JPH0628395U - clutch - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Abstract] [Purpose] To provide a clutch that is inexpensive, has a long life, and has a simple structure. [Structure] A first gear 1, a second gear 2 that can move while meshing with the first gear 1, a bearing member 7 that rotatably supports the second gear 2, and a spring that moves the second gear 2. Plunger type solenoid 4 having 6 and second gear 2
And a third gear 3 that meshes with or disengages from the second gear in accordance with the moving position of.

Description

[Detailed description of the device]

[0001]

[Industrial applications]

 The present invention relates to a clutch used for a drive unit of an image forming apparatus or the like.

[0002]

[Prior art]

 Conventionally, a driving force is transmitted or released between a driving source of a driving mechanism such as a sheet feeding roller or a registration roller of an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine or a printer and a roller. A clutch is used for this. The clutch is roughly classified into the following two types. One is an electromagnetic clutch that transmits and releases the driving force by an electromagnetic force. This is to excite an electromagnet provided on the driving side to attract the driven side rubbing disc to drive the friction disc. The friction disc is separated from the driving side to release the transmission of the driving force by turning off the excitation of the electromagnet. The other is a clutch in which a spring clutch and a solenoid are combined. For example, in a spring clutch used for a registration roller, a registration boss 41 and a registration collar 42 are connected by a registration clutch spring 43 as shown in FIG. The pulley 44 is constructed so as to be free to rotate in the registration clutch spring 43.

As shown in FIG. 5, when the spring clutch 40 and the registration solenoid 45 are combined, when the registration solenoid 45 is in the OFF state, the lever 47 causes the lever 46 to hit the claw of the registration collar 42 by the spring 47. Since the rotation of 42 is fixed, the registration pulley 44 idles in the registration clutch spring 43 and the driving force is not transmitted to the registration boss 41 as described above. On the contrary, when the registration solenoid 45 is in the ON state, the lever 46 is attracted against the biasing force of the spring 47, and the lever 46 separates from the claw of the registration collar 42 to release the fixation. Then, the rotation of the registration pulley 44 tightens the inner diameter of the registration clutch spring 43 and is transmitted to the registration boss 41 via the registration clutch spring 43. That is, by turning ON / OFF the resist solenoid 45, the driving force is transmitted from the registration pulley 44 to the registration roller (not shown) or released.

[0004]

[Problems to be solved by the device]

 However, the above electromagnetic clutch has a problem that it is expensive, and the combination of the spring clutch and the solenoid has a problem that the service life is short (or maintenance such as oil replenishment is troublesome) and the number of components is large. .

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems of the conventional clutch, and an object thereof is to provide a clutch that is inexpensive, has a long life, and has a simple structure.

[0006]

[Means for Solving the Problems]

 The present invention provides a first gear, a second gear that can move while meshing with the first gear, a moving unit that rotatably supports and moves the second gear, and a moving position of the second gear. Accordingly, the clutch is provided with the second gear and the third gear that meshes with or disengages from the second gear.

[0007]

[Action]

 According to the present invention, the second gear moves while meshing with the first gear, and the third gear meshes with or disengages from the second gear depending on the moving position of the second gear, and the first gear and the first gear are disengaged from each other. The driving force is transmitted to or released from the three gears.

[0008]

【Example】

 The present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings showing an embodiment thereof.

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a clutch according to an embodiment of the present invention. That is, the clutch is provided with a first gear 1 fixed to a drive shaft 10 driven by a drive source such as a motor, and a tooth portion 11 of the first gear 1 (axial direction of the tooth portion). Is longer than other gears) is provided with a second gear 2 which is always meshed, and a solenoid 4 is provided so that the second gear 2 can be moved while meshed with it. A third gear 3 meshing with the second gear 2 is fixedly provided on the driven shaft 30. The gear end portion (inside the circle A in FIG. 1) is tapered as shown in FIG. 2 so that the second gear 3 and the third gear 3 can be smoothly meshed with each other.

The solenoid 4 is of a type having a plunger 5 that is driven by an electromagnetic force. At the end of the plunger 5, there is a bearing member 7 that rotatably supports the second gear 2 (i.e., a bearing member 7 that does not shift in the axial direction). (The portion is formed in a stepped shape) is fixed by a spring pin 8, and a spring 6 is provided between the bearing member 7 and the solenoid 4. The second gear 2 and the bearing member 7 are made of nylon and polyacetal, respectively. The solenoid 4, the plunger 5, the spring 6, the bearing member 7 and the like constitute the moving means.

Next, the operation of the above embodiment will be described.

First, when the drive shaft 10 is rotated by a drive source such as a motor, the first gear 1 is rotated and the second gear 2 meshing with the first gear 1 is rotated. Here, the second gear 2 rotates by sliding on the peripheral surface of the bearing member 7, and the plunger 5 does not rotate. Now, the solenoid 4 is OFF and not excited (that is, the state of FIG. 1), and the second gear 2 is moved upward (in the drawing) by the urging force of the vane 6 and separated from the third gear 3. In this state, the driving force is not transmitted to the third gear 3.

Next, when the solenoid 4 is turned on and excited, the plunger 5 moves downward (in the drawing), and the bearing member 7 fixed to the plunger 5 and the second gear 2 supported by the bearing member 7 are It moves downward against the biasing force of the spring 6. Then, since the second gear 2 moves while meshing with the first gear 1, the second gear 2 comes into contact with the third gear 3 while rotating, and meshes with the tapered gear end portion in contact with each other. By this meshing, the driving force of the first gear 1 is transmitted to the third gear 3 to start rotation, and the driven shaft 30 rotates.

As described above, by turning the plunger type solenoid on and off, the second gear 2 is moved to transmit the driving force of the drive shaft 10 to the driven shaft 30, and release the transmission. You can

Although the first gear 1 is the driving side and the third gear 3 is the driven side in the above-described embodiment, on the contrary, the third gear 3 is the driving side and the first gear 1 is the driving side. May be the driven side.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the moving means is constituted by the plunger type solenoid or the like, but the moving means is not limited to this. For example, as shown in FIG. 3, the end of the moving rod 12 for rotatably supporting the second gear 2 is provided. A rack 13a may be provided in the portion, a pinion 13b that meshes with the rack 13a may be provided, and the pinion 13b may be driven by the motor 14 to move the second gear 2. Alternatively, the second gear 2 may be moved by another moving mechanism.

Further, in the above embodiment, the driving force is transmitted when the solenoid 4 is ON, and the transmission of the driving force is released when the solenoid 4 is OF F. However, conversely, the solenoid is The driving force may be transmitted when 4 is OFF, and the driving force may be canceled when 4 is ON.

Further, in the above embodiment, the second gear 2 is made of nylon and the bearing member 7 is made of polyacetal. However, the present invention is not limited to this. It may be a combination of materials.

Further, in the above embodiment, the spring pin 7 is used to fix the bearing member 7 to the plunger 5, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a key groove may be provided in the plunger 5 to fix it. . Alternatively, a part of the circumference of the plunger 5 may be formed flat, and the hole portion of the bearing member may be formed in the cross-sectional shape so as to be fixed.

[0020]

[Effect of device]

 As is apparent from the above description, the present invention includes a first gear, a second gear that is movable while meshing with the first gear, and a moving means that rotatably supports and moves the second gear. , And the third gear that meshes with or disengages from the second gear according to the moving position of the second gear, which is advantageous in that it is inexpensive, has a long life, and has a simple structure. Have.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a clutch according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a shape of a gear end portion of the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram of a clutch of another embodiment.

FIG. 4 is an assembly diagram showing a configuration of a conventional spring clutch.

FIG. 5 is a side view showing a state in which a conventional spring clutch and a solenoid are combined.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 1st gear 2 2nd gear 3 3rd gear 4 Solenoid 5 Plunger 6 Spring (biasing means) 7 Bearing member 8 Spring pin 12 Moving rod 13a Rack 13b Pinion 14 Motor

Claims (2)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. A first gear, a second gear that is movable while meshing with the first gear, a moving unit that rotatably supports and moves the second gear, and a moving position of the second gear. According to the third gear, the third gear meshes with the second gear, or the third gear disengages from the second gear. 2. The moving means is a plunger type solenoid having a biasing means, and one movement in the moving direction of the second gear is performed by the biasing force of the biasing means. The clutch according to claim 1, wherein a bearing member fixed to the plunger rotatably supports the second gear.