Paper ejection device and image forming apparatus

Abstract

To provide a paper ejection device that prevents wiring from coming into contact with unintended components. [Solution] The paper discharge device 40 includes a drive roller 17a that discharges paper from an outlet, a driven roller 17b that moves with the drive roller 17a, a paper detection unit that detects the paper being transported, an upper guide 50 on which the drive roller 17a and the paper detection unit are provided, a lower guide 60 on which the driven roller 17b is provided, a drive coupling unit 51 that protrudes from the lower guide 60, a wiring holding unit 61 that holds the paper discharge wiring connected to the paper detection unit, and a rib 64 provided on the lower guide 60. The wiring holding unit 61 protrudes from the rib 64 and is provided in a position opposite to the drive coupling unit 51.

Description

Technical Field

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[0001] The present disclosure relates to a paper discharge device that is detachable from a device main body and an image forming apparatus including the same.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, in an image forming apparatus, a paper conveyance path is set, and sensors and the like are arranged to check the paper conveyance status. In the image forming apparatus, a substrate for supplying power and transmitting signals is provided, and is electrically connected to members such as sensors via wiring. Further, the image forming apparatus includes various units according to functions, and a configuration including a lifting unit supported by a housing so as to be movable up and down has been proposed (for example, see Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] A conventional image forming apparatus connects between a housing, a lifting unit supported by the housing so as to be movable up and down, a movable connection portion provided on the lifting unit, and a fixed-side connection portion provided on the housing, and includes an electric wire wired in a lifting space below the bottom surface of the lifting unit, and a movable-side wire guide supported by the lifting unit and guiding the electric wire on the movable-side connection portion side. The movable-side wire guide is supported so as to be rotatable in a horizontal plane.

[0005] In conventional image forming apparatuses, when the lifting unit descends, a wire guide rotates to route the wire within the horizontal plane, allowing for its sag. However, image forming apparatuses require space-saving by consolidating components, which can make it difficult to secure sufficient space for routing wires, raising concerns that wires may come into contact with unintended components.

[0006] This disclosure is made to solve the above-mentioned problems and aims to provide a paper discharge device and an image forming device that can hold the wiring and prevent it from coming into contact with unintended components. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The paper discharge device according to this disclosure is a paper discharge device that is detachably attached to the main body of the device, and comprises: a drive roller for discharging paper from an outlet; a driven roller that moves in accordance with the drive roller; a paper detection unit for detecting the paper being transported; a first transport member on which the drive roller and the paper detection unit are provided; a second transport member on which the driven roller is provided; a drive coupling unit protruding from the first transport member and connected to a drive source of the main body of the device; a wiring holding unit for holding paper discharge wiring connected to the paper detection unit; and ribs provided along the width direction of the second transport member, wherein the first transport member and the second transport member face each other with a paper transport path on which the paper is transported in between, the ribs are erected in a direction away from the paper transport path, and the wiring holding unit protrudes from the ribs and is provided at a position facing the drive coupling unit.

[0008] In the paper ejection device according to this disclosure, the rib may be configured to have a positioning portion that positions it when it is attached to the main body of the device.

[0009] In the paper discharge device according to this disclosure, the rib may be configured to protrude outward from the edge of the discharge port.

[0010] The paper ejection device according to this disclosure may be configured such that it is inserted into the main body of the device along the paper transport direction, and the drive coupling portion and the wiring holding portion are provided at the ends in the width direction perpendicular to the transport direction.

[0011] In the paper ejection device according to this disclosure, the drive coupling unit and the wiring holding unit may be configured to be located on the front side when inserted into the device body in the paper transport direction.

[0012] The image forming apparatus according to this disclosure is characterized by comprising a paper output device according to this disclosure.

[0013] The image forming apparatus according to this disclosure includes a wiring guide section provided adjacent to the wiring holding section, the wiring guide section having a first insertion section through which the paper discharge wiring is inserted, and a second insertion section through which fixed wiring different from the paper discharge wiring is inserted, and the first insertion section and the second insertion section may be separated from each other. [Effects of the Invention]

[0014] According to this disclosure, by holding the paper discharge wiring in the wiring holding section so as to be separated from the drive coupling section, it is possible to avoid the paper discharge wiring coming into contact with the drive coupling section. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0015] [Figure 1] This is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the configuration of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] This is an external perspective view showing the paper output device as seen from above. [Figure 3] This is an external perspective view showing the paper output device as seen from below. [Figure 4] This is an external front view showing the paper discharge device as seen from the opposite side of the discharge roller. [Figure 5] This is a schematic side view showing the paper output device. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0016] Hereinafter, an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0017] FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the configuration of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0018] The image forming apparatus 100 is a multifunction device having a copy function, a scanner function, a facsimile function, and a printer function, and transmits an image of a document read by the image reading device 130 to the outside, or forms an image of a document read by the image reading device 130 or an image received from the outside in color or monochrome on a recording medium such as paper.

[0019] Above the image reading device 130, a document conveying device 110 supported so as to be openable and closable is provided. The document conveying device 110 conveys one or a plurality of documents one by one in order. The image reading device 130 reads a document placed on the document placement table 131 by scanning the scanning optical system, or reads a document conveyed by the document conveying device 110 to generate image data.

[0020] The image forming apparatus 100 is provided with a fixing device, a photosensitive drum 2, a charger 3, a developing device 4, a drum cleaning device 5, an intermediate transfer belt device 7, a secondary transfer roller 11, an optical scanning device 12, a paper feeding unit 18, and the like.

[0021] In the image forming apparatus 100, image data corresponding to a color image using each color of black (K), cyan (C), magenta (M), and yellow (Y), or a monochrome image using a single color (for example, black) is handled. The image forming apparatus 100 is provided with four photosensitive drums 2, chargers 3, developing devices 4, and drum cleaning devices 5 for forming four types of toner images, each of which is associated with black, cyan, magenta, and yellow, and four image stations Pa, Pb, Pc, and Pd are configured.

[0022] The charger 3 uniformly charges the surface of the photoreceptor drum 2 to a predetermined potential. The light scanning device 12 exposes the surface of the photoreceptor drum 2 to form an electrostatic latent image. The developing device 4 develops the electrostatic latent image on the surface of the photoreceptor drum 2 to form a toner image on the surface of the photoreceptor drum 2. The drum cleaning device 5 removes and recovers residual toner from the surface of the photoreceptor drum 2. Through the above series of operations, toner images of each color are formed on the surface of each photoreceptor drum 2.

[0023] The intermediate transfer belt device 7 comprises intermediate transfer rollers 6, an endless intermediate transfer belt 71, an intermediate transfer drive roller 72, an intermediate transfer driven roller 73, and a cleaning device 9. Four intermediate transfer rollers 6 are provided inside the intermediate transfer belt 71 to form four different toner images corresponding to each color. The intermediate transfer rollers 6 transfer the toner images of each color formed on the surface of the photoreceptor drum 2 to the circulating intermediate transfer belt 71.

[0024] The intermediate transfer belt 71 is stretched over the intermediate transfer drive roller 72 and the intermediate transfer driven roller 73. In the image forming apparatus 100, the toner images of each color formed on the surface of each photoreceptor drum 2 are sequentially transferred and superimposed to form a color toner image on the surface of the intermediate transfer belt 71. The cleaning device 9 removes and collects waste toner that remains on the surface of the intermediate transfer belt 71 without being transferred to the paper.

[0025] The secondary transfer roller 11 grips the paper that has been transported through the paper transport path 21 in the transfer nip between it and the intermediate transfer belt 71 and transports it. As the paper passes through the transfer nip, the toner image on the surface of the intermediate transfer belt 71 is transferred to the paper and it is then transported to the fuser.

[0026] The fixing device includes a fixing roller 31 and a pressure roller 32 that rotate around an axis. The fixing device inserts the paper on which the toner image has been transferred into the nip between the fixing roller 31 and the pressure roller 32, heats and pressurizes it, and fixes the toner image to the paper.

[0027] The paper feeding unit 18 is equipped with a paper feeding cassette for loading recording media (paper) used for image formation and is located below the optical scanning device 12. The paper is pulled out of the paper feeding unit 18 by the pickup roller 16 and transported to the paper transport path 21. The paper transported to the paper transport path 21 passes through the secondary transfer roller 11 and the fixing device and is discharged to the output tray 19 by the discharge roller pair 17.

[0028] The paper transport path 21 is equipped with a registration roller 14 and a pair of discharge rollers 17. The registration roller 14 transports the paper at a speed equal to the process speed at which the image is formed on the paper. The registration roller 14 is located between the paper feed section 18 and the secondary transfer roller 11 and adjusts the timing of paper transport so that the toner image is transferred to the paper by the secondary transfer roller 11. For example, the registration roller 14 holds the transported paper and waits (stops temporarily), then starts transporting the paper at a constant speed in synchronization with the secondary transfer roller 11.

[0029] When image formation is to be performed on the back side of the paper as well as the front side, the paper transport direction is changed by the discharge roller pair 17 and the paper is transported to the inversion transport path 22. In the inversion transport path 22, the paper is guided to the registration roller 14 with its front and back sides reversed by the inversion transport roller 15. The image forming apparatus 100 forms an image on the back side of the paper guided to the registration roller 14 in the same way as the front side and discharges it to the output tray 19.

[0030] A manual feed tray 150 is mounted on the front of the image forming apparatus 100 so as to be openable and closable, and an open / close door 160 is mounted on the rear of the image forming apparatus 100 so as to be open / closable. Paper loaded in the open manual feed tray 150 is supplied to the manual feed transport path 23 near the front. The manual feed transport path 23 merges with the paper transport path 21 near the rear just before the registration roller 14, and the paper is transported to the registration roller 14 by the manual feed transport roller 13 located in the manual feed transport path 23. When the open / close door 160 is opened, the reversing transport path 22 is exposed, and jammed paper and other materials can be collected.

[0031] The paper feed unit 18 is located below the manual feed transport path 23 and is configured to be removable to the outside through the front of the device 101. When the paper feed unit 18 is removed, a space is created below the manual feed transport path 23.

[0032] In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 2 which will be described later, the image forming apparatus 100 (an example of the apparatus body) has a detachable paper discharge device 40, and a pair of discharge rollers 17 is attached to the paper discharge device 40.

[0033] Figure 2 is an external perspective view showing the paper discharge device as seen from above, Figure 3 is an external perspective view showing the paper discharge device as seen from below, and Figure 4 is an external front view showing the paper discharge device as seen from the side opposite the discharge roller.

[0034] The paper discharge device 40 corresponds to the portion of the paper transport path 21 from the fuser to the discharge roller pair 17. The paper discharge device 40 has an upper guide 50 (an example of a first transport member) and a lower guide 60 (an example of a second transport member) that face each other with the paper transport path 21 in between. The upper guide 50, located above, and the lower guide 60, located below, face each other with a narrow gap between them, and the paper is transported by passing through this gap.

[0035] The discharge roller pair 17 consists of a drive roller 17a and a driven roller 17b, which press together to form a nip, gripping and transporting the paper. The drive roller 17a is attached to the upper guide 50, and the driven roller 17b is attached to the lower guide 60. The discharge roller pair 17 is located at the downstream end of the paper transport direction in the paper discharge device 40.

[0036] A drive coupling 51 is attached to the rotation axis of the drive roller 17a, which is connected to a drive source (not shown) provided in the image forming apparatus 100. For the sake of explanation below, the rotation axis of the drive roller 17a may be simply referred to as the rotation axis. The drive coupling 51 is a gear attached to the end of the rotation axis, and transmits driving force to the rotation axis by meshing with a corresponding gear or the like. The drive coupling 51 is provided protruding from the end (left end in Figure 4) in the width direction W along the rotation axis of the upper guide 50.

[0037] The upper guide 50 is provided with a paper detection unit 52 that detects paper being transported through the paper transport path 21. The paper detection unit 52 is composed of, for example, an actuator and a sensor, but is not limited to this, and may consist only of a sensor that detects the presence or absence of paper. Paper discharge wiring 53 is connected to the paper detection unit 52 for power supply and signal transmission. For the sake of clarity in the drawings, the paper discharge wiring 53 is omitted in Figures 2 to 4, and is schematically shown in Figure 5.

[0038] The bottom surface of the lower guide 60 is provided with ribs 64 that are erected in a direction away from the paper transport path 21. The direction in which the ribs 64 extend is not particularly limited and may be in the paper transport direction or the width direction W, or multiple ribs 64 extending in different directions may be combined. By providing ribs 64 on the lower guide 60, a structure with high strength can be made even with a thin thickness. In this embodiment, multiple ribs 64 are arranged to extend in the direction of the rotation axis (width direction W) so as to sandwich the support portion of the rotation axis of the driven roller 17b. This suppresses the deflection of the lower guide 60 due to the pressure contact between the drive roller 17a and the driven roller 17b, and suppresses the reduction of the pressure force.

[0039] A wiring holding portion 61 is provided at the end of the lower guide 60 in the width direction W (the left end in Figure 4), extending from a plurality of ribs 64 that are arranged along the extension of the line below the extension of the rotation axis of the driven roller 17b, to hold the paper discharge wiring 53. The wiring holding portion 61 has grooves or claws formed to hold the paper discharge wiring 53 and is provided vertically below the drive coupling portion 51 (see, for example, Figure 5). The wiring holding portion 61 is provided in a position close to the drive coupling portion 51, but in a position that does not face the drive coupling portion 51 to hold the paper discharge wiring 53. In this way, by holding the paper discharge wiring 53 with the wiring holding portion 61 so as to be spaced away from the drive coupling portion 51, even if the paper discharge wiring 53 becomes loose, the paper discharge wiring 53 will approach the drive coupling portion 51, and contact between the paper discharge wiring 53 and the drive coupling portion 51 can be avoided.

[0040] The rib 64 is provided with a positioning portion 62 for positioning when mounted on the image forming apparatus 100. The positioning portion 62 is integrally formed with the wiring holding portion 61 and is a projection that protrudes outward. In the image forming apparatus 100, a recess (not shown) corresponding to the positioning portion 62 is formed at the mounting location of the paper discharge device 40. By positioning using the positioning portion 62 in this way, the accuracy of the mounting position on the main body of the apparatus can be improved.

[0041] In the lower guide 60, a retaining auxiliary part 63 for holding the paper output wiring 53 is provided on the side where the wiring holding part 61 is provided. The retaining auxiliary part 63 is a claw or the like that hooks onto the paper output wiring 53, and there may be multiple such parts.

[0042] Figure 5 is a schematic side view showing the paper output device.

[0043] Figure 5 shows the paper output device 40 installed in the image forming apparatus 100, and shows only the portion of the image forming apparatus 100 corresponding to the paper output device 40. In the image forming apparatus 100, an output port HG is provided at a position facing the output roller pair 17 through which paper is inserted, and the paper is discharged onto the output tray 19 through the output port HG. The output port HG is, for example, an opening provided in the housing of the image forming apparatus 100.

[0044] The rib 64 extends beyond the edge of the outlet HG. Specifically, as shown in Figure 5, the rib 64 extends below the outlet HG. In this way, the rib 64 extends beyond the edge of the outlet HG, so it can block the interior from being exposed. The rib 64 blocks the view of the user from the outside so that the internal structure is not visible, and it also blocks the airflow so that heat is not released.

[0045] The paper output device 40 is inserted into the image forming apparatus 100 along the paper transport direction. For explanatory purposes, the direction in which the paper output device 40 is inserted into the image forming apparatus 100 may be referred to as the mounting direction S.

[0046] As described above, since the drive coupling section 51 and the wiring holding section 61 are provided at the ends in the width direction perpendicular to the transport direction, the paper discharge wiring 53 can be configured so as not to interfere with the path when it is mounted on the image forming apparatus 100.

[0047] In the image forming apparatus 100, a wiring guide section 80 is provided adjacent to the wiring holding section 61. The wiring guide section 80 is a member that guides wiring and has a first insertion section 81 through which the paper discharge wiring 53 is inserted, and a second insertion section 82 through which a fixed wiring 90 different from the paper discharge wiring 53 is inserted. The fixed wiring 90 is wiring connected to parts of the image forming apparatus 100 other than the paper discharge device 40. The wiring guide section 80 is provided with an opening for inserting the wiring and an opening for removing the wiring, and is formed so that the path for the paper discharge wiring 53 and the path for the fixed wiring 90 do not overlap. In other words, the first insertion section 81 and the second insertion section 82 are separated from each other.

[0048] As described above, the paper output wiring 53 is connected to the paper output device 40, so when the paper output device 40 is attached or detached, it is pulled out through the first insertion section 81, but since the parts other than the paper output device 40 do not move, the fixed wiring 90 is held in place. If the paper output wiring 53 and the fixed wiring 90 were held together without being separated, there would be concerns that they would rub against each other or get tangled, hindering the attachment or detachment of the paper output device 40. In contrast, in this embodiment, the paper output wiring 53 and the fixed wiring 90 are held separately, so that the wiring does not get caught on each other when the paper output device 40 is attached or detached.

[0049] In this embodiment, a configuration is shown in which a drive roller 17a and a drive coupling part 51 are provided on an upper guide 50 positioned above, and a driven roller 17b and a wiring holding part 61 are provided on a lower guide 60 positioned below. However, the embodiment is not limited to this configuration, and a configuration in which the positions of the two are swapped is also possible.

[0050] Furthermore, the embodiments disclosed herein are illustrative in all respects and do not constitute a limiting interpretation. Accordingly, the technical scope of this disclosure is not to be interpreted solely by the embodiments described above, but is defined based on the claims. This includes all modifications within the meaning and scope of equivalents to the claims. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0051] 17 Discharge roller pair 17a Drive roller 17b Driven roller 21 Paper transport path 40 Paper ejection device 50 Upper guide (an example of the first transport member) 51 Drive coupling section 52 Paper detection unit 53 Paper output wiring 60 Lower guide (an example of a second transport member) 61 Wiring holding part 62 Positioning section 63 Holding auxiliary part 64 Ribs 80 Wiring guide section 81 First insertion section 82 Second insertion section 90 Fixed wiring 100 Image forming apparatus

Claims

1. A paper output device that is detachable from the main body of the device, A drive roller that ejects paper from the output port, A driven roller that moves in accordance with the aforementioned drive roller, A paper detection unit that detects the paper being transported, The first transport member is provided with the drive roller and the paper detection unit, The second conveying member, which is provided with the driven roller, A drive coupling portion is provided protruding from the first transport member and connected to the drive source of the device body, A wiring holding unit that holds the paper output wiring connected to the paper detection unit, The second conveying member comprises ribs provided along the width direction, The first transport member and the second transport member face each other with a paper transport path in between them, The ribs are erected in a direction away from the paper transport path, The wiring holding portion is provided in a position that protrudes from the rib and faces the drive coupling portion. A paper output device characterized by the following.

2. A paper discharge device according to claim 1, The rib has a positioning portion for positioning when it is attached to the main body of the device. A paper output device characterized by the following.

3. A paper discharge device according to claim 1, The rib extends outward from the edge of the outlet. A paper output device characterized by the following.

4. A paper discharge device according to claim 1, The device body is inserted and attached along the paper transport direction, The drive coupling portion and the wiring holding portion are provided at the ends in the width direction perpendicular to the transport direction. A paper output device characterized by the following.

5. A paper discharge device according to claim 4, The drive coupling portion and the wiring holding portion are provided on the front side when they are inserted into the main body of the device in the paper transport direction. A paper output device characterized by the following.

6. An image forming apparatus characterized by comprising the paper discharge device described in claim 1.

7. An image forming apparatus according to claim 6, The wiring guide portion is provided in a position adjacent to the aforementioned wiring holding portion, The aforementioned wiring guide section is The first insertion section through which the paper output wiring is inserted, It has a second insertion section through which fixed wiring different from the aforementioned paper output wiring is inserted, The first insertion portion and the second insertion portion are separated from each other. An image forming apparatus characterized by the following.

Images