Conveying device

Abstract

The present invention provides a transport device that can suppress the occurrence of condensation in the transport path while also suppressing the occurrence of malfunctions caused by electrostatic adsorption of the recording medium. [Solution] The transport device comprises a transport path section for transporting a recording medium on which an image has been fixed by a fixing section, a guide plate provided in the transport path section for guiding the transport of the recording medium, an insulating material attached to the guide plate, and a conductive resin sheet provided between the guide plate and the insulating material, the resin sheet being grounded.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a conveying device.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, in an image forming apparatus provided with a fixing unit, dew condensation may occur in the guide portion of the conveyance path because the recording medium immediately after fixing is in a high-temperature state. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a configuration in which a heat insulating sheet is attached to the upper structure of the conveyance path and a PET film is supported cantilevered on the heat insulating sheet. In this configuration, the occurrence of dew condensation is suppressed by the heat insulating sheet, and the frictional resistance of the recording medium is reduced by the PET film.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, in the configuration described in Patent Document 1, the recording medium may be electrostatically adsorbed to the PET film. Therefore, due to this electrostatic adsorption, the conveyance resistance of the recording medium may increase, and as a result, there is a possibility that problems such as jams and wrinkles in the recording medium may occur.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a conveying device capable of suppressing the occurrence of dew condensation in the conveyance path portion and suppressing the occurrence of problems caused by electrostatic adsorption of the recording medium.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The conveying device according to the present invention is a conveyance path portion that conveys a recording medium on which an image is fixed by a fixing unit, A guide plate provided in the transport path section for guiding the transport of the recording medium, The insulating material attached to the guide plate, A conductive resin sheet is provided so as to sandwich the heat insulating material between the guide plate and the other, Equipped with, The aforementioned resin sheet is grounded. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of condensation in the transport path while suppressing the occurrence of malfunctions caused by electrostatic adsorption of the recording medium. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This figure schematically shows the overall configuration of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a diagram showing the main components of the control system of an image forming apparatus. [Figure 3] This is a view of the guide section from below. [Figure 4] This is a side view of the guide section. [Figure 5] This is a view from below of the guide section related to the modified example. [Figure 6] This is a view from below of the guide section related to the modified example. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing the overall configuration of an image forming apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 is a diagram showing the main parts of the control system of the image forming apparatus 1.

[0010] As shown in Figure 1, the image forming apparatus 1 is a color image forming apparatus that uses an intermediate transfer method utilizing electrophotographic process technology. Specifically, the image forming apparatus 1 first transfers the toner images of each color, Y (yellow), M (magenta), C (cyan), and K (black), formed on the photoreceptor drum 413 to an intermediate transfer belt 421, superimposes the four toner images on the intermediate transfer belt 421, and then secondarily transfers them to the paper S (recording medium) fed from the paper feed tray units 51a to 51c to form an image.

[0011] Furthermore, the image forming apparatus 1 employs a tandem system in which photoreceptor drums 413 corresponding to the four YMCK colors are arranged in series in the direction of travel of the intermediate transfer belt 421, and the toner images of each color are sequentially transferred to the intermediate transfer belt 421 in a single procedure.

[0012] As shown in Figure 2, the image forming apparatus 1 comprises an image reading unit 10, an operation display unit 20, an image processing unit 30, an image forming unit 40, a paper transport unit 50, a fixing unit 60, and a control unit 101. The image forming apparatus 1 corresponds to the "transport device" of the present invention.

[0013] The control unit 101 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 102, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 103, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 104, etc. The CPU 102 reads a program corresponding to the processing content from the ROM 103, loads it into the RAM 104, and works in cooperation with the loaded program to centrally control the operation of each block of the image forming apparatus 1. At this time, various data stored in the storage unit 106 are referenced. The storage unit 106 is composed of, for example, a non-volatile semiconductor memory (so-called flash memory) or a hard disk drive.

[0014] The control unit 101 transmits and receives various data to and from an external device (e.g., a personal computer) connected to a communication network such as a LAN (Local Area Network) or WAN (Wide Area Network) via the communication unit 105. The control unit 101 receives, for example, image data (input image data) transmitted from an external device and forms an image on the sheet S based on this image data. The communication unit 105 is composed of, for example, a communication control card such as a LAN card.

[0015] As shown in FIG. 1, the image reading unit 10 includes an automatic document feeder 11 called an ADF (Auto Document Feeder) and a document image scanning device 12 (scanner), etc.

[0016] The automatic document feeder 11 conveys the document D placed on the document tray by a conveyance mechanism and sends it to the document image scanning device 12. With the automatic document feeder 11, it becomes possible to continuously read the images (including both sides) of a large number of documents D placed on the document tray at once.

[0017] The document image scanning device 12 optically scans the document conveyed onto the contact glass from the automatic document feeder 11 or the document placed on the contact glass, forms an image of the reflected light from the document on the light receiving surface of a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) sensor 12a, and reads the document image. The image reading unit 10 generates input image data based on the reading result by the document image scanning device 12. Predetermined image processing is performed on this input image data in the image processing unit 30.

[0018] As shown in FIG. 2, the operation display unit 20 is composed of, for example, a liquid crystal display (LCD) with a touch panel, and functions as a display unit 21 and an operation unit 22. The display unit 21 performs displays such as various operation screens, the state of an image, and the operation status of each function according to the display control signal input from the control unit 101. The operation unit 22 includes various operation keys such as numeric keys and a start key, accepts various input operations by the user, and outputs an operation signal to the control unit 101.

[0019] The image processing unit 30 includes a circuit or the like that performs digital image processing according to initial settings or user settings. For example, the image processing unit 30 performs gradation correction based on gradation correction data (gradation correction table) under the control of the control unit 101. In addition to gradation correction, the image processing unit 30 performs various correction processes such as color correction and shading correction, and compression processing. The image forming unit 40 is controlled based on the image data subjected to these processes. Details of the image processing unit 30 will be described later.

[0020] As shown in FIG. 1, the image forming unit 40 forms an image on the paper S based on the setting of a print job. The image forming unit 40 includes image forming units 41Y, 41M, 41C, 41K for forming an image with each colored toner of Y component, M component, C component, and K component, an intermediate transfer unit 42, and the like based on the input image data.

[0021] The image forming units 41Y, 41M, 41C, 41K for the Y component, M component, C component, and K component have the same configuration. For the sake of convenience of illustration and description, common components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and when distinguishing each of them, Y, M, C, or K is added to the reference numeral. In FIG. 1, only the components of the image forming unit 41Y for the Y component are denoted by reference numerals, and the components of the other image forming units 41M, 41C, 41K are omitted.

[0022] The image forming unit 41 includes an exposure device 411, a developing device 412, a photosensitive drum 413, a charging device 414, a drum cleaning device 415, and the like.

[0023] The photoreceptor drum 413 is, for example, an organic photoreceptor in which a photosensitive layer made of a resin containing an organic photoconductor is formed on the outer surface of a drum-shaped metal substrate.

[0024] The control unit 101 rotates the photoreceptor drum 413 at a constant peripheral speed by controlling the drive current supplied to the drive motor (not shown) that rotates the photoreceptor drum 413.

[0025] The charging device 414 is, for example, a charging charger, which uniformly charges the surface of the photoconductive photoreceptor drum 413 to a negative polarity by generating a corona discharge.

[0026] The exposure apparatus 411 is composed of, for example, a semiconductor laser, and irradiates the photoreceptor drum 413 with laser light corresponding to the image of each color component. As a result, electrostatic latent images of each color component are formed in the image region of the surface of the photoreceptor drum 413 that has been irradiated with laser light, due to the potential difference with the background region.

[0027] The developing device 412 is a two-component inverted type developing device that visualizes the electrostatic latent image by depositing developer for each color component onto the surface of the photoreceptor drum 413, thereby forming a toner image.

[0028] The developing device 412 is subjected to, for example, a DC developing bias with the same polarity as the charging polarity of the charging device 414, or a developing bias in which an AC voltage is superimposed with a DC voltage with the same polarity as the charging polarity of the charging device 414. As a result, inversion developing is performed, which causes toner to adhere to the electrostatic latent image formed by the exposure device 411.

[0029] The drum cleaning device 415 is in contact with the surface of the photoreceptor drum 413 and has a flat drum cleaning blade made of an elastic material, etc., and removes toner that remains on the surface of the photoreceptor drum 413 without being transferred to the intermediate transfer belt 421.

[0030] The intermediate transfer unit 42 includes an intermediate transfer belt 421, a primary transfer roller 422, a plurality of support rollers 423, a secondary transfer roller 424, and a belt cleaning device 426, etc.

[0031] The intermediate transfer belt 421 is an endless belt and is stretched in a loop around a plurality of support rollers 423. At least one of the plurality of support rollers 423 is a drive roller, and the others are driven rollers. For example, it is preferable that the roller 423A, which is located downstream in the belt travel direction from the primary transfer roller 422 for component K, is the drive roller. This makes it easier to maintain a constant belt travel speed in the primary transfer section. As the drive roller 423A rotates, the intermediate transfer belt 421 travels at a constant speed in the direction of arrow A.

[0032] The intermediate transfer belt 421 is a conductive and elastic belt with a high-resistance layer on its surface. The intermediate transfer belt 421 is rotationally driven by a control signal from the control unit 101.

[0033] The primary transfer roller 422 is positioned on the inner circumferential side of the intermediate transfer belt 421, facing the photoreceptor drum 413 for each color component. By pressing the primary transfer roller 422 against the photoreceptor drum 413 with the intermediate transfer belt 421 in between, a primary transfer nip is formed for transferring the toner image from the photoreceptor drum 413 to the intermediate transfer belt 421.

[0034] The secondary transfer roller 424 is positioned on the outer circumferential surface side of the intermediate transfer belt 421, opposite the backup roller 423B which is located downstream of the drive roller 423A in the belt travel direction. By pressing the secondary transfer roller 424 against the backup roller 423B with the intermediate transfer belt 421 in between, a secondary transfer nip is formed for transferring the toner image from the intermediate transfer belt 421 to the paper S.

[0035] As the intermediate transfer belt 421 passes over the primary transfer nip, the toner image on the photoreceptor drum 413 is sequentially superimposed onto the intermediate transfer belt 421 and primary transferred. Specifically, by applying a primary transfer bias to the primary transfer roller 422 and applying a charge with the opposite polarity to the toner to the back side of the intermediate transfer belt 421, that is, the side in contact with the primary transfer roller 422, the toner image is electrostatically transferred to the intermediate transfer belt 421.

[0036] Subsequently, as the paper S passes through the secondary transfer nip, the toner image on the intermediate transfer belt 421 is transferred to the paper S. Specifically, a secondary transfer bias is applied to the secondary transfer roller 424, and a charge with the opposite polarity to the toner is applied to the back side of the paper S, that is, the side in contact with the secondary transfer roller 424, thereby electrostatically transferring the toner image to the paper S. The paper S, on which the toner image has been transferred, is then transported toward the fuser unit 60.

[0037] The belt cleaning device 426 removes any remaining transfer toner from the surface of the intermediate transfer belt 421 after secondary transfer.

[0038] The fuser unit 60 includes an upper fuser unit 60A having a fuser surface-side member positioned on the fuser surface of the paper S, i.e., the side on which the toner image is formed; a lower fuser unit 60B having a back-side support member positioned on the back surface of the paper S, i.e., the side opposite the fuser surface; and a heating source, etc. When the back-side support member is pressed against the fuser surface-side member, a fuser nip is formed that grips and transports the paper S.

[0039] The fuser unit 60 heats and pressurizes the paper S, which has been transported after the toner image has been secondarily transferred, using a fuser nip, thereby fixing the toner image to the paper S. The fuser unit 60 is arranged as a unit within the fuser.

[0040] The upper fixing section 60A has an endless fixing belt 61, a heating roller 62, and a fixing roller 63, which are fixing surface side members. The fixing belt 61 is stretched by the heating roller 62 and the fixing roller 63.

[0041] The lower fixing section 60B has a pressure roller 64, which is a support member on the back side. The pressure roller 64 forms a fixing nip that grips and transports the paper S between itself and the fixing belt 61.

[0042] The paper transport unit 50 includes a paper feeding unit 51, a paper discharge unit 52, and a transport path unit 53, etc. The three paper feeding tray units 51a to 51c that make up the paper feeding unit 51 store paper S (standard paper, special paper) identified based on basis weight, size, etc., according to pre-set types.

[0043] The transport path section 53 includes a plurality of transport roller pairs such as registration roller pairs 53a, and a normal transport path 53b that allows the paper S to pass through the image forming section 40 and the fixing section 60 and be discharged outside the image forming apparatus 1.

[0044] The paper sheets S stored in the paper feed tray units 51a to 51c are fed out one sheet at a time from the top and transported to the image forming unit 40 by the transport path unit 53. In the image forming unit 40, the toner image from the intermediate transfer belt 421 is transferred to one side of the paper sheet S all at once, and a fixing process is performed in the fixing unit 60. The image formed paper sheet S is then discharged from the machine by the paper discharge unit 52 equipped with a paper discharge roller 52a.

[0045] Furthermore, the transport path section 53 has a re-transport path 90 that reverses the front and back sides of the paper S and re-transports it toward the image forming unit 41 (fixing unit 60). The re-transport path 90 is provided, for example, below the normal transport path 53b and has a first path 91, a second path 92, and a third path 93.

[0046] The first path 91 is a path that branches off from the normal transport path 53b downstream of the fixing section 60, and extends, for example, downward from the branching point with the normal transport path 53b.

[0047] The second path 92 is a path for retransporting the reversed paper S to the image forming unit 41, and is connected to the first path 91 and the third path 93, and is also connected to the upstream side of the image forming unit 41.

[0048] The third path 93 is a path for reversing the front and back sides of the paper S. The third path 93 is connected to the first path 91 and the second path 92 and extends horizontally. In the re-transport path 90, the paper S that has been transported along the first path 91 is brought into the third path 93, whereupon the front and back sides of the paper S are reversed. Then, the paper S is brought from the third path 93 into the second path 92, and the reversed paper S is re-transported toward the image forming unit 41 (fixing unit 60).

[0049] The third path 93 is provided with a stop roller 94, a feed roller 95, and a guide section 200.

[0050] The stopper roller 94 is a roller used to stop the leading edge of the paper S in order to correct the tilt of the paper S being transported in the third path 93. The stopper roller 94 is located in the horizontal direction at the position on the side of the third path 93 that connects to the second path 92.

[0051] The feed roller 95 is a roller that feeds the paper S, which has been transported in the third path 93, towards the fuser unit 60 in the second path 92. The feed roller 95 is located in the horizontal direction on the opposite side of the connection portion of the third path 93 to the second path 92.

[0052] The guide section 200 is a part that guides the transport of the paper S and is provided in the area where the stop roller 94 and the feed roller 95 are located. The guide section 200 is located in the third path 93 opposite the non-image side (back side) of the paper S, for example, at the upper wall of the third path 93.

[0053] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the guide section 200 includes a guide plate 210, an insulating material 220, and a resin sheet 230.

[0054] The guide plate 210 is a guide member for transporting the paper S, and is configured to have a width (for example, a width wider than the width of the paper S) that can guide the entire paper S in the width direction of the paper S. The guide plate 210 is made of metal, for example, and is grounded by being connected to a grounding terminal (not shown).

[0055] The insulating material 220 is intended to prevent condensation caused by the temperature difference in the space between the paper S and the guide plate 210, and is a rectangular sheet member made of, for example, nonwoven fabric. The insulating material 220 is attached to the guide plate 210 via, for example, adhesive tape (not shown).

[0056] Immediately after passing through the fixing nip of the fixing unit 60, the paper S is in a high-temperature state due to the high temperature of the fixing nip, and condensation may occur due to the temperature difference between the paper S in the path and the space between the path and the path. In particular, condensation is likely to occur when there is a period in which the paper S remains in the path, such as in the third path 93 of the re-transport path 90.

[0057] In this embodiment, since the heat insulating material 220 is provided in the guide portion 200 of the third path 93, the occurrence of condensation can be suppressed.

[0058] The resin sheet 230 is intended to suppress the frictional resistance of the paper S guided by the guide portion 200, and is a rectangular sheet member made of, for example, a conductive synthetic resin (e.g., polyethylene). The resin sheet 230 is provided on the surface of the guide portion 200 so as to sandwich the heat insulating material 220 between it and the guide plate 210, and is provided over the entire width direction of the guide plate 210.

[0059] Furthermore, if other components (such as the feed roller 95 or sensors) are provided on the guide plate 210, the resin sheet 230 may have an opening in the area corresponding to the other components.

[0060] The resin sheet 230 is larger than the insulation material 220 and is positioned to cover the entire insulation material 220. The portion of the resin sheet 230 that extends beyond the area corresponding to the insulation material 220 (the portion that protrudes beyond the insulation material 220) is bonded to the guide plate 210 with a conductive adhesive. In other words, the resin sheet 230 is positioned to be in contact with the guide plate 210. As described above, since the guide plate 210 is grounded, the resin sheet 230 is also grounded.

[0061] Incidentally, if the resin sheet is positioned in a non-contact state with the guide plate, that is, if the resin sheet is not grounded, there is a possibility that the paper may be electrostatically attracted to the resin sheet. When the paper is electrostatically attracted to the resin sheet, the transport resistance increases, which may cause problems such as jams or wrinkles in the paper.

[0062] In this embodiment, since the resin sheet 230 is grounded, electrostatic attraction of the paper S to the resin sheet 230 can be suppressed. As a result, the occurrence of the above-mentioned problems can be suppressed.

[0063] In other words, in this embodiment, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of condensation in the transport path section 53 while suppressing the occurrence of problems caused by electrostatic adsorption of the paper S.

[0064] Furthermore, since the resin sheet 230 is adhered to the guide plate 210, the resin sheet 230 can be grounded, allowing for a simple method of grounding. As a result, the configuration of the guide section 200 can be simplified.

[0065] Furthermore, since the resin sheet 230 is positioned to cover the insulation material 220, an area can be secured for the resin sheet 230 to adhere to the guide plate 210. As a result, it is possible to prevent the resin sheet 230 from peeling off or lifting away from the guide plate 210, thereby ensuring sufficient contact. In addition, since the insulation material 220 and the paper S do not come into contact, it is possible to avoid contact between the insulation material 220, which has relatively high frictional resistance, and the paper S, thereby reducing the effect of frictional resistance.

[0066] Furthermore, since the resin sheet 230 is provided across the entire width of the guide plate 210, electrostatic attraction of the paper S across the entire width of the guide plate 210 can be suppressed. For example, if the resin sheet is provided only on a portion of the guide plate in the width direction, when paper larger than the resin sheet is transported, the portion of the paper that extends beyond the resin sheet may be affected by electrostatic attraction. In this embodiment, since the resin sheet 230 is provided across the entire width of the guide plate 210, electrostatic attraction can be suppressed regardless of the size of the paper being transported.

[0067] Furthermore, since the re-transport path 90 is a path where high-temperature paper S that has passed through the fixing nip of the fixing unit 60 accumulates, condensation and electrostatic adsorption problems are likely to occur. In this embodiment, a guide unit 200 is provided in the re-transport path 90 where these problems are likely to occur, so the occurrence of the above problems can be effectively suppressed.

[0068] Furthermore, since the guide section 200 is provided on the upper wall of the re-transport path 90 (third path 93), the resin sheet 230 can be quickly warmed by the warm water vapor rising from the paper S. As a result, condensation in the guide section 200 can be made less likely to occur.

[0069] Furthermore, since the guide section 200 is provided in the area where the stop roller 94 and the feed roller 95 are located, the guide section 200 is positioned in a situation where the paper S is prone to sagging and the resin sheet 230 and the paper S are prone to contact. In other words, since the guide section 200 is positioned in a location where electrostatic attraction between the paper S and the resin sheet 230 is likely to occur, the occurrence of electrostatic attraction of the paper S to the resin sheet 230 can be effectively suppressed.

[0070] In the above embodiment, the resin sheet 230 was composed of a single sheet member corresponding to the entire guide plate 210, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the resin sheet 230 may be composed of multiple sheet members.

[0071] Specifically, as shown in Figure 5, multiple resin sheets 230 may be arranged side by side in the width direction. Two adjacent resin sheets 230 in the width direction are placed with a gap between them. The length of the gap in the width direction can be arbitrarily set to a length such as 15 mm or less, which prevents the paper S from falling into the gap and coming into direct contact with the guide plate 210, etc.

[0072] By doing so, irregularities can be formed on the transport surface of the guide section 200, thereby reducing the overall contact area with the paper S. As a result, the occurrence of electrostatic adsorption of the paper S to the resin sheet 230 can be further suppressed.

[0073] Furthermore, since the resin sheets 230 are arranged with gaps between them, these gaps can be used as pathways for liquid based on water vapor generated from the high-temperature paper S. As a result, the effects of condensation in the guide section 200 can be reduced.

[0074] Furthermore, in this configuration, multiple insulation materials 220 may be provided to match the shape of the resin sheet 230. For example, each insulation material 220 may be formed to a size that covers each resin sheet 230.

[0075] In this way, a sufficient bonding area can be secured for each resin sheet 230. In addition, since the insulation material 220 is not exposed through the gaps between each resin sheet 230, the increase in frictional resistance caused by the insulation material 220 can be suppressed.

[0076] Furthermore, in this configuration, each of the multiple resin sheets 230 was approximately the same size, but the present invention is not limited to this, and each of the multiple resin sheets does not have to be approximately the same size.

[0077] For example, as shown in Figure 6, an example is shown in which multiple resin sheets 230 include a first sheet 231, a second sheet 232, and a third sheet 233, each with a different shape. Also, the guide plate 210 shown in Figure 6 is provided with a sensor 211 for detecting the paper S and a feed roller 95.

[0078] The first sheet 231 is rectangular in shape, and two are provided on each side of the second sheet 232 and the third sheet 233 in the width direction.

[0079] The second sheet 232 is provided at the end of the guide plate 210 on the side of the abutment roller 94, in the center of the width direction. A sensor 211 is provided at the position of the guide plate 210 corresponding to the second sheet 232. A notch 232A is formed at the position of the second sheet 232 corresponding to the sensor 211 for the placement of the sensor 211.

[0080] A feed roller 95 is provided adjacent to the sensor 211 and the second sheet 232, and a third sheet 233 is provided adjacent to the feed roller 95.

[0081] The third sheet 233 is located in the center of the width direction of the guide plate 210, on the opposite side from the second sheet 232, with the feed roller 95 in between.

[0082] Furthermore, a hole 212 is formed in the guide plate 210 at a position corresponding to the third sheet 233, allowing light emitted by a sensor for detecting the paper S to pass through. A notch 233A is formed in the third sheet 233 at a position corresponding to the hole 212 to avoid overlapping with the hole 212.

[0083] In this way, by including multiple resin sheets 230 having different shapes from each other, the sheet arrangement can be made taking into account the parts of the guide plate 210.

[0084] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the resin sheet 230 was arranged to cover the heat insulating material 220, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and the resin sheet 230 does not need to cover the heat insulating material 220 as long as the adhesive area of ​​the resin sheet 230 can be secured.

[0085] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the resin sheet 230 was grounded by being adhered to the guide plate 210, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the resin sheet 230 may be grounded by contacting a grounding terminal other than the guide plate 210.

[0086] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the re-transport path 90 had a third path 93 extending horizontally to invert the paper S, but the present invention is not limited to this, and any shape is acceptable as long as the paper S can be inverted.

[0087] Furthermore, although a guide section 200 was provided in the re-transport path 90 in the above embodiment, the present invention is not limited thereto, and a guide section does not need to be provided in the re-transport path as long as it is a path for holding the paper S after fixing. Examples of paths for holding the paper after fixing include a transport path in a reader provided downstream of the fixing unit 60, and a transport path upstream of a post-processing device. In the transport path in the reader, for example, the paper is held in the path while waiting to be read by the reader. Also, in the transport path upstream of a post-processing device, for example, the paper is held in the path while waiting to be transported to the post-processing device.

[0088] Furthermore, although the above embodiment exemplified the transport device as an image forming apparatus 1, the present invention is not limited thereto. The transport device may be, for example, a device (reader, post-processing device, etc.) having a transport path into which the paper S that has passed through the fixing unit 60 of the image forming apparatus 1 is transported.

[0089] Furthermore, the above embodiments are merely examples of how the present invention may be implemented, and the technical scope of the present invention should not be limited by them. In other words, the present invention can be implemented in various ways without departing from its gist or its main features. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0090] 1. Image forming apparatus 53 Conveyor Route Section 60 Fixing section 90 Retransport Route 91 First Route 92 Second Route 93 Third Route 94 Butt roller 95 Feed roller 200 Guide Section 210 Guide plate 220 Insulation 230 resin sheets

Claims

1. A transport path section that transports the recording medium on which the image has been fixed by the fixing section, A guide plate provided in the transport path section for guiding the transport of the recording medium, The insulating material attached to the guide plate, A conductive resin sheet is provided so as to sandwich the heat insulating material between the guide plate and the other, Equipped with, The aforementioned resin sheet is grounded, Conveying device.

2. The resin sheet is bonded to the guide plate. The conveying device according to claim 1.

3. The guide plate is made of metal. The conveying device according to claim 2.

4. The resin sheet is arranged to cover the heat insulating material. The conveying device according to claim 1.

5. The resin sheet is provided across the entire width of the guide plate. The conveying device according to claim 1.

6. Multiple resin sheets are provided in the width direction, The two resin sheets adjacent to each other in the width direction are arranged with a gap between them. The conveying device according to claim 5.

7. The transport path is a retransport path that reverses the front and back sides of the recording medium and retransports it towards the fixing unit. The conveying device according to claim 1.

8. The guide plate is positioned in the transport path section opposite to the non-image side of the recording medium, and is located on the upper wall of the transport path section. The conveying device according to claim 7.

9. Arranged in the transport path section, a stopper roller for abutting the leading edge of the recording medium, A feed roller is positioned in the transport path section and feeds the recording medium toward the fixing section, Furthermore, The resin sheet is provided in the area where the stop roller and the feed roller are located. The conveying device according to claim 7.

10. An image forming unit that forms an image on a recording medium, A fixing unit for fixing the image formed by the image forming unit onto the recording medium, Furthermore, The conveying device according to claim 1.

Images