JPH0451453B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus such as a microfilm reader printer or a copying machine, which is equipped with a mechanism for easily removing a jammed copy paper or other sheet.

An image forming device has an image forming section consisting of a photoconductor, a copy paper feeding section that transfers the image on the photoconductor, and other parts. In some cases, the paper feed conveyance section is moved from its normal position or opened and closed in order to remove it. This movement mechanism and opening/closing mechanism are
Various methods have been proposed and implemented in the past. However, all of them have drawbacks such as complicated and expensive mechanisms, and inconvenience in handling, and so far none of them has been satisfactory. especially,
If the entire paper feeding and conveying section is moved, the device becomes large and it becomes difficult to align the paper when returning it to the normal position after removing the jam. If a part of the conveying section is moved, there is not enough space, so jamming tends to be difficult.

The present invention has been made in view of the above, and it is an object of the present invention to provide an image forming apparatus that has an extremely simple mechanism, facilitates jam removal, and can perform processing operations safely. Furthermore, with the apparatus of the present invention, maintenance work on the image forming section and the sheet conveying section can be easily performed.

Examples of the present invention will be described in detail below to clarify the above gist.

FIGS. 1 and 2 are front views of a microfilm reader printer, which is an example of a screen forming apparatus to which the present invention is applied.

This printer consists of an image forming unit 2, a sheet conveyance unit 3, a reader section 4, and other sections. The image forming unit includes a rotatable photoreceptor 6,
The process cartridge is a process cartridge that incorporates components such as a developing device and a charger for charging a photoreceptor (not shown), and is removably installed in the apparatus main body 1. The sheet conveyance unit 2 includes a cassette 7 loaded with transfer paper, a paper feed roller 8, and a first unit that folds the transfer paper sent out from the cassette 7 by the paper feed roller 8 into a U shape and guides it to the transfer position of the photoreceptor 6. Guide plates 9a, 9b, feeding rollers 10a, 10b that convey the transfer paper that has passed through the first guide plates 9a, 9b;
A transfer charger 11 for transferring the visible image formed on the photoreceptor 6 onto transfer paper, and a second guide plate 1 for guiding the transfer paper after passing through the transfer process along the upper part of the cassette 7.
2. A fixing device 13 having a pair of fixing rollers that fixes the transfer paper guided by the second guide plate is mounted in the housing 15.
is incorporated into. 15 first guide plates 9 of the housing
The end on the a side is supported by a rotating shaft 5 on the apparatus main body 1, and the end on the fixing device 13 side is supported by a lock mechanism 1.
6 and 17, and the entire sheet conveying unit is held in a fixed position facing the image forming unit. In the locking mechanism, a rotary claw 17, which is supported by a shaft 17a on the main body 1 of the apparatus, is inserted into a hollow part of a hollow body 16 attached to the housing 15 and locked. Claw 17
An operating lever is extended on the opposite side, and a spring 18 is stretched between the operating lever and the main body 1 of the operating lever to urge it upward and prevent it from falling. Stoppa 1
At 9, the rotating claw 17 is prevented from being pulled up more than necessary by the spring 18, and the distance between the image forming unit 2 and the sheet conveying unit 3 is kept constant. This stopper may directly contact the housing 15 to restrict its position. The apparatus body 1 has a space below the casing 15, which provides room for the sheet conveyance unit 3 to lower when the lock mechanism is released. An elastic member 20 attached to the bottom of the device main body 1 contacts the lower surface of the casing 15 or extends to a close position. As the elastic member 20, various materials can be used, such as a helical spring supported by the shaft 20a, a rotating rod of a torsion spring, a coil spring, a leaf spring, or rubber. The elastic strength of the elastic member 20 is adjusted to such an extent that the rotational fall of the sheet conveying unit 3 can be supported midway through the space of the apparatus main body 1 (see the chain line in FIG. 2).
At the bottom of the device main body 1, a rotating claw 22, which is biased clockwise by a spring 23, is pivotally supported.
When fitted into the hollow body 16 of the housing 15, the sheet conveying unit 3 is fixedly held.

When reading, the reader section 4 uses a light source 24, a lens 25, and a mirror 26 to transfer the image of the film F onto a screen 28. When copying, move mirror 3
0,31, the image is guided to the photoreceptor 6 and scanned and irradiated.

In such an image forming apparatus, the sheet conveyance unit 3 normally operates in the state shown in FIG. When removing the jam, turn the rotating claw 17 counterclockwise to remove it from the hollow body 16. At this time, the sheet conveying unit 3 rotates and falls while being supported by the elastic member.

While absorbing the impact, it stops at the position indicated by the chain line in FIG. Remove the jammed paper in this state.
If the jam is severe and a larger space is required to process it, or if a larger space is required for maintenance, move the sheet transport unit 3 by hand.
Push down the housing 15. Then, the elastic member 20 further flexes and lowers, and the lower corner of the housing 15 hits the rotating claw 22, causing it to rotate against the bias of the spring 23. When it goes down further, the biasing force of the spring 23 causes the claw 2 to
2 is fitted into the hollow body 16 and is fixed in the state shown by the solid line in FIG. In this condition, we perform severe jam treatment and maintenance work.

When the processing or work is completed, when the rotating claw 22 is turned counterclockwise, the force of the elastic member 20 pushes it back up to the position shown by the chain line. Furthermore, the housing 15 is lifted and rotated. The upper end of the hollow body 16 hits the rotating claw 17 and rotates it counterclockwise. Eventually, the claws 17 are wrapped around the hollow body 16 by the force of the spring 18, fixing the sheet conveying unit 3 in a fixed position.

As can be seen from the above description of the structure and operation, the apparatus of the present invention allows jam removal and maintenance work to be performed with extremely simple operations. In particular, the shock absorbing effect of the elastic member can prevent the sheet conveyance unit from damage, making it safer. Moreover, since the configuration is simple, the device is inexpensive. Also,
Since the stacked sheets held in the sheet storage cassette in the conveyance unit are not scattered, the sheets can be correctly sent out from the storage cassette after jamming, and sheet skewing, jamming, etc. can be prevented.

In addition, the present invention is applicable not only to microfilm reader printers, but also to copying machines, printing machines, facsimile machines,
It can be applied to all image forming apparatuses such as laser beam printers.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a front view of a microfilm reader printer to which the present invention is applied, and FIG. 2 is a partial front view illustrating its operating state. 1 is an apparatus main body, 2 is an image forming unit, 3 is a sheet conveyance unit, 16 is a hollow body, 17 is a rotating claw, 20 is an elastic member, and 22 is a rotating claw.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1 an image forming unit located in the device main body;
A releasable transport unit is disposed below the image forming unit, and the image forming unit includes a photoreceptor, a charger that charges the photoreceptor, and a developer that visualizes the latent image on the photoreceptor. The conveyance unit includes a sheet storage cassette that stores sheets, a feeding roller that feeds out sheets from the sheet storage cassette, and a U.
A first guide member that folds back in a letter shape and guides the photoreceptor toward the transfer position, a transfer charger that transfers the visible image formed on the photoreceptor onto the sheet, and a sheet storage unit for storing the sheet after passing through the transfer process. The transport unit includes a second guide member that guides the cassette along the upper side and a fixing roller that fixes the image on the sheet guided by the second guide member, and the end of the conveying unit on the fixing roller side is in a fallen state at a first position. a support shaft that rotatably supports an end of the transport unit on the first guide member side so that the transport unit can assume a second position in which the transport unit is in the second position; parts and
An image forming apparatus comprising: an elastic member that supports the conveyance unit at the first position while absorbing shock when the holding member releases the conveyance unit.