Sheet conveying device

Abstract

To improve maintainability by saving a space for opening / closing a door part.SOLUTION: The image forming apparatus includes an apparatus main body, a guide member positioned at a standby position, and a door portion including a first rotating member rotatably supported about a first rotating shaft with respect to the apparatus main body and a second rotating member rotatably supported about a second rotating shaft parallel to the first rotating shaft with respect to the first rotating member, the door portion being openable and closable with respect to the apparatus main body. The first pivoting member performs a first operation of pivoting about the first pivoting shaft in a first direction with respect to the apparatus body when the door is opened with respect to the apparatus body, the second pivoting member performs a second operation of pivoting about the second pivoting shaft in a second direction opposite to the first direction with respect to the first pivoting member when the door is opened with respect to the apparatus body, and the guide member performs a third operation of moving from the standby position in a direction away from the conveyance path in conjunction with the second operation of the second pivoting member.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a sheet transport device that transports a sheet. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, an image forming apparatus having a jam processing door that is provided on the apparatus main body so as to be able to open and close, and an external sheet feeding unit attached to the image forming apparatus have been disclosed (see Patent Document 1). A swingable guide is attached to the jam processing door, and the swingable guide constitutes a part of the guide that forms the vertical path and the horizontal path. When the jam processing door is opened, the swingable guide moves away from the apparatus main body and rotates relative to the jam processing door, opening the vertical path and the horizontal path. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-117317 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, the jam processing door described in Patent Document 1 is positioned to face an external sheet feeding unit attached to the image forming apparatus, and in order to open the jam processing door, it is necessary to move the external sheet feeding unit away from the image forming apparatus. The external sheet feeding unit is a heavy object that can accommodate a large number of sheets, and moving the external sheet feeding unit to clear a jam reduces maintainability.

[0005] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a sheet transport device that reduces the space required for opening and closing a door portion and improves maintainability. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] One aspect of the present invention is a sheet conveying device for conveying a sheet, the sheet conveying device comprising: a device main body; a guide member movably provided on the device main body and positioned at a standby position; a first rotating member supported rotatably about a first rotating shaft relative to the device main body; and a second rotating member supported rotatably about a second rotating shaft parallel to the first rotating shaft relative to the first rotating member, the second rotating member being configured to rotate relative to the device main body and to move the sheet together with the guide member positioned at the standby position when the door is closed relative to the device main body. a sheet conveying device that forms a conveying path through which the door portion passes, wherein the first rotating member performs a first action of rotating in a first direction about the first rotating axis relative to the device body when the door portion is opened relative to the device body, and the second rotating member performs a second action of rotating in a second direction opposite to the first direction about the second rotating axis relative to the first rotating member when the door portion is opened relative to the device body, and the guide member performs a third action of moving from the standby position in a direction away from the conveying path in conjunction with the second action of the second rotating member. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, the space required for opening and closing the door portion can be saved, and maintenance can be improved. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is an overall schematic diagram showing an image forming system according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an image forming system. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing a door portion according to a comparative example. [Figure 4] 10A and 10B are cross-sectional views showing how a door portion according to a comparative example opens and closes. [Figure 5] FIG. 3(a) is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the door part according to the first embodiment is closed, and FIG. 3(b) is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the door part is open. [Figure 6]FIG. 4A is a perspective view showing a guide member, and FIG. 4B is a cross-sectional view showing a positioning configuration of the guide member. [Figure 7] 10A is a perspective view showing the hook of the door portion, and FIG. 10B is a cross-sectional view showing the positioning configuration of the second rotation member of the door portion. [Figure 8] (a) is a cross-sectional view showing the door section in a closed state, (b) is a cross-sectional view showing the door section in the middle of being opened, and (c) is a cross-sectional view showing the door section in an open state. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing a stopper according to a second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] First Embodiment A first embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. As shown in FIG. 1, an image forming system 100 includes an image forming apparatus 1 serving as a sheet transport apparatus and a sheet feeding apparatus 2. The image forming apparatus 1 includes a printer, a copier, a facsimile, and a multifunction peripheral, and forms an image on a sheet used as a recording medium based on image information input from an external PC or image information read from an original. In this embodiment, an electrophotographic full-color laser printer is used as the image forming apparatus 1. Note that, although an electrophotographic full-color laser printer is used as the image forming apparatus 1 of this embodiment, it may also be an image forming apparatus equipped with an inkjet-type image forming means instead of an electrophotographic-type image forming means, for example.

[0010] [Image forming device overview] Image forming apparatus 1 is a POD machine capable of printing for purposes other than general office use, and can use various sheets as recording media, including paper sheets and envelopes, glossy paper, plastic films such as overhead projector sheets (OHT), and cloth. A main body 1A of image forming apparatus 1 houses a feed cassette 51 that stores sheets S, and an image forming unit 513 that forms images on sheets S fed from feed cassette 51. Image forming unit 513 is a tandem intermediate transfer system equipped with four process units PY, PM, PC, and PK that form yellow, magenta, cyan, and black toner images, and an intermediate transfer belt 506 that serves as an intermediate transfer body. Process units PY to PK are electrophotographic units that have photosensitive drums 1Y, 1M, 1C, and 1K, respectively, that serve as photosensitive bodies.

[0011] The process units PY to PK are configured similarly except for the color of the toner used for development. Therefore, the configuration of the process units and the toner image formation process (image formation operation) will be described using the yellow process unit PY as an example. In addition to the photosensitive drum 1Y, the process unit PY includes an exposure device 511, a development device 510, and a drum cleaner 509. The photosensitive drum 1Y is a drum-shaped photosensitive body with a photosensitive layer on its outer periphery and rotates in the direction of rotation of the intermediate transfer belt 506. The surface of the photosensitive drum 1Y is charged by being supplied with an electric charge from a charging device such as a charging roller. The exposure device 511 emits a laser beam modulated according to image information, and scans the photosensitive drum 1Y using an optical system including a reflection device 512, thereby drawing an electrostatic latent image on the surface of the photosensitive drum 1Y. The development device 510 contains a developer containing toner and develops the electrostatic latent image into a toner image by supplying the toner to the photosensitive drum 1Y. The toner image formed on the photosensitive drum 1Y is primarily transferred onto an intermediate transfer belt 506 by a primary transfer roller 507. Residual toner remaining on the photosensitive drum 1Y after transfer is removed by a drum cleaner 509.

[0012] The intermediate transfer belt 506 is wound around a drive roller 504, a driven roller 505, an inner secondary transfer roller 503, and multiple primary transfer rollers 507, and is driven to rotate clockwise in the drawing by the drive roller 504. The image forming operation described above is performed in parallel in each process unit PY to PK, and four-color toner images are transferred in multiple layers so that they overlap each other, forming a full-color toner image on the intermediate transfer belt 506. This toner image is carried by the intermediate transfer belt 506 and transported to the secondary transfer unit. The secondary transfer unit is configured as a nip between the secondary transfer roller 56 and the inner secondary transfer roller 503, and a bias voltage of opposite polarity to the toner charge polarity is applied to the secondary transfer roller 56, thereby secondarily transferring the toner image to the sheet S. In other words, the secondary transfer roller 56 is an example of a transfer unit that transfers the image on the intermediate transfer belt 506 to the sheet S. Residual toner remaining on the intermediate transfer belt 506 after transfer is removed by a belt cleaner 508.

[0013] The sheet S onto which the toner image has been transferred is delivered to a fixing unit 58 by a pre-fixing conveyance section 57. The fixing unit 58 has a pair of fixing rollers that sandwich and convey the sheet S, and a heat source such as a halogen heater, and applies heat and pressure to the toner image carried on the sheet S. This causes the toner particles to melt and adhere, resulting in a fixed image fixed on the sheet S.

[0014] [Feed system of image forming device] Next, the configuration and operation of a sheet conveying system that feeds the sheet S stored in the feeding cassette 51 and discharges the sheet S on which an image is formed to the outside of the apparatus will be described. The sheet conveying system roughly includes a conveying unit 54, a pre-registration conveying section 50, a skew correction section 55, a registration roller pair 7, a branch conveying section 59, and a re-conveying section 550.

[0015] The feeding cassette 51 is removably attached to the apparatus main body 1A, and the sheets S stacked on a lifting plate 52 that can be raised and lowered are fed one by one by a feeding unit 53. Examples of the feeding unit 53 include a belt type (see FIG. 1) in which a suction fan separates and adsorbs the sheets S to a belt member for transport, and a friction separation type using a roller or pad. The transport unit 54 is an example of a transport section that forms a feeding path 54a from the feeding cassette 51 toward the image forming section 513 and transports the sheets along the feeding path 54a. The sheet S sent out from the feeding unit 53 is transported along the feeding path 54a by a pair of transport rollers 54r of the transport unit 54 and delivered to the pre-registration transport section 50.

[0016] The pre-registration conveying section 50 has, for example, three pairs of conveying rollers, and each pair of conveying rollers sends out the sheet S in the sheet conveying direction. The pre-registration conveying section 50 is provided with a sheet sensor 520 that detects the leading edge of the sheet S. That is, the sheet sensor 520 is disposed in the feeding path 54a between the feeding cassette 51 and the skew correction section 55, and detects the sheet S being conveyed along the feeding path 54a. The sheet sensor 520 may be, for example, a reflective photoelectric sensor having a light-emitting section and a light-receiving section. In this case, the light emitted by the light-emitting section is reflected by the sheet S that has reached the detection position, and the light-receiving section detects the reflected light, thereby detecting the passing timing of the sheet S. The delay time of the sheet S is measured based on the detection result of the sheet sensor 520, and the conveying speed of the sheet S in the pre-registration conveying section 50 is changed accordingly. After canceling the delay time, the sheet is conveyed to the skew correction section 55.

[0017] The skew correction unit 55 is a side registration type sheet alignment device that includes a reference member and, for example, three skew rollers. That is, the skew correction unit 55 is disposed between the transport unit 54 and the image forming unit 513, and corrects skew of the sheet S while transporting the sheet at a transport speed slower than the transport speed of the transport unit 54. The transport speed of the skew correction unit 55 is a speed that is timed to coincide with the image to be transferred by the secondary transfer roller 56. After the skew correction is performed on the sheet S in the skew correction unit 55, the sheet S is sent to the secondary transfer unit by the registration roller pair 7.

[0018] The sheet S, on which the toner image has been transferred in the secondary transfer section and the image has been fixed by the fixing unit 58, is transported to a branched transport section 59 having a switching member that can switch the transport path of the sheet S. When image formation on the sheet S is complete, the sheet S is discharged by a pair of discharge rollers onto a discharge tray 500 arranged outside the apparatus main body 1A.

[0019] Furthermore, when the sheet S is discharged onto the discharge tray 500 with the printed side facing downward, the sheet S is conveyed once to the reverse conveying section 501, switched back, and then discharged onto the discharge tray 500.

[0020] When an image is formed on the back side of the sheet S, the sheet S is transported to a re-conveying unit 550. The re-conveying unit 550 has a reversing conveying unit 501 and a duplex conveying unit 502, and reverses the sheet on which an image has been formed by the image forming unit 513, transports the sheet, and causes the sheet to merge with the feeding path 54a between the sheet sensor 520 and the feeding cassette 51. The re-conveying unit 550 has a reversing path 54d that is a reversing route that reverses the conveying direction of the sheet, and a re-conveying path 54e that is a duplex conveying path. The re-conveying path 54e causes the sheet transported from the reversing path 54d to merge with the feeding path 54a between the sheet sensor 520 and the feeding cassette 51.

[0021] The sheet S conveyed from the branch conveyance unit 59 is delivered to the duplex conveyance unit 502 having a reconveyance path 54e via the reversal conveyance unit 501 having a reversal path 54d. The reversal conveyance unit 501 has a pair of reversal rollers that can rotate forward and backward, and switches back the sheet S to deliver it to the duplex conveyance unit 502. The leading edge of the sheet S conveyed to the duplex conveyance unit 502 is detected by a detection unit 4 provided in the reconveyance path 54e that detects the leading edge of the sheet S. The sheet S is stopped in the reconveyance path 54e and waits until it is re-fed to form an image on the second side (duplex standby). The detection unit 4 can be, for example, an optical sensor similar to the sheet sensor 520. The duplex conveyance unit 502 conveys the sheet S toward the pre-registration conveyance unit 50 in accordance with the timing for forming an image on the second side. That is, the reconveyance unit 550 temporarily stops the sheet in the reconveyance path 54e and then starts conveying it toward the skew correction unit 55. After the image is formed on the back side of the sheet S, the sheet S is discharged onto a discharge tray 500.

[0022] [Sheet feeding device] 1, a sheet feeding device 2 is connected to the upstream side of the horizontal path 54c of the image forming apparatus 1. The sheet feeding device 2 has three feeding cassettes 21 and feeding units 23 arranged vertically, each having a configuration similar to that of the feeding cassette 51 of the image forming apparatus 1, and the sheets S stored in each feeding cassette 21 are fed by the feeding unit 23.

[0023] As in the image forming apparatus 1, the sheet S is fed by the feeding unit 23 in accordance with the image formation timing of the image forming apparatus 1. The fed sheet S is transported to the horizontal section 240 by the transport unit 22. The horizontal section 240 is provided with a horizontal path 242 extending horizontally, and the horizontal path 242 is provided with a detection unit 241 that detects the leading edge of the sheet S. For example, an optical sensor similar to the sheet sensor 520 can be used as the detection unit 241. When the leading edge of the sheet S is detected by the detection unit 241, the sheet S is temporarily stopped. Then, the sheet S is re-fed in accordance with the image formation timing of the image forming apparatus 1, and the sheet S is transported to the image forming apparatus 1. This makes it possible to correct variations in the transport timing that occur in the feeding unit 23. The feeding unit 23 and the transport unit 22 of the sheet feeding device 2 can be controlled by the control unit 9 of the image forming apparatus 1.

[0024] The sheet S transported along the horizontal path 242 is delivered to a horizontal path 54c of the image forming apparatus 1. The feeding path 54a also has a curved path 54b, and the curved path 54b and the horizontal path 54c join at a junction 540. The transport path from the horizontal path 242 of the sheet feeding device 2 to the discharge tray 500 extends linearly in a substantially horizontal direction. This reduces the transport resistance of the sheet and reduces the load and damage to the sheet.

[0025] 2 is a perspective view showing the image forming system 100. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, when a sheet S jams near the junction 540 of the image forming apparatus 1, the user opens the front door 10 of the sheet feeding device 2. Then, the user can open the door 39 of the image forming apparatus 1 to clear the jam that has occurred near the junction 540. [Comparative Example]

[0026] Next, a comparative example in which the door section 39 is configured with a single opening / closing member will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the door section 390 according to the comparative example. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the opening and closing of the door section 390 according to the comparative example. As shown in FIG. 3, the image forming apparatus 1B according to the comparative example has the door section 390. The door section 390 is arranged to face the sheet feeding device 2 connected to the image forming apparatus 1.

[0027] The door unit 390 is supported rotatably about the first rotation shaft 40 relative to the device main body 1A and is configured to be openable and closable relative to the device main body 1A. The device main body 1A has guide members 542b and 542c, and the door unit 390 has a guide surface 541b facing the guide member 542b and a guide surface 541c facing the guide member 542c. When the door unit 390 is closed relative to the device main body 1A, the guide surface 541b and the guide member 542b form a curved path 54b, and the guide surface 541c and the guide member 542c form a horizontal path 54c as a second conveying path. The horizontal path 54c extends horizontally. The curved path 54b and the horizontal path 54c converge at a junction 540 surrounded by the guide members 542b and 542c and the door unit 390. In other words, the curved path 54b and the horizontal path 54c meet between the guide members 542b and 542c.

[0028] 4, a double-chain line indicates a movement path 392 of a tip end 391 of the door unit 390 when the door unit 390 opens or closes relative to the apparatus main body 1A. When viewed in the axial direction of the first rotation shaft 40, the movement path 392 overlaps with the horizontal path 242 of the horizontal section 240 of the sheet feeding device 2. In other words, in order to open or close the door unit 390 according to the comparative example, it is necessary to move the sheet feeding device 2 away from the image forming apparatus 1B. Therefore, in this embodiment, the door unit is divided into a first rotation member and a second rotation member, and the first rotation member and the second rotation member are configured to rotate separately.

[0029] [Door peripheral configuration] Next, the peripheral configuration of the door section 39 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figs. 5(a) to 7(b). Fig. 5(a) is a cross-sectional view showing the door section 39 according to the first embodiment when closed, and Fig. 5(b) is a cross-sectional view showing the door section 39 when open. Fig. 6(a) is a perspective view showing the guide member 542b, and Fig. 6(b) is a cross-sectional view showing the positioning configuration of the guide member 542b. Fig. 7(a) is a perspective view showing the hook 48 of the door section 39, and Fig. 7(b) is a cross-sectional view showing the positioning configuration of the second pivoting member 41 of the door section 39.

[0030] 5(a), the door section 39 according to this embodiment has a first rotating member 42 and a second rotating member 41. The first rotating member 42 is supported rotatably about a first rotating shaft 40 relative to the apparatus main body 1A. The second rotating member 41 is supported rotatably about a second rotating shaft 43 parallel to the first rotating shaft 40 relative to the first rotating member 42. The first rotating shaft 40 and the second rotating shaft 43 extend in a sheet width direction perpendicular to the sheet conveying direction of the sheet S being conveyed.

[0031] The second rotating member 41 has a guide surface 541b facing a guide member 542b serving as a first guide member, and a guide surface 541c facing a guide member 542c serving as a second guide member. In this embodiment, the guide member 542b is configured to be rotatable about a third rotating shaft 44 that is parallel to the first rotating shaft 40 and the second rotating shaft 43. The guide member 542c is fixed to a frame (not shown) of the apparatus main body 1A.

[0032] 6(a), the guide member 542b is biased in the direction of arrow R3 around the third rotation shaft 44 by the torsion coil spring 46. That is, the torsion coil spring 46 as a first biasing member biases the guide member 542b in a direction approaching the second rotation member 41. In addition, a pair of protrusions 47 are provided on the tip of the guide member 542b outside the sheet passage area through which the sheet S passes.

[0033] As shown in Figures 5(a) and 6(b), the guide member 542b is positioned at the standby position when the pair of protrusions 47 abut against the abutting portions 47a of the guide member 542c. That is, the guide member 542b is positioned at the standby position when the door unit 39 is closed relative to the apparatus main body 1A. The guide member 542b positioned at the standby position forms a curved path 54b together with the guide surface 541b of the second rotating member 41. The height of the curved path 54b in the sheet thickness direction is determined by the height of the pair of protrusions 47 provided on the guide member 542b.

[0034] As shown in Figure 7(a), the second pivoting member 41 of the door section 39 is biased by a torsion coil spring 49 in the direction of arrow R2, which is opposite to the direction of arrow R3 (see Figure 7(b)), around the second pivot shaft 43. That is, the torsion coil spring 49 as the second biasing member biases the second pivoting member 41 in a direction approaching the guide member 542b. Note that instead of the torsion coil springs 46, 49, other spring members such as a leaf spring or a torsion bar may be used, or other biasing members such as rubber, sponge, or a magnet may be used.

[0035] 7(b), a pair of protrusions 31 are provided on the tip of the second rotating member 41, outside the sheet passing area through which the sheet S passes. The height of the curved path 54b in the sheet thickness direction is determined by the pair of protrusions 31 of the second rotating member 41 abutting against the guide member 542b.

[0036] At this time, the biasing force of torsion coil spring 46 (see FIG. 6(a)), which biases guide member 542b in the direction of arrow R3, is greater than the biasing force of torsion coil spring 49, which biases second rotating member 41 in the direction of arrow R2, which is the second direction. Therefore, when door 39 is closed relative to apparatus main body 1A, guide member 542b is positioned at the standby position by abutting against guide member 542c, and second rotating member 41 is positioned by abutting against guide member 542b. In this embodiment, second rotating member 41 is positioned with respect to guide member 542b, and therefore the relative positional accuracy between second rotating member 41 and guide member 542b can be improved.

[0037] A hook 48 is provided on the first rotating member 42 of the door section 39. The hook 48 is supported rotatably about a rotating shaft 48a relative to the first rotating member 42, and is positioned at the lock position shown in Fig. 7(a) by a spring 48b. The door section 39 is held in a closed state relative to the device main body 1A by the hook 48 engaging with a shaft (not shown) attached to the frame of the device main body 1A.

[0038] 5(a)(b) and 7(a), the device main body 1A has a guide rail 33 as a guide portion, and the second rotating member 41 of the door portion 39 has a shaft portion 32 that can slide on the guide rail 33. The shaft portion 32 extends in the sheet width direction. Note that the shape of the guide rail 33 is not limited, and the rotation trajectory of the second rotating member 41 can be changed depending on the shape of the guide rail 33.

[0039] [Operation of the door and guide members] Next, the operation of the door section 39 and the guide member 542b when the door section 39 is opened or closed relative to the apparatus main body 1A will be described with reference to Figures 5(a) and 5(b) and 8(a) to 8(c). Figure 8(a) is a cross-sectional view showing the door section 39 in a closed state, Figure 8(b) is a cross-sectional view showing the door section 39 in a state in which it is being opened, and Figure 8(c) is a cross-sectional view showing the door section 39 in an open state.

[0040] A grip portion (not shown) connected to a hook 48 via a link mechanism is provided on the outer surface of the first pivoting member 42 of the door portion 39. By gripping the grip portion, the user can move the hook 48 from the locked position to the unlocked position, thereby unlocking the door portion 39 from the device main body 1A.

[0041] The user can then grasp the grip and pull it outward from the device body 1A to open the door 39 relative to the device body 1A, as shown in Figures 5(a) and 5(b). At this time, the first pivoting member 42 of the door 39 performs a first movement in which it rotates about the first pivot shaft 40 in the direction of arrow R1, which is a first direction, relative to the device body 1A, as the user pulls it via the grip. Furthermore, as shown in Figures 5(a) and 5(b), when the door 39 is opened relative to the device body 1A, the shaft 32 is pressed by the guide rail 33, so the second pivoting member 41 performs a second movement in which it rotates about the second pivot shaft 43 in the direction of arrow R2 relative to the first pivoting member 42.

[0042] 5(b) and 8(b), the guide member 542b performs a third operation in which the guide member 542b moves from the standby position in a direction away from the curved path 54b serving as the conveying path and the first conveying path in conjunction with the second operation of the second rotating member 41. That is, in the third operation, the guide member 542b rotates from the standby position around the third rotating shaft 44 in a direction away from the curved path 54b (in the direction of arrow R4). This is because the tip end 41t of the second rotating member 41 presses the guide member 542b when the second rotating member 41 performs the second operation, causing the guide member 542b to rotate in the direction of arrow R4.

[0043] The force with which the user pulls first turning member 42 via the grip portion causes tip end 41t of second turning member 41 to press guide member 542b. Therefore, the force with which tip end 41t presses second turning member 41 is greater than the force with which torsion coil spring 46 urges guide member 542b in the direction of arrow R3, which is opposite to the direction of arrow R4.

[0044] Such movements of the first rotating member 42, the second rotating member 41, and the guide member 542b cause the second rotating member 41 to overlap with the standby position of the guide member 542b when viewed in the axial direction of the second rotating shaft 43. That is, the second rotating member 41 moves while entering further inside the apparatus main body 1A than the guide member 542b positioned in the standby position, and the amount of rotation of the second rotating member 41 relative to the first rotating member 42 can be increased. This makes it possible to make the rotation trajectory of the door section 39 more compact.

[0045] With the door 39 open relative to the apparatus main body 1A, the user can remove a jammed sheet around the junction 540. As shown in FIG. 8(c), when clearing a jam around the junction 540, the user can rotate the guide member 542b in the direction of arrow R4 to increase the space for clearing the jam.

[0046] On the other hand, when closing the door 39 relative to the apparatus main body 1A, the procedure for opening the door 39 can be reversed. That is, the user grips a grip (not shown) of the door 39 and rotates the first rotating member 42 relative to the apparatus main body 1A in the direction opposite to the direction of arrow R1. At this time, the guide member 542b is biased in the direction of arrow R3 (see FIG. 6(a)) by the torsion coil spring 46, so that the guide member 542 presses the second rotating member 41 so as to press the shaft 32 against the guide rail 33.

[0047] Therefore, as first rotating member 42 rotates in the direction opposite to the direction of arrow R1, second rotating member 41 rotates in the direction opposite to the direction of arrow R2 while shaft 32 slides on guide rail 33. Guide member 542 rotates in conjunction with second rotating member 41. As a result, door section 39 moves in the order of Figures 8(c), 8(b), and 8(a), and with door section 39 closed relative to device main body 1A, hook 48 holds door section 39 relative to device main body 1A.

[0048] As described above, in this embodiment, the door unit 39 is composed of the first pivoting member 42 and the second pivoting member 41, each of which is pivotable. The guide member 542b, which forms the inner guide of the curved path 54b, is also pivotable. When the door unit 39 is opened or closed relative to the apparatus main body 1A, the first pivoting member 42 and the second pivoting member 41 pivot in opposite directions (the directions of arrows R1 and R2), thereby enabling the door unit 39 to have a compact pivot path. Furthermore, the guide member 542b, which faces the second pivoting member 41, pivots in the direction of arrow R4, which is the same direction as the direction of arrow R2, in conjunction with the rotation of the second pivoting member 41 in the direction of arrow R2. This increases the amount of rotation of the second pivoting member 41, enabling the door unit 39 to have a more compact pivot path.

[0049] As a result, the door section 39 can be opened and closed relative to the apparatus main body 1A when the sheet feeding device 2 is connected to the image forming apparatus 1. More specifically, even when the door section 39 is opened relative to the apparatus main body 1A when the sheet feeding device 2 is connected to the image forming apparatus 1, the second pivot member 41 of the door section 39 does not interfere with the horizontal path 242 of the sheet feeding device 2. Therefore, when opening the door section 39 to clear a jam or perform maintenance around the junction 540, the user does not need to detach the sheet feeding device 2 from the image forming apparatus 1. In this way, the space required for opening and closing the door section 39 can be saved, and ease of maintenance, ease of jam clearing, and usability can be improved.

[0050] <Second embodiment> Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the second embodiment, the second rotating member 41 of the first embodiment is configured to be positioned relative to the stopper 34. Therefore, the same configuration as in the first embodiment will be omitted from the illustrations or will be described with the same reference numerals in the drawings.

[0051] Fig. 9 is a cross-sectional view showing the stopper 34 according to the second embodiment. As shown in Fig. 9, the device main body 1C according to the second embodiment has the stopper 34 as a positioning part provided separately from the guide member 542b. When the door part 39 is closed relative to the device main body 1C, the shaft part 32 of the second rotating member 41 abuts against the stopper 34. In other words, the second rotating member 41 is positioned relative to the stopper 34 of the device main body 1C.

[0052] In this manner, in the present embodiment, when the door 39 is closed relative to the apparatus main body 1C, the guide member 542b facing the second rotating member 41 does not receive force from the second rotating member 41. Therefore, even if a force is applied to the guide member 542b from the sheet S such as cardboard when the sheet S passes through the curved path 54b, the biasing force of the torsion coil spring 46 exceeds the force, and the guide member 542b is unlikely to move from the standby position.

[0053] Therefore, when the sheet S passes through the curved path 54b, the positions of the guide member 542b and the second rotating member 41 are less likely to fluctuate, and conveyance problems such as jams can be reduced.

[0054] <Other embodiments> In any of the above-described embodiments, the guide member 542b is configured to be rotatable about the third rotation shaft 44, but this is not limiting. For example, the guide member 542b may be configured to be slidable in a direction away from the curved path 54b.

[0055] In addition, in all of the above-described embodiments, guide member 542b is configured to rotate in the direction of arrow R4 by being pressed by tip end 41t of second rotating member 41, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a link mechanism may be provided that connects second rotating member 41 and guide member 542b, and guide member 542b may be configured to rotate in conjunction with the rotation of second rotating member 41.

[0056] In addition, in all of the above-described embodiments, the door portion 39 is composed of the first rotating member 42 and the second rotating member 41, but is not limited to this. For example, the door portion 39 may be composed of three or more rotating members.

[0057] In addition, in all of the above-described embodiments, the second pivoting member 41 of the door portion 39 forms both the curved path 54b and the horizontal path 54c, but this is not limited to this. For example, the second pivoting member 41 may form only one of the conveying paths, the curved path 54b or the horizontal path 54c. Furthermore, the shapes of the curved path 54b and the horizontal path 54c are not limited.

[0058] In addition, in all of the above-described embodiments, the guide member 542b and the door portion 39 are provided in the image forming apparatus 1, but this is not limiting. For example, the present invention may be applied to other units such as a finisher that does not include the image forming unit 513. [Explanation of symbols]

[0059] 1: sheet conveying device (image forming device) / 1A, 1C: device main body / 33: guide portion (guide rail) / 34: positioning portion (stopper) / 39: door portion / 40: first rotating shaft / 41: second rotating member / 42: first rotating member / 43: second rotating shaft / 44: third rotating shaft / 46: first biasing member (torsion coil spring) / 47a: abutted portion / 49: first biasing member (torsion coil spring) / 54b: conveying path, first conveying path (curved path) / 54c: second conveying path (horizontal path) / 513: image forming unit / 542b: guide member, first guide member / 542c: second guide member / R1: first direction (direction) / R2: second direction (direction) / S: sheet

Claims

1. In a sheet conveying device that conveys a sheet, A device body, a guide member movably provided on the device body and positioned at a standby position; a door section that has a first rotating member supported rotatably about a first rotating axis relative to the device body, and a second rotating member supported rotatably about a second rotating axis parallel to the first rotating axis relative to the first rotating member, and that can be opened and closed relative to the device body; the second rotating member forms a conveying path through which a sheet passes together with the guide member positioned at the standby position when the door portion is closed relative to the apparatus body, the first rotation member performs a first operation of rotating in a first direction about the first rotation axis relative to the device body when the door portion is opened relative to the device body; the second rotation member performs a second operation of rotating around the second rotation axis relative to the first rotation member in a second direction opposite to the first direction when the door portion is opened relative to the device body, the guide member performs a third movement in which the guide member moves from the standby position in a direction away from the conveying path in conjunction with the second movement of the second rotating member. A sheet conveying device characterized by:

2. In the second movement, the second rotating member presses the guide member so that the guide member performs the third movement.

2. The sheet transport device according to claim 1.

3. In the third operation, the guide member rotates from the standby position around a third rotation axis parallel to the first rotation axis and the second rotation axis in a direction away from the conveyance path.

2. The sheet transport device according to claim 1.

4. the device body has a guide portion that guides the guide member when the guide member performs the third operation.

2. The sheet transport device according to claim 1.

5. a first biasing member that biases the guide member in a direction toward the second rotating member; a second biasing member that biases the second rotating member in a direction toward the guide member; a contact portion that positions the guide member at the standby position when the guide member, biased by the first biasing member, contacts the contact portion, The biasing force of the first biasing member is greater than the biasing force of the second biasing member.

2. The sheet transport device according to claim 1.

6. the guide member and the transport path are a first guide member and a first transport path, respectively; the device body has a second guide member, the second rotating member, together with the second guide member, forms a second conveying path through which a sheet passes when the door is closed relative to the apparatus body; the first transport path merges with the second transport path between the first guide member and the second guide member; 6. The sheet transport device according to claim 5.

7. the second transport path extends horizontally, the first transport path extends in a curved manner toward a junction of the first transport path and the second transport path; 7. The sheet transport device according to claim 6.

8. The abutted portion is provided on the second guide member.

7. The sheet transport device according to claim 6.

9. In the second operation, the second rotating member rotates in the second direction around the second rotating shaft so as not to interfere with the second guide member.

7. The sheet transport device according to claim 6, wherein the sheet transport device is a sheet conveying device.

10. the second conveying path is a path through which a sheet fed from a sheet feeding device connected to the sheet conveying device passes, the second conveying path facing the door portion; the door portion is configured to be openable and closable relative to the apparatus body in a state in which the sheet feeding device is connected to the sheet conveying device.

7. The sheet transport device according to claim 6, wherein the sheet transport device is a sheet conveying device.

11. the second rotation member is positioned relative to the guide member when the door is closed relative to the device body; 2. The sheet transport device according to claim 1.

12. the device body has a positioning portion provided separately from the guide member, the second rotation member is positioned with respect to the positioning portion when the door portion is closed with respect to the device body; 2. The sheet transport device according to claim 1.

13. further comprising an image forming unit that forms an image on the sheet; 13. The sheet conveying device according to claim 1, wherein the sheet conveying device is a sheet conveying device.

Images