Image forming apparatus

Abstract

To improve operability in switching an open position of an opening and closing member.SOLUTION: An image forming apparatus comprises: an opening and closing member that is rotatably and pivotally supported on the body of the image forming apparatus and rotates to open and close relative to the body of the image forming apparatus; a connection member that is supported at one end on the body of the image forming apparatus and supported at the other end on the opening and closing member; a support member that supports the other end of the connection member and that moves in a first direction in conjunction with an operation to open the opening and closing member; a regulation member that is movable to a regulation position where it is in contact with the support member to regulate the movement of the support member in the first direction and a retreat position where it is retreated from the regulation position to permit the movement of the support member in the first direction, and that regulates the movement of the support member in the first direction to maintain the opening and closing member at an open position; and a switching member that is switched to a support position where it is in contact with the regulation member to support the regulation member at the regulation position and a cancellation position where it moves in the first direction to cancel the contact to permit the movement of the regulation member to the retreat position.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus such as a printer, a facsimile, a copying machine, or a multifunction machine that combines the functions of these. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, in image forming devices, a configuration has been known in which an opening / closing member supported on the device body in an openable / closable manner is opened to expose the inside of the device, allowing for the removal of jammed sheets remaining inside the device or the replacement of units, etc.

[0003] In the image forming apparatus described in Patent Document 1, the open / close member has two open positions: a first open position for clearing jams and a second open position for replacing units. The open position of the open / close member is determined to be the first open position by being restricted by a first restricting member. To move the open / close member from the first open position to the second open position, the first restricting member is operated and rotated to move the open / close member to the retracted position. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2019-53100 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, in Patent Document 1, the rotation direction of the first restricting member is opposite to the load direction caused by the weight of the opening / closing member, so the opening / closing member cannot be moved to the retracted position unless it is operated with an operating force that overcomes its own weight. In addition, the opening / closing member is made up of many parts, such as a conveying guide, rollers, and a frame, and its own weight is by no means light, making it difficult to operate the first restricting member alone.

[0006] Therefore, the operator must support the weight of the opening / closing member to reduce the load on the first restricting member, while also moving the first restricting member to the retracted position. In other words, the operator must perform two operations simultaneously when switching the opening / closing member to the open position.

[0007] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to improve the operability when switching the open position of an opening / closing member. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] A typical configuration of the present invention is characterized by comprising: an opening / closing member that is rotatably supported on an image forming apparatus main body and opens and closes relative to the image forming apparatus main body by rotating; a connecting member that has one end supported by the image forming apparatus main body and the other end supported by the opening / closing member; a support member that supports the other end of the connecting member and moves in a first direction in conjunction with the opening of the opening / closing member; a regulating member that is movable between a regulating position where it contacts the support member to restrict movement of the support member in the first direction and a retracted position where it retracts from the regulating position to allow movement of the support member in the first direction, and that maintains the opening / closing member in an open position by restricting movement of the support member in the first direction; and a switching member that can be switched between a support position where it contacts the regulating member to support the regulating member in the regulating position and a release position where it moves in the first direction to release the contact and allow movement of the regulating member to the retracted position. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present invention, the load due to the weight of the opening / closing member is not applied to the switching member, so the switching member can be easily operated. Therefore, there is no need to perform two operations simultaneously, and operability is improved. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] Cross-sectional view of an image forming apparatus [Figure 2]Cross-sectional view of the opening and closing member when it is in the closed position [Figure 3] Cross-sectional view of the opening / closing member when it is in the first restricting position [Figure 4] Cross-sectional view of the opening / closing member when it is in the second restricting position [Figure 5] A diagram showing a state in which the support member is supported at the first restriction position. [Figure 6] A diagram showing a state in which the switching member is operated to the first restricting position [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a state in which the first restricting member is retracted to the first restricting position. [Figure 8] A diagram showing a state in which the support member moves from the first restricting position to the second restricting position. [Figure 9] View of the opening and closing member from inside the device body [Figure 10] A diagram showing a state in which the operating member is waiting at the first restricting position [Figure 11] A diagram showing a state in which the operating member is operated to the first restricting position [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a diagram of the front support member when the opening / closing member is closed. [Figure 13] A diagram of the front support member when the opening / closing member is in the first restricting position [Figure 14] A diagram of the front support member when the opening / closing member is in the second restricting position DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail by way of example with reference to the drawings. However, unless otherwise specified, the dimensions, materials, shapes, relative positions, etc. of the components described in the following embodiments are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention to those.

[0012] In the following description, the upward direction U, downward direction D, rightward direction R, leftward direction L, backward direction B, and forward direction F shown in FIGS. 1 and 9 are defined as follows: The direction from the back to the front of the paper in FIG. 1 (the direction from left to right in FIG. 9) is defined as the forward direction F, and the direction from the front to the back of the paper in FIG. 1 (the direction from right to left in FIG. 9) is defined as the backward direction B. Furthermore, in FIG. 1, when the image forming unit that forms a black (Bk) image is used as a reference, the side where the image forming unit that forms a yellow (Y) image is located is defined as the left side, and the direction toward the left side is defined as the left direction L. When the image forming unit that forms a yellow (Y) image is used as a reference, the side where the image forming unit that forms a black (Bk) image is located is defined as the right side, and the direction toward the right side is defined as the right direction R. Furthermore, the direction perpendicular to the front-rear and left-right directions defined here, and pointing vertically upward, is defined as the upward direction U, and the direction perpendicular to the front-rear and left-right directions defined here, and pointing vertically downward is defined as the downward direction D.

[0013] (Image forming device) The schematic configuration of an image forming apparatus will be described using Figure 1. Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view of the image forming apparatus. The image forming apparatus 100 shown in Figure 1 is an example of an intermediate transfer tandem type image forming apparatus in which image forming units 140 of four colors, yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C), and black (K), are arranged side by side on an intermediate transfer belt 145.

[0014] In the following description, components that use the above-mentioned colors of toner are given the suffixes Y, M, C, and K, but the configuration and operation of each component are essentially the same except for the color of the toner used, so the suffixes will be omitted as appropriate unless a distinction is necessary.

[0015] Sheets S are stacked and stored in a storage unit such as a cassette located at the bottom of the image forming apparatus. The sheets S stored in the storage unit are fed one by one by a sheet feeding unit 110. The sheets S fed by the sheet feeding unit 110 are conveyed to a pair of registration rollers 120. After skew correction and timing correction are performed on the sheets S by the pair of registration rollers 120, the sheets S are sent to a secondary transfer unit 130. The secondary transfer unit 130 is formed by a secondary transfer inner roller 131 and a secondary transfer outer roller 132 that face each other across an intermediate transfer belt 145. The secondary transfer unit 130 transfers the toner image formed on the intermediate transfer belt 145 to the sheet S by applying a predetermined pressure force and an electrostatic load bias to the sheet S while nipping and conveying the sheet S.

[0016] The image formation process for the sheet S, which is sent to the secondary transfer unit 130 at the same timing as the transport process of the sheet S to the secondary transfer unit 130 described above, will now be described. The image forming unit 140 is mainly composed of a photoconductor 141, an exposure device 142, a developing device 143, and a primary transfer device 144. The surface of the photoconductor 141 is uniformly charged in advance by a charging unit (not shown). The exposure device 142 emits light onto the charged photoconductor 141 based on a signal of image information, and a latent image is formed via appropriate means such as a diffraction means. The electrostatic latent image thus formed on the photoconductor 141 is developed with toner by the developing device 143, and a toner image is formed on the photoconductor 141. The toner image formed on the photoconductor 141 is transferred to an intermediate transfer belt 145 by the primary transfer device 144 at a primary transfer unit where the photoconductor 141 and the primary transfer device 144 face each other, with a predetermined pressure force and electrostatic load bias applied by the primary transfer device 144.

[0017] 1, four sets of the image forming units 140 are provided, one for yellow Y, one for magenta M, one for cyan C, and one for black Bk. These four image forming units 140 are arranged side by side on the intermediate transfer belt 145.

[0018] Next, the intermediate transfer belt 145 will be described. The intermediate transfer belt 145 is stretched over multiple rollers and driven to be transported in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 1. Therefore, the image forming units 140 for yellow Y, magenta M, cyan C, and black Bk described above process the images in parallel. The image forming process for each color is performed in the primary transfer unit of each image forming unit 140 at a timing that overlaps the upstream toner image that has been primarily transferred onto the intermediate transfer belt 145. As a result, a full-color toner image is finally formed on the intermediate transfer belt 145 and transported to the secondary transfer unit 130.

[0019] Through the sheet S transport process and image formation process described above, a full-color toner image is secondarily transferred onto the sheet S in the secondary transfer unit 130. The sheet S is then transported to the fixing device 150. The fixing device 150 fixes the toner image onto the sheet S by applying a predetermined pressure from opposing rollers or belts, etc., and generally by applying a heating effect from a heat source such as a heater.

[0020] The sheet S having the fixed image thus obtained is guided toward the first discharge rollers 161 by the first switching flapper 151 in the solid line position in Fig. 1, and is discharged onto the first stacking unit 171 by the first discharge rollers 161. Alternatively, the sheet S is guided upward by the first switching flapper 151 switched to the dashed line position in Fig. 1, and is conveyed toward the second discharge rollers 162.

[0021] The sheet S being transported toward the second discharge roller 162 is guided toward the second discharge roller 162 by the second switching flapper 152 at the dashed line position in Figure 1, and is discharged by the second discharge roller 162 onto the second stacking section 172 located above the first stacking section 171.

[0022] In the case of double-sided printing, the second discharge rollers 162 are rotated in the reverse direction after the trailing edge of the sheet S passes through the second switching flapper 152. Due to this reversing operation of the second discharge rollers 162, the sheet S is guided toward the re-feeding section 180 by the second switching flapper 152, which has been switched to the position indicated by the solid line in Fig. 1. In other words, in the case of double-sided printing, the sheet S on which an image has been formed by the image forming section 140 is reversed and conveyed by the reversing operation of the second discharge rollers 162, sent to the re-feeding section 180, and conveyed again to the image forming section 140 by the re-feeding section 180.

[0023] Then, the sheet S passes through a re-feeding section 180 and is conveyed to the image forming section 140 (secondary transfer section 130) by a pair of registration rollers 120, where an image is formed on the second side in the same manner as on the first side. The sheet S on which double-sided printing has been performed is discharged onto the first stacking section 171 or the second stacking section 172.

[0024] The first stacking section 171 and the second stacking section 172 on which the discharged sheets S are stacked have an upward slope facing from upstream to downstream in the discharge direction of the sheets S. Therefore, the discharged sheets S can be aligned upstream in the discharge direction due to the weight of the sheets themselves.

[0025] (Opening and closing parts) The image forming apparatus 100 includes an opening / closing member 200 (shown by the dashed line in FIG. 1 ) for exposing the interior of the apparatus to allow maintenance, such as clearing jammed sheets remaining inside the apparatus or replacing units. The opening / closing member 200 is rotatably supported on the apparatus main body 101 and rotates to open and close relative to the apparatus main body 101. Specifically, the opening / closing member 200 is provided on the underside of the apparatus main body 101 and is rotatable in the direction of arrow b around the axis 201. The opening / closing member 200 can be opened from the closed position shown by the dashed line in FIG. 1 toward the outside of the apparatus main body 101 by unlocking it from the apparatus main body 101 using a handle (not shown) provided on the opening / closing member 200. On the other hand, the opened opening / closing member 200 can be relocked by pushing it back into the position shown by the dashed line in FIG. 1 , allowing the apparatus main body to operate. By making the opening / closing member 200 openable and closable in this way, the interior of the apparatus can be exposed to allow easy maintenance, such as clearing jammed sheets or replacing units.

[0026] (Opening operation of opening and closing member) The opening operation of the opening / closing member 200 of the image forming apparatus 100 will now be described with reference to Figures 2, 3, and 4. Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of the opening / closing member 200 when it is in a closed position K0 relative to the apparatus main body 101. Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of the opening / closing member 200 when it is in a first open position K1 when it is open relative to the apparatus main body 101. Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of the opening / closing member 200 when it is in a second open position K2 when it is open relative to the apparatus main body 101.

[0027] The opening / closing member 200 is connected to the device body 101 by a connecting member 210. One end of the connecting member 210 is supported by a body connecting portion 211 of the device body 101, and the other end, a connecting portion 213, is connected to the opening / closing member 200. The connecting member 210 is suspended in a V-shape by a folded portion 212 provided on the opening / closing member 200.

[0028] Furthermore, a connecting portion 213, which is the other end of the connecting member, is supported by one end of a support member 220. The other end of the support member 220 is connected to one end of a damper member 250. The other end of the damper member 250 is connected to the opening / closing member 200.

[0029] The damper member 250 is a biasing member that connects the opening / closing member 200 and the support member 220. In conjunction with the opening operation of the opening / closing member 200 in the direction of arrow b in Fig. 2, the damper member 250 extends in the direction of arrow d as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, increasing the biasing force.

[0030] In this manner, the device main body 101 and the opening / closing member 200 are connected. With this configuration, when the opening / closing member 200 is opened, the weight of the opening / closing member 200 is alleviated by the spring force of the damper member 250, and the open position of the opening / closing member 200 is determined by the support member 220.

[0031] (support member) The open position of the opening / closing member 200 is determined by the support member 220 hitting the first restricting member 230 or the second restricting member 240. This will be explained below.

[0032] As described above, one end of the support member 220 is connected to the connecting member 210, and the other end is connected to the damper member 250, and moves in the direction of arrow d in Fig. 3, which is the first direction, in conjunction with the operation of opening the open-close member 200 in the direction of arrow b in Fig. 2. The open-close member 200 also includes a first restricting member 230 and a second restricting member 240 that is provided separately from the first restricting member 230.

[0033] As shown in FIG. 3, when the opening-closing member 200 begins to open in the direction of arrow b shown in FIG. 2, the damper member 250 extends, causing the support member 220 to gradually move in the direction of arrow d. That is, the support member 220 moves in the direction of arrow d in conjunction with the opening movement of the opening-closing member 200. Eventually, the support member 220 abuts against the first restricting member 230, which is at the first restricting position P1, and its movement in the direction of arrow d is restricted and it stops. In other words, the first restricting member 230 abuts against the support member 220, which moves in the direction of arrow d in conjunction with the opening movement of the opening-closing member 200, and restricts the movement of the support member 220 in the direction of arrow d. This allows the opening-closing member 200 to be maintained in the first open position K1 shown in FIG. 3.

[0034] That is, the opening / closing member 200 is maintained in the first open position K1 for jam clearance by the support member 220 coming into contact with the first restricting member 230 and restricting movement.

[0035] Here, the first restricting member 230 can be released from abutment with the support member 220 by a switching member 260, which will be described later. As shown in Fig. 4, the support member 220, from which the abutment has been released, moves further in the direction of arrow d as the opening / closing member 200 is further opened in the direction of arrow b shown in Fig. 2. Eventually, the support member 220 abuts against the second restricting member 240, and its movement in the direction of arrow d is restricted and it stops.

[0036] The second restricting member 240 is provided downstream of the first restricting member 230 in the direction of arrow b, which is the movement direction of the support member 220. The second restricting member 240 abuts against the support member 220 at a second restricting position P2 that is downstream of the first restricting position P1 set by the first restricting member 230, and restricts movement of the support member 220 in the direction of arrow d. This makes it possible to maintain the opening / closing member 200 at a second open position K2 shown in FIG. 4, which is wider than the first open position K1 shown in FIG. 3.

[0037] That is, the opening / closing member 200 is maintained in the second open position K2 where maintenance such as unit replacement can be performed, by the support member 220 coming into contact with the second restricting member 240 and being restricted from moving.

[0038] As described above, the open / close member 200 is set in its open position by the support member 220 abutting against the first restricting member 230 or the second restricting member 240.

[0039] (Switching member) 5 to 8, the switching member 260 that switches between restricting and releasing the restriction of the support member 220 by the first restricting member 230 in order to open the opening / closing member 200 from the first open position K1 to the second open position K2 will be described. Figures 5 to 8 are diagrams that chronologically show states in which the switching member 260 starts to move the support member 220 from the first restricting position P1 to the second restricting position P2.

[0040] Fig. 5 is a diagram showing a state in which the support member 220 is supported at the first restricting position P1. Fig. 6 is a diagram showing a state in which the switching member 260 has been switched from the support position (first restricting position P1) toward the release position. Fig. 7 is a diagram showing a state in which the first restricting member 230 has retracted from the first restricting position P1 to the retracted position P3. Fig. 8 is a diagram showing a state in which the support member 220 moves from the first restricting position P1 toward the second restricting position P2.

[0041] As described above, the movement of the support member 220 in the direction of arrow d is restricted by the first restricting member 230, and the support member 220 is maintained in the first open position K1 shown in Fig. 3. The first restricting member 230 is provided so as to be movable between a first restricting position P1 in Fig. 5 where it comes into contact with the support member 220 to restrict the movement of the support member 220 in the direction of arrow d, and a retracted position P3 in Fig. 7 where it retracts from the first restricting position P1 and allows the support member 220 to move in the direction of arrow d. Here, the first restricting member 230 is supported by the opening / closing member 200 so as to be rotatable about a shaft 231, and moves between the first restricting position P1 and the retracted position P3 by rotating about the shaft 231.

[0042] The opening / closing member 200 also includes a switching member 260 that switches the position of the first restricting member 230. The switching member 260 can be switched between a support position T1 in Fig. 5 where it abuts against the first restricting member 230 and supports the first restricting member 230 at the first restricting position P1, and a release position T2 in Fig. 7 where it moves in the direction of arrow f shown in Fig. 5 to release the abutment and allow the first restricting member 230 to move to the retracted position P3.

[0043] Here, the switching member 260 is movably supported by the opening / closing member 200, and is supported so as to be linearly movable in the direction of arrow f in Fig. 5 or the direction opposite to the direction of arrow f. The switching member 260 switches between allowing and disallowing movement of the first restricting member 230 by moving linearly. Note that the direction of movement of the switching member 260, indicated by arrow f in Fig. 5, is the same as the direction of movement (first direction) of the support member 220, indicated by arrow d in Fig. 3, and can be said to be the same direction.

[0044] 5. That is, the first restricting member 230 is biased by the biasing spring 280 in a direction in which the abutting portion 232 of the first restricting member 230 abuts against the support portion 261 of the switching member 260, which is at the support position T1 in Fig. 5. In other words, the first restricting member 230 is biased by the biasing spring 280 in a direction from the first restricting position P1 toward the retracted position P3. Therefore, from a state before the support member 220 abuts against the first restricting member 230, the first restricting member 230 is supported by the switching member 260, which is at the support position T1 in Fig. 5, and waits at the first restricting position P1 where the support member 220 can abut against it.

[0045] One end of the switching member 260 is supported by the opening / closing member 200, and the other end of the switching member 260 is provided with a restoring force in the direction opposite to the direction of arrow f in Fig. 5 by a tension spring 270 supported by the switching member 260. In order to maintain the first restricting member 230 at the first restricting position P1, the switching member 260 is biased by the tension spring 270 and abuts against the opening / closing member 200, thereby maintaining the switching member 260 at the support position T1 in Fig. 5.

[0046] To move the support member 220 from the first restricting position P1 of the first restricting member 230 to the second restricting position P2 of the second restricting member 240, the switching member 260 is first moved in the direction of arrow f in FIG. 5 to switch from the support position T1 in FIG. 5 to the release position T2 in FIG. 6. This releases the abutment between the abutting portion 232 of the first restricting member 230 and the support portion 261 of the switching member 260, causing the first restricting member 230 to attempt to rotate in the direction of arrow g in FIG. 6 due to the urging spring 280. However, the support member 220 is still abutting against the first restricting member 230, blocking the rotational trajectory of the first restricting member 230. Therefore, the first restricting member 230 cannot rotate and is maintained at the first restricting position P1.

[0047] At this time, when the opening / closing member 200 is rotated slightly in the closing direction (the direction opposite to the direction of arrow b in FIG. 2), the support member 220 moves in a direction away from the first restricting member 230. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 7, the first restricting member 230 is rotated in the direction of arrow g by the biasing spring 280, and the first restricting member 230 moves until the abutting portion 232 abuts against the retracted portion 262 of the switching member 260. In other words, the first restricting member 230 is moved by the biasing spring 280 from the first restricting position P1 in FIG. 5 to the retracted position P3 in FIG. 6.

[0048] In this way, there is no longer anything restricting the support member 220 at the first restricting position P1, and the support member 220 becomes movable in the direction of arrow d. Then, when the opening / closing member 200 is further opened from this state, the support member 220 eventually hits the second restricting member 240, and its movement in the direction of arrow d is restricted, and the support member 220 stops at the second restricting position P2.

[0049] In this manner, the switching member 260 enables the opening / closing member 200 to be opened from a state in which the opening / closing member 200 is supported at the first open position (first restricting position P1) to the second open position (second restricting position P2).

[0050] Here, the direction of the force that the first restricting member 230 imparts to the switching member 260 at the first restricting position P1 is substantially perpendicular to the movement direction of the switching member 260 during the switching operation. In other words, at the abutment portion Q between the first restricting member 230 and the switching member 260 when the first restricting member 230 is at the first restricting position P1, the movement direction of the first restricting member 230 (the direction of arrow g) and the movement direction of the switching member 260 (the direction of arrow f) are in a relationship of intersecting (substantially perpendicular). Furthermore, the direction in which the first restricting member 230 is rotated by the abutted support member 220 is the direction in which the first restricting member 230 moves away from the switching member 260. In other words, the load due to the weight of the opening / closing member 200 is not applied to the switching member 260, and therefore has almost no effect on the switching operation of the switching member.

[0051] Therefore, when the operator opens the opening member from the first open position K1 (first restricting position P1) to the second open position (second restricting position P2), the operator can easily operate the switching member 260, and can operate the opening / closing member 200 after completing the operation of the switching member 260. Therefore, a large force is not required for the switching operation, and there is no need to perform two operations (different tasks) simultaneously, improving operability for the operator.

[0052] (Operating member) The switching member 260 is provided inside the opening / closing member 200. Therefore, an operating member 290 is provided to switch the position of the switching member 260. The operating member 290 will be described with reference to Figs. 9 to 11. Fig. 9 is a view of the opening / closing member 200 as seen from the direction of arrow c in Fig. 2. Figs. 10 and 11 are views in which the operating member 290 is added to the switching member 260. Fig. 10 is a view before the switching operation of the switching member, and Fig. 11 is a view after the switching operation of the switching member.

[0053] The openable / closable member 200 includes a conveyance roller that conveys the recording material and a guide member that guides the recording material. For example, as shown in FIG. 9 , the openable / closable member 200 includes, as conveyance rollers, one registration roller 122 of the pair of registration rollers 120 and one outer secondary transfer roller 132 of the secondary transfer unit 130. The openable / closable member 200 also includes, as guide members, a conveyance guide 190 provided between the sheet feeding unit 110 and the fixing unit 150. Therefore, by opening the openable / closable member 200 relative to the apparatus main body 101, one conveyance guide or one conveyance roller that faces each other across the sheet in the sheet conveyance path inside the apparatus main body is separated from the other conveyance guide or other conveyance roller. This facilitates the processing of sheets that have stopped due to a jam. It also facilitates maintenance, such as unit replacement.

[0054] An operating member 290 that switches the position of the switching member 260 has an operating portion 291 that is operated by an operator, and an abutment portion 292 against which the switching member 260, which is biased by a tension spring 270 in the direction opposite to the direction of arrow d, abuts at the support position T1. The operating member 290 is provided inside the opening / closing member 200. The operating portion 291 of the operating member 290 is provided outside the opening / closing member 200 so as to be exposed to the outside when the opening / closing member 200 is opened relative to the device body 101. In other words, the operating member 290 is provided inside the opening / closing member 200 with the operating portion 291 exposed to the outside of the opening / closing member 200 and the rest of the operating member 290 covered by a cover so that the operating portion 291 can be operated from outside the opening / closing member 200.

[0055] An operation section 291 of the operation member 290 is provided on the surface of the opening / closing member 200 facing the inside of the apparatus main body. The operation section 291 of the operation member 290 is provided outside the sheet conveying area in the width direction (front-rear direction) perpendicular to the sheet conveying direction (up-down direction), and in the center of one side in the width direction (here, the rear side of the image forming apparatus).

[0056] The operating member 290 is provided so as to come into contact with the operating portion 263 of the switching member 260 at the support position T1 by an abutment portion 292. The operating member 290 is provided on the opening / closing member 200 so as to be movable in the direction of arrow h, and the switching member 260 is configured to move in the direction of arrow f in conjunction with this movement. Note that the direction of movement of the operating member 290, that is, the direction of arrow h in FIG. 10, is the same as the direction of movement of the switching member 260, that is, the direction of arrow f in FIG. 5, and the direction of movement of the support member 220 (first direction), that is, the direction of arrow d in FIG. 3.

[0057] When the operator operates the operating member 290 in the direction of arrow h in Fig. 10 at the first restricting position P1, the operating portion 263, which is in contact with the abutting portion 292, moves in the same direction, and the switching member 260 moves in the direction of arrow f. Then, as described with reference to Figs. 5 to 8, the switching member 260 switches to the release position T2, and further the restricting member 230 moves to the retracted position P3, releasing the restriction on the movement of the support member 220, allowing the support member 220 to move from the first restricting position P1 to the second restricting position P2. This allows the opening / closing member 200 to rotate from the first opening position K1 to the second opening position K2.

[0058] When the operating member 290 moves in the direction of arrow h and moves the switching member 260 to the release position T2, it attempts to return due to the returning force of the tension spring 270, but is engaged with the opening / closing member 200 and locked so as to be unable to move. As a result, the operating member 290, which is locked so as to be unable to move, maintains the switching member 260 at the release position T2 due to the abutment between the abutment portion 292 and the operating portion 263. Furthermore, the engagement of the operating member 290 is released by the support member 220, which is moved in the direction opposite to the direction of arrow h in conjunction with the operation of closing the opening / closing member 200, and the operating member 290 becomes movable. In other words, the engagement (locked state) of the operating member 290 is released by the support member 220, which is moved in conjunction with the operation of closing the opening / closing member 200, at the timing when the support member 220 passes the first restricting position P1.

[0059] The disengaged operating member 290 is moved in the same direction in conjunction with the movement of the switching member 260 in the opposite direction by the tension spring 270, and restricts the switching member 260 at the support position T1. Here, the switching member 260 has a guide portion 264 between the support portion 261 and the retracted portion 262. When the switching member 260 moves in the opposite direction, the guide portion 264 of the switching member 260 abuts against the abutting portion 232 of the first restricting member 230, moving the first restricting member 230 from the retracted position P3 to the first restricting position P1. Further, when the first restricting member 230 is moved to the first restricting position P1, the abutting portion 232 abuts against the support portion 261 of the switching member 260, and the first restricting member 230 is supported by the support portion 261 of the switching member 260 at the first restricting position P1, and returns to the state restricted to the first restricting position P1.

[0060] Therefore, when the opening-closing member 200 is opened again, the first restricting member 230 is returned to a state in which it is restricted to the first restricting position P1 by the switching member 260. Therefore, to open the opening-closing member 200 again from the first open position K1 (first restricting position P1) to the second open position K2 (second restricting position P2), it is necessary to operate the operating member 290 again. This prevents the opening-closing member 200 from being unintentionally opened to the second open position K2 (second restricting position P2). Furthermore, because the switching member 260 (and the operating member 290) automatically returns to the restricting position in conjunction with the closing operation of the opening-closing member 200, it is not necessary to manually operate the operating member 290 to restrict it to the first restricting position P1. Furthermore, it is possible to prevent forgetting to return the switching member 260 (and the operating member 290).

[0061] (Other supporting members) So far, we have described the configuration of the opening / closing member 200, the support member 220 provided on the rear side of the device body, and the switching member 260. However, the opening / closing member 200 is also provided on the front side of the device body with another support member (second support member), the front support member 300. The front support member 300 will be described using Figures 12, 13, and 14. Figure 12 is a diagram of the front support member 300 when the opening / closing member 200 is in the closed position K0 relative to the device body. Figure 13 is a diagram of the support member 220 when the opening / closing member 200 is in the first open position K1 (first restricting position P1) relative to the device body. Figure 14 is a diagram of the front support member 300 when the opening / closing member 200 is in the second open position K2 (second restricting position P2) relative to the device body.

[0062] One end of the front support member 300 is rotatably supported on the device body by a shaft 301, and the other end is supported on the opening / closing member 200 by a guided portion 302. The front support member 300 is guided by the guided portion 302 along a guide groove 310 provided in the opening / closing member 200. The guide groove 310 guides the guided portion 302 of the opening / closing member 200 by the operation of opening and closing the opening / closing member 200.

[0063] The guide groove 310 has a first guide groove 313 and a second guide groove 314 branching off from the first guide groove 313 .

[0064] The first guide groove 313 guides the guided portion 302 of the opening / closing member 200 when the opening / closing member 200 is opened from the closed position K0. The first guide groove 313 has a first support portion 311 that supports the guided portion 302 to restrict the opening operation of the opening / closing member 200 and maintains the opening / closing member 200 at the first open position K1 (first restricting position P1).

[0065] The second guide groove 314 guides the guided portion 302 of the opening / closing member 200 when the opening / closing member 200 is opened from the first open position K1. The second guide groove 314 has a second support portion 312 that supports the guided portion 302 to restrict the opening operation of the opening / closing member 200 and maintains the opening / closing member 200 at a second open position K2 (second restricting position P2) that is wider than the first open position K1.

[0066] As the opening / closing member 200 is released from the closed position K0 relative to the device body, the guided portion 302 moves from the operating position 315 of the guide groove 310 through the first guide groove 313 to the first support portion 311. At this time, the guided portion 302 restricts the opening / closing member 200 from being opened by the first support portion 311, thereby maintaining the opening / closing member 200 in the first open position K1 (first restricting position P1).

[0067] In order for the guided portion 302 to move from the first support portion 311 to the second support portion 312, the opening / closing member 200 is rotated slightly in the closing direction, and the guided portion 302 is guided to pass through the branch portion 316, thereby moving along the second guide groove 314 to the second support portion 312. At this time, similar to the first support portion 311, the guided portion 302 restricts the opening / closing member 200 from being opened by the second support portion 312, thereby maintaining the opening / closing member 200 in the second open position K2 (second restricting position P2).

[0068] When the opening / closing member 200 is rotated from the second restricting position P2 to a state in which it is closed on the device main body, the guided portion 302 moves from the second guide groove 314 through the branching portion 316 to the operating position 315. In this manner, on the front side of the device main body of the opening / closing member 200, the front support member 300 supports the opening / closing member 200 at the first opening position K1 (first restricting position P1) and the second opening position K2 (second restricting position P2).

[0069] As described above, according to this embodiment, the load that the restricting member 230 receives from the support member 220 at the first restricting position P1 does not act on the operating force of the switching member 260. As a result, when switching the open position of the opening-closing member 200, the load due to the weight of the opening-closing member 200 is not applied to the switching member 260, making it possible to easily operate the switching member 260. Therefore, there is no need to perform two operations simultaneously, improving operability.

[0070] Although the first restricting position P1 and the second restricting position P2 are positions at which the opening / closing member 200 is opened for jam clearance, maintenance of the apparatus main body, unit replacement, and the like, the purpose of defining each position is not limited to these. Furthermore, while the first restricting member 230 has been described as being configured to rotate, it may also be configured to move linearly. Furthermore, a spring is used as the damper member 250 for reducing the weight of the opening / closing member 200, but this is not limited to a spring.

[0071] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the opening / closing member 200 is provided with the connecting member 210, support member 220, damper member 250, first restricting member 230, second restricting member 240, folded-back portion 212, switching member 260, etc. only on one side surface (the rear side of the device body), but the present invention is not limited to this. That is, for example, the above members may be provided on both side surfaces (the front and rear sides of the device body) of the opening / closing member 200, or on a portion other than the side surfaces, so that the open position of the opening / closing member 200 can be switched using only the above members.

[0072] In addition, in this embodiment, the support member 220 that supports the connecting member 210 on the opening / closing member side is configured to be movable, but the present invention is not limited to this. That is, even if the support member 220 that supports the connecting member 210 on the image forming apparatus main body side is configured to be movable and a configuration similar to the above-mentioned member provided on the opening / closing member side is provided on the image forming apparatus main body side, the same effect as above can be obtained. [Explanation of symbols]

[0073] K0: Closed position K1…1st open position K2…Second open position P1: First restriction position P2…Second regulation position P3…Evacuation position Q...Contact part T1…Support position T2…Release position 100...Image forming device 101...Device body 200...Opening and closing member 210 ...Connecting member 212 ...Folded section 220 ... Support member 230 ... First restricting member 231 ...Axis 232 ...butt section 240 ... Second restricting member 250...Damper material 260 ...Switching member 261...Support part 262 ...Retreat area 263...Operation unit 264…Information Department 290 ...Operating member 291...Operation unit 292 ...butt end

Claims

1. an opening / closing member that is rotatably supported on the image forming apparatus main body and that opens and closes relative to the image forming apparatus main body by rotating; a connecting member having one end supported by the image forming apparatus main body and the other end supported by the opening / closing member; a support member that supports the other end of the connecting member and moves in a first direction in conjunction with an opening operation of the opening / closing member; a restricting member that is movable between a restricting position where it contacts the support member to restrict movement of the support member in the first direction and a retracted position where it retracts from the restricting position to allow movement of the support member in the first direction, and that maintains the opening / closing member in an open position by restricting movement of the support member in the first direction; a switching member that is switchable between a support position where the switching member abuts against the regulating member to support the regulating member at the regulating position and a release position where the switching member moves in the first direction to release the abutment and allow the regulating member to move to the retracted position; An image forming apparatus characterized by:

2. a biasing member that connects the opening / closing member and the support member; The biasing force of the biasing member increases in conjunction with the opening operation of the opening / closing member.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image forming apparatus is a recording medium.

3. The regulating member is a first regulating member, a second restricting member provided separately from the first restricting member; The second restricting member abuts against the support member at a second restricting position downstream of the restricting position in the first direction, and restricts movement of the support member in the first direction, thereby maintaining the opening / closing member at a second open position that is wider than the open position.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

4. The restricting member is rotatably supported by the opening / closing member, and moves between the restricting position and the retracted position by rotating.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

5. The switching member is supported so as to be linearly movable in the first direction or a direction opposite to the first direction, and switches between allowing and not allowing the regulating member to move by moving linearly.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image forming apparatus is a recording medium.

6. When the regulating member is in the regulating position, the movement direction of the regulating member and the movement direction of the switching member intersect at the contact portion between the regulating member and the switching member.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image forming apparatus is a recording medium.

7. a biasing spring that biases the restricting member in a direction from the restricting position toward the retracted position; 2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image forming apparatus is a recording medium.

8. The switching member has a support portion that abuts against the regulating member to support the regulating member at the regulating position, and a guide portion that abuts against the regulating member when the switching member moves in the direction opposite to the first direction to guide the regulating member from the retracted position to the regulating position.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image forming apparatus is a recording medium.

9. The opening / closing member has a conveying roller that conveys the recording material and a guide member that guides the recording material.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image forming apparatus is a recording medium.

10. an operating member provided on the opening / closing member so as to be movable in the first direction and configured to switch the position of the switching member; When the switching member is moved to the release position, the operating member engages with the opening / closing member and is locked so as to be unable to move, and the engagement is released by the support member, which is moved in the direction opposite to the first direction as the opening / closing member is closed, so that the operating member becomes movable.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image forming apparatus is a recording medium.

11. a second support member having one end rotatably supported by the image forming apparatus main body and the other end supported by the opening / closing member; a guide groove that is provided in the opening / closing member and that guides the other end of the opening / closing member by an operation of opening and closing the opening / closing member, The guide groove is a first guide groove that guides the other end of the open / close member by an action of opening the open / close member from a closed position, the first guide groove including a first support portion that supports the other end to regulate the action of opening the open / close member and maintain the open / close member at a first open position; a second guide groove branching from the first guide groove and guiding the other end of the open / close member by an operation of opening the open / close member from the first open position, the second guide groove including a second support portion that supports the other end to restrict the operation of opening the open / close member and maintain the open / close member at a second open position that is wider than the first open position, 2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image forming apparatus is a recording medium.

Images