JPH0545948A - Opening/closing mechanism for image forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To make a small number of parts perform functions as back tension, damper and stopper of an opening/closing part. CONSTITUTION:In the stage opening the opening/closing part 3 at the time of removing a jammed sheet, since a spring 18 stretches gradually, the function as a damper is performed. Since the lower end of the guide groove 20 of a guide lever 19 is abutted on the guide pin 21 of the device main body 1 and the function as a stopper is performed, the opening/closing part 3 stops in an opening posture. When the opening/closing part 3 is closed, the spring 18 is energized in an opening direction. Consequently, the guide lever 19 energized the pin 16 of the upper end of the guide lever 19 in the opening direction with the guide pin 21 as its fulcrum. Back tension acts on the opening/closing part 3 and the opening/closing part is positioned to the main body.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an opening / closing mechanism of an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine or a laser printer, and has a simple mechanism to perform the functions of a stopper, a damper and a back tension of the opening / closing section.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 3 is a front view of an electrophotographic printer, and FIG. 4 is a sectional view showing a support shaft portion of an opening / closing portion.

As shown in the figure, this printer includes a printer main body 1 having a photoconductor, and an opening / closing portion 3 having a transfer roller and the like and rotatably supported on the printer main body 1 about a support shaft 2 so as to open and close.
The opening / closing part 3 is opened as shown by the broken line in FIG. 3 to process the paper sandwiched between the photoconductor and the transfer roller during the jam processing.

Such an opening / closing mechanism is provided at a certain position so that the opening / closing part 3 does not open too much during the jam treatment.
A stop function for stopping the opening and closing, a damper function for preventing the opening / closing part 3 from opening vigorously, and a back tension function for performing positioning with the main body 1 in the closed posture of the opening / closing part 3. ..

In the conventional opening / closing mechanism, as shown in FIG. 3, a guide lever 8 in which a pin 5 on the main body side and a pin 6 on the opening / closing part 3 are fitted in a guide groove 4 is provided as a member that performs the stopper function. ing.

Further, as a member that fulfills a damper function,
As shown in FIG. 4, the cushioning member 9 made of rubber is attached to the support shaft 2. Further, a compression spring 10 for urging the opening / closing portion 3 in the opening direction (A direction in the drawing) is interposed between the printer body 1 and the opening / closing portion 3 as a member having a back-tacking function.

Reference numeral 11 in the drawing is a locking means of the opening / closing section 3, which is composed of a hook lever 12 rotatably supported on the opening / closing section 3 side and a pin 13 mounted on the printer body side. There is. This hook lever 12 is a pin 13
By engaging with, the components mounted on the main body 1 and the components mounted on the opening / closing part 3 are positioned. Therefore, if there is a gap between the lever 12 and the pin 13, the positional accuracy will not be obtained. ing.

[0008]

In the above-mentioned prior art, the guide lever 8 is a member that performs the stopper function.
Since the cushioning material 9 is provided as a member having a damper function, and the compression spring 10 is provided as a member having a back-tacking function, the number of parts is increased, and the back-tension, the damper and the stop of the opening / closing section 3 are reduced with a small number of parts. What fulfills the function of is desired.

In view of the above, an object of the present invention is to provide an opening / closing mechanism capable of performing the functions of the back-tension, the damper and the stopper of the opening / closing part with a small number of parts.

[0010]

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, an image forming apparatus main body 1 according to the present invention has one end connected to an opening / closing section 3 via a pin 16 and the other end via a spring 18. A guide lever 19 connected to the guide lever 19, a guide groove 20 formed in one of the guide lever 19 and the image forming apparatus main body 1, and a guide pin formed in the other and slidably fitted in the guide groove 20. 21, the spring 18 urges the opening / closing part 3 in the closing direction when the opening / closing part 3 is in the open position X, and urges the opening / closing part 3 in the opening direction when the opening / closing part 3 is in the closing position Y. It is a thing.

[0011]

In the above means for solving the problem, the spring 18 gradually expands at the stage of opening the opening / closing portion 3 at the time of jamming, so that a force is applied in the direction of B in FIG. Fulfill Then, the lower end of the guide groove 20 of the guide lever 19 hits the guide pin 21 on the image forming apparatus main body 1 side to perform a stopper function, so that the opening / closing portion 3 stops in the open position. Therefore, the sheet jammed between the opening / closing section 3 and the image forming apparatus main body 1 is removed.

When the opening / closing part 3 is closed, as shown in FIG.
8, the guide lever 19 urges the pin 16 at the upper end of the guide lever 19 in the opening direction (D direction in the drawing) by using the guide pin 21 as a fulcrum to urge the opening 16 (direction C in the drawing). become. For this reason, a back tension acts on the opening / closing portion 3, and the opening / closing portion is positioned with respect to the main body.

[0013]

1 is a front view showing a closed posture of an opening / closing portion of an electrophotographic printer showing an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a front view showing an open posture of the opening / closing portion. Incidentally, FIGS.
The same reference numerals are given to the same functional parts as the conventional constituent parts shown in FIG.

As shown in the figure, in an image forming apparatus such as a printer, an opening / closing portion 3 is supported by a main body 1 around a support shaft 2 so as to be freely opened and closed. A locking means 11 for locking the opening / closing part 3 in a closed posture, and a guide lever 19 having one end connected to the opening / closing part 3 via a pin 16 and the other end connected to the image forming apparatus main body 1 via a spring 18. And the guide lever 1
9 and a guide pin 21 slidably fitted in the guide groove 20 formed in the main body 1.

Although not shown, the image forming apparatus main body 1 has a photosensitive member, and a box-shaped opening / closing portion 3 is supported at the end thereof.

The locking means 11 has a structure similar to that shown in FIG. 3, and comprises a hook lever 12 rotatably supported on the opening / closing part 3 side and a pin 13 mounted on the main body side. There is.

The guide lever 19 is rod-shaped, and the pin 16 at one end thereof is located on the upper left side of the support shaft 2 in the closed posture of FIG. The guide groove 20 of the guide lever 19 is formed in the longitudinal direction of the guide lever 19,
The guide pin 21 fitted in the guide groove 20 is located in the image forming apparatus main body 1 on the lower left side of the pin 16 in the closed posture of the opening / closing portion 3.

The spring 18 is a tension spring, one end of which is connected to the pin 23 at the lower end of the guide lever 19, and the other end of which is connected to the pin 24 of the image forming apparatus main body 1. Then, the opening / closing portion 3 is biased in the closing direction by the opening posture X of the opening / closing portion 3,
The opening / closing part 3 is configured to urge the opening / closing part 3 in the opening direction when the opening / closing part 3 is in the closed posture Y. That is, in the open posture of the opening / closing part 3,
As described above, the guide lever 19 and the spring 18 are arranged so as to be substantially aligned with each other.

In the above structure, the hook lever 1 of the locking means 11 is used to open the opening / closing portion 3 during a jam treatment or the like.
By pulling 2, pull out the opening / closing part 3 from the state of FIG. 1 as shown in FIG.
Rotate around the spindle 2 to open.

At this time, at the stage of opening the opening / closing section 3,
Since the spring 18 gradually expands, a force is applied in the direction of B in FIG. 2 to function as a damper. Then, the lower end of the guide groove 20 of the guide lever 19 hits the guide pin 21 on the image forming apparatus main body 1 side to perform a stopper function, so that the opening / closing portion 3 stops in the open position. Therefore, the sheet jammed between the opening / closing section 3 and the image forming apparatus main body 1 is removed.

When the opening / closing part 3 is closed, as shown in FIG.
8, the guide lever 19 urges the pin 16 at the upper end of the guide lever 19 in the opening direction (D direction in the drawing) by using the guide pin 21 as a fulcrum to urge the opening 16 (direction C in the drawing). become. Therefore, a back tension acts on the opening / closing part 3 and is positioned with respect to the main body.

As described above, by using the guide lever 19 and the spring 18, the functions of the back and forth of the opening / closing portion 3 and the function of the damper and the stopper at the time of opening are achieved.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and it goes without saying that many modifications and changes can be made to the above embodiments within the scope of the present invention.

For example, in the above embodiment, the guide lever 19
Side is provided with a guide groove 20 and the image forming apparatus main body 1 side is provided with a guide pin 2
However, it goes without saying that the guide pin 21 may be formed on the guide lever 19 side and the guide groove 20 may be formed on the image forming apparatus main body 1 side.

[0025]

As is apparent from the above description, according to the present invention, by using the guide lever and the spring, it is possible to perform the functions of the opening and closing portions and the opening and closing of the damper and stopper. There is an effect.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view showing a closed posture of an opening / closing portion of an electrophotographic printer showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a front view showing an open posture of the opening / closing section.

FIG. 3 is a front view of an electrophotographic printer.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a support shaft portion of the opening / closing portion.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Image forming apparatus main body 2 Support shaft 3 Opening / closing part 9 Buffer material 10 Compression spring 11 Locking means 18 Spring 19 Guide lever 20 Guide groove 21 Guide pin X Open posture Y Closed posture

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An image forming apparatus in which an opening / closing section is rotatably supported on a main body of an image forming apparatus so as to be openable / closable, and one end is connected to the opening / closing section via a pin and the other end is formed with an image via a spring. A guide lever connected to the apparatus main body, a guide groove formed in one of the guide lever and the image forming apparatus main body, and a guide pin formed in the other and slidably fitted in the guide groove, The opening / closing mechanism of the image forming apparatus is configured such that the spring biases the opening / closing unit in a closing direction when the opening / closing unit is in an open position, and biases the opening / closing unit in an opening direction when the opening / closing unit is in a closing position. ..