Latching device, sheet transporting device, and image forming apparatus
Patent Information
- Application Number
- JP2023138093
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2023-08-28
- Publication Date
- 2026-09-07
AI Technical Summary
【0008】 本発明によれば、ラッチと被係止部材の相対位置を適切に調整することができる。
Smart Images
Figure 00000000_0000_ABST
Abstract
Description
[Technical field]
[0001] The present invention relates to a sheet conveying device and an image forming apparatus that are provided with an opening and closing door. [Background technology]
[0002] An image forming apparatus equipped with an opening / closing door allows access to the inside of the apparatus when the opening / closing door is open, and has a structure in which a latch provided on the opening / closing door engages with a locked member to lock the opening / closing door in order to maintain the opening / closing door in a closed state. Patent Document 1 discloses an image forming apparatus equipped with an opening / closing door that can rotate around a rotation axis. The opening / closing door is provided with a metal frame. The metal frame is suspended from the opening / closing door by a latch axis that supports the rotation latch and the rotation axis of the opening / closing door. The metal frame is provided with a biasing member that biases a removable unit that is detachable from the image forming apparatus main body in an installation direction. According to Patent Document 1, the strength of the opening / closing door can be improved while maintaining the operability of the opening / closing door. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]
[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2017-161757 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]
[0004] On the other hand, for example, in the case of a large door installed in a large image forming apparatus such as a B3 size printer or a high-speed continuous feed machine, the relative position between the latch and the locked member may shift due to distortion caused by the door's own weight, dimensional variations in the components, etc. If the relative positions between the latch and the locked member shift, the latch may be in a half-engaged state or in an unengaged state when the door is closed.
[0005] Furthermore, when one roller of a roller pair of a conveying device, a fixing device, or the like is provided in the housing of the image forming device and the other roller is provided in the door, the roller of the door is pressed against the roller of the housing when the door is closed. When a sheet with high stiffness such as cardboard is conveyed to the roller pair pressed against each other in this way, the reaction force when the roller pair pinches the sheet acts on the door, so that the latch and the locked member receive a force in the direction in which the door opens, i.e., in the direction in which the latch is released. This can cause distortion of the door, and the latch may become disengaged from the locked member.
[0006] In order to prevent the latch from being disengaged from the locked member, it is possible to increase the degree of engagement between the latch and the locked member. However, increasing the degree of engagement would result in larger latch and latch release mechanisms, which may increase the size of the entire image forming apparatus. It is also possible to increase the degree of engagement between the latch and the locked member by adjusting the position of the door hinge. However, a large door is heavy, so multiple workers are required to adjust the position of the door hinge, or a device is required to lift the door, which reduces workability. [Means for solving the problem]
[0007] A sheet conveying device for conveying a sheet according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: A housing and an opening and closing door that opens and closes with respect to the housing; A latch provided on the opening and closing door; A handle provided on the opening and closing door for operating the latch; a latch member provided on the housing and engageable with the latch; Equipped with The latch engages with the latched member when the door is closed, When the door is closed, the latch is operated by the handle, thereby disengaging the latch from the latched member; The position of the locked member is adjustable in a locking direction in which the latch locks with the locked member. Effect of the Invention
[0008] According to the present invention, the relative positions of the latch and the latched member can be appropriately adjusted. [Brief description of the drawings]
[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. [Diagram 2] FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view of the feeding module with the upper door unit open. [Figure 4] FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the latch release mechanism of the handle. [Figure 6] 13 is a schematic cross-sectional side view of an upper door unit equipped with an elastic member for assisting operation. FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of an operating force curve when opening and closing the upper door unit. [Figure 8] FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view of the latch and the locked member; [Figure 9] FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view of the supporting member and the locked member; [Figure 10] FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram of a state before a position of a locked member is adjusted. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram of the state in which the stopper is removed from the state shown in FIG. 10 . [Figure 12] FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which the locked member has moved and contacted the latch. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, but the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments.
[0011] (Image forming device) An image forming apparatus 1 according to this embodiment will be described below with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional view of the image forming apparatus 1. The image forming apparatus 1 is a sheet-fed type, and forms an ink image (image) on a sheet using two liquids, a reaction liquid and ink. The image forming apparatus 1 includes a feeding module (sheet conveying device) 1000, a print module 2000, a drying module 3000, a fixing module 4000, a cooling module 5000, an inversion module 6000, and a discharge stacking module 7000. A sheet fed from the feeding module 1000 is conveyed along a conveying path, processed in each module, and discharged to the discharge stacking module 7000.
[0012] (Feeding module) The feeding module 1000 includes three storages (sheet storages) 1100a, 1100b, and 1100c, each of which stores a plurality of sheets. The three feeding units 1102a, 1102b, and 1102c are disposed facing the sheets stored in the three storages 1100a, 1100b, and 1100c, respectively. The sheets stored in the storages 1100a, 1100b, and 1100c are separated one by one by the feeding units 1102a, 1102b, and 1102c, which serve as a conveying means, and are conveyed to the print module 2000 via a conveying path in the feeding module 1000. The number of storages 1100a, 1100b, and 1100c is not limited to three, and may be one, two, or four or more. Moreover, by connecting another feeding module to the right side of the feeding module 1000 in FIG. 1, that is, by multiple-unit connection, a plurality of further feeding sections can be provided.
[0013] (Print Module) The print module 2000 has a pre-imaging registration correction section 2100, a print belt unit 2200, and a recording section (image forming section) 2300. The sheet transported from the feeding module 1000 has its inclination and position corrected by the pre-imaging registration correction section 2100, and is transported to the print belt unit 2200. The recording section 2300 is disposed at a position facing the print belt unit 2200 across the transport path. The recording section 2300 is an image forming section that performs recording processing (printing) on the sheet transported in the transport direction CD from above using a recording head to form an image on the sheet. The sheet is attracted to and transported by the print belt unit 2200, ensuring clearance with the recording head.
[0014] A plurality of recording heads are arranged along the conveying direction CD. In this embodiment, the recording heads include a total of five line-type recording heads corresponding to the reaction liquids in addition to the four colors of Y (yellow), M (magenta), C (cyan), and Bk (black). The number of colors and the number of recording heads are not limited to five. The inkjet method can adopt a method using a heating element, a method using a piezoelectric element, a method using an electrostatic element, a method using a MEMS element, etc. Ink of each color is supplied to the recording head from an ink tank (not shown) through an ink tube. The sheet printed by the recording unit 2300 is conveyed by the print belt unit 2200 to an in-line scanner (not shown) arranged downstream of the recording unit 2300 in the conveying direction. The in-line scanner (not shown) can detect the misalignment and color density of the image formed on the sheet and correct the printed image.
[0015] (Drying module) The drying module 3000 includes a decoupling section 3200, a drying belt unit 3300, and a hot air blowing section 3400. The drying module 3000 is a unit that reduces the liquid content contained in the ink applied to the sheet by the recording section 2300 and enhances the fixation of the ink to the sheet. The sheet on which an ink image is formed by the recording section 2300 of the print module 2000 is transported to the decoupling section 3200 arranged in the drying module 3000. The decoupling section 3200 applies air pressure from above to weakly hold the sheet on the belt, and transports the sheet by the frictional force of the belt. This prevents the sheet on which the ink image is formed from being shifted on the print belt unit 2200. The sheet transported from the decoupling section 3200 is adsorbed and transported by the drying belt unit 3300, while hot air is blown from the hot air blowing section 3400 arranged above the drying belt unit 3300, and the ink-applied surface of the sheet is dried. In addition to the method of applying hot air, the drying method may be a method of irradiating the surface of the sheet with electromagnetic waves (ultraviolet rays, infrared rays, etc.), a conductive heat transfer method by contact with a heating element, or a combination of these methods.
[0016] (Fixing module) The fixing module 4000 includes a fixing belt unit 4100 and a first reversing section 4200. The fixing belt unit 4100 can fix the ink to the sheet by passing the sheet conveyed from the drying module 3000 between a heated upper belt unit and a lower belt unit. The double-sided conveying section of the fixing module 4000 is provided with a first reversing section 4200 that reverses the front and back of the sheet.
[0017] (Cooling module) The cooling module 5000 includes multiple cooling units 5100 that cool the high-temperature sheet transported from the fixing module 4000. The cooling units 5100 take in outside air into a cooling box with a fan, increase the pressure inside the cooling box, and cool the sheet by blowing air from nozzles formed in the transport guide onto the sheet. The cooling units 5100 are disposed on both sides of the transport path and cool the sheet from both sides.
[0018] The cooling module 5000 also includes a conveying path switching unit 5200. The conveying path switching unit 5200 switches the conveying path of the sheet according to whether the sheet is conveyed to the inversion module 6000 or to the double-sided conveying path 1800 used for double-sided printing. During double-sided printing, the sheet is conveyed to a conveying path 5300 below the cooling module 5000 by the conveying path switching unit 5200. The sheet is conveyed from the conveying path 5300 to the double-sided conveying path 1800 in the feeding module 1000 via the conveying path 4300 in the fixing module 4000, the conveying path 3500 in the drying module 3000, and the conveying path 2400 in the print module 2000. The sheet is conveyed from the double-sided conveying path 1800 to the pre-image registration correction unit 2100, the print belt unit 2200, and the recording unit 2300 of the print module 2000 again, where an ink image is formed by the recording unit 2300.
[0019] (Inversion module) The reversing module 6000 includes a second reversing unit 6400. The second reversing unit 6400 reverses the front and back of the sheet being conveyed. This allows the reversing module 6000 to change the front and back orientation of the sheet being discharged.
[0020] (Discharge Loading Module) The discharge stacking module 7000 includes a top tray 7200 and a stacking section 7500. The discharge stacking module 7000 aligns and stacks the sheets conveyed from the reversing module 6000 on the top tray 7200 or the stacking section 7500.
[0021] The image forming apparatus 1 according to this embodiment is an inkjet recording apparatus that forms an ink image on a sheet as a recording medium. However, the image forming apparatus 1 is not limited to this, and may be, for example, an electrophotographic image forming apparatus that forms a toner image on a sheet as a recording medium.
[0022] (Configuration of the Feeding Module) Next, the configuration of the feeding module 1000 will be described with reference to Figs. 2 and 3. Fig. 2 is a schematic perspective view of the feeding module 1000. Fig. 3 is a schematic perspective view of the feeding module 1000 with the upper door unit open. As shown in Fig. 2, in the feeding module 1000, storage cabinets 1100a, 1100b, and 1100c are arranged in a vertically stacked manner. An upper door unit (opening / closing door) 1200 is arranged above the storage cabinet 1100a. As shown in Fig. 3, the upper door unit 1200 is rotatably connected to the housing 1300 of the feeding module 1000 by a left hinge 1501 and a right hinge 1502 arranged on the left and right sides of the rear side of the upper door unit 1200.
[0023] The upper door unit 1200 supports an upper conveying unit 1700. The upper conveying unit 1700 is provided with a first conveying surface that forms a part of the sheet conveying path and a rotatable conveying roller (first conveying roller) 1710. The conveying roller 1710 is elastically biased with a predetermined pressure in a direction toward the housing 1300. The lower conveying unit 1400 is supported by the housing 1300. The lower conveying unit 1400 is provided with a second conveying surface that forms a part of the sheet conveying path and a rotatable conveying roller (second conveying roller) 1410. The conveying roller 1410 is rotated by a driving force from a driving source (not shown). When the upper door unit 1200 is in a closed state, the conveying roller 1410 and the conveying roller 1710 come into contact with each other with a predetermined nip pressure to form a roller pair, and the first conveying surface and the second conveying surface define the conveying path. When the conveying roller 1410 is rotated by a driving force from a driving source (not shown), the conveying roller 1710 rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the conveying roller 1410. A sheet fed from the storage 1100a, 1100b, or 1100c is conveyed to the roller pair (conveying rollers 1410, 1710) and conveyed downstream by the roller pair.
[0024] Next, the configuration of the latch 1601 provided in the upper door unit 1200 and the locked member 1650 provided in the housing 1300 will be described with reference to Figs. 4 and 5. Fig. 4 is a schematic perspective view of the handle 1600 and the latch 1601 and its surroundings. Fig. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the latch release mechanism 1620 of the handle 1600 and its surroundings. Fig. 5(a) is a diagram showing a latched state in which the latch 1601 is engaged with the locked member 1650. Fig. 5(b) is a diagram showing a latched state in which the engagement between the latch 1601 and the locked member 1650 is released.
[0025] When a user accesses the inside of the feeding module 1000 for jam removal or maintenance, the user operates a handle 1600 provided in the approximate center of the main body of the feeding module 1000, which activates a latch release mechanism 1620 to open the upper door unit 1200. The handle 1600 is rotatably supported by a rotating shaft support plate 1604 via a handle rotating shaft 1605. The handle 1600 is elastically biased by a handle biasing spring 1609 so as to return to a predetermined return position of the handle 1600.
[0026] A rotation transmitting part 1610 is provided on the rear side of the handle 1600. The rotation transmitting part 1610 is arranged so as to contact a rotation receiving part 1611 provided on a latch shaft 1602 rotatably supported at both ends of the upper door unit 1200. A latch 1601 is fixed to each end of the latch shaft 1602. The latch 1601 rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the latch shaft 1602. The latch 1601 is elastically biased by a latch biasing spring (second elastic member) 1603 in a second direction SD in which the latch 1601 rotates toward the latched member 1650. After the latch 1601 rotates and the rotation is released, the latch 1601 is configured to return to a return position (predetermined position) RP with a predetermined return force by the latch biasing spring 1603.
[0027] The latched member 1650 is provided on the housing 1300 and can be engaged with the latch 1601. When the upper door unit 1200 is closed, the latch 1601 is configured to be disposed at a position where it engages with the latched member 1650 provided on the housing 1300. The latch 1601 engages with the latched member 1650, thereby making it possible to maintain the closed state of the upper door unit 1200. When the upper door unit 1200 is closed, the latch 1601 is operated by the handle 1600, thereby making it possible to release the engagement between the latch 1601 and the latched member 1650. When opening the upper door unit 1200, the user operates the handle 1600 upward to rotate the handle 1600 around the handle rotation shaft 1605. The rotation of the handle 1600 rotates the latch shaft 1602 and the latch 1601 via the rotation transmitting part 1610 and the rotation receiving part 1611. This releases the engagement between the latch 1601 and the locked member 1650. The upper door unit 1200 then becomes rotatable about the rotation center of the left hinge 1501 and the right hinge 1502. As shown in FIG. 3, by opening the upper door unit 1200 with respect to the housing 1300, it becomes possible to perform maintenance work or jam clearance work on the upper transport unit 1700 provided in the upper door unit 1200 and the lower transport unit 1400 provided in the housing 1300.
[0028] FIG. 6 is a schematic side cross-sectional view of the upper door unit 1200 equipped with an elastic member 1750 for operation assistance. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of an operating force curve when the upper door unit 1200 is opened and closed. FIG. 6(a) shows a state in which the upper door unit 1200 is closed. FIG. 6(b) shows a state in which the upper door unit 1200 is open. The vertical axis in FIG. 7 represents the operating force. The positive side of the vertical axis represents the operating force required to open the upper door unit 1200, and the negative side of the vertical axis represents the operating force required to close the upper door unit 1200. The horizontal axis in FIG. 7 represents the opening angle of the upper door unit 1200 relative to the housing 1300. As the upper door unit 1200 opens from the left to the right on the horizontal axis, the opening angle becomes larger.
[0029] Incidentally, in a large-sized image forming apparatus 1, the upper door unit 1200 supporting the upper conveying unit 1700 is often heavy. Therefore, for example, a configuration may be adopted in which the upper door unit 1200 is elastically biased in the direction in which the upper door unit 1200 opens by an elastic member 1750 such as a gas spring, thereby reducing the operating force required when the user opens the upper door unit 1200 and improving operability. The arrangement and biasing force of the elastic member 1750 can be set arbitrarily, and the operating behavior when opening and closing the upper door unit 1200 can be set arbitrarily. In consideration of operability, for example, as soon as the engagement between the latch 1601 and the locked member 1650 is released by operating the handle 1600, the upper door unit 1200 may be automatically opened by the elastic member 1750 as shown in FIG. 6(b). In that case, the biasing force of the elastic member 1750 applied to the upper door unit 1200 when the upper door unit 1200 is closed is received by the latch 1601 and the locked member 1650. Furthermore, the nip pressure of the roller pair formed by the upper transport unit 1700 and the lower transport unit 1400 is also received by the latch 1601 and the latched member 1650 .
[0030] When the upper door unit 1200 is large and heavy as in this embodiment, the relative positions of the latch 1601 and the locked member 1650 may shift due to distortion caused by the weight of the upper door unit 1200 itself, dimensional variations in the components, etc. If the relative positions of the latch 1601 and the locked member 1650 shift, there is a possibility that the latch 1601 will be in an unengaged state with respect to the locked member 1650, such as being only partially engaged or swinging free, when the upper door unit 1200 is closed.
[0031] Particularly, in this embodiment, the conveying roller 1710 of the upper conveying unit 1700 provided in the upper door unit 1200 is pressed against the conveying roller 1410 of the lower conveying unit 1400 provided in the housing 1300 to form a roller pair. When a sheet with high stiffness such as cardboard is conveyed to the roller pair, the latch 1601 and the locked member 1650 receive a reaction force when the roller pair pinches the sheet. This reaction force acts in the direction to open the upper door unit 1200, that is, in the direction to release the latch 1601. Therefore, this reaction force further promotes distortion of the upper door unit 1200, and becomes a factor of deviation in the relative position between the latch 1601 and the locked member 1650.
[0032] If the upper door unit 1200 is closed with the relative positions of the latch 1601 and the locked member 1650 misaligned, the upper door unit 1200 may not be maintained in the closed position and may open. In other words, the upper door unit 1200 cannot be maintained in the position it should be in, resulting in a so-called half-open door state, and as a result, an appropriate pressure (nip pressure) cannot be applied to the roller pair. This may result in problems such as an inability to perform an appropriate sheet conveying operation.
[0033] In order to avoid the non-engagement state, it is possible to increase the amount of engagement between the latch 1601 and the locked member 1650. However, in that case, the latch release mechanism 1620 including the latch 1601 and the rotation receiving part 1611 becomes enlarged, and the entire feeding module 1000 becomes enlarged. In addition, for example, it is possible to adjust the position of the upper door unit 1200 by adjusting the positions of the left hinge 1501 and the right hinge 1502. However, since the upper door unit 1200 of the large feeding module 1000 is heavy, the position adjustment of the upper door unit 1200 needs to be performed by multiple workers or by using a tool such as a lifting device. Therefore, the workability is reduced. Therefore, in this embodiment, the position of the locked member 1650 relative to the position of the latch 1601 is made adjustable. This makes it possible to appropriately adjust the relative positions of the latch 1601 and the locked member 1650 without enlarging the latch 1601 or the latch release mechanism 1620.
[0034] Next, the position adjustment means 1630 of the locked member 1650 will be described with reference to Figs. 8 and 9. The position adjustment means 1630 of this embodiment is an example, and is not limited to this as long as the position of the locked member 1650 can be adjusted by moving the locked member 1650. Fig. 8 is a schematic perspective view of the latch 1601 and the locked member 1650. Fig. 9 is a schematic perspective view of the support member 1651 and the locked member 1650. As described above, the locked member 1650 that engages with the latch 1601 is provided in the housing 1300. The locked member 1650 is supported by the support member 1651. In addition, both ends of the locked member 1650 are supported by the bearing portion 1652a of the fixing member 1652 so as to be movable in a direction (locking direction) in which the amount of engagement with the latch 1601 increases or decreases.
[0035] In this embodiment, the support member 1651 is formed by connecting two shaft members 1651b to a base member 1651a. The fixed member 1652 is fixed to the housing 1300. The shaft member 1651b is disposed so as to penetrate the fixed member 1652 and the housing 1300. The shaft member 1651b is disposed so that at least a part of it contacts the penetration part 1652b of the fixed member 1652. The shaft member 1651b and the locked member 1650 are supported by the fixed member 1652 so as to be movable approximately parallel to the direction in which the engagement amount between the locked member 1650 and the latch 1601 increases or decreases. In addition, the support member 1651 is elastically biased by an elastic member (first elastic member) 1653 in a first direction FD in which the locked member 1650 faces the latch 1601. The locked member 1650 is elastically biased via a support member 1651 in a direction that increases the degree of engagement with the latch 1601 .
[0036] A shaft member 1651b penetrating from the housing 1300 has a plurality of key grooves 1651c arranged in the axial direction of the shaft member 1651b. A stopper 1654 engages with the key groove 1651c. The stopper 1654 engages with any one of the plurality of key grooves 1651c and is fixed to the housing 1300 by a screw 1655. When the stopper 1654 is fixed to the housing 1300, the support member 1651 including the shaft member 1651b and the locked member 1650 are positioned, and movement in a direction that increases or decreases the amount of engagement with the latch 1601 is restricted. That is, by changing the position of the key groove 1651c with which the stopper 1654 engages, the position of the locked member 1650 can be changed. On the other hand, the relationship between the pressing force (second spring force) F2 on the engaged member 1650 by the elastic member 1653 and the return force (first spring force) F1 of the latch 1601 by the latch spring 1603 is set so that the pressing force F2 is the same as or greater than the return force F1 (F1≦F2).
[0037] Next, a procedure for adjusting the position of the locked member 1650 will be described with reference to Figs. 10, 11, and 12. Fig. 10 is a schematic diagram of the locked member 1650 before the position is adjusted. Fig. 11 is a schematic diagram of the locked member 1650 in the state shown in Fig. 10 with the stopper 1654 removed. Fig. 12 is a schematic diagram of the locked member 1650 in the state shown in Fig. 10 after moving and coming into contact with the latch 1601. Figs. 10(a), 11(a), and 12(a) are schematic perspective views. Figs. 10(b), 11(b), and 12(b) are schematic cross-sectional views seen from above.
[0038] As shown in FIG. 10, before the position of the locked member 1650 is adjusted, the engagement position of the stopper 1654 and the key groove 1651c of the shaft member 1651b is set in advance to a position where the latch 1601 and the locked member 1650 are engaged to a small degree or are not engaged. Then, as shown in FIG. 11, when the upper door unit 1200 is closed, the stopper 1654 is released from the housing 1300. Thereafter, the locked member 1650 is moved by the biasing force of the elastic member 1653 in a direction in which the degree of engagement with the latch 1601 increases, and eventually abuts against the latch 1601. At this time, as shown in FIG. 12, since F1≦F2 is set, even if the locked member 1650 abuts against the latch 1601 by the biasing force of the elastic member 1653, the latch 1601 does not move and is held at the return position RP by the biasing force of the latch biasing spring 1603. By engaging stopper 1654 with key groove 1651c again in a state where locked member 1650 and latch 1601 are in contact with each other, locked member 1650 can be adjusted to a position corresponding to the position of latch 1601. The position of locked member 1650 can be adjusted by setting the direction in which locked member 1650 moves to the front.
[0039] According to this embodiment, even in a large-sized image forming apparatus 1, the relative position accuracy of the latch 1601 and the locked member 1650 is improved, and the stable closed state of the upper door unit 1200 is maintained without enlarging the feeding module 1000. According to this embodiment, even in a large-sized image forming apparatus 1, the relative position of the latch 1601 and the locked member 1650 can be appropriately adjusted without enlarging the feeding module 1000. In addition, the adjustment method is a relatively simple operation of removing the stopper 1654 with the upper door unit 1200 closed, and then re-attaching the stopper 1654. When adjusting the position of the locked member 1650, it is not necessary to visually check the positions of the latch 1601 and the locked member 1650 each time, so that the workability is good. Furthermore, since the engagement position of the stopper 1654 is selected with respect to the key groove 1651c of the shaft member 1651b penetrating the housing 1300, it is not necessary to perform the adjustment work from the left or right side of the apparatus. In other words, the position adjustment work of the interlocking member 1650 can be completed by operating only from the front of the feeding module 1000 without disconnecting the connection with the device installed upstream or downstream to form an image on the sheet, which improves workability.
[0040] In this embodiment, the position adjusting means 1630 for adjusting the positions of the latch 1601 and the locked member 1650 has been described using the feeding module 1000. However, the present invention is not limited to this configuration, and can also be applied to devices equipped with large opening and closing doors, such as the fixing module 4000, the drying module 3000, and the reversing module 6000.
[0041] In this embodiment, a method is adopted in which the position of the locked member 1650 can be adjusted in stages by using a plurality of key grooves 1651c and stoppers 1654 provided in the shaft member 1651b as the position adjustment means 1630 for adjusting the positions of the latch 1601 and the locked member 1650. However, the present invention is not limited to this configuration, and for example, a method in which the locking position of the shaft member 1651b is freely fixed by a snap ring or the like may be used. [Explanation of symbols]
[0042] 1000 Feeding Module 1200 Upper door unit 1300 Case 1600 Handle 1601 Latch 1650 Locked member
Claims
1. A latching device configured to latch an opening / closing door that opens and closes relative to the housing to the housing, A latch provided on the aforementioned opening and closing door, A handle provided on the aforementioned opening and closing door for operating the latch, A locking member provided on the housing and capable of engaging with the latch, A support member that supports the locked member such that the locked member is movable in a locking direction in which the latch engages with the locked member, the support member including a shaft member extending in the locking direction, A fixing part that fixes the position of the shaft member and fixes the position of the locked member in the locking direction, Equipped with, The latch engages with the locking member when the opening / closing door is closed. A latch device characterized in that, when the opening and closing door is closed, the latch can be operated by the handle, thereby releasing the engagement between the latch and the locked member.
2. The locking member is elastically biased by a first elastic member in a first direction toward the latch, The latch is elastically biased by a second elastic member in a second direction toward the locked member, The latch device according to claim 1, characterized in that the second biasing force by the second elastic member that elastically biases the latch toward the locked member is the same as or greater than the first biasing force by the first elastic member that elastically biases the locked member toward the latch.
3. The latch device according to claim 1, characterized in that the position of the locked member can be adjusted so that the direction in which the locked member moves is facing forward.
4. The opening and closing door is provided with a first conveying surface and a first conveying roller, The housing is provided with a second conveying surface and a second conveying roller. The latch device according to claim 1, characterized in that when the opening and closing door is closed, the first conveying surface and the second conveying surface form a conveying path through which the sheet is conveyed, and the first conveying roller and the second conveying roller contact each other with a predetermined pressure to form a roller pair that conveys the sheet along the conveying path.
5. The latch device according to claim 1, characterized in that a plurality of keyways are arranged in the axial direction on the shaft member.
6. The fixing part is A stopper that selectively engages with any of the multiple keyways in order to fix the position of the support member and the position of the locked member, At least one screw for fixing the stopper to the housing, The latch device according to claim 5, characterized by including the following:
7. A sheet conveying device, A conveying unit that transports sheets, The casing and The aforementioned housing includes an opening and closing door, A latch provided on the aforementioned opening and closing door, A handle provided on the aforementioned opening and closing door for operating the latch, A locking member provided on the housing and capable of engaging with the latch, A support member that supports the locked member such that the locked member is movable in a locking direction in which the latch engages with the locked member, the support member including a shaft member extending in the locking direction, A fixing part that fixes the position of the shaft member and fixes the position of the locked member in the locking direction, Equipped with, The latch engages with the locking member when the opening / closing door is closed. A sheet conveying device characterized in that, when the opening and closing door is closed, the latch can be operated by the handle, thereby releasing the engagement between the latch and the locked member.
8. The locking member is elastically biased by a first elastic member in a first direction toward the latch, The latch is elastically biased by a second elastic member in a second direction toward the locked member, The sheet conveying device according to claim 7, characterized in that the second biasing force of the second elastic member that elastically biases the latch toward the locked member is the same as or greater than the first biasing force of the first elastic member that elastically biases the locked member toward the latch.
9. The sheet conveying device according to claim 7, characterized in that the position of the locking member can be adjusted so that the direction in which the locking member moves is facing forward.
10. The conveying unit includes a first conveying surface and a first conveying roller provided on the opening and closing door, and a second conveying surface and a second conveying roller provided on the housing, The sheet conveying device according to claim 7, characterized in that when the opening and closing door is closed, the first conveying surface and the second conveying surface form a conveying path through which the sheet is conveyed, and the first conveying roller and the second conveying roller contact each other with a predetermined pressure to form a roller pair that conveys the sheet along the conveying path.
11. The sheet conveying device according to claim 7, characterized in that a plurality of keyways are arranged in the axial direction on the shaft member.
12. The fixing part is A stopper that selectively engages with any of the multiple keyways in order to fix the position of the support member and the position of the locked member, At least one screw for fixing the stopper to the housing, The sheet conveying device according to claim 11, characterized by including the following:
13. A sheet conveying device according to any one of claims 7 to 12, An image forming unit that forms an image on the sheet conveyed by the sheet conveying device, An image forming apparatus characterized by comprising: