Image forming device and compound machine

Abstract

To provide an image forming device and a compound machine that make it easy to attach / detach a moving-blade holder to / from a cutter carriage without increasing the size of the device.SOLUTION: In an image forming device 1, a cutter mechanism 4 includes: a cutter frame 400; a fixed blade 411 fixed to the cutter frame 400; a moving blade 412 which moves in slide-contact with the fixed blade 411; a moving-blade holder 460 by which the moving blade 412 is supported so as to be rotatable; and a cutter carriage 420 which detachably holds the moving-blade holder 460 and is guided in a cutting direction DC1 by the cutter frame 400. Each of housings 10, 30, 50 includes: a sidewall 56 located on a side closer to one end in the cutting direction DC1 than the cutter frame 400; and an attachment / detachment opening 54 penetrating the side wall 56, the attachment / detachment opening 54 overlapping with at least a part of the movable-blade holder 460 held by the cutter carriage 420 as viewed along the cutting direction DC1.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus and a multifunction peripheral. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses an inkjet printer, which is an example of a conventional image forming apparatus. In this inkjet printer, a head forms an image on a sheet material conveyed in a conveying direction by reciprocating along a rail. A cutting device cuts the sheet material on which the image has been formed in a cutting direction perpendicular to the conveying direction.

[0003] More specifically, the cutting device has a frame extending in the cutting direction, a fixed blade fixed to the frame and extending in the cutting direction, a circular blade that moves while sliding against the fixed blade, a circular blade holder that rotatably supports the circular blade, and a movable table that removably holds the circular blade holder and is guided in the cutting direction by the frame.

[0004] The circular blade holder is inserted into the movable table along the conveying direction, and then rotated in the locking direction to mount the circular blade holder on the movable table. On the other hand, the circular blade holder mounted on the movable table is rotated in the opposite direction to the locking direction, and then removed from the movable table by pulling the circular blade holder out of the movable table along the conveying direction. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 2004-268225 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] In the inkjet printer, the sheet material on which an image is formed is cut by the cutting device while the portion located downstream of the cutting device in the transport direction hangs down. Therefore, in this inkjet printer, when the hand reaches the circular blade holder attached to the movable base along the transport direction, the hand is not likely to be obstructed by the cut sheet, and the circular blade holder can be easily attached to and detached from the movable base.

[0007] In this regard, image forming devices that handle general cut sheets are often configured to discharge the cut sheets to a discharge tray formed on the top surface of the device. Therefore, if an image forming unit and a cutter mechanism are to be housed in a housing like the inkjet printer described above, multiple sheets cut by the cutter mechanism will be stacked downstream of the cutter mechanism in the conveying direction.

[0008] If the cutter mechanism has a cutter frame, fixed blade, movable blade, moving blade holder and cutter carriage which correspond to the frame, fixed blade, circular blade, circular blade holder and moving table of the above-mentioned cutting device, the cut sheet is likely to obstruct the reach of the moving blade holder attached to the cutter carriage along the conveying direction, which may make it difficult to attach and detach the moving blade holder to the cutter carriage.

[0009] Also, if the moving blade holder is to be attached to or detached from the cutter carriage outside the range of the discharge tray where the cut sheets are discharged and stacked, it may be necessary to attach and detach it from above. In particular, in a multifunction machine in which an image reading unit that reads an image of a document is disposed above, if one tries to secure sufficient space above the discharge tray for attaching and detaching the moving blade holder from above, there is a drawback in that the entire device becomes large.

[0010] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned conventional situation, and aims to provide an image forming apparatus and a multifunction machine that can easily attach and detach a moving blade holder to and from a cutter carriage without increasing the size of the apparatus. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] The image forming apparatus of the present invention includes an image forming unit that forms an image on a sheet transported in a transport direction; a cutter mechanism that cuts the sheet on which the image is formed in a cutting direction perpendicular to the conveying direction; a housing that houses the image forming unit and the cutter mechanism; Equipped with the cutter mechanism includes a cutter frame extending in the cutting direction, a fixed blade fixed to the cutter frame and extending in the cutting direction, a movable blade moving while in sliding contact with the fixed blade, a movable blade holder rotatably supporting the movable blade, and a cutter carriage detachably holding the movable blade holder and guided in the cutting direction by the cutter frame; The housing is characterized by having a side wall located to one side of the cutting direction relative to the cutter frame, and an attachment / detachment opening that penetrates the side wall and overlaps with at least a portion of the moving blade holder held by the cutter carriage when viewed along the cutting direction.

[0012] In the image forming apparatus of the present invention, when attaching or detaching the moving blade holder to or from the cutter carriage, the hand can reach the moving blade holder attached to the cutter carriage along the cutting direction through the attachment / detachment opening penetrating the side wall. At this time, even if multiple cut sheets are stacked downstream of the cutter mechanism in the conveying direction, the hand trying to reach the moving blade holder is unlikely to be obstructed by the sheets.

[0013] Furthermore, in this image forming apparatus, the moving blade holder is not attached to and detached from the cutter carriage from above, so the problem of the entire apparatus becoming larger is unlikely to occur.

[0014] Therefore, in the image forming apparatus of the present invention, the moving blade holder can be easily attached to and detached from the cutter carriage without increasing the size of the apparatus.

[0015] The multifunction peripheral of the present invention includes an image reading unit that reads an image of a document; an image forming section for forming an image on a sheet conveyed in a conveying direction; a cutter mechanism that cuts the sheet on which the image is formed in a cutting direction perpendicular to the conveying direction; a housing that houses the image forming unit and the cutter mechanism; Equipped with the housing includes a support section that supports the image reading section above the image forming section and the cutter mechanism, and a discharge space that is formed between the image forming section, the image reading section, and the support section, and that discharges a sheet cut by the cutter mechanism; the cutter mechanism includes a cutter frame extending in the cutting direction, a fixed blade fixed to the cutter frame and extending in the cutting direction, a movable blade moving while in sliding contact with the fixed blade, a movable blade holder rotatably supporting the movable blade, and a cutter carriage detachably holding the movable blade holder and guided in the cutting direction by the cutter frame; The housing has an attachment / detachment opening located on one side of the support portion in the cutting direction relative to the discharge space, the attachment / detachment opening being used to attach and detach the moving blade holder.

[0016] In the multifunction printer of the present invention, since the housing has a discharge space, the cutter mechanism is located behind the discharge space in the housing, and the image reading unit is located above the cutter mechanism. If an attempt is made to reach the moving blade holder attached to the cutter carriage along the conveyance direction, it is likely to be obstructed by the multiple cut sheets stacked in the discharge space, and by the image reading unit and support unit surrounding the discharge space.

[0017] In this regard, in this multifunction machine, when attaching or detaching the moving blade holder to or from the cutter carriage, the hand can reach the moving blade holder attached to the cutter carriage along the cutting direction through the attachment / detachment opening that penetrates the side wall. At this time, even if multiple cut sheets are stacked in the discharge space, the hand trying to reach the moving blade holder is unlikely to be obstructed by the sheets.

[0018] Furthermore, since the moving blade holder is not attached to and detached from the cutter carriage from above, the problem of the overall size of the device is unlikely to occur.

[0019] Therefore, the multifunction device of the present invention can easily attach and detach the moving blade holder to and from the cutter carriage without increasing the size of the device. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0020] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the image forming apparatus of the embodiment, showing a state in which the second guide is in the first guide position, the pre-cutting cover is in the first cover position, and the exterior cover is closed. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 2, illustrating a state in which the second guide is in the second guide position, the pre-cutting cover is in the second cover position, and the exterior cover is open. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is an enlarged partial perspective view of a main part of FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a unit including the cutter mechanism, the first guide and the pre-cutting guide. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a schematic enlarged partial cross-sectional view of a main part of FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a front view showing the cutter mechanism. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a partial top view mainly showing the cutter mechanism and the joint cover. [Figure 9]FIG. 9 is a partial perspective view mainly showing the cutter mechanism and the joint cover. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a partial perspective view of the image forming apparatus according to the embodiment, mainly showing the attachment / detachment opening. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the cutter carriage. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the cutter carriage. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is an exploded perspective view of the cutter carriage. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is an exploded perspective view of the cutter carriage. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is a perspective view of the moving blade holder and the moving blade. [Figure 16] FIG. 16 is a perspective view of the moving blade holder and the moving blade. [Figure 17] FIG. 17 is an exploded perspective view of the moving blade holder and the moving blade. [Figure 18] FIG. 18 is a cross-sectional view showing a cross section taken along line AA in FIG. 7, and is a view for explaining the operation of mounting the moving blade holder to the cutter carriage. [Figure 19] FIG. 19 is a cross-sectional view showing a cross section similar to that of FIG. 18, illustrating the operation of mounting the moving blade holder to the cutter carriage. [Figure 20] FIG. 20 is a cross-sectional view showing the cross section BB of FIG. 7, illustrating the operation of mounting the moving blade holder to the cutter carriage. [Figure 21] FIG. 21 is a cross-sectional view showing a cross section similar to that of FIG. 18, illustrating the operation of mounting the moving blade holder to the cutter carriage. [Figure 22] FIG. 22 is a cross-sectional view showing a cross section similar to that of FIG. 20, illustrating the operation of mounting the moving blade holder to the cutter carriage. [Diagram 23] FIG. 23 is a cross-sectional view showing a cross section similar to that of FIG. 18, illustrating the operation of mounting the moving blade holder to the cutter carriage. [Figure 24]FIG. 24 is a cross-sectional view showing a cross section similar to that of FIG. 20, illustrating the operation of mounting the moving blade holder to the cutter carriage. [Diagram 25] FIG. 25 is a cross-sectional view showing a cross section similar to that of FIG. 18, illustrating the operation of mounting the moving blade holder to the cutter carriage. [Figure 26] FIG. 26 is a cross-sectional view showing a cross section similar to that of FIG. 20, illustrating the operation of mounting the moving blade holder to the cutter carriage. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0021] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0022] (Example) As shown in Fig. 1, an image forming apparatus 1 of the embodiment is an example of a specific aspect of the image forming apparatus of the present invention. As shown in Fig. 2, the image forming apparatus 1 is a multifunction machine including an image forming unit 3 and a fixing unit 7 that form an image on a sheet SH by an electrophotographic method, and an image reading unit 35 that reads an image of a document. The image forming apparatus 1 is also an example of a specific aspect of the multifunction machine of the present invention.

[0023] In Fig. 1, the side of the operation panel 37 of the image forming apparatus 1 is the front. The left-right direction of the image forming apparatus 1 is a direction that is perpendicular to the front-rear direction and extends horizontally. The side that is to the left when facing the operation panel 37 is the left side. The directions shown in Fig. 2 and subsequent figures are all displayed in accordance with the directions shown in Fig. 1.

[0024] <Overall composition> 1 and 2, the image forming apparatus 1 includes a first housing 10, a second housing 30, and a joint cover 50. The first housing 10, the second housing 30, and the joint cover 50 are examples of the "housing" of the present invention.

[0025] The first housing 10 is a generally box-shaped body. The second housing 30 is a generally box-shaped body with a flat shape whose vertical length is significantly smaller than that of the first housing 10. The second housing 30 is spaced upward from the first housing 10. The joint cover 50 supports the second housing 30 from below above the first housing 10.

[0026] As shown in Fig. 2, the first housing 10 accommodates a sheet cassette 10C in its lower portion. The sheet cassette 10C supports sheets SH on which images are to be formed in a stacked state. The sheets SH are paper, overhead projector sheets, etc. The first housing 10 accommodates an image forming unit 3 and a fixing unit 7 above the sheet cassette 10C.

[0027] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the first housing 10 has a maintenance opening 19 and an exterior cover 90.

[0028] The maintenance opening 19 is a large, generally rectangular opening that exposes a portion of the rear surface of the first housing 10 that is located above the rear end of the sheet cassette 10C.

[0029] 2, the exterior cover 90 closes the maintenance opening 19 in an upright state, and constitutes part of the exterior surface of the rear of the first housing 10. As shown in Fig. 3, the exterior cover 90 opens the maintenance opening 19 by rotating its lower end portion as a rotation axis and moving its upper end portion rearward and downward.

[0030] 2 and 4, the joint cover 50 has a discharge tray 9. The discharge tray 9 is located in the center in the left-right direction on the top surface of the first housing 10. The discharge tray 9 extends horizontally rearward from the front end side of the top surface of the first housing 10, and then bends and slopes downward rearward.

[0031] The second housing 30 and the joint cover 50 have a discharge space AD1. The discharge space AD1 is defined between the first housing 10 and the second housing 30.

[0032] The discharge tray 9 defines the lower side of the discharge space AD1. A sheet SH on which an image is formed after passing through the image forming unit 3 and the fixing unit 7 is discharged to the discharge space AD1. The discharge tray 9 supports the sheet SH discharged to the discharge space AD1.

[0033] 1, the joint cover 50 has support parts 57L and 57R. The support part 57L is a part of the joint cover 50 that is located to the left of the discharge tray 9 and protrudes upward. The support part 57R is a part of the joint cover 50 that is located to the right of the discharge tray 9 and protrudes upward.

[0034] As shown in Fig. 4, the joint cover 50 has inner wall surfaces 58, 59. The inner wall surface 58 is a right side surface of the support portion 57L. The inner wall surface 58 defines the left side of the discharge space AD1. As shown in Figs. 2 and 4, the inner wall surface 59 is a left side surface of the support portion 57R. The inner wall surface 59 defines the right side of the discharge space AD1, i.e., one side of a cutting direction DC1 described later.

[0035] 2, the second housing 30 houses the image reading unit 35. The image reading unit 35 is located at a position spaced above the discharge tray 9. The image reading unit 35 has a well-known configuration and will not be described briefly, but reads an image of a document placed on the upper surface of the second housing 30 by a reading sensor (not shown). The document is a book, a sheet, or the like.

[0036] The support portions 57L and 57R of the joint cover 50 support the second housing 30 at their upper ends above the first housing 10. In other words, the support portions 57L and 57R support the image reading unit 35 above the image forming unit 3 and a cutter mechanism 4 described later.

[0037] The discharge space AD1 is formed between the image forming unit 3, the image reading unit 35, and the support units 57L and 57R. The discharge space AD1 is a space for discharging the sheet SH cut by the cutter mechanism 4 described below to between the image forming unit 3 and the image reading unit 35. The discharge space AD1 is also a space for discharging the sheet SH not cut by the cutter mechanism 4 to between the image forming unit 3 and the image reading unit 35.

[0038] The second housing 30 has a document cover 40 whose top surface can be opened and closed, and an automatic document feed mechanism 45 housed in the document cover 40.

[0039] 1, the document cover 40 has a supply tray 41 and a discharge tray 42 located on the right side thereof. The supply tray 41 is spaced above the discharge tray 42.

[0040] The automatic document feed mechanism 45 is a well-known configuration and will not be described here, but it feeds the sheet-like document supported on the supply tray 41 to a position where it can be read by a reading sensor (not shown) of the image reading unit 35, and then discharges the document onto the discharge tray 42. The reading sensor (not shown) reads the image of the document being fed.

[0041] The operation panel 37 protrudes forward from a portion located to the left of the discharge space AD1 on the front end surface of the second housing 30. The operation panel 37 is supported from below by a front end portion of the support portion 57L of the joint cover 50.

[0042] The operation panel 37 has an operation surface that receives operation input by a user's finger, and a display unit such as an LCD located below the operation surface. The operation panel 37 displays information indicating the operating state and settings of the image forming apparatus 1, and notifies the user by displaying error messages, etc.

[0043] As shown in FIG. 2, in the image forming apparatus 1, the image forming section 3 includes a developing device 3A, a photoconductor 5, and a scanner section 8.

[0044] The image forming apparatus 1 includes a first feed roller 21, a first separation roller 22, a separation pad 22A, a conveying roller pair 23, a registration roller pair 24 and a post-fixing conveying roller pair 25 housed in a first housing 10 together with the image forming section 3 and the fixing unit 7.

[0045] A first feeding roller 21, a first separation roller 22, a separation pad 22A, and a transport roller pair 23 are located in the front portion of the first housing 10. A post-fixing transport roller pair 25 is located in the rear portion of the first housing 10.

[0046] A transport path P1 is provided inside the first housing 10. The transport path P1 is a path that starts from the front end of the sheet cassette 10C, makes a U-turn upward, passes through a first feeding roller 21, a first separation roller 22, a separation pad 22A, and a transport roller pair 23, and then proceeds approximately horizontally backward, passes through a registration roller pair 24, a photoconductor 5, and a fixing device 7, and reaches a post-fixing transport roller pair 25.

[0047] The first feeding roller 21 is located at the most upstream end of the conveying path P1. The first separation roller 22 and the separation pad 22A are located downstream of the conveying path P1 from the first feeding roller 21. The conveying roller pair 23 is located downstream of the first separation roller 22 and the separation pad 22A from the conveying path P1, midway through the portion of the conveying path P1 that makes an upward U-turn.

[0048] The registration roller pair 24 is located downstream of the transport roller pair 23 on the transport path P1 and upstream of the photoconductor 5 on the transport path P1, midway along the portion of the transport path P1 that advances substantially horizontally backward.

[0049] The first feeding roller 21 feeds the sheet SH supported by the sheet cassette 10C toward the photoconductor 5. If there are multiple sheets SH sent to the conveying path P1 by the first feeding roller 21, the first separation roller 22 and the separation pad 22A separate the sheets SH one by one. Then, the conveying roller pair 23 and the registration roller pair 24 convey the sheet SH to the photoconductor 5.

[0050] The developing device 3A has a toner storage chamber 3D that stores toner, and a developing roller 3B to which toner is supplied from the toner storage chamber 3D. The photoconductor 5 is located behind and below the developing roller 3B, and is in contact with the developing roller 3B.

[0051] The photoreceptor 5 is a cylindrical rotating body centered on a rotation axis extending in the left-right direction. A positively charged photosensitive layer is formed on the surface of the photoreceptor 5 in correspondence with the positively charged toner. Note that a negatively charged photosensitive layer may also be formed on the surface of the photoreceptor 5, in which case a negatively charged toner is used.

[0052] The photoreceptor 5 can come into contact with the sheet SH transported along a portion of the transport path P1 that moves rearward and approximately horizontally from above. A transfer roller 5A is located below the photoreceptor 5. The transfer roller 5A faces the photoreceptor 5 from below, with the transport path P1 in between.

[0053] The developing device 3A further includes a charger 3E. The charger 3E faces the rear of the photoconductor 5. The charger 3E is a well-known Scorotron charger.

[0054] The scanner unit 8 is located above the developing device 3A and the photoconductor 5. The scanner unit 8 has a laser light source, a polygon mirror, an fθ lens, a reflecting mirror, and the like, which are well-known components. The scanner unit 8 irradiates the surface of the photoconductor 5 with a laser beam.

[0055] The surface of the photoreceptor 5 is uniformly positively charged by the charger 3E as it rotates, and then exposed to high-speed scanning of a laser beam emitted from the scanner unit 8. As a result, an electrostatic latent image corresponding to the image to be formed on the sheet SH is formed on the surface of the photoreceptor 5.

[0056] Then, the developing roller 3B supplies toner to the photoreceptor 5 in accordance with the electrostatic latent image formed on the surface of the photoreceptor 5. As a result, a toner image is carried on the surface of the photoreceptor 5. The photoreceptor 5 transfers the toner image to the upward surface of the sheet SH that passes through the nip position between the photoreceptor 5 and the transfer roller 5A.

[0057] The fixing unit 7 is located behind the photoconductor 5 and in front of the post-fixing transport roller pair 25. The fixing unit 7 has a heating member 7A located above the transport path P1, and a pressure roller 7B facing the heating member 7A from below with the transport path P1 in between.

[0058] The heating member 7A has an endless belt, a guide member that supports the endless belt from the inner circumference so that it can circulate, and a heater that heats the endless belt from the inner circumference. The heating member 7A and the pressure roller 7B nip the sheet SH at the fixing nip portion 7N. The heating member 7A may be composed of a heating roller having a heater such as a halogen heater, or may be composed of a heater, a nip plate that receives radiant heat from the heater, and a heating belt that rotates around the nip plate.

[0059] The fixing unit 7 heats and presses the sheet SH onto which the toner image has been transferred, by using a heating member 7A and a pressure roller 7B, thereby thermally fixing the toner image onto the sheet SH. A post-fixing transport roller pair 25 transports the sheet SH that has passed through the fixing unit 7 upward and backward.

[0060] The image forming apparatus 1 includes a control unit C1, a pre-registration sheet sensor S1, a post-registration sheet sensor S2, and a post-fixing sheet sensor S3.

[0061] The first housing 10 houses a control unit C1. The control unit C1 is an electronic circuit unit including a CPU, an interface circuit, and a storage unit (not shown). The control unit C1 performs overall control over each unit of the image forming apparatus 1.

[0062] The control unit C1 is electrically connected to the pre-registration sheet sensor S1, the post-registration sheet sensor S2, and the post-fixing sheet sensor S3.

[0063] The pre-registration sheet sensor S1 is located immediately before the pair of registration rollers 24 on the transport path P1, detects the passage of the sheet SH, and transmits the detection result to the control unit C1. The control unit C1 performs control to correct the skew of the sheet SH that reaches the pair of registration rollers 24 based on the detection result of the pre-registration sheet sensor S1.

[0064] The post-registration sheet sensor S2 is located immediately behind the pair of registration rollers 24 on the transport path P1, and detects the passage of the sheet SH and transmits the detection result to the control unit C1. The control unit C1 controls the timing of the image forming operation by the image forming unit 3 and the fixing unit 7 based on the detection result of the post-registration sheet sensor S2.

[0065] The post-fixing sheet sensor S3 is located between the fixing unit 7 and the post-fixing conveying roller pair 25 on the conveying path P1, detects the passage of the sheet SH, and transmits the detection result to the control unit C1. The control unit C1 controls the timing of a plurality of operations performed until the sheet SH that has passed through the fixing unit 7 is discharged to the discharge tray 9, based on the detection result of the post-fixing sheet sensor S3.

[0066] The pre-registration sheet sensor S1, the post-registration sheet sensor S2, and the post-fixing sheet sensor S3 may be a sensor having an actuator that swings when the sheet SH comes into contact with it, a light reflection type sensor, a light transmission type sensor, or the like.

[0067] The image forming apparatus 1 includes a flapper 26. The flapper 26 is located above the post-fixing conveying roller pair 25 and is connected to a solenoid (not shown). The control unit C1 controls the solenoid (not shown) to swing the flapper 26 between the position shown by the solid line in FIG. 2 and the position shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 2.

[0068] The image forming apparatus 1 includes a first discharge path PD1 and a second discharge path PD2. The upstream ends of the first discharge path PD1 and the second discharge path PD2 are connected to the downstream end of the transport path P1.

[0069] The first discharge path PD1 is an effective discharge path when the flapper 26 is in the position shown by the solid line in Fig. 2. The second discharge path PD2 is an effective discharge path when the flapper 26 is in the position shown by the two-dot chain line in Fig. 2.

[0070] The first discharge path PD1 advances upward between the flapper 26, which is positioned as shown by the solid line in FIG. 2, and the outer cover 90, and discharges the sheet SH that has passed through the fixing device 7 into the discharge space AD1 by making the conveying direction DT1 of the sheet SH face forward and substantially horizontal above the flapper 26.

[0071] 2, the sheet SH is guided in a conveying direction DT1 of the sheet SH toward a substantially horizontal forward direction, and the sheet SH that has passed through the fixing unit 7 is discharged to the discharge space AD1. The second discharge path PD2 discharges the sheet SH to the discharge space AD1 at a position lower than the first discharge path PD1 and upstream of the first discharge path PD1 in the conveying direction DT1.

[0072] The image forming apparatus 1 includes a pre-cutting cover 80, a first conveying roller 71, and a second conveying roller 72, which are arranged at a portion of the first discharge path PD1 where the conveying direction DT1 changes from upward to forward.

[0073] As shown in Figures 2, 5 and 6, the image forming apparatus 1 includes a pre-cutting guide 300, a cutter mechanism 4, a first guide 100, a second guide 200, a sheet sensor S4 and a first discharge roller pair 29 arranged along the portion of the first discharge path PD1 where the conveying direction DT1 is substantially horizontal and forward-facing.

[0074] As shown in FIG. 2, the image forming apparatus 1 includes a second discharge roller pair 28 disposed at the most downstream end of the second discharge path PD2.

[0075] The second discharge roller pair 28 is located above the upstream end 9U of the discharge tray 9 in the transport direction DT1. The discharge tray 9 has an upstream portion 9A and a downstream portion 9B. The upstream portion 9A is inclined upward from the upstream end 9U of the discharge tray 9 in the transport direction DT1 toward the downstream of the transport direction DT1. The downstream portion 9B is connected to the upstream portion 9A and extends approximately horizontally toward the downstream of the transport direction DT1. The second discharge roller pair 28 discharges the sheet SH that passes through the fixing unit 7 and is transported without passing through the cutter mechanism 4 to the discharge tray 9. The discharge tray 9 supports the sheet SH that is discharged without being cut.

[0076] As shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 4, the first discharge roller pair 29 is located below the image reading unit 35 and above the second discharge roller pair 28. The first discharge roller pair 29 is located downstream of the second discharge roller pair 28 in the transport direction DT1. The first discharge roller pair 29 is located above the intermediate portion in the front-rear direction in the upstream portion 9A of the discharge tray 9. The first discharge roller pair 29 is located downstream of the cutter mechanism 4 in the transport direction DT1. The first discharge roller pair 29 passes through the fixing unit 7 and discharges the sheet SH (SH1) cut by the cutter mechanism 4 to the discharge tray 9. Note that the image forming apparatus 1 in this embodiment cuts the sheet SH so that the length of the side along the transport direction DT1 is halved. The discharge tray 9 supports the sheet SH that is discharged after being cut by the cutter mechanism 4.

[0077] 2, the joint cover 50 houses the cutter mechanism 4. The second housing 30 houses the image reading unit 35 above the image forming unit 3 and the cutter mechanism 4.

[0078] <Pre-cutting cover, first conveyor roller and second conveyor roller> 2 and 3, the pre-cutting cover 80 is located at the lower end of the pre-cutting cover 80 and is rotatable around a cover axis X80 parallel to the left-right direction. The cross section of the pre-cutting cover 80 shown in Figs. 2 and 3 shows the center in the left-right direction of the pre-cutting cover 80. Although not shown, the lower end of the pre-cutting cover 80 is located outside the sheet SH transported along the first discharge path PD1 in the left-right direction and extends to the cover axis X80.

[0079] The pre-cutting cover 80 supports the first conveyor roller 71 and the second conveyor roller 72. The second conveyor roller 72 is located below the first conveyor roller 71 and faces the first conveyor roller 71.

[0080] The pre-cutting cover 80 can be moved between a first cover position shown in FIG. 2 and a second cover position shown in FIG. 3 by rotating about a cover axis X80 with the exterior cover 90 open.

[0081] 2, when the pre-cutting cover 80 is in the first cover position, it covers the upstream side of the cutter mechanism 4 in the transport direction DT1 and guides the sheet SH toward the cutter mechanism 4. In this state, the first transport roller 71 and the second transport roller 72 are located upstream of the cutter mechanism 4 in the transport direction DT1. The first transport roller 71 and the second transport roller 72 transport the sheet SH that has passed through the fixing unit 7 toward the cutter mechanism 4.

[0082] 3, when the pre-cutting cover 80 rotates to the second cover position with the exterior cover 90 open and the maintenance opening 19 open, it moves away from the cutter mechanism 4 and is unable to guide the sheet SH toward the cutter mechanism 4. In this state, the first conveyor roller 71 and the second conveyor roller 72 also move rearward and downward away from the cutter mechanism 4. This causes the maintenance opening 19 to expose the pre-cutting cover 80 at the second cover position to the outside of the first housing 10. As a result, the user can remove the sheet SH that has become stuck around the exterior cover 90 and the pre-cutting cover 80 in the first discharge path PD1.

[0083] In addition, in a state in which the exterior cover 90 is opened to expose the maintenance opening 19 and in a state in which the pre-cutting cover 80 is in the first cover position, the user can carry out the operation of removing the sheet SH that is clogged in the second discharge path PD2.

[0084] <Pre-cutting guide, cutter mechanism, first guide, second guide, sheet sensor, and first discharge roller pair> As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the pre-cutting guide 300, the cutter mechanism 4, and the first guide 100 are fastened together to form a unit. As shown in Figures 2 and 8, the pre-cutting guide 300, the cutter mechanism 4, and the first guide 100 are assembled to the joint cover 50 as a unit and fixed to the joint cover 50. During maintenance work, etc., the pre-cutting guide 300, the cutter mechanism 4, and the first guide 100 are removed from the joint cover 50 as a unit.

[0085] As shown in Fig. 2, the pre-cutting guide 300 is provided downstream in the conveying direction DT1 of the pre-cutting cover 80 at the first cover position. As shown in Fig. 6, the pre-cutting guide 300 is provided upstream in the conveying direction DT1 of the cutter mechanism 4. As shown in Fig. 5, the pre-cutting guide 300 is a resin molded product manufactured by injection molding of thermoplastic resin or the like.

[0086] 6, the pre-cutting guide 300 has guide surfaces 301 and 302 that guide the sheet SH passing through the cutter mechanism 4. The guide surface 301 faces the guide surface 302 from above. The guide surface 301 is formed by the lower ends of a plurality of ribs that are arranged apart from each other in the left-right direction.

[0087] The sheet SH conveyed by the first conveying roller 71 and the second conveying roller 72 toward the cutter mechanism 4 passes between the guide surface 301 and the guide surface 302 and reaches the cutter mechanism 4.

[0088] The cutter mechanism 4 has a cutter carriage 420 and a moving blade holder 460 shown in FIGS. 5 to 10, a cutter frame 400 shown in FIGS. 5 to 7, and a moving blade 412 and a fixed blade 411 shown in FIGS.

[0089] As shown in Fig. 6, the cutter carriage 420 detachably holds a moving blade holder 460. The moving blade holder 460 rotatably holds a circular moving blade 412. As shown in Fig. 10, the moving blade holder 460 has a handle 469. The handle 469 protrudes from the upper end of the moving blade holder 460 toward the right, that is, toward the attachment / detachment opening 54 described below.

[0090] Specific configurations of the cutter carriage 420 and the moving blade holder 460, and the operation of attaching and detaching the moving blade holder 460 to the cutter carriage 420 will be described later with reference to FIGS.

[0091] As shown in FIGS. 5 and 7, the cutter frame 400 extends in a cutting direction DC1 perpendicular to the conveying direction DT1, that is, in the left-right direction.

[0092] 6 and 7, a cutter frame opening 409 is formed in the cutter frame 400. The cutter frame opening 409 has an inner width in the left-right direction larger than the width of the sheet SH so that the sheet SH guided by the guide surfaces 301 and 302 of the pre-cutting guide 300 can pass through.

[0093] The cutter frame 400 is made of metal, and specifically, is manufactured by pressing, punching, bending, etc. a steel plate. As shown in FIG. 6, the downstream side of the guide surface 301 in the conveying direction DT1 enters a cutter frame opening 409.

[0094] 6 and 7, the cutter frame 400 has a guide portion 402 above the cutter frame opening 409 and on the opposite side to the pre-cutting guide 300. The guide portion 402 guides the cutter carriage 420 in the cutting direction DC1 and regulates the cutter carriage 420 not to come off the guide portion 402. In other words, the cutter frame 400 holds the cutter carriage 420 movably in the cutting direction DC1.

[0095] In this embodiment, one of the cutting directions DC1 is to the right, and the other of the cutting directions DC1 is to the left.

[0096] 5, the cutter frame 400 has a first motor M1 and a timing belt 430. The first motor M1 is located on the left end side of the cutter frame 400 and above the cutter frame opening 409.

[0097] As shown in FIG. 7, the first motor M1 is located above the cutter frame opening 409 when viewed along the conveying direction DT1, and the first motor M1 entirely overlaps with the cutter frame opening 409 in the cutting direction DC1.

[0098] The cutter mechanism 4 includes a drive pulley 431 , a plurality of driven pulleys 432 , 433 , 434 , a belt tensioner 435 , and a tension spring 436 .

[0099] The longitudinal direction of the cutter frame opening 409 is the same as the cutting direction DC1, i.e., the left-right direction. The drive pulley 431 is located at one end of the longitudinal direction of the cutter frame opening 409, i.e., to the left of the left end, and is rotatably supported by the cutter frame 400. The driven pulley 432 is located on the left end side of the cutter frame opening 409, below the cutter frame opening 409, and is rotatably supported by the cutter frame 400.

[0100] The driven pulley 433 is housed in an upper portion of the belt tensioner 435. In this state, the driven pulley 433 is located at the other end in the longitudinal direction of the cutter frame opening 409, i.e., to the right of the right end, and is rotatably supported by the cutter frame 400. The belt tensioner 435 is capable of swinging coaxially with the driven pulley 433. This makes it possible to achieve space saving compared to a case in which the swing shaft of the belt tensioner 435 is not coaxial with the driven pulley 433.

[0101] The driven pulley 434 is housed in a lower portion of the belt tensioner 435. The lower end of the belt tensioner 435 protrudes downward further than the driven pulley 434. The tension spring 436 is a metallic compression coil spring. One end of the tension spring 436 is engaged with a right lower corner of the cutter frame 400. The other end of the tension spring 436 is engaged with the lower end of the belt tensioner 435.

[0102] Timing belt 430 is wound around driving pulley 431 and driven pulleys 432, 433, and 434, and surrounds cutter frame opening 409. Belt tensioner 435 is biased by tension spring 436 to swing, and driven pulley 434 moves to the right, thereby applying tension to timing belt 430. As a result, even if timing belt 430 that is easily affected by heat from fixing and the like is used, the compression coil spring made of a metal with high heat resistance can stably apply appropriate tension to timing belt 430.

[0103] The cutter carriage 420 is connected to a portion of the timing belt 430 that extends in the left-right direction above the cutter frame opening 409 .

[0104] The first motor M1 drives the drive pulley 431 via a gear train to rotate it in the forward and reverse directions, whereby the cutter carriage 420, the moving blade holder 460, and the moving blade 412 move in the cutting direction DC1.

[0105] 5, the cutter carriage 420 (420A) is shown in a standby position at the right end side of the cutter frame opening 409 so as not to interfere with the right edge of the sheet SH. The standby position (420A) of the cutter carriage 420 is a position away from the sheet SH to one side in the cutting direction DC1, i.e., to the right.

[0106] Cutter carriage 420 (420B) is shown in a state in the middle of moving in cutting direction DC1. Cutter carriage 420 (420C) is shown in a state in which it is at a folding position on the left end side of cutter frame opening 409 and does not interfere with the left edge of sheet SH. That is, cutter carriage 420 can move between cutter carriage 420A, which is the standby position in FIG. 5, and cutter carriage 420C, which is the folding position.

[0107] 7 to 10 show the cutter carriage 420 (420A) in a standby position. The cutter carriage 420 (420C) shown in Fig. 7 shows the cutter carriage 420 (420C) in a folded back position.

[0108] 7 is a sensor capable of detecting whether the moving blade holder 460 and the moving blade 412 are attached to the cutter carriage 420 when the cutter carriage 420 is in the standby position. The sensor S6 goes into a state where it outputs a presence signal of the moving blade holder 460 and the moving blade 412 when the actuator is pressed down on the moving blade holder 460 held by the cutter carriage 420, and goes into a state where it outputs an absence signal otherwise. The control unit C1 can detect the presence or absence of the moving blade holder 460 and the moving blade 412 by checking the state of the sensor S6 at an appropriate timing.

[0109] 6 and 7, the fixed blade 411 is fastened to the cutter frame 400 below the lower edge of the cutter frame opening 409. The fixed blade 411 extends upward and then bends to extend downstream in the conveying direction DT1. The cutting edge of the fixed blade 411 extends linearly in the cutting direction DC1.

[0110] The movable blade 412 moves in a cutting direction DC1 while being in sliding contact with the cutting edge of the fixed blade 411. The cutter mechanism 4 cuts the sheet SH that has passed through the fixing unit 7 in the cutting direction DC1 with the fixed blade 411 and the movable blade 412. Since the fixed blade 411 is fixed to the cutter frame 400, the sheet SH is cut by the movement of the movable blade 412.

[0111] 7, the area in which the sheet SH exists when the cutter mechanism 4 cuts the sheet SH in the cutting direction DC1 with the fixed blade 411 and the movable blade 412 is the cut area AC1. The cut area AC1 is an area surrounded by inner peripheral edges 409E1, 409E2, 409E3, and 409E4 of the cutter frame opening 409, and is a two-dimensional area that includes the cutting positions of the fixed blade 411 and the movable blade 412 and extends in the vertical and horizontal directions.

[0112] 5 and 6, the first guide 100 is provided downstream in the conveying direction DT1 from the cutter mechanism 4. The first guide 100 has a bottom wall 105 and a plurality of ribs 107. The first guide 100 is a resin molded product manufactured by injection molding of a thermoplastic resin or the like.

[0113] The bottom wall 105 is curved and extends in the front-rear direction and in the left-right direction. Each rib 107 protrudes upward from the upper surface of the bottom wall 105 and extends in the front-rear direction. Each rib 107 is spaced apart from each other in the left-right direction.

[0114] The first guide 100 has a first guide surface 101. The first guide surface 101 is formed by the tips of the front ribs 107. The first guide 100 guides the sheet SH, which is transported from the cutter mechanism 4 to the first discharge roller pair 29, by the first guide surface 101.

[0115] The first discharge roller pair 29 includes a first discharge roller 29A which is a driven roller, and a second discharge roller 29B which is a drive roller.

[0116] The first guide 100 rotatably supports the first discharge roller 29A. The first discharge roller 29A is rotatably supported on the downstream end 100D side of the first guide 100 in the transport direction DT1.

[0117] 5, the first guide 100 has a left wall 106L and a right wall 106R. The left wall 106L is connected to the left end of the bottom wall 105, extends upward, and also extends in the front-to-rear direction. The right wall 106R is connected to the right end of the bottom wall 105, extends upward, and also extends in the front-to-rear direction.

[0118] A shaft hole 102H is formed in the rear and lower position of the right wall 106R so as to penetrate in the left-right direction. The shaft hole 102H is a circular hole centered on a rotation axis X200 extending in the left-right direction. Although not shown in the figure, a shaft hole 102H is also formed in the left wall 106L.

[0119] 4 and 6, the second guide 200 has an upper wall 205. The upper wall 205 is bent so that the front portion is one step higher than the rear portion, and extends in the front-rear direction and also in the left-right direction. The second guide 200 is a resin molded product manufactured by injection molding of a thermoplastic resin or the like.

[0120] The second guide 200 has a pair of rotation shafts (not shown) provided to the left of the left end of the upper wall 205 and to the right of the right end of the upper wall 205. The pair of rotation shafts (not shown) are inserted into shaft holes 102H in the left wall 106L and right wall 106R of the first guide 100, so that the second guide 200 can rotate about a rotation axis X200. The joint cover 50 to which the first guide 100 is fixed supports the second guide 200 to be rotatable about the rotation axis X200.

[0121] As shown in FIG. 6, the rotation axis X200 is located on the upstream end 200U side of the second guide 200 in the conveying direction DT1.

[0122] The second discharge roller 29B is rotatably supported by the second guide 200. The second discharge roller 29B is rotatably supported on the downstream end 200D side of the second guide 200 in the transport direction DT1.

[0123] The second guide 200 is movable between a first guide position where the first discharge roller 29A and the second discharge roller 29B are in a nipped state, as shown in Figures 2 and 6, and a second guide position where the first discharge roller 29A and the second discharge roller 29B are in a separated state, as shown in Figure 3.

[0124] The position of the second discharge roller 29B when the second guide 200 is in the second guide position is spaced above the discharge tray 9 further than the position of the second discharge roller 29B when the second guide 200 is in the first guide position.

[0125] 6, the second guide 200 has a plurality of ribs 207. Each rib 207 protrudes downward from the lower surface of the upper wall 205 and extends in the front-rear direction. Each rib 207 is separated from each other in the left-right direction.

[0126] The second guide 200 has a second guide surface 202. The second guide surface 202 is formed by the tip of each front rib 207. The second guide surface 202 faces the first guide surface 101 when the second guide 200 is in the first guide position. The rotation axis X200 is located between the first guide surface 101 and the second guide surface 202 when the second guide 200 is in the first guide position.

[0127] When the second guide 200 is in the first guide position, the upstream side 202U of the second guide surface 202 in the conveying direction DT1 is inclined away from the first guide surface 101 toward the upstream end 200U of the second guide 200, relative to the downstream side 202D of the second guide surface 202 in the conveying direction DT1.

[0128] The second guide 200 guides the sheet SH, which is transported from the cutter mechanism 4 to the first discharge roller pair 29, by the second guide surface 202.

[0129] 5 and 6, the sheet sensor S4 is provided on the first guide 100. The sheet sensor S4 is located between the cutter frame 400 and the first discharge roller pair 29 in the conveying direction DT1.

[0130] The sheet sensor S4 is an actuator that swings when the sheet SH comes into contact with it, and detects the sheet SH passing through the cutter mechanism 4. The swing of the sheet sensor S4 is converted into an electric signal by a photointerrupter (not shown) and transmitted to the control unit C1. The control unit C1 controls the timing when the cutter mechanism 4 cuts the sheet SH based on the detection result of the sheet sensor S4.

[0131] Specifically, the cutter carriage 420 and the moving blade 412 are positioned at a standby position (420A) until the sheet SH reaches a cutting position of the fixed blade 411 and the moving blade 412.

[0132] The control unit C1 determines the timing when half the length of the sheet SH will reach the cutting position of the fixed blade 411 and the movable blade 412 based on the elapsed time since the sheet sensor S4 detected the leading edge of the sheet SH passing through the cutter mechanism 4 and the conveying speed of the sheet SH, and when that timing arrives, stops the first conveying roller 71, the second conveying roller 72, and the first discharge roller pair 29 that nip the sheet SH. Then, the control unit C1 controls the first motor M1 to move the movable blade 412 in the cutting direction DC1.

[0133] That is, when the sheet SH reaches and stops at the cutting position of the fixed blade 411 and the movable blade 412, the cutter carriage 420, the movable blade holder 460, and the movable blade 412 move in the cutting direction DC1 through the cutting area AC1. As a result, the cutter mechanism 4 cuts the sheet SH in half.

[0134] Thereafter, the control section C1 rotates the first conveying roller 71, the second conveying roller 72, and the first discharge roller pair 29 to discharge the sheet SH (SH1) that has been cut into two pieces onto the discharge tray 9.

[0135] 3, when a sheet SH becomes jammed around the cutter mechanism 4, the user moves the second guide 200 from the first guide position to the second guide position. This separates the first discharge roller 29A and the second discharge roller 29B, allowing the user to easily grab and pull out the jammed sheet SH. As a result, the image forming apparatus 1 can easily remove the jammed sheet SH around the cutter mechanism 4.

[0136] <Housing recess of joint cover> 8 and 9, the joint cover 50 has an accommodating recess 55. The accommodating recess 55 is recessed so as to accommodate a portion of the joint cover 50 located on one side in the cutting direction DC1 from the cutting area AC1, i.e., the cutter carriage 420, the moving blade holder 460, and the moving blade 412 when the support portion 57R is in the standby position (420A). The accommodating recess 55 is recessed rightward from the inner wall surface 59 of the support portion 57R.

[0137] The support portion 57R has a first support portion 51, a second support portion 52, and a connecting wall 53.

[0138] The first support portion 51 is located to the right of the discharge tray 9 and is located downstream in the conveying direction DT1 of the moving blade holder 460 and the moving blade 412. The first support portion 51 supports a part of the right side of the second housing 30 from below.

[0139] The second support portion 52 is located to the right of the discharge tray 9 and is located upstream in the conveying direction DT1 of the moving blade holder 460 and the moving blade 412. The second support portion 52 supports another part of the right side surface of the second housing 30 from below.

[0140] The connecting wall 53 connects the first support part 51 and the second support part 52. The connecting wall 53 is located at a position retreated to the right from the cutting area AC1 relative to the first support part 51 and the second support part 52 so as to be able to accommodate the cutter carriage 420, the moving blade holder 460, and the moving blade 412.

[0141] The accommodating recess 55 is defined by the first support portion 51, the second support portion 52, and the connecting wall 53. In other words, the joint cover 50 forms the accommodating recess 55 by reducing the thickness of the connecting wall 53 in the left-right direction between the first support portion 51 and the second support portion 52.

[0142] 7, when the cutter carriage 420, the moving blade holder 460, and the moving blade 412 are in the standby position (420A), the end 420E of the cutter carriage 420 on the cutting area AC1 side is located above the cutting area AC1 as viewed along the conveying direction DT1, and protrudes toward the cutting area AC1 beyond the inner wall surface 59. With this configuration, it is possible to more reliably prevent the image forming apparatus 1 from becoming larger in the cutting direction DC1, compared to a case in which the accommodation recess 55 is recessed so as to accommodate the entire cutter carriage 420. Furthermore, with this configuration, the empty space above the cutting area AC1 can be effectively utilized for the end 420E of the cutter carriage 420 on the cutting area AC1 side.

[0143] <Detachable opening of joint cover and detachable opening cover> 1 and 10, the joint cover 50 has a side wall 56. The side wall 56 is made up of a right wall of the first support part 51, a right wall of the second support part 52, and the connecting wall 53. The right surface of the side wall 56 constitutes the right design surface of the joint cover 50.

[0144] As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the side wall 56 is located on one side of the cutter frame 400 in the cutting direction DC1.

[0145] 1 and 8 to 10, the joint cover 50 has a detachable opening 54. The detachable opening 54 penetrates the connecting wall 53, which is a part of the side wall 56, in the left-right direction.

[0146] 10, the attachment / detachment opening 54 is an opening sized to allow the moving blade holder 460 and the moving blade 412 to pass through in order to attach and detach the moving blade holder 460 and the moving blade 412 to and from the cutter carriage 420 in the standby position. The lower portion of the attachment / detachment opening 54 is smaller than the upper portion of the attachment / detachment opening 54. The front edge of the lower portion of the attachment / detachment opening 54 and the front edge of the upper portion of the attachment / detachment opening 54 extend continuously in the vertical direction.

[0147] 6 shows the relative positional relationship between the attachment / detachment opening 54, the cutter carriage 420, the moving blade holder 460, and the moving blade 412 when viewed along the cutting direction DC1. The attachment / detachment opening 54 is a part of the moving blade holder 460 held by the cutter carriage 420, and overlaps with a part including the handle 469 when viewed along the cutting direction DC1.

[0148] 8 and 9, the attachment / detachment opening 54 is located on one side in the cutting direction DC1, i.e., to the right, of the discharge tray 9. The attachment / detachment opening 54 is located in the support part 57R, which is on one side in the cutting direction DC1 of the discharge space AD1 of the support parts 57L and 57R.

[0149] 1 and 8 to 10, the joint cover 50 has a detachable opening cover 54C. The joint cover 50 is supported by a connection portion of the side wall 56 between the connecting wall 53 and the second support portion 52, and is capable of opening and closing the detachable opening 54.

[0150] The attachment / detachment opening cover 54C can be swung between a position in which the attachment / detachment opening 54 is closed as shown in Figures 1, 8, and 9, and a position in which the attachment / detachment opening 54 is open as shown in Figure 10. The attachment / detachment opening cover 54C is generally rectangular and larger than the attachment / detachment opening 54.

[0151] 10, a rib 54R is formed on the lower end side of the detachable opening cover 54C. A rib insertion hole 53R is formed in the connecting wall 53 at a position spaced downward from the front lower corner of the detachable opening 54. The rib insertion hole 53R penetrates the connecting wall 53 in the left-right direction.

[0152] When the removable opening cover 54C opens the removable opening 54, the rib 54R is separated to the right and rear from the rib insertion hole 53R. Although not shown, when the removable opening cover 54C moves to a position where the removable opening 54 is closed, the rib 54R is inserted into the rib insertion hole 53R and its tip protrudes leftward beyond the rib insertion hole 53R.

[0153] As shown in Fig. 5, the image forming apparatus 1 includes an open / close sensor S7. The open / close sensor S7 is a sensor capable of detecting the open / close state of the removable opening cover 54C. When the removable opening cover 54C closes the removable opening 54 and the tip of the rib 54R presses the actuator of the open / close sensor S7, the open / close sensor S7 goes into a state where it outputs a close signal for the removable opening cover 54C, and goes into a state where it outputs an open signal for the removable opening cover 54C in any other case. The control unit C1 can detect the open / close state of the removable opening cover 54C by checking the state of the open / close sensor S7 at an appropriate timing.

[0154] <Specific configuration of cutter carriage> As shown in FIGS. 11 to 14, the cutter carriage 420 has a carriage base 440 and a carriage cover 450. As shown in FIG.

[0155] As shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, the carriage base 440 has a holder holding portion 446, a shaft hole 447, an engaging protrusion 448, a guided portion 442, and a belt engaging portion 443 which are integrally formed to form a single resin molded product.

[0156] The holder holding portion 446 has a first holding wall 446A and a pair of left and right second holding walls 446B.

[0157] The first retaining wall 446A extends in the left-right and up-down directions and has a plurality of protrusions and recesses. As shown in FIG. 14, a left-right positioning recess 446H is formed in the left-right center of the first retaining wall 446A so as to recess backward. A front-rear positioning protrusion 446T is formed on the right edge side of the first retaining wall 446A. The upper and lower ends of the front-rear positioning protrusion 446T bulge forward above the left-right positioning recess 446H. Although not shown in the figure, a front-rear positioning protrusion 446T is also formed on the left edge side of the first retaining wall 446A.

[0158] The second retaining walls 446B are connected to the left and right side edges of the first retaining wall 446A, protrude forward, and extend in the vertical direction.

[0159] As shown in FIGS. 25 and 26, the holder holding portion 446 holds the moving blade holder 460 by surrounding the moving blade holder 460 from the left, right, and rear with a first holding wall 446A and second holding walls 446B.

[0160] 13 and 14, a pair of left and right shaft holes 447 are formed at the lower end of each second holding wall 446B so as to penetrate in the left-right direction. The shaft holes 447 are circular holes centered on a swing axis X450 extending in the left-right direction. A notch is formed at the lower end side of the shaft hole 447 to allow a swing shaft 457 (described later) to enter therein.

[0161] A pair of left and right engaging protrusions 448 are formed so as to protrude upward and forward from upper and front corners of each of the second holding walls 446B.

[0162] The guided portion 442 is formed rearward of the first holding wall 446 A. The belt engaging portion 443 is formed rearward of the first holding wall 446 A and below the guided portion 442.

[0163] 18, the guided portion 442 is supported by the guide portion 402 of the cutter frame 400 so as to be movable in the cutting direction DC1. The belt engagement portion 443 is connected to a portion of the timing belt 430 that extends in the left-right direction above the cutter frame opening 409. As a result, the driving force of the first motor M1 is transmitted to the carriage base 440 by the timing belt 430, and the carriage base 440 is guided in the cutting direction DC1 by the guide portion 402.

[0164] As shown in Fig. 12, the carriage base 440 holds a pair of left and right elastic beams 445, which are metal leaf springs. As shown in Fig. 13 and Fig. 14, each elastic beam 445 is connected by a beam connecting portion 445J. Each elastic beam 445 and the beam connecting portion 445J are manufactured by punching, bending, etc., a single spring steel plate.

[0165] 18, the beam connecting portion 445J engages with the upper portion of the first retaining wall 446A, so that each elastic beam 445 is held by the first retaining wall 446A. The elastic beam 445 extends downward and forward so as to enter the holder retaining portion 446, i.e., so as to enter the space surrounded by the first retaining wall 446A and each second retaining wall 446B, when the holder retaining portion 446 is not retaining the moving blade holder 460.

[0166] 13 and 14, the carriage cover 450 has a cover body 456, a swing shaft 457, a protrusion 458, an enclosing portion 459, and an operation protrusion 459T, which are integrally formed to constitute a single resin molded product. The protrusion 458 is an example of the "guide portion" of the present invention.

[0167] The cover body 456 has a cover main wall 456A and a pair of left and right cover side walls 456B.

[0168] 13, the cover main wall 456A extends in the left-right and up-down directions and has a plurality of protrusions and recesses. A pair of left and right pressing protrusions 456T are formed at the lower end of the cover main wall 456A so as to protrude rearward.

[0169] The cover side walls 456B are connected to the left and right side edges of the cover main wall 456A, protrude rearward, and extend in the vertical direction. The lower ends of the cover side walls 456B are located lower and forward of the lower end of the cover main wall 456A.

[0170] A pair of left and right swing shafts 457 are formed at the lower end of each cover side wall 456B. Each swing shaft 457 is a cylinder that protrudes toward each other and is centered on a swing axis X450 parallel to the cutting direction DC1. A part of the outer circumferential surface of the swing shaft 457 is made flat so that it passes through the notch and is inserted into the shaft hole 447.

[0171] As shown in Fig. 13 and Fig. 14, a pair of left and right protrusions 458 are formed integrally with each oscillation shaft 457 centered on the oscillation axis X450. Each protrusion 458 has a smaller diameter than each oscillation shaft 457. As shown in Fig. 13, the left protrusion 458 is connected to the right surface of the left oscillation shaft 457 and protrudes to the right. As shown in Fig. 14, the right protrusion 458 is connected to the left surface of the right oscillation shaft 457 and protrudes to the left.

[0172] 11 and 12, each pivot shaft 457 is inserted into each shaft hole 447 of the carriage base 440, whereby each shaft hole 447 pivotably supports each pivot shaft 457. As a result, as shown in FIGS. 18 to 26, the carriage cover 450 is supported by the carriage base 440 so as to be pivotable around the pivot axis X450.

[0173] The carriage cover 450 swings between an unlocked position shown in FIGS. 18 to 24 and a locked position shown in FIGS.

[0174] 18 and other drawings, the carriage cover 450 allows the moving blade holder 460 to be attached to and detached from the holder holding portion 446. The carriage cover 450 fixes the moving blade holder 460 to the holder holding portion 446 when the carriage cover 450 is in the locked position shown in FIG.

[0175] 11, the surrounding portion 459 and the operation protrusion 459T are located in an upper portion of the right cover side wall 456B. The operation protrusion 459T protrudes rightward from the upper end portion of the right cover side wall 456B, that is, toward the attachment / detachment opening 54. The surrounding portion 459 has a notch 459C recessed forward below the operation protrusion 459T.

[0176] 10, the enclosing portion 459 encloses the handle 469 when the carriage cover 450 is in the locked position. The cutout 459C exposes a part of the right end side of the handle 469 when the carriage cover 450 is in the locked position.

[0177] 11 and 13, the carriage cover 450 holds a pair of first springs 455 on the left and right. Each first spring 455 is a metal leaf spring. The left first spring 455 is held on the rear side of the lower part of the cover main wall 456A at a position adjacent to the left cover side wall 456B. The right first spring 455 is held on the rear side of the lower part of the cover main wall 456A at a position adjacent to the right cover side wall 456B.

[0178] Each of the first springs 455 has a curved portion 455C. The curved portion 455C is a portion of each of the first springs 455 that is above a portion that is held by the cover main wall 456A. ​​The curved portion 455C extends rearward and upward, and then curves downward while continuing to extend rearward, and further curves upward while continuing to extend rearward.

[0179] As shown in FIG. 11, when the carriage cover 450 moves to the locked position, each curved portion 455C engages with each engaging protrusion 448 of the carriage base 440 to maintain the carriage cover 450 in the locked position.

[0180] <Specific configuration of moving blade holder> 15 to 17, the moving blade holder 460 has a holder frame 461. The holder frame 461 has a holder main body 461A and a holder cover 461B.

[0181] Engagement pieces 461B1 and 461B2 of holder cover 461B engage with engagement claws 461A1 and 461A2 of holder body 461A, and holder body 461A and holder cover 461B are fastened together by screw 461F, whereby holder body 461A and holder cover 461B are integrated together. Holder body 461A and holder cover 461B are each a resin molded product.

[0182] Handle 469 is formed integrally with holder body 461A. Handle 469 is connected to a left-right intermediate portion of the upper end surface of holder body 461A, extends forward and upward, and then protrudes in an elongated shape to the right.

[0183] As shown in FIGS. 17 and 18, the moving blade holder 460 has a support shaft 462 and a second spring 465.

[0184] The support shaft 462 extends in the front-rear direction along the conveying direction DT1. The support shaft 462 is inserted into a multi-stage cylinder 412A fixed to the center of the moving blade 412. The front end of the support shaft 462 fits into the lower part of the holder main body 461A. The rear end of the support shaft 462 fits into the lower part of the holder cover 461B. In this way, the holder frame 461 holds the support shaft 462 therein, and the support shaft 462 rotatably supports the moving blade 412.

[0185] The lower end of the moving blade 412 protrudes downward from the gap between the lower end of the holder frame 461 and the lower end of the holder cover 461B.

[0186] The second spring 465 is a torsion coil spring, and is located between the moving blade 412 and the holder frame 461. The second spring 465 is compressed and deformed with its front end abutting against the inner wall surface of the holder frame 461 and its rear end abutting against the large diameter portion of the multi-stage cylinder 412A, and stores a restoring force. As a result, the second spring 465 biases the moving blade 412 toward the fixed blade 411 along the conveying direction DT1, that is, backward.

[0187] 15 to 17, the holder main body 461A has a pair of left and right grooves 468. The grooves 468 are an example of the "guided portion" of the present invention.

[0188] 15, the left groove 468 is formed on the lower end side of the left side surface of the holder main body 461A and is recessed rightward from the left side surface of the holder main body 461A. The left groove 468 is shown in FIGS. 20, 22, 24, and 26.

[0189] As shown in FIGS. 16 and 17, the right groove 468 is formed on the lower end side of the right side surface of the holder main body 461A and is recessed leftward from the right side surface of the holder main body 461A.

[0190] When viewed along the cutting direction DC1, the left groove 468 and the right groove 468 have the same shape and are in the same position.

[0191] As shown in FIGS. 15 to 17, one end 468A of each groove 468 is located at the lower end of the left and right side surfaces of the holder main body 461A and opens downward.

[0192] Each groove 468 extends upward from one end 468A in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction DT1 and the cutting direction DC1, i.e., along the up-down direction, away from the fixed blade 411. Each groove 468 is bent at a bent portion 468B, and further extends forward from the bent portion 468B along the conveying direction DT1, away from the fixed blade 411, to reach the other end 468C. The other end 468C of each groove 468 is closed.

[0193] 16, a left / right positioning protrusion 461T is formed at approximately the center of the rear surface of the holder cover 461B so as to protrude rearward. A pair of left and right beam abutment surfaces 461U are formed at the lower end side of the rear surface of the holder cover 461B. When the tip of each elastic beam 445 abuts against each beam abutment surface 461U, each elastic beam 445 urges the moving blade holder 460 forward.

[0194] <Attachment and detachment of the moving blade holder to the cutter carriage> A user can attach the moving blade holder 460 and the moving blade 412 to the cutter carriage 420 by the following actions.

[0195] As shown in Figure 10, the attachment / detachment opening cover 54C is in the state of opening the attachment / detachment opening 54, and as shown in Figure 18, the carriage cover 450 is in the unlocked position and the holder holding portion 446 is not holding the moving blade holder 460.

[0196] The user grasps the handle 469 of the moving blade holder 460 and moves the moving blade holder 460 to above the holder holding portion 446 of the cutter carriage 420 via the attachment / detachment opening 54 .

[0197] 19 and 20, the user lowers the moving blade holder 460 to enter the holder holding portion 446. At this time, each pressing protrusion 456T of the carriage cover 450 abuts against the front surface of the holder main body 461A to guide the moving blade holder 460 toward the holder holding portion 446. The moving blade 412 is spaced upward and forward from the tip of the fixed blade 411.

[0198] 21 and 22, the user further lowers the moving blade holder 460 to make it enter deeper inside the holder holding part 446. At this time, the tip of each elastic beam 445 contacts the moving blade holder 460 and elastically deforms backward to store a restoring force, thereby biasing the moving blade holder 460 forward so as to move the moving blade 412 away from the fixed blade 411 along the conveying direction DT1. This maintains the state in which each pressing protrusion 456T abuts against the front surface of the holder main body 461A.

[0199] 22, each protrusion 458 of the carriage cover 450 enters each groove 468 from one end 468A of each groove 468. In this state, the lower end of the moving blade 412 is located forward and away from the tip of the fixed blade 411 along the conveying direction DT1, and is at approximately the same height as the tip of the fixed blade 411 in the vertical direction.

[0200] 23 and 24, the user further lowers the moving blade holder 460. Then, as shown in Fig. 24, each groove 468 is guided by each protrusion 458, and the lowering of the moving blade holder 460 stops when each protrusion 458 is positioned at the bent portion 468B of each groove 468. In this state, the lower end of the moving blade 412 is located forward and away from the tip of the fixed blade 411 along the conveying direction DT1, and is located lower than the tip of the fixed blade 411 in the up-down direction.

[0201] In this state, the front and rear positioning protrusions 446T of the carriage base 440 face the moving blade holder 460. The left and right positioning recesses 446H of the carriage base 440 face the left and right positioning protrusions 461T of the moving blade holder 460, as shown in FIG.

[0202] 25 and 26, the user pinches the operation protrusion 459T and moves the carriage cover 450 from the unlocked position to the locked position, causing each pressing protrusion 456T of the carriage cover 450 to press the moving blade holder 460 and move it backward.

[0203] 26, in the process of the carriage cover 450 swinging from the unlocked position to the locked position, each protrusion 458 moves from the bent portion 468B of each groove 468 to the other end 468C, thereby guiding the moving blade holder 460. Accordingly, the moving blade 412 moves backward along the conveying direction DT1 so as to approach the fixed blade 411 and comes into contact with the fixed blade 411. Thereafter, the second spring 465 is compressed and deformed while pressing the moving blade 412 against the fixed blade 411.

[0204] At this time, as shown in Fig. 25, the left and right positioning protrusions 461T fit into the left and right positioning recesses 446H, so that the moving blade holder 460 is positioned in the left and right direction on the cutter carriage 420. Also, as shown in Fig. 26, the front and rear positioning protrusions 446T come into contact with the moving blade holder 460, and the protrusions 458 come into contact with the other ends 468C of the grooves 468, so that the moving blade holder 460 is positioned in the front and rear direction on the cutter carriage 420. As a result, the moving blade holder 460 is fixed to the holder holding portion 446.

[0205] 11, the carriage cover 450 is maintained in the locked position with high reliability by the engagement between the curved portions 455C of the first springs 455 and the engaging protrusions 448. As shown in FIG 1, the user closes the attachment / detachment opening cover 54C.

[0206] Moreover, the user can remove the moving blade holder 460 and the moving blade 412 from the cutter carriage 420 by performing the above-mentioned operations in reverse.

[0207] When the moving blade holder 460 is attached to or detached from the cutter carriage 420 , the protrusions 458 guide the moving blade holder 460 through the grooves 468 .

[0208] <Action and effect> 10, when performing the operation of attaching and detaching the moving blade holder 460 to and from the cutter carriage 420, the hand can reach the moving blade holder 460 attached to the cutter carriage 420 along the cutting direction DC1, i.e., the left-right direction, via the attachment / detachment opening 54 penetrating the connecting wall 53 that is a part of the side wall 56. At this time, even if a plurality of cut sheets SH are stacked on the discharge tray 9 downstream of the cutter mechanism 4 in the conveying direction DT1, the hand attempting to reach the moving blade holder 460 is unlikely to be obstructed by the sheets SH.

[0209] Furthermore, in this image forming apparatus 1, the moving blade holder 460 is not attached to or detached from the cutter carriage 420 from above, so the problem of the entire apparatus becoming larger is unlikely to occur.

[0210] Therefore, in the image forming apparatus 1 of the embodiment, the moving blade holder 460 can be easily attached to and detached from the cutter carriage 420 without increasing the size of the apparatus.

[0211] In addition, in the image forming apparatus 1, as shown in FIG. 2, the discharge tray 9 has an upstream portion 9A that is inclined upward and a downstream portion 9B that extends substantially horizontally. As shown in FIG. 9, the attachment / detachment opening 54 is located on one side of the discharge tray 9 in the cutting direction DC1. In this configuration, if a user attempts to reach the moving blade holder 460 attached to the cutter carriage 420 along the conveying direction DT1, the user is likely to be obstructed by the downstream portion 9B that is raised higher than the upstream portion 9A of the discharge tray 9. In this regard, according to the image forming apparatus 1, the user is unlikely to be obstructed by the downstream portion 9B of the discharge tray 9 when the user attempts to reach the moving blade holder 460 attached to the cutter carriage 420 along the cutting direction DC1 via the attachment / detachment opening 54.

[0212] Furthermore, the image forming apparatus 1 is a multifunction machine. As shown in FIG. 8 and FIG. 9, the second housing 30 and the joint cover 50 have a discharge space AD1 formed between the image forming unit 3, the image reading unit 35, and the support units 57L and 57R. The attachment / detachment opening 54 is located on one side of the discharge space AD1 in the cutting direction DC1. In other words, the attachment / detachment opening 54 is located on the support unit 57R, which is on one side of the discharge space AD1 in the cutting direction DC1, among the support units 57L and 57R. According to this configuration, the cutter mechanism 4 is located further back than the discharge space AD1 in the joint cover 50, and the image reading unit 35 is located above the cutter mechanism 4. In this configuration, if one tries to reach the moving blade holder 460 attached to the cutter carriage 420 along the conveying direction DT1, it is likely to be obstructed by the sheets SH that have been cut and stacked in the discharge space AD1, and the image reading unit 35 and the support units 57L and 57R that surround the discharge space AD1. In this respect, according to the image forming apparatus 1, the hand can reach the moving blade holder 460 attached to the cutter carriage 420 along the cutting direction DC1 via the attachment / detachment opening 54. At this time, the hand trying to reach the moving blade holder 460 is unlikely to be obstructed by the cut sheets SH stacked in the discharge space AD1, or the image reading unit 35 and the support units 57L and 57R that form the discharge space AD1. In addition, since the image forming apparatus 1 does not attach or detach the moving blade holder 460 to or from the cutter carriage 420 from above, the problem of the entire apparatus becoming larger is unlikely to occur. Therefore, the image forming apparatus 1, which is a multifunction machine, can easily attach and detach the moving blade holder 460 to or from the cutter carriage 420 without increasing the size of the apparatus.

[0213] 10, the joint cover 50 has a removable opening cover 54C. With this configuration, the removable opening cover 54C can prevent foreign matter from entering the inside of the joint cover 50 through the removable opening 54.

[0214] Furthermore, as shown in Fig. 5, the image forming apparatus 1 is provided with an open / close sensor S7. As shown in Fig. 10, if the cutter mechanism 4 were operable when the removable opening cover 54C is open, the user may accidentally touch the cutter carriage 420 or the moving blade holder 460 during operation. In this regard, the image forming apparatus 1 can detect the state of the removable opening cover 54C by the open / close sensor S7, and therefore can control the cutter mechanism 4 not to operate when the cover is open.

[0215] Furthermore, in this image forming apparatus 1, the moving blade holder 460 has a handle 469 that protrudes toward the attachment / detachment opening 54. With this configuration, the user's hand can easily reach the handle 469 of the moving blade holder 460 via the attachment / detachment opening 54, making it even easier to attach and detach the moving blade holder 460 to and from the cutter carriage 420.

[0216] Furthermore, in this image forming apparatus 1, as shown in Fig. 13, the carriage cover 450 has each protrusion 458. As shown in Fig. 15 and Fig. 16, the holder main body 461A has each groove 468. With this configuration, as shown in Fig. 22, Fig. 24 and Fig. 26, the each protrusion 458 guides each groove 468, so that the operation of attaching and detaching the moving blade holder 460 to and from the cutter carriage 420 can be performed more easily.

[0217] In addition, in this image forming apparatus 1, as shown in Fig. 13, the guiding portions are the protrusions 458, and as shown in Fig. 15 and 16, the guided portions are the grooves 468. With this configuration, the guided portions of the moving blade holder 460, which is a replacement unit, are the grooves 468 and do not protrude, so that even if the moving blade holder 460 is dropped, damage to the grooves 468 can be suppressed.

[0218] Furthermore, in this image forming apparatus 1, as shown in Figs. 22, 24 and 26, one end 468A of each groove 468 is open, and the other end 468C of each groove 468 is closed. When the moving blade holder 460 is attached to the cutter carriage 420, each protrusion 458 enters each groove 468 from one end 468A of each groove 468 and guides each groove 468. Then, in a state in which the moving blade holder 460 is attached to the cutter carriage 420, each protrusion 458 abuts against the other end 468C to position the moving blade holder 460 in the front-rear direction. With this configuration in which each protrusion 458 abuts against the other end 468C of each groove 468, the moving blade holder 460 attached to the cutter carriage 420 can be easily positioned.

[0219] Also, in this image forming apparatus 1, the carriage cover 450 swings between an unlocked position, which allows the moving blade holder 460 to be attached and detached to the holder holding portion 446 of the carriage base 440, as shown in Fig. 18, and a locked position, which fixes the moving blade holder 460 to the holder holding portion 446, as shown in Fig. 25. With the carriage cover 450 swinging to the unlocked position, this image forming apparatus 1 can easily attach and detach the moving blade holder 460, and with the carriage cover 450 swinging to the locked position, the moving blade holder 460 can be fixed with high reliability.

[0220] 13 and 14, in the image forming apparatus 1, the carriage cover 450 has each swing shaft 457, and each protrusion 458 is formed integrally with each swing shaft 457 centered on the swing axis center X450. With this configuration, each protrusion 458 that positions the moving blade holder 460 is formed on the carriage cover 450 coaxially with each swing shaft 457, thereby realizing space saving.

[0221] In addition, in this image forming apparatus 1, as shown in FIG. 23, when the moving blade holder 460 is attached to the holder holding portion 446 with the carriage cover 450 in the unlocked position, the tip of each elastic beam 445 contacts the moving blade holder 460 and elastically deforms, and urges the moving blade holder 460 forward so as to move the moving blade 412 away from the fixed blade 411 along the conveying direction DT1. With this configuration, the tip of each elastic beam 445 guides the moving blade holder 460 attached to the holder holding portion 446 during the attachment of the moving blade holder 460. Also, due to the urging force of each elastic beam 445, the moving blade 412 supported by the moving blade holder 460 moves forward away from the fixed blade 411 along the conveying direction DT1. As a result, the moving blade 412 can be prevented from contacting the fixed blade 411 during the attachment of the moving blade holder 460.

[0222] 11, the carriage cover 450 holds the first springs 455, and the carriage base 440 has the engaging protrusions 448. With this configuration, when the carriage cover 450 moves to the locked position, the curved portions 455C of the first springs 455 engage with the engaging protrusions 448, so that the carriage cover 450 is reliably maintained in the locked position. As a result, the image forming apparatus 1 can prevent the moving blade holder 460 held by the holder holding portion 446 from rattling relative to the cutter carriage 420.

[0223] 10, in this image forming apparatus 1, the moving blade holder 460 has a handle 469, and the carriage cover 450 has an enclosing portion 459 that surrounds the handle 469 when the carriage cover 450 is in the locked position. With this configuration, the handle 469 of the moving blade holder 460 cannot be grasped unless the carriage cover 450 is first swung to the unlocked position, so that it is possible to prevent the moving blade holder 460 from being forcibly removed.

[0224] Furthermore, in this image forming apparatus 1, the enclosure 459 has a notch 459C that exposes a part of the right end side of the handle 469 when the carriage cover 450 is in the locked position. With this configuration, the user can visually check the handle 469 through the attachment / detachment opening 54, which makes it possible to prevent the user from forgetting to attach the moving blade holder 460.

[0225] Furthermore, in this image forming apparatus 1, the carriage cover 450 has an operation protrusion 459T that protrudes toward the attachment / detachment opening 54. With this configuration, the user can easily swing the carriage cover 450 by pinching the operation protrusion 459T.

[0226] Furthermore, in this image forming apparatus 1, as shown in Fig. 24, when the carriage cover 450 is in the unlocked position and each protrusion 458 is located at the bent portion 468B of each groove 468, the moving blade 412 is away from the fixed blade 411 forward along the conveying direction DT1. Then, as shown in Fig. 26, in the process of the carriage cover 450 swinging from the unlocked position to the locked position, each protrusion 458 moves from the bent portion 468B of each groove 468 to the other end 468C, so that the moving blade 412 moves backward along the conveying direction DT1 so as to approach the fixed blade 411 and comes into contact with the fixed blade 411, and then the second spring 465 compresses and deforms the moving blade 412 while pressing it against the fixed blade 411. With this configuration, a force is generated to press the moving blade 412 against the fixed blade 411 in the process of the carriage cover 450 swinging to the locked position. This prevents the carriage cover 450 from closing when the moving blade holder 460 is not properly held by the cutter carriage 420, thereby preventing the moving blade 412 from being pressed against the fixed blade 411 in an undesired position. Also, when the carriage cover 450 is in the locked position, the biasing force of the second spring 465 prevents the moving blade 412 from moving away from the fixed blade 411 during cutting.

[0227] Although the present invention has been described above with reference to the embodiments, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments and can be modified as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0228] In the embodiment, the image forming apparatus of the present invention is embodied as the image forming apparatus 1, which is a multifunction machine equipped with an image reading device on the upper side, but the present invention is not limited to this configuration. For example, the configuration of the present invention may be applied to an image forming apparatus that is not a multifunction machine. Furthermore, the configuration of the present invention may be applied not only to a monochrome electrophotographic image forming apparatus as in the present embodiment, but also to a color electrophotographic image forming apparatus or a printing apparatus of another printing method, such as an inkjet method or a thermal method. [Explanation of symbols]

[0229] 1...Image forming device (multifunction device) DT1: Transport direction SH…Sheet 3...Image forming section DC1…Cutting direction 4…Cutter mechanism 10, 30, 50...Housing (10...First housing, 30...Second housing, 50...Joint cover) 400…Cutter frame 411…Fixed blade 412...moving blade 460...Moving blade holder 420…Cutter carriage 56…Side wall 54…Removable opening 9…Outlet tray 9U: upstream end of the discharge tray in the transport direction 9A…Upstream part of discharge tray 9B…Downstream part of the discharge tray 35...Image reading unit AD1…Discharge space 54C…Detachable opening cover S7…Open / close sensor 469…Handle 458...Guiding part (protrusion) 468…Guided part (groove) 468A…One end of the groove 468C…other end of groove 440…Carriage base X450…Rotating axis center 450…Carriage cover 446…Holder holding part 457...Oscillation shaft 447…Axle hole 445...Elastic beam 455…First spring 455C…Bend 448…Engagement convex portion 459…Encirclement 459C…Cutout of enclosure 459T…operation protrusion 462…Support shaft 461…Holder frame 465…Second spring 468B…Bend of groove 57L, 57R…Support part

Claims

1. an image forming section for forming an image on a sheet conveyed in a conveying direction; a cutter mechanism that cuts the sheet on which the image is formed in a cutting direction perpendicular to the conveying direction; a housing that houses the image forming unit and the cutter mechanism; Equipped with the cutter mechanism includes a cutter frame extending in the cutting direction, a fixed blade fixed to the cutter frame and extending in the cutting direction, a movable blade moving while in sliding contact with the fixed blade, a movable blade holder rotatably supporting the movable blade, and a cutter carriage detachably holding the movable blade holder and guided in the cutting direction by the cutter frame; The image forming apparatus is characterized in that the housing has a side wall located to one side of the cutting direction relative to the cutter frame, and an attachment / detachment opening that penetrates the side wall and overlaps with at least a portion of the moving blade holder held by the cutter carriage when viewed along the cutting direction.

2. the housing has a discharge tray that supports a sheet to be discharged after being cut by the cutter mechanism, the discharge tray has an upstream portion that is inclined upward from an upstream end of the discharge tray in the transport direction toward the downstream in the transport direction, and a downstream portion that is connected to the upstream portion and extends substantially horizontally toward the downstream in the transport direction, 2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the attachment / detachment opening is located on the one side in the cutting direction relative to the discharge tray.

3. An image reading unit that reads an image of a document, the housing accommodates the image reading unit above the image forming unit and the cutter mechanism; the housing has a discharge space for discharging the sheet cut by the cutter mechanism between the image forming unit and the image reading unit, 2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the attachment / detachment opening is located on the one side of the cutting direction relative to the ejection space.

4. 4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the housing has a removable opening cover supported by the side wall and capable of opening and closing the removable opening.

5. 5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising an opening / closing sensor capable of detecting an open / closed state of said removable opening cover.

6. 4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the movable blade holder has a handle protruding toward the attachment / detachment opening.

7. the cutter carriage has a guide portion that guides the moving blade holder when the moving blade holder is attached to or detached from the cutter carriage, 4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the movable blade holder has a guided portion that is guided by the guiding portion.

8. 8. The image forming apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the guiding portion is a protrusion, and the guided portion is a groove.

9. One end of the groove is open; The other end of the groove is closed; When the moving blade holder is attached to the cutter carriage, the protrusion enters the groove from the one end and guides the groove; 9. The image forming apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the projection abuts against the other end to position the moving blade holder when the moving blade holder is attached to the cutter carriage.

10. the cutter carriage includes a carriage base that is guided in the cutting direction by the cutter frame, and a carriage cover that is supported by the carriage base so as to be swingable about a swing axis that is parallel to the cutting direction, the carriage base has a holder holding portion that holds the moving blade holder, 10. The image forming apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the carriage cover swings between an unlocked position that allows the moving blade holder to be attached to and detached from the holder holding portion and a locked position that fixes the moving blade holder to the holder holding portion.

11. the carriage cover has a pivot shaft centered on the pivot axis, the carriage base has a shaft hole for supporting the swing shaft so as to be swingable; 11. The image forming apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the protrusion is formed integrally with the pivot shaft and is centered on the pivot axis.

12. the carriage base holds an elastic beam that extends to enter the holder holding portion when the holder holding portion is not holding the moving blade holder, An image forming apparatus as described in claim 10, wherein when the moving blade holder is attached to the holder holding portion with the carriage cover in the unlocked position, the tip of the elastic beam contacts the moving blade holder and elastically deforms, thereby biasing the moving blade holder so as to move the moving blade away from the fixed blade along the conveying direction.

13. the carriage cover holds a first spring having a curved portion; 11. The image forming apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the carriage base has an engaging protrusion that engages with the curved portion to maintain the carriage cover in the locked position when the carriage cover moves to the locked position.

14. The moving blade holder has a handle protruding toward the attachment / detachment opening, 11. The image forming apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the carriage cover has a surrounding portion that surrounds the handle when the carriage cover is in the locked position.

15. 15. The image forming apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the enclosing portion has a notch through which at least a portion of the handle is exposed when the carriage cover is in the locked position.

16. 15. The image forming apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the carriage cover has an operation projection that projects toward the attachment / detachment opening.

17. the movable blade holder includes a support shaft extending along the transport direction and rotatably supporting the movable blade, a holder frame that holds the support shaft, and a second spring that is located between the movable blade and the holder frame and biases the movable blade so as to approach the fixed blade along the transport direction, the groove extends from the one end in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction and the cutting direction so as to move away from the fixed blade, bent at a bent portion, and further extends from the bent portion in the conveying direction so as to move away from the fixed blade to reach the other end, when the carriage cover is in the unlocked position and the protrusion is located at the bent portion of the groove, the moving blade is spaced apart from the fixed blade along the conveying direction; An image forming apparatus as described in claim 10, wherein, during the process of the carriage cover swinging from the unlocked position to the locked position, the protrusion moves from the bent portion of the groove to the other end, causing the moving blade to move closer to the fixed blade along the conveying direction and come into contact with the fixed blade, and then the second spring is compressed and deformed while keeping the moving blade pressed against the fixed blade.

18. an image reading unit that reads an image of a document; an image forming section for forming an image on a sheet conveyed in a conveying direction; a cutter mechanism that cuts the sheet on which the image is formed in a cutting direction perpendicular to the conveying direction; a housing that houses the image forming unit and the cutter mechanism; Equipped with the housing includes a support section that supports the image reading section above the image forming section and the cutter mechanism, and a discharge space that is formed between the image forming section, the image reading section, and the support section, and that discharges a sheet cut by the cutter mechanism; the cutter mechanism includes a cutter frame extending in the cutting direction, a fixed blade fixed to the cutter frame and extending in the cutting direction, a movable blade moving while in sliding contact with the fixed blade, a movable blade holder rotatably supporting the movable blade, and a cutter carriage detachably holding the movable blade holder and guided in the cutting direction by the cutter frame; The multifunction machine is characterized in that the housing has an attachment / detachment opening located on one side of the cutting direction relative to the discharge space in the support portion, the attachment / detachment opening being for attaching and detaching the moving blade holder.

Images