Image forming apparatus and image forming system

Abstract

To prevent a closing movement of a second door from damaging a first door and the second door.SOLUTION: An image forming apparatus comprises: a main body that is provided with a first opening and a second opening; a first door 10 that is movable in a first movement range MR1 between a first opening position OP1 for opening the first opening and a first closing position for closing the first opening; a second door 20 that is movable in a second movement range MR2 into which part of the first movement range enters, the second movement range between a second opening position OP2 for opening the second opening and a second closing position for closing the second opening; and retreat means 70 that, in conjunction with a situation where: from a state in which the first door is at the first opening position and the second door is at the second opening position, the second door is moved to the second closing position, moves the first door to a retreat position for permitting the movement of the second door.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 10

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus and an image forming system for forming an image on a recording medium. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, electrophotographic image forming apparatuses need to be replenished with consumables such as toner consumed in image formation. In addition, maintenance work on components related to the electrophotographic process needs to be performed from time to time. An opening and closing door is provided on the main body of the image forming apparatus so that the inside of the main body of the image forming apparatus can be accessed to replenish consumables and perform maintenance work. Here, electrophotographic image forming apparatuses form images on recording media using an electrophotographic image forming process. Examples of image forming apparatuses include copying machines (e.g., digital copying machines), printers (e.g., color laser beam printers, color LED printers, etc.), MFPs (multi-function machines), and facsimile machines. The image forming apparatus is not limited to an image forming apparatus that forms a color image, but may also be an image forming apparatus that forms a monochrome image.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses an image forming apparatus including a first door element supported so as to be freely opened and closed so as to cover a maintenance portion, and a second door element covering a replacement part mounting portion and supported so as to be opened and closed independently of the first door element. A guide portion for inserting a replacement part into the replacement part mounting portion is formed on the inner surface of the second door element. The second door element is opened, and the replacement part is inserted along the guide portion, so that the replacement part is smoothly mounted in the replacement part mounting portion. The first door element opened and closed for maintenance and the second door element opened and closed for replacement of a replacement part are arranged so as not to interfere with the second door element when the first door element is opened and closed. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 6-242677 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, in an image forming apparatus provided with multiple doors, depending on the arrangement of the multiple doors, one door may interfere with another door when opening or closing it. For example, after one door is opened and work is performed while the other door is open, the other door may interfere with one door when trying to close the first door before the other door. In this case, the other door may collide with the first door, damaging one of the doors or damaging the holding member that holds one of the doors.

[0006] Therefore, the present invention provides an image forming apparatus that can move the first door to a retracted position in conjunction with the closing operation of the second door, thereby preventing damage to the first door and the second door. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] An image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording medium according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises: a body having a first opening and a second opening; a first door movable within a first movement range between a first open position that opens the first opening and a first closed position that closes the first opening; The first range of movement partially overlaps with A second range of movement, 、 a second door movable within the second movement range between a second open position that opens the second opening and a second closed position that closes the second opening; In conjunction with the second door being moved from a state in which the first door is in the first open position and the second door is in the second open position to the second closed position, The first door is moved to a retracted position outside the second movement range of the second door. A means for moving the device; Equipped with. Effect of the Invention

[0008] According to the present invention, the first door is moved to the retracted position in conjunction with the closing operation of the second door, thereby making it possible to prevent damage to the first door and the second door. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an image forming system. [Diagram 2] FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a toner bottle replacement door and a front door of the image forming unit. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the image forming unit with a toner bottle replacement door and a toner scattering prevention door open. [Figure 7] 7 is a cross-sectional view of the image forming portion taken along line VII-VII in FIG. 2. [Figure 8] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a hinge member of the toner bottle replacement door. [Figure 9] FIG. 1 illustrates the front door in the open position. [Figure 10] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the toner bottle replacement door and the front door in the open position. [Figure 11] 13A and 13B are diagrams illustrating a retracting operation of the toner bottle replacement door linked to the closing operation of the front door. [Figure 12] 11A and 11B are explanatory diagrams illustrating a retracting operation of a toner bottle replacement door provided with an inclined surface. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 1 to Fig. 11. In this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 1, the front side facing the image forming apparatus 101 is the front direction F, the back side is the rear direction B, the left side is the left direction L, the right side is the right direction R, the upper side is the upper direction U, and the lower side is the lower direction D. However, the dimensions, materials, shapes, and relative positions of the components described in the following embodiment should be appropriately changed depending on the configuration and various conditions of the apparatus to which the present invention is applied, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention to only those.

[0011] (Image forming system) FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an image forming system 100. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the image forming system 100. The image forming system 100 includes an image forming apparatus 101, a large-capacity feeding device 107, and a sensing device 108. The image forming apparatus 101 includes an image forming section 102 and a fixing and conveying section (fixing section) 103. The image forming section 102 forms a toner image on a recording medium (hereinafter, referred to as a sheet) S fed from the large-capacity feeding device (feeding device) 107. The fixing and conveying section 103 fixes the toner image formed by the image forming section 102 onto the sheet S. The image forming section 102 and the fixing and conveying section 103 are each configured with an independent housing. With this configuration, even if the image forming apparatus 101 is large, it is possible to pack and transport the image forming apparatus 101 in a state where the housings are separated. This improves the workability of the logistics from shipping to installation of the large image forming apparatus 101.

[0012] An operation unit 104 that an operator uses to operate the image forming apparatus 101 is provided above the fixing and conveying unit 103. An original reading device 105 and an automatic original feeding device 106 are provided above the image forming unit 102. The automatic original feeding device 106 feeds originals one by one from a stack of stacked originals to the original reading device 105. The original reading device 105 reads an image of an original fed by the automatic original feeding device 106 or an image of an original placed on a platen glass (not shown). The original reading device 105 and the automatic original feeding device 106 are selectively connected to the image forming unit 102 as options.

[0013] The large-capacity feeding device 107 is disposed upstream of the image forming unit 102 in the sheet conveying direction. The large-capacity feeding device 107 has a plurality of sheet storage units. Instead of the large-capacity feeding device 107, a manual feeding device (not shown) or a long-length feeding device (not shown) capable of accommodating long sheets may be selectively connected to the image forming unit 102. In addition, another large-capacity feeding device (not shown), a manual feeding device (not shown) or a long-length feeding device may be selectively connected in a cascade arrangement further upstream of the large-capacity feeding device 107.

[0014] The sensing device 108 is disposed downstream of the fixing and conveying section 103 in the sheet conveying direction. The image forming system 100 does not necessarily have to include the sensing device 108, and the sensing device 108 is selectively connected to the fixing and conveying section 103. The sensing device 108 reads an image formed on one or both sides of the sheet S and detects image density and image position deviation. The sensing device 108 performs feedback correction on an image signal transmitted to the image forming section 102 based on the detected image density and image position deviation. One or a combination of post-processing devices (not shown) such as an inserter, puncher, case binder, large-capacity stacker, folder, finisher, trimmer, etc. are selectively connected downstream of the fixing and conveying section 103 or the sensing device 108.

[0015] As described above, the image forming apparatus 101 of this embodiment can selectively connect to various optional devices to perform various post-processing processes on various sheets and output the result in-line. This makes it possible to provide an image forming system 100 that is highly productive, has high image quality, is highly stable, and has excellent functionality.

[0016] (Image forming section) The image forming unit 102 in the image forming apparatus 101 of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 3. FIG. 3(a) is a cross-sectional view of the image forming unit 102. The image forming unit 102 has a yellow imaging station 200Y, a magenta imaging station 200M, a cyan imaging station 200C, and a black imaging station 200K. The image forming unit 102 has laser scanners 203Y, 203M, 203C, and 203K, toner bottles (toner storage containers) 205Y, 205M, 205C, and 205K, and toner supply paths 206Y, 206M, 206C, and 206K. The suffixes Y, M, C, and K of the reference symbols indicate yellow, magenta, cyan, and black, respectively. In the following description, the suffixes Y, M, C, and K may be omitted unless particularly necessary. Furthermore, the image forming unit 102 has primary transfer rollers 207Y, 207M, 207C, 207K, an intermediate transfer belt 208, a toner recovery path 210, a recovered toner container 211, and a sheet storage unit 212. Furthermore, the image forming unit 102 has a registration roller 213, a secondary transfer inner roller 214, a secondary transfer outer roller 215, an intermediate transfer belt cleaner 216, a pre-fixing conveyor belt 217, and a primary transfer auxiliary roller 218. A nip portion between the secondary transfer inner roller 214 and the secondary transfer outer roller 215 forms a secondary transfer unit ST.

[0017] The yellow imaging station 200Y forms a yellow (Y) toner image. The magenta imaging station 200M forms a magenta (M) toner image. The cyan imaging station 200C forms a cyan (C) toner image. The yellow imaging station 200Y, the magenta imaging station 200M and the cyan imaging station 200C have the same structure. FIG. 3(b) is a diagram showing the yellow imaging station 200Y. In FIG. 3(b), reference characters indicating the structures of the magenta imaging station 200M and the cyan imaging station 200C are shown in parentheses. The yellow imaging station 200Y (200M, 200C) has a photosensitive drum 201Y (201M, 201C). A primary charger 202Y (202M, 202C), a developing device 204Y (204M, 204C), and a photosensitive drum cleaner 209Y (209M, 209C) are provided around the photosensitive drum 201Y (201M, 201C). The primary charger 202Y (202M, 202C) is a charging roller.

[0018] 3(c) is a diagram showing the black imaging station 200K. The black imaging station 200K forms a black (K) toner image. The black imaging station 200K has a photosensitive drum 201K. Around the photosensitive drum 201K, a primary charger 202K, a developing device 204K, a pre-transfer charger 219, and a photosensitive drum cleaner 209K are provided. The primary charger 202K is a corona charger.

[0019] (Image formation process) The image forming processes in the yellow imaging station 200Y, the magenta imaging station 200M, the cyan imaging station 200C, and the black imaging station 200K are almost the same except for the color of the toner. The image forming process in the yellow imaging station 200Y will be described below. With reference to FIG. 3(b), the surface of the photosensitive drum 201Y in the yellow imaging station 200Y is uniformly charged by the primary charger 202Y. With reference to FIG. 3(a), the laser scanner 203Y emits laser light to the photosensitive drum 201Y according to image data to form an electrostatic latent image on the surface of the photosensitive drum 201Y. The developing device 204Y develops the electrostatic latent image with yellow toner to form a yellow toner image on the surface of the photosensitive drum 201Y. When the toner in the developing device 204Y is consumed by development, yellow toner is appropriately replenished to the developing device 204Y from the toner bottle 205Y via the toner replenishment path 206Y. A predetermined pressure and electrostatic load bias are applied to the toner image on the surface of the photosensitive drum 201Y by the primary transfer roller 207Y, and the toner image is transferred onto the intermediate transfer belt 208. After the transfer, the small amount of toner remaining on the photosensitive drum 201Y is removed by the photosensitive drum cleaner 209Y. The toner removed by the photosensitive drum cleaner 209Y is collected in a collected toner container 211 via a toner collection path 210.

[0020] Similarly, a magenta toner image, a cyan toner image, and a black toner image are formed by the magenta imaging station 200M, the cyan imaging station 200C, and the black imaging station 200K. The magenta toner image, the cyan toner image, and the black toner image are transferred sequentially onto the intermediate transfer belt 208, and the four color toner images are superimposed on the intermediate transfer belt 208.

[0021] Meanwhile, the sheets S are fed one by one from the sheet storage unit 212 of the image forming unit 102 or the large-capacity feeding device 107, and conveyed to the registration rollers 213. The leading edge of the sheet S comes into contact with the nip of the stopped registration rollers 213, forming a loop in the sheet S, and correcting the skew of the sheet S. Thereafter, the registration rollers 213 start rotating and convey the sheet S to the secondary transfer unit ST so that the leading edge of the toner image on the intermediate transfer belt 208 and the leading edge of the sheet S coincide with each other at the secondary transfer unit ST. The toner image on the intermediate transfer belt 208 is transferred to the sheet S by the secondary transfer unit ST, with a predetermined pressure force and an electrostatic load bias being applied thereto. After the transfer, the toner remaining slightly on the intermediate transfer belt 208 is removed by the intermediate transfer belt cleaner 216. The toner removed by the intermediate transfer belt cleaner 216 is collected in a collected toner container 211 via a toner collection path 210. The sheet S onto which the toner image has been transferred is transported to the fixing transport section 103 by a pre-fixing transport belt 217 .

[0022] (Fixing conveyor section) 4 is a cross-sectional view of the fixing conveying section 103. The fixing conveying section 103 includes a fixing device 301, a cooler 302, a heat sink 303, a discharge conveying path 304, a discharge inversion section 305, a duplex inversion section 306, and a duplex conveying path 307. The fixing device 301 heats and pressurizes the toner image on the sheet S conveyed from the image forming section 102, thereby fixing the toner image on the sheet S. The sheet S heated by the fixing device 301 is cooled by heat absorption by a heat sink 303 disposed inside the cooler 302. The sheet S is discharged to the sensing device 108 via the discharge conveying path 304. When the sheet S is to be discharged by inverting the front and back sides, the sheet S is switched back in the discharge inversion section 305, the leading end and the trailing end of the sheet S are exchanged, and the sheet S is discharged via the discharge conveying path 304 in a state in which the sheet S is inverted.

[0023] When images are formed on both sides of the sheet S, the sheet S on which the image on the first side has been formed is switched back in the duplex inversion section 306, the leading end and trailing end of the sheet S are swapped, and the sheet S is conveyed to a duplex conveying path 307 in an inverted state. Thereafter, the sheet S is conveyed to the registration rollers 213 in order with the succeeding sheet fed from the sheet storage section 212 of the image forming section 102 or the large-capacity feeding device 107. Then, an image is formed on the second side of the sheet S by the same image forming process as on the first side, and the sheet S is discharged via the discharge conveying path 304.

[0024] (Black and white image formation) As described above, the image forming apparatus 101 of this embodiment forms a full-color image using the yellow imaging station 200Y, the magenta imaging station 200M, the cyan imaging station 200C, and the black imaging station 200K. Furthermore, the image forming apparatus 101 can form a black-and-white image using only the black imaging station 200K. When forming a black-and-white image, the primary transfer rollers 207Y, 207M, and 207C, the primary transfer auxiliary roller 218, and the intermediate transfer belt 208 are moved to the positions shown by the broken lines in FIG. 3(a) by a separation mechanism (not shown). The rotational drive of the yellow imaging station 200Y, the magenta imaging station 200M, and the cyan imaging station 200C separated from the intermediate transfer belt 208 is stopped. That is, in the yellow imaging station 200Y, the magenta imaging station 200M and the cyan imaging station 200C, unnecessary wear of the components due to unnecessary rotational driving can be prevented, thereby extending the life of the components.

[0025] The black photosensitive drum 201K has a larger diameter than the yellow, magenta and cyan photosensitive drums 201Y, 201M and 201C, and therefore has a longer life than the yellow, magenta and cyan photosensitive drums 201Y, 201M and 201C. The black primary charger 202K is a non-contact corona charger, and has a longer life than the contact charging rollers of the yellow, magenta and cyan primary chargers 202Y, 202M and 202C. The black toner bottle 205K has a larger capacity than the yellow, magenta and cyan toner bottles 205Y, 205M and 205C, and is suitable for a long life. When black and white image formation is frequently used, the maintenance interval of the frequently used black imaging station 200K becomes shorter. However, with the above configuration, it is possible to prevent the maintenance interval of the black imaging station 200K from becoming shorter than that of the less frequently used yellow imaging station 200Y, magenta imaging station 200M, and cyan imaging station 200C.

[0026] The black imaging station 200K also employs a large-diameter drum configuration using a corona charger as the primary charger 202K. The black imaging station 200K has a wider charging width and is more suitable for high speed operation than small-diameter drum configurations using charging rollers as the primary chargers 202Y, 202M, and 202C. Therefore, the black imaging station 200K can improve the productivity of the image forming unit 102 when forming black-and-white images.

[0027] The yellow imaging station 200Y, the magenta imaging station 200M, and the cyan imaging station 200C are different in shape from the black imaging station 200K, and the wear amount of the components is different. Therefore, there may be a difference in the toner charge amount between the photosensitive drums 201Y, 201M, and 201C and the photosensitive drum 201K. If there is a difference in the toner charge amount, the toner image may not be transferred uniformly to the sheet S in the secondary transfer process, resulting in a defective image. Therefore, the black photosensitive drum 201K is provided with a pre-transfer charger 219 consisting of a corona charger for equalizing the toner charge amount with the yellow, magenta, and cyan photosensitive drums 201Y, 201M, and 201C. As described above, according to the configuration of this embodiment, it is possible to provide an image forming apparatus 101 that is excellent in high productivity, high image quality, high stability, and long life not only in full-color image formation but also in black-and-white image formation.

[0028] (Opening and closing door) Next, the configuration of the opening and closing doors (toner bottle replacement door 10 and front door 20) on the front side of the image forming unit 102 will be described with reference to FIG. 1, FIG. 2, and FIG. 5 to FIG. 11. FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the toner bottle replacement door (first opening and closing member) 10 and the front door (second opening and closing member) 20 of the image forming unit 102. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the image forming unit 102 in a state in which the toner bottle replacement door 10 is opened and the toner scattering prevention door 31 is further opened to replace the toner bottle 205. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the image forming unit 102 taken along the line VII-VII in FIG. 2. FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the door right hinge member 11R and the door left hinge member 11L of the toner bottle replacement door 10. FIG. 9 is a view showing the front door 20 in the open position. FIG. 10 is a view showing the toner bottle replacement door 10 and the front door 20 in the open position. FIG. 11 is an explanatory view of the retraction operation of the toner bottle replacement door 10 linked to the closing operation of the front door 20.

[0029] A first opening 81 (FIG. 6) and a second opening 82 (FIG. 9(a)) are provided on the front side of the main body 102a of the image forming unit 102 according to their intended use. The second opening 82 is provided directly below the first opening 81. A toner bottle replacement door (first door) 10, which is an opening / closing door for opening and closing the first opening 81, is rotatably provided on the main body 102a of the image forming unit 102. A front door (second door) 20, which is an opening / closing door for opening and closing the second opening 82, is rotatably provided on the main body 102a of the image forming unit 102. The toner bottle replacement door 10 is disposed directly above the front door 20.

[0030] 6, the toner storage unit 30 is provided inside the first opening 81, in which toner bottles 205Y, 205M, 205C, and 205K for storing toner are attached. The toner storage unit 30 is provided with toner scattering prevention doors 31Y, 31M, 31C, and 31K that are provided to be openable and closable in order to prevent toner from scattering into the image forming unit 102. The toner bottle exchange door 10 is movable in a first movement range MR1 (FIG. 7) between a first open position OP1 that opens the first opening 81 and a first closed position CP1 (FIG. 5) that closes the first opening 81. The toner bottle exchange door 10 is provided on the main body 102a so as to be openable and closable to open and close the toner storage unit 30. The toner bottle exchange door 10 covers the toner storage unit 30 when it is in the first closed position CP1. After the toner bottle replacement door 10 is opened to open the toner storage unit 30, the toner scattering prevention door 31 is opened in accordance with an input instruction from the operation unit 104, allowing the operator to access the toner bottle 205. The operator can remove the old toner bottle 205 through the first opening 81, and detachably mount the new toner bottle 205 in the toner storage unit 30 through the first opening 81. This allows the operator to replace the toner bottle 205 without opening the front door 20.

[0031] 9(a) and 9(c) are front and top views of the image forming unit 102 with the front door 20 open. FIG. 9(b) is an enlarged view of a portion IXB surrounded by a circle in FIG. 9(a). The front door 20 can move in a second movement range MR2 between a second open position OP2 at which the second opening 82 is opened and a second closed position CP2 at which the second opening 82 is closed. In this embodiment, the front door 20 is opened to the right as shown in FIG. 9(c). When the front door 20 is moved to the second open position OP2 to open the second opening 82, the image forming unit 40, the transfer belt unit 50, or the sheet transport unit 60 in the main body 102a of the image forming unit 102 can be pulled out in the direction indicated by the arrow in FIG. 9(c). This allows an operator to perform maintenance such as periodic replacement of the image forming unit 40 or the transfer belt unit 50, or to perform work such as handling a jammed sheet S in the sheet transport unit 60. The opening and closing operation of the front door 20 is linked to the ON / OFF of the power supply (not shown) of the image forming unit 102 by a linking mechanism (not shown). A fail-safe is configured in which the power supply (not shown) is turned OFF when the front door 20 is opened. On the other hand, the opening and closing operation of the toner bottle replacement door 10 is not linked to the ON / OFF of the power supply (not shown), so the toner bottle 205 replacement work can be performed even while the image forming unit 102 is operating (while an image is being formed).

[0032] (Toner bottle replacement door) The toner bottle exchange door 10 is a rectangular door that is long horizontally in correspondence with the toner storage unit 30 located at the top of the image forming unit 102. As shown in FIG. 5, when the toner bottle exchange door 10 is closed and in the first closed position CP1, the lower surface portion 10b of the toner bottle exchange door 10 is disposed adjacent to the upper surface portion 27 of the front door 20 that is in the second closed position CP2. The toner bottle exchange door 10 is supported by the main body 102a of the image forming unit 102 so as to be rotatable about a rotation axis (first rotation axis) 10a that is parallel to the ridge line 10d in the vicinity of the horizontal lower surface portion 10b and in the vicinity of the ridge line 10d between the front surface portion 10c and the lower surface portion 10b. Since the rotation axis 10a is provided at the lower end of the toner bottle exchange door 10, the upper end of the toner bottle exchange door 10 opens and closes.

[0033] As shown in FIG. 8(a), a right body hinge member 32R is provided on the right side of the image forming unit 102. A right door hinge member 11R is provided on the right side of the toner bottle exchange door 10. The right door hinge member 11R is connected to the right body hinge member 32R by a hinge shaft 12 and can rotate around the hinge shaft 12 relative to the right body hinge member 32R. As shown in FIG. 8(b), a left body hinge member 32L is provided on the left side of the image forming unit 102. A left door hinge member 11L is provided on the left side of the toner bottle exchange door 10. The left door hinge member 11L is connected to the left body hinge member 32L by a hinge shaft 33 and can rotate around the hinge shaft 33 relative to the left body hinge member 32L. The rotation axis 10a is formed by the hinge shaft 12 and the hinge shaft 33.

[0034] 6, a magnet 34 is provided on the main body 102a of the image forming unit 102. A magnetized metal plate 13a is provided on the toner bottle exchange door 10. When the toner bottle exchange door 10 is closed and in the first closed position CP1, the magnetized metal plate 13a of the toner bottle exchange door 10 is attracted to the magnet 34 of the main body 102a by magnetic force, and the toner bottle exchange door 10 is maintained in the first closed position CP1. A handle portion 14 is provided on the upper surface portion 10e of the toner bottle exchange door 10 as a recess on which an operator can place his / her hand. The operator places his / her hand on the handle portion 14 and pulls the handle portion 14 in the forward direction F against the attracting force of the magnetized metal plate 13a by the magnet 34, thereby rotating the toner bottle exchange door 10 around the rotation axis 10a and moving the toner bottle exchange door 10 to the first open position OP1. The operator can access the toner storage unit 30 through the first opening 81.

[0035] When the magnetized metal plate 13a is released from the attraction force of the magnet 34, the toner bottle replacement door 10 tries to rotate downwards by its own weight around the rotation axis 10a. However, since the right door hinge member 11R is configured as a torque hinge, the toner bottle replacement door 10 rotates only when a torque equal to or greater than a certain rotation torque (in this embodiment, the rotation torque of the toner bottle replacement door 10 by its own weight) is applied to the toner bottle replacement door 10. Therefore, the opening angle of the toner bottle replacement door 10 is determined according to the opening and closing operation of the toner bottle replacement door 10 by the operator. This prevents the toner bottle replacement door 10 from rotating downwards by its own weight, generating an impact sound, or from being damaged.

[0036] As shown in FIG. 8(a), a door right stopper portion 15R is provided on the right side of the toner bottle replacement door 10. A stopper receiving portion 35 is provided on the right side of the image forming unit 102. As shown in FIG. 8(b), a door left stopper portion 15L is provided on the left side of the toner bottle replacement door 10. When the toner bottle replacement door 10 is rotated to the first open position OP1, the door right stopper portion 15R of the toner bottle replacement door 10 abuts against the stopper receiving portion 35, and the door left stopper portion 15L abuts against the main body left hinge member 32L. This stops the rotation of the toner bottle replacement door 10 at a predetermined open angle.

[0037] With reference to FIG. 7, the predetermined opening angle of the toner bottle exchange door 10 will be described. When the toner bottle exchange door 10 is opened and in the first opening position OP1, the toner bottle 205M is horizontally removed from the toner storage unit 30 in the direction indicated by the arrow. Therefore, the rear edge 16 of the upper surface portion 10e of the toner bottle exchange door 10 needs to be positioned below the passing plane PP through which the lower surface of the toner bottle 205M passes when inserted into or removed from the toner storage unit 30. Therefore, the toner bottle exchange door 10 needs to be opened further in the downward direction D by α° from the horizontal plane HP of 90° downward from the first opening 81 so that the rear edge 16 of the upper surface portion 10e is positioned below the passing plane PP. In this embodiment, the predetermined opening angle of the toner bottle exchange door 10 when the toner bottle exchange door 10 is in the first opening position OP1 is set to 90°+α°.

[0038] As a result, when the toner bottle replacement door 10 is opened and in the first open position OP1, the rear edge 16 that protrudes upward does not interfere with the toner bottle 205M being inserted or removed. A rib (not shown) for preventing the toner scattering prevention door 31 from being left open and a detection flag (not shown) for a sensor that detects the open state of the toner bottle replacement door 10 are provided on the rear side of the toner bottle replacement door 10. The protruding structures such as the rib (not shown) for preventing the toner scattering prevention door 31 from being left open and the detection flag (not shown) are also positioned so as not to interfere with the toner bottle 205M being inserted or removed.

[0039] However, when the toner bottle replacement door 10 is in the first open position OP1, the upper edge 17 of the front surface 10c of the toner bottle replacement door 10 intrudes downwardly by a distance la below the upper surface 27 of the front door 20. Also, the upper edge 17 of the front surface 10c protrudes by a distance lb in the forward direction F from the rotation axis (second rotation axis) 20a of the front door 20. Therefore, when the toner bottle replacement door 10 is in the first open position OP1 and an attempt is made to open or close the front door 20, the front door 20 interferes with the toner bottle replacement door 10.

[0040] Here, in order to avoid interference between the front door 20 and the toner bottle exchange door 10, it is conceivable to make the rotation axis of the toner bottle exchange door 10 vertical so that the toner bottle exchange door 10 can be opened and closed horizontally. However, in this embodiment, since the multiple toner bottles 205Y, 205M, 205C, and 205K are arranged horizontally, the toner bottle exchange door 10 has a horizontally elongated shape. If the rotation axis of the toner bottle exchange door 10 is vertical so that the toner bottle exchange door 10 can be opened and closed horizontally (horizontal opening configuration), the toner bottle exchange door 10 will protrude significantly in the front direction F when opened. Therefore, it is necessary to secure a wide working space in the front direction F of the image forming apparatus 101. In contrast, in this embodiment, the toner bottle exchange door 10 is configured to rotate around a rotation axis 10a horizontally provided at the bottom of the toner bottle exchange door 10. Therefore, when the toner bottle replacement door 10 is opened, the amount of protrusion of the toner bottle replacement door 10 in the forward direction F can be reduced.

[0041] (Front door) The front door 20 is provided directly below the toner bottle replacement door 10. The front door 20 is provided across the width of the image forming unit 102. This makes the second opening 82 closed by the front door 20 larger, making it easier for an operator to access the inside of the image forming unit 102. With reference to FIG. 5, the front door 20 is supported by the main body 102a of the image forming unit 102 in the vicinity of the vertical right side surface portion 20b and in the vicinity of the ridge line 20d between the front surface portion 20c and the right side surface portion 20b so as to be rotatable about a rotation axis 20a parallel to the ridge line 20d. The main body hinge member 18 provided on the main body 102a is connected to the door hinge member 19 provided on the front door 20 by a hinge shaft (not shown). The hinge shaft (not shown) connecting the main body hinge member 18 and the door hinge member 19 determines the rotation axis 20a. Since the rotation axis 20a is provided at the right end of the front door 20, the left end of the front door 20 opens and closes. The rotation axis 20a of the front door 20 extends in a direction intersecting with the rotation axis 10a of the toner bottle replacement door 10. In this embodiment, the rotation axis 20a extends in a direction perpendicular to the rotation axis 10a.

[0042] 9(a), the magnetized metal plate 13b is provided on the main body 102a of the image forming unit 102. The front door 20 is provided with a magnet 22. As shown in FIG. 5, when the front door 20 is closed and in the second closed position CP2, the magnet 22 of the front door 20 is attracted to the magnetized metal plate 13b of the main body 102a by magnetic force, and the front door 20 is maintained in the second closed position CP2. Referring to FIG. 9(a), the left side surface portion 20e of the front door 20 is provided with a grip portion 21 as a recess on which an operator can place his / her hand. A recess 131 is provided at the boundary of the fixing conveying unit 103 adjacent to the image forming unit 102 so that the operator can easily place his / her hand on the grip portion 21. The operator places his / her hand on the handle 21 and pulls the handle 21 in the forward direction F against the attractive force of the magnetized metal plate 13b by the magnet 22, thereby rotating the front door 20 about the rotation axis 20a and moving the front door 20 to the second open position OP2. As shown in FIG. 9(b), the front door 20 is opened to a predetermined opening angle determined by the slider 23 provided near the rotation axis 20a on the lower right side. The operator can access the inside of the image forming unit 102 through the second opening 82.

[0043] The predetermined opening angle of the front door 20 will be described with reference to FIG. 9(c). The front door 20 is opened so that the protruding portion of the component provided on the back side of the front door 20 is located to the right of the movement range of the unit that is inserted and removed in maintenance such as periodic replacement and jamming of the sheet S. In FIG. 9(c), the movement range of the image forming unit 40, the transfer belt unit 50, and the sheet transport unit 60 is indicated by a two-dot chain line. Therefore, the front door 20 needs to be opened further to the right R by β° from the vertical plane VP at 90° to the right R from the second opening 82 so that the protruding portion on the back side of the front door 20 is located outside the movement range. In this embodiment, the predetermined opening angle of the front door 20 when the front door 20 is in the second open position OP2 is set to 90°+β°.

[0044] As a result, when the front door 20 is closed, that is, when the front door 20 is in the second closed position CP2, the protruding portion protruding in the rear direction B of the image forming unit 102 does not interfere with each unit that is inserted or removed when the front door 20 is in the second open position OP2. The protruding portion provided on the rear side of the front door 20 is, for example, the rear edge portion 24 of the left side surface portion 20e of the front door 20, and the intake duct 26 that passes outside air that is sucked into the inside of the main body 102a from the intake port 25 of the front portion 20c by a fan (not shown) provided in the main body 102a.

[0045] If the front door 20 is configured to open and close in the vertical direction by setting the rotation axis of the front door 20 horizontally at the bottom of the front door 20 (vertical opening configuration), when the front door 20 is opened, the front door 20 protrudes in the forward direction F by a distance L20 shown in FIG. 9(c). The front door 20 protruding in the forward direction F becomes an obstacle for an operator to perform maintenance and other operations. However, as described above, by configuring the front door 20 to rotate around the rotation axis 20a vertically provided near the ridge 20d between the front part 20c and the right side part 20b and open and close in the horizontal direction, a working space can be secured in the forward direction F of the second opening 82. When the front door 20 is opened to a predetermined opening angle (90°+β°) and is in the second open position OP2, the front door 20 does not hinder operations such as maintenance. For example, when an operator is to clear a jammed sheet S, the operator can pull out the sheet transport unit 60 by an amount required for the jam clearing to efficiently clear the jam. According to this embodiment, good workability can be obtained.

[0046] (Means of evacuation) In the normal door opening and closing operation described above, only the door corresponding to the task is opened and closed, but depending on the operator, the order of opening and closing multiple doors may not be performed in the correct order. For example, the operator may mistakenly open multiple doors for one task. In the image forming apparatus 101 according to this embodiment, for example, the following situation may occur.

[0047] In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, the rotation axis 10a of the toner bottle replacement door 10 is substantially orthogonal to the rotation axis 20a of the front door 20. The operator can open the toner bottle replacement door 10 after opening the front door 20. FIG. 10 is an enlarged view of the front door 20 in the second open position OP2 and the toner bottle replacement door 10 in the first open position OP1 as viewed from the left side of the image forming unit 102. The toner bottle replacement door 10 in the first open position OP1 is opened from the first closed position CP1 at a predetermined opening angle (90 + α)° as shown in FIG. 7. The upper edge portion 17 of the toner bottle replacement door 10 penetrates downward from the upper surface portion 27 of the front door 20, that is, it penetrates by a distance la into the second movement range MR2 of the front door 20. As shown in FIG. 10, a part of the first movement range MR1 of the toner bottle replacement door 10 penetrates into the second movement range MR2 of the front door 20.

[0048] An intake duct 26 is provided at the upper part of the front door 20. In the vicinity of the rotation axis 20a of the upper surface portion 27, an inclined surface 70 as a retracting means is provided above the intake duct 26 inside the upper part of the front door 20. As shown in FIG. 10, the inclined surface 70 has a distance (height) lc from the upper end portion 71 to the lower end portion 72 in the height direction (vertical direction). As shown in FIG. 9(c), the inclined surface 70 has a distance (width) ld from the rotation axis 20a to the central side end portion 73 of the front door 20 in the horizontal direction. As shown in FIG. 11(a), the inclined surface 70 has an angle θ° with respect to the horizontal plane.

[0049] The distance la by which the upper edge portion 17 of the toner bottle replacement door 10 enters the second movement range MR2 of the front door 20, the distance lb from the rotation axis 20a to the upper edge portion 17, the height direction distance lc of the inclined surface 70, and the horizontal direction distance ld of the inclined surface 70 have the following relationships. la < lc ··· (Equation 1) lb < ld ··· (Equation 2) Also, in this embodiment, the angle θ of the inclined surface 70 is set to approximately 45°.

[0050] With reference to Fig. 11, a description will be given of the retraction operation of the toner bottle replacement door 10 in conjunction with the closing operation of the front door 20 when the toner bottle replacement door 10 is in the first open position OP1 and the front door 20 is in the second open position OP2. Figs. 11(a), 11(b) and 11(c) are enlarged front views of the upper edge 17 of the toner bottle replacement door 10 and the inclined surface 70 of the front door 20. Fig. 11(a) is a diagram showing a state in which the toner bottle replacement door 10 is in the first open position OP1 and the front door 20 is in the second open position OP2 as shown in Fig. 10. The front door 20 is moved in the left direction L from the second open position OP2 to the second closed position CP2.

[0051] Due to the relationship between the above-mentioned formulas 1 and 2, first, the right end portion (first contact portion) 17a of the upper edge portion 17 located at the bottom of the toner bottle replacement door 10 comes into contact with the inclined surface (second contact portion) 70 as shown in Fig. 11(b). When the inclined surface 70 comes into contact with the right end portion 17a of the upper edge portion 17 and the front door 20 is further moved in the leftward direction L, the inclined surface 70 pushes the toner bottle replacement door 10 upward in the upward direction U (Fig. 11(b)). The toner bottle replacement door 10 is pushed up by the inclined surface 70 and rotates from the first open position OP1 toward the first closed position CP1 with the rotation axis 10a as the rotation center.

[0052] When the front door 20 is further closed, the right end 17a of the upper edge 17 of the toner bottle exchange door 10 is pushed up the inclined surface 70 to the upper end 71 of the inclined surface 70 as shown in FIG. 11(c), and the toner bottle exchange door 10 reaches the retracted position RP. When the toner bottle exchange door 10 is in the retracted position RP, the toner bottle exchange door 10 allows the front door 20 to move toward the second closed position CP2. Since the upper end 71 of the inclined surface 70 is set to be at substantially the same height as the upper surface 27 of the front door 20, the front door 20 is closed toward the second closed position CP2 while the upper surface 27 of the front door 20 keeps the toner bottle exchange door 10 in the retracted position RP. After the front door 20 is closed to the second closed position CP2, the toner bottle exchange door 10 is closed to the first closed position CP1, and the operation is completed.

[0053] The toner bottle exchange door 10 of this embodiment is a bottom hinge door with a right door hinge member 11R and a left door hinge member 11L provided at the bottom. The front door 20 is a right hinge door with a door hinge member 19 provided at the right part. The toner bottle exchange door 10 is disposed directly above the front door 20. The first movement range MR1 of the toner bottle exchange door 10 partially overlaps with the second movement range MR2 of the front door 20. When the toner bottle exchange door 10 is in the first open position OP1, the upper edge portion 17 of the toner bottle exchange door 10 enters the second movement range MR2 of the front door 20. However, according to this embodiment, when the front door 20 is closed, the inclined surface 70 as the retracting means abuts against the toner bottle exchange door 10 to retract the toner bottle exchange door 10 to the retracted position RP. This prevents the front door 20 from colliding with the toner bottle replacement door 10, thereby preventing damage to the front door 20 or the toner bottle replacement door 10, and prevents damage to the right body hinge member 32R, the left body hinge member 32L, and the body hinge member 18, which serve as the opening / closing door holding means. Therefore, refilling of consumables and maintenance work can be performed safely.

[0054] In the image forming system 100 of this embodiment, a large capacity feeding device 107 and a sensing device 108 are connected to the image forming apparatus 101. However, the image forming system 100 is not limited to this, and the image forming apparatus 101 may be connected to a device having a function different from that of this embodiment. Also, the image forming apparatus 101 may be used alone.

[0055] The front door 20 of this embodiment is provided with a door hinge member 19 on the right side, and is configured to rotate about a vertical rotation axis 20a, so that the left end portion opens and closes. However, the front door 20 is not limited to this, and may be configured such that a door hinge member is provided on the left side of the front door 20, so that the right end portion opens and closes.

[0056] In this embodiment, the handle portion 14 is provided on the top surface 10e of the toner bottle replacement door 10. However, the position of the handle portion 14 of the toner bottle replacement door 10 is not limited thereto, and the handle portion 14 may be provided on the right side surface, the left side surface, or both of the right and left sides of the toner bottle replacement door 10.

[0057] In this embodiment, the angle θ of the inclined surface 70 is set to 45°, and is set so that the force for closing the front door 20 is approximately equal to the force for lifting the toner bottle replacement door 10. However, the angle θ of the inclined surface 70 is not limited to this, and the same effect can be achieved as long as the angle θ of the inclined surface 70 is within the range of 30° to 60°.

[0058] In this embodiment, the inclined surface 70 as the retracting means is provided on the front door 20. However, the retracting means is not limited thereto, and may be provided on the toner bottle exchange door 10. With reference to FIG. 12, the toner bottle exchange door 110 provided with the retracting means will be described. FIG. 12 is an explanatory diagram of the retracting operation of the toner bottle exchange door 110 provided with the inclined surface 17b as the retracting means. The toner bottle exchange door 110 has the same structure as the toner bottle exchange door 10 described above, except that it has the inclined surface 17b. The front door 120 has the same structure as the front door 20 described above, except that it does not have the inclined surface 70. The same structures are given the same reference numerals, and the description will be omitted. The inclined surface 17b is provided between the right side surface portion 10f and the front surface portion 10c of the toner bottle exchange door 110. The inclined surface 17b has an angle φ° with respect to a plane FP parallel to the front surface portion 10c when viewed toward the top surface portion 10e of the toner bottle exchange door 110.

[0059] FIG. 12(a) is a diagram showing a state in which the toner bottle exchange door 110 is in the first open position OP1 and the front door 120 is in the second open position OP2. The front door 120 is moved in the left direction L from the second open position OP2 to the second closed position CP2. First, the inner upper end portion (second contact portion) 71a of the front door 120 contacts the inclined surface (first contact portion) 17b of the toner bottle exchange door 110 as shown in FIG. 12(b). When the upper end portion 71a contacts the inclined surface 17b and the front door 120 is further moved in the left direction L, the upper end portion 71a pushes the toner bottle exchange door 110 in the upward direction U (FIG. 12(b)). The toner bottle exchange door 110 is pushed up by the upper end portion 71a and rotated from the first open position OP1 to the first closed position CP1 with the rotation axis 10a as the rotation center.

[0060] When the front door 120 is further closed, the inclined surface 17b of the toner bottle replacement door 110 is pushed up by the upper end portion 71a of the front door 120 as shown in FIG. 12(c), and the toner bottle replacement door 110 reaches the retracted position RP. When the toner bottle replacement door 110 is in the retracted position RP, the toner bottle replacement door 110 allows the front door 120 to move toward the second closed position CP2. The upper edge portion 17 of the toner bottle replacement door 110 rides on the upper surface portion 27 of the front door 120, and the toner bottle replacement door 110 is maintained in the retracted position RP, and the front door 120 is closed toward the second closed position CP2. After the front door 120 is closed to the second closed position CP2, the toner bottle replacement door 110 is closed to the first closed position CP1, and the operation is completed. [Explanation of symbols]

[0061] 10 Toner bottle replacement door 17b...Slope surface 20. Front door 70...Slope surface 81... First opening 82...Second opening 101 Image forming apparatus 102a...Main unit CP1: First closed position CP2: Second closed position MR1: First moving range MR2: Second moving range OP1: First open position OP2: Second open position RP...Retreat position S...Seat

Claims

1. An image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording medium, a body having a first opening and a second opening; a first door movable within a first movement range between a first open position that opens the first opening and a first closed position that closes the first opening; a second door that is movable through a second range of movement that partially overlaps with the first range of movement and is between a second open position that opens the second opening and a second closed position that closes the second opening; a retracting means for moving the first door to a retracted position outside the second movement range of the second door in association with the second door being moved to the second closed position from a state in which the first door is in the first open position and the second door is in the second open position; An image forming apparatus comprising:

2. 2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first door is rotatable within the first movement range between the first open position and the first closed position, about a first rotation axis provided horizontally at the bottom of the first door.

3. 3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the second door is rotatable within the second movement range between the second open position and the second closed position around a second rotation axis provided vertically on the right side of the second door.

4. 3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the second door is rotatable within the second movement range between the second open position and the second closed position around a second rotation axis provided vertically on the left side of the second door.

5. the retracting means has a first contact portion provided on the first door and a second contact portion provided on the second door, 5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 3, wherein when the second door is moved from the second open position toward the second closed position, the second abutment portion abuts against the first abutment portion, thereby moving the first door to the retracted position.

6. The first abutment portion is an end portion of an upper edge portion of the first door, 6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the second contact portion is an inclined surface provided on the inside of an upper portion of the second door.

7. The first abutment portion is an inclined surface provided between a front surface and a side surface of the first door, 6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the second contact portion is an upper end portion of an inner side of the second door.

8. a toner storage container that stores toner is removably attached to the main body through the first opening when the first door is in the first open position; 8. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the inside of the main body is accessible through the second opening when the second door is in the second open position.

9. an image forming unit for forming a toner image on the recording medium; a fixing and conveying section for fixing the toner image onto the recording medium; The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:

10. The main body is provided in the image forming unit, 10. The image forming apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the image forming section and the fixing and conveying section are each configured in an independent housing.

11. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , An operation unit for operating the image forming apparatus; a feeding device that feeds the recording medium to the image forming apparatus; An image forming system comprising:

Images