Image formation device

Abstract

To provide an image formation device which can inhibit occurrence of noise and voltage drop by minimizing a space between a cutter motor and a motor driver.SOLUTION: A multifunction machine 1 includes: a body 20 having a transport path 201 of a sheet S; a process part 4 configured to form an image on the sheet S; a fuser 6 which fixes the image formed on the sheet S; a cutter 10 having a movable blade 15 which is disposed at a cutter position on the downstream side in a sheet transport direction relative to the fuser 6 on the transport path 201, and a cutter motor 106 configured to move the movable blade 15 in a cutting direction intersecting with the sheet transport direction; a main substrate 100 configured to control the process part 4 and the fuser 6; and a sub substrate 111 equipped with a DC motor driver MD4 for controlling the cutter motor 106. The main substrate 100 and the sub substrate 111 are connected through a first harness HR1 and the sub substrate 111 and the cutter motor 106 are connected through a second harness HR2.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to an image forming apparatus that cuts an image-formed sheet with a cutter.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, an image forming apparatus for cutting standard-sized paper is known. Patent Document 1 describes a cutting apparatus configured to convey a sheet to a cutting position and stop it, and then cut the stopped sheet with a cutting blade extending in the sheet width direction intersecting the conveyance direction.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] When driving a cutter with a motor and controlling the motor with a motor driver in an image forming apparatus, if the distance between the motor and the substrate on which the motor driver is mounted is large, noise may be generated by the current flowing between the motor and the motor driver, or a voltage drop may occur due to an increase in the resistance component caused by the lengthening of the signal line between the motor and the motor driver.

[0005] An object of this application is to provide an image forming apparatus capable of suppressing the generation of noise and voltage drop by making the distance between the cutter motor and the motor driver as short as possible.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] To achieve the above object, the image forming apparatus of the present application includes an apparatus main body having a sheet conveyance path, an image forming unit that forms an image on the sheet, a heating rotator, and a pressing rotator that forms a nip with the heating rotator. The image forming apparatus further includes a fixing unit that fixes the image formed on the sheet to the sheet, a moving blade disposed at a cutter position downstream of the fixing unit in the sheet conveyance direction in the conveyance path, and a cutter motor that moves the moving blade in a cutting direction intersecting the sheet conveyance direction. The cutter cuts the sheet by moving the moving blade in the cutting direction. The image forming apparatus also includes a main board that controls the image forming unit and the fixing unit, and a sub-board on which a motor driver that controls the cutter motor is mounted. The main board and the sub-board are connected via a first signal line, and the sub-board and the cutter motor are connected via a second signal line.

[0007] In the image forming apparatus of the present application, by further providing a sub-board on which a motor driver is mounted, it becomes possible to shorten the distance between the cutter motor and the sub-board. From the main board, it is only necessary to transmit control signals such as drive commands to the motor driver with respect to the sub-board, and the second signal line that serves as a path for the current supplied by the motor driver to drive the cutter motor can be shortened. Therefore, it is possible to suppress noise and voltage drop caused by the current generated between the cutter motor and the motor driver.

[0008] Further, the apparatus main body has a first side wall and a second side wall facing the first side wall. The main board and the sub-board are each arranged such that their board surfaces are parallel to the first side wall. The cutter motor is arranged on the first side wall side, and the moving blade is movable in a cutting direction that is a direction from the second side wall toward the first side wall or a direction from the first side wall toward the second side wall.

[0009] In this way, since the main board, the sub-board, and the cutter motor are all arranged on the first side wall side, the second signal line that serves as a path for the current for driving the cutter motor can be further shortened.

[0010] Further, the apparatus main body has a first side wall and a second side wall facing the first side wall, the main board is arranged such that its board surface is parallel to the first side wall, and the sub-board is arranged such that its board surface is orthogonal to the first side wall.

[0011] Thus, although the board surfaces of the main board and the sub-board are not arranged in the same direction, since the main board, the sub-board, and the cutter motor are all arranged on the first side wall side, the second signal line that serves as the path for the current to drive the cutter motor can be made shorter.

[0012] Also, it is characterized in that they are arranged on the first side wall side in the order of the main board, the sub-board, and the cutter motor.

[0013] Thus, since the sub-board is arranged between the main board and the cutter motor, the second signal line that serves as the path for the current to drive the cutter motor can be made shorter.

[0014] Further, the image forming apparatus of the present application further includes an encoder for detecting the rotation information of the cutter motor, and the output signal from the encoder is input to the main board via the second signal line, the sub-board, and the first signal line.

[0015] Thereby, since the output signal from the encoder can be included in the first signal line and the second signal line, the encoder can be easily connected to the main board.

[0016] Also, the apparatus main body has a first discharge path that is part of the conveyance path and discharges the sheet to the outside of the apparatus main body via the cutter position, and a second discharge path that is part of the conveyance path and is a path different from the first discharge path and discharges the sheet to the outside of the apparatus main body. The image forming apparatus of the present application further includes a flapper that guides the sheet to either one of the first discharge path and the second discharge path, and a flapper control circuit that controls the switching of the flapper, and the flapper control circuit is mounted on the sub-board.

[0017] As a result, the current path for the flapper control circuit to control the switching of the flapper is also included in the second signal line and can be made as short as the current path for driving the cutter motor supplied by the motor driver. Therefore, noise and voltage drop caused by the current generated between the flapper control circuit and the flapper can be suppressed.

[0018] Further, the image forming apparatus of the present application further includes a first discharge roller disposed at a position downstream of the fixing unit in the sheet conveyance direction and upstream of the cutter position in the conveyance path for conveying the sheet, and a second discharge roller disposed at a position downstream of the cutter position in the sheet conveyance direction for discharging the sheet conveyed by the first discharge roller to the outside of the apparatus main body, and a sheet detection sensor for detecting whether or not a sheet exists at a detection position different from the cutter position and between the first discharge roller and the second discharge roller in the sheet conveyance direction. The output signal from the sheet detection sensor is input to the main board via the second signal line, the sub-board, and the first signal line.

[0019] As a result, the output signal from the sheet detection sensor can be included in the first signal line and the second signal line, so that the sheet detection sensor can be easily connected to the main board.

[0020] Further, the image forming apparatus of the present application further includes a presence / absence sensor for detecting the presence or absence of a moving blade. The output signal from the presence / absence sensor is input to the main board via the second signal line, the sub-board, and the first signal line.

[0021] As a result, the output signal from the presence / absence sensor can be included in the first signal line and the second signal line, so that the presence / absence sensor can be easily connected to the main board.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0022]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0023] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present application will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0024] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic configuration of a multifunction machine (MFP: Multi-Function Peripheral) 1 according to an embodiment of the present application. The multifunction machine 1 is an example of an image forming apparatus and has functions such as a printing function, a copying function, and a scanning function. Note that, as the multifunction machine, a facsimile function may be added to these functions. Hereinafter, for convenience of explanation, as shown by the arrows in FIG. 1, the vertical direction and the front-rear direction of the multifunction machine 1 are defined. Also, this side of the paper surface is defined as the left, and the opposite side of the paper surface is defined as the right.

[0025] The multifunction machine 1 includes an image forming unit 2 and an image reading unit 9. The image forming unit 2 is an electrophotographic system and has a function of forming an image on the sheet S. The case where the image forming unit 2 has a function of forming a monochrome image on the sheet S is illustrated. The present disclosure is not limited thereto, and the image forming unit 2 may have a function of forming a full-color image on the sheet S, for example.

[0026] The image reading unit 9 reads an image formed on a medium such as a sheet, and includes an image reading sensor such as a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) method or a CIS (Contact Image Sensor) type, and a moving mechanism that moves the image reading sensor. The image reading unit 9 reads the image formed on the medium under the control of the ASIC 105.

[0027] The image forming unit 2 includes a main body 20, a conveying unit 3, a process unit 4, a fixing unit 6, and a cutter 10.

[0028] The main body 20 is formed in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, and has a front cover 21, a supply tray 31, a discharge tray 22, a conveyance path 201, and a re-conveyance path 202. The front cover 21 is attached to the front surface of the main body 20 in an openable and closable state. The supply tray 31 is attached to the lower part of the main body 20 in a detachable state. A sheet S is placed on the supply tray 31. The sheet S is a standard sheet such as A4 size. The sheet S is, for example, a paper medium such as plain paper or thick paper, but is not limited thereto, and may be an OHP film. The discharge tray 22 is provided at the upper part of the main body 20, and the sheet S on which an image is formed is placed on the discharge tray 22.

[0029] The conveyance path 201 is a path for conveying the sheet S placed on the supply tray 31 in the conveyance direction toward the discharge tray 22 via the process unit 4. The conveyance path 201 branches from the branch position D1 into a first discharge path 201A and a second discharge path 201B. Therefore, the sheet S conveyed via the process unit 4 is discharged to the discharge tray 22 via the first discharge path 201A and discharged to the discharge tray 22 via the second discharge path 201B.

[0030] The re-conveying path 202 is a path for conveying the sheet S with an image formed on one side thereof in a direction opposite to the conveying direction and then conveying it again toward the process unit 4. The re-conveying path 202 starts from the connection position D2 on the downstream side in the conveying direction from the branching position D1 on the second discharge path 201B and ends at the merging position J on the upstream side in the conveying direction of the pre-registration sensor SE1 in the conveying path 201.

[0031] The conveying unit 3 includes a pickup roller 33, a separation roller 34, a registration roller 35, a conveying roller 36, a first discharge roller 85, a second discharge roller 86, a third discharge roller 87, a flapper 88, re-conveying rollers 38 and 39, a main motor 108 (see FIG. 3), and a discharge motor 109 (see FIG. 4).

[0032] The pickup roller 33 picks up the sheet S in the supply tray 31 pushed upward by the sheet pressing plate 32 and conveys it toward the conveying path 201. The separation roller 34 separates the sheets S picked up by the pickup roller 33 one by one.

[0033] The registration roller 35 is disposed upstream of the process unit 4 in the conveying path 201. After aligning the direction of the front end of the sheet S, the registration roller 35 conveys the sheet S toward the process unit 4. The conveying roller 36 conveys the sheet S after passing through the fixing device 6 toward the first discharge roller 85 or the third discharge roller 87.

[0034] The first discharge roller 85 and the second discharge roller 86 are disposed on the first discharge path 201A. The first discharge roller 85 is disposed at a position upstream of the cutter position where the cutter 10 is disposed, and the second discharge roller 86 is disposed at a position downstream of the cutter position.

[0035] The first discharge roller 85 rotates by the driving force from the discharge motor 109 (see FIG. 3). A first driven roller 85' is disposed at a position facing the first discharge roller 85 with the first discharge path 201A therebetween. The first driven roller 85' rotates in a driven manner as the first discharge roller 85 rotates. The second discharge roller 86 also rotates by the driving force from the discharge motor 109. A second driven roller 86' is disposed at a position facing the second discharge roller 86 with the first discharge path 201A therebetween. The second driven roller 86' rotates in a driven manner as the second discharge roller 86 rotates.

[0036] The first discharge roller 85 and the second discharge roller 86 discharge the sheet S onto the discharge tray 22 by rotating to convey the sheet S in the conveyance direction. The rotation for conveying the sheet S in the conveyance direction corresponds to a counterclockwise rotation about the left-right direction of the main body 20 as the axis.

[0037] On the other hand, the third discharge roller 87 is disposed in the second discharge path 201B. The third discharge roller 87 rotates by the driving force from the discharge motor 109 (see FIG. 3). A third driven roller 87' is disposed at a position facing the third discharge roller 87 with the second discharge path 201B therebetween. The third driven roller 87' rotates in a driven manner as the third discharge roller 87 rotates. The third discharge roller 87 discharges the sheet S onto the discharge tray 22 by rotating to convey the sheet S in the conveyance direction. Further, the third discharge roller 87 conveys the sheet S to the re-conveyance path 202 by rotating in a direction opposite to the rotation for conveying the sheet S in the conveyance direction. The rotation in a direction opposite to the rotation for conveying the sheet S in the conveyance direction corresponds to a clockwise rotation about the left-right direction of the main body 20 as the axis.

[0038] Re-conveyance rollers 38 and 39 are disposed in the re-conveyance path 202. The re-conveyance rollers 38 and 39 convey the sheet S conveyed to the re-conveyance path 202 toward the process unit 4. By re-conveying the sheet S having an image formed on one surface thereof to the process unit 4 via the re-conveyance path 202 by the re-conveyance rollers 38 and 39, it is possible to form images on both surfaces of the sheet S.

[0039] The process unit 4 forms an image on the sheet S and is housed inside the main body 20. The process unit 4 has a drum cartridge 5 and a laser unit 7. The drum cartridge 5 has a photosensitive drum 51, a toner storage section 57, a supply roller 56, a developing roller 55, a charger 52, a transfer roller 53, and a pinch roller 54. The drum cartridge 5 can be removed from the main body 20 by opening the front cover 21. The pinch roller 54 of the drum cartridge 5 faces the registration roller 35. The pinch roller 54 rotates following the rotation of the registration roller 35 and conveys the sheet S together with the registration roller 35.

[0040] The photosensitive drum 51 rotates by the driving force from the main motor 108 (see FIG. 3) to convey the sheet S in the conveyance direction, thereby conveying the sheet S in the conveyance direction. In the photosensitive drum 51, the rotation for conveying the sheet S in the conveyance direction is a clockwise rotation about the left - right direction of the main body 20 as the axis. Toner is stored in the toner storage section 57. The supply roller 56 supplies the toner in the toner storage section 57 to the developing roller 55. The charger 52 is a scorotron - type charger and uniformly charges the surface of the photosensitive drum 51. Note that the charger 52 may be a charging roller.

[0041] A transfer roller 53 is arranged at a position facing the photosensitive drum 51. The transfer roller 53 forms a transfer nip TN between itself and the photosensitive drum 51 in the conveyance path 201. Note that a transfer belt may be used instead of the transfer roller 53.

[0042] The main body 20 has a laser unit 7 at the upper part inside thereof. The laser unit 7 has a polygon mirror 131 (see FIG. 3), a laser light emitting section 132 (see FIG. 3), a polygon motor 133 (see FIG. 3), a lens, a reflecting mirror, etc. not shown. The laser unit 7 exposes the surface of the photosensitive drum 51 by rapidly scanning the surface of the photosensitive drum 51 with laser light (see the two-dot chain line in FIG. 1) based on the image data emitted from the laser light emitting section 132.

[0043] The surface of the photosensitive drum 51 is exposed by the laser unit 7 to form an electrostatic latent image based on the image data. The developing roller 55 forms a toner image on the surface of the photosensitive drum 51 by supplying toner to the electrostatic latent image formed on the surface of the photosensitive drum 51.

[0044] A transfer voltage is applied to the transfer roller 53 by a high-voltage power supply board 112 (see FIG. 3). The transfer roller 53 transfers the toner image formed on the surface of the photosensitive drum 51 to the sheet S passing through the transfer nip TN by conveying the sheet S between the transfer roller 53 and the photosensitive drum 51. In this way, image formation on the sheet S is performed.

[0045] A fixing device 6 is arranged on the downstream side of the process unit 4 in the conveyance path 201. The fixing device 6 has a heating roller 61, a pressure roller 62, and a heater 63. The heating roller 61 is an example of a heating rotating body and heats the sheet S. The pressure roller 62 is an example of a pressure rotating body, forms a nip N with the heating roller 61, and presses the sheet S. The pressure roller 62 rotates to convey the sheet S in the conveyance direction by the driving force of the main motor 108. In the pressure roller 62, the rotation for conveying the sheet S in the conveyance direction is a counterclockwise rotation about the left-right direction of the main body 20 as the axis. The heater 63 is, for example, a halogen heater and heats the heating roller 61.

[0046] The fixing device 6 heats the sheet S by the heating roller 61 and rotates the pressure roller 62, and conveys the sheet S while pressing it with the heating roller 61 and the pressure roller 62, thereby fixing the image formed on the sheet S by the process unit 4 to the sheet S.

[0047] Note that the fixing device 6 is configured to include the heating roller 61, the pressure roller 62, and the heater 63, but is not limited thereto. For example, the fixing device 6 may be configured to include a heater, a nip plate that receives radiant heat from the heater, a heating belt that rotates around the nip plate, and a pressure roller.

[0048] Also, the fixing device 6 may be configured to include a substrate on which a heat generation pattern is formed, a belt that rotates around the substrate, and a pressure roller, and the substrate and the belt are in contact with the pressure roller. Further, the fixing device 6 may be configured to include a heating roller, a heater, and a pressure belt.

[0049] At the cutter position between the first discharge roller 85 and the second discharge roller 86 in the first discharge path 201A, a cutter 10 is disposed. The multifunction machine 1 stops the rotation of the first discharge roller 85 and the second discharge roller 86 so that the cutting position on the sheet S reaches the cutter position. With the rotation of the first discharge roller 85 and the second discharge roller 86 stopped, the multifunction machine 1 cuts the sheet S using the cutter 10.

[0050] FIG. 2 shows a schematic configuration of the cutter 10. As shown in FIG. 2, the cutter 10 includes a cutter frame 11, a slide rail 12, a fixed blade 13, a sheet passing portion 14, a moving blade 15, a slide holder 16, and a cutter motor 106. The cutter frame 11 extends in the axial direction. The slide rail 12 is a rail extending in the axial direction formed on the cutter frame 11. The fixed blade 13 is a flat blade extending in the axial direction fixed to the cutter frame 11. The sheet passing portion 14 is a space through which the sheet S formed on the cutter frame 11 passes. In the present embodiment, the sheet passing portion 14 is formed between the slide rail 12 and the fixed blade 13. The moving blade 15 is a disc-shaped blade and is rotatably fixed to the slide holder 16.

[0051] The slide holder 16 engages with the slide rail 12 and is attached to the cutter frame 11 so as to be slidable along the slide rail 12. When the cutter motor 106 is driven to rotate forward, the slide holder 16 slides from one side in the axial direction (for example, the right side wall side of the main body 20) to the other side (for example, the left side wall side of the main body 20). When the cutter motor 106 is driven to rotate in reverse, the slide holder 16 slides from the other side in the axial direction to one side. The left side wall is an example of the first side wall, and the right side wall is an example of the second side wall. The slide holder 16 is movable from the initial position shown by the solid line in FIG. 2 to the cutting completion position shown by the broken line. When the slide holder 16 moves along the slide rail 12 to the cutting completion position when the sheet S is at the cutter position, one sheet S is sandwiched between the fixed blade 13 and the moving blade 15 and cut into two sheets. After discharging the cut sheet S to the discharge tray 22, the slide holder 16 is returned from the cutting completion position to the initial position before starting the cutting of the next sheet S. However, not limited thereto, the slide holder 16 may be returned from the cutting completion position to the initial position after cutting the sheet S and before starting the conveyance toward the discharge tray 22. After cutting the sheet S, the multifunction machine 1 discharges the sheet S cut into two sheets to the discharge tray 22 by rotating the first discharge roller 85 and the second discharge roller 86 for a predetermined time.

[0052] Next, the control configuration of the multifunction machine 1 will be described with reference to FIG. 3. As shown in FIG. 3, the multifunction machine 1 further includes an ASIC 105, a ROM 102, a RAM 103, an NVRAM 104, a pre-registration sensor SE1, a post-registration sensor SE2, an ejection sensor SE3, a communication interface (I / F) 130, a low-voltage power supply board 110, a sensor group 91, motor drivers MD1 to MD4, a flapper solenoid 89, and a flapper switching circuit 90. An ASIC 105, a ROM 102, a RAM 103, an NVRAM 104, and motor drivers MD1 to MD3 are mounted on the main board 100, and a DC motor driver MD4 and a flapper switching circuit 90 are mounted on the sub-board 111.

[0053] The ASIC 105 is equipped with a CPU 101. The CPU 101 performs overall control of each part of the multifunction machine 1. The ASIC 105 is an example of a control unit and is electrically connected to a ROM 102, a RAM 103, an NVRAM 104, motor drivers MD1 to MD4, an electromagnetic clutch 107, a pre-registration sensor SE1, a post-registration sensor SE2, an ejection sensor SE3, an operation panel PA, a communication I / F 130, a fixing unit 6, a laser unit 7, a sensor group 91, and a flapper switching circuit 90.

[0054] The ROM 102 stores various control programs and various settings for controlling the multifunction machine 1.

[0055] The RAM 103 is used as a work area from which various control programs are read and a storage area for temporarily storing image data included in a job. The CPU 101 controls each part of the multifunction machine 1 while storing the processing results in the RAM 103 or the NVRAM 104 according to the control programs read from the ROM 102 and the signals output from various sensors.

[0056] The operation panel PA has, for example, a touch panel in which a touch pad and a display are integrally formed, and a key button section. The operation panel PA receives a user's operation and outputs the received information to the ASIC 105. The user can, for example, instruct the multifunction machine 1 to cut the sheet after image formation by operating the operation panel PA.

[0057] The motor driver MD1 is connected to a polygon motor 133 that rotationally drives the polygon mirror 131 of the laser unit 7, and controls the driving of the polygon motor 133 according to a control signal from the ASIC 105.

[0058] The motor driver MD2 is connected to the main motor 108, and controls the driving of the main motor 108 according to a control signal from the ASIC 105. The main motor 108 outputs a driving force to the pickup roller 33, the registration roller 35, the conveyance roller 36, the re-conveyance rollers 38, 39, the pressure roller 62, and the drum cartridge 5. When the ASIC 105 drives the main motor 108 forward via the motor driver MD2, a driving force is transmitted to the conveyance roller 36, the pressure roller 62, the photosensitive drum 51, the developing roller 55, the pickup roller 33, and the registration roller 35 by the output of the main motor 108. Then, the conveyance roller 36, the pressure roller 62, the photosensitive drum 51, the developing roller 55, the pickup roller 33, and the registration roller 35 rotate to convey the sheet S in the conveyance direction.

[0059] On the other hand, even when the ASIC 105 drives the main motor 108 in reverse via the motor driver MD2, the driving force is not transmitted to the conveyance roller 36, the pressure roller 62, the drum cartridge 5, the pickup roller 33, and the registration roller 35.

[0060] Also, by driving the main motor 108 forward, the ASIC 105 transmits a driving force to the re-conveying rollers 38 and 39, causing the re-conveying rollers 38 and 39 to rotate in a direction to convey the sheet S toward the process unit 4. In the re-conveying rollers 38 and 39, the rotation to convey the sheet S toward the process unit 4 is a clockwise rotation about the left-right direction of the main body 20 as the axis. On the other hand, even when the ASIC 105 drives the main motor 108 in reverse, a driving force is transmitted to the re-conveying rollers 38 and 39, causing the re-conveying rollers 38 and 39 to rotate in a direction to convey the sheet S toward the process unit 4.

[0061] The motor driver MD3 controls the driving of the discharge motor 109 in response to a control signal from the ASIC 105. The discharge motor 109 is, for example, a stepping motor and transmits a driving force to the first discharge roller 85, the second discharge roller 86, and the third discharge roller 87. When the ASIC 105 drives the discharge motor 109 forward via the motor driver MD3, the first discharge roller 85, the second discharge roller 86, and the third discharge roller 87 rotate in a direction to convey the sheet S in the conveyance direction. As a result, the sheet S is discharged to the discharge tray 22 via the first discharge path 201A or the second discharge path 201B. On the other hand, by driving the discharge motor 109 in reverse, the ASIC 105 rotates the third discharge roller 87 in a direction opposite to the conveyance direction of the sheet S. As a result, the sheet S being conveyed through the second discharge path 201B is conveyed in a direction opposite to the conveyance direction and is conveyed toward the re-conveying path 202.

[0062] The DC motor driver MD4 is mounted on the sub-board 111 as described above. The sub-board 111 and the main board 100 are connected via the first harness HR1. Also, the sub-board 111 and the cutter 10 are connected via the second harness HR2. The DC motor driver MD4 controls the driving of the cutter motor 106 according to the control signal from the ASIC 105. The sub-board 111 has DC 24V input from the main board 100 via the first harness HR1, and the DC motor driver MD4 is driven by the DC 24V. The cutter motor 106 is, for example, a DC motor. When the ASIC 105 drives the cutter motor 106 to rotate forward via the DC motor driver MD4, the slide holder 16 moves the moving blade 15 in the width direction of the sheet S to cut the sheet S. The encoder 113 is attached to the rotating shaft of the cutter motor 106 and outputs a signal corresponding to the rotation of the cutter motor 106. The ASIC 105 receives the signal output from the encoder 113 and acquires the rotation direction, rotation position, and rotation speed of the cutter motor 106 based on the received signal. Thereby, the ASIC 105 can know at which position on the slide rail 12 the slide holder 16 is, that is, at which axial position the moving blade 15 is.

[0063] The flapper switching circuit 90 is also mounted on the sub-board 111 as described above. The flapper switching circuit 90 switches the direction of the current flowing through the flapper solenoid 89 according to the control signal input from the ASIC 105 via the first harness HR1, thereby switching the position of the flapper 88 between the first position (position 88A shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 1) and the second position (position 88B shown by the solid line in FIG. 1). The first position 88A is a position for guiding the sheet S conveyed by the conveying roller 36 to the second discharge path 201B. Also, the first position 88A is a position for guiding the sheet S in the second discharge path 201B to the re-conveying path 202. The second position 88B is a position for guiding the sheet S conveyed by the conveying roller 36 to the first discharge path 201A. The current flowing through the flapper solenoid 89 is input from the flapper switching circuit 90 to the flapper solenoid 89 via the second harness HR2.

[0064] The electromagnetic clutch 107 is controlled by the ASIC 105. By turning on the electromagnetic clutch 107, the driving force of the main motor 108 is transmitted to the pickup roller 33, while by turning off the electromagnetic clutch 107, the driving force of the main motor 108 is not transmitted to the pickup roller 33.

[0065] The pre-registration sensor SE1 is disposed upstream of the registration roller 35 in the conveyance path 201 and is a sensor that detects the passage of the sheet S. As the pre-registration sensor SE1, a sensor having an actuator that swings when the sheet S abuts, an optical sensor, or the like can be used. The pre-registration sensor SE1 outputs an on-signal when the sheet S is passing and outputs an off-signal when the sheet S is not passing. The detection signal from the pre-registration sensor SE1 is output to the ASIC 105.

[0066] The post-registration sensor SE2 is disposed upstream of the fixing device 6 in the conveyance path 201, specifically, between the registration roller 35 and the transfer roller 53, and is a sensor that detects the passage of the sheet S. The post-registration sensor SE2 has the same configuration as the pre-registration sensor SE1. The detection signal from the post-registration sensor SE2 is output to the ASIC 105.

[0067] The discharge sensor SE3 is disposed between the fixing device 6 and the conveyance roller 36 in the conveyance path 201 and detects the passage of the sheet S. The discharge sensor SE3 has the same configuration as the pre-registration sensor SE1. The detection signal from the discharge sensor SE3 is output to the ASIC 105.

[0068] The sheet sensor SE4 (see Fig. 1) is disposed between the cutter position and the second discharge roller 86 and detects the passage of the sheet S. The sheet sensor SE4 has the same configuration as the pre-registration sensor SE1. The sheet sensor SE4 is one of the sensors included in the sensor group 91. In addition to the sheet sensor SE4, the sensor group 91 includes a presence sensor (not shown) that detects whether the moving blade 15 is installed on the slide holder 16. Each detection signal from each sensor included in the sensor group 91 is input to the ASIC 105 via the second harness HR2 and the sub-board 111 and via the first harness HR1.

[0069] The communication I / F 130 is connected to a network such as a LAN and enables connection to an external device such as a PC in which a driver for the multifunction machine 1 is incorporated. The CPU 101 can receive a print job via the communication I / F 130. The print job includes image data for image formation, various types of information necessary for forming an image on the sheet S such as the size and type of the sheet S used for image formation, and information on whether to cut the sheet S.

[0070] The low-voltage power supply board 110 includes an AC-DC converter (not shown), converts the input AC voltage (e.g., commercial AC 100V) into a DC voltage (e.g., DC 24V) by the AC-DC converter, and outputs it to the main board 100 and the high-voltage power supply board 112. The main board 100 includes a DC-DC converter (not shown), supplies the input DC 24V as it is to the motor drivers MD1 to MD4, or converts the input DC 24V into a lower DC voltage (e.g., DC 3.3V) by the DC-DC converter and supplies it as a power supply voltage to the ASIC 105 and the like. The high-voltage power supply board 112 applies a high-voltage charging voltage, developing voltage, and transfer voltage to the charger 52, developing roller 55, and transfer roller 53, respectively, based on the DC 24V from the low-voltage power supply board 110.

[0071] FIG. 4 shows an example of the arrangement of the main board 100, the sub-board 111, and the cutter motor 106 within the main body 20. Since the cutter 10 is arranged at the upper part of the main body 20 as shown in FIG. 1, the cutter motor 106 is also arranged at the upper part of the main body 20. And, as described above with reference to FIG. 2, the cutter motor 106 is arranged on the left side wall side of the main body 20. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 4, the main board 100 is arranged such that its board surface is parallel to the left side wall of the main body 20, and further stands upright upward from the lower part of the main body 20. If a DC motor driver MD4 is mounted on the main board 100, when the distance between the main board 100 and the cutter motor 106 is large, noise may be generated by the current flowing between the cutter motor 106 and the DC motor driver MD4, or a voltage drop may occur due to an increase in the resistance component caused by the lengthening of the signal line between the cutter motor 106 and the DC motor driver MD4. Therefore, by arranging the sub-board 111 between the main board 100 and the cutter motor 106 and mounting the DC motor driver MD4 on the sub-board 111, the length of the signal line connecting the DC motor driver MD4 and the cutter motor 106, that is, the second harness HR2, is shortened, suppressing the generation of noise and voltage drop. In the example of FIG. 4, the sub-board 111 is arranged such that its board surface is parallel to the left side wall of the main body 20, similar to the main board 100.

[0072] As described above, the multifunction machine 1 of the present embodiment includes a main body 20 having a conveyance path 201 for the sheet S, a process unit 4 that forms an image on the sheet S, a heating roller 61, and a pressure roller 62 that forms a nip with the heating roller 61. It has a fuser 6 that fixes the image formed on the sheet S to the sheet S, a moving blade 15 disposed at a cutter position on the downstream side in the sheet conveyance direction from the fuser 6 in the conveyance path 201, and a cutter motor 106 that moves the moving blade 15 in a cutting direction intersecting the sheet conveyance direction. The cutter 10 that cuts the sheet S by moving the moving blade 15 in the cutting direction, a main board 100 that controls the process unit 4 and the fuser 6, and a sub-board 111 on which a DC motor driver MD4 that controls the cutter motor 106 is mounted. The main board 100 and the sub-board 111 are connected via a first harness HR1, and the sub-board 111 and the cutter motor 106 are connected via a second harness HR2.

[0073] Thus, in the multifunction machine 1 of the present embodiment, by further providing the sub-board 111 on which the DC motor driver MD4 is mounted, it becomes possible to shorten the distance between the cutter motor 106 and the sub-board 111. From the main board 100, it is only necessary to transmit control signals such as drive commands to the DC motor driver MD4 with respect to the sub-board 111, and the length of the second harness HR2 that serves as a path for the current for driving the cutter motor 106 supplied by the DC motor driver MD4 can be shortened. Therefore, it is possible to suppress noise and voltage drop due to the current generated between the cutter motor 106 and the DC motor driver MD4.

[0074] Further, the main body 20 has a left side wall and a right side wall facing the left side wall, the main board 100 and the sub-board 111 are each arranged such that their board surfaces are parallel to the left side wall, the cutter motor 106 is arranged on the left side wall side, and the moving blade 15 is movable in a cutting direction that is a direction from the right side wall toward the left side wall.

[0075] Thus, since the main board 100, the sub-board 111, and the cutter motor 106 are all arranged on the left side wall of the main body 20, the second harness HR2 that serves as the current path for driving the cutter motor 106 can be made shorter.

[0076] Further, it is characterized in that they are arranged on the left side wall in the order of the main board 100, the sub-board 111, and the cutter motor 106.

[0077] Thus, since the sub-board 111 is arranged between the main board 100 and the cutter motor 106, the second harness HR2 that serves as the current path for driving the cutter motor 106 can be made shorter.

[0078] Further, the multifunction machine 1 further includes an encoder 113 for detecting the rotation information of the cutter motor 106, and the output signal from the encoder 113 is input to the main board 100 via the second harness HR2, the sub-board 111, and the first harness HR1.

[0079] Thereby, since the output signal from the encoder 113 can be included in the first harness HR1 and the second harness HR2, the encoder 113 can be easily connected to the main board 100.

[0080] Further, the main body 20 has a first discharge path 201A that is part of the conveyance path 201 and discharges the sheet S to the outside of the main body 20 via the cutter position, and a second discharge path 201B that is part of the conveyance path 201 and is different from the first discharge path 201A and discharges the sheet S to the outside of the main body 20. The multifunction machine 1 further includes a flapper 88 for guiding the sheet S to either the first discharge path 201A or the second discharge path 201B, and a flapper switching circuit 90 for controlling the switching of the flapper 88. The sub-board 111 is equipped with the flapper switching circuit 90.

[0081] As a result, the current path for the flapper switching circuit 90 to control the switching of the flapper 88 is also included in the second harness HR2, and can be shortened in the same way as the current path for driving the cutter motor 106 supplied by the DC motor driver MD4. Therefore, noise and voltage drop caused by the current generated between the flapper switching circuit 90 and the flapper 88 can be suppressed.

[0082] Further, the multifunction device 1 further includes a first discharge roller 85 that is disposed on the downstream side in the sheet conveyance direction from the fixing device 6 and on the upstream side in the sheet conveyance direction from the cutter position in the conveyance path 201, and conveys the sheet S; a second discharge roller 86 that is disposed at a position downstream of the cutter position in the sheet conveyance direction and discharges the sheet S conveyed by the first discharge roller 85 to the outside of the main body 20; and a sheet sensor SE4 that is disposed at a position different from the cutter position and detects whether or not the sheet S exists at a detection position between the first discharge roller 85 and the second discharge roller 86 in the sheet conveyance direction. The output signal from the sheet sensor SE4 is input to the main board 100 via the second harness HR2, the sub-board 111, and the first harness HR1.

[0083] As a result, the output signal from the sheet sensor SE4 can be included in the first harness HR1 and the second harness HR2, so that the sheet sensor SE4 can be easily connected to the main board 100.

[0084] Further, the multifunction device 1 further includes a presence sensor for detecting the presence or absence of the moving blade 15. The output signal from the presence sensor is input to the main board 100 via the second harness HR2, the sub-board 111, and the first harness HR1. Note that the presence sensor is one of the sensors included in the sensor group 91 as described above.

[0085] As a result, the output signal from the presence sensor can be included in the first harness HR1 and the second harness HR2, so that the presence sensor can be easily connected to the main board 100.

[0086] FIG. 5 shows an example in which the arrangement of the sub-substrate 111′ is different from that of FIG. 4. The sub-substrate 111 in FIG. 4 is arranged such that its substrate surface is parallel to the left side wall of the main body 20 in the same manner as the substrate surface of the main substrate 100, whereas the sub-substrate 111′ in FIG. 5 is arranged to be orthogonal to the left side wall of the main body 20.

[0087] Thus, the main body 20 has a left side wall and a right side wall facing the left side wall, the main substrate 100 is arranged such that its substrate surface is parallel to the left side wall, and the sub-substrate 111′ is arranged such that its substrate surface is orthogonal to the left side wall.

[0088] Even if the arrangement direction of the substrate surface of the sub-substrate 111′ is not aligned with the arrangement direction of the substrate surface of the main substrate 100, by arranging the sub-substrate 111′ between the main substrate 100 and the cutter motor 106 to shorten the length of the second harness HR2, the generation of noise and voltage drop can be suppressed.

[0089] FIG. 6 shows an example in which the output signal from the sensor group 91 is directly input to the ASIC 105. In FIG. 3, the output signal from the sensor group 91 is input to the ASIC 105 via the first harness HR1 through the second harness HR2 and the sub-substrate 111. That is, the sub-substrate 111 plays a role of relaying the output signal from the sensor group 91. In contrast, in the example of FIG. 6, the sub-substrate 111A does not play a role of relaying the output signal from the sensor group 91. The output signal from the sensor group 91 is very small compared to the value of the current flowing between the cutter motor 106 and the DC motor driver MD4, and the noise caused by that signal does not occur so much as to be a problem. Therefore, the output signal from the sensor group 91 may be directly input to the ASIC 105.

[0090] FIG. 7 shows an example in which the sensor peripheral elements 92 of the sensor group 91 are mounted on the sub-substrate 111B. Specific examples of the sensor peripheral elements 92 include resistors and capacitors. Although the sensor peripheral elements 92 are not described in FIGS. 3 and 6, they are actually mounted on the main substrate 100. If the sensor peripheral elements 92 are mounted on the sub-substrate 111B as shown in FIG. 7, the length of the signal line connecting the sensor group 91 and the sensor peripheral elements 92 can be shortened compared to the case where the sensor peripheral elements are mounted on the main substrate 100 as shown in FIGS. 3 and 6.

[0091] Note that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit thereof.

[0092] (1) In the above embodiment, the multifunction machine 1 is cited as an example of the image forming apparatus. However, the image forming apparatus is not limited to the multifunction machine 1, and may be a single printer or a copier.

[0093] (2) In the above embodiment, the detection positions where the pre-registration sensor SE1, the post-registration sensor SE2, the discharge sensor SE3, and the sheet sensor SE4 detect the passage of the sheet S substantially coincide with the installation positions of the respective sensors. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and sensors in which the installation position of the sensor and the detection position of the sheet S are separated may be used.

[0094] (3) In the above embodiment, the sheet sensor SE4 is disposed between the cutter position and the second discharge roller 86. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and it may be disposed between the first discharge roller 85 and the cutter position.

[0095] (4) In the above embodiment, as an example of the first side wall of the apparatus main body, the left side wall of the main body 20 is cited, and as an example of the second side wall of the apparatus main body, the right side wall of the main body 20 is cited. However, the left side wall and the right side wall may be reversed, or may be the front side wall or the rear side wall. In short, the sub-substrate 111 may be disposed on the side wall side where the main substrate 100 and the cutter motor 106 are disposed.

Description of Reference Numerals

[0096] 1... Multi-function device (image forming apparatus), 4... Process unit (image forming unit), 6... Fuser (fixing unit), 10... Cutter, 15... Moving blade, 16... Slide holder, 20... Main body (apparatus main body), 61... Heating roller (heating rotating body), 62... Pressure roller (pressing rotating body), 85... First discharge roller, 86... Second discharge roller, 87... Third discharge roller, 88... Flapper, 90... Flapper switching circuit (flapper control circuit), 91... Sensor group, 100... Main board, CPU 101, ROM 102, RAM 103, NVRAM 104, 105... ASIC, 106... Cutter motor, 111... Sub-board, 113... Encoder, 201A... First discharge path, 201B... Second discharge path, HR1... First harness (first signal line), HR2... Second harness (second signal line), MD4... DC motor driver, S... Sheet, SE1... Pre-registration sensor, SE2... Post-registration sensor, SE3... Discharge sensor, SE4... Sheet sensor (sheet detection sensor).

Claims

1. An apparatus main body having a sheet conveyance path, an image forming unit that forms an image on the sheet, a heating rotator, and a pressurizing rotator that forms a nip with the heating rotator, and a fixing unit that fixes the image formed on the sheet to the sheet, a cutter having a moving blade disposed at a cutter position downstream of the fixing unit in the sheet conveyance direction in the conveyance path, and a cutter motor that moves the moving blade in a cutting direction intersecting the sheet conveyance direction, wherein the cutter cuts the sheet by moving the moving blade in the cutting direction, a main board that controls the image forming unit and the fixing unit, a sub-board on which a motor driver for controlling the cutter motor is mounted, characterized in that the main board and the sub-board are connected via a first signal line, and the sub-board and the cutter motor are connected via a second signal line, an image forming apparatus.

2. The apparatus main body has a first side wall and a second side wall facing the first side wall, the main board and the sub-board are each arranged such that their board surfaces are parallel to the first side wall, the cutter motor is disposed on the first side wall side, the moving blade is movable in the cutting direction that is a direction from the second side wall toward the first side wall or a direction from the first side wall toward the second side wall, The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that.

3. The apparatus main body has a first side wall and a second side wall facing the first side wall, the main board is arranged such that its board surface is parallel to the first side wall, the sub-board is arranged such that its board surface is orthogonal to the first side wall, The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that.

4. They are arranged on the first side wall side in the order of the main board, the sub-board, and the cutter motor, The image forming apparatus according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that.

5. Furthermore, it is provided with an encoder for detecting rotation information of the cutter motor, an output signal from the encoder is input to the main board via the second signal line, the sub-board, and the first signal line, The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that.

6. The apparatus main body is a first discharge path that is part of the conveyance path and discharges the sheet to the outside of the apparatus main body via the cutter position, A second discharge path that is part of the conveyance path, different from the first discharge path, and discharges the sheet to the outside of the apparatus main body, has, Furthermore, a flapper that guides the sheet to either the first discharge path or the second discharge path, a flapper control circuit that controls the switching of the flapper, is provided with, the flapper control circuit is mounted on the sub-board, The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that.

7. Furthermore, a first discharge roller that is disposed at a position downstream of the fixing unit in the sheet conveyance direction in the conveyance path and upstream of the cutter position in the sheet conveyance direction, and conveys the sheet, a second discharge roller that is disposed at a position downstream of the cutter position in the sheet conveyance direction and discharges the sheet conveyed by the first discharge roller to the outside of the apparatus main body, a sheet detection sensor that detects whether or not the sheet exists at a detection position different from the cutter position and between the first discharge roller and the second discharge roller in the sheet conveyance direction, is provided with, an output signal from the sheet detection sensor is input to the main board via the second signal line, the sub-board, and the first signal line, The image forming apparatus according to claim 6, characterized in that.

8. Furthermore, a presence / absence sensor for detecting the presence or absence of the moving blade, is provided with, an output signal from the presence / absence sensor is input to the main board via the second signal line, the sub-board, and the first signal line, The image forming apparatus according to claim 7, characterized in that.

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