 14 to mount the image forming unit 14 on the connecting surface 36 of the paper feeding device 17. Then, the image forming unit 14 is connected to the connecting surface 36 of the paper feeding device 17 so as to be connected. At this time, as shown in FIG. 10, the bottom surface 26 of the image forming unit 14 comes into contact with the input unit 77 protruding from the coupling surface 36 and presses the input unit 77 downward. As a result, the input portion 77 moves downward against the downward biasing force of the connecting portion 76. For this reason, the link lever 58 is in the second posture (the posture shown in FIG. 10) in which the input portion 77 is immersed below the connection surface 36.

  In conjunction with such a change in the posture of the link lever 58 from the first posture to the second posture, the connecting portion 76 is lifted upward. As a result, the guide plates 55 and 56 change from the third posture to the fourth posture (posture shown in FIG. 10). As a result, the guide plates 55 and 56 protrude from the opening 37, protrude above the connecting surface 36, enter the first conveyance path 29 from the opening 27, and connect the bottom surface 26 of the image forming unit 14 and the paper feeding device 17. A conveyance path that fills a gap or a step with respect to the surface 36 is formed by the guide plates 55 and 56. Thus, since the guide plates 55 and 56 protrude from the connection surface 36 only after the image forming unit 14 is connected to the connecting surface 36, the image forming unit 14 is connected when the image forming unit 14 is connected to the paper feeding device 17. The guide plates 55 and 56 are prevented from being damaged by the contact 14.

  In the present embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the two link levers 58 are respectively disposed outside the longitudinal ends of the guide plates 55 and 56, and the two link levers 58. Thus, both ends in the longitudinal direction of the guide plates 55 and 56 are supported. Therefore, the guide plates 55 and 56 can be smoothly moved between the third posture and the fourth posture without bending or inclining the guide plates 55 and 56 that are long in the depth direction 7. .

  When the image forming unit 14 is lifted and coupled to the coupling surface 36 of the paper feeding device 17, the operator aligns the coupling position between the image forming unit 14 and the paper feeding device 17 with reference to the protrusions 44 </ b> A and 44 </ b> B. In this embodiment, since the input unit 77 is lower than the protrusions 44A and 44B, the bottom surface 26 of the image forming unit 14 abuts the protrusions 44A and 44B and is aligned, and then the bottom surface 26 of the image forming unit 14 is aligned with the input unit 77. Abut. Therefore, when the image forming unit 14 and the sheet feeding device 17 are misaligned, the projections 44A and 44B are not inserted into the insertion holes of the bottom surface 26, and the input unit 77 is not pressed downward. . Therefore, the guide plates 55 and 56 do not protrude upward from the connection surface 36 when the image forming unit 14 and the paper feeding device 17 are not connected. For this reason, damage to the guide plates 55 and 56 due to contact with the image forming unit 14 is prevented.

  In the above-described embodiment, an example having the guide plate 55 and the guide plate 56 is illustrated as an example of the guide member 54. However, for example, the guide member 54 includes only one of the guide plate 55 and the guide plate 56. You may have.

  In the above-described embodiment, as an example of the link member of the present invention, the configuration in which the guide plates 55 and 56 move in conjunction with the posture change of the link lever 58 has been illustrated. An operating part (corresponding to the input part of the present invention) that can be projected and retracted with respect to the surface 36 is provided, and when this operating part is pressed downward, an electric part such as a solenoid built in the paper feeding device 17 operates. It is also possible to adopt a configuration in which the guide member 54 is changed from the third posture to the fourth posture.

<< Second Embodiment >>
Next, a paper feeding device 90 (an example of a sheet conveying device) according to the second embodiment of the present invention will be described. Note that the paper feeding device 90 is different from the paper feeding device 17 of the first embodiment described above in that a guide expansion mechanism 92 is provided instead of the guide expansion mechanism 50, and other configurations are the same as those described above. This is the same as that of the paper feeder 17. Therefore, a detailed description of the configuration common to the sheet feeding device 17 is omitted here.

  FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the sheet feeding device 90 and shows a state in which the side cover 42 is removed. As shown in the figure, a guide expansion mechanism 92 is provided inside the paper feeding device 90. As shown in FIG. 12, the guide extension mechanism 92 includes a guide plate 93 (an example of a conveyance guide member) formed in a thin plate shape that is long in the depth direction 7. Support shafts 94 are provided at both ends of the guide plate 93 in the longitudinal direction. Two support members 95 (see FIG. 13) for supporting the support shaft 94 are provided on the frame or the like of the paper feeding device 90. The support member 95 is formed with a support groove 96 that is long in the vertical direction. A support shaft 94 is inserted into the support groove 96 and supported. Accordingly, the guide plate 93 is supported by the support member 95 so as to be movable in the vertical direction. In the present embodiment, the guide plate 93 protrudes upward from the opening 37 through the third posture (the posture shown in FIG. 13A) that immerses below the connecting surface 36 and from the connecting surface 36. 14 and a fourth posture (the posture shown in FIG. 13B) that forms a conveyance path with the bottom surface.

  As shown in FIG. 12, the guide extension mechanism 92 includes a screw 97 (an example of a holding unit) that fixes the position of the guide plate 93. The guide plate 93 is provided with a through hole 98 through which the screw 97 is inserted, and the support member 95 is formed with a screw hole 99 into which the screw 97 is screwed. In the present embodiment, when the guide plate 93 changes from the third posture (the posture shown in FIG. 13A) to the fourth posture (the posture shown in FIG. 13B), The through-hole 98 arranged on the outer side coincides therewith. In this state, the guide plate 93 and the support member 95 are screwed together by screwing the screw 97 into the screw hole 99 through the through hole 98. Thereby, the guide plate 93 maintains the state of the fourth posture.

  With this configuration, also in the paper feeding device 90 of the second embodiment, the guide plate 93 is moved from the third posture to the fourth posture after the image forming unit 14 is connected to the connecting surface 36 of the paper feeding device 90. Can be moved to. Therefore, the guide plate 93 does not protrude upward from the connection surface 36 when the image forming unit 14 and the paper feeding device 90 are not connected. Therefore, damage to the guide plate 93 due to contact with the image forming unit 14 is prevented.

10: MFP 14: image forming unit 16: paper feeding device 17: paper feeding device 29: first transport path 32: side cover 36: connecting surface 39: second transport path 42: side cover 44: protrusion 50: guide extension Mechanism 54: Guide members 55, 56: Guide plate 58: Link lever 60: Support member 72: Support shaft 76: Connecting portion 77: Input portion 90: Paper feeder 92: Guide expansion mechanism

Claims (4)

A sheet conveying apparatus that can be attached to and detached from the lower part of the image forming apparatus,
A sheet conveyance path to a connection surface connected to the bottom surface of the image forming apparatus;
A first posture having an input portion to which an external force is applied, the input portion protruding upward from the connection surface, and a second posture arranged below the position of the input portion in the first posture. A link member whose posture can be changed between,
Conveyance that is connected to the link member and is movable between a third posture that immerses below the connection surface and a fourth posture that projects upward from the connection surface and extends the sheet conveyance path upward. A guide member;
Biasing means for biasing the transport guide member toward the third posture side,
The conveyance guide member maintains the third attitude when the link member is in the first attitude, and the conveyance guide member maintains the fourth attitude when the link member is in the second attitude. Composed of
The conveyance guide member has a pair of plate-like members that are arranged to face each other and are supported so as to be movable between the third posture and the fourth posture, and one of the plate-like members is the third plate member. The plate member is movable in a vertical direction between a posture and the fourth posture, and the other plate-like member approaches the one plate-like member as it moves from the third posture to the fourth posture. A sheet conveying apparatus that is movable in a diagonally up and down direction between a third attitude and the fourth attitude . The link member is formed in an arm shape rotatable about a support shaft provided below the connection surface, and the input portion is provided at a first end extending from the support shaft to one side. The sheet conveying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a connecting portion for connecting each of the pair of plate-like members of the conveyance guide member is provided at a second end portion extending from the support shaft to the other side. A projecting positioning member that determines the mounting position of the image forming apparatus on the connection surface is provided on the connection surface,
The protrusion height of the input unit in the first position the sheet conveying apparatus according to claim 1 or 2 lower than the protrusion height of said positioning member. Image forming apparatus having a sheet conveying apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

Images