JP5346858B2 - Image forming apparatus and relay unit - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a relay unit that is assembled later in a cylinder discharge space in order to convey a sheet toward a post-processing apparatus, and an image forming apparatus including the relay unit.

  A so-called in-body discharge type image forming apparatus having a space for discharging a sheet after image formation in the apparatus main body has a small space occupancy rate and good accommodation because a sheet tray or the like does not protrude from the apparatus main body. There are advantages. On the other hand, a post-processing device that performs post-processing such as punching processing and stapling processing on a sheet may be optionally attached to such an in-body discharge type image forming apparatus. In general, the sheet discharge port is oriented in the in-cylinder discharge space, and the in-cylinder discharge space is narrow, and it is difficult to install the post-processing device in the space.

  Therefore, when the post-processing apparatus is retrofitted, the post-processing apparatus is installed on the side wall portion (side wall opposite to the side where the sheet discharge port is provided) of the apparatus main body, and the relay unit has a sheet conveying function. Is assembled in the in-body discharge space. The sheet is conveyed from the paper discharge port to the post-processing device via the relay unit. The relay unit is fixed to the apparatus main body with screws or the like, so that the user cannot easily pull out the relay unit once assembled from the in-body discharge space. Patent Document 1 can be cited as an example of an in-body discharge type image forming apparatus including such a relay unit.

JP 2003-54820 A (see paragraph 0021, FIG. 1)

  Also in the relay unit, sheet jam may occur as in other sheet conveyance paths. In order to prevent this jam, it is necessary that the sheet conveyance path of the relay unit can be opened. However, the vertical width of the in-body discharge space is not so wide, and it is difficult to sufficiently open the sheet conveyance path. For this reason, there has been a problem that jam handling performance is poor when sheet jam occurs in the relay unit.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide an image forming apparatus in which the jam handling property of a relay unit to be assembled later in a cylinder discharge space is improved. .

  An image forming apparatus according to an aspect of the present invention is an apparatus main body that performs an image forming process on a sheet, and a sheet in the apparatus main body that is formed as an in-body space having an opening that is open to the outside. An in-cylinder paper discharge unit, a discharge port for discharging the sheet to the in-cylinder discharge unit, and a sheet attached to the apparatus main body. A post-processing apparatus that performs a predetermined post-processing on the received sheet, and a relay unit that is assembled to the in-body discharge unit and conveys the sheet from the discharge port to the reception port. The relay unit forms a sheet conveyance path by allowing a first guide member constituting one guide surface and a second guide member constituting the other guide surface to face each other at a predetermined interval. The first and the first The second guide member has a first side surface located in the vicinity of the opening of the in-cylinder space in a state where the relay unit is assembled to the in-cylinder paper discharge unit, and the second guide member includes At least one of the guide surfaces is provided with a recess in which a part of the guide surface is recessed so as to extend from the first side surface toward the inner space. Item 1).

  According to this configuration, since at least one of the first and second guide members is provided with a recess in which a part of the guide surface is recessed, when a sheet jam occurs in the relay unit, the user can It is possible to take out a jammed sheet from the conveyance path by inserting a finger from the recess. Therefore, the jam handling property of the relay unit can be improved.

  In the above configuration, it is desirable that the concave portion has a length in the back direction to reach a sheet conveyance region that is a region through which the sheet passes when the sheet is conveyed in the relay unit. 2).

  According to this configuration, the user can easily insert his / her finger into the sheet conveyance region through the concave portion, and the jam handling performance can be further improved.

  In the above configuration, the relay unit conveys a sheet in a substantially horizontal direction, and the first guide member is a lower guide member whose guide surface forms a lower guide surface of the sheet conveyance path. Preferably, the second guide member is an upper guide member whose guide surface constitutes an upper guide surface of the sheet conveyance path.

  According to this configuration, the post-processing device is installed on the side wall opposite to the side wall where the sheet discharge port of the apparatus main body is provided, and the sheet is conveyed by the relay unit from the sheet discharge port to the post-processing device. It is possible to adopt a configuration corresponding to the in-body discharge type image forming apparatus.

  In this case, the upper guide member is rotatably attached to the lower guide member on the second side surface opposite to the first side surface until it interferes with the top surface of the internal space. It is desirable that the sheet conveyance path can be opened in the range, and the recess is provided in the lower guide member.

  According to this configuration, when the user applies an expansion force by inserting a finger from the recess, the upper guide member rotates, and the sheet conveyance path is opened as long as it interferes with the top surface of the in-body space. It comes to be. Therefore, the sheet in the jam state can be easily exposed, and the jam processing can be performed more easily.

  Each of the upper guide member and the lower guide member includes a base portion and a plurality of ribs erected from the base portion, and the upper guide surface and the lower guide surface are projecting ends of the ribs. It is formed and the said recessed part can be set as the structure formed by denting a part of the said rib of the said lower guide member, or a part of the said rib and the said base part ( Claim 5).

  According to this structure, the said recessed part can be easily formed only by processing the shape of a rib, or the shape of a rib and a base.

  In the above configuration, the concave portion is provided in the vicinity of a central portion of the first side surface as viewed in the sheet conveying direction, and at least a downstream end portion side of the concave portion in the sheet conveying direction is an upwardly inclined surface. (Claim 6).

  According to this configuration, since the concave portion is provided in the vicinity of the central portion viewed in the sheet conveying direction, it is easy to stably rotate the upper guide member. In addition, since the upwardly inclined portion is provided, the sheet can be hardly caught by the concave portion.

  In the above configuration, the lower guide member includes a plurality of conveyance rollers that convey the sheet, and the conveyance rollers are disposed in a conveyance force application region in the vicinity of the center in the width direction orthogonal to the sheet conveyance direction. It is desirable that the end in the depth direction is set in front of the conveyance force application region (Claim 7).

  According to this configuration, even if the concave portion is provided in the lower guide member, it is possible to prevent the sheet conveying ability from being affected.

  In addition, the lower guide member includes a motor that generates a rotational driving force, and the transport rollers each include a roller shaft and a roller member that rotates integrally with the roller shaft, and the rotational driving force is applied from the motor. A first conveying roller; and a second conveying roller to which the rotational force of the first conveying roller is transmitted via an endless belt, and a roller shaft of the second conveying roller is a rib existing in the conveying force application region The belt can be accommodated between ribs existing in the conveying force application region (claim 8).

  According to this configuration, it is difficult for the user's fingers to reach the roller shaft and the belt of the second transport roller, and it is possible to suppress such a problem that these members are unintentionally damaged.

  The said structure WHEREIN: As for the said recessed part, it is desirable for the cross-sectional area of the recessed part space to expand toward the said 1st side surface from the back | inner side of the said cylinder interior space (Claim 9).

  According to this structure, the accessibility with a user's finger | toe with respect to the said recessed part can be improved.

  A relay unit according to another aspect of the present invention includes a first opening for receiving a sheet, a second opening for feeding out the sheet, and a conveyance for conveying the sheet in a substantially horizontal direction from the first opening to the second opening. A lower guide member that constitutes a lower guide surface of the path; and an upper guide member that constitutes an upper guide surface of the conveyance path and is rotatably attached to the lower guide member. The member has a first side surface and a second side surface facing each other along the sheet conveyance direction, and a part of the lower guide surface extends from the first side surface toward the second side surface. And the upper guide member is rotatably attached to the lower guide member on the second side surface, and when an expansion force is applied from the recess, The sheet conveyance path can be opened. In it, it is characterized by (claim 10).

  According to this configuration, when the user applies a spreading force by inserting a finger from the recess, the upper guide member rotates and the sheet conveyance path is opened. Therefore, the sheet in the jam state can be easily exposed, and the jam processing can be easily performed.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to improve the jam handling performance of a relay unit that is subsequently assembled in the in-body discharge space. Therefore, it is possible to provide an image forming apparatus and a relay unit that are convenient for the user.

1 is a perspective view illustrating an appearance of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. 2 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an internal structure of the image forming apparatus. FIG. It is a perspective view of a relay unit in the state where an upper guide member was closed. It is a perspective view of a relay unit in the state where an upper guide member was opened. It is the VV sectional view taken on the line of FIG. It is a top view of a lower guide member. It is a top view of the lower guide member to which a sheet conveyance area and a conveyance force application area are added. It is a typical side view which shows the modification of a lower guide member.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating an appearance of an image forming apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an internal structure of the image forming apparatus 1. Here, the image forming apparatus 1 is a so-called in-cylinder discharge type copying machine. However, as long as the image forming apparatus 1 has a form of in-cylinder discharge, the image forming apparatus has a printer, a facsimile machine, or these functions. It may be a multifunction machine provided.

  The image forming apparatus 1 includes an apparatus main body 2 having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped housing structure and an in-cylinder space (in-cylinder discharge unit 24), an automatic document feeder 3 disposed on the apparatus main body 2, and an apparatus It includes a post-processing device 4 disposed on a side surface of the main body 2 and a relay unit 5 installed in the internal space. The apparatus main body 2 performs an image forming process on the sheet. The automatic document feeder 3 is attached to the apparatus body 2 in order to provide an automatic document reading function. The post-processing device 4 performs predetermined post-processing on the sheet after image formation. The relay unit 5 conveys the image-formed sheet from the apparatus main body 2 to the post-processing apparatus 4.

  The apparatus main body 2 includes a substantially rectangular parallelepiped lower casing 21, a substantially rectangular parallelepiped upper casing 22 disposed above the lower casing 21, and a connection that connects the lower casing 21 and the upper casing 22. And a housing 23. The lower housing 21 accommodates various devices for image formation, and the upper housing 22 accommodates various devices for optically reading a document image. An in-cylinder space surrounded by the lower casing 21, the upper casing 22, and the connecting casing 23 serves as an in-cylinder discharge unit 24 that can store a sheet after image formation. The connection housing 23 is disposed on the right side 20R side of the apparatus main body 2 and is provided with a discharge port 961 for discharging the sheet to the in-body discharge unit 24.

  The in-cylinder space used as the in-cylinder discharge unit 24 is open to the outside on the front surface 20F and the left side surface 20L of the apparatus main body 2. When the post-processing device 4 and the relay unit 5 are not attached to the apparatus main body 2, the user can insert his / her hand through these open portions and take out the sheet after image formation from the in-body discharge unit 24. It is. A bottom surface 241 of the internal space is defined by an upper surface of the lower housing 21, and a top surface 242 is defined by a lower surface of the upper housing 22. The bottom surface 241 has an inclined surface 241 </ b> S that descends toward the connection housing 23 in order to align the discharged sheets on the rear end side in the conveyance direction.

  An operation unit 221 protrudes from the front surface of the upper housing 22. The operation unit 221 includes an LCD touch panel, a numeric keypad, a start key, and the like, and receives input of various operation instructions from the user. The user can input the number of sheets to be printed and the like and input the print density and the like through the operation unit 221.

  Mounted on the lower housing 21 are three-stage sheet feeding cassettes 211, 212, and 213 that accommodate sheets to be subjected to image forming processing. These paper feed cassettes 211, 212, and 213 can be pulled out from the front surface 20F of the lower housing 21 (apparatus main body 2). In FIG. 2, only the uppermost sheet cassette 211 is shown. The paper feeding cassettes 211, 212, and 213 are cassettes provided for automatic paper feeding, but a paper feeding tray 60 for manual paper feeding is also provided on the right side surface 20R of the apparatus body 2 (FIG. 2). reference). The paper feed tray 60 is attached to the lower housing 21 at its lower end so as to be openable and closable. When the user manually feeds paper, the user opens the paper feed tray 60 and places a sheet thereon.

  The automatic document feeder 3 is attached to the upper surface of the apparatus main body 2 so as to be rotatable on the rear surface 20B side. In FIG. 2, the description of the automatic document feeder 3 is omitted. The automatic document feeder 3 automatically feeds a document sheet to be copied toward a predetermined document reading position (a position where the first contact glass 222 is assembled) in the apparatus body 2. On the other hand, when the user manually places the document sheet on a predetermined document reading position (position where the second contact glass 223 is disposed), the automatic document feeder 3 is opened upward.

  The post-processing device 4 is an optional unit that is added later to the apparatus main body 2, and is a device that performs post-processing such as punching processing and stapling processing on the sheet after image formation and then ejects the sheet. The post-processing device 4 is attached to the left side surface 20L of the apparatus main body 2 at a position facing the left open portion of the in-body discharge unit 24 via an attachment plate 43. The post-processing apparatus 4 includes a receiving port 401 (FIG. 2) that receives a sheet that faces the in-body discharge unit 24, a main body 41 that includes a mechanism unit for post-processing, and discharge that discharges the processed sheet. A tray 42. Of course, the sheets that have been post-processed by the main body 41 are discharged to the discharge tray 42, but sheets that simply pass through the main body 41 are also discharged without being post-processed. The

  Next, the internal structure of the apparatus main body 2 will be described. In the lower casing 21, toner containers 99Y, 99M, 99C, and 99K, an intermediate transfer unit 92, an image forming unit 93, an exposure unit 94, and the above-described paper feed cassette 211 are accommodated in this order from the top.

  The image forming unit 93 includes four image forming units 10Y and 10M that form yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C), and black (K) toner images in order to form a full-color toner image. 10C, 10K. Each of the image forming units 10Y, 10M, 10C, and 10K includes a photosensitive drum 11, and a charger 12, a developing device 13, a primary transfer roller 14, and a cleaning device 15 that are arranged around the photosensitive drum 11. .

  The photosensitive drum 11 rotates about its axis, and an electrostatic latent image and a toner image are formed on its peripheral surface. As the photoreceptor drum 11, a photoreceptor drum using an amorphous silicon (a-Si) material can be used. The charger 12 uniformly charges the surface of the photosensitive drum 11. The peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum 11 after charging is exposed by the exposure unit 94 to form an electrostatic latent image.

  The developing device 13 supplies toner to the peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum 11 in order to develop the electrostatic latent image formed on the photosensitive drum 11. The developing device 13 is for a two-component developer, and includes stirring rollers 16 and 17, a magnetic roller 18, and a developing roller 19. The stirring rollers 16 and 17 charge the toner by circulating and conveying the two-component developer while stirring. A two-component developer layer is carried on the peripheral surface of the magnetic roller 18, and toner formed by transferring toner to the peripheral surface of the developing roller 19 due to a potential difference between the magnetic roller 18 and the developing roller 19. The layer is supported. The toner on the developing roller 19 is supplied to the peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum 11 and the electrostatic latent image is developed.

  The primary transfer roller 14 forms a nip portion with the photosensitive drum 11 across the intermediate transfer belt 921 provided in the intermediate transfer unit 92, and the toner image on the photosensitive drum 11 is primary transferred onto the intermediate transfer belt 921. To do. The cleaning device 15 cleans the peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum 11 after the toner image is transferred.

  The yellow toner container 99Y, the magenta toner container 99M, the cyan toner container 99C, and the black toner container 99K store toner of each color, and image forming units 10Y, 10M, and 10C corresponding to the respective colors of YMCK. Each color toner is supplied to the 10K developing device 13 through a supply path (not shown).

  The exposure unit 94 includes various optical system devices such as a light source, a polygon mirror, a reflection mirror, and a deflection mirror, and is provided on the peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum 11 provided in each of the image forming units 10Y, 10M, 10C, and 10K. The electrostatic latent image is formed by irradiating light based on the image data of the document image.

  The intermediate transfer unit 92 includes an intermediate transfer belt 921, a driving roller 922, and a driven roller 923. On the intermediate transfer belt 921, toner images are overcoated from the plurality of photosensitive drums 11 (primary transfer). The overcoated toner image is secondarily transferred by the secondary transfer unit 98 onto a sheet supplied from the paper feed cassette 211 or the paper feed tray 60. A driving roller 922 and a driven roller 923 that rotate the intermediate transfer belt 921 are rotatably supported by the lower housing 21.

  The paper feed cassette 211 stores a sheet bundle in which a plurality of sheets are stacked. A pickup roller 25 is disposed on the upper right side of the paper feed cassette 211. By driving the pickup roller 25, the uppermost sheet of the sheet bundle in the sheet feeding cassette 211 is fed out one by one and carried into the carry-in conveyance path 26. A continuous conveyance path 261 extending from below joins the carry-in conveyance path 26, and sheets carried out from the lower sheet feeding cassettes 212 and 213 (see FIG. 1) are conveyed through the continuous conveyance path 261. It is carried into the conveyance path 26. On the other hand, the sheet placed on the paper feed tray 60 is carried into the carry-in conveyance path 26 by driving the paper feed roller 61.

  On the downstream side of the carry-in conveyance path 26, a sheet conveyance path 62 that extends to the discharge port 961 through the secondary transfer unit 98, a fixing unit 97 and a paper discharge unit 96 described later is provided. The upstream portion of the sheet conveyance path 62 is formed between an inner wall 621 formed in the lower housing 21 and an inner wall 622 that forms the inner surface of the reverse conveyance unit 63. A registration roller pair 27 is disposed on the upstream side of the sheet transfer path 62 from the secondary transfer unit 98. After the sheet is temporarily stopped by the registration roller pair 27 and skew correction is performed, the sheet is sent to the secondary transfer unit 98 at a predetermined timing for image transfer.

  A fixing unit 97 and a paper discharge unit 96 are accommodated in the connection housing 23. The fixing unit 97 includes a fixing roller and a pressure roller, and performs a fixing process by heating and pressing the sheet on which the toner image is secondarily transferred in the secondary transfer unit 98. The sheet with the color image that has been subjected to the fixing process is discharged from the discharge port 961 toward the in-body discharge unit 24 by the discharge unit 96 disposed downstream of the fixing unit 97.

  A first contact glass 222 and a second contact glass 223 are fitted on the upper surface of the upper housing 22. The first contact glass 222 is provided for reading a document sheet automatically fed from the automatic document feeder 3, and the second contact glass 223 is provided for reading a manually placed document sheet. Inside the upper housing 22, a scanning mechanism 224 and an image sensor 225 for optically reading document information are accommodated. The scanning mechanism 224 includes a light source, a moving carriage, a reflection mirror, and the like, and guides reflected light from the document to the image sensor 225. The image sensor 225 photoelectrically converts the reflected light into an analog electrical signal. The analog electric signal is converted into a digital electric signal by an A / D conversion circuit (not shown) and then input to the exposure unit 94.

  When the post-processing apparatus 4 is attached to the left side surface 20L of the apparatus main body 2 afterwards, the relay unit 5 extends from the discharge port 961 for discharging the sheet from the apparatus main body 2 to the sheet receiving port 401 of the post-processing apparatus 4. In order to transport the sheet in the horizontal direction across the in-cylinder space (in-cylinder sheet discharge unit 24), the sheet is assembled in the in-cylinder sheet discharge unit 24. The relay unit 5 includes two guide members stacked in the vertical direction, that is, a lower guide member 51 (first guide member) and an upper guide member 52 (second guide member). A relay conveyance path 50 (sheet conveyance path) extending in the direction is formed.

  The lower guide member 51 includes a lower guide surface 51G (one guide surface) for guiding the conveyed sheet, and the upper guide member 52 includes a similar upper guide surface 52G (the other guide surface). The relay conveyance path 50 is formed by arranging a lower guide surface 51G and an upper guide surface 52G to face each other at a predetermined interval. On the right end side (upstream end side) of the relay conveyance path 50, a carry-in port 501 (first opening) for receiving a sheet from the discharge port 961, and on the left end side (downstream end side) of the relay conveyance path 50, Are carried out to the receiving port 401 of the post-processing device 4.

  3 and 4 are perspective views of the relay unit 5. FIG. 4 shows a state in which the upper guide member 52 is closed, and FIG. 4 shows a state in which the upper guide member 52 is opened. The width of the relay unit 5 in the left-right direction and the width in the front-rear direction are substantially equal to those of the in-body discharge unit 24. The bottom surface 51 </ b> B of the lower guide member 51 is formed with an inclined portion that follows the inclined shape of the inclined portion 241 </ b> S of the in-body sheet discharge portion 24. The relay unit 5 is assembled into the in-body discharge unit 24 and then fixed to the apparatus main body 2 with a screw (not shown). Therefore, after the post-processing device 4 and the relay unit 5 are installed, the sheet after image formation passes through the relay unit 5 regardless of whether or not post-processing is performed on the sheet.

  The relay unit 5 includes a first side surface 5F (front side surface) and a second side surface 5B (rear side surface) that are parallel to each other in the sheet conveyance direction and face each other. In a state where the relay unit 5 is assembled to the in-body sheet discharge unit 24, the first side surface 5 </ b> F is positioned near the opening on the front surface 20 </ b> F side of the apparatus main body 2 in the in-body sheet discharge unit 24. On the other hand, the second side surface 5B is located at the back of the in-body paper discharge unit 24, that is, on the rear surface 20B side of the apparatus main body 2.

  The lower guide member 51 and the upper guide member 52 are hinge-coupled on the second side surface 5B side. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 4, the upper guide member 52 is rotatable with respect to the lower guide member 51 with the rear end portion as a rotation fulcrum. When the first side surface 5F side of the upper guide member 52 is lifted upward, the relay conveyance path 50 is opened to the outside. However, in a state where the relay unit 5 is assembled to the in-body discharge unit 24, when the upper guide member 52 is expanded to some extent upward, the upper surface of the upper guide member 52 interferes with the top surface 242 of the in-body space. For this reason, the upper guide member 52 is allowed to expand upward at an angle in a range until it interferes with the top surface 242, and the relay conveyance path 50 is opened to the outside within the limit.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the lower guide member 51 includes a flat plate-like base portion 510 and a plurality of ribs 511 standing upward from the base portion 510. Similarly, the upper guide member 52 includes a flat base portion 520 and a plurality of ribs 521 standing downward from the base portion 520. The lower guide surface 51G and the upper guide surface 52G shown in FIG. 2 are formed by protruding ends of ribs 511 and 521, respectively.

  In the relay unit 5 configured as described above, in the present embodiment, a concave portion 53 is provided, in which a part of the lower guide surface 51G of the lower guide member 51 is recessed downward. The recessed portion 53 has an end edge portion on the first side surface 5F, and extends in the direction of the second side surface 5B (backward direction of the in-body space). The concave portion 53 is provided in the vicinity of the central portion of the first side surface 5F as viewed in the sheet conveying direction, and is a hollow having a gentle arc shape. The width in the left-right direction and the vertical width of the deepest portion are determined by the upper guide. The member 52 has a size that allows the user to insert his / her finger when the member 52 is closed.

  By providing the relay unit 5 with the recess 53, it is possible to improve the jam handling performance when sheet jam occurs in the relay unit 5. As described above, the angle at which the upper guide member 52 can be opened is limited. When a sheet jam occurs in the relay conveyance path 50, the jammed sheet can be removed even if the upper guide member 52 is opened. It is difficult to remove from However, by providing the recess 53 in the lower guide member 51, a space for the user to insert a finger toward the relay conveyance path 50 is ensured. In actual jam processing, the user inserts his / her finger from the concave portion 53 to apply an expanding force to the upper guide member 52, and removes the jammed sheet while opening the relay conveyance path 50.

  The concave portion 53 includes an arc concave surface 531 in which a part of the base portion 510 is recessed in an arc shape, and a left-side rib that is adjacent to the downstream and upstream of the arc concave surface 531 in the transport direction and close to the first side surface 5F. 512L and the notch part of the right side rib 512R are formed. The cutout portions of the ribs 512L and 512R are arcuate cutouts along the arcuate curve of the arcuate concave surface 531. The heights of the notched portions of the left rib 512L and the right rib 512R are the same as the height of the central rib standing near the central portion of the lower guide member 51. As described above, since the concave portion 53 is formed in an arc-shaped gentle curved surface along the sheet conveyance direction, the downstream end portion in the sheet conveyance direction has an upwardly inclined shape. It is possible to make it difficult for the sheet to be caught in the concave portion 53.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the arc concave surface 531 is inclined downward from the back side toward the first side surface 5F (front surface). That is, the cross-sectional area of the recess 53 is set to be the largest on the first side surface 5F. This makes it easy for the user to insert a finger. Of course, it is good also as the circular arc concave surface 531 which does not have such an inclination part.

  The recess 53 has a length extending from the first side surface 5F to the inner side of the sheet conveyance region 50A that is a region through which the sheet passes when the sheet is conveyed in the relay unit 5 in the direction of the second side surface 5B. I have. FIG. 6 is a top view of the lower guide member 51, and FIG. 7 is a lower guide member in which a sheet conveyance area 50A and a conveyance force application area 50B that applies a conveyance force to the sheet conveyed by the relay unit 5 are added. FIG.

  A sheet conveyance area 50 </ b> A illustrated in FIG. 7 indicates an area through which a maximum size sheet (for example, an A3 size sheet) among sheets conveyed by the relay unit 5 passes. The sheet carried in from the carry-in port 501 is conveyed from the right side to the left side near the center in the range of the sheet conveyance region 50A, and is carried out from the carry-out port 502.

  The conveyance force application region 50B is disposed near the center in the front-rear direction of the relay unit 5, and the three conveyance rollers of the first, second, and third sheet conveyance rollers 55A, 55B, and 55C are arranged at equal intervals on the left and right sides. Arranged in the direction. The conveying rollers 55A, 55B, and 55C are given a rotational force from the motor 54 mounted on the lower guide member 51, and convey the sheet by the rotational force. The upper guide member 52 is provided with a driven roller (not shown) that forms a transport nip with the transport rollers 55A, 55B, and 55C at positions facing the transport rollers 55A, 55B, and 55C, respectively.

  The concave portion 53 enters the sheet conveyance region 50A as described above with the first side surface 5F as an opening edge, and the end portion 53B in the depth direction is set in front of the conveyance force application region 50B. The rib 513 on the back (rear) side from the end 53B is a normal rib in which a recessed portion is not formed. The same applies to the base unit 510.

  Since the concave portion 53 has such a length in the depth direction, the user can easily insert his / her finger through the concave portion 53 to the sheet conveying area 50A, and the jam handling property is further improved. Can be. In addition, even when a jam occurs on a minimum size sheet (for example, a postcard size sheet) among the sheets conveyed by the relay unit 5, the end portion 53B of the recess 53 is set in front of the conveyance force application region 50B. Therefore, the user can easily perform jam processing through the recess 53.

  Here, the sheet conveyance mechanism of the relay unit 5 will be described mainly with reference to FIG. The motor 54 that is a drive source is attached to the first guide side surface 5F of the lower guide member 51 and upstream of the recess 53 in the transport direction. The drive control of the motor 54 is performed by a control unit (not shown) provided in the apparatus main body 2. One end of the first roller shaft 541 of the first sheet transport roller 55A (first transport roller) is directly connected to the output shaft of the motor 54, and the other end of the first roller shaft 541 is the rearmost part of the transport force application region 50B. Is supported by a bearing 561 assembled to the rib 513B. Two roller members 551 that rotate integrally with the roller shaft 541 are fixed to the first roller shaft 541.

  The second roller shaft 543 of the second sheet conveyance roller 55B (one of the second conveyance rollers) is disposed at a substantially central position in the left-right direction of the lower guide member 51, and both ends thereof are assembled to the ribs 513A and 513B, respectively. It is supported by bearings 563 and 562. Two roller members 552 that rotate integrally with the roller shaft 543 are fixed to the second roller shaft 543. A rotational driving force is transmitted from the first roller shaft 541 to the second roller shaft 543 via the first endless belt 542. The first endless belt 542 is bridged between the bearings 561 and 562.

  The third roller shaft 545 of the third sheet conveyance roller 55C (one of the second conveyance rollers) is disposed on the left side of the lower guide member 51, and both ends thereof are supported by bearings 564 and 565 respectively assembled to the ribs 513A and 513B. It is pivotally supported. Two roller members 553 that rotate integrally with the roller shaft 545 are fixed to the third roller shaft 545, and a one-way clutch 566 is assembled. A rotational driving force is transmitted from the second roller shaft 543 to the third roller shaft 545 via the second endless belt 544. The second endless belt 544 is bridged between the bearings 563 and 564.

  When a large rotational load is applied to the third sheet conveying roller 55C of the third roller shaft 545, for example, the one-way clutch 566 applies a strong pulling force to the sheet while the third sheet conveying roller 55C nips the sheet. In such a case, the third sheet conveying roller 55C is provided so that it can idle. Accordingly, when the sheet is pulled from the relay unit 5 to the post-processing device 4 at a high speed, the third sheet conveying roller 55C can be separated from the driving system and idled, so that the conveying load can be reduced.

  A sheet detection sensor 57 is disposed adjacent to each of the first, second, and third sheet conveying rollers 55A, 55B, and 55C. The sheet detection sensor 57 is a photo interrupter and detects sheet jamming in the relay unit 5.

  Here, the drive systems of the first, second, and third sheet conveying rollers 55A, 55B, and 55C are installed so as to be accommodated between the ribs 513, 513A, and 513B while avoiding the formation position of the recess 53. ing. Referring to FIG. 5, for example, the second endless belt 544 is accommodated between a rib 513 that defines the end portion 53 </ b> B of the recess 53 and a rib 513 </ b> A that supports the bearing 563 one depth behind the rib 513. . Thereby, even if the concave portion 53 where the user intends to insert a finger is provided in the lower guide member 51, the finger is a roller and its drive system (particularly, the second endless belt 544, the roller member 552, and the second roller shaft 543). Can be prevented, and unintended damage can be prevented from being given to them.

  According to the image forming apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment described above, since the recess 53 is provided in the lower guide member 51, the jam handling property of the relay unit 5 can be improved. Therefore, even if the relay unit 5 is assembled afterwards in the narrow in-body sheet discharge unit 24, the image forming apparatus 1 that is user-friendly can be obtained.

  The present invention is not limited to the configuration of the image forming apparatus 1 (relay unit 5) described above. For example, the following modified embodiment can be taken.

  (1) In the above embodiment, the example in which the concave portion 53 is provided in the lower guide member 51 has been described. Instead of this, a recess similar to the recess 53 of the above embodiment may be provided on the first side surface 5F side of the upper guide member 52. Or you may make it provide a recessed part in both the lower guide member 51 and the upper guide member 52. FIG.

  (2) In the said embodiment, the recessed part 53 of the aspect dented ranging over the base part 510 from the rib 511 of the lower guide member 51 was illustrated. Instead of this, a concave portion in which only the rib 511 is recessed may be used.

  (3) In the said embodiment, the recessed part 53 of the aspect dented in circular arc shape was illustrated. There is no restriction | limiting in particular in the shape of the recessed part 53, What is necessary is just a shape which a user can insert a finger from the 1st side surface 5F side of the relay unit 5. FIG. However, it is desirable that the concave portion 53 is a concave portion in which the sheet is not easily caught. For this reason, it is desirable that at least the downstream end portion of the concave portion 53 in the sheet conveyance direction has an upwardly inclined shape.

  FIGS. 8A and 8B are views schematically showing recesses 53A and 53B according to another embodiment. A recess 53A of the lower guide member 51A shown in FIG. 8A is a recess in which inclined portions T1 and T2 are provided on the downstream side and the upstream side in the sheet conveying direction and the bottom surface portion is a flat concave surface 531A. A recess 53B of the lower guide member 51B shown in FIG. 8B is a recess having a concave surface 531B having an arcuate inclined portion T3 on the downstream side in the sheet conveyance direction and a vertical surface T4 on the upstream side in the sheet conveyance direction. In any of the concave portions 53A and 53B, the downstream end portion in the sheet conveying direction has an upwardly inclined shape, and the sheet is difficult to be caught by the concave portion.

  (4) In the above embodiment, the upper guide member 52 is rotatably attached to the lower guide member 51, and the upper guide member 52 is opened upward. If the size of the recess 53 can be increased and the fingers can be inserted sufficiently, the upper guide member 52 may not be opened upward.

  (5) In the above-described embodiment, an example in which the relay unit 5 transports the sheet in the horizontal direction across the in-body sheet discharge unit 24 has been described. The sheet conveyance path by the relay unit 5 does not necessarily have to be horizontal, and may be an upward or downward inclined conveyance path or a curved conveyance path.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Image forming apparatus 2 Apparatus main body 24 In-body discharge part 3 Automatic document feeding apparatus 4 Post-processing apparatus 401 Sheet receiving port 5 Relay unit 5F 1st side surface 5B 2nd side surface 50 Relay conveyance path 501 Loading port (1st opening)
502 Unloading port (second opening)
50A Sheet conveyance area 50B Conveying force application area 51 Lower guide member (first guide member)
51G Lower guide surface 510 Base 511, 512, 513 Rib 52 Upper guide member (second guide member)
52G Upper guide surface 53 Recess 961 Discharge port

Claims (10)

An apparatus main body for performing image forming processing on a sheet;
An in-cylinder discharge unit that is formed in the apparatus main body as an in-cylinder space having an opening that is open to the outside, and that can accommodate a sheet after image forming processing;
A discharge port provided in the apparatus main body toward the in-cylinder space, for discharging the sheet to the in-cylinder discharge unit;
A post-processing apparatus that is retrofitted to the apparatus main body, has a sheet receiving port, and performs predetermined post-processing on the received sheet;
A relay unit that is assembled to the in-body sheet discharge unit and conveys a sheet from the discharge port to the receiving port;
The relay unit is
A first guide member that constitutes one guide surface and a second guide member that constitutes the other guide surface are opposed to each other at a predetermined interval to form a sheet conveyance path,
The first and second guide members have a first side surface located near the opening of the in-cylinder space in a state where the relay unit is assembled to the in-cylinder discharge unit,
At least one of the first and second guide members is provided with a recess in which a part of the guide surface is recessed so as to extend from the first side surface toward the inner space. An image forming apparatus. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1.
The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the concave portion has a length that enters a sheet conveyance region, which is a region through which the sheet passes when the sheet is conveyed in the relay unit, in the depth direction. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein
The relay unit conveys a sheet in a substantially horizontal direction,
The first guide member is a lower guide member whose guide surface constitutes a lower guide surface of the sheet conveyance path,
The image forming apparatus, wherein the second guide member is an upper guide member whose guide surface constitutes an upper guide surface of the sheet conveyance path. The image forming apparatus according to claim 3.
The upper guide member is rotatably attached to the lower guide member on the second side surface opposite to the first side surface, and in the range until it interferes with the top surface of the internal space. It is possible to open the sheet conveyance path,
The image forming apparatus, wherein the recess is provided in the lower guide member. The image forming apparatus according to claim 4.
Each of the upper guide member and the lower guide member has a base portion and a plurality of ribs erected from the base portion, and the upper guide surface and the lower guide surface are formed by protruding ends of the ribs. And
The image forming apparatus, wherein the recess is formed by recessing a part of the rib of the lower guide member or a part of the rib and the base part. The image forming apparatus according to claim 4 or 5,
The concave portion is provided in the vicinity of a central portion of the first side surface as viewed in the sheet conveyance direction,
The image forming apparatus, wherein at least a downstream end portion side of the concave portion in the sheet conveying direction is an upwardly inclined surface. The image forming apparatus according to claim 5.
The lower guide member includes a plurality of conveyance rollers for conveying the sheet,
The transport roller is disposed in a transport force application region near the center in the width direction orthogonal to the sheet transport direction,
The image forming apparatus, wherein an end of the recess in the back direction is set in front of the conveyance force application region. The image forming apparatus according to claim 6.
The lower guide member includes a motor that generates a rotational driving force,
Each of the conveying rollers includes a roller shaft and a roller member that rotates integrally with the roller shaft, and a first conveying roller to which a rotational driving force is applied from the motor, and the rotational force of the first conveying roller is applied to the endless belt. A second conveying roller that is transmitted through,
The roller shaft of the second transport roller is pivotally supported by a rib present in the transport force application region,
The image forming apparatus, wherein the belt is accommodated between ribs existing in the conveyance force application region. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1,
The image forming apparatus, wherein a cross-sectional area of the concave portion is expanded from a back side of the in-cylinder space toward the first side surface. A first opening for receiving a sheet;
A second opening for delivering the sheet;
A lower guide member constituting a lower guide surface of a conveyance path for conveying a sheet in a substantially horizontal direction from the first opening to the second opening;
An upper guide member that constitutes an upper guide surface of the transport path, and is rotatably attached to the lower guide member;
The lower guide member has a first side surface and a second side surface facing each other along a sheet conveying direction, and extends from the first side surface toward the second side surface. With a recess that is partially recessed
The upper guide member is rotatably attached to the lower guide member on the second side surface side, and can open the sheet conveyance path when an expansion force is applied from the recess. Is a relay unit.

Images