Image forming apparatus

Abstract

The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus including a first housing including a transfer unit, a second housing including a fixing unit, and a third housing disposed between the first housing and the second housing and including an intermediate feeding member. The first housing includes a first discharge port discharging a recording material having a toner image. The second housing includes a first receiving port receiving the recording material having the toner image. A height from a mounting surface of the image forming apparatus to the first receiving port in a vertical direction is different from a height from the mounting surface to the first discharge port. The intermediate feeding member of the third housing is disposed inclined in the vertical direction from a second receiving port receiving the recording material from the first discharge port to a second discharge port delivering the recording material to the first receiving port.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to an image forming apparatus, such as a copier, a printer, a facsimile, and a multifunction printer having the above-mentioned functions, which includes a plurality of electrical components. BACKGROUND

[0002] Conventionally, in a large image forming apparatus, in view of easiness of transportation and maintainability during installation, the existing image forming apparatus is configured so that the image forming apparatus is divided into independent units for each image forming process and provided in independent housings, and the housings are connected. For example, the image forming apparatus is independently configured by a first housing provided with a developing unit that forms a toner image on an image bearing member and a transfer unit that transfers the toner image on the image bearing member to a recording material, and a second housing provided with a fixing unit that fixes an unfixed toner image on the recording material. And it is known that a single image forming apparatus is formed by installing the first housing and the second housing at a position where the first housing and the second housing are connected to each other and installed (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (JP-A) No. 2011-107221). By separating the housings of the image forming apparatus for each image forming process in this way, it is possible to significantly improve the difficulty of transporting and carrying the image forming apparatus into an elevator due to its large weight and size when installing and carrying the image forming apparatus.

[0003] For this type of image forming apparatus, there are a variety of models of apparatuses such that different types of units are provided based on the model, for example, in accordance with required specifications such as printing speed and type of recording material that can be printed. For example, it is assumed that a second housing of a second image forming apparatus different from a first image forming apparatus is provided with a fixing device that applies more heat to a recording material than the fixing device of the first image forming apparatus. In this case, the second image forming apparatus can fix a toner image on a recording material of large basis weight that cannot be printed with the first image forming apparatus due to insufficient heat. In recent years, there is a demand for being able to selectively connect the housings in image forming apparatuses that differ in accordance with required specifications and to correspond to products of a variety of types produced in small quantities.

[0004] However, in the image forming apparatus described in JP-A 2011-107221, for example, the height at which the recording material is fed between the first housing and the second housing can differ between the first image forming apparatus and the second image forming apparatus. In this case, the height of the recording material discharged from the first housing of the first image forming apparatus and the height of the recording material received by the second housing of the second image forming apparatus are offset in the vertical direction, so they cannot be connected as they are.

[0005] An object of the present application is to provide an image forming apparatus capable of feeding a recording material by connecting two housings in an image forming apparatus including the two housings whose heights of feeding the recording material are different. SUMMARY

[0006] The image forming apparatus of the present application is an image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording material, the image forming apparatus including: a first housing including a transfer unit configured to transfer a toner image formed on an image bearing member to the recording material, and a first discharge port configured to discharge the recording material on which the toner image is formed by the transfer unit from the first housing; a second housing including a first receiving port configured to receive the recording material on which the toner image is formed by the transfer unit, and a fixing unit configured to fix the toner image to the recording material, a height from a mounting surface on which the image forming apparatus is mounted in a vertical direction to the first receiving port being different from a height from the mounting surface to the first discharge port in the vertical direction; and a third housing provided between the first housing and the second housing, and including a second receiving port configured to receive the recording material discharged from the first discharge port, a second discharge port configured to discharge the recording material from the third housing and to convey the recording material received from the second receiving port to the first receiving port, and an intermediate feeding member provided inclined in the vertical direction from the second receiving port to the second discharge port.

[0007] Further features of the present application will become apparent from the following description of exemplary embodiments with reference to the drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0008] Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic configuration of an image forming apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present application.

[0009] Figure 2 is a perspective view of the third housing according to the first embodiment when the outer cover is mounted.

[0010] Figure 3 is a front view of the third housing according to the first embodiment when the outer cover is mounted.

[0011] Figure 4 is a perspective view of the third housing according to the first embodiment when the outer cover is dismounted.

[0012] Figure 5 Parts (a) and (b) of FIG. 8 are views showing the third housing according to the first embodiment when the outer cover is dismounted.Figure 5 Part (a) is the front view and Figure 5 Part (b) is the right-side view.

[0013] Figure 6 Part (a) is a left-side view of the first housing when the outer cover is removed in the image forming apparatus according to the first embodiment, and Figure 6 Part (b) is a right-side view of the second housing when the outer cover is removed.

[0014] Figure 7 This is a cross-sectional view showing the caster according to the first embodiment.

[0015] Figure 8 This is a front view of the frame of the image forming apparatus according to the first embodiment.

[0016] Figure 9 This is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic configuration of the image forming apparatus according to the first embodiment.

[0017] Figure 10 It is a cross-sectional view of the first housing of the first image forming apparatus and the second housing of the second image forming apparatus arranged side by side.

[0018] Figure 11 This is a front view showing the cooling device according to the first embodiment.

[0019] Figure 12 This is a left-side view showing the third housing of the image forming apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

[0020] Figure 13 Parts (a) and (b) are left-side views showing the third housing according to the second embodiment. Figure 13 Part (a) is a view showing the area surrounding the first connecting part and Figure 13 Part (b) is a view showing the area around the second connecting part. Detailed Implementation

[0021] <First Embodiment>

[0022] Below, we will refer to Figures 1 to 11 The first embodiment of the present invention is described in detail. In this embodiment, a tandem full-color printer is described as an example of an image forming apparatus 1. However, the present invention is not limited to the tandem image forming apparatus 1, but may also be other types of image forming apparatuses. Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to a full-color image forming apparatus, but may also be a monochrome image forming apparatus or a single-color image forming apparatus. In addition, in the following description, the front view of the image forming apparatus 1 will be used (…). Figure 1The positional relationships of the image forming apparatus 1 in the vertical and horizontal directions, as well as the front and rear directions, are described from the perspective of the image forming apparatus 1. In the embodiment, the above positional relationships are referred to as upper U, lower D, left L, right R, front F, and rear B.

[0023] [Image forming apparatus]

[0024] First of all, Figure 9 In the first image forming apparatus 100 with the general configuration shown, the process from image formation to ejection of the sheet S (including its image forming process) will be described. The image forming process described in the embodiments is an example of an electrophotographic method and includes an exposure process, a development process, a transfer process, and a fixing process. Incidentally, the sheet S can be various types of sheet materials, including paper (e.g., plain paper, cardboard, rough paper, embossed paper, coated paper, glossy paper, and photographic paper), plastic film, cloth, etc.

[0025] Figure 9 This is a cross-sectional view of the structure of the image forming apparatus 100. For example... Figure 9 As shown, the image forming apparatus 100 is provided with a first housing 10 and a second housing 20. The first housing 10 and the second housing 20 are suitably arranged and provided with feed sections that transport sheets S to each other and are configured to be separate from each other.

[0026] The first housing 10 and the second housing 20 store the various mechanisms constituting the engine section, as well as a control panel (not shown) housing an engine control section and a printer controller, the engine control section controlling the various image forming process processes performed by the various mechanisms. For each mechanism constituting the engine section, an electrostatic latent image forming mechanism is provided, which forms an electrostatic latent image on a photosensitive drum 105 by laser scanning and performs an exposure process; and a developing mechanism is provided, which develops the electrostatic latent image into a toner image and performs a developing process. Furthermore, a transfer processing mechanism and a fixing processing mechanism are provided. The transfer processing mechanism performs a transfer process that multiple times transfers the toner image to an intermediate transfer member 106 and further transfers the multiple-transfer color image to a sheet S; the fixing processing mechanism performs a fixing process that fixes the transferred toner image onto the sheet S. Additionally, a feeding processing mechanism for the sheet S is provided. Here, the electrostatic latent image forming mechanism, the developing mechanism, and the transfer processing mechanism are installed in the first housing 10, while the fixing processing mechanism is installed in the second housing 20. The feeding processing mechanism is installed in both the first housing 10 and the second housing 20.

[0027] [Exposure Process]

[0028] The laser scanner section 107 as an electrostatic latent image forming mechanism includes a laser driver that turns on and off a laser emitted from a semiconductor laser not shown in accordance with image data supplied from a printer controller not shown. The laser emitted from the semiconductor laser is reflected in a scanning direction by a rotatable polygon mirror. Here, the laser reflected in the main scanning direction is guided to the photosensitive drum 105 via a mirror not shown, and the photosensitive drum 105 is exposed in the main scanning direction.

[0029] [Developing Process]

[0030] On the other hand, the electrostatic latent image charged by the primary charging device 111 and formed on the photosensitive drum 105 by exposure with a laser scanner is developed into a toner image by toner supplied from the developing device 112 as a developing mechanism. And the developed toner image on the photosensitive drum 105 is transferred (primary transfer) to the intermediate transfer member 106 to which a voltage of an opposite polarity to the toner image is applied. During formation of a color image, various colors are sequentially transferred to the intermediate transfer member 10 from the Y (yellow) station PY, the M (magenta) station PM, the C (cyan) station PC, and the K (black) station PK. As a result, a full-color toner image is formed on the intermediate transfer member 106. Incidentally, the photosensitive drum 105 and the developing device 112 are detachable.

[0031] [Transfer Process]

[0032] Next, the sheet S supplied from the cassette 113 of sheets S is fed. The transfer unit 108 as a transfer processing mechanism includes the intermediate transfer member 106 as an example of an image bearing member, a transfer roller 114, and the like. The transfer roller 114 presses the sheet S against the intermediate transfer member 106. At the same time, by applying a bias voltage of an opposite polarity to the toner to the transfer roller 114, the toner image formed on the intermediate transfer member 106 is transferred to the sheet S fed in the sub-scanning direction by the feeding mechanism (secondary transfer).

[0033] The sheet S on which the toner image is transferred is fed to the fixing processing mechanism by the sheet feeding section 51 as a feeding processing mechanism. The sheet feeding section 51 includes a drive roller 45, a driven roller 41, and a belt 46 stretched over these rollers. The belt 46 is a suction belt that sucks air from the back surface, and the sheet S on which the unfixed toner image is transferred is sucked to the belt 46 and fed.

[0034] The first housing 10 includes a frame 11 that supports the latent image forming mechanism, the developing mechanism, the transfer processing mechanism, and the feeding processing mechanism as described above. The first housing 10 includes the frame 11 that serves as its skeleton, a cassette 113 that accommodates the sheet S, the image reading device 90, the device operation panel 80, and an outer cover that is not shown, and the like. Incidentally, the first housing 10 includes the inversion feeding passage 55 as a second inversion feeding passage that feeds the sheet S received from the second housing 20 toward the transfer unit 108.

[0035] [Fixing Process]

[0036] The fixing processing mechanism includes a fixing device 150 that fixes the toner image transferred to the sheet S by heat pressure. The fixing device 150 includes a fixing roller 151 that applies heat to the sheet S and a pressure roller 152 that presses the sheet S against the fixing roller 151, and is configured to feed the sheet S at the same time when they are rotationally driven.

[0037] In a case where the image formation is completed on only one side of the sheet S, the sheet S is fed from the feeding passage 130 to the discharge path 131, and then stacked on the tray 140. On the other hand, in a case where the image formation is to be completed on the back side of the sheet S, the sheet S is guided by the switching device 132 to the feeding passage 135, and after the inversion sensor detects the position of the sheet S, the leading edge of the sheet S is switched by turning in the inversion passage 136. The transfer material whose leading edge is switched passes through the inversion path 138, is fed again to the transfer roller 114, and the toner image is transferred to the back side, and then after the above-described image formation process, it passes through the discharge path 131 and is stacked on the tray 140. In the embodiment, the inversion portion 53 is constituted by the feeding passage 135, the inversion passage 136, and the inversion path 138. That is, the second housing 20 includes the inversion portion 53 as an example of a first inversion feeding passage that feeds the inverted sheet S toward the first housing 10 side in order to perform transfer to the second surface of the sheet S on which the toner image is fixed to the first surface.

[0038] [Re-arrangement of Second Housing]

[0039] Here, by using Figure 10 The second housing 20 can change the product specifications when selectively changing and re-arranging the second housing will be described. For example, a second housing 120 of a second image forming apparatus different from the image forming apparatus 100 is provided with a fixing device 250 as an example of a fixing unit and a cooling device 260 as an example of a cooling unit. Incidentally, the second housing 120 is similar to the second housing 20 of the first image forming apparatus 100 except for the fixing device 250 and the cooling device 260, so the same reference numerals are used and detailed description will be omitted.

[0040] The fixing device 250 of the second housing 120 includes a fixing roller 251 and a fixing belt 252, which are examples of a pair of rotating members forming a fixing nip portion 254, and can shorten the time required for the fixing temperature to reach a target temperature. The fixing roller 251 and the fixing belt 252 form the fixing nip portion 254. The fixing device 250 includes a guide portion 253 that guides the lower surface of the sheet S fed from the first housing 10 to the fixing nip portion 254. Incidentally, detailed description of the fixing device 250 is omitted because it can be applied in the same manner as the existing fixing device.

[0041] Further, the second housing 120 includes a cooling device 260 downstream of the fixing device 250, which cools the sheet S after fixing. Thus, by connecting the second housing 120 to the above-described first housing 10, the user can shorten the copying time, and also can prevent the sheets S from adhering to each other when stacked after fixing due to heat.

[0042] For the cooling device 260, for example, as shown in Figure 11 , a recording material cooling device of a belt cooling type is installed. The cooling device 260 is provided with a first unit 261 and a second unit 262. The first unit 261 includes a ring-shaped first belt 263, a stretching roller, and a heat sink 264. The second unit 262 includes a ring-shaped second belt 265, a stretching roller, and a press roller. When the first belt 263 abuts against the second belt 265, the sheet S on which the toner image is formed is nipped and fed, and a cooling nip portion for cooling is formed.

[0043] The sheet S on which the toner image is fixed is nipped between the first belt 263 and the second belt 265 and fed in the sheet feeding direction Dl according to the rotation of these belts. The first belt 263 forming the cooling nip portion is cooled by the heat sink 264. The heat sink 264 is made of, for example, aluminum, and includes a heat absorbing portion 264a that cools the first belt 263 by contacting it as a cooling surface, a heat radiating portion 264b that radiates heat, and a fin base portion 264c that conducts heat from the heat absorbing portion 264a to the heat radiating portion 264b. The heat radiating portion 264b is formed of a plurality of heat radiating fins so as to promote efficient heat radiation by increasing the contact area with air drawn in from the outside by a cooling fan 266.

[0044] Here, it is preferable that the second housing 120 be connectable to the first housing 10 because a second housing 120 different in function from the second housing 20 can be used. However, as shown in Figure 9As shown, the feeding connection passage of the first housing 10 is designed to be optimized for height to transport the sheet S toward the second housing 20. On the other hand, the second housing 120 of the other image forming apparatus is designed to be optimized for the first housing to which it is originally to be connected. Therefore, it is difficult to transport the sheet S due to the gap in the up-and-down direction because the connection passage includes a step (height difference) dl with respect to the first housing 10. Here, when only the transport of the sheet S is concerned, it is possible to consider using a configuration adjusted so that the sheet S can be transported by a structure that can move in the up-and-down direction by applying at least one of the feeding passages of the first housing 10 and the second housing 120. However, due to the stiffness of the sheet S caused by the step in the transport passage or the like, the balance between the transfer process and the fixing process can be broken and image defects can occur. Therefore, in the embodiment, because the third housing 30 is connected between the first housing 10 of the first image forming apparatus 100 and the second housing 120 of the second image forming apparatus, in which the feeding heights of the sheet S of the first housing 10 and the second housing 120 are different, it is possible to feed the sheet S while connecting both the first housing 10 and the second housing 120.

[0045] Hereinafter, the image forming apparatus 1 will be described by using Figure 1 The image forming apparatus 1 in the embodiment will be described. The image forming apparatus 1 is provided with a first housing 10, a second housing 120, and a third housing 30. The first housing 10 is similar to Figure 9 The second housing 120 is similar to Figure 10 the configuration shown in FIG. 1, so the same reference numerals will be used and detailed description will be omitted. The third housing 30 is connected to the first housing 10 at the side surface of the right side R, and the side surface of the left side L of the third housing 30 is connected to the second housing 120, thereby constituting the image forming apparatus 1.

[0046] [First Housing]

[0047] The first housing 10 includes a transfer unit 108 that transfers a toner image formed on an intermediate transfer member 106 to a sheet S, and a discharge port 10a as a first discharge port that discharges the sheet S after the transfer. The first housing 10 includes a belt 46 as an example of a discharge belt that protrudes from the discharge port 10a and enters a receiving port 30a of the third housing 30 as a second receiving port to be described later. Further, the first housing 10 includes a reverse receiving port 10b as a first reverse receiving port that receives the sheet S received from the second housing 120, and a reverse feeding passage 55 that feeds the sheet S received from the reverse receiving port 10b toward the transfer unit 108.

[0048] [Second Housing]

[0049] The second housing 120 includes a receiving port 120a and a fixing device 250. The receiving port 120a is located at a different height from the mounting surface and the discharge port 10a, and is the first receiving port for receiving sheet S. The fixing device 250 fixes the toner image to the sheet S received from the receiving port 120a. Furthermore, the second housing 120 includes a reversing discharge port 120b, serving as a first reversing discharge port, at its end portion on the third housing 30 side in the reversing path 138 of the reversing section 53. This reversing discharge port 120b discharges the sheet S fed from the reversing section 53 from the second housing 120.

[0050] [Third Shell]

[0051] The third housing 30 includes a feeding section 52 that feeds the sheet S from the first housing 10 to the second housing 120, and a reversing feeding unit 54 that returns the sheet S, reversed by the reversing section 53 of the second housing 120, to the first housing 10. Figures 2 to 5 The third housing 30 is described in detail. Figure 2 and Figure 3 This is a view showing the third housing 30 with the outer cover installed. Figure 2 It is a perspective view and Figure 3 This is the front view. Figure 4 as well as Figure 5 Parts (a) and (b) are views showing the third housing 30 with the outer cover removed. Figure 4 It is a perspective view. Figure 5 Part (a) is the front view and Figure 5 Part (b) is a side view. For example... Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the third housing 30 includes a frame 31 forming a skeleton, and a top cover 35 and a front door 36, which serve as an outer cover, are attached to the frame 31.

[0052] [Frame of the shell]

[0053] like Figure 4 as well as Figure 5 As shown in parts (a) and (b), frame 31 includes a base frame 14, a right support column 12 on the right side R, a left support column 13 on the left side L, a rear side plate 15, side struts 16, an upper front strut 17, and a middle front strut 18. The components of frame 31 are connected to each other by screws or welding. Feed section 52 is connected to and supported by frame 31 via a connecting portion 61 connected to the left support column 13, a connecting portion 62 connected to the rear side plate 15, a connecting portion 63 connected to the middle front strut 18, and a connecting portion 64 connected to the rear side plate 15.

[0054] The reverse feeding unit 54 is arranged below the feeding section 52. The connecting section 22 of the reverse feeding unit 54 is connected to the intermediate front stay 18, and an unillustrated support shaft of the reverse feeding unit 54 projecting toward the rear side plate 15 is engaged with the rear side plate 15. On the bottom surface of the bottom plate frame 14, casters 21 are arranged at the four corners. With the casters 21 attached, the third housing 30 can be moved. Incidentally, the first housing 10 and the second housing 120 are also provided with casters 21 and can be moved (see Figure 1 ).

[0055] The third housing 30 includes a receiving port 30a that receives the sheet S from the discharge port 10a (see Figure 1 ), a discharge port 30b that is a second discharge port that discharges the sheet S to the receiving port 120a (see Figure 1 ), and a feeding section 52 that is an example of an intermediate feeding member. The feeding section 52 is arranged at a certain inclination angle in the vertical direction from the receiving port 30a to the discharge port 30b. In the embodiment, the receiving port 30a is arranged lower in height from the mounting surface than the discharge port 30b. Therefore, the feeding section 52 is arranged at a certain inclination angle in the vertical direction from the receiving port 30a to the discharge port 30b. However, the configuration is not limited to the receiving port 30a being lower than the discharge port 30b, but the receiving port 30a can be higher than the discharge port 30b. In this case, the feeding section 52 is arranged at a certain inclination angle in the downward direction from the receiving port 30a to the discharge port 30b.

[0056] The feeding section 52 includes a drive roller 42, a driven roller 43, and a belt 47 that is a feeding belt stretched over the drive roller 42 and the driven roller 43. The belt 47 is a suction belt that sucks air from the back surface, and the sheet S on which an unfixed toner image is transferred is sucked to the belt 47 and fed. As an example of a second end section of the feeding section 52 on the second housing 120 side, the upper end of the driven roller 43 is arranged by protruding from the discharge port 30b and into the receiving port 120a. That is, the end section of the belt 47 on the downstream side with respect to the sheet feeding direction of the feeding surface enters the receiving port 120a of the second housing 120.

[0057] The reverse feeding unit 54 is an example of a third reverse feeding passage that feeds the sheet S received from the reverse section 53 of the second housing 120 to the reverse feeding passage 55. The third housing 30 includes a reverse receiving port 30c that is a second reverse receiving port that receives the sheet S discharged from the reverse discharge port 120b, and a reverse discharge port 30d that is a second reverse discharge port that feeds the sheet S received from the reverse receiving port 30c to the reverse receiving port 10b. The reverse feeding unit 54 feeds the sheet S from the reverse receiving port 30c to the reverse discharge port 30d.

[0058] [Sheet discharge]

[0059] As Figure 1 indicated, the sheet S on which the unfixed image is transferred by the image forming process in the first housing 10 is conveyed from the first housing 10 to the third housing 30 by the sheet feeding portion 51 arranged on the downstream side of the transfer roller 114. The feeding portion 52 is arranged so that a portion of the feeding portion 52 protrudes from the side surface of the left side L toward the fixing nip portion 254 of the fixing device 250. The sheet S is conveyed by the feeding portion 52 to the second housing 120. The sheet S is guided to the fixing nip portion 254 of the fixing device 250 arranged in the second housing 120, and the fixing process is performed.

[0060] The height positions of the drive roller 42 on the upstream side and the driven roller 43 on the downstream side with respect to the sheet feeding direction of the feeding portion 52 will be described by using Figure 1 the drawing. The unfixed toner image is transferred to the sheet S conveyed from the sheet feeding portion 51 to the feeding portion 52, and thus the pair of rollers cannot be used. Therefore, as Figure 1 indicated, the upper end portion of the driven roller 41 of the sheet feeding portion 51 is arranged higher in the height direction than the upper end portion of the drive roller 42 of the feeding portion 52. That is, the end portion of the belt 47 on the downstream side with respect to the feeding direction of the sheet feeding surface is arranged at a lower position than the end portion of the belt 46 of the sheet feeding portion 51 on the downstream side with respect to the feeding direction of the sheet feeding surface. Further, in order to achieve this, the sheet feeding portion 51 protrudes from the discharge port 10a and is arranged to enter the receiving port 30. In this way, the sheet S on which the unfixed image is transferred can be smoothly fed from the first housing 10 to the third housing 30.

[0061] When the driven roller 41 is lower than the drive roller 42, the sheet S abuts against the drive roller 42, and the sheet S can be damaged or jammed. On the other hand, when the driven roller 41 is too high with respect to the drive roller 42, it is difficult to convey the sheet S curled in the downward direction. The difference in the height direction between the driven roller 41 and the drive roller 42 has a proper range, and in the embodiment, the allowable tolerance range can be up to ±3.0 mm with respect to the design value (for example, 3 mm).

[0062] Next, a position related to the height of the driven roller 43 on the downstream side of the feeding portion 52 will be described. The unfixed toner image is transferred to the sheet S conveyed from the feeding portion 52 to the guide portion 253, and thus the roller pair cannot be used. Therefore, when the sheet S is conveyed to the fixing nip portion 254, in terms of the relationship between the height of the driven roller 43 of the feeding portion 52 and the height of the guide portion 253 of the fixing device 250, the upper end portion of the driven roller 43 is arranged higher than the end portion of the guide portion 253 on the third housing 30 side. That is, the end portion of the guide portion 253 on the upstream side with respect to the feeding direction is arranged at a position lower than the end portion of the belt 47 of the feeding portion 52 on the downstream side with respect to the feeding direction of the sheet feeding surface. Further, in order to achieve this, the sheet feeding portion 52 is protruded from the discharge port 30b and arranged to enter the receiving port 120a. In this way, the sheet S on which the unfixed image is transferred can be smoothly fed from the third housing 30 to the second housing 120.

[0063] The guide portion 253 is provided to have a guide function to stably guide the leading edge of the sheet S to the fixing nip portion 254. When the height of the leading edge of the sheet S is too high, the sheet S cannot be guided to the fixing nip portion 254, and thus a wrinkle can occur on the sheet S, or the unfixed image can fly and soil the sheet S. Further, when the height of the leading edge of the sheet S is too low, the leading edge of the sheet S abuts against the guide portion 253, and the sheet S can be damaged or jammed. The difference in the height direction between the driven roller 43 and the guide portion 253 has an appropriate range, and in the embodiment, a tolerance range of, for example, ±0.7 mm is allowed with respect to a design value (for example, 3 mm).

[0064] As described above with respect to the conveying portion, the inlet positions of the second and third housings 120 and 30 require high positional accuracy. In particular, the height of the second housing 120 including the guide portion 253 that guides the sheet S to the fixing nip portion 254 and the height of the third housing 30 including the feeding portion 52 both require high positional accuracy.

[0065] [Connection of housings and adjustment of height]

[0066] The configuration of connecting the housings to each other will be described by using Figures 1 to 8 As shown in parts (a) and (b) of FIGS. Figure 1 , Figure 4 , and Figure 5 The right pillar 12 of the third housing 30 is provided with a positioning shaft 19a, and the rear side plate 15 is provided with a positioning shaft 19b, which respectively protrude toward the first housing 10 side. The positioning shafts 19a and 19b are examples of the first shaft portions. As shown in part (c) of FIG. Figure 6In part (a) of FIG. 10, coupling holes 301a and 301b are formed in the supports 302a and 302b of the frame 11 of the first housing 10 so that the coupling holes 301a and 301b are long holes (whose longitudinal direction is the height direction). The coupling holes 301a and 301b are examples of first long holes whose longitudinal direction is the up-down direction, and the positioning shafts 19a and 19b are inserted into the coupling holes 301a and 301b, respectively, and then the first housing 10 and the third housing 30 are positioned in the front-rear direction. The relative positions of the coupling holes 301a and 301b with respect to the positioning shafts 19a and 19b are fixed by a first fixing portion constituted by screws or the like not shown. Incidentally, in the embodiment, a case where the first long holes are formed in the first housing 10 and the first shaft portions are formed in the third housing 30 is described, but is not limited thereto, and for example, the first shaft portions can be formed in the first housing 10 and the first long holes can be formed in the third housing 30. That is, one of the first housing 10 and the third housing 30 includes the first long hole whose longitudinal direction is the up-down direction, and the other of the first housing 10 and the third housing 30 includes the first shaft portion that engages the first long hole.

[0067] Incidentally, in the image forming apparatus 1 of the embodiment, the third housing 30 is designed to adjust the gap between the first housing 10 and the second housing 120 in the up-down direction, and does not include an adjustment unit in the front-rear direction. This is because the fixing device 250 is formed to be slightly wider than the sheet S after transfer, and does not require an adjustment degree like the up-down direction. However, in some cases, it can include an adjustment unit that adjusts the position in the front-rear direction.

[0068] Here, the reason why the coupling holes 301a and 301b are long holes whose longitudinal direction is the height direction is explained. The first housing 10 is relatively heavier than the third housing 30 and the second housing 120. Specifically, the total weight of the first housing 10 is, for example, 700 kg, the weight of the third housing 30 is, for example, 55 kg, and the weight of the second housing 120 is, for example, 200 kg. When the housings are independently configured according to the imaging process, there is a difference in the total weight of the housings and the functional components connected to the housings, and the weight of the housings can cause the housings to sink down to the lower side D of the installation floor. In the embodiment, the first housing 10 is more likely to sink deeper than the third housing 30 and the second housing 120. Therefore, when the coupling holes 301a and 301b are designed to be long holes whose longitudinal direction is the height direction, the housings can be connected to each other without the positioning shafts 19a and 19b interfering with the supports 302a and 302b of the first housing 10.

[0069] Next, the construction for adjusting the height of the sheet conveying portions of the first housing 10 and the third housing 30 will be described. The height adjustment of the first housing 10, the third housing 30, and the second housing 120 is performed by casters 21, which serve as examples of either a first or second adjustment unit. Incidentally, in this embodiment, casters 21 located at the bottom of the first housing 10 and capable of adjusting the mounting height of the first housing 10 are defined as the first adjustment unit. Furthermore, casters 21 located at the bottom of the second housing 10 and the third housing 30 and capable of adjusting the mounting height of the second housing 120 and the third housing 30 are defined as the second adjustment unit.

[0070] Here, it will be used by Figure 7 The construction of caster 21 is described. Caster 21 includes a wheel 21a, a caster body 21b, and a base portion 21c. The wheel 21a is rotatably attached to the caster body 21b, and a threaded portion 21f is formed therein. The caster body 21b is rotatably attached to an axle (not shown). A threaded portion 21g is formed in the base portion 21c, which is screwed onto the threaded portion 21f in a mating relationship. The base portion 21c is connected to the base frame 14 of the third housing 30, for example, by screws 21d, etc. Furthermore, the caster body 21b and the base portion 21c are connected to each other by a nut 21e, preventing them from separating.

[0071] When the caster 21 is adjusted in the height direction, when the nut 21e is loosened and rotated clockwise, the wheel 21a approaches the base portion 21c by moving the threaded portions 21f and 21g relative to the base frame 14. That is, the third housing 30 is relatively lower than the first housing 10. On the other hand, when the nut 21e is rotated counterclockwise, the third housing 30 is relatively higher than the first housing 10. Therefore, when the first housing 10 is lower than the third housing 30 and the second housing 120, the height can be adjusted by rotating the caster 21 counterclockwise.

[0072] In this embodiment, casters 21 are also attached to the second housing 120. Therefore, even when the third housing 30 and the second housing 120 are positioned in the height direction, the conveying of the sheet S can be optimized by matching the height of the casters 21 of the third housing 30 and the casters 21 of the second housing 120 with that of the first housing 10.

[0073] like Figure 1 and Figure 4 As shown, the left column 13 of the third housing 30 is provided with a positioning shaft 20a, and the rear side plate 15 is provided with a positioning shaft 20b. At this time, the positioning shafts 20a and 20b protrude towards the second housing 120. Figure 6As shown in part (b) of FIG. 4, a coupling hole 401a is formed in the pillar 402a of the frame 121 of the second housing 120, and a coupling hole 401b is formed in the pillar 402b, respectively. The coupling hole 401b is formed as an elongated hole whose longitudinal direction is the front-rear direction. The positioning shafts 20a and 20b are inserted into the coupling holes 401a and 401b, respectively, and the third housing 30 and the second housing 120 are positioned in the front-rear direction and the height direction. In this way, the third housing 30 and the second housing 120 can be positioned in the front-rear direction and the height direction, the third housing 30 and the second housing 120 can be connected as a substantially integral single housing, and the third housing 30 and the second housing 120 can be more accurately positioned in the height direction, in which high accuracy is particularly required.

[0074] Figure 8 is a view showing a state in which the frame 11 of the first housing 10, the frame 31 of the third housing 30, and the frame 121 of the second housing 120 are connected and combined with each other. As shown in Figure 8 , the first housing 10 and the third housing 30 are fixed in the left-right direction by the fixing plate 2. Specifically, the pillars 302 and 302b (see part (a) of FIG. 3) of the first housing 10 are connected to the right pillar 12 and the rear side plate 15 (see part (a) of FIG. 3) of the third housing 30, respectively, using screws and coupling shafts, which are not shown, by the fixing plate 2. Figure 6 In addition, the third housing 30 and the second housing 120 are fixed in the left-right direction by the fixing plate 3. Specifically, the pillars 402a and 402b (see part (b) of FIG. 4) of the second housing 120 are connected to the left pillar 13 and the rear side plate 15 (see part (b) of FIG. 4) of the third housing 30, respectively, using screws and coupling shafts, which are not shown, by the fixing plate 3. Figure 4 Figure 6 Figure 4

[0075] As described above, according to the embodiment of the image forming apparatus 1, the third housing 30 includes the feeding portion 52 that feeds the sheet S from the first housing 10 to the second housing 120 at a different height. Therefore, in the image forming apparatus 1 including the first housing 10 of the first image forming apparatus 100 and the second housing 120 of the second image forming apparatus, the feeding heights of which are different, the recording material can be fed by connecting the first housing 10 and the second housing 120.

[0076] According to the image forming apparatus 1 in the embodiment, two housings, the positions of which for conveying the sheet S are different from each other and the image forming processes of which are different, can be connected, at this time, the housing provided with the feeding portion 52 is arranged between the two housings and optimizes the conveying heights thereof.

[0077] ​​​Further, according to the image forming apparatus 1 in the embodiment, the upper end portion of the driven roller 42 on the first housing 10 side of the feeding portion 52 is arranged at a position lower than the upper end portion of the driven roller 41 of the end portion of the sheet feeding portion 51 on the third housing 30 side. Further, the upper end portion of the end portion of the guide portion 253 on the third housing 30 side is arranged at a position lower than the upper end portion of the driven roller 43 of the feeding portion 52. Therefore, even when any roller pair cannot be applied in such a case that the sheet S on which the unfixed toner image is transferred is conveyed, the sheet S can be smoothly conveyed between the housings.

[0078] Further, according to the image forming apparatus 1 in the embodiment, the relative height of the housings can be adjusted by the casters 21, and thus the height can be adjusted even in a case where, for example, the first housing 10 sinks due to the weight. Further, by adjusting the relative height of the first housing 10 and the third housing 30, the relative height of the sheet feeding portion 51 and the feeding portion 52 can also be adjusted.

[0079] Incidentally, in the image forming apparatus 1 of the embodiment, the third housing 30 and the second housing 120 are connected and positioned in the front-rear direction and the up-down direction between the third housing 30 and the second housing 120, however, as in the first housing 10 and the third housing 30, the positioning can be adjusted only in the front-rear direction between the third housing 30 and the second housing 120. In a case where the weight relationship between the housings is reversed, the height can be adjusted with respect to the second housing 120.

[0080] <Second Embodiment>

[0081] Next, the second embodiment of the present application will be described in detail with reference to Figure 12 and Figure 13 The configuration of this embodiment is different from that of the first embodiment in that it has a mechanism capable of adjusting the positioning of the feeding portion 52 in the up-down direction with respect to the frame 31 of the third housing 230. However, the remaining part of this configuration is the same as in the first embodiment, and thus the same reference numerals are used and detailed description will be omitted.

[0082] Figure 12 and Figure 13 is a side view when the third housing 230 in which the feeding portion 52 is provided inside is viewed from the left side L. In the first embodiment, the feeding portion 52 is supported and fixed by the frame 31 at each of the coupling portions 61 to 64. On the other hand, in the present embodiment, the first coupling portion 161 of the front side F and the second coupling portion 62 of the back side B which are provided integrally with the feeding portion 52 are capable of being adjusted with respect to the frame 31, respectively. That is, the third housing 230 includes the first coupling portion 161 and the second coupling portion 162 as an example of a third adjustment unit capable of adjusting the mounting position of the feeding portion 52 in the height direction.

[0083] For example, a first coupling portion 161 that is integral with the feeding portion 52 is attached to the left pillar 13. A long hole 23 is formed in the first coupling portion 161. A boss 24 that is an example of a second shaft portion that engages the long hole 23 is formed in the left pillar 13. The long hole 23 is an example of a second long hole whose longitudinal direction is the up-down direction, and adjustment is performed by aligning a mark portion 25 provided on the first coupling portion 161 and a scale portion 26 provided on the left pillar 13. After the scales are aligned, the first coupling portion 161 is fixed by a screw 27 that is an example of a second fixing portion that fixes the relative positions of the long hole 23 and the boss 24. Incidentally, in the embodiment, a case in which the second long hole is formed in the feeding portion 52 and the second shaft portion is formed in the left pillar 13 is described, however, this is not limiting, and the second shaft portion can be formed in the feeding portion 52 and the second long hole can be formed in the left pillar 13. That is, the first coupling portion 161 can be provided on one of the frame 31 and the feeding portion 52 and can include a second long hole whose longitudinal direction is the up-down direction, and a second shaft portion is provided on the other of the frame 31 and the feeding portion 52 and engages the second long hole.

[0084] Similarly, on the second coupling portion 162 side, a long hole 29 that is an example of a second long hole (that is formed so as to be movable in the height direction (Z)) is arranged so as to engage with a boss 34 that is an example of a second shaft portion provided on the rear side plate 15. A mark portion 37 is aligned with a scale portion 32 provided on the rear side plate 15, and after adjustment, is fixed by a screw 33 that is an example of a second fixing portion. Furthermore, although not shown, the front and rear coupling portions of the third housing 230 on the first housing 10 side are also a configuration that is adjustable in the up-down direction. For example, the amount of height adjustment of the feeding portion 52 can be adjusted as described above after the height difference between the housings is measured by reading the scales provided on the pillars of the housings.

[0085] As described above, according to the third housing 230 in the embodiment, the height of the feeding portion 52 can be adjusted without using the casters 212.

[0086] Incidentally, in the second embodiment described above, a configuration in which the feeding portion 52 of the third housing 230 is adjusted in the up-down direction is described, however, this is not limiting. For example, an adjustment portion can also be provided on the reverse feeding unit 54, or the feeding units of the first housing 10 and the second housing 120 can be adjusted with respect to the feeding portion 52.

[0087] Further, in each of the above-described embodiments, the process of forming an unfixed image on the sheet S is indicated by the first casing 10, and the fixing process of the unfixed image is indicated by the third casing 30 and the third casing 230, however, not limited thereto. That is, the arrangement of the casings of the image forming units for these image forming processes (exposure, development, transfer, and fixing) is not specified.

[0088] Further, in each of the above-described embodiments, the image forming processes are performed by the electrophotographic method, however, not limited thereto. For example, the present application can be applied to inkjet printers and dye-sublimation printers, and the like, which provide similar image forming processes (e.g., droplet landing, vapor deposition, and image fixing processes by a thermal drying method).

[0089] According to the present application, in an image forming apparatus including two casings (the feeding heights of the recording materials of the two casings are different), it is possible to feed the recording material by connecting the two casings.

[0090] While the present application has been described with reference to example embodiments, it is to be understood that the application is not limited to the disclosed example embodiments. The scope of the following claims is to be given the broadest interpretation to encompass all such variations and equivalents.

Claims

1. An image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording material, the image forming apparatus comprising: A first housing, the first housing including a transfer unit and a first outlet, the transfer unit being configured to transfer a toner image formed on an image carrier to a recording material, and the first outlet being configured to discharge the recording material on which the toner image has been formed by the transfer unit from the first housing. The second housing includes a first receiving port and a fixing unit. The first receiving port is configured to receive recording material on which a toner image is formed by the transfer unit. The fixing unit is configured to fix the toner image onto the recording material. The height from the mounting surface on which the image forming apparatus is mounted in the vertical direction to the first receiving port is different from the height from the mounting surface to the first discharge port in the vertical direction. as well as A third housing, disposed between the first housing and the second housing, includes a second receiving port, a second discharging port, and an intermediate feed member. The second receiving port is configured to receive recording material discharged from the first discharging port, and the second discharging port is configured to discharge recording material from the third housing and convey the recording material received from the second receiving port to the first receiving port. The intermediate feed member is inclined in the vertical direction from the second receiving port to the second discharging port. The second housing includes a first reverse feed path and a first reverse discharge port. The first reverse feed path is configured to reverse the recording material and feed the reversed recording material toward the first housing. The first reverse discharge port is configured to discharge the recording material fed through the first reverse feed path from the second housing. The first housing includes a first inverted receiving port and a second inverted feed path. The first inverted receiving port is configured to receive recording material inverted by the second housing, and the second inverted feed path is configured to feed the recording material received from the first inverted receiving port toward the transfer unit. The third housing includes a second reverse receiving port, a second reverse discharge port, and a third reverse feed path. The second reverse receiving port is configured to receive recording material discharged from the first reverse discharge port, the second reverse discharge port is configured to transport the recording material received from the second reverse receiving port to the first reverse receiving port, and the third reverse feed path is configured to feed the recording material from the second reverse receiving port to the second reverse discharge port.

2. The image forming apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first housing includes a discharge belt protruding from the first discharge port and entering the second receiving port. The fixing unit includes a pair of rotatable components configured to form a fixing clamping portion for fixing a toner image onto recording material received from the first receiving port. The second housing includes a guide portion configured to guide the lower surface of the recording material toward the fixing clamping portion. The intermediate feed component includes a feed belt configured to feed recording material fed by the discharge belt toward the guide portion. The upstream end portion of the recording material feed surface of the feed belt relative to the feed direction is located below the downstream end portion of the recording material feed surface of the discharge belt in the vertical direction. The downstream end portion of the recording material feed surface of the feed belt, relative to the feed direction, protrudes from the second discharge port and enters the first receiving port, and The upstream end portion of the guide portion relative to the feed direction is located vertically below the downstream end portion of the recording material feed surface of the feed belt.

3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a first adjustment unit configured to adjust the mounting height of the first housing.

4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the first adjustment unit includes height-adjustable casters disposed at the bottom of the first housing.

5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a second adjustment unit configured to adjust the mounting height of the second housing and the third housing.

6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the second adjustment unit includes height-adjustable casters disposed at the bottom of the second housing and the bottom of the third housing.

7. The image forming apparatus of claim 3, wherein one of the first housing and the third housing includes a first elongated hole in a vertical direction, and the other of the first housing and the third housing includes a first shaft member engaging with the first elongated hole, and It also includes a first fixing portion configured to fix the relative position between the first elongated hole and the first shaft component.

8. The image forming apparatus of claim 1, wherein the third housing includes a third adjustment unit configured to adjust the mounting position of the intermediate feed member in the height direction.

9. The image forming apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the third adjustment unit comprises: The second elongated hole is disposed in one of the frame of the third housing and the intermediate feed component, and its longitudinal direction is vertical. The second shaft component, disposed on the frame of the third housing and on another of the intermediate feed components, engages with the second elongated hole, and The second fixing part is configured to fix the relative position between the second elongated hole and the second shaft component.

10. The image forming apparatus of claim 1, wherein the height from the mounting surface to the first receiving port in the vertical direction is greater than the height from the mounting surface to the first discharge port.

11. The image forming apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second housing includes a cooling unit configured to cool recording material discharged from the fixing unit.

Images