JPH04117847U - electrophotographic equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] [Purpose] The present invention is mainly applied to an apparatus in which a transport unit body in which at least a part of the recording material transport path is unitized can be pulled out from the main body of the apparatus. To provide a device capable of detecting paper with high precision and stability over a long period of time without causing damage to the paper detection sensor part, aging deterioration, or malfunction even in a configuration in which the paper detection sensor part is detached from or detached from the device main body. aim at something. [Structure] The present invention has mechanical components such as actuators that come into contact with the paper on the transport unit side, and electrical components such as the photosensor and associated members on the main body of the device. The first feature is that the transport unit can be pulled out or separated in a direction substantially parallel to the displacement direction of the position displacement member. be.

Description

[Detailed explanation of the idea]

0001

[Industrial application field]

This invention is a small electrophotographic device that can be used as a facsimile, printer, or copier. In particular, at least a part of the recording material conveyance path is made into a unit, and the unit body is Can be moved or pulled out from a predetermined position within the device main body almost along the recording material conveyance direction The present invention relates to an electrophotographic apparatus configured as follows.

0002

[Conventional technology]

Conventionally, in smaller electrophotographic devices, recording It is common to configure the upper and lower bodies to be able to be separated and opened along the paper conveyance path. be. However, if the main body is split into an open type structure, each main body has a structure that can withstand the opening operation. In addition to requiring sufficient precision and rigidity to Pulling and the like are also required, which leads to a complicated device configuration and an increased weight burden.

0003 In addition, in the above-mentioned apparatus, the developing device is generally disposed on the upper main body side. With this configuration, the impact force applied when the upper body is opened causes damage to the inside of the developing device. The toner carried on the developing sleeve may fall off and cause contamination inside the machine and the recording paper transport path. Easy to do.

0004 In order to eliminate this drawback, paper feed rollers and resistors installed on the conveyance path A transport unit that integrates rollers, transfer rollers, transport guides, and a pair of fixing rollers. There is a device in which the transport unit can be taken out along the drum axis direction. It has been proposed (Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 1988-20564).

[0005] Furthermore, as shown in Japanese Patent Publication No. 2-35314, the unit may be replaced with a unit including a fixing roller. and the upstream unit, and move each unit in the direction away from each other. A technique is also disclosed in which the recording material is attached so that it can be drawn out in parallel with the recording material conveyance path. Furthermore, the fixing roller pair is left on the device main body side without being made into a unit, and is located upstream of it. A device configured so that only the transport unit to be placed can be pulled out toward the paper feed side along the transport direction. has also been disclosed (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 60-63563).

[0006] Now, in an electrophotographic device, paper detection sensors are installed at appropriate locations on the recording paper transport path. The system is configured so that jams occurring on the conveyance path can be detected with high accuracy. The transport unit, which forms part of the recording material transport path, can be pulled out from the main body of the device. In the device, the paper detection sensor must be integrated into the transport unit. On the other hand, it receives the signal from the sensor and stops the recording operation due to the occurrence of a jam. The control board that performs other controls is located on the equipment main body side, so the transport facing the equipment main body is A connector is provided at an appropriate location on the unit side and connected to the unit installation. Otherwise, it is possible to manually connect the sensor to the control board and power circuit. Ru.

[0007]

[Problem that the idea aims to solve]

However, the electrical connection must be made in conjunction with the unit installation via the connector. This is because the impact force when attaching and detaching the unit may cause the connector to wear out and cause deterioration over time. Not only is it easy to connect, but it is also difficult to make a stable and reliable electrical connection, and Malfunctions often occur. In addition, if the connector is connected manually, the connector must be attached each time the unit is attached or detached. This makes jam removal complicated, and the connector may become damaged. It is often the case that the unit is pulled out by mistake while it is still connected, and there is a high risk of signal wire breakage. be. In addition, in order to eliminate the above-mentioned drawbacks, an actuator constituting the detection sensor is described. The paper detection sensor is configured to remain on the main body side of the apparatus so that it can face the recording material conveyance path. However, if such a configuration is adopted, the open space after pulling out the transport unit will be Since the actuator hangs downward from the top inside, it is difficult to remove the jam. Not only is there a risk of damage due to accidental contact when cleaning or reinstalling the unit, but the unit may also be damaged. The positional accuracy between the conveyance path on the knitting side and the sensor cannot be maintained with high precision, resulting in malfunctions and malfunctions. Along with detection, smooth positional displacement of the actuator cannot be guaranteed.

[0008] In view of the drawbacks of the prior art, the present invention provides a method for separating the transfer unit from the main body of the device. Or, even in a configuration where the paper detection sensor is detachable, the paper detection sensor section may be damaged or deteriorated over time. An electric device that enables highly accurate and stable paper detection over long periods of time without malfunctions. The purpose is to provide a child photographic device.

[0009]

[Means to solve the problem]

This invention unifies at least a portion of the recording material conveyance path from the recording material feed end to the paper ejection end. Mainly suitable for devices where the conveyor unit body can be pulled out from the device body. However, it is not limited to this, and it can be completely separated from the main body of the device. This also includes electrophotographic devices that are configured so that they can be simply separated from the unit mounting position without having to do so. It is. In the electrophotographic apparatus having such a configuration, the paper detection sensor is connected to the transport unit or Alternatively, instead of installing it integrally on the device main body side, like the actuator mentioned above, A position displacement member that is displaced due to contact with the recording material is placed on the transport unit side, It is equipped with a signal generating means that generates a signal based on the positional displacement of the displacement member, such as a sensor. The first feature is that they are arranged separately on the main body side. In other words, mechanical components such as actuators that come into contact with paper are placed on the transport unit side. In addition, the electrical components centering on the photosensor and associated members are attached to the main body of the device. The first feature is that it is placed on the side. When adopting such a split arrangement configuration, the direction in which the unit is pulled out is It becomes a problem. In other words, the photosensor is arranged in such a way as to sandwich an actuator or other position displacement member. Since the conveyor unit is arranged in the direction of displacement of the position displacement member, If you try to pull it out in a direction that intersects with the However, one of them will be damaged. Therefore, the second feature of the present invention is that the drawer or The separating direction is pulled out along a direction substantially parallel to the displacement direction of the position displacement member. The key point is that the two parts are constructed so that they can be separated. Note that it is best to engage the position displacement member and the signal generation means via an engagement member. Generally speaking, in this case, the transport unit is separated or moved in the opposite direction from the engaged position. By being configured so that it can be pulled out, it can be smoothly separated without being interfered with by the engaging member. Or it can be withdrawn.

0010

[Effect]

According to such technical means, the photosensor and other electrical parts are always connected to the main body of the device. Due to its location, there is no electrical connection between the control board and power circuit when attaching or detaching the transfer unit. There is no need to release the connection, and the connection can be maintained regardless of the attachment/detachment operation. In other words, there is no need to provide any connector on the transfer unit side. In addition, the electrical connection can be made stably and reliably without deterioration over time unlike in the prior art. At the same time, it completely eliminates the fear of disconnection of the connection line with the control board and power supply circuit. It can be resolved. Also, according to the present invention, mechanical parts such as actuators can be divided and distributed on the transport unit side. In other words, the distance between the recording paper conveyance path on the unit and the actuator is Since it is possible to maintain the distance and positional accuracy between the two with high precision, this This prevents malfunctions and false detections and ensures smooth operation of the actuator.

[0011]

【Example】

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail based on the drawings. However, this fruit The dimensions, materials, shapes, and relative positions of the components described in the examples are particularly specific. Unless there is a specific description, the scope of this invention is not intended to be limited to only that. This is just an illustrative example. FIG. 2 shows the internal configuration of a page printer according to an embodiment of the present invention. To explain its configuration in detail, this device has a roughly rectangular shape with the operation surface on the right side in the figure. , the photoreceptor drum 1 is disposed approximately in the center thereof, and the rotation direction of the photoreceptor drum 1 is Along the line, there is an exposure optical system 2 at an upper position, a developing device 3 at a right position, a transfer device 4 at a lower position, The cleaning means 5, eraser 6, and developing device 61 are arranged on the left side and the front side. A known electrophotographic process is performed while rotating the photosensitive drum 1 in the direction of the arrow. It is composed of sea urchins.

0012 Further, below the photosensitive drum 1, the transfer device 4, paper feed cassette 7, etc. are integrated. A built-in transport unit 10 is disposed over almost the entire area inside the device, and the unit The cutter 10 is inserted together with the paper feed cassette 7 through an opening 21 provided on the operation surface side on the right side of the figure. It is structured so that it can be physically pulled out. That is, the transport unit 10 has a paper feed cassette formed over almost the entire bottom area of the apparatus. The sheet storage portion 11 and the upper surface of the storage portion 11 in a substantially tangential direction of the transfer position of the drum 1. It consists of a unit main body 12 along which a conveyance path is formed, and the main body 12 is Starting from the paper feeding end of the right cassette 7, the paper feeding roller 8 is sequentially moved along the conveyance path. The actuator section 41 of the paper detection sensor, the registration roller 9, the transfer device 4, and A conveyance guide 13 is formed which extends to the entrance end of the fixing unit 31.

[0013] Further, a paper feed cassette 7 is removably installed in the storage section 11, and the paper feed cassette 7 With the transport unit 10 attached to the main body of the device, or with the transport unit 10 attached. After being removed, the paper feed cassette 7 is configured to be removable.

[0014] On the other hand, the fixing unit 30 includes a pair of fixing rollers 31 and a pair of paper ejection rollers disposed on the exit side thereof. 32, and a switching lever 23 disposed downstream of the fixing unit 31. By switching operation, the recording material after fixing the image is transferred to the top side of the device via the reversing guide 24. It is possible to selectively eject paper onto the paper output tray 25 installed on the left side wall of the device. It is composed of sea urchins.

[0015] In addition, the main body of the device, including the reversing guide 24, passes from the left side wall through the paper ejection section on the top of the device. A housing portion 26 (not shown) extending from the upper surface of the developing device 3 to the upper wall of the device is provided on the paper discharge side. The toner in the developing device 3 can be divided and opened around the fulcrum of the - Replacement and clearing of jams inside the paper ejection guide 13 are facilitated. In this case, the developing device 3, photoreceptor drum 1, and fixing unit 30 are all The weight burden of the housing part 26, which is split open to take a configuration that remains on the body side, is reduced. There is no risk of toner scattering or exposure of the heat roller portion 31a of the fixing roller. stomach.

[0016] FIG. 1 shows the arrangement structure of the paper sensor on the upper surface side of the unit main body 12, which is the main part of the present invention. Indicates completion. In the figure, 111 is the top surface of the unit body where the actuator is attached, or 40 is adjacent to the side wall surface of the transport unit 10 (wall surface parallel to the direction in which the unit is pulled out) The photo sensor mounting surface on the device main body side is shown.

[0017] The upper surface 111 of the unit main body is provided along a direction perpendicular to the recording material conveyance direction. A pair of support walls 42 and 43 are respectively erected on both sides of the recording material transport area 1A. a shaft 46 with actuators 44 and 45 attached between the support walls 42 and 43; erected. The actuator 44 is made of a tongue-shaped plate, and is inserted into the recording material conveying area 1A at an appropriate distance. A plurality of actuators are provided at spaced apart positions, and an engaging actuator is provided at the end of the shaft 46 adjacent to the main body of the device. Attach the tuator 45.

[0018] On the other hand, on the device main body side, a support wall 5 is provided on the axial extension line of the actuator shaft 46. A shaft 53 is installed on top of the shaft 53 and the supporting walls 51 and 52. Attach the piece-shaped plates 54 and 55. The shaft 53 line is connected to the free end side of the plates 54 and 55 disposed on the end side of the shaft 53. An engaging shaft 57 extending parallel to the unit body 12 is fixedly installed, and is also sandwiched between the supporting walls. On the free end side of the plate body 55, a photocoupler 5 is fixedly attached to the mounting surface 40 of the device main body. It is configured such that the recessed portion No. 6 is located therein.

[0019] The engagement shaft 57 is connected to the actuators 44 and 45 on the adjacent unit main body 12 side. It extends to a position on the swinging direction side (downstream side in the recording material conveyance direction, that is, on the paper ejection side). Next, the operation of the main parts of this embodiment will be explained.

[0020] First, as the paper feed roller 8 rotates, the top side of the recording paper unit main body in the paper feed cassette 7 is When the recording paper is guided, the leading edge of the recording paper presses the tips of the actuators 44 and 45. As a result, the actuators 44 and 45 swing, and the engagement shaft 57 follows this movement. The plates 54 and 55 on the device main body side swing through the device. This causes the photocoupler 56 to A paper detection signal is sent to the control board (not shown) and a predetermined electrophotographic operation is started. start On the other hand, the actuators 44 and 45 are activated within a predetermined time after eight rotations of the paper feed roller. If the paper does not oscillate and no paper detection signal is output, it is assumed that a jam has occurred on the paper feed side. , stops the paper feeding operation and displays a jam occurrence signal on the operation panel.

[0021] This allows the operator to pull out the transport unit 10 toward the paper feed side and clear the jam. However, the engagement position between the engagement shaft 57 and the actuators 44 and 45 is as described above. Since it is on the downstream side in the drawing direction, the engaging part may become an obstacle to drawing out the unit 10. There is no fear that the effects of the present invention described above can be smoothly achieved.

[0022]

[Effect of the idea]

As described above, according to the present invention, the transport unit is separated from the main body of the apparatus or Even in a configuration where the paper detection sensor can be attached or detached, the paper detection sensor may be damaged, deteriorate over time, or malfunction. To enable highly accurate and stable paper detection over a long period of time without causing any damage. It has various effects such as

[Brief explanation of drawings]

[Fig. 1] A perspective view showing the paper detection sensor section of the apparatus shown in Fig. 2.

[Fig. 2] Overall configuration diagram of an electrophotographic apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention

[Explanation of symbols]

1A Recording material transport area 44 Position displacement member 54-55 Signal generation quantile 10 Transport unit 40 Device main body mounting surface

Continuing from the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁵ Identification code Internal reference number FI Technical display location H04N 1/00 108 H 7170-5C

Claims (2)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. An electrophotographic apparatus in which a transport unit in which at least a part of a recording material transport path from a recording material feeding end to a recording material discharging end is unitized is configured to be movable from at least a predetermined position within the apparatus main body. A recording material detection sensor including a position displacement member whose position is displaced by contact with a recording material conveyed on a material conveyance path, and a signal generation means for generating a signal based on the position displacement, and at least the position displacement member of the sensor is conveyed. An electrophotographic apparatus characterized in that a signal generating means is separately arranged on a unit side and a signal generating means on an apparatus main body side, and the conveying unit is configured to be movable along a direction substantially parallel to the displacement direction of the displacement member. 2. The position displacement member and the signal generating means are engaged with each other via an engagement member, and the transport unit is configured to be able to be separated or pulled out in a direction opposite to the engagement position. Electrophotographic apparatus according to claim 1