JPH03192037A - Transporting device for recording paper - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To facilitate jam disposal and other maintenance works for an image forming device which arranges a plurality of paper feeding cassettes in the vertical direction by turning a guide plate to an opened position and stopping the guide plate, when an opening/closing member is at an opened attitude. CONSTITUTION:A side surface cover 40 is put into an opened attitude, i.e., into the state where the side cover is opened from a device body by releasing a stage part 51 from the engagement with an engagingly locking pin 60 by turning an engagingly locking lever 50 in the counterclockwise direction through an operating plate 53. According to this opening operation, an electric power supply to a paper feeding system is cut off, and at the same time, a transport passage in the vertical direction is opened by the shift retreat of each guide wall 41 of the side surface cover. Accordingly, the press contact of each projection part 41A with each of leaf springs 16, 26, and 36 is released, and each of guide plates 13, 23, 33 is turned to each angle which is restricted in the clockwise direction by the action of each of respective pulling springs 15, 25, and 35. Accordingly, each guide surface in the horizontal direction, of each of guide plates 13, 23, 33 also shift-retreats, and a transport passage which is formed with each guide plate is opened.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a recording paper conveying device used in an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, and particularly relates to a paper feeding device in which a plurality of paper feeding cassettes are installed. The present invention relates to a recording paper conveyance device that conveys recording paper discharged from a section to a transfer section.

[Background of the invention]

In an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, a paper feed cassette containing recording paper of various sizes is attached to a paper feed section of the image forming apparatus. Recording paper of the required size is selectively ejected one by one from the second-class cassette, and a toner image is attached to the recording paper conveyed along the conveyance path by a transfer section, and then fixed by a fixing device. Afterwards, it is ejected from the device.

Image forming apparatuses are required to be compact, and a plurality of paper feeding cassettes are often provided with paper feeding units arranged in a vertical positional relationship. Furthermore, in order to reduce the floor space as much as possible, a paper feed section having the above-mentioned vertical positional relationship is provided below the image forming apparatus. In such an image forming apparatus, the recording paper is selectively ejected from the paper feed units located in the upper and lower positions, and by guide members provided in each of the paper feed units, the recording paper is turned upward by a guide member provided in each of the paper feed units, and is then conveyed upward along a common conveyance path. The image carrier then rises and is conveyed to the transfer section of the image carrier located above.

Recording paper of any size is temporarily stopped by a registration roller provided on the front side of the transfer section on a common conveyance path, and then moves in synchronization with the toner image on the image carrier, and the toner is deposited on the recording paper. The image is transferred.

[Purpose of the invention]

The recording paper that is moved and conveyed in this manner is guided by a guide member and conveyed by a conveyance roller along a conveyance path, but sometimes due to environmental changes such as humidity or uneven paper quality, etc., the conveyance of the recording paper is interrupted. This may cause defects (jams).

A detection means for detecting a jam is provided at important points on the recording paper conveyance path, and when a jam is detected, the operation of the image forming apparatus is immediately stopped and the location where the jam has occurred is displayed. This display allows the operator to open the jammed area and remove the jammed paper.

In a recording paper conveyance path in which paper is fed from a plurality of paper feed units located in the above-mentioned vertical positional relationship, the positional accuracy of the guide member is usually maintained with high precision, and the recording paper is transported well. When opened, it is desirable that the conveyance path including the guide member move and open, allowing the location where the jam occurs to be visually observed over a wide range and making it easy to remove the jammed paper. An object of the present invention is to provide such a recording paper conveyance device.

[Structure of the invention]

The above purpose is to provide a conveyance path for upwardly conveying the recording paper ejected from paper feed units located in a vertical positional relationship along a plurality of guide plates, and a recording paper conveyance system having an opening/closing member provided along the conveyance path. In the apparatus, each of the guide plates is biased and rotatable about a shaft portion, and when the opening/closing member is in the closed position, the guide plate contacts the reference position of the main body to form a conveyance path. A recording paper conveying device characterized in that the opening/closing member regulates the position of the guide plate through an elastic material, and when the opening/closing member is in the open position, the guide plate rotates to the open position and stops. achieved by

Furthermore, it is a preferable embodiment that the conveying path includes a pair of conveying rollers, and the pair of conveying rollers are in a separated state when the opening/closing member is in the open position.

〔Example〕

An embodiment of a recording paper conveying device according to the present invention is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. FIG.

The figure shows a paper feed section of an image forming apparatus in which a plurality of paper feed cassettes are loaded in a vertical positional relationship, with a cross section taken at the center of the conveying surface.

In FIG. 1, 10.20 and 30 are paper feed cassettes that accommodate recording papers PI, P2, and P3 of different sizes, respectively, and 11.21 and 31 are pressure-contacted with each recording paper in the top layer of the multi-paper cassette. This is the unloading roller.

12A, 22A and 32A are conveyance rollers for conveying each recording paper carried out from each paper feed cassette, and 12B
.

22B and 32B are sorting rollers that come into pressure contact with the respective conveyance rollers.

Further, IIA, 13. 21A, 23, 31A, and 33 are a plurality of guide plates for guiding each recording paper taken out and conveyed from each of the paper feed cassettes, and all of them are made of a highly rigid steel plate or the like. The upper guide plates 11A, 21A, and 31A are fixed at the positions shown, whereas the lower guide plates 13, 23, and 33 have shaft portions 13A, 23A, and 33, respectively.
It is supported in a biased state to rotate clockwise from the illustrated position with A as a fulcrum.

That is, the guide plates 13.23 and 33 respectively derive arms 13C, 23C and 33C, and tension springs 15.25 and 35 are stretched between them and stays 14.24 and 34 installed on the main body of the device. , so that it is always biased to rotate clockwise.

The guide plates 13, 23 and 33 are formed of two horizontal and vertical guide surfaces, and the horizontal guide surfaces are connected to the respective paper feed cassettes together with the guide plates 11A, 21A and 31A as described above. The vertical guide surface forms a horizontal conveyance path for the recording paper, while the vertical guide surface, together with an opening/closing member described later, forms a vertical conveyance path in which the conveyance paths from the respective paper feed cassettes merge.

13B, 23B, and 33B are a pair of protrusions formed by bending on both sides of the vertical guide surface, and when each protrusion comes into contact with each of the stays, which also serves as a reference position with respect to the main body of the device, each of the above-mentioned The position regulation of the guide plate, that is, the set position of each conveyance path in the horizontal direction and the vertical direction is determined.

16. Reference numerals 26 and 36 are elastic members, that is, leaf springs, provided near both edges of the vertical guide surface of each guide plate, and the upper and lower claw portions of each leaf spring are inserted into the respective guide plates and bent. It is attached and supported in a state where it can be elastically deformed.

Further, reference numerals 17 and 27 are respective conveyance rollers provided on the above-mentioned vertical conveyance path, which form a pair of rollers when pressed by a driven roller supported by an opening/closing member, which will be described later.

On the other hand, reference numeral 40 denotes an opening/closing member, that is, a side cover provided on the side surface of the main body of the apparatus, and can be opened approximately at right angles in a clockwise direction using the rotating shaft 40A as a fulcrum.

Reference numeral 41 indicates a plurality of rows of guide walls formed in the vertical direction on the inner surface, that is, the left side surface, of the side cover 40, and 41A indicates a half-moon-shaped guide wall provided on the guide 1141 facing each leaf spring of the guide plates 13, 23 and 33. It is a convex part.

Further, reference numeral 42 denotes a pair of driven rollers rotatably supported by the side cover 40, and both of the driven rollers 42 are configured such that their respective support shafts 42A can be moved in the horizontal direction by retaining portions 43 formed on the guide wall 41. It is supported and at the same time biased to the left by a compression spring 44.

As a result, when the side cover 40 is in the closed position, that is, in a state where it is closed with respect to the main body of the apparatus as shown in FIG. 23 and 33 in the counterclockwise direction to bring the respective protrusions 13B, 23B and 33B into contact with the stays 14, 24 and 34, thereby forming the above-mentioned horizontal blade 8 direction and vertical conveyance path.

Reference numeral 50 denotes a pair of left and right locking levers that are rotatably attached to both sides of the side cover 40 with the support shaft 50A as a fulcrum, and are provided with a step portion 51 and a slope portion 52, and are integrated via an operation plate 53. . The locking lever 50 is biased clockwise by a spring (not shown), and the stepped portion 51 is engaged with a locking pin 60 on the main body of the apparatus to keep the side cover 40 in a closed state.

As the side cover 40 closes on the main body of the apparatus, the power supply to the paper feeding system is connected, and the transport rollers 12A, 22A and 32A and the transport rollers 17 and 27 are driven and rotated counterclockwise by operating the copy button. Start. Further, the sorting rollers 12B, 22B, and 32B in pressure contact therewith are driven counterclockwise with a predetermined torque, while each driven roller 42 follows and rotates clockwise.

For example, when the carry-out roller 11 rotates counterclockwise for a predetermined period of time according to a pre-specified recording paper size, the paper feed cassette l
The top layer of recording paper PI in O is carried out and fed to the conveyance roller 12A.

When the recording paper P1 is conveyed to the conveyance roller 12A, if it is one sheet, it is conveyed by the frictional force against the conveyance force in the opposite direction of the sorting roller 12B, and when there are two or more sheets, the recording paper P1 other than the uppermost layer is conveyed. The paper Pi is reversely fed by the frictional force of the sorting roller 12B, and only the top layer of recording paper PI is transported.

In this way, the recording paper is fed to the conveyance roller 17 through the horizontal conveyance path formed by the guide plates 11A and 13, and then changes its feeding direction diagonally upward through the paper feed guide 61 and passes through the pair of registration rollers 62. After adjusting the transfer timing, the image is fed to the image transfer section.

Similarly, when recording paper P2 is designated, the delivery roller 21 rotates counterclockwise for a predetermined period of time, and the top layer of recording paper P2 in the paper feed cassette 20 is delivered and fed to the transport roller 22A. be done.

The recording paper P2 carried out by the conveyance roller 22A goes through the same process as the recording paper PI described above, and then passes through the guide plates 21A and 23.
The paper is fed to the conveyance roller 27 provided in the vertical conveyance path through a horizontal conveyance path formed by the above.

The recording paper P2 fed to the conveyance roller 27 changes its feeding direction upward and ascends the vertical conveyance path, and then is relayed and conveyed by the conveyance roller 17, passes through the paper feed guide 61, and reaches the registration roller 62. be sent.

In addition, in the case of recording paper P3, since it is the largest recording paper, it is conveyed by the conveyance roller 32A directly to the lower conveyance roller 42 through each conveyance path in the horizontal and vertical directions. As in the case above, it is fed to the registration rollers 62 via the upper conveyance roller 42.

Note that photosensors S 1 , S 2 , and S 3 are arranged just before the registration roller 62 and at key points on the conveyance path in the vertical direction, and actuators A 1 , A 2 , and A3 that protrude into the conveyance path due to their own weight are arranged. When pressed against the leading edge of the recording paper and rotated counterclockwise, each of the above 7
The automatic sensor is turned off, thereby detecting and confirming the normal feeding state of the recording paper.

On the other hand, by rotating the locking lever 50 counterclockwise via the operation plate 53, the side cover 40 is moved to the open position, that is, by removing the stepped portion 51 from the locking pin 60.
It can be opened from the main body of the device as shown in the figure.

Along with this opening operation, the power to the paper feeding system is cut off, and at the same time, the aforementioned vertical transport path is opened by moving and retracting each guide wall 41 of the side cover 40, and each of the leaf springs 16, 26 and 36 Since the convex portions 41A are no longer pressed against each other, the guide plates 13.23 and 33 are rotated clockwise to a limited angle by the action of the respective tension springs 15.25 and 35.

Accordingly, the horizontal guide surfaces of the guide plates 13, 23 and 33 are also moved and retracted, respectively
The horizontal transport path formed by 1A, 21A, and 31A can be opened.

As a result, the recording paper conveyance path in the paper feeding system is wide open over the entire area.

Note that when the side cover 40 is rotated counterclockwise from the open state shown in FIG. 51, thereby returning to the state shown in FIG. 1 in which paper can be fed.

〔Effect of the invention〕

The present invention enables the conveyance path of the recording paper fed to the image transfer section in an image forming apparatus to be accurately set at a predetermined position, and also enables the entire area to be opened by an extremely easy operation. It is now possible to provide a recording paper conveying device that makes jam removal and other maintenance operations extremely easy even for image forming apparatuses in which a plurality of paper feed cassettes are arranged vertically.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

1 and 2 are cross-sectional configuration diagrams showing a recording paper conveyance device of the present invention. 10.20.30...Paper feed cassette 11.21.31...Export rollers 11A, 21A, 31A, 13.23.33...Guide plates 12A, 22A, 32A, 17.27...Transportation Rollers 12B, 22B, 32B... Sorting roller 13B
, 23B, 33B...Protrusion 14,24.
34... Stay 2 15.25.35... Tension spring 40... Side cover 41A... Convex portion 50... Locking lever 62... Registration roller 16.26.36... Plate Spring 41... Guide wall 42... Followed roller 60... Locking pin

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) a conveyance path that upwardly conveys the recording paper ejected from the paper feed units located in the vertical positional relationship along a plurality of guide plates;
In the recording paper conveyance device having an opening/closing member provided along the conveyance path, each of the guide plates is biased and rotatable about a shaft portion, and when the opening/closing member is in a closed position, the guide plate is attached to the main body. The position of the guide plate is regulated by the opening/closing member via an elastic material so as to come into contact with a reference position to form a conveyance path, and when the opening/closing member is in the open position, the guide plate rotates to the open position and stops. A recording paper conveying device characterized by being configured as follows. (2) The recording paper conveying device according to claim 1, wherein the conveying path includes a pair of conveying rollers, and the pair of conveying rollers are in a separated state when the opening/closing member is in an open position. .