Medium conveying device and image forming apparatus

Abstract

To adjust a biasing force applied by a biasing member to one roller in conjunction with an action for attaching the one roller, the other roller, and the biasing member to a main body.SOLUTION: A medium conveying device includes: one roller rotatably supported; the other roller that conveys a recording medium while nipping the recording medium with the one roller; a biasing member that contacts with the one roller to bias the one roller toward the other roller; an attachment member to which the one roller, the other roller, and the biasing member are attached, the attachment member being mounted on or dismounted from a main body together with the one roller, the other roller, and the biasing member; and an adjustment member that changes an attitude of the biasing member in conjunction with mounting of the attachment member dismounted from the main body on the main body to adjust a biasing force applied by the biasing member to the one roller.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a medium transport device and an image forming apparatus. [Background technology]

[0002] The recording medium supplying device described in Patent Document 1 is a recording medium supplying device in which a pressing member arranged at one end of a first pivoting arm is pressed against the top surface of sheet-like recording media loaded in a stacked state on a recording medium loading section, and a first biasing means that applies a pressing force to the pressing member by biasing the first pivoting arm in the rotational direction is arranged to be movable along the longitudinal direction of the first pivoting arm, making it possible to change the pressing force of the pressing member by moving the first biasing means. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2014-148379 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Conventionally, a media transport device is equipped with a biasing member that biases one roll toward another roll to adjust the force that clamps the recording medium, and an adjustment member that adjusts the biasing force applied to the one roll by the biasing member.

[0005] In this configuration, a mounting member is provided to which the first roll, the other roll, and the biasing member are attached. This mounting member is designed to be detachable from the main body together with the first roll, the other roll, and the biasing member. The adjustment member adjusts the biasing force applied to the first roll by the biasing member through an operation separate from the operation of attaching the first roll, the other roll, and the biasing member to the main body.

[0006] An object of the present disclosure is to adjust the biasing force applied to one roll by the biasing member in conjunction with the operation of attaching one roll, another roll, and the biasing member to the main body. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] A media transport device according to a first aspect of the present disclosure is characterized by comprising: one roll that is rotatably supported; another roll that transports a recording medium by sandwiching it between the first roll and the other roll; a biasing member that biases the first roll toward the other roll; an attachment member to which the first roll, the other roll, and the biasing member are attached, and which is attached to and detached from a main body together with the first roll, the other roll, and the biasing member; and an adjustment member that changes the posture of the biasing member in conjunction with attaching the attachment member to the main body, thereby adjusting the biasing force applied to the one roll by the biasing member.

[0008] A medium conveying device according to a second aspect of the present disclosure is characterized in that, in the medium conveying device described in the first aspect, the urging member is a torsion spring having a spiral helical portion, one end portion protruding from one end of the spiral portion and pressing the one roll, and another end portion protruding from the other end of the spiral portion, and the adjustment member comprises: a shaft portion extending along the axial direction of the one roll and around which the spiral portion is wound, a support portion attached to the shaft portion and supporting the other end portion, and a contact portion provided on the main body and contacting the support portion when the mounting member detached from the main body is attached to the main body, thereby changing the posture of the support portion and thereby changing the posture of the urging member.

[0009] A medium conveying device according to a third aspect of the present disclosure is characterized in that, in the medium conveying device described in the second aspect, the support portion is formed with a protruding portion that protrudes radially from the shaft portion and supports the other end portion, and the contact portion comes into contact with the protruding portion to change the posture of the support portion.

[0010] A medium conveying device according to a fourth aspect of the present disclosure is characterized in that, in the medium conveying device described in the first aspect, the urging member is a torsion spring having a spiral portion that is spaced apart in a transverse direction that intersects the urging direction in which the urging member urges the one roll, when viewed from the axial direction of the one roll, and an end portion that protrudes from one end of the spiral portion and presses the one roll.

[0011] A media conveying device according to a fifth aspect of the present disclosure is the media conveying device described in the fourth aspect, characterized in that the urging member has an other end portion that protrudes from the other end of the spiral portion, and the adjustment member moves the other end portion in a circumferential direction of the spiral portion, thereby moving the spiral portion in the circumferential direction.

[0012] An image forming apparatus according to a sixth aspect of the present disclosure is characterized by comprising a medium conveying device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, and an image forming unit that forms an image on a recording medium conveyed by the medium conveying device. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] The medium conveying device according to the first aspect of the present disclosure can adjust the biasing force applied to the one roll by the biasing member in conjunction with the operation of attaching the one roll, the other roll, and the biasing member to the main body.

[0014] The medium conveying device according to the second aspect of the present disclosure can adjust the biasing force applied to one roll by the biasing member by changing the posture of the biasing member, which is a torsion spring, without using electrical power.

[0015] The medium conveying device according to the third aspect of the present disclosure can be operated more easily than when the contact portion comes into contact with the support portion at the portion that is recessed in the radial direction of the shaft portion.

[0016] The medium conveying device according to the fourth aspect of the present disclosure can prevent the device from becoming larger in the biasing direction compared to when the biasing member is positioned on the opposite side of one roll from another roll, with one roll in between.

[0017] The medium transport device according to the fifth aspect of the present disclosure can move the spiral portion in the circumferential direction with a smaller force than when moving the spiral portion itself in the circumferential direction.

[0018] The image forming apparatus according to the sixth aspect of the present disclosure allows for simplified operation compared to a case where adjustment of the biasing force applied to one roll by a biasing member can be completed through an independent operation alone. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0019] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic configuration diagram illustrating an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] 1 is a schematic configuration diagram illustrating an image forming unit provided in an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 3] 1 is a perspective view illustrating an entire medium conveying device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view showing a rear portion of the medium conveying device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view showing a front portion in the depth direction of the medium conveying device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a front view used to explain the operation of a medium conveying device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a front view used to explain the operation of a medium conveying device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 8] 5A and 5B are operational diagrams illustrating the operation of a medium conveying device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 9] 5A and 5B are operational diagrams illustrating the operation of a medium conveying device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0020] An example of a medium conveying device and an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 9. Note that arrow H shown in each figure indicates the vertical direction, i.e., the up-down direction, arrow W is perpendicular to arrow H and indicates the horizontal direction, i.e., the width direction, and arrow D is perpendicular to arrows H and W and indicates the horizontal direction, i.e., the depth direction.

[0021] (Overall configuration of image forming apparatus 10) 1, the image forming apparatus 10 includes a paper storage unit 12, a main operation unit 14, a document reading unit 16, and a display unit 40, which are arranged in this order from bottom to top in the vertical direction. The image forming apparatus 10 also includes a transport unit 18 that transports a sheet member P as a recording medium, and a management unit 20 that manages the operation of each unit.

[0022] The paper storage section 12 stores sheet material P, the main operating section 14 forms an image on the sheet material P transported from the paper storage section 12, the document reading section 16 reads the image of the document, and the display section 40 displays a screen on which the user can exchange information with the image forming device 10.

[0023] [Paper storage section 12] 1, the paper storage section 12 includes a first storage section 22, a second storage section 24, a third storage section 26, and a fourth storage section 28 that can store sheet materials P of different sizes. Furthermore, the first storage section 22, the second storage section 24, the third storage section 26, and the fourth storage section 28 each include a feed roll 32 that feeds out the stored sheet materials P one by one, and a double-feed prevention roll 34 that transports the fed sheet materials P one by one to a transport path 30 within the image forming apparatus 10.

[0024] [Transport unit 18] 1, the transport section 18 includes a plurality of transport rolls 36 that receive the sheet materials P from the double-feed prevention rolls 34 and transport them one by one along the transport path 30. The transport section 18 also includes alignment rolls 38 that are arranged upstream of a transfer position T (described later) in the transport direction of the sheet materials P (hereinafter simply referred to as the "sheet transport direction"), temporarily stop the sheet materials P, and send the sheet materials P to a secondary transfer position at a predetermined timing. The transport section 18 also includes a medium transport device 100 that receives the sheet materials P from the transport rolls 36 and passes the sheet materials P to the alignment rolls 38.

[0025] The upstream portion of the conveying path 30 in the sheet conveying direction extends from below to above on one side in the width direction. Furthermore, the downstream portion of the conveying path 30 in the sheet conveying direction extends from one side to the other in the width direction and is connected to a discharge section 80 where the sheet material P is discharged to the outside of the device main body 10a. The medium conveying device 100 described above is disposed at the end of the change section where the conveying direction of the sheet material P changes. The medium conveying device 100 will be described in detail later.

[0026] Furthermore, a double-sided conveying path 31 along which the sheet material P is conveyed and turned over in order to form an image on the back side of the sheet material P is connected to the downstream end of the conveying path 30 in the sheet conveying direction.

[0027] The double-sided conveying path 31 has a switchback path 31a, and the sheet material P sent out from the switchback path 31a is inverted and sent to the upper end of the upstream part of the conveying path 30 in the sheet conveying direction.

[0028] A manual feed path 33 is connected to the upper end of the upstream portion of the conveying path 30 in the sheet conveying direction, along which the sheet material P supplied from a manual feed unit 82 outside the apparatus main body 10a is conveyed.

[0029] [Main operating section 14] As shown in FIG. 1, the main operating section 14 includes an image forming section 60 that forms a toner image, a transfer unit 68 that transfers the toner image onto a sheet material P, and a fixing device 58 that fixes the toner image formed on the sheet material P onto the sheet material P.

[0030] -Image forming unit 60- The image forming section 60 includes image forming units 64K, 64C, 64M, and 64Y that form toner images of the respective colors of yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C), and black (K). In the following description, the suffixes YMCK may be omitted unless a distinction is made.

[0031] As shown in FIG. 2, the image forming unit 64 includes a cylindrical photosensitive drum 62 that rotates in the direction of arrow A in the figure, a charger 42 that charges the photosensitive drum 62, a developer 44 that develops an electrostatic latent image (described later) and visualizes it as a toner image, and a cleaning member 46.

[0032] The image forming section 60 also includes exposure devices 66K, 66C, 66M, and 66Y (see FIG. 1) that irradiate the photosensitive drum 62, which has been charged by the charger , with exposure light to form an electrostatic latent image.

[0033] In this configuration, the charger 42 charges the rotating photosensitive drum 62, and the exposure device 66 forms an electrostatic latent image by irradiating the charged photosensitive drum 62 with exposure light. The developer 44 then develops the electrostatic latent image into a visible toner image.

[0034] -Transfer unit 68- 1, the transfer unit 68 includes an endless transfer belt 48, a primary transfer roll 50 that transfers a toner image from the photosensitive drum 62 (see FIG. 2) onto the transfer belt 48, and a secondary transfer roll 52 that transfers the toner image on the transfer belt 48 onto a sheet member P. The transfer unit 68 further includes an auxiliary roll 54 that is disposed on the opposite side of the transfer belt 48 from the secondary transfer roll 52, and a plurality of rolls 56 around which the transfer belt 48 is wound.

[0035] The transfer belt 48 has a triangular shape with its apex pointing downward when viewed from the depth direction, and the photosensitive drum 62 and the primary transfer roll 50 sandwich the transfer belt 48 at the base of the triangle. The secondary transfer roll 52 and the auxiliary roll 54 also sandwich the transfer belt 48 at the apex of the triangle.

[0036] Furthermore, one of the rolls 56 functions as a drive roll that rotates the transfer belt 48 in the direction of arrow C in the figure.

[0037] (Action of image forming device) In the image forming apparatus 10, an image is formed as follows.

[0038] First, the charger 42 for each color shown in Fig. 2 uniformly negatively charges the surface of the rotating photosensitive drum 62 for each color to a predetermined potential. Next, based on the image data read by the document reading unit 16 (see Fig. 1), the exposure device 66 for each color (see Fig. 1) irradiates the charged surface of the photosensitive drum 62 for each color with exposure light to form an electrostatic latent image.

[0039] As a result, an electrostatic latent image corresponding to the image data is formed on the surface of the photoconductor drum 62 for each color. The developing device 44 for each color then develops this electrostatic latent image, making it visible as a toner image. The toner images formed on the surface of the photoconductor drum 62 for each color are then transferred in order to the transfer belt 48 by the primary transfer roll 50.

[0040] 1 to the conveying path 30 by the delivery roll 32, the sheet material P is sent to the transfer position T where the transfer belt 48 and the secondary transfer roll 52 come into contact with each other. At the transfer position T, the sheet material P is conveyed between the transfer belt 48 and the secondary transfer roll 52, so that the toner image on the transfer belt 48 is transferred to the sheet material P.

[0041] Furthermore, the fixing device 58 fixes the toner image transferred onto the sheet material P onto the sheet material P. Then, the sheet material P onto which the toner image has been fixed is discharged to a discharge section 80 outside the apparatus main body 10a.

[0042] (Main part configuration) Next, the medium conveying device 100 will be described.

[0043] 1, the medium conveying device 100 is disposed at the end of a change portion where the conveying direction of the sheet material P changes in the conveying path 30. In other words, when viewed from the depth direction, the medium conveying device 100 is disposed at a portion that connects the portion where the conveying path 30 curves and the portion where the conveying path 30 extends in the width direction. As a result, when conveying thick paper and plain paper as the recording medium, the medium conveying device 100 needs to apply a strong clamping force to the recording medium, and is disposed at a portion where conveying thin paper with the same clamping force as thick paper and plain paper would cause wrinkles and roll marks in the thin paper.

[0044] Most of the components of the medium conveying device 100 are detachable in the depth direction from the device body 10a of the image forming device 10. Specifically, by opening an opening / closing cover (not shown) provided on the image forming device 10 and having the user pull out the medium conveying device 100 toward the front in the depth direction, most of the components of the medium conveying device 100 can be detached from the device body 10a.

[0045] 3 shows a state in which the medium conveying device 100 has been detached from the device main body 10a. As shown in FIG. 3, the components of the medium conveying device 100 that are detached from the device main body 10a are the pair of rolls 110 and 120 and a biasing member 130 that biases the roll 110 toward the roll 120. Furthermore, the components of the medium conveying device 100 that are detached from the device main body 10a are an attachment member 140 to which the rolls 110 and 120 and the biasing member 130 are attached and which is detachable from the device main body 10a together with the rolls 110 and 120 and the biasing member 130, and a part of an adjustment member 150 that adjusts the biasing force applied to the roll 110 by the biasing member 130.

[0046] [Roll 110, Roll 120] 3, the rolls 110 and 120 are aligned vertically, with the roll 110 being disposed above the roll 120. The medium transport device 100 transports the recording medium sandwiched between the rolls 110 and 120. The roll 110 is an example of one roll, and the roll 120 is an example of the other roll.

[0047] -Roll 110- The roll 110 has an axial direction as the depth direction, and includes a shaft portion 110a extending in the depth direction, and multiple cylindrical roll portions 110b made of an elastic material or a resin material attached to the shaft portion 110a. In this embodiment, for example, four roll portions 110b are provided and attached to the shaft portion 110a at intervals in the depth direction. The roll 110 is supported by a support portion 140a formed on a mounting member 140 so as to be movable in the vertical direction and rotatable about its axis. In this manner, the roll 110 functions as a driven roll.

[0048] -120 rolls- The roll 120 has an axial direction as the depth direction, and includes a shaft portion 120a extending in the depth direction, and a plurality of cylindrical roll portions 120b made of an elastic material or a resin material attached to the shaft portion 120a. In this embodiment, for example, four roll portions 120b are provided and attached to the shaft portion 120a at intervals in the depth direction. The roll 120 is supported by a support portion 140a formed on a mounting member 140 so that the roll 120 rotates when a driving force is transmitted from a driving source (not shown). In this way, the roll 120 functions as a drive roll.

[0049] [Using member 130] 3, the biasing members 130 are torsion springs and are disposed at both ends of the roll 110 in the depth direction and on the other side (the right side in the figure) of the roll 110 in the width direction. The biasing members 130 have a spiral portion 130a, a one end portion 130b that protrudes from one end of the spiral portion 130a and presses against the roll, and an other end portion 130c that protrudes from the other end of the spiral portion 130a.

[0050] The axial direction of the spiral portion 130a is the depth direction, and one end portion 130b extends linearly and contacts the shaft portion 110a of the roll 110 from above.

[0051] In this configuration, the biasing member 130 biases the roll 110 from above in the vertical direction toward the roll 120. The vertical direction is an example of a biasing direction.

[0052] [Adjustment member 150] 3, the adjustment member 150 includes a shaft portion 152 that extends along the axial direction (depth direction) of the roll 110 and around which the spiral portion 130a is wound, and support portions 154 and 156 that are attached to the shaft portion 152 and support the other end portion 130c. Furthermore, the adjustment member 150 includes a slit 160 that comes into contact with the support portion 154 when the mounting member 140, which has been detached from the device main body 10a, is attached to the device main body 10a, changing the position of the support portion 154 and thereby changing the position of the biasing member 130. The device main body 10a is an example of a main body.

[0053] -Shaft 152- 3, the shaft portion 152 is disposed on the other side of the roll 110 in the width direction. The shaft portion 152 is supported by a support portion 140b formed on the mounting member 140 so as to be rotatable about its axis.

[0054] -Support part 154, 156- 3, the support portion 154 is attached to the rear portion of the shaft portion 152 in the depth direction, and is disposed on the outer side in the depth direction relative to the spiral portion 130a. Here, the outer side in the depth direction refers to the side away from the center of the medium conveying device 100 in the depth direction.

[0055] 4, the support part 154 has a cylindrical portion 154a that covers the shaft part 152 in the radial direction of the shaft part 152, and a protruding portion 154b that protrudes from the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion 154a in the radial direction of the shaft part 152. The support part 154 is attached to the shaft part 152 so that when the support part 154 rotates in the circumferential direction of the shaft part 152, the shaft part 152 also rotates.

[0056] Further, the other end portion 130c of the urging member 130 is hooked onto the protruding portion 154b. When no external force is applied to the urging member 130, the protruding portion 154b is on the opposite side of the roll 110 across the shaft portion 152, and is inclined in the width direction so that the tip is above the base end (see the two-dot chain line in FIG. 6).

[0057] As shown in FIG. 3, the support portion 156 is attached to a portion of the shaft portion 152 on the front side in the depth direction, and is disposed outside the spiral portion 130a in the depth direction.

[0058] 5, the support part 156 has a cylindrical portion 156a that covers the shaft part 152 in the radial direction of the shaft part 152, and a protruding portion 156b that protrudes from the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion 156a in the radial direction of the shaft part 152. The support part 156 is attached to the shaft part 152 so that when the support part 156 rotates in the circumferential direction of the shaft part 152, the shaft part 152 also rotates.

[0059] Also, the other end portion 130c of the urging member 130 is hooked onto the protruding portion 156b. Here, the height of the protruding portion 156b is set to be much lower than the height of the protruding portion 154b (see FIG. 4), and the protruding portion 156b is set to be high enough to hook the other end portion 130c. In other words, the height of the protruding portion 154b of the support part 154 shown in FIG. 4 is set to be much higher than the height of the protruding portion 156b shown in FIG. 5.

[0060] -Slit 160- The slit 160 is formed in the inner cover 90 attached to the device body 10a, as shown in Fig. 3. The slit 160 is an example of a contact portion.

[0061] The inner cover 90 in the portion where the slit 160 is formed is plate-shaped and is arranged above the rolls 110 and 120 when the medium conveying device 100 is attached to the device main body 10a.

[0062] 8A, the slit 160 is linear when viewed from above, and extends in the depth direction while being inclined relative to the depth direction. Specifically, the front portion of the slit 160 in the depth direction is located on the other side in the width direction relative to the rear portion of the slit 160 in the depth direction.

[0063] When attaching the medium conveying device 100, which has been detached from the device main body 10a, to the device main body 10a, the user pinches the protruding portion 154b of the support portion 154 shown in Figures 4 and 6 and rotates the support portion 154 in the circumferential direction of the shaft portion 152, so that the protruding portion 154b is inserted into the slit 160. On the other hand, when attaching the medium conveying device 100, which has been detached from the device main body 10a, to the device main body 10a, no load is applied to the protruding portion 154b of the support portion 154, so that the tip of the protruding portion 154b is positioned below the underside of the inner cover 90 (see the two-dot chain line in Figure 6).

[0064] The operation of the medium conveying device 100 when the user inserts the protruding portion 154b into the slit 160 will be described later along with the operation.

[0065] (action) Next, the operation of the medium transport device 100 will be described.

[0066] When the medium conveying device 100 conveys thin paper as the recording medium, as shown in FIG. 6, the user positions the protruding portion 154b of the support portion 154 downward relative to the underside of the inner cover 90 without inserting it into the slit 160 (see the dotted line in FIG. 6).

[0067] As a result, the biasing force generated when the biasing member 130, which is a torsion spring, twists in the circumferential direction of the shaft 152 is not applied to the roll 110. This weakens the force that sandwiches the recording medium between the rolls 110 and 120. In this state, the medium conveying device 100 conveys thin paper as the recording medium.

[0068] On the other hand, when medium conveying device 100 conveys cardboard and plain paper as the recording medium, the user inserts protruding portion 154b of support portion 154 into slit 160 (see solid line in FIG. 6), as shown in Fig. 6. The following describes the operation of the user inserting protruding portion 154b into slit 160 when protruding portion 154b is not inserted into slit 160 while medium conveying device 100 is attached to device main body 10a.

[0069] First, the user detaches the medium conveying device 100 attached to the device main body 10a from the device main body 10a (see FIG. 3). Specifically, the user moves the mounting member 140, to which the rolls 110 and 120 and the urging member 130 are attached, toward the front in the depth direction, thereby detaching the medium conveying device 100 from the device main body 10a, as shown in FIG.

[0070] Furthermore, the user attaches the detached medium conveying device 100 to the device main body 10a by moving it toward the back in the depth direction. Specifically, the user pinches the protruding portion 154b of the support portion 154 shown in Figures 4 and 6 and rotates the support portion 154 in the circumferential direction of the shaft portion 152, thereby inserting the protruding portion 154b into the entrance of the slit 160 (the portion on the front side in the depth direction) as shown in Figures 8(A) and (B).

[0071] Then, with the protruding portion 154b inserted into the entrance of the slit 160, the user moves the mounting member 140, to which the rolls 110, 120, the urging member 130, etc. are attached, toward the rear in the depth direction, as shown in Figures 8(B), 9(A), and (B). This causes the medium conveying device 100 to be attached to the device main body 10a.

[0072] Specifically, by moving the mounting member 140 toward the rear in the depth direction, the support part 154 on which the protruding part 154b inserted into the slit 160 is formed also moves toward the rear in the depth direction. As a result, the protruding part 154b moves toward one side in the width direction along the slit 160 which is inclined with respect to the depth direction.

[0073] As the protruding portion 154b moves to one side in the width direction, the support portion 154 rotates counterclockwise as shown in Figures 6 and 7. As the support portion 154 rotates, this rotational force is transmitted to the support portion 156 via the shaft portion 152, causing the support portion 156 to also rotate. As the support portions 154 and 156 rotate, the pair of biasing members 130 rotate in the circumferential direction of the shaft portion 152.

[0074] As a result, the urging member 130 urges the roll 110 toward the roll 120 via the one end portion 130b, and the force with which the recording medium is sandwiched between the rolls 110 and 120 becomes stronger. In other words, in the medium conveying device 100, the urging force with which the urging member 130 urges the roll 110 toward the roll 120 becomes stronger in conjunction with attaching the medium conveying device 100, which has been detached from the device main body 10a, to the device main body 10a. In this state, the medium conveying device 100 conveys cardboard or plain paper as the recording medium.

[0075] (summary) As described above, in medium conveying device 100, the biasing force with which biasing member 130 biases roll 110 toward roll 120 increases in conjunction with the attachment of medium conveying device 100, which has been detached from device main body 10a, to device main body 10a. In this way, the biasing force applied to roll 110 by biasing member 130 is adjusted in conjunction with the operation of attaching medium conveying device 100 to device main body 10a.

[0076] Furthermore, in the medium conveying device 100, the slit 160 comes into contact with the protruding portion 154b of the support portion 154, changing the attitude of the support portion 154 and thereby changing the attitude of the biasing member 130. This changes the attitude of the biasing member 130, which is a torsion spring, without using electrical power, and the biasing force applied to the roll 110 by the biasing member 130 is adjusted by the adjustment member 150.

[0077] Furthermore, in the medium conveying device 100, the slit 160 comes into contact with the protruding portion 154b of the support portion 154, thereby changing the posture of the support portion 154. This makes the operation easier than when the posture of the support portion is changed by the slit coming into contact with the support portion at a portion that is recessed in the radial direction of the shaft.

[0078] Furthermore, in the medium conveying device 100, the urging member 130 is a torsion spring having a spiral portion 130a, one end portion 130b, and the other end portion 130c, which are arranged in a transverse direction (width direction) that intersects with the urging direction (vertical direction) that urges the roll 110 toward the roll 120 when viewed from the axial direction (depth direction) of the roll 110. This prevents the device from becoming larger in size in the urging direction (vertical direction) compared to when the urging member is arranged on the opposite side of the roll 120 with the roll 110 in between.

[0079] Furthermore, in the medium conveying device 100, the spiral portion 130 moves in the circumferential direction by moving the other end portion 130c in the circumferential direction of the spiral portion 130a. This allows the spiral portion 130a to move in the circumferential direction with a smaller force than when the spiral portion itself is moved in the circumferential direction.

[0080] Furthermore, in the image forming apparatus 10, the operation is simplified compared to when the adjustment of the biasing force applied to the roll by the biasing member is completed by an independent operation alone.

[0081] While the present disclosure has been described in detail with respect to specific embodiments, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present disclosure is not limited to such embodiments and that various other embodiments are possible within the scope of the present disclosure. For example, in the above embodiment, the medium conveying device 100 is used in the image forming device 10, but it may also be used in a pre-processing device of the image forming device, a post-processing device of the image forming device, a ticket vending machine that conveys and sells tickets, an ATM that conveys and dispenses banknotes, etc.

[0082] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the rolls 110 and 120 are arranged vertically, but they may be arranged in a direction inclined relative to the vertical direction.

[0083] Although not specifically described in the above embodiment, the user may insert the protruding portion 154b into the slit 160 by displaying the paper type of the recording medium to be used on the display unit 40 (see FIG. 1).

[0084] Although not specifically described in the above embodiment, a biasing member may be provided separately from biasing member 130 in order to ensure a minimum clamping force for clamping the recording medium between roll 110 and roll 120.

[0085] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the protruding portion 154b is moved by the slit 160, but the protruding portion 154b may be moved by using a guide protrusion or the like.

[0086] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, there is one slit 160, but there may be a plurality of slits 160. In this case, the biasing force generated by the biasing member 130 is adjusted in stages.

[0087] In addition, in the above embodiment, there are two biasing members 130, but there may be one, or three or more. In this case, it is desirable to arrange them symmetrically about the center of the roll.

[0088] In the above embodiment, the biasing member 130 is a torsion spring, but may be a coil spring. In this case, the effect achieved by using a torsion spring will not be achieved.

[0089] (((1))) a rotatably supported roll; another roll that sandwiches and transports a recording medium between the first roll and the other roll; a biasing member that biases the one roll toward the other roll; an attachment member to which the first roll, the second roll, and the biasing member are attached, and which is detachably attached to a main body together with the first roll, the second roll, and the biasing member; an adjustment member that changes the posture of the biasing member in conjunction with the attachment of the mounting member to the main body, and adjusts the biasing force applied to the one roll by the biasing member; A medium transport device comprising:

[0090] (((2))) the biasing member is a torsion spring having a spiral portion, a one end portion protruding from one end of the spiral portion and pressing the one roll, and a other end portion protruding from the other end of the spiral portion, The adjustment member includes a shaft portion that extends along the axial direction of the one roll and around which the spiral portion is wound, a support portion that is attached to the shaft portion and supports the other end portion, and a contact portion that is provided on the main body and that comes into contact with the support portion when the mounting member detached from the main body is attached to the main body, thereby changing the attitude of the support portion and thereby changing the attitude of the urging member. The medium transport device according to (((1))).

[0091] (((3))) The support portion is formed with a protruding portion that protrudes in a radial direction of the shaft portion and supports the other end portion, the contact portion comes into contact with the protruding portion to change the attitude of the support portion; The medium transport device according to (((2))).

[0092] (((4))) the urging member is a torsion spring having a spiral portion that is spaced apart in a direction intersecting a urging direction in which the urging member urges the one roll when viewed from the axial direction of the one roll, and an end portion that protrudes from one end of the spiral portion and presses the one roll. A medium transport device according to any one of (((1))) to (((3))).

[0093] (((5))) the biasing member has an other end portion that protrudes from the other end of the spiral portion, the adjustment member moves the other end portion in a circumferential direction of the spiral portion, thereby moving the spiral portion in the circumferential direction; The medium transport device according to (((4))).

[0094] (((6))) A medium conveying device according to any one of (((1))) to (((5))), an image forming unit that forms an image on the recording medium transported by the medium transport device; An image forming apparatus comprising:

[0095] The medium transport device according to (((1))) can adjust the urging force applied to one roll by the urging member in conjunction with the operation of attaching one roll, another roll, and the urging member to the main body.

[0096] The medium conveying device according to (((2))) can adjust the biasing force applied to one roll by the biasing member by changing the posture of the biasing member, which is a torsion spring, without using electrical power.

[0097] The medium transport device according to (((3))) can be operated more easily than when the contact portion comes into contact with the support portion of the portion that is recessed in the radial direction of the shaft portion.

[0098] The medium transport device according to (((4))) can prevent the device from becoming larger in size in the biasing direction of the biasing member compared to a case in which the biasing member is positioned on the opposite side of one roll from another roll, with one roll in between.

[0099] The medium transport device according to (((5))) can move the spiral portion in the circumferential direction with a smaller force than when moving the spiral portion itself in the circumferential direction.

[0100] The image forming apparatus according to (((6))) can simplify the operation compared to a case where the adjustment of the biasing force applied to one roll by the biasing member can be completed by an independent operation alone. [Explanation of symbols]

[0101] 10 Image forming device 10a Device body (example of the body) 100 Media transport device 110 Roll (Example of a single roll) 120 Roll (an example of another roll) 130 biasing member 130a spiral part 130b One end part 130c Other end 140 Mounting material 150 Adjustment member 152 Shaft 154 Support part 154a Cylindrical part 154b Projecting part 156 Support part 160 Slit (an example of a contact area)

Claims

1. a rotatably supported roll; another roll that sandwiches and transports a recording medium between the first roll and the other roll; a biasing member that biases the one roll toward the other roll; an attachment member to which the first roll, the second roll, and the urging member are attached, the attachment member being detachable from a main body together with the first roll, the second roll, and the urging member; an adjustment member that changes the posture of the biasing member in conjunction with the attachment of the mounting member to the main body, and adjusts the biasing force applied to the one roll by the biasing member; A medium transport device comprising:

2. the biasing member is a torsion spring having a spiral portion, a one end portion protruding from one end of the spiral portion and pressing the one roll, and a other end portion protruding from the other end of the spiral portion, The adjustment member includes a shaft portion that extends along the axial direction of the one roll and around which the spiral portion is wound, a support portion that is attached to the shaft portion and supports the other end portion, and a contact portion that is provided on the main body and that comes into contact with the support portion when the mounting member detached from the main body is attached to the main body, thereby changing the attitude of the support portion and thereby changing the attitude of the urging member. The media transport device of claim 1 .

3. The support portion is formed with a protruding portion that protrudes in a radial direction of the shaft portion and supports the other end portion, the contact portion comes into contact with the protruding portion to change the attitude of the support portion; The medium transport device of claim 2 .

4. the urging member is a torsion spring having a spiral portion that is spaced apart in a direction intersecting a urging direction in which the urging member urges the one roll when viewed from the axial direction of the one roll, and an end portion that protrudes from one end of the spiral portion and presses the one roll. The media transport device of claim 1 .

5. the biasing member has an other end portion that protrudes from the other end of the spiral portion, the adjustment member moves the other end portion in a circumferential direction of the spiral portion, thereby moving the spiral portion in the circumferential direction; The medium transport device of claim 4 .

6. A medium transport device according to any one of claims 1 to 5; an image forming unit that forms an image on the recording medium transported by the medium transport device; An image forming apparatus comprising:

Images