Sheet conveyance apparatus and image formation apparatus

Abstract

To improve workability upon attaching / detaching a manual feed device.SOLUTION: A sheet conveyance apparatus comprises a rotation mechanism 30 for supporting a manual feed part 500 rotatably and detachably relative to an apparatus body 201A. The rotation mechanism 30 comprises: a rotation shaft 31 fitted to the apparatus body 201A and serving as the center of rotation upon the rotation of the manual feed part 500; a first groove part 32 fitted to the apparatus body 201A, also having a width equal to or greater than the maximum diameter of the rotation shaft 31, having an opening part 32a opening in a direction orthogonal to the axial direction of the rotation shaft 31, detachably engaged with the rotation shaft 31 via the opening part 32, and allowing the manual feed part 500 to be rotatable by supporting the rotation shaft 31; and a first lock part 33 movably provided as a separate member separated from the first groove part 32 and the rotation shaft 31, and switchable between a first lock state in which the rotation shaft 31 is locked in a state where it is engaged with the first groove part 32 and a first release state after releasing the first lock state.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a sheet transport device that transports a sheet, and an image forming apparatus that uses the same. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, colorization and high image quality of image forming devices such as copying machines, printers, and facsimiles using electrophotography have become widespread. In image forming devices, special paper such as coated paper and thick paper is desired to produce a more beautiful and attractive finished product than ordinary paper. In order to feed such special paper, for example, a manual feed device attached to the side wall of the image forming device is used. Here, since coated paper is prone to paper jams due to adhesion between sheets of paper, a manual feed device has been proposed that has a configuration for blowing air to the end of the sheet width direction to reduce the adhesion between stacked sheets in order to realize smooth feeding (see Patent Document 1). This manual feed device allows multiple sheets of coated paper to be fed continuously.

[0003] Meanwhile, in a manual feed device, a configuration is known in which a tray for stacking sheets is detachably attached to the device body. For example, in a manual feed device equipped with the above-mentioned air blowing configuration, if the air blowing configuration breaks down, the tray can be detached and replaced, and repairs can be completed with a simple task. As a configuration of such a detachable tray, for example, one has been developed in which a groove formed in the tray is rotatably engaged with a shaft provided in the device body, and the tray and the device body are fixed with a snap-fit ​​mechanism involving elastic deformation when the tray is open (see Patent Document 2). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2006-256819 A [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 7-309454 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, by providing a device for blowing air onto the stacked sheet bundle in the manual feed device, the tray on which the sheets are stacked is becoming larger and heavier. In addition, there is an increasing demand for a tray that is longer in the sheet conveying direction in order to stack long sheets, which is also causing the tray to become larger and heavier. However, the manual feed device described in Patent Document 2 uses a snap-fit ​​mechanism to fix the tray in the open state, so the heavy tray needs to be supported only by the engagement of the snap-fit ​​mechanism, and the engagement force needs to be increased according to the weight. In that case, the elastic force for engagement needs to be increased, and when the snap-fit ​​is released to rotate the tray to the closed position, the elastic force for releasing the engagement force increases, which may reduce the operability when attaching and detaching the manual feed device (manual feed unit).

[0006] SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE An object of the present invention is to provide a sheet transport device and an image forming apparatus that can improve the ease of installation and removal of a manual feed device. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] One aspect of the present invention includes a housing that houses a sheet transport section that transports a sheet, an opening / closing unit that is provided so as to be openable and closable by rotating relative to the housing and displaceable between a closed position and an open position, and has a support section that supports a sheet in the open position, and is provided so as to be detachable from the housing, a feeding section that feeds the sheet supported by the support section to the sheet transport section, a rotation mechanism that supports the opening / closing unit rotatably and detachably with respect to the housing, and a regulating section that regulates the opening / closing unit from rotating in a direction that opens larger than the open position, and the rotation mechanism is attached to one of the opening / closing unit and the housing, and regulates the opening / closing unit so as to rotate. a first groove portion attached to the other of the opening / closing unit and the housing, having a width equal to or greater than the maximum diameter of the pivot shaft, having an opening perpendicular to the axial direction of the pivot shaft, with which the pivot shaft is detachably engaged via the opening, and supporting the pivot shaft to enable the opening / closing unit to rotate; and a first lock portion provided movably as a separate member relative to the first groove portion and the pivot shaft, and switchable between a first lock state in which the pivot shaft is locked in an engaged state with the first groove portion and a first release state in which the first lock state is released.

[0008] Another aspect of the present invention is an image forming apparatus including the above-mentioned sheet conveying device and an image forming section that forms an image on the sheet conveyed by the sheet conveying section. Effect of the Invention

[0009] According to the present invention, the workability when attaching and detaching the manual feed device can be improved. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is a cross-sectional view showing an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment; [Diagram 2] 11 is a plan view showing a state in which a manual feed section according to the embodiment is located at an open position. FIG. [Diagram 3]11 is a front view showing a state in which the manual feed section according to the embodiment is located at an open position. FIG. [Figure 4] 1 is a front view showing a state in which a manual feed unit according to an embodiment is located at an open position, with sheets and the feed unit omitted. FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a front view showing a state in which the manual feed unit according to the embodiment is detached from the device main body. [Figure 6] 11 is a front view showing a state in which the rotation shaft of the manual feed section according to the embodiment is attached to the first groove and the swing shaft is removed from the second groove. FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a front view showing a state in which the manual feed unit according to the embodiment is attached to the device main body. [Figure 8] 13 is a front view showing a state in which the manual feed section according to the modified example is located at an open position and a first lock section is disengaged. FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 11 is a front view showing a state in which a manual feed unit according to a modified example is detached from an apparatus main body. [Figure 10] FIG. 13 is a front view showing a state in which a rotating shaft according to a modified example is attached to a first groove portion and a swinging shaft is removed from a second groove portion. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a front view showing a state in which a manual feed unit according to a modified example is attached to an apparatus main body. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] The present embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings. First, the schematic configuration of an image forming apparatus 1 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 1. FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing the schematic configuration of the image forming apparatus 1 according to this embodiment. The image forming apparatus 1 is a tandem type intermediate transfer type laser beam printer that utilizes an electrophotographic process. The image forming apparatus 1 can form and output a full-color or monochrome image corresponding to print image data output from a host device (not shown) connected to a control unit 20 on a sheet S, which is a recording medium.

[0012] The control unit 20 is a control means for controlling the overall operation of the image forming apparatus 1, and transmits and receives information to and from the host device and the operation unit 730. The control unit 20 also performs signal processing and sequence control for various process devices. Here, the host device is a personal computer, an image scanner, a facsimile, etc. The control unit 20 has a CPU, a RAM, and a ROM, and controls each part in the image forming apparatus 1. The CPU outputs an output signal to each electric component to operate the electric component at a desired timing and with a required amount of control based on the detection signal input from each sensor and the information stored in the ROM. Therefore, it is the CPU that actually controls the electric components. The ROM and RAM store information data required for controlling each part, and the CPU reads the information data stored in the ROM and writes it to the RAM.

[0013] The image forming apparatus 1 has an apparatus body 201A and an image forming section 201B that forms an image on a sheet S. An image reading device 202 that is installed substantially horizontally is provided above the apparatus body 201A. A discharge space V for discharging a sheet is formed between the image reading device 202 and the apparatus body 201A. In this embodiment, the apparatus body 201A, more specifically, a frame (not shown) that constitutes the apparatus body 201A, is an example of a housing. In this embodiment, the image forming apparatus 1 is also an example of a sheet conveying apparatus. That is, the image forming apparatus 1 as a sheet conveying apparatus has the apparatus body 201A, a manual feed section 500, a support arm 11, and a feed section 507 (see FIG. 3), which will be described later.

[0014] The cassette feeding section 230 feeds the sheet S from a feeding cassette 5 which is a sheet storage means for storing the sheet S. The cassette feeding section 230 has a pickup roller 2 and a separation roller pair consisting of a feed roller 3 and a retard roller 4 for separating the sheet S sent out from the pickup roller 2.

[0015] The manual feed section 500 feeds the sheet S from a manual feed tray 10 which is a means for supporting the sheet S. The manual feed section 500 is an example of an opening and closing unit, is provided so as to be openable and closable by rotating with respect to the device main body 201A, is displaceable between a closed position and an open position, has the manual feed tray 10, and is provided so as to be detachable from the device main body 201A. The manual feed tray 10 is an example of a support section, and supports the sheet when the manual feed section 500 is in the open position.

[0016] The feeding section 507 has a pickup roller 502 and a pair of separation rollers for separating the sheet S sent out from the pickup roller 502. The pair of separation rollers is composed of a feed roller 503 and a retard roller 504 (see FIG. 3). The sheets separated one by one by the pair of separation rollers are fed to the pair of registration rollers 240 by the pair of conveying rollers 506. That is, the feeding section 507 feeds the sheet supported by the manual feed tray 10 to the pair of conveying rollers 506. In this embodiment, the pair of conveying rollers 506 is an example of a sheet conveying section that conveys a sheet, and is housed in the apparatus main body 201A.

[0017] The image forming section 201B forms an image on a sheet fed by the cassette feeding section 230 or the manual feeding section 500. That is, the image forming section 201B forms an image on a sheet fed by a pair of conveying rollers 506. The image forming section 201B is of a four-drum full-color type, and has a laser scanner 210 and four process cartridges 211 that form toner images of four colors, yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C), and black (K). Here, each process cartridge 211 includes a photosensitive drum 212, a charger 213 as a charging means, and a developer 214 as a developing means. The image forming section 201B also includes a secondary transfer section 218 and a fixing section 201E disposed above the process cartridges 211. A toner cartridge 215 supplies toner to the developer 214.

[0018] The secondary transfer unit 218 includes a transfer belt 216 wound around a drive roller 216a and a tension roller 216b. A primary transfer roller 219 is provided on the inside of the transfer belt 216, which contacts the transfer belt 216 at a position facing the photosensitive drum 212. The transfer belt 216 is rotated in the direction of an arrow by a drive roller 216a driven by a drive unit (not shown). A secondary transfer roller 217 that transfers a color image formed on the transfer belt 216 to a sheet S is provided at a position facing the drive roller 216a of the secondary transfer unit 218.

[0019] A fixing section 201E is disposed above the secondary transfer roller 217, and a first discharge roller pair 225a, a second discharge roller pair 225b, and a double-sided reversing section 201F are disposed above the fixing section 201E. The double-sided reversing section 201F is provided with a reversing roller pair 222 that can rotate forward and backward, and a re-conveying path R that conveys the sheet S, on one side of which an image has been formed, back to the image forming section 201B. An operation section 730 that accepts operations from a user is provided on the upper portion of the image forming apparatus 1. A touch panel type having both a display function and an input function is adopted as the operation section 730.

[0020] Next, an image forming operation of the image forming apparatus 1 will be described. First, when the image forming apparatus 1 receives image data of an original to be printed, the image information is subjected to image processing, converted into an electric signal, and transmitted to a laser scanner 210 of the image forming unit 201B. In the image forming unit 201B, the surface of the photosensitive drum 212, the surface of which is uniformly charged to a predetermined polarity and potential by a charger 213, is sequentially exposed to a laser. As a result, electrostatic latent images of yellow, magenta, cyan, and black are sequentially formed on the photosensitive drum of each process cartridge 211, respectively.

[0021] Thereafter, the electrostatic latent images are developed and visualized with toner of each color, and the toner images of each color on each photosensitive drum are transferred in order onto the transfer belt 216 in a superimposed manner by a primary transfer bias applied to a primary transfer roller 219. As a result, a toner image is formed on the transfer belt 216.

[0022] In parallel with this toner image forming operation, the sheets S are conveyed one by one by the cassette feeding section 230 or the manual feeding section 500 to the registration roller pair 240, and skew is corrected by the registration roller pair 240. After the skew is corrected, the sheets S are conveyed by the registration roller pair 240 to the secondary transfer section 218, and the toner images are transferred all at once onto the sheets S by a secondary transfer bias applied to the secondary transfer roller 217 in the secondary transfer section 218.

[0023] Next, the sheet S onto which the toner image has been transferred is transported to the fixing section 201E, where the toners of the various colors melt and mix under heat and pressure in a roller nip section formed by the pressure roller 220a and the heating roller 220b, and are fixed as a color image on the sheet S. The sheet S onto which the image has been fixed is discharged into the discharge space V by a first discharge roller pair 225a or a second discharge roller pair 225b provided downstream of the fixing section 201E, and is stacked on a discharge tray 223 protruding from the bottom surface of the discharge space V. When images are formed on both sides of the sheet S, after the images are fixed, the sheet S is transported to a re-conveyance path R by a reversing roller pair 222, and is transported again to the image forming section 201B.

[0024] [Manual feed section] Next, the manual feed section 500 will be described with reference to FIG. 2. As shown in FIG. 2, the manual feed section 500 has a manual tray 10, a pickup roller 502, and a pair of a first side regulating section 70 and a second side regulating section 80. The image forming apparatus 1 has a rotation mechanism 30 and a regulating section 40 (see FIG. 4). The rotation mechanism 30 supports the manual feed section 500 rotatably and detachably with respect to the device body 201A. The regulating section 40 regulates the manual feed section 500 from rotating in a direction to open more than the open position. As a result, the manual tray 10 is provided on the side of the device body 201A so as to be openable and closable by rotation, and the manual tray 10 is opened from a state stored on the side of the device body 201A to a state in which sheets can be stacked. The following describes the case where the manual tray 10 is in an open state.

[0025] The pickup roller 502 feeds the sheet S placed on the manual feed tray 10. The pair of first and second side regulating units 70 and 80 are disposed on both sides of the sheet S in a width direction W intersecting with the feeding direction FD of the sheet S placed on the manual feed tray 10, and regulate the position of the sheet S in the width direction W. The first side regulating unit 70 is an example of a regulating unit, and is provided on the manual feed tray 10 so as to be movable in the width direction W, and regulates the position of the sheet S supported on the manual feed tray 10 in the width direction W. The second side regulating unit 80 is provided so as to be movable in the width direction W in conjunction with the first side regulating unit 70, and abuts against the other end of the sheet S placed on the manual feed tray 10 in the width direction W. In this embodiment, the width direction W is a direction perpendicular to the feeding direction FD of the sheet S.

[0026] The first side regulating portion 70 has a rack 71. Similarly, the second side regulating portion 80 has a rack 81. Each rack 71, 81 is meshed with a pinion gear 90 to be interlocked. As a result, at least one of the first side regulating portion 70 and the second side regulating portion 80 is movable in the width direction W, and in this embodiment, both the first side regulating portion 70 and the second side regulating portion 80 are movable in synchronization with the width direction W of the sheet S. Note that one of the first side regulating portion 70 and the second side regulating portion 80 may be fixed so as not to move. Also, only the first side regulating portion 70 may be provided movably, and the second side regulating portion 80 may not be provided.

[0027] The first side regulating section 70 is provided with a first air handling section 74 having a fan motor 72 and a blowing nozzle 73. When the fan motor 72 is driven, air f1 is blown out from the blowing nozzle 73 and is blown onto the side of the sheet stack placed on the manual feed tray 10. By blowing the air f1 from the fan motor 72 toward the side end of the sheets S as handling air, the sheets S above the sheet stack are lifted, and the adhesion force between the sheets is reduced. In other words, the first air handling section 74 is an example of an air handling section, and blows air in the width direction W from the first side regulating section 70 onto the stack of sheets S supported by the manual feed tray 10 to handle the sheets S.

[0028] Similarly, the second side regulating section 80 is provided with a second air handling section 84 having a fan motor 82 and a blowing nozzle 83. When the fan motor 82 is driven, air f2 is blown out from the blowing nozzle 83 and is blown onto the side of the sheet stack placed on the manual feed tray 10 opposite the first side regulating section 70. By blowing the air f2 from the fan motor 82 toward the side end of the sheets S as handling air, in combination with the air f1 blown from the opposite side, the sheets S above the sheet stack are effectively lifted, and the adhesion force between the sheets is reduced.

[0029] When the user selects the manual feed unit 500 and executes an operation to start image formation, sheet feeding is started from the manual feed unit 500. If the sheet S placed on the manual feed tray 10 is, for example, coated paper, the fan motors 72 and 82 are operated. As a result, air f1 and f2 are blown from the blowing nozzles 73 and 83 to the ends of the sheet stack in the width direction W.

[0030] A predetermined time after the blowing of the air f1 and f2 is started, the uppermost sheet S, in which the adhesive force between the sheets has been reduced, is fed by the rotating pickup roller 502 and sent to a pair of separation rollers consisting of a feed roller 503 and a retard roller 504. The sheet S separated into one sheet by the pair of separation rollers is conveyed to the pair of registration rollers 240 by a pair of conveying rollers 506. Note that the first side regulating section 70, the second side regulating section 80, the first air handling section 74, and the second air handling section 84 are not shown in FIG. 3(a) and subsequent figures. Also, in the present embodiment, the manual feed section 500 is described as having the first air handling section 74 and the second air handling section 84, but the present invention is not limited to this and may not have them.

[0031] [Bypass tray rotation mechanism] Next, a configuration for supporting the manual feed tray 10 of this embodiment will be described in detail with reference to Figs. 3 to 7. Fig. 3 is a front view of the manual feed tray 10 of this embodiment in a state where it is fully opened to the open position, and Fig. 4 is a front view showing the configuration in Fig. 3 with the sheets S and the feeding section 507 omitted. The manual feed tray 10 is rotatably provided on the side of the device main body 201A, and by opening the manual feed tray 10 from a state where it is stored on the side of the device main body 201A, it becomes possible to stack the sheets S.

[0032] The pivot mechanism 30 includes a pivot shaft 31 , a first groove portion 32 , and a first lock portion 33 . The rotating shaft 31 is attached to the manual feed unit 500 and serves as a rotation center when the manual feed unit 500 rotates. In this embodiment, the rotating shaft 31 has a cross-sectional shape of a perfect circle. The first groove portion 32 is formed in a support member 501 attached to the device main body 201A. The first groove portion 32 has a width equal to or greater than the maximum diameter of the rotating shaft 31, and has an opening portion 32a that opens in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the rotating shaft 31 and a support surface 32b at the innermost portion. The rotating shaft 31 is detachably engaged through the opening portion 32a, and the manual feed unit 500 is made rotatable by supporting the rotating shaft 31.

[0033] Here, as a configuration for preventing the rotating shaft 31 from easily falling off the first groove 32, for example, the cross-sectional shape of the rotating shaft 31 may be D-cut or double D-cut, and the opening 32a may be made smaller than the maximum diameter of the rotating shaft 31. In this case, when the rotating shaft 31 is inserted into or removed from the first groove 32, it passes through the opening 32a at an angle where the diameter of the rotating shaft 31 is smaller than the maximum diameter, and during normal use, the rotating shaft 31 does not fall out of the opening 32a at an angle where the diameter of the rotating shaft 31 is the maximum diameter. However, with such a configuration, when inserting or removing the rotating shaft 31 into or from the first groove 32, the manual feed tray 10 must be tilted and the phase must be adjusted so that the part of the rotating shaft 31 whose diameter is smaller than the maximum diameter passes through the opening 32a. Especially when inserting or removing a large or heavy manual feed tray 10, such phase adjustment is not preferable because it reduces workability. In contrast, in this embodiment, opening 32a has a width greater than or equal to the maximum diameter of pivot shaft 31, so that whether pivot shaft 31 has a circular cross section or a double D-cut shape, manual tray 10 can be inserted and removed at any angle, improving operability.

[0034] In this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 5, the opening 32a opens in the direction in which the manual feed unit 500 is provided in the device body 201A. That is, the opening 32a, which is the opening of the first groove 32, is provided on the side where the manual tray 10 is opened from the support surface 32b. The first groove 32 is formed to guide the rotation shaft 31 in a direction along the feeding direction FD (see Fig. 3) of the sheet S by the feed unit 507 when the manual tray 10 is located at the open position. In this way, the manual tray 10 is rotatably supported by the device body 201A by the rotation shaft 31 and the support surface 32b of the first groove 32.

[0035] 4 shows a state in which the manual feed tray 10 is in the open position and the first locking portion 33 is disengaged from the rotating shaft 31. The first locking portion 33 is provided movably as a separate member relative to the first groove portion 32 and the rotating shaft 31, and is switchable between a first locked state in which the rotating shaft 31 is locked in an engaged state with the first groove portion 32, and a first released state in which the first locked state is released. In other words, the first locking portion 33 is not elastically displaced relative to the first groove portion 32 and the rotating shaft 31, but is displaced by rotation without elastic deformation.

[0036] The first locked state is, for example, the state shown in Fig. 7, and the first released state is, for example, the state shown in Fig. 4. The first locking portion 33 is rotatably provided with respect to the first groove portion 32, and has a rotation shaft restricting portion 33a that can engage with the rotation shaft 31. The rotation shaft restricting portion 33a restricts the rotation shaft 31 from moving in a direction to separate from the first groove portion 32 in the first locked state, and allows the rotation shaft 31 to move in a direction to separate from the first groove portion 32 in the first released state. That is, the first locking portion 33 is formed in a hook shape that allows the rotation shaft restricting portion 33a to be engaged with the rotation shaft 31.

[0037] Moreover, the first locking portion 33 has a recessed portion overlapping in a direction substantially perpendicular to the center line of the first groove portion 32, and the rotating shaft 31 is adapted to fit into the recessed portion. As a result, the movement of the rotating shaft 31 is restricted by the first groove portion 32 in a substantially vertical direction perpendicular to the feeding direction FD, and the movement in the feeding direction FD is restricted by the support surface 32b or the recessed portion of the first locking portion 33. In this embodiment, the first locking portion 33 is formed in a rotatable hook shape, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and may be configured to fit into the first groove portion 32 to prevent the rotating shaft 31 from coming off, for example.

[0038] [Bypass tray restriction] The regulating section 40 has a support arm 11, a swing shaft 43 attached to the support arm 11, and a second groove section 44 attached to the device main body 201A, and is provided to regulate the rotation of the manual feed tray 10 in a direction to open wider than the open position. The position of the manual feed tray 10 when opened is regulated by the support arm 11. One end of the support arm 11 is rotatably supported by the device main body 201A, and the other end is rotatably connected to a first moving member 12 on a side surface of the manual feed tray 10. The first moving member 12 is movable in both directions of the upstream side and the downstream side of the feeding direction FD inside a tray rail 13 provided inside the manual feed tray 10. The tray rail 13 is an example of a guide section, and is formed of an opening formed in a frame of the manual feed tray 10, and is formed in the feeding direction FD as a longitudinal direction. In this embodiment, the support arm 11, the tray rail 13, etc. are provided at both ends in the width direction W. However, the present invention is not limited to providing the insulating film at both ends, and the insulating film may be provided at only one end.

[0039] The support arm 11 is an example of a swinging member, one end of which is swingably supported by the device main body 201A, and the other end of which is engaged with the manual feed section 500. The first moving member 12 is an example of a guided portion, and moves while being guided by the tray rail 13 as the manual feed section 500 rotates. The support arm 11 has the first moving member 12 at the other end. When the manual feed section 500 is located at the open position, the support arm 11 receives the load of the manual feed section 500 between the tray rail 13. In this embodiment, one end of the support arm 11 is swingably provided on the device main body 201A, but it is not limited to being the end, and it may be swingably supported at a position other than the end. Similarly, the other end of the support arm 11 is connected to the first moving member 12, but it is not limited to being the end, and it may be connected to a position other than the end. In addition, in this embodiment, a case has been described in which the first movable member 12, which is the guided part, is a separate part from the support arm 11, but this is not limited to this, and the guided part may be formed from the same part as the support arm 11.

[0040] The swing shaft 43 is attached to the support arm 11 and serves as a swing center when the support arm 11 swings. The second groove 44 is attached to the device body 201A, and the swing shaft 43 is detachably engaged therewith, and supports the swing shaft 43 to allow the support arm 11 to swing. In this embodiment, the second groove 44 has a width equal to or greater than the maximum diameter of the swing shaft 43, and has an opening 44a that opens in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the swing shaft 43, and a support surface 44b at the innermost part. The opening 44a opens upward, and the second groove 44 descends downward from the opening 44a and bends horizontally in the direction in which the manual feed unit 500 is provided, forming a substantially L-shape as a whole. That is, the opening 44a, which is the open part of the second groove 44, is provided on the device body 201A side from the support surface 44b. As a result, when engaging the rotating shaft 31 with the first groove portion 32 and then engaging the oscillating shaft 43 with the second groove portion 44, it is possible to insert it into the opening 44a from above and pull it horizontally toward the manual feed section 500, thereby achieving stable support that will not easily fall off.

[0041] In this embodiment, the second locking part 45 is provided on the device body 201A so as to be movable with respect to the second groove 44 and the swing shaft 43. The second locking part 45 is configured to enter the second groove 44 downward from the opening 44a, for example. In this embodiment, the second locking part 45 is made of a separate member that is separate from the second groove 44 and the swing shaft 43, and is not elastically displaced with respect to the second groove 44 and the swing shaft 43, but is displaced by reciprocating in the up-down direction without elastic deformation. However, the second locking part 45 is not limited to a configuration that reciprocates in the up-down direction, and may be configured to appear and disappear in the second groove 44 from the width direction W, or may be configured to be engaged with the swing shaft 43 by rotation like the first locking part 33. The second locking part 45 is switchable between a second locking state in which the swing shaft 43 is locked in a state supported by the second groove 44, and a second release state in which the second locking state is released.

[0042] The second locking portion 45 has a rocking shaft restricting portion 45a that is provided so as to be insertable into and removable from the second groove portion 44. The rocking shaft restricting portion 45a restricts the rocking shaft 43 from moving in a direction away from the second groove portion 44 in the second locked state, and allows the rocking shaft 43 to move in a direction away from the second groove portion 44 in the second released state.

[0043] Next, the mounting operation of the manual feed tray 10 will be described with reference to Figs. 5 to 7. Fig. 5 shows the manual feed tray 10 removed from the device main body 201A. Fig. 6 shows the state where the rotation shaft 31 is engaged with the first groove portion 32. Fig. 7 shows the state where the rotation shaft 31 is mounted in the first groove portion 32 and then the swing shaft 43 is mounted in the second groove portion 44. Note that the operation of removing the manual feed tray 10 can be performed by reversing the mounting operation, and therefore the explanation thereof will be omitted.

[0044] As a procedure, first, as shown in FIG. 5, the pivot shaft 31 is inserted through the opening 32a of the first groove 32. As shown in FIG. 6, after the pivot shaft 31 is inserted so as to come into contact with the support surface 32b of the first groove 32, the pivot shaft 31 is rotatably locked in the first groove 32 by the first locking portion 33. Furthermore, the upper end of the support arm 11 is moved from top to bottom, and the swing shaft 43 is inserted from above downward through the opening 44a of the second groove 44. As shown in FIG. 7, after the pivot shaft 43 is inserted so as to come into contact with the support surface 44b of the second groove 44, the swing shaft 43 is rotatably locked in the second groove 44 by the second locking portion 45.

[0045] As described above, according to the manual feed unit 500 of this embodiment, the rotation mechanism 30 has the rotation shaft 31, the first groove 32, and the first locking part 33, and the first locking part 33 is provided movably as a separate member separated from the first groove 32 and the rotation shaft 31. Therefore, when removing the manual tray 10 from the device main body 201A, it is only necessary to rotate the first locking part 33, and the work can be easily performed with a small force. Therefore, compared with the case where the manual tray 10 is locked by a snap fit involving elastic deformation, the force required to remove the manual tray 10 can be reduced, and the workability when attaching and detaching the manual feed unit 500 can be improved.

[0046] In addition, in this embodiment, the opening 32a of the first groove 32 has a width equal to or larger than the maximum diameter of the rotating shaft 31, so even if the cross-sectional shape of the rotating shaft 31 is a shape such as a double D cut, it can be inserted into and removed from the first groove 32 regardless of the angle. This eliminates the need for rotation phase alignment in the attachment and removal operation of the manual feed tray 10, and reduces the change in tray posture during attachment and removal. In addition, since the opening 32a is not provided on the support surface 32b where the load due to the tray's own weight is applied to the support portion, the load is not removed from the support surface 32b due to the tray's own weight, and the tray is stably locked. Therefore, when the manual feed tray 10 is attached to or detached from the device main body 201A, it can be attached and detached in a stable posture.

[0047] In this embodiment, the opening 32a opens toward the side where the manual feed unit 500 is provided in the device body 201A. Furthermore, the first groove 32 is formed to guide the rotation shaft 31 in a direction along the feeding direction FD when the manual tray 10 is in the open position. Therefore, the user can attach and detach the manual tray 10 to and from the device body 201A in a state where the manual tray 10 is tilted to the same degree as the open position, so that even with a heavy manual tray 10, operability can be improved.

[0048] In addition, in this embodiment, the opening 44a of the second groove 44 has a width equal to or larger than the maximum diameter of the pivot shaft 43, so even if the cross-sectional shape of the pivot shaft 43 is a double D-cut shape, it can be inserted into and removed from the second groove 44 regardless of the angle. This eliminates the need for rotational phase alignment in the attachment and removal operation of the manual feed tray 10, and reduces the change in tray posture during attachment and removal. In addition, since the opening 44a is not provided on the support surface 44b where the load due to the tray's own weight is applied to the support portion, the load is not removed from the support surface 44b due to the tray's own weight, and the tray is stably locked. Therefore, the manual feed tray 10 can be attached and removed in a stable posture when attached to and removed from the device main body 201A.

[0049] In the above embodiment, the support arm 11 is used as a restricting portion that restricts the manual feed portion 500 from rotating in a direction that opens wider than the open position, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a stopper that abuts on the rotation direction side of the manual feed tray 10 may be provided on the device main body 201A as the restricting portion, or a stopper that restricts rotation may be provided on the rotating shaft 31 as the restricting portion.

[0050] In the above embodiment, the rotating shaft 31 is attached to the manual feed section 500, and the first groove 32 is formed in the support member 501 attached to the device body 201A, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, as in the rotating mechanism 130 shown in Figs. 8 to 11, the rotating shaft 131 may be attached to the device body 201A, and the first groove 132 may be formed in the manual feed section 500. Fig. 8 shows a state in which the manual feed section 500 is in the open position and the first lock section 133 is released. In this case, the first lock section 133 is rotatably attached to the manual feed tray 10. That is, the rotating shafts 31 and 131 are attached to one of the manual feed section 500 and the device body 201A, and the first grooves 32 and 132 are attached to the other of the manual feed section 500 and the device body 201A.

[0051] In the above embodiment, the case has been described in which the swing shaft 43 is attached to the support arm 11, and the second groove portion 44 is formed in the support member 501 attached to the device body 201A, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, as shown in Figs. 8 to 11, the swing shaft 143 may be attached to the device body 201A, and the second groove portion 144 may be formed in the support arm 11. In this case, the second lock portion 145 is movably attached to the support arm 11. That is, the swing shafts 43, 143 are attached to one of the support arm 11 and the device body 201A, and the second groove portions 44, 144 are attached to the other of the support arm 11 and the device body 201A.

[0052] The operation of attaching the manual tray 10 in this case will be described with reference to FIGS. Fig. 9 shows a state in which manual feed section 500 has been detached from device main body 201A. Fig. 10 shows a state in which rotation shaft 131 has been attached to first groove portion 132 and oscillation shaft 143 has been detached from second groove portion 144. Fig. 11 shows a state in which rotation shaft 131 has been attached to first groove portion 132 and then oscillation shaft 143 has been attached to second groove portion 144. Note that the operation of removing manual tray 10 can be achieved by performing the attachment operation in reverse, and therefore description thereof will be omitted.

[0053] As a procedure, first, as shown in FIG. 9, the opening 132a of the first groove 132 is engaged with the pivot shaft 131. As shown in FIG. 10, after the support surface 132b of the first groove 132 is engaged so as to come into contact with the pivot shaft 131, the pivot shaft 131 is rotatably locked in the first groove 132 by the first locking portion 133. Furthermore, the upper end of the support arm 11 is moved from top to bottom, and the opening 144a of the second groove 144 is engaged with the swing shaft 43. As shown in FIG. 11, after the support surface 144b of the second groove 144 is engaged so as to come into contact with the swing shaft 143, the swing shaft 143 is rotatably locked in the second groove 144 by the second locking portion 145.

[0054] Furthermore, the rotating shaft 31 may be attached to the manual feed section 500, the first groove section 32 may be attached to the device main body 201A, the swinging shaft 143 may be attached to the device main body 201A, and the second groove section 144 may be attached to the support arm 11. Alternatively, the rotating shaft 131 may be attached to the device main body 201A, the first groove section 132 may be attached to the manual feed section 500, the swinging shaft 43 may be attached to the support arm 11, and the second groove section 44 may be attached to the device main body 201A.

[0055] In the above-described embodiment, the sheet conveying device is the image forming device 1, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the present invention may be applied to a sheet supplying device that conveys a sheet without having the image forming unit 201B. [Explanation of symbols]

[0056] 1...image forming apparatus (sheet conveying apparatus), 11...support arm (swinging member), 12...first moving member (guided portion), 13...tray rail (guiding portion), 30,130...rotation mechanism, 31,131...rotation shaft, 32,132...first groove portion, 32a...opening, 33,133...first lock portion, 33a...rotation shaft regulating portion, 40,140...regulating portion, 43,143...oscillation shaft, 44,1 44...second groove portion, 45,145...second lock portion, 45a...oscillating shaft regulating portion, 70...first side regulating portion (regulating portion), 74...first air handling portion (air handling portion), 201A...apparatus main body (housing), 201B...image forming portion, 500...manual feed portion (opening / closing unit), 506...pair of conveying rollers (sheet conveying portion), 507...feed portion, FD...feeding direction, S...sheet, W...width direction

Claims

1. A housing containing a sheet transport unit that transports sheets, An opening / closing unit is provided that can be opened and closed by rotating relative to the housing to a closed position and an open position, and has a support portion that supports the seat in the open position, and is detachably attached to the housing, A feeding unit that feeds the sheet supported by the support unit to the sheet transport unit, A restricting unit that restricts the opening / closing unit to the open position, A pivot shaft is attached to one of the opening / closing unit and the housing, and serves as the pivot point when the opening / closing unit rotates. A first groove is attached to the other side of the opening / closing unit and the housing, and has an opening that is perpendicular to the axial direction of the pivot shaft, through which the pivot shaft is detachably engaged, and which supports the pivot shaft, thereby making the opening / closing unit rotatable. The device includes a first locking mechanism that can switch between a first locked state, in which the pivot shaft is locked in the first groove, and a first unlocked state, in which the first locked state is released. A sheet conveying device characterized by the following features.

2. The first locking portion is rotatably mounted relative to the first groove and includes a pivot shaft restricting portion that restricts the pivot shaft from moving away from the first groove in the first locked state and allows the pivot shaft to move away from the first groove in the first unlocked state. The sheet conveying device according to feature 1.

3. The first locking portion is provided as a separate member that is movably attached with respect to the first groove and the pivot shaft. The sheet conveying device according to feature 1.

4. The pivot shaft is attached to the opening / closing unit. The first groove is attached to the housing and supports the pivot shaft. The sheet conveying device according to feature 1.

5. The opening is located in the direction in which the opening / closing unit in the housing is provided. The sheet conveying device according to feature 4.

6. The first groove is formed to guide the pivot shaft in a direction along the sheet feeding direction by the feeding unit. The sheet conveying device according to feature 5.

7. The first groove has a width greater than or equal to the maximum diameter of the pivot shaft. The sheet conveying device according to feature 1.

8. The aforementioned regulatory body, A swinging member, one end of which is supported so as to be swingable and detachable with respect to the housing, and the other end of which is engaged with the opening / closing unit, A pivot shaft is attached to one of the rocking member and the housing, and serves as the pivot center when the rocking member rocks. A second groove is attached to the other side of the rocking member and the housing, and the rocking shaft is detachably engaged with it, and the rocking member is made rockable by supporting the rocking shaft, The sheet conveying device according to feature 1.

9. The second locking portion is provided so as to be movable with respect to the second groove and the pivot shaft, and is switchable between a second locked state in which the pivot shaft is locked in a state supported by the second groove, and a second released state in which the second locked state is released. The sheet conveying device according to feature 8.

10. The second locking portion is provided so as to be insertable into the second groove and has a pivot shaft restricting portion that restricts the pivot shaft from moving away from the second groove in the second locked state and allows the pivot shaft to move away from the second groove in the second released state. The sheet conveying device according to feature 9.

11. The opening and closing unit has a guide section, The other end of the rocking member has a guided portion that moves as the opening and closing unit rotates, guided by the guide portion. The sheet conveying device according to feature 8.

12. The aforementioned pivot shaft is attached to the housing, The first groove is attached to the opening / closing unit. The sheet conveying device according to feature 1.

13. The pivot shaft is attached to the pivot member, The second groove is attached to the housing, The sheet conveying device according to feature 8.

14. The pivot shaft is attached to the housing. The second groove is attached to the rocking member. The sheet conveying device according to feature 8.

15. The opening and closing unit is The support portion is provided to be movable in the width direction perpendicular to the sheet feeding direction, and the side restricting portion restricts the position of the sheet supported by the support portion in the width direction, The device has an air handling section that blows air in the width direction from the side regulating section onto a bundle of sheets supported by the support section to disperse the sheets, The sheet conveying device according to feature 1.

16. A sheet conveying device according to any one of claims 1 to 15, The system includes an image forming unit that forms an image on a sheet conveyed by the sheet conveying unit. An image forming apparatus characterized by the following features.

Images