Image forming apparatus

Abstract

To provide an image forming apparatus that prevents a situation where a manual tray, which closes an opening part provided in an inspection door which opens and closes an inspection hole formed in an apparatus body of the image forming apparatus, is opened due to an impact when the inspection door is opened.SOLUTION: An opening permission / prohibition mechanism 40 permitting or prohibiting a manual tray 35 from opening from an opening 34 comprises an engagement state changing mechanism 44. When an inspection door 32 is in a closed state, the engagement state changing mechanism 44 changes a state of an engagement member 42 so as to permit opening of the manual tray 35, and when the inspection door 32 is in an open state, changes the state of the engagement member 42 to prohibit opening of the manual tray 35.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an image forming apparatus that includes a device main body that forms a toner image on manually-fed paper, an inspection door that opens and closes an inspection hatch provided in a side wall of the device main body, and a manual feed tray that opens and closes an opening for manual paper feeding provided in the inspection door. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, an image forming apparatus is provided with an inspection door for opening and closing an inspection hatch formed on a side of the apparatus body, and a manual feed tray for opening and closing an opening for manual paper feed provided in the inspection door.

[0003] When the inspection door is opened, the inspection hatch allows access for maintenance of various parts inside the device body and for clearing paper jams. When the manual feed tray is opened and manual feed paper such as cardboard or photo paper is placed on it, the manual feed paper is fed into the device body through the manual feed opening and is printed on in the same way as printing paper loaded in the paper feed cassette of the paper feed device.

[0004] The inspection door and manual feed tray are configured to be kept closed by loosely hooking the locking claws on the inspection hatch or opening so that they can be opened easily. When the manual feed tray is not in use, it is closed against the inspection door as described above, but there is a risk that the locking claws will come loose and the manual feed tray will open due to the impact when the inspection door is opened for maintenance or the like.

[0005] Therefore, the image forming apparatus described in Patent Document 1 has a configuration in which manual feed tray 71 is locked or released by locking member 74 that moves between an engaged position and a released position as opening / closing cover 70 is opened. When opening / closing cover 70 is opened, locking member 74 reliably locks manual feed tray 17, so there is no risk of manual feed tray 17 being opened by the impact caused when opening opening cover 70. The names and symbols of the various parts in the description of the background art are taken from Cited Document 1. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] JP 2012-32591 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] However, in the image forming apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 1, because locking member 74 is provided at a position close to the pivot axis of opening / closing cover 70 so as to lock facing the opening direction of manual feed tray 17, it is necessary to increase the strength of the spring that biases locking member 74 in order to reliably lock manual feed tray 17. Furthermore, if the strength of the spring is increased, the structures of locking member 74 and manual feed tray 17 must also be made stronger to support the biasing force of the spring.

[0008] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide an image forming device in which a manual feed tray that closes an opening in an inspection door that is formed on the main body of the image forming device is prevented from opening due to the impact caused when the inspection door is opened. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, an image forming apparatus according to the present disclosure is an image forming apparatus including a device main body that forms a toner image on manually-fed paper, an inspection door that opens and closes an inspection hatch provided on a side wall of the device main body, and a manual feed tray that opens and closes an opening for manual feed paper provided in the inspection door, and includes an opening allowance suppression mechanism that allows or suppresses the manual feed tray from being opened from the opening, the opening allowance suppression mechanism including a housing provided on the inspection door, an engagement member held on the housing so as to be displaceable in a direction intersecting a direction in which the manual feed tray is opened and closed by adjusting the amount of protrusion from the housing, an engagement recess provided on the manual feed tray and with which a tip of the engagement member can engage, and an engagement state change mechanism that changes an engagement state between the tip and the engagement recess in conjunction with the open / closed state of the inspection door, and the engagement state change mechanism changes a state of the engagement member so that opening of the manual feed tray is permitted when the inspection door is in a closed state, and changes a state of the engagement member so that opening of the manual feed tray is suppressed when the inspection door is in an open state.

[0010] According to the above-mentioned configuration, when performing maintenance on various parts inside the device body or when clearing a paper jam, if the inspection door is in the open state, the engagement state change mechanism changes the state of the engagement member so as to prevent the manual feed tray from opening. As a result, the tip of the engagement member provided on the inspection door side engages with the engagement recess provided on the manual feed tray side, so that the manual feed tray, which closes the opening provided in the inspection door, is prevented from opening due to the impact when the inspection door is opened.

[0011] On the other hand, when the inspection door is closed, the engagement state change mechanism changes the state of the engagement member to allow the manual feed tray to be opened. This disengages the tip of the engagement member provided on the inspection door side from the engagement recess provided on the manual feed tray side, making it possible to manually feed paper using the manual feed tray.

[0012] In this way, the engagement member is configured to engage with the engagement recess in a direction intersecting the opening and closing direction of the manual feed tray to prevent the manual feed tray from being opened, so there is no need to use the biasing force of a biasing member as in the conventional technology to prevent the manual feed tray from being opened, and therefore no need for a strong structure capable of supporting the biasing force of a biasing member as in the conventional technology.

[0013] The image forming apparatus of the present disclosure may be characterized in that, when the inspection door is in a closed state, the engagement state change mechanism is configured to disengage the engagement member from the tip portion and the engagement recess by displacing the engagement member to a disengagement position where the tip portion and the engagement recess are not engaged, and to engage the tip portion and the engagement recess by displacing the engagement member to an engagement position where the tip portion and the engagement recess are engaged, when the inspection door is in an open state.

[0014] According to the above-described configuration, the engagement state changing mechanism can change the engagement state between the engagement member and the engagement recess by changing the position of the engagement member as the state of the engagement member.

[0015] The image forming apparatus according to the present disclosure may be characterized in that the engagement state change mechanism has a biasing member accommodated in the housing so as to bias the engaging member from the disengaged position toward the engaged position, and a biasing release member held in the housing so as to be displaceable in a direction intersecting the movement direction of the engaging member, and when the inspection door is in a closed state, the biasing release member is moved toward the inside of the housing by abutting against a stop portion provided on the device main body, and acts on the engaging member to move the engaging member from the engaged position toward the disengaged position against the biasing force of the biasing member, and when the inspection door is in an open state, the biasing release member is configured to move toward the outside of the housing in conjunction with the movement of the engaging member, which is moved from the disengaged position to the engaged position by the biasing force of the biasing member as it moves away from the stop portion.

[0016] According to the above-mentioned configuration, when the inspection door is in a closed state, the biasing member acts on the engaging member, and the engaging member is moved from the engaged position to the disengaged position against the biasing force of the biasing member, and the engagement between the tip and the engaging recess is released. When the inspection door is in an open state, the engaging member is moved from the disengaged position to the engaged position by the biasing force of the biasing member, and the tip and the engaging recess are engaged. In this way, since it is only necessary to use the biasing member and the biasing member, there is no need to use another driving source such as a motor.

[0017] The image forming apparatus according to the present disclosure may be characterized in that the engagement state change mechanism has a biasing member accommodated in the housing so as to bias the engaging member from the disengaged position toward the engaged position, and a biasing release member fixed to the device main body so as to be movable toward and away from the housing as the inspection door is opened and closed, and the biasing release member is configured to enter the housing when the inspection door is closed and act on the engaging member to move the engaging member from the engaged position toward the disengaged position against the biasing force of the biasing member, and to exit the housing when the inspection door is open.

[0018] According to the above-mentioned configuration, when the inspection door is in a closed state, the biasing member acts on the engaging member, and the engaging member is moved from the engaged position to the disengaged position against the biasing force of the biasing member, and the engagement between the tip and the engaging recess is released. When the inspection door is in an open state, the engaging member is moved from the disengaged position to the engaged position by the biasing force of the biasing member, and the tip and the engaging recess are engaged. In this way, since it is only necessary to use the biasing member and the biasing member, there is no need to use another driving source such as a motor.

[0019] The image forming apparatus according to the present disclosure may be characterized in that the contact surfaces of the engaging member and the force release member are each composed of an inclined surface that is inclined so as to widen outward from the engaging position side toward the disengaging position side with respect to an imaginary line connecting the engaging position and disengaging position of the engaging member.

[0020] According to the above-described configuration, the abutment surfaces composed of inclined surfaces slide against each other, so that the release member acts on the engaging member, and the position of the engaging member can be changed from the engaged position to the disengaged position against the biasing force of the biasing member.

[0021] It is preferable that the contact surfaces of the engaging member and the bias releasing member are inclined at an inclination angle of 45 degrees with respect to an imaginary line connecting the engaged position and the disengaged position of the engaging member, but the inclination angle may be an angle other than 45 degrees, and the contact surfaces may be curved surfaces that widen outward from the engaged position side toward the disengaged position side.

[0022] The image forming device of the present disclosure may be characterized in that the engagement surfaces of the tip portion and the engagement recess are composed of a plane extending in a direction along the movement direction of the engagement member, and the back surface of the engagement surface of the tip portion is composed of an inclined surface that slopes inwardly narrowing as it moves from the disengagement position side to the engagement position side.

[0023] According to the above-mentioned configuration, the tip portion and the engagement recess are engaged with each other at their engagement surfaces which are formed of planes extending in the direction along the movement direction of the engagement member, thereby reliably preventing the manual feed tray from being opened when in the engaged state.

[0024] On the other hand, even when the inspection door is opened with the manual feed tray open, the back surface of the engagement surface at the tip portion is configured as an inclined surface, so that the manual feed tray can move the engagement member from the engagement position to the disengagement position against the biasing force of the biasing member via the inclined surface in response to the operation of closing the manual feed tray. In other words, the manual feed tray can be closed even with the inspection door left open. When the manual feed tray is in the closed state, the biasing force of the biasing member causes the engagement member to return from the disengagement position to the engagement position, and the engagement member and the engagement recess are engaged.

[0025] The back surface of the engagement surface at the tip is inclined at an inclination angle of 45 degrees with respect to an imaginary line connecting the engagement position and the disengagement position of the engagement member. However, the inclination angle may be an angle other than 45 degrees, and the back surface may be a curved surface that widens outward as it moves from the engagement position side to the disengagement position side.

[0026] The image forming apparatus according to the present disclosure may be characterized in that, when the inspection door is in an open state, the engagement state change mechanism is configured to engage the tip portion with the engagement recess by urging the engagement member toward the engagement recess with a main spring force, and when the inspection door is in a closed state, to disengage the engagement between the tip portion and the engagement recess by urging the engagement member toward the engagement recess with a secondary spring force smaller than the main spring force.

[0027] According to the above-described configuration, the engagement state change mechanism can change the engagement state between the engagement member and the engagement recess by changing the biasing force that biases the engagement member toward the engagement recess, as the state of the engagement member.

[0028] In the image forming apparatus according to the present disclosure, the engagement state changing mechanism includes: a relay member accommodated in the housing so as to be movable along a moving direction of the engaging member; a first biasing member disposed between the relay member and the engaging member and configured to apply a biasing force toward the engaging recess along the moving direction of the engaging member; a second biasing member disposed between the relay member and the housing and configured to apply a biasing force toward the engaging recess along the moving direction of the engaging member; and a biasing release member held in the housing so as to be displaceable in a direction intersecting the moving direction of the relay member, When the inspection door is in a closed state, it is moved inwardly into the housing by abutting against an abutment portion provided on the device main body, and acts on the relay member to move the relay member from the biased position to the released position against the biasing force of the second biasing member, and when the inspection door is in an open state, it is moved outwardly of the housing in conjunction with the movement of the relay member, which is moved from the released position to the biased position by the biasing force of the second biasing member as it moves away from the abutment portion.

[0029] According to the above-described configuration, when the inspection door is in a closed state, the de-energizing member is moved toward the inside of the housing by abutting against the abutment portion provided on the device main body, and acts on the relay member to move the relay member from the energized position to the de-energizing position against the biasing force of the second biasing member.

[0030] As a result, the engaging member is urged toward the engaging recess by a secondary urging force consisting only of the urging force of the first urging member disposed between the engaging member and the relay member. By adjusting this secondary urging force to a level that allows the engaging member and the engaging recess to be easily disengaged, the manual feed tray can be easily opened or closed.

[0031] On the other hand, when the inspection door is in the open state, the release member is moved outward from the housing in conjunction with the movement of the second spring member from the release position to the spring position as it moves away from the abutment portion.

[0032] As a result, the engaging member is urged toward the engaging recess by a main urging force composed of a urging force by a first urging member disposed between the engaging member and the relay member and a urging force by a second urging member disposed between the relay member and the housing. This main urging force is adjusted to a level that does not release the engagement between the engaging member and the engaging recess, so that the manual feed tray is not opened.

[0033] The image forming apparatus according to the present disclosure may be characterized in that the contact surfaces of the relay member and the release member are each composed of an inclined surface that is inclined so as to widen outward from the biased position side toward the release position side with respect to an imaginary line connecting the biased position and the release position of the relay member.

[0034] According to the above-described configuration, the abutment surfaces composed of inclined surfaces slide against each other, so that the release member acts on the relay member, and the position of the relay member can be changed from the biased position to the released position against the biasing force of the biasing member.

[0035] It is preferable that the contact surfaces of the relay member and the release member are inclined at an inclination angle of 45 degrees with respect to an imaginary line connecting the biased position and the release position of the relay member, but the inclination angle may be an angle other than 45 degrees, and the contact surfaces may be curved surfaces that widen outward from the biased position side toward the release position side.

[0036] The image forming apparatus according to the present disclosure may be characterized in that an engagement surface of the tip portion that engages with the engagement recess is configured as an arcuate surface.

[0037] According to the above-described configuration, although the engagement surface for the engagement recess at the tip is composed of an arc-shaped surface, when the engagement member is urged toward the engagement recess by the main urging force, the engagement between the engagement member and the engagement recess is prevented from being released.

[0038] On the other hand, even when the inspection door is opened with the manual feed tray open, the engagement surface with the engagement recess at the tip portion is configured as an arc-shaped surface, so that the engagement member can move from the engagement position to the disengagement position against the secondary biasing force of the first biasing member via the arc-shaped surface in response to the operation of closing the manual feed tray. In other words, the manual feed tray can be closed even with the inspection door open. When the manual feed tray is in the closed state, the secondary biasing force of the first biasing member returns the engagement member from the disengagement position to the engagement position, and the engagement member and the engagement recess are engaged.

[0039] The image forming apparatus according to the present disclosure may be characterized in that the inspection door is configured to be able to be opened and closed with the lower end of the inspection door as a pivot point, the manual feed tray is configured to be able to be opened and closed independently of the inspection door with the lower end of the manual feed tray as a pivot point, and the open tolerance suppression mechanism is provided at a position above halfway in the height direction of the manual feed tray.

[0040] According to the above-described configuration, since the opening prevention mechanism is provided at a position above half of the height of the manual feed tray, the opening prevention mechanism requires less force to prevent the manual feed tray from opening than when the opening prevention mechanism is provided at a position below half of the height of the manual feed tray. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0041] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a front view of the appearance of the image forming apparatus; [Diagram 2] Right side view of the exterior of the image forming apparatus [Diagram 3] FIG. 1 is a front cross-sectional view showing the internal configuration of an image forming apparatus when the manual feed tray is in an open state; [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a front cross-sectional view showing the internal configuration of an image forming apparatus with an inspection door in an open state; [Diagram 5] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of the opening permission and suppression mechanism according to the first embodiment, illustrating a state in which the opening of the manual feed tray is permitted; [Figure 6]FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of the opening permission and suppression mechanism according to the first embodiment, illustrating a state in which the opening of the manual feed tray is suppressed. [Figure 7] FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram of the open-allowance suppression mechanism according to the second embodiment, illustrating a state in which the manual feed tray is allowed to be opened. [Figure 8] FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram of the opening permission and suppression mechanism according to the second embodiment, illustrating a state in which the opening of the manual feed tray is suppressed. [Figure 9] FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram of the open-allowance suppression mechanism according to the third embodiment, illustrating a state in which the manual feed tray is allowed to be opened. [Figure 10] FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram of the opening permission and suppression mechanism according to the third embodiment, illustrating a state in which the opening of the manual feed tray is suppressed. [Figure 11] FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram of the open-allowance suppression mechanism according to the fourth embodiment, illustrating a state in which the manual feed tray is allowed to be opened. [Figure 12] FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram of the opening permission and suppression mechanism according to the fifth embodiment, illustrating a state in which the opening of the manual feed tray is suppressed. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0042] (Embodiment 1) A first embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the same components in the embodiments described below are designated by the same reference numerals, and redundant descriptions of those components will be omitted.

[0043] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the image forming apparatus 1 is an electrophotographic monochrome image forming apparatus (printer) having a printing function. The image forming apparatus 1 is connected to an external device such as a personal computer (not shown) by wire or wirelessly, and forms a toner image on a medium, here a predetermined printing paper 2 (see Figures 3 and 4), in accordance with print image data sent from the external device. The image forming apparatus 1 is not limited to a monochrome type, and may be a color type.

[0044] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the image forming apparatus 1 includes, inside the apparatus main body 3, a charger 10, an exposure device 11, a photosensitive drum 12, a developing device 13, a cleaner device 14, a transfer device 15, a fixing device 16, a charge removal device 17, a paper feed device 18, a conveying means 19, and a paper discharge tray 20, as well as a control unit (not shown) that controls each of the above devices and means.

[0045] When the surface of the photoconductor drum 12, which has been charged to a uniform potential by the charger 10, is irradiated with laser light from the exposure device 11, the resistance value of the exposed area decreases, lowering the surface potential, and an electrostatic latent image corresponding to the image data for printing is formed. Toner is supplied from the development device 13 to this electrostatic latent image, and a toner image is developed.

[0046] The toner image formed on the surface of the photoconductor drum 12 is transferred to the printing paper 2 passing between the photoconductor drum 12 and the transfer device 15, and is heated and pressed in the fixing device 16. In this manner, the toner image is printed on the printing paper 2.

[0047] Any toner image remaining on the surface of the photoconductor drum 12 is scraped off by the cleaner device 14. After the surface of the photoconductor drum 12 has been cleaned by the cleaner device 14, the electrostatic latent image remaining on the surface of the photoconductor drum 12 is removed by the charge remover 17. This returns the photoconductor drum 12 to an uncharged state.

[0048] The paper feeder 18 has a paper feed cassette 18C for stacking the printing paper 2 on which the toner image is formed. In Fig. 3 and Fig. 4, only one stage of the paper feed cassette 18C of the paper feeder 18 is shown for ease of understanding, but multiple stages may be used. The printing paper 2 stacked in the paper feeder 18 is transported inside the device body 3 of the image forming apparatus 1 by the transport means 19, and is discharged to the paper discharge tray 20 after the toner image is transferred as described above.

[0049] The conveying means 19 includes a main path 191 and a reversing path 192 that branches off from the main path 191 and rejoins the main path 191. On the main path 191, there are arranged a pickup roller that picks up the print paper 2 from the paper feed cassette 18C of the paper feeder 18, a registration roller that aligns the leading edge of the print paper 2 to be supplied to the transfer device 15, and a paper discharge roller that discharges the print paper 2 to the transfer device 15, the fixing device 16, and the paper discharge tray 20. On the main path 191 and the reversing path 192, conveying rollers for conveying the print paper 2 are appropriately arranged.

[0050] As shown in Fig. 3, an inspection hatch 31 (see Fig. 4) and an inspection door 32 for opening and closing the inspection hatch 31 are provided on the right side wall 3R of the device body 3. The inspection door 32 is configured to be openable and closable with the lower end of the inspection door 32 serving as a pivot point. Note that the inspection door 32 is configured to be kept closed by loosely hooking a locking claw portion 33 onto the inspection hatch 31 so that it can be opened and closed easily.

[0051] 4, when the inspection door 32 is in an open state, it is possible to perform maintenance of each part inside the apparatus main body 3, specifically, the charger 10, exposure device 11, photoconductor drum 12, developing device 13, cleaner device 14, transfer device 15, fixing device 16, static eliminator 17, and conveying means 19, or to clear paper jams through the inspection opening 31. Note that the inspection opening 31 may be provided in a position on the side wall of the apparatus main body 3 that makes it easy to perform internal maintenance, etc., depending on the internal structure of the apparatus main body 3.

[0052] 3, the inspection door 32 is provided with an opening 34 for manual paper feed and a manual feed tray 35 for opening and closing the opening 34. The manual feed tray 35 is configured to be able to be opened and closed independently of the inspection door 32, with the lower end of the manual feed tray 35 as a pivot point. Note that the manual feed tray 35 is configured to be kept closed by a locking claw portion 36 loosely hooking onto the opening 34 so that it can be opened and closed easily.

[0053] When the manual feed tray 35 is opened and manual feed paper 4 such as cardboard or photo paper is placed on it, the manual feed paper 4 is supplied to the main path 191 of the conveying means 19 inside the device main body 3 through the manual feed opening 34, and is printed on in the same way as the printing paper 2 loaded in the paper feed cassette 18C of the paper feed device 18.

[0054] When manual feed tray 35 is not in use, it is closed off from inspection door 32, but as described above, when inspection door 32 is opened for maintenance or the like, there is a risk that the impact will cause locking claw portion 36 to come off and manual feed tray 35 to be released from opening 34. To prevent this, image forming apparatus 1 is provided with an opening permission suppression mechanism 40 (see FIGS. 1 and 2).

[0055] 1 and 2, the open prevention mechanism 40 is provided at a position above halfway in the height direction of the manual feed tray 35. Because the open prevention mechanism 40 is provided at a position above halfway in the height direction of the manual feed tray 35, the open prevention mechanism 40 requires less force to prevent the manual feed tray 35 from being opened than when the open prevention mechanism 40 is provided at a position below halfway in the height direction of the manual feed tray 35.

[0056] The open-restriction mechanism 40 will be described in detail with reference to Figures 5 and 6. The open-restriction mechanism 40 includes a housing 41, an engagement member 42, an engagement recess 43, and an engagement state change mechanism 44.

[0057] Housing 41 is provided on inspection door 32. Engagement member 42 is a generally vertically long flat member made of polyacetal resin, and is held in housing 41 so as to be displaceable in direction Y intersecting direction X in which manual feed tray 35 is opened and closed with an adjusted amount of protrusion from housing 41. Engagement recess 43 is a member made of ABS resin that has a U-shape in cross section, and is provided on manual feed tray 35, with which tip 45 of engagement member 42 can engage.

[0058] The engagement state changing mechanism 44 is a mechanism that changes the engagement state between the tip portion 45 and the engagement recess 43 in conjunction with the open / closed state of the inspection door 32. The engagement state changing mechanism 44 has a biasing member 49 and a bias releasing member 50.

[0059] The biasing member 49 is made up of a compression coil spring, and is accommodated in the housing 41 so as to bias the engaging member 42 from the disengaged position 42R (see FIG. 5) toward the engaged position 42L (see FIG. 6).

[0060] The force-releasing member 50 is a flat member made of polyacetal resin and is held in the housing 41 so as to be displaceable in a direction Z that intersects the movement direction of the engaging member 42 (a direction Y that intersects with the direction X in which the manual feed tray 35 opens and closes).

[0061] The abutment surfaces 51 and 52 of the engaging member 42 and the force release member 50 are each composed of inclined surfaces that incline outwardly from the engaging position 42L side toward the disengaging position 42R side with respect to an imaginary line connecting the engaging position 42L and the disengaging position 42R of the engaging member 42.

[0062] By sliding of abutment surfaces 51 and 52, which are composed of inclined surfaces, the force release member 50 acts on the engaging member 42, and can change the position of the engaging member 42 from the engaging position 42L to the disengaging position 42R against the biasing force of the biasing member 49.

[0063] The abutment surfaces 51 and 52 of the engaging member 42 and the bias releasing member 50 are each inclined at an inclination angle of 45 degrees with respect to an imaginary line connecting the engaging position 42L and the disengaging position 42R of the engaging member 42. However, the inclination angle may be an angle other than 45 degrees, and the abutment surfaces 51 and 52 may be curved surfaces that widen outward from the engaging position 42L side toward the disengaging position 42R side.

[0064] 5, when the inspection door 32 is in the closed state, the biasing release member 50 comes into contact with an abutment portion 5 provided on the device body 3, and is thereby moved toward the inside of the housing 41. As a result, the biasing release member 50 acts on the engaging member 42 to move the engaging member 42 from the engaging position 42L toward the disengaging position 42R against the biasing force of the biasing member 49, and the engagement between the tip portion 45 and the engaging recess 43 is released.

[0065] 6, when the inspection door 32 is in the open state, the biasing release member 50 is moved outwardly of the housing 41 in conjunction with the movement of the engaging member 42, which is moved from the disengagement position 42R to the engagement position 42L by the biasing force of the biasing member 49, as the biasing release member 50 moves away from the abutment portion 5. As a result, the tip portion 45 and the engaging recess 43 engage with each other.

[0066] When the inspection door 32 is in a closed state, the engagement state change mechanism 44 displaces the engaging member 42 to a disengagement position 42R where the tip portion 45 and the engagement recess 43 do not engage, thereby disengaging the tip portion 45 from the engagement recess 43, and when the inspection door 32 is in an open state, the engagement state change mechanism 44 engages the tip portion 45 and the engagement recess 43 by displacing the engaging member 42 to an engagement position 42L where the tip portion 45 and the engagement recess 43 engage.

[0067] As described above, the engagement state changing mechanism 44 can change the engagement state between the engagement member 42 and the engagement recess 43 by changing the position of the engagement member 42 as the state of the engagement member 42 .

[0068] The engagement surfaces 46 and 47 of the tip portion 45 and the engagement recess 43 are configured from planes extending in the direction along the movement direction of the engagement member 42. The tip portion 45 and the engagement recess 43 engage with each other at the engagement surfaces 46 and 47 configured from planes extending in the direction along the movement direction of the engagement member 42, so that the manual feed tray 35 is reliably prevented from being opened in the engaged state.

[0069] In contrast, the back surface 48 of the engagement surface 46 of the tip portion 45 is configured as an inclined surface that is inclined so as to narrow inwardly from the disengagement position 42R side toward the engagement position 42L side.

[0070] The back surface 48 of the engagement surface 46 of the tip portion 45 is inclined at an inclination angle of 45 degrees with respect to an imaginary line connecting the engagement position 42L and the disengagement position 42R of the engagement member 42. However, the inclination angle may be an angle other than 45 degrees, and the back surface 48 may be a curved surface that widens outward from the engagement position 42L side toward the disengagement position 42R side.

[0071] With this configuration, even when inspection door 32 is opened with manual feed tray 35 left open, back surface 48 of engagement surface 46 of tip 45 is constructed from an inclined surface, so that in response to the action of closing manual feed tray 35, manual feed tray 35 can move engagement member 42 from engagement position 42L to disengagement position 42R against the biasing force of biasing member 49 via the inclined surface, thereby allowing manual feed tray 35 to be closed.

[0072] When the manual feed tray 35 is in the closed state, the biasing force of the biasing member 49 causes the engaging member 42 to return from the disengaging position 42R to the engaging position 42L, and the engaging member 42 and the engaging recess 43 are engaged with each other.

[0073] As described above, in embodiment 1, when inspection door 32 is in the closed state, engagement state change mechanism 44 changes the state of engagement member 42 so that opening of manual feed tray 35 is permitted, and when inspection door 32 is in the open state, changes the state of engagement member 42 so that opening of manual feed tray 35 is prevented.

[0074] That is, when performing maintenance on various parts inside the device body 3 or when clearing a paper jam, the engagement state change mechanism 44 changes the state of the engagement member 42 so as to prevent the manual feed tray 35 from being opened when the inspection door 32 is in the open state. As a result, the tip 45 of the engagement member 42 provided on the inspection door 32 side engages with the engagement recess 43 provided on the manual feed tray 35 side, so that the manual feed tray 35 closing the opening 34 provided in the inspection door 32 is prevented from being opened by the impact when the inspection door 32 is opened.

[0075] On the other hand, when the inspection door 32 is in the closed state, the engagement state change mechanism 44 changes the state of the engagement member 42 so that the manual feed tray 35 can be opened, and the engagement between the tip 45 of the engagement member 42 provided on the inspection door 32 side and the engagement recess 43 provided on the manual feed tray 35 side is released, making it possible to supply manual feed paper 4 using the manual feed tray 35.

[0076] In this way, the engagement member 42 is configured to engage with the engagement recess 43 in a direction intersecting the opening and closing direction of the manual feed tray 35 to prevent the manual feed tray 35 from being opened, so there is no need to use the biasing force of a biasing member as in the prior art to prevent the manual feed tray 35 from being opened. Therefore, there is no need for a strong structure capable of supporting the biasing force of a biasing member as in the prior art.

[0077] (Embodiment 2) Next, a second embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to Figures 7 and 8. In the first embodiment, the bias releasing member 50 is held in the housing 41, but in the second embodiment, the bias releasing member 53 is disposed in the device body 3, which is a difference.

[0078] That is, the engagement state change mechanism 44 has a biasing member 49 accommodated in the housing 41 so as to bias the engaging member 42 from the disengagement position 42R toward the engagement position 42L, and a biasing release member 53 fixed to the device main body 3 so as to be able to move forward and backward relative to the housing 41 as the inspection door 32 is opened and closed.

[0079] 7, when the inspection door 32 is in the closed state, the biasing release member 53 enters the housing 41 and acts on the engaging member 42 to move the engaging member 42 from the engaging position 42L (see FIG. 8) toward the disengaging position 42R (see FIG. 7) against the biasing force of the biasing member 49. This causes the engagement between the tip portion 45 and the engaging recess 43 to be released.

[0080] 8, when the inspection door 32 is in the open state, the biasing release member 53 is retracted from the housing 41. As a result, the engaging member 42 is moved from the disengaged position 42R to the engaged position 42L by the biasing force of the biasing member 49, and the tip portion 45 and the engaging recess 43 engage with each other.

[0081] As described above, also in embodiment 2, when inspection door 32 is in the closed state, engagement state change mechanism 44 changes the state of engagement member 42 so that opening of manual feed tray 35 is permitted, and when inspection door 32 is in the open state, changes the state of engagement member 42 so that opening of manual feed tray 35 is prevented.

[0082] That is, when performing maintenance on various parts inside the device body 3 or when clearing a paper jam, if the inspection door 32 is in the open state, the engagement state change mechanism 44 changes the state of the engagement member 42 so as to prevent the manual feed tray 35 from being opened, and the tip 45 of the engagement member 42 provided on the inspection door 32 side engages with the engagement recess 43 provided on the manual feed tray 35 side. This prevents the manual feed tray 35, which closes the opening 34 provided in the inspection door 32, from being opened due to the impact when the inspection door 32 is opened.

[0083] On the other hand, when inspection door 32 is in the closed state, engagement state change mechanism 44 changes the state of engagement member 42 to allow opening of manual feed tray 35. This disengages tip 45 of engagement member 42 provided on the inspection door 32 side from engagement recess 43 provided on the manual feed tray 35 side, making it possible to feed manual feed paper 4 using manual feed tray 35.

[0084] In this way, the engagement member 42 is configured to engage with the engagement recess 43 in a direction intersecting the opening / closing direction of the manual feed tray 35 to suppress the opening of the manual feed tray 35, and therefore, unlike the conventional technology, it is not necessary to utilize the biasing force of a biasing member to suppress the opening of the manual feed tray 35. Therefore, unlike the conventional technology, there is no need for a strong structure capable of supporting the biasing force of a biasing member.

[0085] (Embodiment 3) Next, a third embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0086] The engagement state change mechanism 44 has an intermediate member 55 housed movably along the movement direction of the engagement member 54, a first biasing member 56, a second biasing member 57, and a bias releasing member 58.

[0087] The engaging member 54 is an elongated flat member made of polyacetal resin as a whole, and is held in the housing 41 so as to be displaceable in a direction Y intersecting the direction X in which the manual feed tray 35 opens and closes, with the amount of protrusion from the housing 41 adjusted. An engaging surface 60 of a tip 59 of the engaging member 54 that engages with the engaging surface 47 of the engaging recess 43 is formed of an arc-shaped surface. The shape of the tip 59 can be adopted in other embodiments, and a shape in other practical forms can be adopted.

[0088] The relay member 55 is a flat plate-like member made of polyacetal resin, and is accommodated in the housing 41 so as to be movable along the movement direction of the engaging member 54.

[0089] The first biasing member 56 is formed of a compression coil spring, and is accommodated in the housing 41 in a manner such that it is disposed between the relay member 55 and the engaging member 42. The first biasing member 56 applies a biasing force to the engaging member 54 toward the engaging recess 43 along the movement direction.

[0090] The second biasing member 57 is formed of a compression coil spring, and is disposed between the relay member 55 and the housing 41. The second biasing member 57 can apply a biasing force to the engaging member 54 toward the engaging recess 43 along the movement direction.

[0091] The biasing release member 58 is a flat member made of polyacetal resin and is held in the housing 41 so as to be displaceable in a direction Z intersecting the movement direction of the relay member 55 (a direction Y intersecting the direction X in which the manual feed tray 35 opens and closes).

[0092] The contact surfaces 61 and 62 of the relay member 55 and the release member 58 are each composed of an inclined surface that is inclined so as to widen outward from the side of the biased position 55L toward the side of the release position 55R, relative to an imaginary line connecting the biased position 55L and the release position 55R of the relay member 55.

[0093] By the sliding of the abutment surface 61, which is composed of an inclined surface, and the abutment surface 62, the force release member 58 acts on the relay member 55, and the position of the relay member 55 can be changed from the biased position 55L (see Figure 10) to the biased release position 55R (see Figure 9) against the biasing force of the second biasing member 57.

[0094] It is preferable that the contact surfaces 61 and 62 of the relay member 55 and the bias release member 58 are inclined at an inclination angle of 45 degrees with respect to an imaginary line connecting the biased position 55L and the bias release position 55R of the relay member 55. However, the inclination angle may be an angle other than 45 degrees, and the contact surfaces 61 and 62 may be curved surfaces that widen outward from the biased position 55L side toward the bias release position 55R side.

[0095] With the above-described configuration, as shown in FIG. 9, when the inspection door 32 is in the closed state, the force-releasing member 58 is moved toward the inside of the housing 41 by abutting against the abutment portion 5 provided on the device main body 3, and acts on the relay member 55 to move the relay member 55 from the biased position 55L toward the bias-releasing position 55R against the biasing force of the second biasing member 57.

[0096] As a result, the engaging member 54 is urged toward the engaging recess 43 by a secondary urging force consisting only of the urging force of the first urging member 56 disposed between the engaging member 54 and the relay member 55. This secondary urging force is adjusted to such an extent that the engagement state between the engaging member 54 and the engaging recess 43 can be easily released, so that the manual feed tray 35 can be easily opened or closed.

[0097] On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 10, when the inspection door 32 is in the open state, the release member 58 is moved outward from the housing 41 in conjunction with the movement of the relay member 55, which is moved from the release position 55R to the activated position 55L by the biasing force of the second biasing member 57 as it moves away from the abutment portion 5.

[0098] As a result, the urging member 49 is urged toward the engagement recess 43 by a main urging force composed of a urging force by a first urging member 56 disposed between the urging member 49 and the relay member 55 and a urging force by a second urging member 57 disposed between the relay member 55 and the housing 41. This main urging force is adjusted to a degree that does not release the engagement between the engagement member 42 and the engagement recess 43, so that the manual feed tray 35 is not opened.

[0099] As described above, when the inspection door 32 is in the open state, the engagement state change mechanism 44 urges the engaging member 54 toward the engagement recess 43 with a main spring force, thereby engaging the tip portion 59 with the engagement recess 43, and when the inspection door 32 is in the closed state, the engagement state change mechanism 44 urges the engaging member 54 toward the engagement recess 43 with a secondary spring force that is smaller than the main spring force, thereby disengaging the tip portion 59 from the engagement recess 43.

[0100] That is, the engagement state changing mechanism 44 can change the engagement state between the engagement member 54 and the engagement recess 43 by changing the biasing force that biases the engagement member 54 toward the engagement recess 43 as the state of the engagement member 54.

[0101] (Embodiment 4) Next, a fourth embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to Figures 11 and 12. In the second embodiment, the contact surface 52 of the bias releasing member 53 disposed in the device body 3 is configured as an inclined surface having the same inclination angle as the contact surface 51 of the engaging member 42, but in the fourth embodiment, the contact surface 52 is configured as a plane parallel to the moving direction of the engaging member 42, and the housing 41 is provided with an action piece 63 that can come into contact with the contact surface 51 and the contact surface 52.

[0102] That is, the engagement state change mechanism 44 has a biasing member 49 accommodated in the housing 41 so as to bias the engaging member 42 from the disengagement position 42R (see Figure 12) toward the engagement position 42L (see Figure 11), a biasing release member 53 fixed to the device main body 3 so as to be able to advance and retreat relative to the housing 41 as the inspection door 32 is opened and closed, and an action piece 63 arranged between the biasing release member 53 and the engaging member 42.

[0103] The action piece 63 has a rotation shaft 64 supported by the housing 41 and an action portion 65 that contacts the contact surface 51 and the contact surface 52 .

[0104] As shown in FIG. 11, when the inspection door 32 is in the closed state, the force-releasing member 53 enters the housing 41 and acts on the engaging member 42 via the acting portion 65 to move the engaging member 42 from the engaging position 42L toward the disengaging position 42R against the biasing force of the biasing member 49, thereby releasing the engagement between the tip portion 45 and the engaging recess 43.

[0105] 12, when the inspection door 32 is in the open state, the biasing release member 53 is retracted from the housing 41. As a result, the engaging member 42 is moved from the disengaged position 42R to the engaged position 42L by the biasing force of the biasing member 49, and the tip portion 45 and the engaging recess 43 are engaged with each other.

[0106] As described above, also in embodiment 4, when inspection door 32 is in the closed state, engagement state change mechanism 44 changes the state of engagement member 42 so that opening of manual feed tray 35 is permitted, and when inspection door 32 is in the open state, changes the state of engagement member 42 so that opening of manual feed tray 35 is prevented.

[0107] That is, when performing maintenance on various parts inside the device body 3 or when clearing a paper jam, the engagement state change mechanism 44 changes the state of the engagement member 42 so as to prevent the manual feed tray 35 from being opened when the inspection door 32 is in the open state. As a result, the tip 45 of the engagement member 42 provided on the inspection door 32 side engages with the engagement recess 43 provided on the manual feed tray 35 side, so that the manual feed tray 35 closing the opening 34 provided in the inspection door 32 is prevented from being opened by the impact when the inspection door 32 is opened.

[0108] On the other hand, when the inspection door 32 is in the closed state, the engagement state change mechanism 44 changes the state of the engagement member 42 so that the manual feed tray 35 can be opened, and the engagement between the tip 45 of the engagement member 42 provided on the inspection door 32 side and the engagement recess 43 provided on the manual feed tray 35 side is released, making it possible to supply manual feed paper 4 using the manual feed tray 35.

[0109] In this way, the engagement member 42 is configured to engage with the engagement recess 43 in a direction intersecting the opening / closing direction of the manual feed tray 35 to suppress the opening of the manual feed tray 35, and therefore, unlike the conventional technology, it is not necessary to utilize the biasing force of a biasing member to suppress the opening of the manual feed tray 35. Therefore, unlike the conventional technology, there is no need for a strong structure capable of supporting the biasing force of a biasing member.

[0110] The configurations disclosed in any of the above-described embodiments may be applied in combination with configurations disclosed in other embodiments, provided that no inconsistencies arise. Furthermore, the embodiments disclosed in this specification are merely examples, and the embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited thereto, and may be modified as appropriate within the scope of the present disclosure. [Explanation of symbols]

[0111] 1: Image forming device 2: Printing paper 3: Device body 3R: Right side wall (side wall) 4: Manual paper feed 5: Abutment 18C: Paper feed cassette 19: Means of transportation 31: Inspection hatch 32: Inspection door 34: Opening 35: Manual feed tray 40: Open tolerance suppression mechanism 41: Housing 42: Engagement member 42L: Engagement position 42R: Disengagement position 43: Engagement recess 44: Engagement state change mechanism 45:Tip 46: Engagement surface 47: Engagement surface 48: Back side 49: Pressing member 50: Force releasing member 51: Contact surface 52: Contact surface 53: Force releasing member 54: Engagement member 55: Relay parts 55L: Forced position 55R: Unenergized position 56: First biasing member 57: Second biasing member 58: Force releasing member 59:Tip 60: Engagement surface 61: Contact surface 62: Contact surface 63: Working piece 64: Rotating shaft 65:Action part X: Direction Y : Direction Z : Direction

Claims

1. a device body for forming a toner image on a manually-fed sheet; an inspection door for opening and closing an inspection hatch provided on a side wall of the device body; a manual feed tray that opens and closes an opening for manual feed provided in the inspection door, the manual feed tray includes an opening permission and suppression mechanism that allows or suppresses the manual feed tray from being opened through the opening, The opening allowance suppression mechanism includes: A housing provided in the inspection door; an engaging member held in the housing so as to be displaceable in a direction intersecting a direction in which the manual feed tray is opened and closed, with the amount of protrusion from the housing being adjusted; an engagement recess provided in the manual feed tray and capable of engaging with a tip end of the engagement member; and an engagement state change mechanism that changes an engagement state between the tip portion and the engagement recess in conjunction with an open / close state of the inspection door, The engagement state change mechanism includes: When the access door is in a closed state, the state of the engaging member is changed so as to allow the manual feed tray to be opened; When the inspection door is in an open state, the state of the engaging member is changed so as to prevent the manual feed tray from being opened.

2. The engagement state change mechanism includes: When the inspection door is in a closed state, the engagement member is displaced to a disengagement position where the tip portion and the engagement recess are not engaged, thereby disengaging the tip portion and the engagement recess; 2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the inspection door is in an open state, the tip portion and the engagement recess are engaged by displacing the engagement member to an engagement position where the tip portion and the engagement recess are engaged.

3. The engagement state change mechanism includes: a biasing member accommodated in the housing to bias the engaging member from the disengaged position toward the engaged position; a bias releasing member held in the housing so as to be displaceable in a direction intersecting the moving direction of the engaging member, The bias releasing member is When the inspection door is in a closed state, the inspection door is moved toward the inside of the housing by abutting against a stop portion provided on the device main body, and acts on the engaging member to move the engaging member from the engaging position toward the disengaging position against the biasing force of the biasing member, 3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2, wherein when the inspection door is in an open state, the inspection door is configured to be moved outwardly of the housing in conjunction with the movement of the engaging member, which is moved from the disengaged position to the engaged position by the biasing force of the biasing member, as the inspection door moves away from the abutment portion when the inspection door is in an open state.

4. The engagement state change mechanism includes: a biasing member accommodated in the housing to bias the engaging member from the disengaged position toward the engaged position; a bias releasing member fixed to the device body so as to be movable forward and backward with respect to the housing in response to the opening and closing of the inspection door, The bias releasing member is When the inspection door is in a closed state, the locking member enters the housing and acts on the engaging member to move the engaging member from the engaged position toward the disengaged position against the biasing force of the biasing member, 3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the access door is configured to allow the user to exit from the housing when the access door is in an open state.

5. 5. An image forming apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the contact surfaces of the engaging member and the releasing member are each configured as an inclined surface that is inclined so as to widen outward from the engaging position side toward the releasing position side with respect to an imaginary line connecting the engaging position and the releasing position of the engaging member.

6. an engagement surface between the tip portion and the engagement recess portion is formed of a plane extending in a direction along the moving direction of the engagement member, 5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 3, wherein a surface of the tip of the engaging surface is inclined inwardly and narrows from the disengagement position toward the engagement position.

7. The engagement state change mechanism includes: When the inspection door is in an open state, the engaging member is biased toward the engaging recess by a main biasing force to engage the tip portion with the engaging recess, 2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the inspection door is in a closed state, the engagement between the tip portion and the engagement recess can be released by biasing the engagement member toward the engagement recess with a secondary bias force that is smaller than the main bias force.

8. The engagement state change mechanism includes: a relay member accommodated in the housing so as to be movable along a moving direction of the engaging member; a first biasing member disposed between the relay member and the engaging member and configured to apply a biasing force toward the engaging recess along the movement direction of the engaging member, and a second biasing member disposed between the relay member and the housing and configured to apply a biasing force toward the engaging recess along the movement direction of the engaging member; a bias releasing member held in the housing so as to be displaceable in a direction intersecting the moving direction of the relay member, The bias releasing member is When the inspection door is in a closed state, the inspection door is moved toward the inside of the housing by abutting against a stop portion provided on the device main body, and acts on the relay member to move the relay member from the biased position to the biased release position against the biasing force of the second biasing member, 8. The image forming apparatus according to claim 7, wherein when the inspection door is in an open state, the inspection door is configured to be moved outwardly of the housing in conjunction with the movement of the relay member, which is moved from the release position to the biased position by the biasing force of the second biasing member as the inspection door moves away from the abutment portion.

9. 9. The image forming apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the contact surfaces of the relay member and the release member are each configured as an inclined surface that is inclined outwardly with respect to an imaginary line connecting the biased position and the release position of the relay member from the biased position side toward the release position side.

10. 9. The image forming apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the engaging surface of the tip portion that engages with the engaging recess is formed as an arcuate surface.

11. The inspection door is configured to be openable and closable with a lower end of the inspection door as a pivot point, the manual feed tray is configured to be able to be opened and closed independently of the inspection door, with a lower end of the manual feed tray as a pivot point; 2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the opening allowing and restricting mechanism is provided at a position above half of the manual feed tray in a height direction.

Images