JP6703761B2 - Drive device, transport device, and image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a drive device, a transport device, and an image forming apparatus.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there is known a transport device that changes a posture of a swinging member such as a branch claw to selectively switch a transport destination of a transport medium such as a recording medium.

Patent Document 1 describes, as the above-described transporting device, a transporting device that swings swinging members such as branch claws in mutually different directions by rotating a drive source such as a drive motor in the normal direction and in the reverse direction. In addition, the transport device is provided with a swing holding unit that holds the swing member in the first posture or the second posture while maintaining the driving of the driving source.

In recent years, it has been required to reduce the noise of the device. However, in Patent Document 1, in order to swing the swinging member in one direction to move the swinging member from the first posture to the second posture and then to return to the first posture again, the drive motor is temporarily It is necessary to reversely drive the drive motor after stopping. Therefore, when the swinging member is returned from the second posture to the first posture, there is a problem that a start-up sound of the drive motor is generated, which hinders noise reduction of the device.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a swing source so that a swing source provided swingably can selectively take a first posture and a second posture. Drive transmission means for transmitting the driving force of the drive source, and swing holding means for holding the swing member in the first posture or the second posture while maintaining the drive of the drive source. in the driving apparatus having a, with a swinging direction switching means for switching the swinging direction of the swing member without changing the rotational direction of the driving source, the swinging retaining means, the said rocking member first And a drive transmission limiting means for limiting drive transmission to the rocking member, and the drive transmission limiting means is a torque limiter. It is a thing.

According to the present invention, it is possible to reduce the noise of the device.

1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing an overall configuration of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment. The schematic block diagram which shows the switching claw periphery. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating the operations of the switching claw and the paper ejection reversal drive roller when the paper is conveyed to the double-sided conveyance path. The schematic sectional drawing which shows the drive device which drives the switching claw 23. The schematic block diagram seen from the X direction of FIG. The schematic block diagram of a 1st electromagnetic clutch. The figure which shows an example which made the drive transmission path from an output shaft to a rocking|fluctuation axis|shaft the acceleration path. The figure which shows an example which made the deceleration path the drive transmission path from an output shaft to a rocking|fluctuation shaft. FIG. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a drive device in which the gear train of the first drive transmission path is odd and the gear train of the second drive transmission path is even. FIG. 9 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a drive device of Modification 1. FIG. 9A is a diagram illustrating rotation of the paper ejection reversing drive roller, the switching claw, and the fixing roller when the paper is conveyed to the paper ejection unit. FIG. 9B is a diagram illustrating rotation of the paper ejection reversing drive roller, the switching claw, and the fixing roller when the paper is conveyed to the reversing unit. FIG. 9 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a drive device of Modification 2; FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram of a drive transmission mechanism for transmitting a driving force to a switching claw in the drive device of the second modification. FIG. 9 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a drive device of Modification 3; 1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing an example of an automatic document feeder. The schematic block diagram which shows an example of a post-processing apparatus. FIG. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the paper feed tray showing a state where the bottom plate is raised.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing an overall configuration of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
In FIG. 1, a laser printer 100 as an image forming apparatus includes four image forming units 1Y as image forming means for forming toner images of yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C), and black (K). , M, C, K. Further, an intermediate transfer unit 10 as a primary transfer unit, a secondary transfer device 16 including a secondary transfer roller 15 for transferring the toner image on the intermediate transfer belt 11 to a sheet-shaped sheet (recording medium) as a sheet, A fixing device 17 for fixing the toner image transferred onto the sheet is provided. Further, a paper discharge unit 18 for discharging the paper, a reversing unit 19 for introducing the paper into the double-sided path after printing the first surface during double-sided printing, and a switch for switching the paper conveyance destination between the paper discharge unit 18 and the reversing unit 19. It has a claw 23. Further, a paper feed tray 24 for accommodating the paper P, a paper feed conveyance path 22 for conveying the paper from the paper feed tray 24, a double-sided conveyance path 21 for conveying the paper from the reversing unit 19 at the time of double-sided printing, and the like are provided. There is.

The four image forming units 1Y, M, C, and K use Y, M, C, and K toners (developers) of different colors as image forming substances, but have the same configuration except that. It is replaced when it reaches the end of its life. An image forming unit 1K for forming a K toner image will be described as an example. The image forming unit 1K includes a cylindrical photoconductor 2 as an image carrier, a charging device that charges the surface of the photoconductor 2, and a surface of the charged photoconductor 2 that is exposed by image information to be statically placed on the photoconductor 2. An exposure device 3 for forming a latent image is provided. Further, a developing device 4 for developing the electrostatic latent image on the photoconductor 2 with K toner to form a K toner image on the photoconductor 2, and a developer cartridge 5 installed above the developing device 4 and containing K toner. A cleaning device 6 for cleaning the surface of the photoconductor 2 after transfer is provided.

The intermediate transfer unit 10 includes an endless intermediate transfer belt 11 that superimposes the toner images on the plurality of photoconductors 2. Further, it has a primary transfer roller 12 and the like which are arranged so as to face the photoconductor 2 via the intermediate transfer belt 11 and transfer the toner image formed on the surface of the photoconductor to the intermediate transfer belt 11.

The fixing device 17 is provided with a fixing roller 17a including a heat source such as a halogen lamp, and a pressure roller 17b that rotates while contacting the fixing roller 17a with a predetermined pressure. The fixing roller 17a and the pressure roller 17a are provided. A fixing nip is formed by 17b.

A registration roller pair 14 is provided on the upstream side of the secondary transfer roller 15 in the sheet conveyance direction. The sheet P is conveyed so that the leading edge is orthogonal to the conveying direction of the sheet P, but skewing may occur in which the leading edge is skewed without being orthogonal to the conveying direction. In order to correct the skew of the paper P, the leading end of the paper P is abutted against the registration roller pair 14, the paper P is once slackened, and then the paper is conveyed to the secondary transfer device 16 at a predetermined timing. To be done. Due to this slack and the stiffness of the paper P itself, the skew of the paper P is corrected by the leading edge of the paper P following the nip portion parallel to the rotation axis of the registration roller pair 14, and the toner image on the intermediate transfer belt 11 is corrected. The position can be accurately adjusted to the paper and the transfer can be performed.

When an image is formed by the laser printer 100, the paper P stacked on the paper feed tray 24 is fed by the paper feed roller 13, passes through the paper feed conveyance path 22, and is temporarily slackened by the pair of registration rollers 14 that are stopped. It is formed. After that, the conveyance of the sheet P by the registration roller pair 14 is started at a predetermined timing with respect to the toner image on the intermediate transfer belt 11, and the sheet P is passed through the secondary transfer device 16, the fixing device 17, and the sheet discharge unit 18 to the sheet discharge tray 20. The paper is ejected. Alternatively, the sheet is conveyed to the reversing unit 19 by switching with the switching claw 23, is reversed there, is guided to the secondary transfer position again via the double-sided conveyance path 21, and the image is recorded on the back surface, and then the paper ejection unit 18 is ejected. After that, the paper is discharged to the paper discharge tray 20.

FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram showing the periphery of the switching claw 23.
In the present embodiment, the paper ejection unit 18 has a paper ejection roller pair including a paper ejection reversal drive roller 25 and a paper ejection driven roller 18a, and the reversal unit 19 includes a paper ejection reversal drive roller 25 and a reversal driven member. It has a reversing roller pair consisting of the roller 19a. In this embodiment, the drive roller of the paper discharge roller pair and the drive roller of the reversal roller pair are common drive rollers.

The switching claw 23, which is a swinging member, is adjacent to the upstream side of the sheet discharge reversing drive roller 25 in the sheet conveying direction, and is arranged between the sheet conveying path of the reversing unit 19 and the sheet conveying path of the sheet discharging unit 18. .. A swing shaft 23a is provided at an end portion of the switching claw 23 on the downstream side in the sheet conveying direction, and the switching claw 23 is swingably supported with the swing shaft 23a as a fulcrum. The switching claw 23 swings so as to take a first posture shown by a solid line in the drawing and a second posture shown by a dotted line in the drawing.

When the paper is discharged to the paper discharge tray 20, the switching claw 23 is set to the first position shown by the solid line in the drawing, and the paper discharge reversing drive roller 25 is rotationally driven in the clockwise direction in the drawing. As a result, the paper P that has passed through the fixing device 17 is guided to the paper discharge unit 18 by the switching claw 23, and is discharged by the paper discharge roller pair including the paper discharge reversing drive roller 25 and the paper discharge driven roller 18a. Is discharged to.

FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the switching claw 23 and the paper ejection reversing drive roller 25 when the paper P is conveyed to the double-sided conveyance path 21.
When the image forming operation is started as shown in FIG. 3A, the switching claw 23 is swung from the first position shown by the dotted line in the drawing to the second position shown by the solid line in the drawing. Further, the paper discharge reversing drive roller 25 is rotated counterclockwise in the drawing. As a result, the paper P that has passed through the fixing device 17 is guided to the reversing unit 19 by the switching claw 23 and is conveyed by the reversing roller pair including the paper discharge reversing drive roller 25 and the reversing driven roller 19a.

As shown in FIG. 3B, when the trailing edge Pt of the paper P passes through the branch portion between the paper discharge unit 18 and the reversing unit 19 and reaches the position of FIG. 25 is rotated in the clockwise direction in the figure to switch back the sheet and convey it to the double-sided conveyance path 21. Further, the switching claw 23 is swung so that the switching claw 23 changes from the second posture to the first posture. As a result, the sheet P is conveyed to the double-sided conveyance path 21, and after the image is formed on the second side of the sheet, it is conveyed to the sheet discharge unit 18 by the switching claw 23 and discharged to the sheet discharge tray 20 by the pair of sheet discharge rollers. To be paper.

FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the drive device 30 that drives the switching claw 23.
The drive device 30 is a swing member, and includes a motor 31 that is a drive source that drives the switching claw 23 that is a conveyance destination guide member, and the motor 31 is attached to the bracket 41. The motor shaft of the motor 31 penetrates the bracket 41, and teeth are formed on the outer periphery of the motor shaft to form a motor gear 31a.

As a drive transmission path to the switching claw 23, there are provided two drive transmission paths that rotate the output shaft t, which is a drive output member, in different directions. The first drive transmission path R1, which is one of the two systems of drive transmission paths, is a belt drive transmission path including a first input pulley 35, a first output pulley 36, and a first timing belt 38 stretched around these. Is becoming On the other hand, the second drive transmission path R2, which is the other of the two drive transmission paths, is a gear drive transmission path configured by the second input gear 32 and the second output gear 34. A first electromagnetic clutch 37 is provided on the first drive transmission path R1, and a second torque limiter 33 is provided on the second drive transmission path R2.

The first input pulley 35 of the first drive transmission path R1 and the second input gear 32 of the second drive transmission path R2 are integrally molded products, and this integrally molded product is fixedly supported by the bracket 41 and the side plate 42. It is rotatably supported by a fixed shaft s. The second input gear 32 is in mesh with the motor gear 31a and the second output gear 34 of the second drive transmission path R2.

The output shaft t is rotatably supported by the bracket 41 and the side plate 42 via bearings 41a and 42a, and the second output gear 34 and the first output pulley 36 are rotatably supported on the output shaft t. It is supported. A first electromagnetic clutch 37 is attached to the output shaft t adjacent to the first output pulley 36. A coupling pawl 37a is provided on a surface of the first electromagnetic clutch 37 facing the first output pulley 36, and the coupling pawl 37a (see FIG. 6) engages with the coupling hole 36a of the first output pulley 36. It fits. A second torque limiter 33 is attached to the output shaft t adjacent to the second output gear 34. The second torque limiter 33 engages with a mounting pin u1 penetrating the output shaft t and is fixed so as to rotate integrally with the output shaft t. The connection pawl 33a of the second torque limiter 33 is engaged with the connection hole 34a of the second output gear 34.

The output shaft t penetrates the side plate 42, and at the end of the output shaft t on the side of the switching pawl 23, an output gear 39 that meshes with the rocking gear 43 fixed to the rocking shaft 23a of the switching pawl 23 is rotated. It is supported freely. An output torque limiter 40 is fixed to the output shaft t so as to engage with a mounting pin u2 penetrating the output shaft t and rotate integrally with the output shaft t. The connecting claw 40 a of the output torque limiter 40 is engaged with the output gear 39.

The set torque of the second torque limiter 33 is set to be larger than the set torque of the output torque limiter 40 and lower than the drive transmission torque from the first electromagnetic clutch 37 to the output shaft t.

FIG. 5 is a schematic configuration diagram viewed from the X direction in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 5, when the switching claw 23 takes the first posture, the switching claw 23 comes into contact with the first abutting member 44a, and when the switching claw 23 takes the second posture, the switching claw 23a takes the second posture. 23 has a second abutting member 44b with which it abuts. That is, in the present embodiment, the first butting member 44a and the second butting member 44b constitute stopper means for stopping the switching claw 23 in the first posture or the second posture.

FIG. 6 is a schematic configuration diagram of the first electromagnetic clutch 37.
The first electromagnetic clutch 37 includes a shaft fixing portion 37e, an electromagnetic coil portion 37d, a rotor portion 37c, an armature 37b, a drive connecting member 37f and the like. The shaft fixing portion 37e has an insertion hole into which the output shaft t is inserted, and the insertion hole has a D-shaped cross section. The output shaft t has a notch and a D-shaped cross section so as to fit into the D-shape. The D-shaped section of the output shaft t extends to the position where the first electromagnetic clutch 37 is attached. By fitting the D-shaped section of the shaft fixing portion 37e with the D-shaped section of the output shaft t, the shaft fixing portion 37e is fixed so as to rotate together with the output shaft t.

An electromagnetic coil portion 37d is rotatably attached to the shaft fixing portion 37e with respect to the shaft fixing portion 37e. On the other hand, the rotor portion 37c is fixed to the shaft fixing portion 37e so as to rotate integrally with the shaft fixing portion 37e. The armature 37b is attached to a drive connecting member 37f including a pair of connecting claws 37a extending toward the first output pulley. A pair of connecting holes 36a is formed on the surface of the first output pulley 36, which is a driven connecting member, facing the first electromagnetic clutch 37, and the connecting claws 37a of the drive connecting member 37f are fitted into these connecting holes 36a. is doing. As a result, the first electromagnetic clutch 37 and the first output pulley 36 can rotate integrally.

When the first electromagnetic clutch 37 is OFF, the drive connecting member 37f is in a free state, and is in a state in which it can idle around the shaft fixing portion 37e. As a result, the drive transmission from the first output pulley 36 to the output shaft t is blocked, and the drive connecting member 37f and the first output pulley 36 idle around the output shaft t.

When the clutch is ON, a current flows through the electromagnetic coil portion 37d and an electromagnetic force is generated. When the electromagnetic force is generated, the armature 37b made of a metal disk is attracted to the electromagnetic coil portion 37d by the electromagnetic force, and the drive connecting member 37f integrated with the armature 37b slides to the rotor portion 37c side. Then, the armature 37b is attracted to the rotor portion 37c, the driving force transmitted to the first output pulley 36 is transmitted to the output shaft t via the first electromagnetic clutch 37, and the output shaft t rotates.

In the first electromagnetic clutch 37 of the present embodiment, the drive connecting member 37f may be provided so as to be slidable in the axial direction, and the first output pulley 36, which is the driven connected member, can be rotated with respect to the output shaft t. Good. Therefore, compared with the case where the first output pulley 36 is configured to be slidable in the axial direction, the gap between the first output pulley 36 and the output shaft t can be reduced, and the first output pulley 36 can be prevented from tilting with respect to the output shaft t. it can.

As shown in FIG. 4, when the first electromagnetic clutch 37 is turned on, the driving force is transmitted from the first drive transmission path R1 to the output shaft t. As described above, since the set torque of the second torque limiter 33 is lower than the drive transmission torque of the first electromagnetic clutch 37 to the output shaft t, the drive transmission from the second drive transmission route R2 to the output shaft t is cut off. Then, the second output gear 34 idles. Therefore, the output shaft t is rotationally driven in the direction opposite to the rotational direction of the motor gear 31a by the drive transmission from the first drive transmission path R1, and the switching claw 23 swings in one direction. On the other hand, when the first electromagnetic clutch 37 is turned off, the driving force is transmitted from the second output gear 34 to the output shaft t via the second torque limiter 33, and the output shaft t is in the same direction as the motor gear 31a, that is, It is rotationally driven in the opposite direction to that when the drive is transmitted through the first drive path. As a result, the swing direction of the switching claw 23 is switched, and swings in the direction opposite to the one direction. As described above, in the present embodiment, the first drive transmission path R1, the second drive transmission path R2, and the path switching unit configured by the first electromagnetic clutch and the second torque limiter are used to drive the motor 31 that is the drive source. A swing direction switching unit that switches the swing direction of the switching claw 23 that is the swing member without changing the rotation direction is configured.

For example, when the motor 31 rotates clockwise (CW) when viewed from the motor gear 31a side, when the first electromagnetic clutch 37 is turned on, the output shaft t rotates counterclockwise (CCW), and the swing shaft 23a. Swings clockwise. Then, as can be seen from FIG. 5, the switching claw 23 swings clockwise in the figure. When the switching claw 23 is in the second posture, the switching claw 23 strikes the second abutting member 44b and the swing is restricted. When the switching claw 23 hits the second abutting member 44b, the torque becomes equal to or higher than the set torque of the output torque limiter 40, the output gear 39 idles relative to the output shaft t, and the switching claw 23 is in the second posture. Hold. As a result, the switching claw 23 can be held in the second posture while the driving of the drive motor 31 is maintained.

When changing the switching claw 23 from the second posture to the first posture, the first electromagnetic clutch 37 is turned off and the drive transmission path is switched from the first drive transmission path R1 to the second drive transmission path R2. When the drive transmission path is switched to the second drive transmission path R2, the output shaft t rotates clockwise (CW), the swing shaft 23a rotates counterclockwise (CCW), and the switching claw 23 rotates counterclockwise. Swing around (CCW). Then, when the first posture shown in FIG. 5 is obtained, the switching claw 23 abuts on the first abutting member 44a and the swing is restricted. As described above, since the set torque of the output torque limiter 40 is lower than the set torque of the second torque limiter 33, before the torque of the output shaft t reaches the set torque of the second torque limiter 33, the output torque limiter 40 is set. 40 cuts off drive transmission to the output gear 39. As a result, the output gear 39 idles relative to the output shaft t, and the switching claw 23 maintains the first posture. As a result, the switching claw 23 can be held in the first posture while the driving of the drive motor 31 is maintained.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the driving of the drive motor 31 that is the drive source is maintained by the stopper unit configured by the first butting member 44a and the second butting member and the output torque limiter that is the drive limiting unit. In this state, a swing holding unit that holds the switching claw 23 that is the swing member in the first posture or the second posture is configured.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the switching claw 23 can be held in the first posture or the second posture while the driving of the drive motor is maintained, and the rotation direction of the motor is switched by switching the drive transmission path. It is possible to swing the switching claws 23 in different directions without each other. As a result, the motor 31 can be continuously rotated in one direction and the switching claws 23 can be swung in different directions. Therefore, unlike a drive device that switches the swing direction of the switching claw 23 by rotating the motor forward/reverse, it is not necessary to stop the motor when switching the swing direction of the switching claw 23. As a result, when the swinging direction of the switching claw 23 is switched, the rising noise of the motor is not generated, and the noise of the device can be reduced.

Further, in the present embodiment, a torque limiter is provided on the second drive transmission path R2, and an electromagnetic clutch is provided on the first drive transmission path R1 to switch the drive transmission path. As a result, there are the following advantages as compared with the case where the electromagnetic clutches are provided on both drive transmission paths and the drive transmission paths are switched. That is, electric power is not consumed when the driving force is transmitted from the second drive transmission path to the output shaft t. As a result, the power consumption can be reduced as compared with the case where the electromagnetic clutch is also provided in the second drive transmission path R2.

When an electromagnetic clutch is provided in each drive transmission path, the drive transmission is performed by switching the electromagnetic clutch of one drive transmission path from ON to OFF and then switching the electromagnetic clutch of one drive transmission path from OFF to ON. The route will be switched. On the other hand, in the present embodiment, by using one as a torque limiter, if the electromagnetic clutch of the other drive transmission path is turned off, the drive transmission path is switched to one drive transmission path, and if the electromagnetic clutch is turned on, the other drive transmission path is transmitted. Switch to the route. Therefore, there is also an advantage that the drive switching time can be shortened as compared with the case where an electromagnetic clutch is provided in each drive transmission path to switch the drive transmission path.

Further, in the present embodiment, the first electromagnetic clutch 37 and the second torque limiter 33 are provided coaxially. The shaft provided with the electromagnetic clutch and the shaft provided with the torque limiter must be rotary shafts rotatably supported via bearings. Therefore, when the shaft provided with the electromagnetic clutch and the shaft provided with the torque limiter are provided on different shafts, it is necessary to use two shafts as the rotary shafts. On the other hand, as in the present embodiment, by providing the first electromagnetic clutch 37 and the second torque limiter 33 coaxially, the number of rotating shafts can be one, and compared to the case of using two rotating shafts. The number of bearings can be reduced, and the cost of the device can be reduced.

Further, a torque limiter may be provided in the first drive transmission path R1 and an electromagnetic clutch may be provided in the second drive transmission path R2.

In the above description, the diameter of the output gear 39 and the diameter of the rocking gear 43 are the same, the number of teeth is the same, and the switching claw 23 is driven at the same rotation speed as the output shaft t. As shown in FIG. 7, the diameter of the rocking gear 43 may be reduced and the number of teeth of the rocking gear 43 may be smaller than the number of teeth of the output gear to increase the speed. By increasing the speed, it is possible to quickly switch the transfer route, which enables high-speed transfer. Further, the degree of freedom in arranging the switching claw 23 can be increased, and the degree of freedom in the layout of the device can be increased.

Further, as shown in FIG. 8, the diameter of the rocking gear 43 may be increased so that the number of teeth of the rocking gear 43 is larger than the number of teeth of the output gear to reduce the speed. By decelerating, the switching claw 23 slowly abuts on the abutting member, and the impact noise when the switching claw 23 abuts the abutting member can be reduced. As a result, the noise of the device can be reduced.

Further, as shown in FIG. 9, the first drive transmission path R1 may be configured by an odd number gear train of the first input gear 135, the first idler gear 138, and the first output gear 136. As a result, when the driving force is transmitted from the first drive transmission path R1 including the odd gear train, and when the driving force is transmitted from the second drive transmission path R2 including the even input gear train of the second input gear 32 and the second output gear 34. The rotation direction of the output shaft t can be different from that when the driving force is transmitted. Therefore, even with such a configuration, the switching claws 23 can be swung in different directions without switching the rotation direction of the motor 31.

Next, a modified example of the drive device 30 will be described.

[Modification 1]
FIG. 10 is a schematic cross-sectional view of drive device 30A according to the first modification.
As shown in FIG. 10, the drive device 30A according to the first modification includes a switching claw 23 that is a swing member, a discharge reverse drive roller 25 that is a forward/reverse output target rotating body that rotates forward and reverse, and one direction. It drives the fixing roller 17a which is a one-way output target rotating body that rotates only.

As shown in FIG. 10, in addition to the second input gear 32 described above, the motor gear 31a meshes with the fixing gear 52 attached to the shaft 171 of the fixing roller 17a. Further, a shaft 25a of the paper discharge reversing drive roller 25 is provided with a first output pulley 36 of a first drive transmission path R1, a second output gear 34 of a second drive transmission path R2, and a first electromagnetic clutch 37. .. In addition, a second electromagnetic clutch 51 is provided in the second drive transmission path R2 in place of the second torque limiter, and the second electromagnetic clutch 51 is the discharge reversal drive roller 25 to which the first electromagnetic clutch 37 is attached. It is attached to the shaft 25a. The second electromagnetic clutch 51 has the same configuration as the first electromagnetic clutch 37, and the connecting claw of the second electromagnetic clutch 51 is engaged with the second output gear 34.

As described above, by providing the first electromagnetic clutch 37 and the second electromagnetic clutch 51 coaxially, the following advantages can be obtained. That is, in general, the electromagnetic clutch has a shorter life than drive transmission members such as gears and pulleys, and requires periodic replacement. When replacing the electromagnetic clutch, it is necessary to access the shaft to which the electromagnetic clutch is attached, remove the life-long electromagnetic clutch from the shaft, and attach a new electromagnetic clutch to the shaft. When the first electromagnetic clutch 37 and the second electromagnetic clutch 51 are provided on different shafts, it is necessary to allow workers to access the respective shafts, and it is necessary to provide a space for that purpose in the image forming apparatus. .. As a result, the size of the printer is increased. On the other hand, as in the first modification, by providing the first electromagnetic clutch 37 and the second electromagnetic clutch 51 coaxially, the shaft provided with the first electromagnetic clutch 37 and the second electromagnetic clutch 51 (paper discharge reversal) It suffices that the worker can access the shaft 25a) of the drive roller 25. Therefore, the size of the printer can be reduced as compared with the configuration in which the electromagnetic clutches are attached to different shafts.

The output gear 39, the output torque limiter 40, and the swing gear 43, which form a drive transmission mechanism for transmitting the drive force to the switching claw 23, are provided on the side opposite to the motor side of the shaft 25a of the paper discharge reversal drive roller 25. It is provided near the end of. Specifically, the end of the fixing roller 17a on the side opposite to the motor side of the shaft 171 and the end of the sheet reversing drive roller 25 on the side opposite to the motor side are provided via bearings 55a and 55b. The output gear 39, the output torque limiter 40, and the swing gear 43 are disposed outside the side plate 55 on the other end side that is rotatably supported.

As described above, the drive transmission mechanism for transmitting the drive force to the switching claw 23 including the output gear 39, the output torque limiter 40, and the swing gear 43 is provided in the device as the first drive transmission path R1 or the second drive transmission path. By providing it on the side opposite to the side on which R2 is provided, a drive transmission mechanism for transmitting the drive force to the switching claw 23 can be placed in the empty space on the opposite side. As a result, the size of the device can be reduced as compared with the case where a drive transmission mechanism for transmitting the driving force to the switching claw 23 is also arranged on the motor side.

11A is a diagram for explaining the rotation of the paper ejection reversing drive roller 25, the switching claw 23, and the fixing roller 17a when the paper P is conveyed to the paper ejection unit 18, and FIG. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating rotation of the paper ejection reversing drive roller 25, the switching claw 23, and the fixing roller 17a when P is conveyed to the reversing unit 19.

When the image forming operation is started, the motor 31 is rotated clockwise (CW) when viewed from the motor gear 31a side. Then, as shown in FIG. 10, the driving force is transmitted from the motor gear 31a to the fixing gear 52, and the fixing roller 17a rotates counterclockwise (CCW) in the figure as shown in FIG.

When the paper P is conveyed to the paper output unit 18, the second electromagnetic clutch 51 is turned on and the first electromagnetic clutch 37 is turned off. Then, the driving force is output to the shaft 25a of the paper ejection reversal drive roller 25 via the second drive transmission path R2, and the paper ejection reversal drive roller 25 rotates clockwise in the figure as shown in FIG. 11(a). Move. Further, the switching claw 23 swings counterclockwise (CCW) in the drawing, hits the first abutting member 44a, and assumes the first posture. When in the first posture, as described above, the output torque limiter 40 functions to limit the drive transmission to the switching pawl 23, and the switching pawl 23 is held in the first posture. On the other hand, the drive of the motor 31 is input to the paper ejection reversal drive roller 25 via the second drive transmission path R2, and the paper ejection reversal drive roller 25 continues to rotate counterclockwise in the drawing. As a result, the sheet P conveyed by the fixing roller 17a is conveyed to the sheet discharge section 18 by the switching claw 23, and is discharged by the sheet discharge roller pair including the sheet discharge reversing drive roller 25 and the sheet discharge driven roller 18a. 20 (see FIG. 1).

On the other hand, when the sheet P is conveyed to the reversing unit 19, the second electromagnetic clutch 51 is turned off and the first electromagnetic clutch 37 is turned on. Then, a driving force is output to the shaft 25a of the paper ejection reversal drive roller 25 via the first drive transmission path R1, and the paper ejection reversal drive roller 25 rotates counterclockwise (as shown in FIG. 11B). CCW). In addition, the switching claw 23 swings clockwise (CW) in the drawing, strikes the second abutting member 44b, and assumes the second posture. When in the second posture, as described above, the output torque limiter 40 functions to limit the drive transmission to the switching pawl 23, and the switching pawl 23 maintains the second posture. On the other hand, the drive of the motor 31 is input to the paper ejection reversal drive roller 25 via the first drive transmission path R1, and the paper ejection reversal drive roller 25 continues to rotate counterclockwise in the drawing. As a result, the sheet P conveyed by the fixing roller 17a is conveyed to the reversing unit 19 by the switching claw 23, and is conveyed by the reversing roller pair including the paper ejection reversing drive roller 25 and the reversing driven roller 19a.

When the trailing edge of the paper P passes through the branch between the paper discharge unit 18 and the reversing unit 19, the first electromagnetic clutch 37 is turned off and the second electromagnetic clutch 51 is turned on. Then, as shown in FIG. 11A, the paper ejection reversing drive roller 25 rotates clockwise (CW) in the figure, and the paper ejection reversing drive roller 25 and the reversing driven roller 19a form a reversing roller pair. P is switchback conveyed. Further, the switching claw 23 swings counterclockwise (CCW) in the figure and assumes the first posture. As a result, the paper P is guided to the double-sided transport path 21 (see FIG. 1) by the switching claw 23, and the paper P is transported to the double-sided transport path 21.

In the first modification, the motor 31 drives the fixing roller 17a, the discharge reversal drive roller 25, and the switching claw 23. As a result, the number of motors can be reduced, and the cost of the apparatus can be reduced, as compared with the case where the fixing roller 17a, the discharge reversal drive roller 25, and the switching claw 23 are driven by different motors.

In particular, the rotation direction of the paper discharge reversing drive roller 25 and the swinging direction of the switching claw 23 can be switched while the motor 31 is rotated in one direction, so that the fixing roller 17a is not stopped in one direction ( It can continue to rotate in the CCW direction). Further, the rotation direction of the paper ejection reversing drive roller 25 when the paper P is conveyed back to the double-sided conveyance path 21 by switching back at the reversing unit 19 and the paper ejection when the paper is conveyed to the paper ejection tray 20 by the paper ejection unit 18. The rotation directions of the paper inversion drive roller 25 are the same. Further, the switching claw 23 is in the first posture when the sheet P is conveyed back to the double-sided conveyance path 21 by switching back by the reversing unit 19 and the sheet P is conveyed to the paper discharge unit 18. Therefore, the sheet P is conveyed to the sheet ejection section 18 by the fixing roller 17a while the sheet P is switched back by the reversing unit 19 to the double-sided conveyance path 21, and the sheet ejection reversal drive roller 25 and the sheet ejection driven roller 18a are conveyed. It can be conveyed to the paper discharge tray 20 by a pair of paper discharge rollers. As a result, the paper P on which images on both sides are formed is conveyed to the paper ejection unit 18 and ejected to the paper ejection tray 20 while the paper P on which one side of the image is recorded is conveyed to the double-sided conveyance path 21. Therefore, the productivity of double-sided printing can be improved.

Further, the second drive transmission path R2 configured by the gear train has higher durability than the first drive transmission path R1 for belt drive transmission. Therefore, it is preferable that the drive transmission path that is frequently used is the second drive transmission path R2. In the present embodiment, the rotation direction of the reversal drive roller 25 (the clockwise direction in FIG. 11) when the paper P is conveyed to the paper discharge unit 18 is frequently used. Therefore, it is preferable that the second drive transmission path for rotating the reversing drive roller 25 in the clockwise direction (CW direction) of FIG. 11 is configured by a gear train.

[Modification 2]
FIG. 12 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a drive device 30B of Modification 2.
The drive device 30B of the second modification has a drive idler gear 61 having internal teeth and external teeth that mesh with the motor gear 31a. The drive idler gear 61 is rotatably supported by a fixed shaft s fixed to the bracket 41 and the side plate 42. The motor gear 31a meshes with the internal teeth of the drive idler gear 61.

By engaging the motor gear 31a with the internal teeth of the drive idler gear 61, the meshing ratio with the motor gear 31a can be increased, and uneven rotation and noise/vibration can be suppressed. Further, the meshing portion with the motor gear 31a can be covered with the drive idler gear 61, meshing noise can be shielded by the drive idler gear 61, and the noise of the device can be reduced.

Further, the first engagement, which is the engagement with the motor gear 31a, has the highest noise imparting rate. In the second modification, the meshing with the motor gear 31a having a high noise addition rate is only the meshing with the inner teeth of the drive idler gear 61, so that the two gears mesh with the motor gear 31a as in the first modification. Noise can be effectively suppressed compared to the configuration.

A drive output gear 62 meshes with the drive idler gear 61. The drive output gear 62 is attached to a rotating shaft X rotatably supported by the bracket 41 and the side plate 42 via bearings 41b and 42c so as to rotate integrally. A fixing output gear 63 is attached to the roller-side end of the rotating shaft X so as to rotate integrally with the rotating shaft X. The fixing output gear 63 is attached to the shaft 171 of the fixing roller 17a. It meshes with the gear 52.

The second drive transmission path R2 has two stages, and the first stage is composed of a second input pulley 131, a second output pulley 133, and a second timing belt 132 stretched around these pulleys. It is a belt drive transmission. The second stage is a gear train including a second input gear 32 and a second output gear 34. The second input pulley 131 is configured integrally with the drive output gear 62. The second output pulley 133 is configured integrally with the second input gear 32, and this integral body is rotatably supported by the second fixed shaft W fixed to the bracket 41 and the side plate 42. The second output gear 34 that meshes with the second input gear 32 is rotatably supported by the shaft 25 a of the paper discharge reversing drive roller 25. The second electromagnetic clutch 51 is attached to the shaft 25a of the paper discharge reversing drive roller 25, and is engaged with the second output gear 34 in the axial direction.

On the other hand, the first drive transmission path R1 is a belt transmission including the first input pulley 35, the first output pulley 36, and the first timing belt 38 stretched around these, as in the first modification. ing. The first input pulley 35 is rotatably supported on the rotating shaft X, and the first output pulley 36 is attached to the shaft 25a so as to rotate integrally with the shaft 25a of the paper discharge reversing drive roller 25. .. The first electromagnetic clutch 37 is attached to the rotating shaft X and is engaged with the first input pulley 35 in the axial direction.

In the second modification, the first drive transmission path R1 and the second drive transmission path R2 are provided with a belt drive transmission section having a belt member stretched around a plurality of pulleys. Accordingly, due to the layout, even if the paper ejection reversal drive roller 25 is located at a position distant from the motor 31, the paper ejection reversal drive roller 25 is driven by the motor 31 with a minimum necessary drive transmission member. Can transmit power. As a result, the number of parts can be reduced as compared with the case where the first and second drive transmission paths R2 are composed of only the gear train.

In the second modification, the first electromagnetic clutch 37 is provided on the rotating shaft X, and the second electromagnetic clutch 51 is provided on the shaft 25a of the paper discharge reversing drive roller 25. 51 and 51 are provided on different axes. Since the electromagnetic clutch is longer in the axial direction than the gear and the pulley, when the first electromagnetic clutch 37 and the second electromagnetic clutch 51 are provided coaxially, the device may be upsized in the axial direction. Therefore, by providing the first electromagnetic clutch 37 and the second electromagnetic clutch 51 on mutually different shafts as in the second modification, it is possible to prevent the device from increasing in size in the axial direction.

FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram of a drive transmission mechanism for transmitting a driving force to the switching claw 23 in the drive device 30B of Modification 2.
As shown in FIG. 13, in the second modification, the drive transmission mechanism for transmitting the driving force to the switching claw 23 includes a switching input pulley 139, a switching output pulley 143, and a switching timing belt stretched around these pulleys. And 142 for belt drive transmission. The switching input pulley 139 is attached to the end of the shaft 25a of the paper discharge reversing drive roller 25 opposite to the motor side so as to rotate integrally with the shaft 25a. The switching output pulley 143 is rotatably supported by the swing shaft 23a. The output torque limiter 40 is attached to the swing shaft 23a so as to rotate integrally with the swing shaft 23a, and is engaged with the switching output pulley 143 in the axial direction.

In this way, by using the belt drive transmission as the drive transmission mechanism for transmitting the driving force to the switching claw 23, even if the switching claw 23 is arranged at a position away from the paper ejection reversing drive roller 25, the switching input The driving force can be transmitted to the switching claw 23 by the three members of the pulley 139, the switching output pulley 143, and the switching timing belt 142 stretched around these pulleys. As a result, the number of parts can be reduced as compared with the case where the drive transmission mechanism for transmitting the driving force to the switching claw 23 is configured by the gear train, and the cost of the device can be reduced.

The driving force of the motor 31 is transmitted to the fixing roller 17a via the drive idler gear 61, the drive output gear 62, the rotating shaft X, the fixing output gear 63, and the fixing gear 52, and the fixing roller 17a is rotationally driven.

Further, the second drive transmission path R2 has two stages of the belt drive transmission and the gear train including the second input gear 32 and the second output gear 34, so that the drive transmission is performed from the second drive transmission path R2. The rotation direction of the sheet discharge reversing drive roller 25 at this time can be made opposite to the rotation direction at the time of drive transmission from the first drive transmission path R1 configured only by belt drive transmission. As a result, also in the second modification, by controlling the first electromagnetic clutch 37 and the second electromagnetic clutch 51, the rotation direction of the paper discharge reversal drive roller 25 is switched while the motor 31 is rotated in one direction. It is possible to switch the swing direction of the switching claw 23 that is drive-transmitted via the shaft 25a of the paper discharge reversing drive roller 25.

Specifically, when the first electromagnetic clutch 37 is turned on and the second electromagnetic clutch 51 is turned off, the driving force is transmitted to the first input pulley 35 via the first electromagnetic clutch 37 and the first drive transmission path R1 is passed. The driving force is transmitted to the shaft 25a of the sheet discharge reversing drive roller 25 via the shaft. Then, the discharge reversal drive roller 25 is rotationally driven in one direction. On the other hand, the second output gear 34 idles with respect to the shaft 25a of the paper discharge reversing drive roller 25.

Further, the switching input pulley 139 rotates integrally with the shaft 25a of the paper discharge reversing drive roller 25, is input to the switching output pulley 143 via the switching timing belt 142, and is output to the swing shaft 23a via the output torque limiter 40. The driving force is input and the switching claw 23 swings. When the switching claw 23 hits the abutting member, the output torque limiter works to limit the drive transmission to the swing shaft 23a, and the switch output pulley 143 idles with respect to the swing shaft 23a.

On the other hand, when the second electromagnetic clutch 51 is turned on and the first electromagnetic clutch 37 is turned off, the drive transmission to the first input pulley 35 is cut off, and the first input pulley 35 transmits the drive force from the first output pulley 36. Then, it spins around the rotation axis X. On the other hand, a driving force is input from the second output gear 34 to the shaft 25a of the paper discharge reversing drive roller 25 via the second electromagnetic clutch 51, and the paper discharge reversing drive roller 25 is rotationally driven in the direction opposite to the one direction. To do. Further, the switching input pulley 139 rotates integrally with the shaft 25a of the paper discharge reversing drive roller 25, and the driving force is transmitted to the switching output pulley 143 via the switching timing belt 142. Then, the driving force is transmitted to the swing shaft 23a via the output torque limiter 40, and the switching claw 23 swings in the opposite direction to the above. When the switching claw 23 hits the abutting member, the output torque limiter works to limit the drive transmission to the swing shaft 23a, and the switch output pulley 143 idles with respect to the swing shaft 23a.

[Modification 3]
FIG. 14 is a schematic sectional view showing a drive device 30C of Modification 3.
In the drive device 30C of the third modification, the inner teeth of the drive idler gear 61 mesh with the motor gear 31a, as in the second modification.

The fixing output gear 63 is rotatably supported by a fixing fixed shaft v fixed to the bracket 41 and the side plate 42. The fixing output gear 63 has a first gear portion 63a that meshes with the outer teeth of the drive idler gear 61, and a second gear portion 63b that meshes with the fixing gear 52 provided on the shaft 171 of the fixing roller 17a. The fixing roller 17a is rotationally driven by the driving force of the motor 31 transmitted through the drive idler gear 61, the fixing output gear 63, and the fixing gear.

The first drive transmission path R1 is composed of a first input pulley 35, a first output pulley 36, a first timing belt 38 stretched around these pulleys, and a first electromagnetic clutch 37. The second drive transmission path R2 includes a second input gear 32, a second output gear 34, and a second torque limiter 33.

The second input gear 32 of the second drive transmission path R2 is attached to the rotary shaft X so as to rotate integrally with the rotary shaft X rotatably supported by the bracket 41 and the side plate 42 via bearings. , Meshes with the outer teeth of the drive idler gear 61. The second output gear 34 is rotatably supported by the shaft 25a of the paper discharge reversing drive roller 25. The second torque limiter 33 is attached to the shaft 25a of the paper discharge reversing drive roller 25 so as to rotate integrally with the shaft 25a, and is engaged with the second output gear 34 in the axial direction.

The first input pulley 35 of the first drive transmission path R1 is rotatably supported on the rotating shaft X. The first electromagnetic clutch 37 is attached to the rotary shaft X so as to rotate integrally with the rotary shaft X, and is engaged with the first input pulley 35 in the axial direction. The first output pulley is attached to the shaft 25a of the paper discharge reversing drive roller 25 so as to rotate integrally with the shaft 25a.

An output gear 39 is rotatably supported near an end of the shaft 25a of the paper discharge reversing drive roller 25 opposite to the motor side, and meshes with a swing gear 43 provided on the swing shaft 23a. .. An output torque limiter 40 is attached near the end of the shaft 25a of the paper discharge reversing drive roller 25 opposite to the motor side so as to rotate integrally with the shaft 25a. The output torque limiter 40 is engaged with the output gear 39 in the axial direction.

Also in the third modification, by switching the drive transmission path, it is possible to switch the rotation direction of the paper ejection reversing drive roller 25 and the swinging direction of the switching claw 23 while the motor is rotating in one direction.

Further, when the drive is transmitted to the shaft 25 a of the paper ejection reversing drive roller 25 via the second drive transmission route R 2, the first input pulley 35 is passed through the first output pulley 36 and the first timing belt 38. The driving force is transmitted, and the drive shaft idles in a direction opposite to the rotation direction of the rotation axis X. On the other hand, the first electromagnetic clutch 37 is rotating in the same direction as the rotation axis X. The electromagnetic clutch has a relative rotational speed that can be drive-coupled, and the rotation direction of the first input pulley and the rotation direction of the rotation shaft are different from each other. Therefore, it is preferable that the rotation speed of the rotary shaft X is set to be equal to or less than half the relative rotation speed at which the electromagnetic clutch can be drivingly connected. In the third modification, since the electromagnetic clutch has a relative rotational speed of 500 rpm that can be drive-coupled, it is preferable to set the rotational speed of the rotary shaft X to 250 rpm or less.

In addition, in the third modification, the second torque limiter 33 and the first electromagnetic clutch 37 are provided on mutually different shafts. Since the second torque limiter 33 and the first electromagnetic clutch 37 are longer in the axial direction than the pulleys and the gears, if the second torque limiter 33 and the first electromagnetic clutch 37 are provided coaxially, the device becomes longer in the axial direction. Will end up. Therefore, by providing the second torque limiter 33 and the first electromagnetic clutch 37 on mutually different shafts, the device can be axially arranged as compared with the case where the second torque limiter 33 and the first electromagnetic clutch 37 are provided coaxially. Can be shortened to

Further, the drive devices of the above-described embodiments and modifications can be used, for example, in the automatic document feeder (ADF) 200 shown in FIG. For example, a switching claw 203 serving as a swinging member for switching between transporting the document G from which the image shown in FIG. 15 is read to the document discharge tray 202 or the document reversing unit 203, and a document reversing unit for forward and reverse rotation. The above-described driving devices of Modifications 1 to 3 can be used to drive the document inversion driving roller 204 of 201 and the document discharge roller 205 that always rotates in one direction.

Further, the drive device 30 described above can be used as a post-processing device that receives a sheet on which an image is formed by the image forming apparatus 100 illustrated in FIG. 16 and performs post-processing such as binding processing on the sheet. For example, driving the switching claw 305 that switches the transport path between the transport path Pt1 to the paper discharge tray and the transport path Pt2 to the binding processing unit 303 by swinging, and the transport path for the bound sheet bundle. The drive device of the present embodiment can also be used to drive the switching claw 307 that is switched between the transport path Pt3 for transporting to the center folding unit 304 and the transport path pt to the discharge tray 308 by swinging. Further, a switching claw 306 for carrying out switchback transportation of the sheet transported to the transport path Pt1 to the sheet discharge tray 308 and transporting it to the binding processing unit 303, and a transport roller 301 and a sheet discharge roller 302 that rotate forward and backward. The driving devices of the modified examples 1 to 3 can be used for driving and.

In addition to the switching claws, for example, as shown in FIGS. 17 and 18, the drive device of the present embodiment can be used to drive the swing plate 24b that moves up and down the bottom plate 24a of the paper feed tray 24. Further, the drive device of this embodiment can be used to drive the oscillating plate 24b and the paper feed roller 13.

What has been described above is merely an example, and each of the following aspects has unique effects.
(Aspect 1)
The driving source such as the drive motor 1 and the swinging member such as the switching claw 23 that is swingable so that the swinging member can selectively take the first posture and the second posture. And a swing holding unit that holds the swing member in the first posture or the second posture while maintaining the driving of the drive source. A swing direction switching means is provided for switching the swing direction of the swing member without changing the rotation direction of the drive source.
According to this, the rocking member can be held in the first posture or the second posture while the driving of the drive source is maintained by the swing holding means, and the rotation of the drive source is rotated by the swing direction switching means. The swinging direction of the swinging member can be switched without changing the direction. Accordingly, the posture of the swinging member can be changed by continuously rotating the drive source in one direction, and the rising noise of the drive source does not occur when the posture of the swinging member is changed. It is possible to reduce the noise.

(Aspect 2)
In the aspect 1, the swinging member is a destination guide member such as the switching claw 23 that guides the transported object to any one of the plurality of destinations.
According to this, when the conveyance destination guide member is swung to change the conveyance destination of the conveyance object such as the paper P, it is possible to prevent the rising noise of the motor from being generated, and to reduce the noise of the apparatus. You can

(Aspect 3)
In the first or second aspect, the swing holding means is a stopper means (in the present embodiment, a first abutting member 44a, which stops the swing member such as the switching claw 23 in the first posture and the second posture). A second abutting member 44b) and a drive transmission limiting means such as an output torque limiter 40 for limiting drive transmission to the swinging member.
According to this, when the rocking of the rocking member is stopped by the stopper means, the drive transmission to the rocking member is controlled by the drive transmission limiting means such as the output torque limiter 40, so that the rocking member is in the first posture. Or it is held in the second position. Accordingly, the swing member can be held in the first posture or the second posture while the driving of the driving source such as the motor is maintained.

(Aspect 4)
In any one of modes 1 to 3, the swing direction switching means (in the present embodiment, a first drive transmission path R1, a second drive transmission path R2, and an electromagnetic clutch and a torque limiter provided in each drive transmission path are included. The driving force of the drive source such as the motor 31 is transmitted to the normal/reverse output target rotating body such as the paper ejection/reversing drive roller 25 that normally rotates in the reverse direction via the drive path switching means).
According to this, one drive source can drive the swinging member such as the switching claw 23 and the forward/reverse output target rotating body such as the paper discharge reversing drive roller 25 that rotates normally and reversely. The number of drive sources can be reduced as compared with the case where the normal and reverse output target rotating bodies are driven by different drive sources. As a result, the cost of the device can be reduced. Further, the size of the device can be reduced. Furthermore, the noise of the device can be reduced.

(Aspect 5)
In the fourth aspect, the output target rotating body is a paper discharge reversing roller such as the paper discharge reversing drive roller 25 that switches back the paper or conveys the paper to the paper discharge unit.
As a result, by switching the swinging direction switching means, it is possible to switch the rotation direction of the paper discharge reversing roller to carry the paper to the paper discharge unit, or switch the paper back and carry it to the double-sided path. ..

(Aspect 6)
In any one of aspects 1 to 5, a drive transmission path (in the present embodiment, the fixing gear 52, in the present embodiment, which transmits the driving force of the drive source such as the motor 31 to the one-way output target rotating body such as the fixing roller 17a that rotates only in one direction. Etc.).
According to this, the swinging member such as the switching claw 23 and the one-way output target rotating body such as the fixing roller 17a can be driven by one drive source, and the swinging member and the one-way output target rotating body can be driven. It is possible to reduce the number of drive sources as compared with the case where each is driven by different drive sources. As a result, the cost of the device can be reduced. Further, the size of the device can be reduced. Furthermore, the noise of the device can be reduced.

(Aspect 7)
In any one of modes 1 to 6, the drive transmission means includes a drive output member such as an output shaft t from which the drive force is output from the swing direction switching means, and the drive force is applied to the swing member via the drive output member. Drive is transmitted from the drive output member to the swing member so that the swing member such as the switching claw 23 speeds up with respect to the drive output member.
According to this, as described with reference to FIG. 7, the swing member such as the switching claw 23 can be swung quickly.

(Aspect 8)
In any one of modes 1 to 6, the drive transmission means includes a drive output member such as an output shaft t from which the driving force is output from the swing direction switching means, and the swing member such as the switching claw 23 is provided with respect to the drive output member. Is transmitted to the swing member from the drive output member so that the speed is reduced.
According to this, as described with reference to FIG. 8, the swinging member such as the switching claw 23 can be slowly swung, and the impact noise when hitting the abutting members 44a and 44b can be reduced. Therefore, the noise of the device can be reduced.

(Aspect 9)
In any one of Modes 1 to 8, the drive transmission means includes a drive output member such as a shaft 25a of the paper ejection reversal drive roller 25 to which the drive force is output from the swing direction switching means, and the drive output member is used to drive the drive output member. A transmission mechanism that transmits the driving force to the swing member, and transmits the driving force from the drive output member to the swing member at one end side of the swing member such as the switching claw 23 in the swing axis direction (output gear 39). , The oscillating gear 43 and the output torque limiter 40), and the rotation direction switching means (the first drive transmission path R1, the second drive transmission path R2, the electromagnetic clutch and the torque) on the other end side in the oscillation axis direction. A route switching means) constituted by a limiter or the like is arranged.
According to this, as described in the first modification, when the transmission mechanism for transmitting the driving force from the drive output member to the swing member and the rotation direction switching means are arranged at one end side in the swing axis direction. In comparison, it is possible to reduce the axial size of the device in which the drive device is mounted.

(Aspect 10)
In any one of modes 1 to 9, the drive transmission means includes a drive output member such as an output shaft t from which the drive force is output from the swing direction switching means, and the drive force is applied to the swing member via the drive output member. Drive transmission from the drive output member to the swinging member such as the switching claw 23 is performed by gear engagement.
According to this, it is possible to transmit the drive from the drive output member to the swing member with an inexpensive configuration.

(Aspect 11)
In any one of Modes 1 to 9, the drive transmission unit includes a drive output member such as a shaft 25a of the sheet discharge reversal drive roller 25 to which the driving force is output from the swing direction switching unit, and the drive output member is used to provide the drive output member. The drive force is transmitted to the swing member, and the drive is transmitted from the drive output member to the swing member such as the switching claw 23 via the belt.
According to this, as described in the second modification, even if the drive output member and the swinging member are separated from each other, the pulley provided on the drive output member, the pulley provided on the swinging member, and the pulleys provided on the swinging member are stretched. Drive transmission can be performed with a belt member such as a timing belt that is mounted. When the drive transmission is performed by meshing the gears, if the drive transmission is possible with three members, the diameter of the gear needs to be increased and the size of the apparatus increases, but the drive transmission via a belt increases the size. Instead, the drive transmission can be performed by the three members to the swinging member arranged at a position apart from the drive output member.

(Aspect 12)
In Modes 1 to 11, the swing direction switching means selectively drives a drive transmission path between two drive transmission paths and two drive transmission paths for swinging the swing members in different directions. And a path switching means (composed of an electromagnetic clutch arranged on one drive transmission path and a torque limiter arranged on the other drive transmission path).
According to this, the drive output member can be rotationally driven in different directions by switching the drive transmission route to the drive output member by the route switching means. Thus, the swing member can swing in different directions while the motor is rotating in one direction.

(Aspect 13)
In a twelfth aspect, the path switching means includes drive transmission switching means such as a plurality of electromagnetic clutches provided in each drive transmission path and capable of switching between a state for transmitting the driving force and a state for interrupting the transmission of the driving force.
According to this, as described in the modification 1, the drive transmission paths can be switched by controlling the drive transmission switching means such as the electromagnetic clutch of each drive transmission path.

(Aspect 14)
In the thirteenth aspect, the drive transmission switching means such as the electromagnetic clutch of each drive transmission path is arranged on different axes.
According to this, as described in the second modification, it is possible to reduce the size in the axial direction as compared with the case where the drive transmission switching means such as the electromagnetic clutch of each drive transmission path is provided coaxially.

(Aspect 15)
In the thirteenth aspect, drive transmission switching means such as an electromagnetic clutch of each drive transmission path is arranged coaxially.
According to this, as described in the modified example 1, a device in which a speed switching device such as an image forming device is mounted so that a worker can access only a shaft to which drive transmission switching means such as an electromagnetic clutch is attached. With this configuration, the drive transmission switching means of each drive transmission path can be replaced. As a result, it is possible to reduce the size of the device in which the drive device is mounted, as compared with the configuration in which the drive transmission switching means is attached to different rotating shafts.

(Aspect 16)
In a twelfth aspect, the path switching means is provided with a drive transmission switching means such as an electromagnetic clutch capable of switching between a state in which the driving force is transmitted and a state in which the transmission of the driving force is cut off, in one of the drive transmission paths so that the drive transmission is performed. A switching drive drive transmission limiting means such as a limiting second torque limiter 33 is provided in the other drive transmission path.
According to this, as described in the embodiment, when the drive transmission switching means is in the drive transmission state of one drive transmission path, the drive transmission is limited by the switching drive drive transmission limiting means such as the second torque limiter 33. When the drive transmission of the one drive transmission path by the drive transmission switching means is interrupted, the drive transmission is restricted by the switching drive drive transmission limiting means, and the drive transmission from the other drive transmission path to the output drive transmission member is performed. Is done. Thereby, the drive transmission path can be switched between the one drive transmission path and the other drive transmission path. Therefore, the drive transmission path to the output drive transmission member can be switched in the time required for the switching operation of one drive transmission switching unit. Therefore, the time required for switching the drive transmission paths can be shortened as compared with the case where two drive transmission switching means are provided corresponding to the two systems of drive transmission paths.

(Aspect 17)
In the sixteenth aspect, the drive transmission switching means such as an electromagnetic clutch and the switching drive drive transmission limiting means such as a torque limiter are arranged on different axes.
According to this, as described in the third modification, it is possible to reduce the size in the axial direction as compared with the case where the drive transmission switching unit and the switching drive drive transmission limiting unit are arranged coaxially.

(Aspect 18)
In the sixteenth aspect, drive transmission switching means such as an electromagnetic clutch and switching drive drive transmission limiting means such as a torque limiter are arranged coaxially.
According to this, as described in the embodiment, it is possible to reduce the number of shafts that are rotatably supported via bearings and the like, and it is possible to reduce the cost of the device.

(Aspect 19)
In any one of Modes 16 to 18, the swing holding means includes drive transmission limiting means such as an output torque limiter 40 that limits drive transmission to the swinging member, and the drive limiting value of the drive transmission limiting means is set. The drive limit value of the switching drive drive transmission limiting means such as the second output torque limiter 33 is smaller than the drive limit value.
According to this, as described in the embodiment, when the swinging member such as the switching claw 23 is stopped by the stopper means, the drive transmission is limited by the switching drive drive transmission limiting means such as the second torque limiter 33. Before being limited, the drive transmission of the drive transmission limiting means such as the output torque limiter 40 is limited. As a result, even if the swinging member such as the switching claw 23 is stopped by the stopper means, drive transmission can be performed from the switching drive drive transmission limiting means such as the second torque limiter 33.

(Aspect 20)
In any one of aspects 13 to 19, the driven coupling member such as the first input pulley 35 that is drivingly coupled to the drive transmission switching means such as the electromagnetic clutch is arranged coaxially with the drive transmission switching means.
According to this, as described in the embodiment, it is possible to prevent the driven connecting member such as the first input pulley 35 from tilting with respect to the shaft.

(Aspect 21)
In any one of modes 1 to 20, the output gear such as the motor gear 31a of the drive source such as the motor 31 is meshed with the internal gear.
According to this, as described in the second modification, the meshing ratio with the output gear such as the motor gear 31a is increased, and it is possible to suppress the occurrence of uneven rotation and noise/vibration. Further, the meshing portion with the output gear can be covered with the internal gear, the meshing noise can be shielded by the internal gear, and the silence of the device can be achieved.

(Aspect 22)
In a transport device that includes a swing member such as the switching claw 23, and swings the swing member to guide the transported material such as the paper P to be transported to any one of a plurality of transport destinations. As the drive means for driving the moving member, the drive device according to any one of the aspects 1 to 21 is used.
According to this, it is possible to reduce the noise of the transport device.

(Aspect 23)
In the image forming apparatus including the image forming unit that forms an image and the driving unit that drives the swinging member, the driving unit according to any one of aspects 1 to 22 is used as the driving unit.
According to this, it is possible to reduce the noise of the image forming apparatus.

1: image forming unit 2: photoconductor 3: exposure device 4: developing device 5: developer cartridge 6: cleaning device 10: intermediate transfer unit 11: intermediate transfer belt 12: primary transfer roller 13: paper feed roller 14: registration roller Pair 15: Secondary transfer roller 16: Secondary transfer device 17: Fixing device 17a: Fixing roller 17b: Pressurizing roller 18: Paper ejection unit 18a: Paper ejection driven roller 19: Reversing unit 19a: Reversal driven roller 20: Paper ejection Tray 21: Double-sided transport path 22: Paper feed transport path 23: Switching claw 23a: Swing shaft 24: Paper feed tray 24a: Bottom plate 24b: Swing plate 25: Paper ejection reversal drive roller 25a: Paper ejection reversal drive roller axis 30: drive device 31: motor 31a: motor gear 32: second input gear 33: second torque limiter 33a: connecting claw 34: second output gear 34a: connecting hole 35: first input pulley 36: first output pulley 36a: Connection hole 37: First electromagnetic clutch 37a: Connection claw 37b: Armature 37c: Rotor part 37d: Electromagnetic coil part 37e: Shaft fixing part 37f: Drive connection member 38: First timing belt 39: Output gear 40: Output torque limiter 40a : Connection claw 41: Bracket 41a: Bearing 41b: Bearing 42: Side plate 43: Swing gear 44a: First abutting member 44b: Second abutting member 51: Second electromagnetic clutch 52: Fixing gear 55: Side plate 55a: Bearing 61: drive idler gear 62: drive output gear 63: fixing output gear 63a: first gear portion 63b: second gear portion 100: laser printer (image forming apparatus)
131: second input pulley 132: second timing belt 133: second output pulley 135: first input gear 136: first output gear 138: first idler gear 139: switching input pulley 142: switching timing belt 143: switching output pulley 171: fixing roller shaft 202: document discharge tray 203: switching claw 203: document reversing unit 204: document reversing drive roller 205: document discharge roller 301: conveyance roller 302: discharge roller 303: binding processing unit 304: middle Folding unit 305: Switching claw 306: Switching claw 307: Switching claw 308: Paper ejection tray G: Document P: Paper R1: First drive transmission path R2: Second drive transmission path s: Fixed axis t: Output axes u1, u2 : Mounting pin v: Fixing fixed shaft W: Second fixed shaft X: Rotating shaft

JP-A-11-231359

Claims (23)

Drive source,
Drive transmission means for transmitting the driving force of the drive source to the swing member so that the swing member provided swingably can take a first posture and a second posture selectively;
A drive device including a swing holding unit that holds the swing member in the first posture or the second posture in a state where the driving of the driving source is maintained,
A swing direction switching means for switching the swing direction of the swing member without changing the rotation direction of the drive source ;
The swing holding means includes stopper means for stopping the swing member in the first posture and the second posture, and drive transmission limiting means for limiting drive transmission to the swing member,
The drive device, wherein the drive transmission limiting means is a torque limiter . The drive device according to claim 1,
The drive device is characterized in that the swinging member is a destination guide member that guides an object to be transported to one of a plurality of destinations . The drive device according to 請 Motomeko 1 or 2,
A drive device for transmitting the driving force of the drive source to a forward/reverse output target rotating body that rotates in a forward/reverse direction, via the swing direction switching means. The drive device according to claim 3 ,
The drive device, wherein the normal/reverse output target rotating body is a paper discharge reversing roller that carries out switchback conveyance of the paper or conveys the paper to a paper ejection unit. The drive device according to one of claims 1 to 4 have shifted,
A drive device comprising a drive transmission path for transmitting the drive force of the drive source to a one-way output target rotating body that rotates only in one direction. The drive device according to one of claims 1 to 5 have displacement,
The drive transmission means includes a drive output member for outputting a drive force from the swing direction switching means, and transmits the drive force to the swing member via the drive output member,
A drive device is characterized in that drive is transmitted from the drive output member to the swing member so that the swing member accelerates with respect to a rotation speed of the drive output member. The drive device according to one of claims 1 to 5 have displacement,
The drive transmission means includes a drive output member for outputting a drive force from the swing direction switching means, and transmits the drive force to the swing member via the drive output member,
A drive device is characterized in that drive is transmitted from the drive output member to the swing member so that the swing member is decelerated with respect to the rotation speed of the drive output member. The drive device according to one of claims 1 to 7 have shifted,
The drive transmission means includes a drive output member for outputting a drive force from the swing direction switching means, and transmits the drive force to the swing member via the drive output member,
A transmission mechanism for transmitting a driving force from the drive output member to the swing member is arranged on one end side of the swing member in the swing axis direction, and the swing direction switching means is arranged on the other end side of the swing axis direction. A drive device characterized in that. The drive device according to one of claims 1 to 8 have shifted,
The drive transmission means includes a drive output member for outputting a drive force from the swing direction switching means, and transmits the drive force to the swing member via the drive output member,
A drive device, wherein drive transmission from the drive output member to the swing member is performed by meshing gears. The drive device according to one of claims 1 to 8 have shifted,
The drive transmission means includes a drive output member for outputting a drive force from the swing direction switching means, and transmits the drive force to the swing member via the drive output member,
The drive device is characterized in that drive transmission from the drive output member to the swing member is performed via a belt. The drive device according to one of claims 1 to 10 have shifted,
The swinging direction switching means includes a two-system drive transmission path that swings the swinging member in different directions, and a path switching means that selectively switches the drive transmission path between the two system drive transmission paths. A drive device comprising: The drive device according to claim 11 ,
The path switching means includes a plurality of drive transmission switching means provided on each drive transmission path and capable of switching between a state for transmitting the driving force and a state for interrupting the transmission of the driving force. The drive device according to claim 12 ,
A drive device characterized in that drive transmission switching means of each drive transmission path are arranged on mutually different axes. The drive device according to claim 12 ,
A drive device characterized in that drive transmission switching means of each drive transmission path are arranged coaxially. The drive device according to claim 11 ,
The path switching means is provided with a drive transmission switching means capable of switching between a state in which the driving force is transmitted and a state in which the transmission of the driving force is cut off, in one of the drive transmission paths, and the drive transmission limiting means for switching is arranged to limit the drive transmission. Is provided in the other drive transmission path. The drive device according to claim 15 ,
A drive device in which the drive transmission switching means and the switching drive transmission limiting means are arranged on mutually different axes. The drive device according to claim 15 ,
A drive device in which the drive transmission switching means and the switching drive transmission limiting means are arranged coaxially. The drive device according to any one of claims 15 to 17 ,
Before SL drive limit value of the drive transmission limiting means driving device characterized by being smaller than the driving limit of the switching drive transmission limiting means. Drive source,
Drive transmission means for transmitting the driving force of the drive source to the swing member so that the swing member provided swingably can take a first posture and a second posture selectively;
A drive device including a swing holding unit that holds the swing member in the first posture or the second posture in a state where the driving of the driving source is maintained,
A swing direction switching means for switching the swing direction of the swing member without changing the rotation direction of the drive source;
The swinging direction switching means includes a two-system drive transmission path that swings the swinging member in different directions, and a path switching means that selectively switches the drive transmission path between the two system drive transmission paths. Have
The path switching means is provided with a drive transmission switching means capable of switching between a state in which the driving force is transmitted and a state in which the transmission of the driving force is cut off, in one of the drive transmission paths, and the drive transmission limiting means for switching is arranged to limit the drive transmission. Is provided in the other drive transmission path,
The swing holding means has drive transmission limiting means for limiting drive transmission to the swing member,
A drive device, wherein a drive limit value of the drive transmission limiter is set smaller than a drive limit value of the switching drive transmission limiter. The drive device according to any one of claims 12 to 19,
A drive device, wherein a driven connecting member drivingly connected to the drive transmission switching means is arranged coaxially with the drive transmission switching means. The drive device according to any one of claims 1 to 20,
A drive device in which an output gear of the drive source is meshed with an internal gear. A transport device that includes a swing member, and swings the swing member to guide a transported object to be transported to one of a plurality of transport destinations,
A transport device, wherein the drive device according to any one of claims 1 to 21 is used as drive means for driving the swing member. An image forming means for forming an image,
In an image forming apparatus including a drive unit that drives the swing member,
As the driving means, the image forming apparatus characterized by using the driving device according to any one of claims 1 to 21.

Images