JP5815338B2 - Image forming system - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an image forming system including an image forming apparatus including an in-body sheet discharge unit.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there is known an image forming apparatus including an image forming unit, an image reading unit disposed above the image forming unit, and an in-body sheet discharge unit provided between the image forming unit and the image reading unit. (For example, see Patent Document 1).

  In such an image forming apparatus, it is possible to discharge a sheet to a sheet discharge tray provided on the side of the image forming apparatus by providing a relay conveyance device in the in-body sheet discharge unit. Specifically, the image forming apparatus includes a discharge roller pair that discharges the sheet to the in-body discharge unit when the relay conveyance device is not provided. The relay conveyance device includes a conveyance roller pair that relays and conveys the sheet when the sheet is supplied from the image forming apparatus. Accordingly, when the relay conveyance device is attached to the image forming apparatus, the sheet discharged from the image forming apparatus by the discharge roller pair of the image forming apparatus is relayed and conveyed by the conveyance roller pair of the relay conveyance device. Then, the paper is discharged to a paper discharge tray provided on the side of the image forming apparatus.

  Here, the relay conveyance device attached to the image forming apparatus is configured to be able to be pulled out from the in-body discharge unit in order to perform jam processing. The jam processing is an operation for removing a jammed sheet from the conveyance path when a paper jam occurs in the sheet conveyance path.

JP 2010-195499 A

  However, in the above-described conventional image forming apparatus, when a paper jam occurs, the jammed paper becomes difficult because the jammed paper is easily torn when the relay conveyance device is pulled out from the in-body discharge unit. There is.

  SUMMARY An advantage of some aspects of the invention is that it provides an image forming system capable of suppressing the jam processing from being difficult.

An image forming system according to the present invention is an image forming system including an image forming apparatus including an in-cylinder paper discharge unit, and a conveyance device attached to the in-cylinder paper discharge unit. The apparatus includes a pair of conveyance rollers for conveying paper to the apparatus, the conveyance apparatus including an apparatus main body housed in the in-cylinder discharge unit, and the transfer roller when the apparatus main body is pulled out from the in-cylinder discharge unit. look including a spacing mechanism to separate the pair, the spacing mechanism is characterized in that it is arranged inside the duct provided in the conveying device.

With this configuration, when a paper jam occurs, when the apparatus main body is pulled out from the in-body discharge unit in order to perform jam processing, the pair of conveyance rollers is separated by the separation mechanism unit. It is possible to suppress the jammed paper from being torn compared to the case where the paper is nipped by a pair. Thereby, it can suppress that jam processing becomes difficult. Moreover, it can suppress that a conveyance apparatus enlarges resulting from providing a separation | spacing mechanism part.

  In the image forming system according to the present invention, the transport roller pair is configured to be movable between a first roller, a contact position in contact with the first roller, and a separated position in which the first roller is separated. The separation mechanism section is configured to move the second roller from the contact position to the separation position when the apparatus main body is pulled out from the in-body discharge section. It is characterized by.

  With this configuration, when the apparatus main body is pulled out from the in-body discharge section, the pair of transport rollers can be easily separated by the separation mechanism section.

  In the image forming system according to the present invention, the image forming apparatus includes a holding member that holds the second roller, and the apparatus main body includes a storage position stored in the in-cylinder discharge unit, and the in-cylinder discharge. It is configured to be movable in the horizontal direction between the drawing position pulled out from the paper section, the separation mechanism section is configured to be interlocked with the apparatus main body, and the apparatus main body is moved from the storage position to the drawing position. When moved to a position, the second roller is moved from the contact position to the separated position by engaging with the holding member.

  With this configuration, when the apparatus main body is pulled out from the in-body discharge section, the second roller can be easily separated from the first roller by the separation mechanism section interlocked with the apparatus main body.

  In the image forming system according to the present invention, the transport device includes a post-processing unit that performs post-processing on the paper supplied from the image forming device.

  With this configuration, post-processing can be performed on the sheet supplied from the image forming apparatus.

  In the image forming system according to the present invention, the transport device is configured to relay and transport the paper supplied from the image forming device.

  With this configuration, the paper supplied from the image forming apparatus can be relayed and conveyed.

  According to the image forming system of the present invention, it is possible to prevent the jam processing from becoming difficult.

1 is a front view schematically showing an image forming system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating a state in which the apparatus main body of the transport apparatus is located at a storage position in the image forming system illustrated in FIG. 1. FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating a state in which the apparatus main body of the transport apparatus is located at a pull-out position in the image forming system illustrated in FIG. 1. It is a figure for demonstrating the positional relationship of the apparatus main body and separation mechanism part of the conveying apparatus shown to FIG. 2A. It is a figure for demonstrating the positional relationship of the apparatus main body and separation mechanism part of the conveying apparatus shown to FIG. 2B. It is the perspective view which looked at the separation | spacing mechanism part of the conveying apparatus shown to FIG. 3A from the inner side of the duct. It is the perspective view which looked at the separation | spacing mechanism part of the conveying apparatus shown to FIG. 3B from the inner side of the duct. It is a figure for demonstrating the positional relationship of the separation mechanism part of the conveying apparatus shown to FIG. 3A, and a discharge roller pair. It is a figure for demonstrating the positional relationship of the separation mechanism part and discharge roller pair of the conveying apparatus shown to FIG. 3B.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a front view showing an outline of an image forming system according to an embodiment of the present invention. With reference to FIG. 1, an image forming apparatus 1 of an image forming system 100 according to the present embodiment will be described.

  The image forming system 100 includes an image forming apparatus 1 and a transport device 50 attached to the image forming apparatus 1.

  The image forming apparatus 1 is, for example, a multifunction machine having a scanner function, a facsimile function, and a printer function. The image forming apparatus 1 includes an image reading device 2 that reads an image of a document, and an image forming unit 3 that forms an image on a sheet based on image data read by the image reading device 2.

  The image forming unit 3 includes intermediate drums 4a to 4d, chargers 5a to 5d, exposure devices 6, developing devices 7a to 7d, cleaner devices 8a to 8d, and intermediate transfer rollers 9a to 9d. A belt device 9, a secondary transfer device 10, a fixing device 11, a paper feed tray 12, an in-body paper discharge unit 13, a paper transport device 14, and toner bottles 15a to 15d are included.

  The image forming unit 3 can form a color image using each color of black (K), cyan (C), magenta (M), and yellow (Y) and a monochrome image using a single color (for example, black). It is configured.

  Specifically, an image station for forming black is constituted by a photosensitive drum 4a, a charger 5a, a developing device 7a, a cleaner device 8a, and an intermediate transfer roller 9a. An image station for forming cyan includes a photosensitive drum 4b, a charger 5b, a developing device 7b, a cleaner device 8b, and an intermediate transfer roller 9b.

  Further, an image station for forming magenta includes a photosensitive drum 4c, a charger 5c, a developing device 7c, a cleaner device 8c, and an intermediate transfer roller 9c. Further, the image station for forming yellow is constituted by a photosensitive drum 4d, a charger 5d, a developing device 7d, a cleaner device 8d, and an intermediate transfer roller 9d.

  The photosensitive drums 4a to 4d have a photosensitive layer on the surface. The chargers 5a to 5d are provided to uniformly charge the surfaces of the photosensitive drums 4a to 4d to a predetermined potential. The chargers 5a to 5d may be contact-type roller-type or brush-type chargers, or may be charger-type chargers.

  The exposure device 6 is, for example, a laser scanning unit (LSU) having a laser diode and a reflection mirror, and exposes the surfaces of the charged photosensitive drums 4a to 4d according to image data, and converts the surface to image data. A corresponding electrostatic latent image is formed.

  The developing devices 7a to 7d develop the electrostatic latent images formed on the photosensitive drums 4a to 4d with K, C, M, and Y toners. The K, C, M, and Y toners are supplied from toner bottles 15a to 15d, respectively. The toner bottles 15a to 15d are attached in a replaceable manner. The cleaners 8a to 8d remove and collect toner remaining on the surfaces of the photosensitive drums 4a to 4d after development and image transfer.

  The intermediate transfer belt device 9 is disposed above the photosensitive drums 4a to 4d, and includes an intermediate transfer belt 9e, an intermediate transfer belt driving roller 9f, a driven roller 9g, a tension roller 9h, and an intermediate transfer belt cleaning device. 9i.

  The intermediate transfer belt 9e is formed in an endless belt shape using a film having a thickness of about 100 μm to 150 μm. The intermediate transfer rollers 9a to 9d, the intermediate transfer belt drive roller 9f, the driven roller 9g, and the tension roller 9h stretch and support the intermediate transfer belt 9e, and move the intermediate transfer belt 9e in the circumferential direction C.

  The intermediate transfer rollers 9a to 9d are rotatably supported inside the intermediate transfer belt 9e, and are pressed against the photosensitive drums 4a to 4d via the intermediate transfer belt 9e.

  The intermediate transfer belt 9e is provided in contact with the photosensitive drums 4a to 4d. A color toner image (a toner image of each color) is formed on the intermediate transfer belt 9e by sequentially superimposing and transferring the toner images on the surfaces of the photosensitive drums 4a to 4d.

  Transfer of the toner image from the photosensitive drums 4a to 4d to the intermediate transfer belt 9e is performed by intermediate transfer rollers 9a to 9d that are in pressure contact with the inner side (back surface) of the intermediate transfer belt 9e. The intermediate transfer rollers 9a to 9d include, for example, a metal shaft such as stainless steel having a diameter of 8 to 10 mm, and a conductive elastic material (for example, EPDM, urethane foam, or the like) that covers the metal shaft. To the intermediate transfer rollers 9a to 9d, a high-voltage transfer bias (a high voltage having a polarity (+) opposite to the charging polarity (one) of the toner) is applied in order to transfer the toner image. A high voltage is uniformly applied to the intermediate transfer belt 9e by the elastic material.

  The secondary transfer device 10 includes a transfer roller 10a that contacts the intermediate transfer belt 9e. The transfer roller 10a is disposed outside the intermediate transfer belt 9e so as to be adjacent to the intermediate transfer belt drive roller 9f. The intermediate transfer belt 9e and the transfer roller 10a are pressed against each other to form a nip region. Further, the transfer roller 10a of the secondary transfer device 10 has a voltage (for example, a polarity (+) opposite to the toner charging polarity (one)) for transferring the toner image of each color on the intermediate transfer belt 9e onto the sheet. High voltage) is applied. Further, in order to constantly obtain the nip region, one of the transfer roller 10a and the intermediate transfer belt drive roller 9f is made of a hard material (metal roller or the like), and the other is made of a soft material (elastic rubber roller or foaming resin roller). Etc.).

  As described above, the toner images on the surfaces of the photosensitive drums 4a to 4d are stacked on the intermediate transfer belt 9e, and become a color toner image corresponding to the image data. The toner images of the respective colors stacked in this way are conveyed together with the intermediate transfer belt 9e and transferred onto the paper by the secondary transfer device 10.

  In addition, the toner image on the intermediate transfer belt 9e may not be completely transferred onto the paper by the secondary transfer device 10, and the toner may remain on the intermediate transfer belt 9e. It will cause to generate. Therefore, the residual toner is removed and collected by the intermediate transfer belt cleaning device 9i.

  For example, the intermediate transfer belt cleaning device 9i has a cleaning blade that contacts the intermediate transfer belt 9e while being pressed toward the driven roller 9g, and residual toner is removed and collected by the cleaning blade.

  The fixing device 11 includes a heat roller 11a and a pressure roller 11b that sandwich and convey a sheet. The temperature of the heat roller 11a is controlled so as to be a predetermined fixing temperature, and the toner image transferred to the paper is melted, mixed, and pressed by heat-pressing the paper together with the pressure roller 11b, and heat is applied to the paper. Has the function of fixing. The fixing device 11 is provided with an external heating belt 11c for heating the heat roller 11a from the outside.

  The paper feed tray 12 is a tray for storing paper. The in-body discharge unit 13 is a discharge tray for placing printed sheets face down when the transport device 50 is removed. The in-body paper discharge unit 13 is provided between the image reading device 2 and the image forming unit 3, and is configured to be detachable from the transport device 50.

  The paper transport device 14 is provided to send paper from the paper feed tray 12 to the in-body paper discharge unit 13 via the secondary transfer device 10 and the fixing device 11. In the paper transport device 14, along the paper transport path S from the paper feed tray 12, a pickup roller 14a, a roller roller 14b, a separation roller 14c, a transport roller pair 14d, a pre-registration roller pair 14e, a registration roller pair 14f, and a discharge roller pair 14g is arranged.

  The pickup roller 14 a is provided in the vicinity of the paper feed tray 12 and is a call-in roller that feeds paper from the paper feed tray 12 to the paper transport path S one by one. The separating roller 14b passes the paper between the separation roller 14c and separates the paper one by one to convey it to the paper conveyance path S.

  The conveyance roller pair 14d and the pre-registration roller pair 14e are small rollers for promoting and supporting the conveyance of the paper. In FIG. 1, only one transport roller pair 14d is shown for simplification, but actually, the transport roller pair 14d is provided at a plurality of locations along the paper transport path S.

  The pre-registration roller pair 14e is provided immediately upstream of the registration roller pair 14f on the upstream side in the sheet conveyance direction, and conveys the sheet to the registration roller pair 14f. The registration roller pair 14f temporarily stops the sheet conveyed from the pair of pre-registration rollers 14e, aligns the leading edge of the sheet, and is on the intermediate transfer belt 9e in the nip area between the intermediate transfer belt 9e and the transfer roller 10a. In order to transfer the color toner image onto the sheet, the sheet is conveyed at a good timing in accordance with the rotation of the intermediate transfer belt 9e.

  For example, the registration roller pair 14f is formed so that the front end of the color toner image on the intermediate transfer belt 9e is aligned with the front end of the image forming range on the intermediate transfer belt 9e in the nip region between the intermediate transfer belt 9e and the transfer roller 10a. Transport.

  The paper on which the toner image is transferred is conveyed while the toner image is fixed on the paper by the heat roller 11a and the pressure roller 11b. The sheet on which the toner image of each color is fixed is discharged to the in-body discharge unit 13 or the conveyance device 50 by the discharge roller pair 14g.

  It is also possible to form a monochrome image using at least one of the four image forming stations and transfer the monochrome image to the intermediate transfer belt 9e of the intermediate transfer belt device 9. Similarly to the color image, this monochrome image is also transferred from the intermediate transfer belt 9e to a sheet and fixed on the sheet.

  In addition, when performing image formation on both sides as well as the front (front) side of the paper, the image on the front side of the paper is fixed by the fixing device 11, and then the paper is conveyed by the discharge roller pair 14g in the paper conveyance path S. In the middle, the discharge roller pair 14g is stopped and then reversely rotated, the paper is passed through the front / back reversing path Sr by the transport roller 14h, the paper is turned upside down, and the paper is again guided to the registration roller pair 14f. Similarly to the front surface of the paper, the toner image is transferred and fixed on the back surface of the paper, and the paper is discharged to the in-body paper discharge unit 13 or the conveyance device 50.

  The image reading device 2 includes an image reading unit 20 and a document feeding device 30 attached to the image reading unit 20 so as to be openable and closable.

  The image reading unit 20 is configured to be able to perform reading by a document fixing method and reading by a document moving method. The image reading unit 20 includes a document table glass 21, a document reading glass 22, a light source unit 23, a mirror unit 24, and an imaging unit 25.

  The document table glass 21 is a transparent glass plate that is larger than the maximum size of the document. The document reading glass 22 is a transparent glass plate extending in the main scanning direction (a direction perpendicular to the paper surface). The document table glass 21 and the document reading glass 22 are configured to transmit light emitted from the light source unit 23 and transmit light reflected from the document.

  The light source unit 23 includes a light source 23 a that irradiates light toward the document, and a mirror 23 b that guides reflected light from the document to the mirror unit 24. The light source unit 23 is configured to be movable in the sub-scanning direction Y1. The light source 23a is composed of a plurality of LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes) arranged at intervals in the main scanning direction.

  The mirror unit 24 includes mirrors 24a and 24b. The mirror unit 24 is configured to be movable in the sub-scanning direction Y1 at a movement speed that is ½ of the movement speed of the light source unit 23. The mirror 24a is provided to guide the reflected light from the mirror 23b of the light source unit 23 to the mirror 24b. The mirror 24b is provided to guide the reflected light from the mirror 24a to the imaging unit 25.

  The imaging unit 25 includes a condenser lens, a CCD (Charge Coupled Device), and the like. The imaging unit 25 is configured to capture an image of a document by forming an image of reflected light from the mirror 24b of the mirror unit 24 on a light receiving surface of the CCD via a condenser lens.

  The image reading unit 20 emits light from the light source 23a while moving the light source unit 23 and the mirror unit 24 in the sub-scanning direction Y1 during reading by the document fixing method. At this time, the light emitted from the light source 23 a is applied to the document placed on the document table glass 21 through the document table glass 21. Then, the reflected light from the document is incident on the imaging unit 25 via the document table glass 21, the mirror 23 b of the light source unit 23, and the mirrors 24 a and 24 b of the mirror unit 24. As a result, the image reading unit 20 can read an image of a document fixedly placed on the document table glass 21.

  Further, in the image reading unit 20, light is emitted from the light source 23a in a state where the light source unit 23 is stopped at the reading position (position shown in FIG. 2) at the time of reading by the document moving method. At this time, the light emitted from the light source 23 a is applied to the document conveyed in the conveyance direction Y <b> 1 on the document reading glass 22 by the document feeding device 30 through the document reading glass 22. Then, the reflected light from the document is incident on the imaging unit 25 via the document reading glass 22, the mirror 23b of the light source unit 23, and the mirrors 24a and 24b of the mirror unit 24. Accordingly, the image reading unit 20 can read an image of a document conveyed on the document reading glass 22 by the document feeding device 30.

  The document feeder 30 includes a document tray 31 on which a document is placed, a discharge tray 32 from which the document is discharged, and a conveyance path 33a for conveying the document placed on the document tray 31 to the discharge tray 32. And a conveyance path 33b for returning the document that has passed through the reading position to the upstream side of the reading position.

  A document is placed face up on the document tray 31. A pickup roller 34 is provided in the vicinity of the document tray 31. The pick-up roller 34 is provided to take the documents placed on the document tray 31 into the document feeder 30 in order from the top.

  In the vicinity of the pickup roller 34, a roller roller 35a and a separation roller 35b are provided. The suction roller 35a and the separation roller 35b are provided to prevent a plurality of originals from being conveyed to the conveyance path 33a in a state where they overlap each other (double feeding).

  The paper discharge tray 32 is disposed below the document tray 31, and the document is discharged face down. The conveyance path 33a is formed in a U shape when viewed from the front. A conveyance roller pair 36 and a discharge roller pair 37 are provided in the conveyance path 33a.

  In the document feeder 30, the document placed on the document tray 31 is taken into the document feeder 30 by the pickup roller 34. The taken document is separated by the separating roller 35a and the separating roller 35b. As a result, the originals are conveyed one by one to the conveyance path 33a. Then, the original is conveyed on the conveyance path 33 a by the conveyance roller pair 36. When the document transported through the transport path 33a passes the reading position, the image reading unit 20 reads the image on the surface of the document.

  When only the surface of the document is read, the document is discharged to the discharge tray 32 by the discharge roller pair 37. On the other hand, when both sides of the original are read, the original is conveyed to the upstream side of the reading position via the conveyance path 33b. Thereby, the image on the back side of the document is read by the image reading unit 20. In this case, the document from which the images on both sides are read is again conveyed upstream of the reading position via the conveyance path 33b. Thereafter, the document is discharged to the discharge tray 32 by the discharge roller pair 37. As a result, the document is discharged face down. As a result, even when a plurality of documents are placed on the document tray 31 and the plurality of documents are continuously read and discharged to the discharge tray 32, the orientation of the surface with respect to the order of the plurality of documents is reversed. Can be prevented.

  2A is a perspective view showing a state in which the apparatus main body of the conveying apparatus is located at the storage position in the image forming system shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 2B is an apparatus of the conveying apparatus in the image forming system shown in FIG. It is the perspective view which showed the state in which a main body is located in a drawer position. 3A is a diagram for explaining the positional relationship between the apparatus main body and the separation mechanism section of the transport apparatus shown in FIG. 2A, and FIG. 3B shows the apparatus main body and the separation mechanism section of the transport apparatus shown in FIG. 2B. It is a figure for demonstrating these positional relationships. 4A is a perspective view of the separation mechanism portion of the transfer device shown in FIG. 3A as viewed from the inside of the duct, and FIG. 4B is a perspective view of the separation mechanism portion of the transfer device shown in FIG. 3B as viewed from the inside of the duct. FIG. FIG. 5A is a diagram for explaining the positional relationship between the separation mechanism unit and the discharge roller pair of the conveyance device illustrated in FIG. 3A, and FIG. 5B illustrates the separation mechanism unit and the discharge roller of the conveyance device illustrated in FIG. 3B. It is a figure for demonstrating the positional relationship with a pair. With reference to FIGS. 2A to 5B, the conveyance device 50 of the image forming system 100 according to the present embodiment will be described. In FIGS. 5A and 5B, only the protrusion 545 of the separation mechanism 54 is shown in consideration of the visibility of the drawing.

  As shown in FIG. 2A, the transport device 50 is disposed in the in-body sheet discharge unit 13 of the image forming apparatus 1. The transport device 50 includes an apparatus main body 51, a pair of slide rails 52 (see FIG. 2B) for moving the apparatus main body 51 in the horizontal direction (X1 and X2 directions), and between the fixing device 11 and the toner bottle 15a. A duct 53 (see FIG. 1) provided in the duct 53, and a separation mechanism 54 (see FIG. 3A) provided inside the duct 53.

  The apparatus main body 51 is mounted on a pair of slide rails 52, and is stored in the in-cylinder sheet discharge unit 13 (see FIG. 2A), and is pulled out from the in-cylinder sheet discharge unit 13 (see FIG. 2). 2B) is movable in the horizontal direction (X1 and X2 directions). That is, the apparatus main body 51 is configured to be pulled out to the front side of the image forming apparatus 1. The transport device 50 is provided with a lid member 55 that can be opened and closed in a state where the apparatus main body 51 is located at the storage position on the front side of the image forming apparatus 1.

  The apparatus main body 51 includes a plurality of conveyance roller pairs 51a (see FIG. 1) for conveying the paper supplied from the image forming apparatus 1, and a post-processing unit 51b that performs post-processing on the paper supplied from the image forming apparatus 1. (See FIG. 1).

  The conveyance roller pair 51a conveys the paper discharged from the image forming apparatus 1 by the discharge roller pair 14g of the image forming apparatus 1 to the post-processing unit 51b, and forms the paper subjected to post-processing by the post-processing unit 51b. The paper is discharged to a paper discharge tray (not shown) provided on the side of the apparatus 1. The post-processing unit 51b is provided to perform post-processing such as punching processing or binding processing on the paper.

  Further, the device main body 51 is provided with a pin 51d (see FIGS. 3A and 3B) inside the front surface 51c.

  One of the pair of slide rails 52 is attached to a side plate 56 (see FIG. 2B) of the transport device 50, and the other is attached to a duct 53 (see FIG. 3B). The slide rail 52 is, for example, a three-stage pulling rail.

  The duct 53 is provided to suppress the heat generated in the fixing device 11 from being transmitted to the toner bottles 15a to 15d. The duct 53 is formed in a cylindrical shape so as to extend in the horizontal direction (X1 and X2 directions). The duct 53 is composed of plate members 531 and 532 formed in a concave shape in cross section.

  Grooves 531a to 531c (see FIGS. 3A and 3B) for guiding the separation mechanism 54 are formed in the plate member 531. That is, groove portions 531 a to 531 c are formed on the side surface of the duct 53. The plate member 532 has a rising portion 532a formed so as to rise toward the inside of the duct 53 at an end portion on the X1 direction side.

  The rising portion 532a is formed with a hole 532b into which the pin 51d of the device main body 51 is inserted (arranged) when the device main body 51 is located at the storage position (see FIG. 3A). Further, as shown in FIG. 3B, the rising portion 532a is a contact surface 541a (see FIG. 5) of the separation mechanism portion 54 when the apparatus main body 51 is not positioned at the storage position and the pin 51d is not inserted into the hole 532b. 4A and FIG. 4B). And the pin 51d of the apparatus main body 51, the hole 532b of the duct 53, and the contact surface 541a of the separation mechanism 54 are disposed at corresponding positions (overlapping positions) when viewed from the front.

  The separation mechanism unit 54 is configured to separate the discharge roller pair 14g (see FIGS. 5A and 5B) of the image forming unit 3 when the apparatus main body 51 is moved from the storage position to the drawing position. The separation mechanism 54 is a link mechanism that converts movement in the horizontal direction (X1 and X2 directions) into movement in a substantially vertical direction (D1 and D2 directions), for example.

  As shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, the separation mechanism portion 54 includes movable members 541 and 542, protrusions 543 to 545 (see FIGS. 3A and 3B), a connection portion 546, and a torsion coil spring 547. .

  The movable members 541 and 542 are disposed on the inner side surface of the duct 53. Specifically, the movable members 541 and 542 are arranged along the plate member 531. The movable members 541 and 542 are connected by a connecting portion 546 at the end of the movable member 541 on the X2 direction side. Thereby, the movable members 541 and 542 are configured to be interlocked. When the apparatus main body 51 is positioned at the storage position (see FIG. 3A), the pin 51d is brought into contact with the movable member 541. When the apparatus main body 51 is not positioned at the storage position, the movable member 541 contacts the rising portion 532a. The contact surface 541a is formed at the end portion on the X1 direction side.

  The protrusions 543 to 545 are formed so as to protrude sideways, and are inserted into the groove portions 531 a to 531 c of the duct 53, respectively. The protrusion 543 is formed on the movable member 541, the protrusion 544 is formed on the connecting portion 546, and the protrusion 545 is formed on the movable member 542.

  In the torsion coil spring 547, the shaft portion 542a of the movable member 542 is disposed inside the coil portion. The torsion coil spring 547 has one end engaged with the engaging portion 542 b of the movable member 542 and the other end attached to the duct 53. Thereby, the torsion coil spring 547 is configured to bias the movable members 541 and 542 so that the protrusions 543 and 544 move in the X1 direction and the protrusion 545 moves in the D1 direction.

  As shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B, the discharge roller pair 14g of the image forming unit 3 includes a driving roller 141g and a driven roller 142g that are disposed to face each other. The discharge roller pair 14g is an example of the “conveying roller pair” in the present invention. The driving roller 141g and the driven roller 142g are examples of the “first roller” and the “second roller” in the present invention, respectively.

  The driven roller 142 g is held by a holding member 16 provided in the image forming unit 3. The holding member 16 is configured to be rotatable in the R1 direction and the R2 direction about the rotation shaft 16a, and is biased in the R2 direction by a spring member (not shown). Therefore, the driven roller 142g is configured to be movable between a contact position (see FIG. 5A) that contacts the driving roller 141g and a separated position that is separated from the driving roller 141g. Further, the holding member 16 is provided with a claw member 16 b that is engaged with the protrusion 545 of the separation mechanism portion 54.

  Next, with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5B, an operation when the apparatus main body 51 of the transport apparatus 50 is pulled out in the image forming system 100 according to the present embodiment will be described.

  First, as shown in FIG. 2A, when the apparatus main body 51 is stored in the storage position, the pins 51d of the apparatus main body 51 are inserted into the holes 532b of the duct 53 as shown in FIG. 3A. At this time, the contact surface 541a of the separation mechanism portion 54 is pushed in the X2 direction against the urging force of the torsion coil spring 547 (see FIG. 4A) by the pin 51d. Accordingly, the protrusion 543 is disposed at the end of the groove 531a on the X2 direction side, the protrusion 544 is disposed at the end of the groove 531b on the X2 direction side, and the protrusion 545 is the end of the groove 531c on the D2 direction side. Placed in.

  At this time, the protrusion 545 of the separation mechanism 54 is disposed on the D2 direction side of the groove 531c, so that the protrusion 545 is separated from the claw member 16b of the holding member 16 as shown in FIG. 5A. And since the holding member 16 is urged | biased by the R2 direction with the spring member (illustration omitted), the driven roller 142g is located in the contact position which contacts the drive roller 141g. Therefore, when the apparatus main body 51 is stored in the storage position, the sheet can be sandwiched by the discharge roller pair 14g, so that the sheet is supplied from the image forming apparatus 1 (see FIG. 1) to the transport apparatus 50. Is possible.

  As shown in FIG. 2B, when the apparatus main body 51 is pulled out from the in-body sheet discharge unit 13, the pin 51d of the apparatus main body 51 moves in the X1 direction as shown in FIG. 51d is pulled out from the hole 532b (the pin 51d is not disposed in the hole 532b). At this time, the biasing force of the torsion coil spring 547 (see FIG. 4B) moves in the X1 direction until the contact surface 541a of the separation mechanism portion 54 contacts the rising portion 532a. Accordingly, the protrusion 543 is moved in the X1 direction along the groove 531a, the protrusion 544 is moved in the X1 direction along the groove 531b, and the protrusion 545 is moved in the D1 direction along the groove 531c.

  At this time, the protrusion 545 of the separation mechanism 54 is moved in the direction D2 along the groove 531c, whereby the protrusion 545 is engaged with the claw member 16b of the holding member 16 as shown in FIG. 5B. For this reason, the holding member 16 is rotated in the R1 direction against the urging force of a spring member (not shown), so that the driven roller 142g is moved from the contact position to the separated position.

  In the present embodiment, as described above, the separation mechanism portion 54 that separates the discharge roller pair 14g when the apparatus main body 51 is pulled out from the in-body discharge portion 13 is provided. With this configuration, when a paper jam occurs, the discharge roller pair 14g is separated by the separation mechanism 54 when the apparatus main body 51 is pulled out from the in-body discharge unit 13 in order to perform jam processing. Therefore, the jammed paper can be prevented from being torn compared to the case where the jammed paper is pinched by the discharge roller pair. Thereby, it can suppress that jam processing becomes difficult.

  For example, when the sheet is nipped by the pair of conveyance rollers of the conveyance apparatus or the sheet is caught on the conveyance path of the conveyance apparatus, the discharge roller of the image forming apparatus is pulled out when the apparatus body of the conveyance apparatus is pulled out. When the paper is sandwiched by a pair, the paper is easily torn because a force is applied to the paper by the pulling operation. However, in the present embodiment, when the apparatus main body 51 is pulled out, the discharge roller pair 14g is separated. By doing so, it is difficult to apply force to the jammed paper, and the paper is difficult to tear. When the paper is nipped by the pair of conveyance rollers 51 a of the apparatus main body 51 or the paper is caught on the conveyance path of the apparatus main body 51, the paper can be easily pulled out together with the apparatus main body 51.

  Moreover, in this Embodiment, when the separation | spacing mechanism part 54 is arrange | positioned inside the duct 53, it can suppress that the conveying apparatus 50 enlarges resulting from providing the separation | spacing mechanism part 54. FIG.

  Further, in the present embodiment, in conjunction with the pulling-out operation of the apparatus main body 51 from the storage position, the separation mechanism 54 separates the discharge roller pair 14g, so that when the apparatus main body 51 is pulled out easily, The discharge roller pair 14g can be separated.

  In the present embodiment, the separation mechanism 54 converts the movement in the horizontal direction (X1 and X2 directions) into the movement in the substantially vertical direction (D1 and D2 directions), so that the position of the apparatus main body 51 can be reduced. The holding member 16 holding the driven roller 142g can be rotated in conjunction with the pulling-out operation.

  The embodiment disclosed this time is illustrative in all respects and does not serve as a basis for limited interpretation. Therefore, the technical scope of the present invention is not interpreted only by the above-described embodiment, but is defined based on the description of the scope of claims. Further, the technical scope of the present invention includes all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the scope of the claims.

  For example, in the present embodiment, an example in which the post-processing unit 51b is provided in the transport device 50 has been described. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the post-processing unit is not provided in the transport device. It may be configured to relay and transport the paper supplied from the printer. In this case, a post-processing device (not shown) may be separately provided on the downstream side of the transport device.

  Further, in the present embodiment, an example is shown in which the paper that has been post-processed by the post-processing unit 51b is discharged to a paper discharge tray (not shown) provided on the side of the image forming apparatus 1. Not limited to this, a post-processing device (not shown) may be provided on the downstream side of the transport device 50, and the paper that has been post-processed by the post-processing unit 51b may be relayed and transported to the post-processing device.

  In the present embodiment, when the apparatus main body 51 is not positioned at the storage position and the pin 51d is not inserted into the hole 532b, the abutment surface 541a of the separation mechanism 54 abuts against the rising portion 532a. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and when the apparatus main body 51 is not located at the storage position and the pin 51d is not inserted into the hole 532b, the contact surface 541a of the separation mechanism portion 54 is separated from the rising portion 532a. You may do it.

  In this embodiment, the driven roller 142g is held by the rotatable holding member 16. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the driving roller may be held by the rotatable holding member. .

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Image forming apparatus 13 In-body discharge part 14g Discharge roller pair (conveyance roller pair)
16 Holding member 50 Conveying device 51b Post-processing section 53 Duct 54 Separating mechanism section 100 Image forming system 141g Driving roller (first roller)
142g driven roller (second roller)

Claims (5)

An image forming apparatus including an in-body discharge unit;
An image forming system including a conveying device attached to the in-body discharge unit,
The image forming apparatus includes a pair of conveyance rollers for conveying a sheet to the conveyance device,
The conveying device includes a device main body housed in the internal sheet discharge portion, when the device main body is pulled out from the internal sheet discharge portion, seen including a spacing mechanism for spacing the pair of conveying rollers,
2. The image forming system according to claim 1, wherein the separating mechanism is disposed inside a duct provided in the transport device . The image forming system according to claim 1 ,
The conveyance roller pair includes a first roller, and a second roller configured to be movable between a contact position that contacts the first roller and a separation position that is separated from the first roller,
The separation mechanism is configured to move the second roller from the contact position to the separation position when the apparatus main body is pulled out from the in-body discharge section. system. The image forming system according to claim 2 ,
The image forming apparatus includes a holding member that holds the second roller,
The apparatus main body is configured to be movable in a horizontal direction between a storage position stored in the in-cylinder paper discharge unit and a drawing position pulled out from the in-cylinder paper discharge unit,
The separation mechanism portion is configured to be interlocked with the apparatus main body, and when the apparatus main body is moved from the storage position to the pull-out position, the separation mechanism section is engaged with the holding member, thereby An image forming system configured to move a roller from the contact position to the separation position. An image forming system according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , wherein
The image forming system, wherein the conveying device includes a post-processing unit that performs post-processing on a sheet supplied from the image forming device. An image forming system according to any one of claims 1 to 4 , wherein
The image forming system, wherein the transport device is configured to relay and transport a sheet supplied from the image forming device.

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