JPH02188348A - Image forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To insert and supply a manual insertion sheet from the front surface of a machine body without increasing the dimension of the device by installing a manual insertion and supply device in a retransport passage and supplying the manual insertion sheet in the direction crossing at right angles with the manual insertion direction. CONSTITUTION:An image forming device 1 is equipped with a retransport passage for transporting a sheet after image formation into an image forming means 2 and has a manual insertion port 59 for inserting a manual insertion sheet S on the front surface side of a machine body 3. Further, a manual insertion transport device 61 is arranged in the retransport passage, and the manual insertion sheet inserted from the manual insertion port is supplied in the direction crossing at right angles with the manual insertion direction by a manual insertion transmission device. Therefore, the manual insertion sheet can be inserted and supplied from the front surface of the machine body without increasing the dimension of the device.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (A) Industrial Application Field The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine or a laser beam printer, and more specifically to an image forming bag W equipped with a manual feeding device and a re-conveying path. (hereinafter referred to as a copying machine).

(B) Conventional Technology Copying machines equipped with a manual feeding device and a re-conveying path have been known in the past.As shown in FIG. 3, and the main body 3 includes a platen 5, a light source 6, and mirrors 7, 8, 9, 10.
, 11, 12, a lens 13, and two cassettes 15 and 16 for storing sheets S. A paper feed roller 17 is disposed above the cassette 15, and a paper feed roller 19 is disposed above the cassette 16. It is set up. Further, downstream of the paper feed roller 17, there is a separation conveyance roller pair 20 and a paper feed roller 1.
A pair of separation conveyance rollers 21 is arranged downstream of 9.
A registration roller pair 22 is arranged downstream of these roller pairs 20 and 21. Further, downstream of the pair of rollers 22, the copying section 2 is disposed, and downstream of the copying section 2, a conveying device 23 and a fixing device 25 are disposed.

A conveying roller 24 , a flapper 26 , and a paper ejection roller 27 are provided downstream of the fixing device 25 , and a paper ejection tray 29 is provided downstream of the paper ejection roller 27 . Further, the re-conveying path 30 is branched to the flapper 26.
The re-conveying path 30 includes a pair of conveying rollers 31 and 32, a pair of re-feeding rollers 33, and an intermediate tray 34.
is installed. Furthermore, the copying section 2 is equipped with a cylindrical photosensitive drum 42, and around the drum 42,
Erase lamp, negative charger 45, color developer 46,
A developing device 47, a transfer charger 49, a separation charger 50, and a cleaner 51 are provided. Then, the cassette 15
A manual feed tray 52 that can be opened and closed is disposed on the upper side of the main body 3 of the machine. In addition, what is shown by 53, 55, and 56 in the figure is a guide plate.

In the case of single-sided copying, when a start key (not shown) is pressed, the paper feed roller 17 or 19 starts rotating and feeds the sheet S from the cassette 15 or 16. Then, the sheet S is conveyed to the registration roller pair 22 by the separation conveyance roller pair 20 or 21.
2 in synchronization with the image on the photosensitive drum 42 of the copying section 2, and the image on the photosensitive drum 42 is transferred by the transfer charger 49. Furthermore, the image is fixed on the sheet S by a fixing device 25, and the image is fixed on the sheet S by a flapper 26.
and is discharged to the paper discharge tray 29 by the pair of rollers 27.

Furthermore, in the case of double-sided or multiple copying, the sheet S on which the image has been copied by the same operation as described above is guided by the flapper 26 to the re-conveying path 30, is re-fed through the path 30, and is used for the second copying. The paper is then discharged to the paper discharge tray 29.

When feeding the manual sheet S, the operator opens the manual tray 52 and inserts the manual sheet S along the tray 52. Then, the sheet S is inserted onto the uppermost sheet S of the cassette 15, and is detected by a sensor (not shown). Then, in response to a signal from the sensor, the paper feed roller 17 and the separation conveyance roller 20 start rotating, and the manual feed sheet S is fed to the pair of registration rollers 22 by these rollers 17 and 20. Then, by the same operation as described above, the image is copied on the manual sheet S, and the manual sheet S is ejected to the paper ejection tray 29.

(c) Problems to be Solved by the Invention By the way, in the above-mentioned copying machine 1a, the manual feed tray 52
is located on the right side of the machine body 2, so when placing the manually fed sheet S on the tray 52, a sufficient space is required on the right side of the machine body 3, which is an obstacle to space saving.

In order to overcome this drawback, the applicant has devised a copying machine in which sheets can be manually fed from the front of the machine.

However, if the copying machine is equipped with a re-conveying path for double-sided copying and multiple copying, and a separate manual feeding device is provided in addition to this, there is a risk that the copying machine will become larger.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus in which a manual sheet can be inserted into the re-transport path, thereby solving the above-mentioned problems.

(d) Means for Solving the Problems The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned circumstances. For example, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a sheet on which an image has been formed is 2) re-transport route (30
), a manual feed slot (59) for inserting a manual feed sheet (S) is provided on the front side of the body (3), and a manual feed device (
61) is arranged in the re-conveying path (30), and the manual feed sheet (S) inserted from the manual feed insertion slot (59) is inserted into the manual feed bag! (61), it is characterized in that it is configured to feed in a direction perpendicular to the manual feeding direction.

(N) Function When feeding a manual sheet (S) based on the above-mentioned configuration, insert the manual sheet (S) from the manual feeding slot (59) on the front side of the machine (3), and then insert the manual sheet (S) into the manual feeding device (61). The paper is fed in a direction perpendicular to the manual feeding direction. Then, an image is formed on the manual sheet (S) by the image forming means (2), and the sheet is discharged to the outside of the machine (3).

Note that the above-mentioned symbols in parentheses are shown for reference and do not limit equivalent configurations.

(F) Embodiments Hereinafter, embodiments embodying the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

Note that the same parts as those described above are given the same reference numerals and the description thereof will be omitted.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the copying machine 1 includes a cassette 15a removably attached to the inside of the machine body 3, and a paper feed roller 17a is attached to the cassette 15a. . A pair of separating and conveying rollers 20a for separating and conveying the sheet S is disposed downstream of the rollers 17a, and a pair of conveying rollers 57 is disposed downstream of the pair of rollers 20a. In addition, there is a manual feed port 59 on the front of the aircraft 3.
is opened, and a cover 60 that can be opened and closed is disposed over the hand opening 59. Reference numeral 60b indicates a guide plate for the manually fed sheet S. Furthermore, a manual feeding device 61 for feeding the manual sheet S is disposed on the back side of the manual feeding port 59 and within the re-conveying path 30.

As shown in FIG. 3, the manual feeding device '61 includes a conveyor belt 65 stretched between a roller 62 and a driven roller 63 driven by a drive means (belt, drive motor) not shown. The belt 65 is configured to convey the manual sheet S to the rear side (in the direction of arrow A). Note that the upper surface of the belt 65 is slightly lower than the upper surface of the lower guide plate 53. Since the surface 53a of the lower guide 53 is rounded and the corners are rounded, the sheet will not get caught. A sheet edge sensor 66 is disposed on the back side of the belt 65, and the sensor 66 detects the leading edge of the manually fed sheet S. Also,
On the right side of the belt 65, a shaft 67 is rotatably supported by the body 2, and the shaft 67 is connected to a motor (not shown). Further, a support plate 69 having a U-shape in plan view is swingably supported on the shaft 67, and a shaft 70 is rotatably supported by the support plate 69. And the axis 7
A conveyance roller 71 is fixed to the shaft 70, and a pulley 72 is fixed to one end of the shaft 70. In addition, the shaft 67
A pulley 73 is fixed opposite to the pulley 72, and a belt 75 is stretched between the pulleys 72 and 73. Furthermore, a tension spring 76 whose one end is fixed to the body 3 is connected to the tip of the support plate 69, and the support plate 69 is urged to rotate clockwise by the spring 76. A solenoid 77 is connected to the base end of the support plate 69, and when the solenoid 77 is turned on, the support plate 69
9 is designed to be swung in the direction of arrow B. Also,
The base end portion of the support plate 69 extends vertically and in the front-rear direction, and constitutes a side regulation plate 69a that regulates the side of the manual sheet S. Further, in the conveying roller pair 32, when the cover 60 is opened, the upper roller 32a is separated from the lower roller 32b by a solenoid SL. - On the other hand, the sheet end sensor 66 and the solenoid 77, SL are connected to a control section 79. Note that the support plate 69 is normally closed when the cover 60 is closed.
A gap is formed between the regulating plate 69a and the lower guide plate 53 through which the sheet can pass (Fig. 2). When feeding the manual sheet S, the operator opens the cover 60. Then, the control section 79, which detects the opening of the cover 60 using a sensor (not shown), uses the solenoid SL to raise the upper roller 32a of the pair of conveyance rollers 32 and lower the lower roller 3.
Separate from 2b. Then, the operator inserts the manual sheet S onto the guide plate 20 along the side regulating plate 69a (which is released from the restraint by opening the cover 60 and rotates slightly to the right and is restrained by coming into contact with the lower guide plate 53). - When the sheet S is placed and a copy button (not shown) is pressed, the conveyor belt 65 starts rotating via the belt drive motor, and the sheet S
is conveyed in the direction of the arrow (see Figure 3). Note that at this time, the left side portion of the sheet S is separated from the upper and lower rollers 32a.

Insert into question 32b. When the edge of the sheet S is detected by the sheet edge sensor 66, the motor is turned 0FF.
The conveyor belt 65 is stopped.

As a result, the manual feed sheet S is positioned with the rear side aligned with the conveyance reference. After a predetermined timer elapses after the sensor 66 detects the sheet, the solenoid 77 is turned on and the support plate 69
rotates in the direction of arrow B (see FIG. 3) against the spring 76. Further, due to the rotation of the support plate 69, the restriction plate 69a rises and the restriction is released, and the conveyance roller 71 also moves in the direction of arrow B.
direction and comes into contact with the manual feed sheet S. Then, at the same time as the sheet S comes into contact with the sheet S, or a little later, a driving force from a driving means (not shown) is applied to the shaft 67, the pulley 73, and the belt 7.
5. It is transmitted to the conveyance roller 71 via the pulley 72 and shaft 70, and the roller 30 rotates in the direction of arrow C (see FIG. 3). Then, due to the rotation of the roller 30, the manually fed sheet S is conveyed in the direction of the arrow (see FIG. 3), and is conveyed to the registration roller pair 22 by the conveyance roller pair 33.57. Thereafter, the image is copied on the sheet S by the same operation as described above, and the sheet S is discharged to the paper discharge tray 29. - When the feeding of one sheet is completed, the solenoid 77 is set to 0FFL by an end signal (based on a copy completion signal, etc.), and the roller 71 is
is raised, and the regulation plate 69a is lowered to prepare for manual feeding of the next sheet.

Then, when the manual paper feeding is finished, the operator removes the cover 60.
When the cover 60 is closed, the control section 79, which detects the closing of the cover 60 using a sensor (not shown), turns off the solenoid SL. Then, the upper roller 32a of the transport roller pair 32 descends and comes into contact with the lower roller 32b. Further, the support plate 69 is pushed up by a member that rises in conjunction with the closing of the cover 60 and is swung counterclockwise against the spring 76, so that the side regulating plate 89a is approximately parallel to the lower end guide plate 56. Stop at the desired position. Thereby, the sheet S to be re-transported can be re-transported without coming into contact with the side regulating plate 69a. In addition,
At the time of re-conveyance, depending on the sheet size, if the size is small, the roller 71 may be used as a re-conveyance roller.

In the above-mentioned embodiment, the upper roller 32a of the transport roller pair 32 was separated from the lower roller 32b, and the left side portion of the manual feed sheet S was inserted between the upper and lower rollers 32a, 32b, but this is not limitative. First, as shown in FIG. 4, a manual feed tray 80 may be provided above the transport roller pair 32, and the left side portion of the manual feed sheet S may be placed on the tray 80. It is possible to reduce costs by omitting the solenoid SL that moves 32a.

In the above embodiment, when double-sided copying or multiple duplex copying is to be performed manually, the support plate 69 can be held in two positions electrically (by changing the energization to the solenoid). In other words, when inserting manually, the roller 71
rises, the regulation plate falls to the lowest position, and when feeding paper, roller 7
1 is lowered and the regulating plate 69a is raised, and when the sheet is conveyed again, the roller 71 is slightly raised and the regulating plate 69a is also in a slightly raised position.

Of course, as another embodiment, the regulation plate 69a may be used as a sheet material aligning means (temporarily stopping the sheet material) during re-conveyance. It may be at the bottom.

Further, as another embodiment, a case of a copying machine having an intermediate tray in the re-conveyance path will be described with reference to FIG. In addition,
The same parts as those described above are designated by the same reference numerals, and their explanation will be omitted.

The left side of the intermediate tray 81 is supported by a cam 82, and moves up and down as the cam 82 rotates. In addition, the side plate 81a on the front side of the tray 81 is
It is supported so that it can be opened and closed, and when opened, the tray 8
It is supported at a position substantially flush with the bottom plate 81b of No. 1. Further, at the right end of the side plate 8° 1a, a manual feed guide 83 is disposed approximately perpendicularly to the side plate 81a, and on the right side of the bottom plate 81b,
A manual feed sensor 85 for detecting the manual feed sheet S is provided. Note that the reference numeral 86 in the figure is a refeed roller that refeeds the sheet S.

When feeding the manual sheet S, the operator opens the cover on the front of the copying machine and also opens the side plate 81a of the intermediate tray 81. Then, when the manual sheet S is inserted in the direction of arrow A along the manual sheet guide 83, the sheet S is detected by the manual sheet sensor 85,
The conveyor belt 65 starts rotating by a driving means activated by a signal from the sensor 85. Further, the manual feed sheet S is conveyed to the back side by the conveyor belt 65 which has started rotating, and when the edge thereof is detected by the sheet edge sensor 66, the conveyor belt 65 is stopped by a signal from the sensor 66. At the same time, the cam 82 is rotated by a drive means (not shown). The rotation of the cam 82 causes the left side of the intermediate tray 81 to be higher than the right side and the bottom plate 81b to be higher than the conveyor belt 65, and due to the inclination of the tray 81, the manually fed sheet S slides on the tray 81 and is re-fed. roller 8
6 and is re-fed by the roller 86. Then, the sheet S has an image copied thereon by the same operation as described above and is ejected to the paper ejection tray 29.9 If the sheet S is not manually fed,
The sheets are stored so as to fall from above the tray 81.

(g) As described in the detailed description of the invention, according to the present invention, the manual feeding device is provided in the re-conveying path, and the manual feeding device feeds the manual sheet in a direction perpendicular to the manual feeding direction. With this configuration, manual sheets can be inserted and fed from the front of the machine without increasing the size of the device.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an image forming apparatus according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a front sectional view thereof, and FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the main parts thereof. Further, FIGS. 4 and 5 are diagrams showing other embodiments of the present invention. Furthermore, FIG. 6 is a front sectional view showing a conventional example. 1.1a... Image forming device

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. In an image forming apparatus comprising a re-conveying path for conveying sheets on which images have been formed to an image forming means, a manual insertion slot for inserting manual sheets is provided on the front side of the machine body, Further, a manual feeding device is arranged in the re-conveying path, and the manual feeding device is configured to feed the manual sheet inserted from the manual feeding slot in a direction perpendicular to the manual feeding direction. An image forming apparatus characterized by: