JPH0217453B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus such as an electrophotographic copying machine.

In conventional image forming apparatuses, in order to remove sheets stuck in the sheet conveyance path inside the apparatus main body, the apparatus main body is divided into an upper divided body and a lower divided body, and the upper divided body is opened upward. The sheet conveyance path was open. However, in order to connect the heavy upper divided body to the lower divided body so that it can be opened and closed, and to ensure positional accuracy between the two, considerable strength is required for parts such as the casing, frame, hinges, etc. This led to an increase in costs and an increase in costs. Furthermore, in order to open the heavy upper divided body upwardly, it was necessary to bias the upper divided body upwardly with a spring.

In addition, there is also a device in which the side wall of the device body is opened to open the sheet conveyance path inside the device. However, this requires a space within the apparatus in which a portion of the sheet conveyance path can be moved to open it, which increases the size of the apparatus. In small equipment, parts such as the motor, drive transmission system, and printed circuit board must be placed near the side wall of the equipment body, and if the side wall is opened, it is necessary to place the parts such as the motor, drive transmission system, and printed circuit board near the side wall of the equipment body. Design-wise, it was difficult to provide enough space to fit inside.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus that does not require strong parts and has a simple configuration that allows for easy jam removal.

It is to be.

Furthermore, the present invention does not require increasing the size of the device.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an image forming apparatus that can be designed so that a transport path can be opened sufficiently widely even in a small-sized apparatus.

The configuration of the present invention that can achieve the above object includes: a sheet conveyance path disposed within an apparatus main body; an image forming means for forming an image on a sheet conveyed along the sheet conveyance path; and a side portion of the apparatus main body. In an image forming apparatus, the tray is provided in an image forming apparatus and has a tray on which a sheet is placed, the tray is supported so as to be openable and closable with respect to the main body of the apparatus, and a support means for supporting the main body of the apparatus in an upright state is provided on the same side as the tray. An image forming apparatus characterized in that the image forming apparatus is configured such that a part of the sheet conveyance path can be opened from the bottom of the apparatus main body when the apparatus main body is upright.

FIG. 1 is a side view of the main parts of an electrophotographic copying apparatus to which the present invention is applicable.

Device 1 in the figure is a copying device using electrophotography.
A photosensitive drum 2, which serves as an image forming means and has a photoconductive layer provided on a conductive drum base, is supported rotatably in the direction of the arrow. A corona discharger 3, a short focus optical element array 4, a developing device 5, a transfer corona discharger 6, and a cleaning device 7 are arranged around the drum 2 in accordance with the rotational direction of the drum.

In the copying apparatus described above, the surface of the photosensitive drum 2 is uniformly charged by the corona discharger 3, and then the original on the document table 8, which moves back and forth at the upper part of the apparatus main body, is charged by the lamp 9.
The drum 2 is exposed to the reflected light through the element array 4 to form a latent image. The formed latent image is developed by a developing device 5, and the developing device is transferred by a transfer corona discharger 6.

The transfer material in the form of a sheet is conveyed along a sheet conveyance path described below. Paper cassette 10
The transfer material inside is supplied by a paper feed roller 11 and conveyed to the transfer section via a conveyance roller 12 and a timing roller 13. The transfer material that has completed the transfer is separated by the separating means 14, sent to a fixing device 16 as a fixing means via a moving path 15, and fixed thereon.
Further, the paper is sent out onto a paper ejection tray 18 via an ejection roller 17. The paper output tray 18 has a hinge section 19.
has. The heat exhaust fan 20 releases the heat in the device 1 to the outside of the device.

As supporting means, the device 1 has "feet" 21 on the bottom and the outer part on the paper discharge side, and particularly has a "feet" 22 having a smooth curved surface at the intersection of both the outer parts.
The apparatus 1 also has a "handle" 23 for transporting or lifting, and a hinge part 25 is provided on the support plate 24 on the lower surface of the sheet transport path, and a hinge part 26 is also provided on the paper feed cassette 10.

Now, FIG. 2 shows how the bottom of the main body of the device 1 is opened and closed.

Hold the handle 23 of the device 1 and stand the device 1 in the right angle direction during operation. The reason for this is that the center of gravity is on the paper ejection side due to the weight of the fixing device, etc., and it is stable if the center of gravity is placed downward. By operating a lever or button (not shown), the paper feed cassette 10 and the support plate 24 are each opened to a predetermined angle. At this time, the discharge tray 18 becomes horizontal via the hinge portion 19, fits within the space of the "feet" 21 and 22, and can prevent the document table 8 from falling.

This allows the user of the apparatus to replenish the paper feed cassette 10 with a desired number of transfer papers using a well-known method, and also facilitates jam removal.

After replenishing the transfer paper or after processing the jam, the paper feed cassette 10 and the support plate 24 are set in the main body in the same vertical direction as the apparatus 1. Paper cassette 1
0 has a transfer paper holding mechanism (e.g. rod, claw, belt,
(and plates, etc.) (not shown) to prevent the transfer paper from falling. When restarting the copying operation, the apparatus 1 is reinstalled horizontally.

FIG. 3 shows a method for cleaning the inside of the apparatus 1 and processing jam paper. A portion of the transport path and the movement path are opened by a lever or button (not shown). At this time, the paper feed cassette 10 may be opened as if it were integrated with the support plate 24.

Further, as shown in FIG. 4, only the paper feed cassette 10 may be opened when only transfer paper is supplied.

In addition, especially when the transfer paper is abnormal, as shown in Figure 5,
If the paper is jammed between a pair of fixing rollers, it is difficult to eject the jammed paper outside the machine in a pressure fixing device without releasing the pressure, and in a heat fixing device, it is difficult to eject the jammed paper from the machine in the direction of A in the figure without releasing the pressure. If the transfer paper 29 is discharged in the paper direction, the roller surface temperature will drop during jam processing, and unfixed developer will adhere to the fixing roller 16, which is undesirable.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG.
If the printer is placed face down, the jammed paper cannot be ejected in the normal paper passing direction, so it is better to eject the jammed paper in the opposite direction to the normal paper passing direction. At this time, the jam paper can be easily removed by releasing the pressure between the rollers.

FIG. 6 shows an example of a copying machine without a paper feed cassette. In the present apparatus 1, the fixing device 16'' has a rigid, heavy roller and functions as a pressure fixing device. Examples of the roller material include metal and ceramics.

The center of gravity of this apparatus 1' is located near such a fixing device, and is an example of the above-mentioned apparatus having a center of gravity on the paper ejection side. This device 1' includes, for example, a lever 3 that supports the main body.
1 is kept approximately horizontal by pulling it out from the main body, and normal copying operations can be performed. The "handle" 32 can be used as a handle when transporting and moving the main body, but here it also functions as a paper feed tray when feeding transfer paper. The transfer corona discharger 6, separation means 14, and movement path 15 that constitute the sheet conveyance path of the apparatus 1' are connected to the hinge portion 33.
The support plate 34 is attached to the device 1' via the support plate 34. Another guide plate 35 is incorporated into the main body via a hinge portion 36.

Figure 7 shows the support plate 3 of this device 1' during jam processing.
4 is opened. The "leg"22' has, for example, a hinge part, and can rotate around this hinge part. The movement of the paper discharge tray is the same as described above. As shown in the figure, the jam handling operation can be facilitated by the moving/conveying section that is released by a predetermined angle.

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide an image forming apparatus that does not require strong parts and can easily perform jam removal with a simple configuration.

Furthermore, according to the present invention, the main body of the apparatus can be stood upright with the heavy fixing means facing down, so the main body of the apparatus is stable even when the sheet conveyance path is open, and this makes it possible to handle jam paper and clean the inside of the main body of the apparatus. maintenance can be performed safely and in stable conditions.

Furthermore, the present invention does not require increasing the size of the device.
Even in a small-sized device, it is possible to provide an image forming device that can be designed so that the transport path can be opened sufficiently wide.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Figure 1 is a sectional view showing an embodiment of the present invention, Figure 2 is a sectional view showing an embodiment of the present invention.
Figures 3 and 4 are cross-sectional views of embodiments of the present invention,
FIG. 5 is a partially enlarged sectional view, and FIGS. 6 and 7 are sectional views showing other embodiments. In the figure, 10 is a paper feed cassette, 24, 34
is a support plate, and 32 is a handle.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A sheet conveying path disposed within the apparatus main body, an image forming means for forming an image on a sheet conveyed along the sheet conveying path, and an image forming means disposed on the side of the apparatus main body. , and a tray for placing sheets, the tray being supported to be openable and closable relative to the apparatus main body, and supporting means for supporting the apparatus main body in an upright state provided on the same side as the tray; An image forming apparatus characterized in that a part of the sheet conveyance path can be opened from the bottom of the apparatus main body when the main body is upright. 2. A sheet conveyance path disposed within the apparatus main body, an image forming means for forming an image on the sheet conveyed along the sheet conveyance path, and a fixing means for fixing the image formed on the sheet by the image forming means. and a tray disposed on the side of the apparatus main body on which a sheet is placed, the tray being supported so as to be openable and closable relative to the apparatus main body, and the apparatus main body being placed with the fixing means facing down. A supporting means for supporting the apparatus in an upright state is provided on the same side as the tray, and a part of the sheet conveyance path can be opened from the bottom of the apparatus main body in an upright state. Forming device.