Image forming apparatus

Abstract

To provide an image forming apparatus that has improved paper jam processability.SOLUTION: An image forming apparatus comprises: an apparatus body; a drawer unit that can be withdrawn from the apparatus body; a cover that is provided on the apparatus body in an openable and closable manner, the cover movable to a closed position where it covers the drawer unit mounted in the apparatus body and an open position where it exposes the drawer unit so that the drawer unit can be withdrawn from the apparatus body; a regulation part that can be transitioned to a regulation state where it regulates the drawer unit from being withdrawn from the apparatus body and a permission state where it permits the drawer unit from being withdrawn from the apparatus body; and a display part that is provided on the drawer unit for displaying the state of the regulation part.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus that forms an image on a sheet.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, an image forming apparatus has been proposed in which a sheet conveyance device, which is a drawer unit, can be pulled out from the apparatus main body (see Patent Document 1). For example, when the sheet is straddling the inversion part between the sheet conveyance device and the apparatus main body, there is a risk that the sheet will break when the sheet conveyance device is pulled out from the apparatus main body, and the apparatus will be damaged. Therefore, in this image forming apparatus, when the sheet is straddling between the sheet conveyance device and the inversion part, a lock unit is provided to lock the front door. Further, on the front door, a lock display for displaying the locked state of the front door is provided when the front door is locked by the lock unit.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, in the image forming apparatus described in Patent Document 1, since the lock display is provided on the front door, it is difficult to understand the procedure for processing a jammed sheet. For example, in a state where the sheet is straddling between the sheet conveyance device and the inversion part, the lock display is such that the key mark lights up by an LED. Even when the user sees the lit lock display on the front door, it is difficult to understand from which part of the image forming apparatus the jam should be processed, and there is a problem with jam processing performance.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus with improved jam processing performance.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus for forming an image on a sheet, comprising: an apparatus body; a pull-out unit that can be pulled out relative to the apparatus body; a cover that is openable and closable and provided on the apparatus body, the cover being movable between a closed position that covers the pull-out unit mounted on the apparatus body and an open position that exposes the pull-out unit so that it can be pulled out relative to the apparatus body; a restricting unit that is transitionable between a restricting state that restricts the pull-out unit from being pulled out from the apparatus body and an allowing state that permits the pull-out unit from being pulled out from the apparatus body; and a display unit provided on the pull-out unit for displaying the state of the restricting unit. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, jam processing performance can be improved. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] A schematic diagram showing the printer according to this embodiment. [Figure 2] (a) is a perspective view showing the printer, and (b) is a perspective view showing the printer with the drawer unit extended. [Figure 3] (a) is a front view showing the drawer unit with the handle in the locked position, and (b) is a front view showing the drawer unit with the handle in the unlocked position. [Figure 4] (a) is a plan view showing the lock unit in the permissible state, and (b) is a plan view showing the lock unit in the restricted state. [Figure 5] (a) is a cross-sectional view showing the lock indicator unit provided in the drawer unit, and (b) is a front view showing the display unit. [Figure 6] A schematic diagram showing sensors installed around the drawer unit. [Figure 7] A flowchart illustrating the locking process. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] [Overall structure] The printer 1, as an image forming apparatus according to this embodiment, is an electrophotographic laser beam printer. As shown in Figure 1, the printer 1 includes a cassette feeding unit 1B, a manual feed unit 64, an image forming unit 1C, an intermediate transfer belt 31, a double-sided transport unit 1D, and a control unit 200. The control unit 200 includes a CPU, a ROM for storing various programs, and RAM used as a working area for the CPU.

[0010] When an image formation command is output to printer 1, the image formation process by image formation unit 1C is started based on image information input from an external computer or the like connected to printer 1. Image formation unit 1C comprises four exposure units 13Y, 13M, 13C, and 13K, and four process cartridges 10Y, 10M, 10C, and 10K that form images of four colors: yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C), and black (K). The four process cartridges 10Y, 10M, 10C, and 10K have the same configuration except for the color of the image they form. Therefore, only the image formation process of process cartridge 10Y will be described, and the descriptions of process cartridges 10M, 10C, and 10K will be omitted.

[0011] The exposure unit 13Y irradiates the photosensitive drum 11Y of the process cartridge 10Y with laser light based on the input image information. At this time, the photosensitive drum 11Y is pre-charged by the charger 12Y, and an electrostatic latent image is formed on the photosensitive drum 11Y when irradiated with laser light. Subsequently, the electrostatic latent image is developed by the developing unit 14Y, and a yellow (Y) toner image is formed on the photosensitive drum 11Y. After the toner image is transferred to the intermediate transfer belt 31, any toner remaining on the photosensitive drum 11Y is collected by the cleaner 15Y.

[0012] Similarly, magenta (M), cyan (C), and black (K) toner images are formed on the photosensitive drums of process cartridges 10M, 10C, and 10K. The toner images of each color formed on each photosensitive drum are transferred to the intermediate transfer belt 31 by the primary transfer rollers 35Y, 35M, 35C, and 35K, and then transported to the secondary transfer inner roller 32 by the rotating intermediate transfer belt 31. The image formation process for each color is performed at a timing that overlaps with the upstream toner image that has been primary transferred onto the intermediate transfer belt 31. The intermediate transfer belt 31 is tautened by the drive roller 33, tension roller 34, and secondary transfer inner roller 32, and rotates in the direction of arrow B.

[0013] In parallel with the image forming process described above, sheets P are fed from the cassette feeding unit 1B or the manual feeding unit 64. The cassette feeding unit 1B has multiple cassettes 61, 62, and 63 (three in this embodiment), and sheets P are fed from these cassettes 61, 62, and 63 by pickup rollers 61a, 62a, and 63a, respectively. The manual feeding unit 64 has a rotatably supported manual feeding tray 64b, and sheets P loaded on the manual feeding tray 64b are fed by pickup rollers 64a.

[0014] The sheets P fed from these pickup rollers 61a, 62a, 63a, and 64a are corrected for skew by the transport roller pair 120 and the registration roller pair 110. On the first surface of the sheet P transported by the registration roller pair 110, a predetermined pressure and electrostatic bias are applied at the transfer nip 1E, which is a transfer area formed by the secondary transfer inner roller 32 and the secondary transfer outer roller 41. As a result, the full-color toner image on the intermediate transfer belt 31 is transferred to the first surface of the sheet P. The remaining toner on the intermediate transfer belt 31 is collected by the cleaner 36.

[0015] The sheet P onto which the toner image has been transferred is conveyed to the fixing device 5 by the air adsorption belt 42, and a predetermined pressure and heat are applied thereto to melt and fix the toner image. The sheet P that has passed through the fixing device 5 is conveyed to the discharge conveyance path 82 when it is discharged onto the discharge tray 66 as it is by the fixing conveyance roller pair 52, or to the reverse induction path 83 when images are formed on both sides of the sheet P or the like.

[0016] At the branch portion between the discharge conveyance path 82 and the reverse induction path 83, a guide member 81 is provided rotatably. The guide member 81 is for switching the path according to the discharge mode in which the sheet P is discharged onto the discharge tray 66, the reverse discharge mode in which the sheet P is reversed and discharged, or the re-conveyance mode in which the sheet P is conveyed to the image forming unit 1C again. Then, by switching the path by this guide member 81, the sheet is guided to the discharge conveyance path 82 or the reverse induction path 83 according to the set mode.

[0017] For example, in the case of the discharge mode, the guide member 81 rotates downward and moves to the discharge position for discharging the sheet. Thereby, the sheet P conveyed by the fixing conveyance roller pair 52 is conveyed to the discharge conveyance path 82 along the upper surface of the guide member 81 and discharged to the discharge tray 66 by the discharge roller pair 77.

[0018] Also, in the case of the re-feed mode, the guide member 81 rotates upward and moves to the retracted position for guiding the sheet to the reverse induction path 83. As a result, the sheet P conveyed by the fixing conveyance roller pair 52 is guided to the reverse induction path 83 along the lower surface of the guide member 81 and drawn into the switchback path 84 by the first reverse roller pair 79. Then, by the switchback operation of reversing the rotation direction of the second reverse roller pair 86, the front and rear ends and the front and back surfaces of the sheet P are reversed, and the sheet P is conveyed to the duplex conveyance path 85. After that, the sheet P conveyed to the duplex conveyance path 85 is sent to the transfer nip 1E. The duplex conveyance unit 1D has a reverse induction path 83, a switchback path 84, a duplex conveyance path 85, a first reverse roller pair 79, a second reverse roller pair 86, and other conveyance roller pairs. Also, regarding the image forming process for the subsequent back surface (second side), it is the same as the image forming process for the aforementioned front surface (first side).

[0019] Also, in the case of the reverse discharge mode, the guide member 81 rotates upward and moves to the retracted position. As a result, the sheet P is conveyed by the fixing conveyance roller pair 52 to the reverse induction path 83 and drawn into the switchback path 84 by the first reverse roller pair 79. Then, by the switchback operation of reversing the rotation direction of the first reverse roller pair 79, the front and rear ends of the sheet P are reversed, and the sheet P is conveyed to the reverse conveyance path 89. After that, the sheet P is conveyed by the reverse conveyance roller pair 78 provided in the reverse conveyance path 89 to the discharge roller pair 77 and discharged to the discharge tray 66 by the discharge roller pair 77.

[0020] The printer 1 of the present embodiment includes a device main body 1A and a drawer unit 160 that can be pulled out with respect to the device main body 1A. The cassettes 61, 62, 63 are also configured to be pullable with respect to the device main body 1A. The drawer unit 160 is located in the area surrounded by the dashed line in FIG. 1 and has, for example, a conveyance roller pair 100, a registration roller pair 110, an outer secondary transfer roller 41, an air suction belt 42, a fixing device 5, and a part of the duplex conveyance path 85.

[0021] [Configuration of the front door and drawer unit] Next, the configuration of the front door 150 and the drawer unit 160 of the printer 1 will be described using Figures 2(a) to 5. Although the image reading device 300 is not shown in Figure 1, the printer 1 may or may not be equipped with an image reading device 300 for reading images from documents. The configuration of the image reading device 300 is publicly known, so its explanation will be omitted.

[0022] Printer 1 is provided with a front door 150 located on the front side of the device, as shown in Figures 2(a) and 2(b). The front door 150, acting as a cover, extends vertically and is supported so as to be openable and closable relative to the device body 1A, around an axis 150a, and is an exterior component that forms the exterior of Printer 1. The front door 150 is movable between a closed position (Figure 2(a)) that covers the drawer unit 160 mounted on the device body 1A, and an open position (Figure 2(b)) that exposes the drawer unit 160 so that it can be pulled out relative to the device body 1A. When the front door 150 is in the open position, the drawer unit 160 can be pulled out in the pull-out direction DD, i.e., towards the front of the device.

[0023] Figures 3(a) and 3(b) are front views of the drawer unit 160 as seen from the upstream side in the drawer direction DD, i.e., from the front side of the printer 1. Figures 4(a) and 4(b) are plan views showing the lock unit 180. As shown in Figures 3(a) and 3(b), the drawer unit 160 has a drawer cover 163, a handle 161, and a jam relief knob 162. The drawer cover 163 is provided on the front 163a side of the drawer unit 160, and the handle 161 and jam relief knob 162 protrude from the drawer cover 163 toward the front. That is, the handle 161 and jam relief knob 162 are configured to be operable from the front 163a side of the drawer unit 160 when the front door 150 is open.

[0024] The jam processing knob 162, which serves as the conveying operation unit, is driven and connected to the conveying roller pair 91 and 92 of the double-sided conveying unit 1D shown in Figure 1. The conveying roller pair 91 and 92, which serve as the conveying rotating body, are located within the drawer unit 160. More specifically, the jam processing knob 162 is located on the rotation axis of the conveying roller pair 91, and the conveying roller pair 91 and 92 are driven and connected by a drive gear and a belt. Therefore, by manually rotating the jam processing knob 162, the conveying roller pair 91 and 92 within the drawer unit 160 rotate. This allows the user to convey jammed sheets within the drawer unit 160 and move the sheets to a position where they can be easily pulled out.

[0025] As shown in Figures 4(a) and 4(b), the main body of the device 1A has a front stay 190, which is a frame member, and a lock unit 180 provided on the front stay 190, which extends in the width direction W perpendicular to the pull-out direction DD. The handle 161 provided on the pull-out unit 160 is connected to a handle shaft 185, and the handle shaft 185 rotates in conjunction with the handle 161. The handle shaft 185 extends along the pull-out direction DD, and the handle shaft 185 is provided with a lock shaft 184 and a projection 187, which extend in the width direction W perpendicular to the pull-out direction DD. That is, the projection 187, which acts as an engaging part, is connected to the handle 161 via the handle shaft 185.

[0026] The handle 161 is configured to rotate between a locked position as shown in Figure 3(a) and an unlocked position as shown in Figure 3(b). When rotated in the direction of arrow R1 while in the locked position, it moves to the unlocked position. The user can pull out the drawer unit 160 from the device body 1A in the drawer direction DD by positioning the handle 161 in the unlocked position and pulling it towards them while gripping the handle 161. In Figures 4(a) and 4(b), the drawer unit 160 is mounted on the device body 1A, and the handle 161 is in the locked position in both cases.

[0027] As shown in Figures 4(a) and 4(b), when the handle 161 is in the locked position, the projection 187 on the lock shaft 184 is positioned upstream of the front stay 190 in the pulling direction DD and extends downward. In this state, if an attempt is made to pull the pull-out unit 160 out of the device body 1A in the pulling direction DD, the projection 187 abuts against the side surface 190a of the front stay 190, which is the engaged part. Therefore, when the handle 161 is in the locked position, it is restricted from pulling the pull-out unit 160 out of the device body 1A in the pulling direction DD. In other words, the projection 187 can restrict the pull-out of the pull-out unit 160 from being pulled out of the device body 1A by engaging with the front stay 190.

[0028] On the other hand, when the handle 161 is rotated from the locked position in the direction of arrow R1 (see Figure 3(a)) to the unlocked position, the projection 187 retracts above the front stay 190. In other words, the drawer unit 160 can be pulled out from the device body 1A in the drawer direction DD without the projection 187 interfering with the front stay 190. In other words, when the handle 161 is in the unlocked position, the drawer unit 160 is allowed to be pulled out from the device body 1A.

[0029] The lock unit 180, which acts as a restricting part, includes a handle lock plate 181, a solenoid 182, and a tension spring 183. The handle lock plate 181, which acts as a restricting member, is supported by a front stay 190 so as to be rotatable around a pivot axis 181a in the allowable position shown in Figure 4(a) and the restricting position shown in Figure 4(b).

[0030] At the permissible position, the steering lock plate 181 does not interfere with the movement trajectory of the lock shaft 184 when the steering wheel 161 is rotated between the locked and unlocked positions. In other words, at the permissible position, the steering lock plate 181 allows the steering wheel 161 to move from the locked position to the unlocked position. At the restricted position, the steering lock plate 181 overlaps with the aforementioned movement trajectory. That is, at the restricted position, the steering lock plate 181 interferes with the lock shaft 184 when the steering wheel 161 rotates from the locked position to the unlocked position. As a result, the rotation of the steering wheel 161 from the locked position to the unlocked position is restricted.

[0031] Furthermore, when the handle 161 is in the locked position, the lock shaft 184 is separated from the handle lock plate 181, which is in the restricting position, by a small gap. This is because the handle lock plate 181 moves between the allowable position and the restricting position without interfering with the lock shaft 184. When the handle 161 is rotated from the locked position to the unlock position, the lock shaft 184 quickly abuts against the handle lock plate 181, restricting the rotation of the handle 161. Therefore, when the handle lock plate 181 is in the restricting position, the pulling out of the pull-out unit 160 from the device body 1A is restricted.

[0032] Hereinafter, when the handle lock plate 181 is in the restricting position, the lock unit 180 is assumed to be in a restricting state, and when the handle lock plate 181 is in the allowable position, the lock unit 180 is assumed to be in an allowable state. That is, the lock unit 180 can transition between a restricting state in which the pull-out unit 160 is restricted from being pulled out from the device body 1A, and an allowable state in which the pull-out unit 160 is allowed to be pulled out from the device body 1A.

[0033] Furthermore, the steering lock plate 181 is biased toward the permissible position by a tension spring 183, one end of which is supported by the front stay 190, and is positioned in the permissible position by abutting against a stopper 186 provided on the front stay 190. In addition, the steering lock plate 181 is connected to a solenoid 182 which acts as an actuator, and when the solenoid 182 is energized and activated, it moves from the permissible position to the restricted position against the biasing force of the tension spring 183 which acts as a biasing part. Note that other springs such as leaf springs or torsion bars may be used instead of the tension spring 183.

[0034] Figure 5(a) is a cross-sectional view of the drawer unit 160 in a plane parallel to the drawer direction DD and the vertical direction. Figure 5(b) is a front view showing the display unit 173. As shown in Figure 5(a), the drawer unit 160 has a lock indicator unit 170, which has an LED 171, a light-gathering unit 172, and a display unit 173 for displaying the status of the lock unit 180.

[0035] The display unit 173 is located on the front surface 163a of the drawer cover 163. In other words, as shown in Figure 3(a), the handle 161 and the display unit 173 are located on the downstream side, i.e., the front side, of the drawer unit 160 in the drawer direction DD. The LED 171, which serves as a light source, is supported by the drawer cover 163 and is positioned opposite the display unit 173 in the drawer direction DD. The light-gathering unit 172 is located between the LED 171 and the display unit 173 in the drawer direction DD and efficiently focuses the light emitted from the LED 171 onto the display unit 173. In other words, the LED 171 can illuminate the display unit 173.

[0036] The light-gathering section 172 is formed in a cylindrical shape so as to surround the entire circumference of the display section 173. The inner surface of the light-gathering section 172 is made of a color with high reflectivity, preferably white. When the LED 171 is lit, the light emitted from the LED 171 is focused onto the display section 173 by the inner surface of the light-gathering section 172. As shown in Figure 5(b), the display section 173 has, for example, a key mark 173a and is made of a material that allows light emitted from the LED 171 to pass through. The display section 173 is illuminated by the LED 171 so that the user can clearly see the mark 173a on the display section 173. The light-gathering section 172 may also be a lens or the like.

[0037] [Lock process] Next, we will describe the locking process that prevents the drawer unit 160 from being pulled out from the main body 1A of the device. Figure 6 is a schematic diagram showing sensors provided around the drawer unit 160. Figure 7 is a flowchart of the locking process.

[0038] As shown in Figure 7, when the locking process is initiated, the control unit 200 of the printer 1 determines whether all sensors 191 to 195 are OFF (step S11). As shown in Figure 6, sensors 191 to 195 are located on the device body 1A side, near the boundary between the drawer unit 160 and the device body 1A. Each of sensors 191 to 195 can detect the presence or absence of a sheet at its detection position. It turns ON if a sheet is present at the detection position and OFF if there is no sheet at the detection position. In other words, sensors 191 to 195 detect the position of the sheet.

[0039] Since sensors 191 to 195 are located near the boundary between the drawer unit 160 and the main body 1A, the control unit 200 can detect if a sheet is jammed across the drawer unit 160 and the main body 1A based on the detection results of sensors 191 to 195. Also, if all sensors 191 to 195 are OFF, it means that there is no sheet jammed across the drawer unit 160 and the main body 1A.

[0040] As shown in Figure 7, if any one of sensors 191 to 195 is ON (step S11: No), the control unit 200 energizes the solenoid 182 and transitions the lock unit 180 to the restricted state (step S12). As a result, the handle lock plate 181 moves from the permitted position to the restricted position, and the rotation of the handle 161 is restricted. The control unit 200 also lights up the LED 171 and illuminates the display unit 173 (step S13). As a result, the user can see the key mark on the display unit 173 and recognize that the pulling of the drawer unit 160 from the main unit 1A is restricted. The control unit 200 then returns to step S11. That is, as long as any one of sensors 191 to 195 is ON, the lock unit 180 maintains the restricted state. The front door 150 is configured to be openable and closable relative to the main unit 1A regardless of whether the lock unit 180 is in the restricted or permitted state. Furthermore, in step S13, the LED 171 may be continuously lit or intermittently lit, i.e., blink.

[0041] If all sensors 191 to 195 are OFF in step S11 (step S11: Yes), the control unit 200 releases power to the solenoid 182 and transitions the lock unit 180 to the allow state (step S14). Next, the control unit 200 turns off the LED 171 (step S15). If the lock unit 180 is already in the allow state in step S11, the control unit 200 maintains the allow state of the lock unit 180 and the off state of the LED 171. With this, the lock process is completed.

[0042] This locking process is always performed at predetermined intervals while the printer 1 is powered on. Alternatively, an open / close detection sensor may be provided to detect the opening and closing of the front door 150 of the printer 1, and the locking process may be performed only when the open / close detection sensor detects that the front door 150 is open.

[0043] As described above, in this embodiment, if a sheet is jammed across the drawer unit 160 and the main unit 1A, the lock unit 180 will be in a restricted state. Therefore, the handle 161 of the drawer unit 160 will not be rotated to the unlocked position, and the drawer unit 160 will not be pulled out from the main unit 1A. This reduces the risk of the sheet becoming stuck (stopped) across the drawer unit 160 and the main unit 1A breaking, or of the drawer unit 160 and the main unit 1A being damaged.

[0044] Furthermore, when the lock unit 180 is in a restricted state, the LED 171 lights up, and the display unit 173 is illuminated by the LED 171. As a result, when the user opens the front door 150, they can see the illuminated display unit 173 and recognize that the lock unit 180 is in a restricted state.

[0045] The display unit 173 is exposed when the front door 150 is opened, so it cannot be seen when the front door 150 is closed. Therefore, it is difficult for the user to misinterpret the jam removal procedure based on the display unit 173. In addition, since the display unit 173 is located on the front 163a side of the drawer unit 160, just like the handle 161, the user can intuitively recognize that the handle 161 is not rotatable by seeing the illuminated display unit 173. This improves the efficiency of jam removal.

[0046] Furthermore, the front door 150 is configured to be openable and closable relative to the main body 1A, regardless of whether the lock unit 180 is in a restricted or permitted state. Therefore, even if a sheet is jammed across the drawer unit 160 and the main body 1A, the front door 150 can be opened and the jam processing knob 162 can be accessed. By turning the jam processing knob 162, the conveyor roller pair 91 and 92 can be rotated manually, resolving the situation where the sheet is jammed across the drawer unit 160 and the main body 1A. When all sensors 191 to 195 are turned OFF, the lock unit 180 enters the permitted state, and the drawer unit 160 can be pulled out from the main body 1A. This allows the jammed sheet to be processed with the drawer unit 160 pulled out, improving jam processing efficiency.

[0047] <Other Embodiments> In this embodiment, sensors 191 to 195 are provided on the device body 1A side near the boundary between the drawer unit 160 and the device body 1A, but this is not limited to this configuration. For example, sensors 191 to 195 may be provided on the drawer unit 160 side near the boundary between the drawer unit 160 and the device body 1A. Furthermore, the number and configuration of sensors are not limited.

[0048] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the lock unit 180 is provided on the front stay 190 of the device body 1A, but is not limited to this. For example, the lock unit 180 may be provided on the drawer unit 160. Also, the configuration of the lock unit 180 is not limited to the configuration of the embodiment described above. For example, instead of restricting the rotation of the handle 161, the lock unit 180 may restrict the movement of parts of the drawer unit 160 other than the handle 161 in the drawer direction DD.

[0049] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the handle lock plate 181 was configured to move from the permissible position to the restricted position by a solenoid 182, but this is not limited to this configuration. For example, a motor or the like may be used instead of the solenoid 182. Alternatively, the handle lock plate 181 may be moved from the permissible position to the restricted position via a mechanical linkage mechanism by a seat that stops across the pull-out unit 160 and the device body 1A.

[0050] Furthermore, although the display unit 173 was illuminated by the LED 171 in this embodiment, the invention is not limited to this. For example, an incandescent lamp or fluorescent lamp may be used instead of the LED 171, or the light source such as the LED 171 and the display unit 173 may be provided as an integrated unit.

[0051] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the display unit 173 had a key mark 173a, but is not limited to this. For example, the display unit 173 may indicate that the drawer unit 160 is locked to the device body 1A by displaying text such as "Locked". Alternatively, when the lock unit 180 is in an open state, the display unit 173 may indicate that the drawer unit 160 is not locked to the device body 1A by displaying a mark indicating that the lock is unlocked or text such as "Unlocked".

[0052] Furthermore, although this embodiment has been described using an electrophotographic printer 1, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the present invention can also be applied to an inkjet image forming apparatus that forms an image on a sheet by ejecting ink liquid from a nozzle.

[0053] The present invention can also be realized by supplying a program that implements one or more of the functions of the above embodiments to a system or device via a network or storage medium, and by having one or more processors in the computer of that system or device read and execute the program. It can also be realized by a circuit (e.g., an ASIC) that implements one or more functions. [Explanation of symbols]

[0054] 1: Image forming apparatus (printer) / 1A: Main unit / 5: Fixing unit / 91, 92: Conveyor rotating body / 150: Cover (front door) / 160: Drawer unit / 162: Conveyor operation unit (jam handling knob) / 171: Light source (LED) / 172: Light concentrating unit / 172a: Mark / 173: Display unit / 173a: Mark / 180: Regulating unit (lock unit) / 181: Regulating member (handle lock plate) / 182: Actuator (solenoid) / 183: Biasing unit (tension spring) / 187: Engaging part (projection) / 190: Engaged part (front stay) / 191, 192, 193, 194, 195: Sensor / 200: Control unit / DD: Drawer direction

Claims

1. In an image forming apparatus for forming an image on a sheet, A device body, a drawer unit that can be drawn out from the device body; a cover that is provided on the device body in an openable and closable manner and that is movable between a closed position that covers the drawer unit attached to the device body and an open position that exposes the drawer unit so that the drawer unit can be pulled out from the device body; a restricting portion that is capable of transitioning between a restricting state that restricts the drawer unit from being drawn out from the device body and an allowing state that allows the drawer unit to be drawn out from the device body; a display unit provided in the drawer unit for displaying the restricting state and the allowing state of the restricting unit, the display unit is exposed to the outside of the image forming apparatus when the cover is in the open position, and the display unit is covered by the cover when the cover is in the closed position.

1. An image forming apparatus comprising:

2. the cover is openable and closable with respect to the device body regardless of whether the restricting portion is in the restricting state or the allowing state.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1,

3. the regulating portion is in the regulating state when the sheet is stopped in a state in which the sheet straddles the apparatus main body and the drawer unit.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1,

4. Further comprising a sensor for detecting the position of the seat.

4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 3.

5. a control unit that controls the regulating unit to be in the regulated state when it is determined based on a detection result of the sensor that a sheet is stopped in a state in which the sheet straddles the device body and the drawer unit.

5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 4.

6. the drawer unit has an engaging portion that can engage with an engaged portion of the device body to restrict the drawer unit from being drawn out from the device body, and an operating portion that is connected to the engaging portion; the operating portion is movable between a locked position where the engaging portion and the engaged portion engage with each other to restrict the drawer unit from being drawn out from the device body, and an unlocked position where the engaging portion is retracted from the engaged portion to allow the drawer unit to be drawn out from the device body, the restricting unit includes a restricting member movable to a restricting position that restricts the operation unit from moving from the locked position to the unlocked position and to an allowing position that allows the operation unit to move from the locked position to the unlocked position, and an actuator that moves the restricting member from the allowing position to the restricting position, When the control unit determines based on a detection result of the sensor that the sheet is stopped in a state in which the sheet straddles the apparatus main body and the drawer unit, the control unit drives the actuator so that the regulating member is located at the regulating position.

6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 5,

7. The restricting portion has a biasing portion that biases the restricting member to the permitted position, the actuator is a solenoid that, when energized, moves the regulating member from the permitted position to the regulating position against the biasing force of the biasing portion.

7. The image forming apparatus according to claim 6,

8. the display unit and the operation unit are provided downstream of the drawer unit in a drawer direction when the drawer unit is drawn out from the device body; 8. The image forming apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the image forming apparatus is a recording medium.

9. The operating unit is rotatable about a rotation axis between the locked position and the unlocked position, The axial direction of the rotation shaft is parallel to the pull-out direction when the drawer unit is pulled out from the device main body.

9. The image forming apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the first and second electrodes are arranged in a first direction.

10. Further comprising a light source capable of illuminating the display unit.

10. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first and second electrodes are arranged in a first direction.

11. Further comprising a light source capable of illuminating the display unit, When the control unit determines based on a detection result of the sensor that a sheet is stopped in a state in which the sheet straddles the device main body and the drawer unit, the control unit turns on the light source.

10. The image forming apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the first and second electrodes are arranged in a first direction.

12. The drawer unit includes the light source and a light collecting unit that collects light emitted from the light source onto the display unit.

12. The image forming apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the first and second ink cartridges are arranged on the first and second surfaces.

13. The indication unit has a mark illuminated by the light source and is capable of transmitting light emitted from the light source.

13. The image forming apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the image forming apparatus is a multi-layered image forming apparatus.

14. The display unit is in a first state when the regulating unit is in the regulating state, and in a second state different from the first state when the regulating unit is in the permissive state, and the display unit in the first state is exposed to the outside of the image forming device when the cover is in the open position, and the display unit in the second state is covered by the cover when the cover is in the closed position.

10. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first and second electrodes are arranged in a first direction.

15. Further comprising a light source capable of illuminating the display unit, The light source is turned on when the display unit is in the first state, and is turned off when the display unit is in the second state.

15. The image forming apparatus according to claim 14.

16. the drawer unit includes a conveying rotating body that conveys a sheet, and a conveying operation unit that rotates the conveying rotating body, the transport operation unit is operable in a state where the cover is open relative to the device body; 16. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1,

17. The cover constitutes an exterior member of the device body.

17. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1,

18. The restricting portion is provided on the device body.

18. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1,

19. The drawer unit has a fixing device that fixes the toner image transferred onto the sheet onto the sheet.

19. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1,

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