JPH10212049A - Paper conveying device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To make two conveying parts interlockingly rotatable and remove paper jammed during conveyance easily with one hand in a paper conveying device. SOLUTION: A double-side copying part, is a device for reversing paper to convey and store the paper inside a copying machine body 1, is provided with a body frame 30 which can be pulled outside of the copying machine body 1, an intermediate tray 31 for storing the reversed paper, a lower conveying part 32, an upper conveying part 33 and a link member 34. The upper and lower conveying parts 33, 32 respectively have upper and lower carrier guides 50, 45 and upper and lower carrier rollers 51, 46, and are arranged above the intermediate tray 31 so as to be closable in relation to the body frame 30. One end of the link member 34 is rotatably mounted to the upper carrier guide 50, and the other end is locked to the lower carrier guide 45 so that two carrier guides 45, 50 are interlockingly rotated with a specified space and locked with a specified space.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a sheet conveying device, and more particularly to a sheet conveying device for conveying a sheet inside an image forming apparatus.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art An image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, a printer or a facsimile machine is provided with a paper transporting device for transporting paper. In order to be able to easily take out paper when a paper jam occurs in this type of paper transport device,
2. Description of the Related Art There is known a paper transport apparatus in which a frame can be pulled out in front of an image forming apparatus. For example, a copying machine (an example of an image forming apparatus) capable of forming an image on both sides of a sheet includes:
A double-sided copy unit (an example of a sheet transport device) for reversing the sheet on which the image is formed and supplying the inverted sheet to the photosensitive drum again is provided so as to be drawn out.

[0003] The paper transporting device includes a main body frame that can be pulled out to the front of the copier, an intermediate tray provided in the main body frame for storing the transported paper in an inverted state, and disposed above the intermediate tray. And upper and lower transport units. Each transport section has a transport guide whose one end is rotatably supported by the main body frame, and a transport roller that is rotatably supported by the transport guide. The upper and lower transport rollers are opposed to each other while being pressed against each other, and the sheet is nipped by the two transport rollers and transported reversely toward the intermediate tray. The upper and lower transport guides are linked by a link so as to rotate in conjunction with each other at intervals, and when the main frame is pulled out and rotated with the other end of the upper transport guide, the upper transport guide is rotated. After rotating by a predetermined amount, the lower conveyance guide also rotates in conjunction with it.

[0004] In the paper transport apparatus configured as described above,
A paper jam may occur between the intermediate tray and the upper and lower transport units. For this reason, the two transport units are rotatably mounted on the main frame, and the two transport units are opened and closed with respect to the main frame. That is, when a paper jam occurs between the upper and lower transport units, after the main frame is pulled out, only the upper transport guide is lifted to remove the jammed paper. Further, when a paper jam occurs on the intermediate tray, the upper transport guide is greatly lifted, the lower transport guide is rotated in conjunction with the link, and the paper is removed by opening the upper portion of the intermediate tray. As described above, by connecting the two conveyance guides by the link, the paper can be removed only by rotating the upper conveyance guide, regardless of whether the paper jam occurs at any of the two portions.

[0005]

In the above-mentioned conventional paper transport apparatus, the upper transport guide and the lower transport guide are connected by a link. Can respond to. However, since the upper conveyance guide and the lower conveyance guide only rotate in conjunction with each other, when the upper conveyance guide is urged toward the lower conveyance guide by gravity, the upper conveyance guide is released when the hand is released from the upper conveyance guide. The transport guide rotates in a direction approaching the lower transport guide. Therefore, in the case of a paper jam between the upper conveyance guide and the lower conveyance guide, for example, it is necessary to perform processing with both hands such as removing the jammed paper with the left hand while holding the upper conveyance guide with the right hand. Removal of jammed paper is cumbersome.

An object of the present invention is to provide a paper conveying apparatus,
An object of the present invention is to make it possible to rotate the two transport units in conjunction with each other and to easily remove a paper jam during transport with one hand.

[0007]

A sheet conveying device according to the present invention is a device for conveying a sheet inside an image forming apparatus, and includes a main body frame, a sheet storing section, a lower conveying section, and an upper conveying section. And a first link member. The main body frame is mounted on the image forming apparatus so as to be able to be pulled out to the outside that intersects with the paper transport direction. The paper storage section is provided on the main body frame. The lower transport unit is disposed above the paper storage unit, and has a lower transport guide one end of which is rotatably supported by the main body frame, and a lower transport member circulatingly supported by the lower transport guide. . The upper transport section is disposed above the lower transport section, and has an upper transport guide rotatably supported at one end by a main body frame; and a paper transported by the upper transport guide to the paper storage section together with the lower transport member. And an upper transport member for transporting the same. One end of the first link member is rotatably mounted on one of the upper and lower transport guides, and the two transport guides rotate in conjunction with each other at a predetermined interval and rotate at a predetermined interval. The other end is locked to the other transport guide so as to lock at intervals.

In this apparatus, when a paper jam occurs between the upper transport section and the lower transport section, the main frame is pulled out and then the upper transport section is lifted with one hand and rotated.
When the upper transport section and the lower transport section have a predetermined interval, the first link member locks the two transport sections at a predetermined interval. In this state, even if the user releases his / her hand from the upper transport unit, the upper transport unit does not return to its original position. This makes it possible to easily remove the paper jammed between the transport units with one hand. Then, if the upper transport section is further lifted and rotated, the first link member causes 2
Since the two transport units are connected in a locked state,
The lower transport unit also rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the upper transport unit, and the upper part of the sheet storage unit opens. For this reason, even if paper is jammed in the paper storage unit, the jammed paper can be removed only by rotating the upper transport unit.

Here, the other transport guide is provided with a locking portion, and the first link member is provided with a plate-shaped link body and one of the transport guides provided at one end of the link body so as to be rotatable. The mounted mounting portion, the first groove portion formed along the radial direction from a position distant from the mounting portion, and the link body is rotated by its own weight to fall along the circumferential direction continuously along the first groove portion. And an L-shaped groove which has a second groove formed on the other conveyance guide and is locked by a locking portion of the other transport guide.

Here, for example, when the mounting section is mounted on the upper transport section and the locking section is provided on the lower transport section,
When the upper conveyance unit is lifted and rotated, the first groove is locked by the locking unit, the first link member is rotated, and the locking unit is arranged from one end to the other end of the first groove. When the locking portion is disposed at the other end of the first groove portion and the two transport portions are separated from each other for a predetermined time,
The locking portion is arranged in the second groove formed along the circumferential direction, and the link body further rotates around the mounting portion by its own weight. As a result, the locking portion is disposed at the end of the second groove portion and cannot move in the radial direction, so that the two transport portions are locked. Therefore, even if the user releases his / her hand in this state, the upper transport unit does not rotate. Therefore, in this state, the paper jammed between the upper transport unit and the lower transport unit can be easily removed with one hand. When the upper transport section is further rotated, the lower transport section rotates in conjunction with the upper transport section in a state in which the second grooves arranged along the circumferential direction are locked by the locking sections. As a result, the upper part of the paper storage part is opened, and the paper jammed in the paper storage part can be removed. Here, L
The two transport sections can be locked and linked with each other with a simple configuration such as a first link member that rotates by its own weight and has a groove.

The upper and lower transport members may have upper and lower transport rollers rotatably mounted on and opposed to the upper and lower transport guides, respectively. In this case, the sheet can be conveyed while holding a part of the sheet between the upper and lower conveying rollers, so that the sheet is less likely to be stained by foreign substances such as attached toner. In addition, one of the upper transport unit and the lower transport unit may further include a pressing member that presses one of the upper transport roller and the lower transport roller against the other. In this case, since the paper is reliably held between the upper and lower transport rollers, the paper is transported more reliably.

Further, the sheet storage section may be an intermediate tray used to turn over the sheet on which the image is formed and form an image on the surface opposite to the image forming surface. In this case, when a paper jam occurs in the intermediate tray, the upper and lower transport units can be rotated in conjunction with each other. Further, one end is rotatably mounted on one of the lower conveyance guide and the main body frame, and the other end is locked on the other such that the lower conveyance guide is locked at a predetermined interval with respect to the main body frame. A two-link member may be further provided. In this case, when the upper transport section is lifted, the two transport sections are locked by the first link member. When the upper transport unit is further rotated, the two transport units are locked by the first link member, so that the lower transport unit also rotates in conjunction therewith. Then, when the main body frame and the lower transport portion are locked by the second link member, the lower frame does not rotate any more. Here, since both the transport unit and the main body frame are locked, the paper can be removed with only one hand even if the paper jam occurs between the two transport units or in the paper storage unit. Paper can be removed.

Further, the paper transporting device according to the present invention is a paper transporting device for transporting a sheet inside an image forming apparatus, comprising: a main body frame, a paper storing section, a lower transporting section, an upper transporting section, A configuration including a lock mechanism and a support mechanism can be provided. The main body frame is mounted on the image forming apparatus so as to be able to be pulled out to the outside that intersects the paper transport direction. The paper storage section is provided on the main body frame. The lower transport unit is disposed above the paper storage unit, and has a lower transport guide one end of which is rotatably supported by the main body frame, and a lower transport member circulatingly supported by the lower transport guide. . The upper transport member is disposed above the lower transport section, and has an end rotatably supported by the main body frame at one end thereof. And an upper transport member for transporting the same. The lock mechanism includes a first link member that can lock the upper transport member at a predetermined open position that opens above the paper storage unit. When the upper transport member is locked in the open position by the lock mechanism, the lower transport member is separated from the upper transport member and the paper storage unit by a predetermined distance and opened above the storage unit. Is included.

In such a paper transport apparatus, when the upper transport member is rotated upward and moved to the open position, the upper transport member is locked at a predetermined open position where it is opened above the paper storage section. At the same time, the lower transport member is supported at a predetermined distance between the upper transport member and the sheet storage unit.
Therefore, even if a paper jam occurs at any position between the paper conveyance path formed between the upper conveyance member and the lower conveyance member and between the lower conveyance member and the paper storage unit, the jam can be easily removed. It is possible to lock both the upper transport member and the lower transport member in an open state simply by lifting the upper transport member with one hand, and it is possible to easily perform the jam clearance.

Here, the lock mechanism includes a lock pin provided on the main body frame, and the first link member engages with the lock pin and positions the lock pin when the upper conveying member is at the closed position. A first holding position, a second holding position for holding the locking pin when the upper conveying member is at the open position, and a first guiding the locking pin from the first holding position to the second holding position.
It is possible to have a configuration having a guide groove having a guide portion and a second guide portion for guiding the locking pin from the second holding position to the first holding position.

In this case, when the upper conveying member is at the closed position and forms a paper conveying path together with the lower conveying member, the locking pin is located at the first holding position of the guide groove.
When the upper conveyance member is lifted, the first link member moves so that the first guide portion of the guide groove engages with the locking pin, and the first link member is moved in a state where the locking pin is located at the second holding position. Locks the upper transport member in the open state. When the upper conveying member is locked in the open state, the locking pin is located at the second holding position of the guide groove. When returning the upper conveying member to the closed position, the first link member is moved so that the second guide portion of the guide groove is engaged with the locking pin, and the locking pin is located at the first holding position. The upper transport member is held at the closed position.

As a lock mechanism, when the upper conveying member is moved from the closed position to the open position, the locking pin is engaged with the first guide groove from the first holding position holding the locking pin. An urging means for urging the first link member may be further provided. In this case, when the upper transport member is in the closed position, simply lifting the upper transport member engages the first guide portion of the guide groove with the locking pin, and the locking pin engages with the second holding position. Guide the first link member so that
The upper conveying member can be locked at the open position.

The first link member engages the second guide groove from the second holding position by rotating the upper conveying member further upward when the upper conveying member is at the open position. So that it can be rotated by its own weight. In this case, when the upper transport member is locked in the open state, by further rotating the upper transport member upward, the engagement state between the locking pin and the second holding position of the guide groove is released, The locking pin engages with the second guide. As a result, the second guide portion engages with the locking pin, and the first link member is guided and rotated to a position where the locking pin is engaged with the first holding position. Therefore, the lock of the upper conveying member is reliably released, and the upper conveying member can be easily returned to the operating state after the jam has been cleared.

Further, the support mechanism includes an engagement pin provided on the lower transport member, and the second link member is rotatably supported at one end by the upper transport member, and is engaged with the engagement pin on the multi-end side. It is possible to adopt a configuration in which a matching long hole is provided. In this case, if the upper conveying member is locked in the open state, the lower conveying member can be opened in a state where the upper conveying member and the paper storage section are separated from each other by a predetermined distance. At this time, with the rotation of the upper transport member, the lower transport member is separated from the upper transport member by its own weight, and is released to the open position in a state where the engagement pin is engaged with the edge of the elongated hole provided in the second link member. Will be held. The open position of the lower conveying member can be adjusted by the length dimension of the long hole provided in the second link member, the mounting position of the second link member and the engagement pin, and the like. With such a configuration, the lower transport member can be held at the open position without requiring a complicated structure.

[0020]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[First Embodiment] In FIG. 1, a copying machine employing an embodiment of the present invention includes a copying machine main body 1. An original mounting table 2 on which an original is mounted is disposed on an upper surface of the copying machine main body 1. On the upper surface of the document table 2, an automatic document feeder 3 for automatically supplying a document to the document table 2 is provided so as to be freely opened and closed. A paper feed unit 4 is mounted on the bottom of the copying machine body 1. On the left side of the copying machine body 1 in the figure, a paper discharge tray 5 for stacking the discharged paper is mounted. Further, on the right side, a paper feed tray 6 for manual paper feed is mounted to be openable and closable.

An original reading device 10 for reading image information of an original on the original placing table 2 is provided inside the copying machine main body 1.
And an image forming unit 11 disposed below the document reading device 10 and a sheet feeding device 12 disposed below the image forming unit 11. Image forming unit 1
Reference numeral 1 denotes a device for forming a toner image on a sheet, and a sheet feeding device 12 is a device for supplying a sheet to the image forming unit 11. A sheet discharging device 13 and a fixing device 14 for fixing a toner image formed on the sheet are provided downstream of the image forming unit 11 in the sheet conveying direction.
And a discharge roller 1 for discharging a sheet to a discharge tray 5
5 are provided in order.

Between the image forming unit 11 and the sheet feeding device 12, a double-sided copy unit 20 for reversing the sheet on which the image is transferred at the time of double-sided copy is arranged. A registration roller 9 that determines the timing for transporting the sheet to the image forming unit 11 is disposed upstream of the image forming unit 11 in the transport direction. The paper feed unit 4 has paper feed cassettes 4a, 4b, 4c arranged vertically, and each of the paper feed cassettes 4a, 4b, 4c can be pulled out to the near side in FIG.

The image forming unit 11 includes a drum unit 1 including a photosensitive drum 21 on the surface of which an electrostatic latent image is formed.
6 and main charging unit 1 including main charger 22
7, a developing unit 18 for developing the electrostatic latent image, and a transfer charger 19 for transferring the developed toner to a sheet. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the double-sided copying unit 20 includes a main body frame 30 that can be pulled out to the near side in FIG.
And an intermediate tray 3 provided inside the main body frame 30.
1 and a lower transport unit 32 disposed above the intermediate tray 31
An upper transport unit 33 disposed above the lower transport unit 32;
Link member 3 for connecting lower transport section 32 and upper transport section 33
4 is provided.

The body frame 30 is supported by two guide rails 35 that extend and contract forward from the copying machine body 1.
It can be pulled out in front of the copying machine main body 1. The intermediate tray 31 includes a document storage unit 40 capable of storing a plurality of sheets of paper on which an image is formed on one side, a width adjusting device 41 for adjusting the width of the stored sheets according to the size, and And an unloading device 42 for sending out the sheets one by one.

The lower transport section 32 includes a lower transport guide 45 and three lower transport rollers 46, 46a rotatably supported by the lower transport guide 45 and arranged at intervals in the transport direction. The lower transport guide 45 is rotatable around the drive shaft 47a of the lower transport roller 46a on the right side of FIG.
0 supported. The lower transport guide 45 is attached to the main body frame 30 by a positioning pin 45a.
It is positioned in the direction.

The two lower conveying rollers 46 on the left side of FIG. 3 have a small diameter, and the lower conveying roller 46a on the right side has a large diameter. The large-diameter lower transport roller 46a is driven by a motor (not shown), and its rotational force is transmitted to the two lower transport rollers 46 on the left side via a chain (not shown). As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, each of these transport rollers 46, 46a has a drive shaft 47, which is disposed in a direction orthogonal to the transport direction.
47a, and four roller portions 48 fixed to the drive shafts 47, 47a at intervals based on the sheet size. A pulley 49 for driving a belt is mounted on the rear side (the left side in FIG. 5) of the drive shaft 47.

The upper transport section 33 has an upper transport guide 50 and three upper transport rollers 51 rotatably supported by the upper transport guide 50. The upper transport guide 50 is rotatably supported by the main body frame 30 at the right of FIG. Further, the sheet is guided in the space between the upper transport guide 50 and the lower transport guide 45, is inverted by the lower transport roller 46 a, and is transported to the intermediate tray 31. As shown in FIG. 5, the upper transport rollers 51 are
6a, the rotating shaft 52 and the rotating shaft 5
2 and four roller portions 53 fixed at intervals. The roller portion 53 is disposed in pressure contact with the roller portion 48. As shown in FIG. 4, the rotation shaft 52 is rotatably supported by brackets 55 disposed at both ends. The bracket 55 is fixed to an L-shaped bracket 56 fixed to the upper conveyance guide 50 via a leaf spring 57. The leaf spring 57 urges the upper transport roller 51 downward, and presses the upper transport roller 51 against the lower transport rollers 46 and 46a.

A handle 58 used to lift the upper transport section 33 is fitted into the other end of the upper transport guide 50. The other end of the upper transport guide 50 is positioned in two directions on a horizontal plane by positioning pins 45b (FIG. 3) provided on the lower transport guide 45. Handle 58
Is a U-shaped member made of a synthetic resin such as polyacetal resin or nylon resin, as shown in FIG.
3 has substantially the same length as the length in the depth direction. The handle 58 has a grip portion 59 for putting a fingertip on the lower surface. The upper surface of the handle 58 comes into contact with the stay 1a provided on the copying machine main body 1 when the double-sided copying section 20 is inserted into the copying machine main body 1. When the main body frame 30 is stored in the copying machine main body 1, the stay 1a
And the lower transport unit 32 are vertically positioned. Thus, even if the upper transport roller 51 is urged by the leaf spring 57, the upper and lower transport rollers 46, 51 do not separate from each other, and the sheet is reliably transported between the two transport rollers 46, 51.

As shown in FIG. 7, the link member 34 includes a link body 60, a mounting portion 61 formed at one end of the link body 60, and an L-shaped groove 6 formed at the other end of the link body.
7 and a handle 63 formed by being bent toward the near side on the upper side of FIG. 7 of the link main body 60. The link main body 60 is a fan-shaped plate-like member, and is rotatably supported by the mounting portion 61 on the base end side of the upper conveyance guide 50 of the upper conveyance portion 33. The mounting section 61 is provided with the upper conveyance guide 50.
Are rotatably supported by a pivot pin 65 provided on a side surface on the front side of the front panel. Further, the lower transport guide 4 of the lower transport section 32
5 is provided with a locking pin 70 slightly forward from the support pin 65 so as to protrude forward. The L-shaped groove 62 is locked to the locking pin 70. The L-shaped groove 62 is provided in the link body 6.
A first groove 71 extending in the radial direction of 0 and a second groove 72 extending in the circumferential direction from the end of the first groove 71 are provided. The locking pin 70 is located at the start point of the first groove 71 when the two transport sections 32 and 33 are stored.

Next, a description will be given of the operation of the double-sided copy unit 20 having the above-described configuration when a paper jam occurs. When a paper jam occurs in the double-sided copy unit 20, the fact is displayed on a display unit provided on the upper surface of the copying machine body 1. Then, the operator operates the double doors 1 b, provided on the front of the copier body 1.
Open 1c (FIG. 2). Then, the duplex copy unit 20 is pulled out to the near side. The double-sided copy unit 20 is normally locked in the copying machine main body 1 by a lock mechanism (not shown). Therefore, the lock mechanism must be released before being pulled out. When the double-sided copy unit 20 is pulled out and paper is jammed between the lower transport unit 32 and the upper transport unit 33, first, as shown in FIG. And rotate it. Then, since the first groove 71 of the link member 34 is locked by the locking pin 70, the link member 34 rotates counterclockwise in FIG. When the locking pin 70 reaches the end of the first groove 71 as shown in FIG. 7B, the second groove 72
Is formed in the circumferential direction, the link member 34 further rotates counterclockwise by its own weight, and is arranged at a position as shown in FIG. 7C. As a result, the link member 34 is locked by the locking pin 72, and the two transport guides 45, 50
Is locked. In this state, since the upper conveyance guide 50 does not rotate downward, the paper jammed therebetween can be easily removed with only one hand.

When a sheet is jammed on the intermediate tray 31, the user further holds the handle 58 to hold the upper transport guide 5.
Lift 0. Then, the lower transport guide 45 rotates while being locked with the upper transport guide 50 by the link member 34. As a result, the upper part of the intermediate tray 31 is opened, and the paper jammed thereon can be easily taken out. In order to release the lock, while holding the handle 58 with, for example, the left hand, holding the handle 63 of the link member 34 with the right hand, the link member 34 is rotated clockwise in FIG. May be arranged at the corners of the L-shaped groove 62 as shown in FIG.

On the other hand, when the main body frame 30 is housed in the copying machine main body 1, the handle 58 comes into contact with the stay 1a, and the upper and lower transport sections 33 and 32 are positioned vertically. For this reason, even if the pressing contact force is increased by the pressing leaf spring 57, the upper transport section 33 becomes floating. Further, since the handle 58 is disposed at the distal end of the upper transport guide 50 whose base end is supported, the force for lifting the upper transport section 33 is small.

Since the handle is made of a synthetic resin such as polyacetal resin, the corners are smoother and easier to hold than the metal handle, and the handle 58 is connected to the stay 1a.
Friction with the body frame 30
Can move smoothly. [Modification of First Embodiment] (a) In the above embodiment, the mounting portion 61 is formed on the upper transport guide 50 side. However, as shown in FIG. 9, the mounting portion 61 is disposed on the lower transport guide 45 side, The locking pin 70 may be arranged on the upper transport guide 50. In this case, FIG.
As shown in (2), when the upper transport guide 50 is disposed on the lower transport guide 45, the link member 60 is disposed in the upper right direction. Then, as shown in FIG.
When the upper conveying guide 50 is lifted with the handle 58 and the locking pin 70 reaches the end of the first groove 71, the second groove 72
Are formed in the circumferential direction, so that the link member 34
And the two transport guides 45 and 50 are locked. In order to release the lock, the link member 34 may be rotated counterclockwise in FIG.

(B) As shown in FIG. 10, the main body frame 30 and the lower transport guide 45 may be connected by a link member 34a having the same structure as the link member 34. In this case, when the upper transport guide 50 is further lifted while the upper transport guide 50 and the lower transport guide 45 are locked and the lower transport guide 45 is disposed at a predetermined rotation position, the lower transport guide 45 The main body frame 30 is locked. However, in this case, since the lower transport guide 45 cannot rotate further, it is difficult to open the intermediate tray 31 greatly. In such an embodiment, the main frame 30 and the lower conveyance guide 4
5 is locked, so that the paper can be taken out with one hand. [Second Embodiment] A second embodiment of the paper conveying apparatus according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

The second embodiment is applied to a copying machine similar to the first embodiment, and includes a lock mechanism 80 and a support mechanism 81 instead of the link member 34 shown in FIGS. is there. The same parts as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof is omitted here. The lock mechanism 80 is connected to the upper conveyance guide 5 of the upper conveyance section 33.
The first link member 8 rotatably attached to the first link member 8
2 is provided. The first link member 82 is supported by a support shaft 83 projecting from the upper conveyance guide 50, and is supported by the support shaft 83.
It is rotatable around. The first link member 82 is provided with a guide groove 84 formed in a substantially heart shape, and a locking pin 85 provided on the main body frame 30 is engaged with the guide groove 84. . As shown in FIG. 11, in a state in which the lower transport unit 32 and the upper transport unit 33 constitute a sheet transport path in a closed state, the lower transport unit 32 and the upper transport unit 33 abut on the lower end portion 86 of the first link member 82 to move the first link member 82. A spring member 87 that presses upward is provided on the body frame 30 side.

As shown in FIG. 13, the guide groove 84 includes a first holding portion 88 for engaging the locking pin 85 when the upper conveyance guide 50 is in the closed state, and a lower left portion of FIG. 13 from the first holding portion 88. The first guide portion 89 extending to the first position, the position regulating portion 90 located at the lower end of the first guide portion 89, the lock guide portion 94 connected upward from the position regulating portion 90, and the upper conveyance guide 50 are opened. A second holding portion 91 for holding the locking pin 85 in a locked state at a certain time, a position regulating portion 92 located on the left side of the drawing from the second holding portion 91, and extending from the position regulating portion 92 to the first holding portion 88. And a second guide portion 93.

The support mechanism 81 includes a second link member 95 rotatably supported by the upper transport guide 50. One end of the second link member 95 is supported by the same support shaft 83 as the first link member 82, and is rotatably supported by the upper transport guide 50. Further, on the multi-end side of the second link member 95, an elongated hole 96 for engaging an engagement pin 97 protruding from the lower conveyance guide 45 is provided.

On the free end side (left side in FIG. 11) of the upper transport guide 50, a positioning mechanism 10 for positioning when the lower transport guide 45 and the upper transport guide 50 are closed.
0 is provided. As shown in FIG. 12, the positioning mechanism 100 includes a support shaft 10 provided on the upper conveyance guide 50.
The locking member 101 is supported so as to be rotatable around the center 5 and a spring 103 for urging the locking member 101 around the support shaft 105. The upper conveyance guide 5 is provided on the body frame 30 side.
An engagement pin 106 that engages with the locking member 101 when 0 is in the closed state is provided. As a result, when the upper conveyance guide 50 is closed, the locking member 101 is closed.
Engages with the engagement pin 106 to position the upper conveyance guide 50. The lower transport guide 45 is provided with a positioning member 107, and performs positioning of the lower transport guide 45 when the lower transport guide 45 is closed.

The operation of the second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. First, when the upper conveyance guide 50 and the lower conveyance guide 45 are in the closed state and form a paper conveyance path, as shown in FIG. One holding portion 88 is engaged with the locking pin 85. At the same time, the second link member 95 holds a position where the second link member 95 is engaged with the engagement pin 97 near the upper side of the elongated hole 96. Further, the spring member 87 is provided in the first
It abuts on the lower end portion 86 of the link member 82 and is elastically deformed.
The first link member 82 is in a state of being urged upward.

When a paper jam occurs in the paper transport path, the handle 58 provided at the end of the upper transport guide 50 is operated to lift the upper transport guide 50 upward. By lifting the upper conveyance guide 50, the locking member 101 provided on the upper conveyance guide 50 rotates against the bias of the spring 103, and the engagement state with the engagement pin 106 is released. Since the lower end portion 86 of the first link member 82 is urged upward by the spring member 87, the first guide portion 89 is locked as shown in FIG. It moves to engage the pin 85.

As the upper transport guide 50 rises, the support shaft 83 supporting the second link member 95 also rises,
When the edge of the elongated hole 96 of the link member 95 reaches the position of the engagement pin 97, the lower transport guide 45 is simultaneously lifted. In this state, one end of the upper transport guide 50 and the lower transport guide 45 is lifted while being separated from each other by a predetermined distance defined by the second link member 95.

As the upper conveyance guide 50 continues to move upward, as shown in FIG.
When the position regulating portion 90 provided in the guide groove 84 of the first link member 82 reaches the locking pin 85, the movement of the upper conveyance guide 50 in the opening direction is regulated, and it can be lifted further. Disappears. At this time, the spring member 8
7 is separated from the lower end 86 of the first link member 82 so that the urging force is not applied to the first link member 82. In this state, when the upper conveyance guide 50 is lowered, the first link member 82 rotates counterclockwise in FIG. 15 around the support shaft 83 by its own weight, and locks with the lock guide portion 94 of the guide groove 84. The pin 85 slides and descends.

The contact portion 9 of the lock guide portion 94 of the guide groove 84
8 comes into contact with the locking pin 85, as shown in FIG.
The first link member 82 moves to a position where the second holding portion 91 is engaged with the locking pin 85, and the upper transport guide 5 is moved at this position.
Lock 0 to open. At this time, the second link member 9
Reference numeral 5 engages an engaging pin 97 with the edge of the elongated hole 96 to maintain a predetermined distance between the upper transport guide 50 and the lower transport guide 45.

When the paper jam is completed, the handle 58 provided at the end of the upper conveyance guide 50 is lifted upward. At this time, the first link member 82 maintains the state in which the abutting portion 98 of the guide groove 84 abuts on the locking pin 85 due to its own weight, and at the same time, the position of the first regulating member 92 engages with the locking pin 85. Moving. As shown in FIG. 17, when the position regulating portion 92 of the guide groove 84 reaches a position where it engages with the locking pin 85, the movement of the upper conveyance guide 50 in the opening direction is regulated, and it is impossible to lift the upper conveyance guide 50 any further. When the upper conveyance guide 50 is lowered in this state, the first link member 82 is engaged with the second guide portion 93 of the guide groove 84 while engaging the locking pin 85.
Will move.

When the lower conveyance guide 45 reaches the closed position, the positioning member 107 of the lower conveyance guide 45 reaches a predetermined position, and the engaging pin 97 is detached from the edge of the second link member 95, so that the upper conveyance is performed. The distance between the guide 50 and the lower conveyance guide 45 starts to decrease. When the upper conveyance guide 50 reaches the closed position, the first holding portion 88 of the guide groove 84 reaches a position where the first holding portion 88 is engaged with the locking pin 85. At the same time, the locking member 101 of the upper conveyance guide 50 rotates against the bias of the spring 103 and engages with the engagement pin 106. At this time, the positioning of the lower transport guide 45 and the main frame 30 and the positioning of the lower transport guide 45 and the upper transport guide 50 are performed simultaneously.

The upper transport guide 50 and the lower transport guide 4
5 and the weight of the first link member 82 and the like, the lower end portion 86 of the first link member 82 presses the spring member 87 against its bias. According to the second embodiment of the present invention, when a paper jam occurs in the paper transport path for transporting the paper to the intermediate tray 31, the handle 58 of the upper transport guide 50 is lifted up with one hand, and the upper transport is performed. The guide 50 and the lower transport guide 45 can be easily opened. Further, by temporarily pulling the handle 58 of the upper transport guide 50 to the uppermost position and loosening the force, the upper transport guide 50 can be locked in an open state, so that the operation is simple and the paper jam handling operation can be performed. Be easy. Further, since the upper transport guide 50 is locked in the open state and the lower transport guide 45 is also kept open, not only the paper transport path between the upper transport guide 50 and the lower transport guide 45 but also the lower transport guide 50 and intermediate tray 31
And paper jams between the two.

Further, when the upper conveyance guide 50 is locked in the open state, the locked state can be easily released by lifting the handle 58 with one hand, temporarily positioning the handle 58 at the uppermost position, and then lowering the same. Also, recovery after a paper jam can be quickly performed. Such opening and closing work of the upper transport guide 50 can be operated with one hand, making the work quick and simple. [Modification of Second Embodiment] (a) The first link member 82 and the second link member 95 can be configured to be supported by the upper carrying guide 50 by another supporting shaft. Other Embodiments (a) The transporting member is not limited to the transporting rollers, but may be a transporting belt or a transporting roller that is disposed to face.

(B) In the above embodiment, a copying machine has been described as an example. However, the image forming apparatus is not limited to a copying machine. All inventions are applicable. (C) In the above-described embodiment, the double-sided copy unit has been described as an example of the sheet conveying device. However, the present invention is not limited to this. The present invention can be applied to all paper transport devices having the above.

[0049]

In the paper transport apparatus according to the present invention, when a paper jam occurs between the upper transport section and the lower transport section, the two transport sections are locked at a predetermined interval by the link member. The upper transport section does not return to its original state even if the upper transport section is released. Therefore, the jammed paper can be easily removed with one hand.
Moreover, if the upper transport section is lifted and rotated further,
Since the two transport units are connected by the first link member, the lower transport unit also rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the upper transport unit, and the upper part of the paper storage unit opens. For this reason, even if paper is jammed in the paper storage unit, the jammed paper can be easily removed only by rotating the upper transport unit.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view of a copier employing a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a state in which the double-sided copy unit is pulled out.

FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view of a double-sided copy unit.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view of a transport roller.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the other end of the transport unit.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the other end of the upper transport unit.

FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram illustrating an opening / closing operation.

FIG. 8 is a schematic view showing a state where the camera is further opened and closed.

FIG. 9 is a view corresponding to FIG. 7 of another embodiment.

FIG. 10 is a view corresponding to FIG. 7 of another embodiment.

FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view showing an open state of the transport guide.

FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing the operation.

FIG. 14 is an explanatory diagram showing the operation.

FIG. 15 is an explanatory diagram showing the operation.

FIG. 16 is an explanatory diagram showing the operation.

FIG. 17 is an explanatory diagram showing the operation.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Copier main body 20 Duplex copy part 30 Main body frame 31 Intermediate tray 32 Lower conveyance part 33 Upper conveyance part 34, 34a Link member 45 Lower conveyance guide 46, 46a Lower conveyance roller 50 Upper conveyance guide 51 Upper conveyance roller 57 Leaf spring 60 Link Main body 61 Mounting part 62 L-shaped groove 70 Locking pin 71 First groove 72 Second groove

Claims (11)

[Claims] 1. A paper transport device for transporting a paper sheet inside an image forming apparatus, comprising: a main body frame mounted on the image forming apparatus so as to be able to be pulled out in a direction intersecting a paper transport direction; A paper storage unit provided; a lower conveyance guide disposed above the paper storage unit, one end of which is rotatably supported by the main body frame; and a lower conveyance member circulatingly supported by the lower conveyance guide. A lower transport unit having: an upper transport guide disposed above the lower transport unit, one end of which is rotatably supported by the main body frame; and the lower transport member circulatingly supported by the upper transport guide. An upper transport unit having an upper transport member that transports the paper toward the paper storage unit, one end of the upper transport guide and the lower transport guide is rotatably mounted on one of the transport guides, A first link member, wherein the two transport guides rotate in conjunction with each other at a predetermined interval and are locked at the predetermined interval, and the other end of which is locked to the other transport guide. Transport device. 2. The other transport guide is provided with a locking portion, the first link member is a plate-shaped link main body, and is provided at one end of the link main body and rotates around the one transport guide. A mounting portion movably mounted, a first groove portion formed in a radial direction from a position distant from the mounting portion, and a circumferentially continuous continuous link with the first groove portion and the link body being rotated by its own weight. 2. The sheet conveying device according to claim 1, further comprising a second groove formed to move and drop, and an L-shaped groove locked by a locking portion of the other transport guide. 3. 3. The upper transport member and the lower transport member have upper transport rollers and lower transport rollers that are rotatably mounted on the upper transport guide and the lower transport guide, respectively, and that are opposed to each other. A paper transport device according to claim 1. 4. The paper transport according to claim 3, wherein one of the upper transport section and the lower transport section further includes a pressing member for pressing one of the upper transport roller and the lower transport roller against the other. apparatus. 5. The sheet storage section according to claim 1, wherein said sheet storage section is an intermediate tray used to turn over a sheet on which an image is formed and form an image on a surface opposite to an image forming surface. The paper transport device according to any one of the above. 6. One end of the lower conveyance guide and the main body frame is rotatably mounted on one of the lower conveyance guide and the other end so that the lower conveyance guide is locked at a predetermined interval with respect to the paper storage unit. The sheet conveying device according to claim 1, further comprising a second link member locked to the other side. 7. A sheet conveying device for conveying a sheet inside an image forming apparatus, comprising: a main body frame mounted on the image forming apparatus so as to be able to be pulled out outwardly in a direction intersecting a sheet conveying direction; A paper storage unit provided; a lower conveyance guide disposed above the paper storage unit, one end of which is rotatably supported by the main body frame; and a lower conveyance member circulatingly supported by the lower conveyance guide. A lower transport unit having: an upper transport guide disposed above the lower transport unit, one end of which is rotatably supported by the main body frame; and the lower transport member circulatingly supported by the upper transport guide. An upper transport section having an upper transport member that transports the paper toward the paper storage section; and a first link section that can lock the upper transport member at a predetermined open position that opens above the paper storage section. And a state in which when the upper transport member is locked in the open position by the lock mechanism, the upper transport member and the paper storage unit are separated from each other by a predetermined distance and are opened above the storage unit. A second supporting member for supporting the lower conveying member.
And a support mechanism including a link member. 8. The lock mechanism includes a lock pin provided on the main body frame, the first link member slidably engages the lock pin, and the upper transport member closes the closed position. A first holding position for holding the locking pin when the upper transport member is in the open position, a second holding position for holding the locking pin when the upper conveying member is at the open position, and a second holding position from the first holding position. The guide groove having a first guide portion for guiding the locking pin and a second guide portion for guiding the locking pin from the second holding position to the first holding position are formed. Paper transport device according to the above. 9. The lock mechanism moves a lock pin from a first holding position holding the lock pin to the first guide groove when moving the upper transport member from a closed position to an open position. 9. The paper transporting device according to claim 8, further comprising: urging means for urging the first link member so as to engage. 10. The first link member, when the upper transport member is at the open position, pivots the upper transport member further upward to move the locking pin from the second holding position to the second link position. The paper transport device according to claim 8, wherein the paper transport device rotates by its own weight so as to engage with the guide groove. 11. The support mechanism includes an engagement pin provided on the lower transport member, one end of the second link member is rotatably supported by the upper transport member, and the second link member has An elongated hole for engaging with the engagement pin is provided.
A paper transport device according to any one of the above.