Image forming apparatus

Abstract

It suppresses jam formation with a simple configuration. [Solution] The image forming apparatus comprises a discharge head 31, a movable chute 48, and an interlocking member 50. When the discharge head 31 is located outside the image forming movement area R1, which the discharge head 31 moves back and forth to form an image on the recording medium, the movable chute 48 moves to a guide position set within the image forming movement area R1 to guide the leading edge of the recording medium M being transported along the transport direction to below the discharge head 31. When the discharge head 31 is located within the image forming movement area R1, the movable chute 48 moves to a retracted position set outside the image forming movement area R1. The interlocking member 50 mechanically interlocks the movement of the movable chute 48 with the movement of the discharge head 31.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to an image forming apparatus.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes a printer that includes two paper guides located upstream and downstream of the printing position, a paper pressing plate located between the two paper guides to regulate the paper from above, and a stepping motor for moving the paper pressing plate, so as to prevent jams even when printing on paper with a curled tip.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the technology described in Patent Document 1, since it is necessary to drive a stepping motor to move the paper pressing plate, there is a problem that the configuration becomes complicated. An object of this disclosure is to suppress the occurrence of jams with a simple configuration.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] One aspect of this disclosure is an image forming apparatus including a discharge head, a first guiding member, and an interlocking member. The discharge head is configured to reciprocate along a scanning direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction in which the medium is conveyed, and form an image on the medium by discharging ink droplets onto the medium.

[0006] The first guide member is configured such that, when the ejection head is located outside the image forming movement region, it moves to a guide position set within the image forming movement region to guide the leading edge of the medium being transported along the transport direction below the ejection head, and when the ejection head is located within the image forming movement region, it moves to a retracted position set outside the image forming movement region.

[0007] The interlocking member mechanically links the movement of the first guide member to the movement of the discharge head. In the image forming apparatus of this disclosure configured in this manner, the first guide member is moved in mechanical linkage with the movement of the discharge head, thus enabling the suppression of jamming with a simple configuration. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This is a block diagram showing the configuration of an image forming apparatus. [Figure 2] This is a first side view showing the configuration of the image forming unit of the first embodiment. [Figure 3] This is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the image forming unit of the first embodiment. [Figure 4] This is a first plan view showing the configuration of the image forming unit of the first embodiment. [Figure 5] This is a second plan view showing the configuration of the image forming unit of the first embodiment. [Figure 6] This is a second side view showing the configuration of the image forming unit of the first embodiment. [Figure 7] This is a first side view showing the configuration of the image forming unit of the second embodiment. [Figure 8] This is a first plan view showing the configuration of the image forming unit of the second embodiment. [Figure 9] This is a first plan view showing the configuration of the image forming unit of the second embodiment. [Figure 10] This is a second side view showing the configuration of the image forming unit of the second embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] [First Embodiment] A first embodiment of this disclosure is described below with reference to the drawings. (1-1) Overall structure The image forming apparatus 1 of this embodiment is an inkjet printer, and as shown in Figure 1, it comprises a control unit 11 configured to control each part of the image forming apparatus 1, and an image forming unit 12 configured to form an image on a recording medium.

[0010] The image forming apparatus 1 includes a first paper feed tray, a second paper feed tray, and a manual feed tray, which are not shown. The first paper feed tray holds roll paper. Roll paper is a long recording medium wound into a roll. The roll paper stored in the first paper feed tray is transported to the image forming unit 12 by a transport mechanism (not shown).

[0011] The second paper feed tray accommodates multiple rectangular cut sheets stacked together. The size of the cut sheets is, for example, a standard size, such as A4 size. The cut sheets contained in the second paper feed tray are transported one by one to the image forming unit 12 by a transport mechanism (not shown).

[0012] The manual feed tray is designed to allow the user to manually place cut sheets of paper. The cut sheets placed in the manual feed tray are transported one by one to the image forming unit 12 by a transport mechanism (not shown).

[0013] The image forming unit 12 includes an ejection head 31, a carriage 32, a carriage motor 33, a line feed motor 34, a head driver IC 35, a carriage motor driver IC 36, and a line feed motor driver IC 37.

[0014] The ejection head 31 is a so-called inkjet head and is configured to eject ink droplets. When the carriage 32 moves to cross the recording medium along the scanning direction, the ejection head 31 executes an ejection operation of ink droplets to form an image on the recording medium. The carriage motor 33 is a DC motor and functions as a drive source for reciprocating the carriage 32. The line feed motor 34 is a DC motor and functions as a drive source for rotating a conveyance roller that conveys the recording medium along a conveyance direction orthogonal to the scanning direction.

[0015] Based on the head control signal from the control unit 11, the head driver IC 35 outputs a head drive signal for ejecting ink droplets to the ejection head 31. Based on the carriage motor control signal from the control unit 11, the carriage motor driver IC 36 outputs a carriage motor drive signal for rotationally driving the carriage motor 33 to the carriage motor 33.

[0016] Based on the line feed motor control signal from the control unit 11, the line feed motor driver IC 37 outputs a line feed motor drive signal for rotationally driving the line feed motor 34 to the line feed motor 34.

[0017] The control unit 11 includes a CPU 21, a ROM 22, a RAM 23, and an ASIC 24. ASIC is the abbreviation of Application Specific Integrated Circuit. The CPU 21, the ROM 22, the RAM 23, and the ASIC 24 are connected to each other via a bus 25 so as to be capable of data input / output.

[0018] The CPU 21 is configured to comprehensively control each part of the image forming apparatus 1. The ROM 22 stores a computer program executed by the CPU 21. The RAM 23 is used as a work area when the CPU 21 executes a computer program.

[0019] When the CPU 21 receives an image forming job, it executes the image forming program stored in the ROM 22 and outputs an image forming command to the ASIC 24. Based on image formation commands from the CPU 21, the ASIC24 outputs the head control signal, carriage motor control signal, and line feed motor control signal to the head driver IC 35, carriage motor driver IC 36, and line feed motor driver IC 37, respectively.

[0020] (1-2) Configuration of the image forming unit As shown in Figure 2, the image forming apparatus 1 comprises a platen 41, a conveyor roller 42, a discharge roller 43, a carriage frame 44, a carriage guide rail 45, a corrugated section 46, a fixed chute 47, and a movable chute 48.

[0021] The platen 41 is positioned below the discharge head 31 along the transport direction, facing the discharge head 31 which moves together with the carriage 32, and supports the recording medium M (i.e., roll paper or cut paper) being transported by the transport mechanism from below.

[0022] The transport roller 42 is installed upstream of the discharge head 31 in the transport direction and transports the recording medium M along the transport direction. The transport roller 42 includes a drive roller 42a that rotates by the driving force of the line feed motor 34 and a driven roller 42b that is installed opposite to the drive roller 42a. The recording medium M is transported along the transport direction when the drive roller 42a is rotated with the recording medium M sandwiched between the drive roller 42a and the driven roller 42b.

[0023] The discharge roller 43 is installed downstream of the discharge head 31 in the conveying direction and discharges the recording medium M along the conveying direction. The discharge roller 43 includes a drive roller 43a that rotates due to the driving force of the line feed motor 34 and a driven roller 43b that is installed opposite to the drive roller 43a. When the drive roller 43a is rotated with the recording medium M sandwiched between the drive roller 43a and the driven roller 43b, the recording medium M is discharged along the conveying direction.

[0024] The carriage frame 44 is positioned above the platen 41, downstream of the discharge head 31 in the conveying direction, and supports the carriage 32 so as to be movable along the scanning direction. The carriage guide rail 45 is installed upstream of the discharge head 31 in the conveying direction and above the conveying rollers 42. The carriage guide rail 45 is installed to extend along the scanning direction and restricts the movement direction of the carriage 32 in the scanning direction.

[0025] The corrugated portion 46 comprises a base portion 46a, a pressing portion 46b, and a connecting portion 46c. The base portion 46a is a component installed between the carriage guide rail 45 and the transport roller 42.

[0026] The pressing portion 46b is a component positioned between the ejection head 31 and the transport roller 42, facing the platen 41, when the ink droplet ejection operation is being performed. The pressing portion 46b presses down from above on the recording medium M passing between the platen 41 and the pressing portion 46b.

[0027] The connecting portion 46c is a member that connects the base portion 46a and the pressing portion 46b. Multiple pressing sections 46b are installed at approximately equal intervals along the scanning direction. That is, multiple connecting sections 46c are attached to one base section 46a, and multiple pressing sections 46b are attached to each of the multiple connecting sections 46c.

[0028] The fixed chute 47 is installed between the platen 41 and the carriage frame 44, and guides the recording medium M that has passed through the conveyor roller 42 between the drive roller 43a and the driven roller 43b of the discharge roller 43.

[0029] In order to guide the recording medium M between the drive roller 43a and the driven roller 43b, the fixed chute 47 is formed in a tapered shape, with the upstream end along the conveying direction sloping downward as it moves from upstream to downstream. The fixed chute 47 is installed downstream of the ejection head 31 in the transport direction and guides the leading edge of the recording medium M being transported along the transport direction outside the image forming movement area R1 to below the ejection head 31.

[0030] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the movable chute 48 is installed between the carriage frame 44 and the fixed chute 47 and is formed to extend along the scanning direction. In order to guide the recording medium M between the drive roller 43a and the driven roller 43b, the movable chute 48 is formed in a tapered shape, with the upstream end along the conveying direction sloping downward as it moves from upstream to downstream.

[0031] The movable chute 48 is supported by the fixed chute 47 so as to be movable along the transport direction. As shown in Figure 4, the image forming apparatus 1 includes an interlocking member 50.

[0032] The interlocking member 50 comprises a rotating shaft member 51, a lever body 52, a head contact portion 53, a movable chute connecting portion 54, and a biasing spring 55. The rotating shaft member 51 is a cylindrical member that is installed on the outside of the platen 41 downstream of the discharge head 31 in the conveying direction, extending perpendicularly to the surface of the platen 41, and is configured to rotate about the cylindrical axis of the rotating shaft member 51.

[0033] The lever body 52 is a member having a shape formed by bending a straight member at one point. The lever body 52 is fixed to the rotation shaft member 51 at the bent portion 52a, with two straight portions, the first straight portion 52b and the second straight portion 52c, extending from the bent portion 52a, being perpendicular to the rotation shaft member 51. As a result, the lever body 52 rotates integrally with the rotation shaft member 51, around the rotation shaft member 51.

[0034] The head contact portion 53 is attached to the first end of the lever body 52 (i.e., the end of the first straight portion 52b) and is a member that extends to the home position HP of the discharge head 31. The home position HP of the discharge head 31 is the position where the discharge head 31 is positioned when the image forming apparatus 1 is not performing image forming.

[0035] The movable chute connection portion 54 is attached to the second end of the lever body 52 (i.e., the end of the second straight section 52c). The movable chute connection portion 54 is housed in a housing portion 48a formed within the movable chute 48. This connects the interlocking member 50 and the movable chute 48. The housing portion 48a is provided with sufficient space for the movable chute connection portion 54 so that the rotation of the interlocking member 50 is not restricted due to the movement of the movable chute 48 along the transport direction.

[0036] The biasing spring 55 biases the lever body 52 so that it rotates clockwise in Figure 4, as indicated by arrow L1. As a result, when the head contact portion 53 is not in contact with the discharge head 31, the movable chute 48 is biased toward the downstream side in the transport direction, as indicated by arrow L2, and is positioned in a pre-set retracted position outside the image forming movement region R1. The image forming movement region R1 is the region in which the discharge head 31 reciprocates to discharge ink droplets onto the recording medium, as indicated by arrow L3. The retracted position is the position in which the movable chute 48 is positioned downstream of the downstream end of the discharge head 31 along the transport direction, and is the position in Figure 4 where the movable chute 48 is positioned.

[0037] As shown in Figures 4 and 5, when the ejection head 31 moves to the home position HP, the head contact portion 53 contacts the ejection head 31 outside the image formation movement area R1 in the scanning direction, and the lever body 52 rotates counterclockwise in Figure 4, as indicated by arrow L4. As a result, the movable chute 48 is biased toward the upstream side in the transport direction, as indicated by arrow L5, and moves to a pre-set guide position so that a portion of the movable chute 48 is inside the image formation movement area R1. The guide position is the position where the movable chute 48 is positioned upstream of the downstream end of the ejection head 31 along the transport direction, and is the position where the movable chute 48 is positioned in Figure 5. Meanwhile, the ejection head 31 moves from the home position HP to the image formation movement area R1 at the timing when it starts forming an image on the recording medium M. The head contact portion 53 separates from the ejection head 31, and the lever body 52 rotates clockwise in Figure 4. As a result, the movable chute 48 moves to the retracted position.

[0038] Therefore, as shown in Figure 6, the upstream end of the movable chute 48, which is tapered and slopes downward from upstream to downstream, is positioned upstream in the conveying direction compared to the tapered end of the fixed chute 47.

[0039] As a result, even if the edge of the recording medium M that has passed through the transport roller 42 curls upward significantly within the image forming movement region R1 and does not come into contact with the tapered end of the fixed chute 47, the frequency of contact between the edge of the recording medium M and the tapered end of the movable chute 48 can be increased.

[0040] (1-3) Effects The image forming apparatus 1 configured in this way includes a discharge head 31, a movable chute 48, and an interlocking member 50.

[0041] The ejection head 31 moves back and forth along a scanning direction perpendicular to the transport direction in which the recording medium M is transported, and ejects ink droplets onto the recording medium M, thereby forming an image on the recording medium M.

[0042] If the ejection head 31 is located outside the image forming movement area R1, which the ejection head 31 moves back and forth to form an image on the recording medium M, the movable chute 48 moves to a guide position set within the image forming movement area R1 to guide the leading edge of the recording medium M being transported along the transport direction below the ejection head 31. If the ejection head 31 is located within the image forming movement area R1, the movable chute 48 moves to a retracted position set outside the image forming movement area R1.

[0043] The interlocking member 50 mechanically links the movement of the movable chute 48 to the movement of the discharge head 31. In this type of image forming apparatus 1, the movable chute 48 is moved in mechanical linkage with the movement of the discharge head 31, thus enabling the suppression of jamming with a simple configuration.

[0044] The interlocking member 50 is configured to rotate around the rotating shaft member 51 and includes a lever body 52, a head contact portion 53, and a movable chute connection portion 54, the first end of which is connected to the movable chute 48, and a biasing spring 55 that biases the lever body 52 in the direction in which the movable chute 48 moves from the guide position to the retracted position. Such an image forming apparatus 1 can suppress jamming by using an interlocking member 50 formed with a simple configuration.

[0045] The lever body 52 and the head contact portion 53 are positioned to contact the ejection head 31 outside the image forming movement area R1. This prevents the image forming apparatus 1 from repeatedly moving between the guide position and the retracted position due to the ejection head 31 and the head contact portion 53 coming into contact and separating each time the ejection head 31 scans.

[0046] The movable chute 48 is positioned in a guide position when the ejection head 31 is in the home position HP. Such an image forming apparatus 1 can suppress the increase in size compared to an image forming apparatus 1 in which the movable chute 48 is positioned in a guide position when the ejection head 31 is located outside the home position HP in the scanning direction.

[0047] In the movable chute 48, the upstream end along the conveying direction is formed in a tapered shape that slopes downward as it moves from upstream to downstream. Such an image forming apparatus 1 can guide the upward-curved recording medium M to the discharge roller 43 with a movable chute 48 formed with a simple configuration.

[0048] In the embodiments described above, the recording medium M corresponds to the medium, the movable chute 48 corresponds to the first guide member, the rotating shaft member 51 corresponds to the rotating shaft, the lever body 52, the head contact portion 53 and the movable chute connection portion 54 correspond to the link lever, and the biasing spring 55 corresponds to the biasing member.

[0049] [Second Embodiment] A second embodiment of this disclosure is described below with reference to the drawings. Note that the second embodiment will describe parts that differ from the first embodiment. Common components will be denoted by the same reference numerals.

[0050] (2-1) Configuration of the image forming unit As shown in Figure 7, the image forming apparatus 1 of the second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the movable chute 48 is omitted and a corrugated support portion 49 is added.

[0051] The corrugated support section 49 is installed below the carriage guide rail 45, upstream of the conveyor roller 42 in the conveying direction. The corrugated support section 49 supports the base 46a of the corrugated 46 so as to be movable along the conveying direction.

[0052] As shown in Figure 8, the installation position of the interlocking member 50 in the second embodiment differs from that of the first embodiment. In the second embodiment, the rotating shaft member 51 of the interlocking member 50 is installed on the outside of the corrugated 46 upstream of the discharge head 31 in the conveying direction.

[0053] The movable chute connection portion 54 is housed within a housing portion 46d formed within the base portion 46a of the corrugated gate 46. This connects the interlocking member 50 and the corrugated gate 46. The housing portion 46d is provided with sufficient space for the movable chute connection portion 54 so that the rotation of the interlocking member 50 is not restricted due to the movement of the corrugated gate 46 along the transport direction.

[0054] The biasing spring 55 biases the lever body 52 so that it rotates counterclockwise in Figure 8, as indicated by arrow L11. As a result, when the head contact portion 53 is not in contact with the discharge head 31, the corrugated 46 is biased toward the upstream side in the transport direction, as indicated by arrow L12, and is positioned in a pre-set retracted position outside the image forming movement region R1. The retracted position is the position where the corrugated 46 is positioned upstream of the upstream end of the discharge head 31 along the transport direction, and is the position where the corrugated 46 is positioned in Figure 8.

[0055] As shown in Figures 8 and 9, when the ejection head 31 moves to the home position HP, the head contact portion 53 contacts the ejection head 31 outside the image forming movement region R1 in the scanning direction, and the lever body 52 rotates clockwise in Figure 9, as indicated by arrow L14. As a result, the corrugated 46 is biased toward the downstream side in the transport direction, as indicated by arrow L15, and moves to a preset guide position where a portion of the corrugated 46 is inside the image forming movement region R1. The guide position is the position where the corrugated 46 is positioned downstream of the retracted position along the transport direction, and is the position where the corrugated 46 is positioned in Figure 9.

[0056] Therefore, as shown in Figure 10, the multiple pressing portions 46b of the corrugated 46 are arranged on the downstream side in the conveying direction. As a result, the recording medium M that has passed through the transport roller 42 is pressed from above by multiple pressing parts 46b on the downstream side in the transport direction, which suppresses the edge of the recording medium M from curling upward significantly within the image forming movement region R1. Therefore, the edge of the recording medium M that has passed through the transport roller 42 comes into contact with the tapered end of the fixed chute 47 and is guided between the drive roller 43a and the driven roller 43b of the discharge roller 43.

[0057] (2-2) Effects The image forming apparatus 1 configured in this way includes a discharge head 31, a corrugated 46, and an interlocking member 50.

[0058] If the ejection head 31 is located outside the image forming movement area R1, where the ejection head 31 moves back and forth to form an image on the recording medium M, the corrugated 46 moves to a guide position set within the image forming movement area R1 to guide the leading edge of the recording medium M being transported along the transport direction below the ejection head 31. If the ejection head 31 is located within the image forming movement area R1, the corrugated 46 moves to a retracted position set outside the image forming movement area R1.

[0059] The interlocking member 50 mechanically links the movement of the corrugated 46 to the movement of the discharge head 31. In this type of image forming apparatus 1, the corrugated 46 is moved in conjunction with the movement of the discharge head 31, thus enabling the suppression of jamming with a simple configuration.

[0060] In the embodiments described above, the corrugated 46 corresponds to the first guide member. Although one embodiment of the present disclosure has been described above, the present disclosure is not limited to the above embodiment and can be implemented in various modified forms.

[0061] [Example 1] In the above embodiment, the ejection head 31 is moved from the home position HP to the image formation movement area R1 at the timing when the formation of an image on the recording medium M begins, the contact between the interlocking member 50 and the ejection head 31 is released, and the movable chute 48 or corrugated 46 moves from the guide position to the retracted position.

[0062] However, the ejection head 31 may be moved from the home position HP to the image forming movement area R1 at the timing after the tip of the recording medium M reaches below the fixed chute 47, and the movable chute 48 or corrugated 46 may be moved from the guide position to the retracted position. Whether or not the tip of the recording medium M has reached below the fixed chute 47 can be determined using a sensor that detects the distance the recording medium M moves by the transport mechanism.

[0063] Such an image forming apparatus 1 can more reliably feed the leading edge of the recording medium M down to the bottom of the fixed chute 47. The fixed chute 47 corresponds to the second guide member. [Differentiation 2] In the above embodiment, the movable chute 48 or corrugated 46 moves from the retracted position to the guide position when the discharge head 31 is placed in the home position HP. However, the movable chute 48 or corrugated 46 may be configured to move from the retracted position to the guide position only when the image forming apparatus 1 is set to a mode in which the leading edge of the conveyed recording medium M is prone to upward curling. An example of a mode in which upward curling is likely to occur is a mode in which the roll paper is conveyed from the manual feed tray in order to form an image on the back side of the roll paper that has been cut and discharged after an image has been formed only on the front side (hereinafter referred to as the roll paper back side manual feed printing mode). Another example of a mode in which upward curling is likely to occur is a mode in which upward-curled cut paper is conveyed from the manual feed tray or the second paper feed tray (hereinafter referred to as the upward-curled cut paper dedicated mode). The roll paper back side manual feed printing mode and the upward-curled cut paper dedicated mode are selected by the user via the operation panel mounted on the image forming apparatus 1.

[0064] In this type of image forming apparatus 1, the situation in which the discharge head 31 needs to be moved far away to move the movable chute 48 or corrugated 46 to the guide position is reduced, and the start timing of image forming can be shortened.

[0065] [Difference 3] In the above embodiment, the recording medium M is shown to be made of paper, but the recording medium M is not limited to paper and may be made of any material that can curl upwards.

[0066] [Differentiation Example 4] In the above embodiment, the biasing spring 55 is shown to bias the lever body 52, but the biasing member is not limited to a spring like the biasing spring 55, and may be an elastic body such as rubber.

[0067] Multiple functions of one component in the above embodiment may be realized by multiple components, or one function of one component may be realized by multiple components. Furthermore, multiple functions of multiple components may be realized by one component, or one function realized by multiple components may be realized by one component. Also, some parts of the configuration of the above embodiment may be omitted. Furthermore, at least some parts of the configuration of the above embodiment may be added to or replaced with the configuration of other above embodiments. [Technical concepts disclosed in this specification] [Item 1] A discharge head is configured to reciprocate along a scanning direction perpendicular to the transport direction in which the medium is transported, and to form an image on the medium by discharging ink droplets onto the medium, A first guide member is configured such that, when the discharge head is located outside the image forming movement region, it moves to a guide position set within the image forming movement region to guide the leading edge of the medium being transported along the transport direction below the discharge head, and when the discharge head is located within the image forming movement region, it moves to a retracted position set outside the image forming movement region. An interlocking member that mechanically links the movement of the first guide member to the movement of the discharge head, An image forming apparatus equipped with the following features. [Item 2] The image forming apparatus described in item 1, The aforementioned interlocking member is A link lever is configured to be rotatable around a rotation axis, with its first end connected to the first guide member, A biasing member that biases the link lever in the direction that the first guide member moves from the guide position to the retracted position, An image forming apparatus equipped with the following features. [Item 3] The image forming apparatus described in item 2, The image forming apparatus is configured such that the link lever is positioned to contact the ejection head outside the image forming movement area. [Item 4] The image forming apparatus described in item 3, The first guide member is positioned at the guide position when the discharge head is in the home position to which the discharge head moves when the image forming apparatus is not performing image forming. [Item 5] An image forming apparatus described in any one of items 1 to 4, The retracted position is a position where the first guide member is positioned downstream of the downstream end of the discharge head along the conveying direction, The aforementioned guide position is a position in an image forming apparatus where the first guide member is positioned upstream of the downstream end of the discharge head along the transport direction. [Item 6] The image forming apparatus described in item 5, An image forming apparatus in which the upstream end of the first guide member, along the transport direction, is formed in a tapered shape that slopes downward as it moves from upstream to downstream. [Item 7] An image forming apparatus as described in item 5 or item 6, A second guide member is provided, which is installed downstream of the discharge head in the transport direction and guides the leading edge of the medium being transported along the transport direction outside the image forming movement area to the lower side of the discharge head. An image forming apparatus in which, after the tip of the medium reaches below the second guide member, the first guide member moves from the guide position to the retracted position. [Item 8] An image forming apparatus described in any one of items 1 to 4, The retraction position is a position where the first guide member is positioned upstream of the upstream end of the discharge head along the conveying direction. The image forming apparatus wherein the guide position is a position in the transport direction where the first guide member is positioned downstream of the retracted position. [Item 9] The image forming apparatus described in item 3, An image forming apparatus configured such that the first guide member moves from the retracted position to the guide position only when the image forming apparatus is set to a mode in which the leading edge of the conveyed medium is prone to upward curling. [Explanation of symbols]

[0068] 1…Image forming apparatus, 31…Discharge head, 46…Corrugated section, 48…Movable chute, 50…Interlocking member

Claims

1. A discharge head is configured to reciprocate along a scanning direction perpendicular to the transport direction in which the medium is transported, and to form an image on the medium by discharging ink droplets onto the medium, A first guide member is configured such that, when the discharge head is located outside the image forming movement region, it moves to a guide position set within the image forming movement region to guide the leading edge of the medium being transported along the transport direction below the discharge head, and when the discharge head is located within the image forming movement region, it moves to a retracted position set outside the image forming movement region. An interlocking member that mechanically links the movement of the first guide member to the movement of the discharge head, An image forming apparatus equipped with the following features.

2. An image forming apparatus according to claim 1, The aforementioned interlocking member is A link lever is configured to be rotatable around a rotation axis, with its first end connected to the first guide member, A biasing member that biases the link lever in the direction in which the first guide member moves from the guide position to the retracted position, An image forming apparatus equipped with the following features.

3. An image forming apparatus according to claim 2, The image forming apparatus is configured such that the link lever is positioned to contact the ejection head outside the image forming movement area.

4. An image forming apparatus according to claim 3, The first guide member is positioned at the guide position when the discharge head is in the home position to which the discharge head moves when the image forming apparatus is not performing image forming.

5. An image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, The aforementioned retraction position is a position in which the first guide member is positioned downstream of the downstream end of the discharge head along the conveying direction, The aforementioned guide position is a position in an image forming apparatus where the first guide member is positioned upstream of the downstream end of the discharge head along the transport direction.

6. An image forming apparatus according to claim 5, An image forming apparatus in which the upstream end of the first guide member, along the transport direction, is formed in a tapered shape that slopes downward as it moves from upstream to downstream.

7. An image forming apparatus according to claim 5, A second guide member is provided, which is installed downstream of the discharge head in the transport direction and guides the leading edge of the medium being transported along the transport direction outside the image forming movement area to the lower side of the discharge head. An image forming apparatus in which, after the tip of the medium reaches below the second guide member, the first guide member moves from the guide position to the retracted position.

8. An image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, The retraction position is a position where the first guide member is positioned upstream of the upstream end of the discharge head along the conveying direction. The image forming apparatus wherein the guide position is a position in the transport direction where the first guide member is positioned downstream of the retracted position.

9. An image forming apparatus according to claim 3, An image forming apparatus configured such that the first guide member moves from the retracted position to the guide position only when the image forming apparatus is set to a mode in which the leading edge of the conveyed medium is prone to upward curling.

Images