Conveying device and image forming apparatus

Abstract

To prevent a guide member from interfering with conveying means on a downstream side when rotating guide means in a direction of opening a conveyance path, in comparison to a case where a rotation fulcrum of the guide means for guiding recording media to the conveying means is arranged on an upstream side along a conveyance direction of the recording media.SOLUTION: A conveying device is provided with: conveying means 51 for conveying recording media by aligning tips of the recording media; and guide means 80 that is arranged on an upstream side along the conveyance direction of the conveying means, guides the recording media to the conveying means along the conveyance path, and is rotatable in a direction of releasing a conveyance path with a downstream side along a conveyance direction of the conveying means as a fulcrum.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a conveying device and an image forming apparatus. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, techniques relating to an image forming apparatus equipped with a conveying device have already been proposed, for example, as disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2.

[0003] Patent document 1 has a conveying section for conveying sheets, a first door capable of opening the conveying section, a rotating shaft for rotatably supporting the first door, and a second door that can be opened and closed relative to the first door, and the second door is configured to be arranged so as to be capable of opening the conveying section in the vicinity of the rotating shaft.

[0004] Patent document 2 discloses a configuration in which a first guide member and a junction guide member form a first sheet transport path, a second guide member and a junction guide member form a second sheet transport path, and the first guide member and the second guide member form a junction portion where the first sheet transport path and the second sheet transport path merge, the first guide member is supported in conjunction with an opening / closing member so as to be freely opened and closed relative to the housing main body, and the junction guide member is supported independently so as to be freely opened and closed relative to the housing main body. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 2011-013299 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2006-251159 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] The object of this invention is to avoid interference of the guiding means with the downstream conveying means when the guiding means is rotated in the direction opening the conveying path, compared to when the rotation fulcrum of the guiding means that guides the recording medium to the conveying means is positioned upstream along the conveying direction of the recording medium. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The invention described in claim 1 comprises a conveying means for conveying a recording medium while aligning the leading edge of the recording medium; a guide means arranged on the upstream side of the conveying means in the conveying direction and guiding the recording medium along a conveying path to the conveying means, the guide means being rotatable in a direction to open the conveying path with the downstream side of the conveying means in the conveying direction as a fulcrum; Equipped with picture, The guide means is disposed along the vertical direction, and is positioned at an operating position by applying a force to the lower end of the guide means against the positioning portion, and the center of gravity is set so that a rotational moment acts about the fulcrum in a direction to open the conveying path when the force is released. It is a transport device.

[0008] The invention described in claim 2 includes a conveying means for conveying the recording medium while aligning the leading edge of the recording medium; a guide means arranged upstream in the conveying direction of the conveying means and guiding the recording medium along a conveying path to the conveying means, the guide means moving from an end portion on the conveying means side to an end portion on the opposite side to the conveying means so as to open the conveying path; Equipped with picture, The guide means is disposed along the vertical direction, and is positioned at an operating position by applying a force to abut the lower end of the guide means against a positioning portion, and the center of gravity is set so that a rotational moment acts in a direction to open the conveying path about the end of the guide means on the conveying means side when the abutting force is released. It is a transport device.

[0011] Claim 3 In the invention described in the above, the fulcrum of the guide means is set at a downstream end along the conveying direction of the conveying means, and at a position spaced apart from the conveying path from the center of gravity along a direction intersecting both the vertical direction and the surface of the recording medium. Claim 1 2 is a conveying device according to the first embodiment.

[0012] Claim 4 In the invention described in the above, the position where the abutting force acts on the guide means is farther from the fulcrum than the position where the recording medium conveyed along the conveying path abuts against the guide means. Claim 32 is a conveying device according to the first embodiment.

[0013] Claim 5 The invention described in the above provides a recording medium conveying device, comprising: a second guide means arranged on the conveying means side of the guide means and guiding the recording medium to the conveying means. 、 The guide means includes a first guide member, the second guide means includes a second guide member; 5. The method according to claim 1, wherein a conveying path different from the conveying path is formed by a lower edge of the second guide member and an upper edge of the first guide member. The conveying device according to any one of the preceding claims.

[0014] Claim 6 In the invention described in the above, the guide means moves in a direction away from the second guide means. Claim 5 2 is a conveying device according to the first embodiment.

[0015] Claim 7 The invention described in has a film-like member that guides the recording medium to the nip portion of the conveying means. Claims 1 to 6 The conveying device according to any one of the preceding claims.

[0016] Claim 8 The invention described in the above relates to a first transport path that transports the recording medium from a storage unit that stores the recording medium; a second conveying path for conveying the recording medium from a manual feed unit that manually feeds the recording medium; a third transport path for transporting the recording medium that has been inverted; Equipped with Claim 1 or 2 2 is a conveying device according to the first embodiment.

[0017] Claim 9 The invention described in is a conveying device according to claim 8, wherein the conveying paths are arranged adjacent to the conveying means in the order of the third conveying path, the second conveying path, and the first conveying path.

[0018] Claim 10 The invention described in is such that the third transport path is disposed on the opposite side of the guide means to the first and second transport paths. Claim 8 2 is a conveying device according to the first embodiment. Claim 11The invention described in the above relates to an image forming means for forming an image on a recording medium, a conveying device that conveys the recording medium toward the image forming means; Equipped with The conveying device Claims 1 to 10 2. An image forming apparatus using the conveying device according to claim 1. Effect of the Invention

[0019] Claims 1 and 2 According to the invention described above, it is possible to avoid the guiding means interfering with the downstream transport path when the guiding means is rotated in the direction to open the transport path, compared to when the rotation fulcrum of the guiding means that guides the recording medium to the transport means is positioned upstream along the transport direction of the recording medium.

[0020] In addition, claims 1 and 2 According to the invention described in the above, when the abutting force is released, the guide means automatically rotates in a direction that opens the transport path, thereby making it possible to inform the user of the direction in which to clear the jam.

[0021] Claim 3 According to the invention described in the above, the guide means can be reliably rotated in the direction to open the conveying path.

[0022] Claim 4 According to the invention described in the above, the abutting force for fixing the guide means in the operating position can be small, and the member for applying the abutting force can be simply configured.

[0023] Claim 5 According to the invention described in the above, the guiding means can transport the recording medium to the transporting means more reliably than in a case where the guiding means does not partially overlap with the second guiding means.

[0024] Claim 6 According to the invention described above, the guide means can be prevented from interfering with the second guide means when moving in the direction opening the transport path.

[0025] Claim 7According to the invention described in the above, it is possible to reliably guide the recording medium to the nip portion of the conveying means.

[0026] Claim 8 According to the invention described in the above, even when the first to third transport paths are provided, the recording medium can be reliably guided to the transport means.

[0027] Claim 9 According to the invention described in the above, by positioning the third transport path, which has the smallest radius of curvature, closest to the transport means, it is possible to suppress position fluctuations in the guiding means caused by the recording medium transported along the third transport path.

[0028] Claim 10 According to the invention described in the above, it is possible to suppress positional fluctuations in the guiding means caused by the recording medium transported through the third transport path.

[0029] Claim 11 According to the invention described in the above, compared to a case in which the rotation fulcrum of the guiding means that guides the recording medium to the conveying means is positioned upstream along the conveying direction of the recording medium, even if the conveying device is made smaller, it is possible to avoid the guiding means interfering with the conveying path when the guiding means is rotated in the direction to open the conveying path, making it possible to make the image forming device smaller. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0030] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing an image forming apparatus to which a conveying device according to a first embodiment of the present invention is applied. [Diagram 2] 1 is an external perspective view showing an image forming apparatus to which a conveying device according to a first embodiment of the present invention is applied; [Diagram 3] 1 is a cross-sectional configuration diagram showing a conveying device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] 1 is a cross-sectional configuration diagram showing a state in which a first guide member of a conveying device according to a first embodiment of the present invention is open. [Diagram 5]1 is a cross-sectional configuration diagram showing a state in which a first guide member of a transport device according to a first embodiment of the present invention is closed; [Figure 6] 4 is an external perspective view showing a surface of a first guide member. FIG. [Figure 7] 4 is an external perspective view showing a rear surface of the first guide member. FIG. [Figure 8] 1 is an external perspective view showing a state in which a first guide member of a conveying device according to a first embodiment of the present invention is open. [Figure 9] 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which a rear cover of an image forming apparatus in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention is open; [Figure 10] 1 is a cross-sectional configuration diagram showing a state in which a first guide member of a conveying device according to a first embodiment of the present invention is open. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view showing a configuration of a conveying device of a conventional image forming apparatus. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0031] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0032] [Embodiment 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the overall configuration of an image forming apparatus to which a conveying device according to a first embodiment of the present invention is applied.

[0033] <Overall configuration of image forming apparatus> The image forming apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment is configured as, for example, a color printer. The image forming apparatus 1 is capable of forming full-color images, and is capable of forming images on A4-sized recording media, which has been significantly downsized compared to conventional models. The image forming apparatus 1 includes a plurality of image forming devices 10 that form toner images developed with toner constituting a developer, an intermediate transfer device 20 that holds the toner images formed by each image forming device 10 and transports them to a secondary transfer position where they are finally secondarily transferred onto a recording paper 5 as an example of a recording medium, a paper feed device 30 that stores and feeds the required recording paper 5 to be supplied to the secondary transfer position of the intermediate transfer device 20, and a fixing device 40 that fixes the toner image on the recording paper 5 that has been secondarily transferred by the intermediate transfer device 20. In addition, 1a in the figure indicates the device body of the image forming apparatus 1, and this device body 1a is formed of a support structure member made of sheet metal or the like, an exterior cover, etc. In this embodiment, the plurality of image forming devices 10 and the intermediate transfer device 20 constitute an image forming means.

[0034] As described above, the image forming apparatus 1 has been significantly downsized compared to conventional models. The device body 1a of the image forming apparatus 1 is significantly smaller in height, depth and width than a full-color model compatible with conventional A4 size recording paper 5, and is approximately the same size as a conventional monochrome device.

[0035] The image forming apparatus 1 is mainly composed of a plurality of image forming devices 10, an intermediate transfer device 20, and a paper feed device 30. In order to reduce the size of the device body 1a of the image forming apparatus 1, it is necessary to reduce the height, depth, and width of each of the plurality of image forming devices 10, the intermediate transfer device 20, and the paper feed device 30.

[0036] The image forming device 10 is composed of four image forming devices 10Y, 10M, 10C, and 10K that are dedicated to forming toner images of four colors, yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C), and black (K), respectively. These four image forming devices 10 (Y, M, C, and K) are arranged in a row along the horizontal direction in the internal space of the device main body 1a.

[0037] Each of the image forming devices 10 (Y, M, C, K) includes a rotating photoconductor drum 11 as an example of an image carrier, as shown in Fig. 1. Around the photoconductor drum 11, the following devices as an example of a toner image forming means are mainly arranged. The main devices are a charging device 12 that charges the image-forming peripheral surface (image bearing surface) of the photosensitive drum 11 to a required potential, an exposure device 13 that irradiates the charged peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum 11 with light based on image information (signal) to form an electrostatic latent image (for each color) with a potential difference, developing devices 14 (Y, M, C, K) that develop the electrostatic latent image with developer toner of the corresponding color (Y, M, C, K) to form a toner image, primary transfer devices 15 (Y, M, C, K) that transfer each toner image to the intermediate transfer device 20, and drum cleaning devices 16 (Y, M, C, K) that remove and clean any toner and other deposits that remain on and adhere to the image bearing surface of the photosensitive drum 11 after the primary transfer.

[0038] The photoconductor drum 11 has an image bearing surface formed on the peripheral surface of a grounded cylindrical or columnar substrate, the peripheral surface of which has a photoconductive layer (photosensitive layer) made of a photosensitive material. The photoconductor drum 11 is supported so that it rotates in the direction indicated by the arrow A by power transmitted from a drive device (not shown).

[0039] The charging device 12 is composed of a contact-type charging roll that is arranged in contact with the photoconductor drum 11. The charging device 12 has a cleaning roll 121 that cleans its surface. A charging voltage is supplied to the charging device 12. When the developing device 14 performs reversal development, a voltage or current of the same polarity as the charging polarity of the toner supplied from the developing device 14 is supplied as the charging voltage.

[0040] The exposure device 13 uses an LED print head that uses multiple light-emitting diodes (LEDs) arranged along the axial direction of the photosensitive drum 11 to irradiate the photosensitive drum 11 with light corresponding to image information, thereby forming an electrostatic latent image.

[0041] As shown in FIG. 1, each of the developing devices 14 (Y, M, C, K) is configured by arranging a developing roll 141 that holds the developer and transports it to a development area facing the photosensitive drum 11 inside a housing 140 in which an opening and a developer storage chamber are formed, stirring and transporting members 142 and 143 such as two screw augers that transport the developer while stirring it so that it passes through the developing roll 141, and a layer thickness regulating member 144 that regulates the amount (layer thickness) of the developer held on the developing roll 141. A developing voltage is supplied from a power supply device (not shown) between the developing roll 141 and the photosensitive drum 11 in the developing device 14. In addition, the developing roll 141 and the stirring and transporting members 142 and 143 are rotated in the required direction by power transmitted from a driving device (not shown). Furthermore, a two-component developer containing a non-magnetic toner and a magnetic carrier is used as the above-mentioned four color developers 4 (Y, M, C, K). The developing device 14 is supplied with developer containing at least a toner of a corresponding color from a toner cartridge (not shown) disposed at one end of the agitating / transporting member 143 in the axial direction.

[0042] The primary transfer device 15 (Y, M, C, K) is a contact type transfer device equipped with a primary transfer roll that rotates in contact with the periphery of the photosensitive drum 11 via the intermediate transfer belt 21 and is supplied with a primary transfer voltage. As the primary transfer voltage, a DC voltage showing a polarity opposite to the charge polarity of the toner is supplied from a power supply device (not shown).

[0043] As shown in FIG. 1, the drum cleaning device 16 is composed of a container-shaped main body 160 with a part open, a cleaning plate 161 arranged to contact the peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum 11 after the primary transfer with a required pressure to remove and clean the residual toner and other deposits, and a sending member 162 such as a screw auger that collects the toner and other deposits removed by the cleaning plate 161 and conveys them to a collection system (not shown). A plate-shaped member (e.g., a blade) made of a material such as rubber is used as the cleaning plate 161. The toner and other deposits conveyed by the sending member 162 of the cleaning device 16 are collected in a first toner collection bottle (not shown) arranged at one end along the axial direction of the sending member 162. The first toner collection bottle is arranged at the end in the same direction as the toner cartridge described above.

[0044] As shown in FIG. 1, the intermediate transfer device 20 is disposed so as to be located above each of the image forming devices 10 (Y, M, C, K). The intermediate transfer device 20 is mainly composed of an intermediate transfer belt 21 that rotates in the direction indicated by the arrow B while passing through a primary transfer position between the photosensitive drum 11 and the primary transfer device 15 (primary transfer roll), a plurality of belt support rolls 22-25 that support the intermediate transfer belt 21 in a desired state from its inner surface and rotatably, a secondary transfer device 26 that is disposed on the outer peripheral surface (image bearing surface) side of the intermediate transfer belt 21 supported by the belt support roll 24 and performs a secondary transfer of the toner image on the intermediate transfer belt 21 to the recording paper 5, and a belt cleaning device 27 that removes and cleans the toner, paper powder, and other deposits that remain and adhere to the outer peripheral surface of the intermediate transfer belt 21 after passing through the secondary transfer device 26. The intermediate transfer belt 21 is mainly stretched by the belt support roll 22 and the belt support roll 24, which have relatively large outer diameters, to form a moving path that is approximately parallel to each other.

[0045] An endless belt made of a material in which a resistance adjusting agent such as carbon black is dispersed in a synthetic resin such as polyimide resin or polyamide resin is used as the intermediate transfer belt 21. The belt support roll 22 is configured as a tension applying roll that applies tension to the intermediate transfer belt 21, the belt support roll 23 is configured as a surface finishing roll that forms the image forming surface of the intermediate transfer belt 21, the belt support roll 24 is configured as a drive roll that is rotated by a drive device (not shown) and also serves as a back support roll for secondary transfer, and the belt support roll 25 is configured as an opposing roll that faces a cleaning plate 271 of the belt cleaning device 27.

[0046] 1, the secondary transfer device 26 is a contact type transfer device including a secondary transfer roll 261 that rotates in contact with the circumferential surface of the intermediate transfer belt 21 and is supplied with a secondary transfer voltage at a secondary transfer position, which is the outer circumferential surface portion of the intermediate transfer belt 21 supported by the belt support roll 24 in the intermediate transfer device 20. A DC voltage having the same polarity as or opposite to the charge polarity of the toner is supplied as a secondary transfer voltage from a power supply device (not shown) to the secondary transfer roll 261 or the belt support roll 24 of the intermediate transfer device 20.

[0047] The belt cleaning device 27 is composed of a container-shaped main body 270 with a part open, a cleaning plate 271 arranged to contact the peripheral surface of the intermediate transfer belt 21 after the secondary transfer with a required pressure to remove and clean the residual toner and other deposits, and a sending member 272 such as a screw auger that collects the toner and other deposits removed by the cleaning plate 271 and conveys them to a collection system (not shown). A plate-shaped member (e.g., a blade) made of a material such as rubber is used as the cleaning plate 271. The toner and other deposits conveyed by the sending member 272 of the belt cleaning device 27 are collected in a second toner collection bottle (not shown) arranged at one end along the axial direction of the sending member 272. The second toner collection bottle is arranged at the end in the same direction as the above-mentioned toner cartridge and the first toner collection bottle.

[0048] The fixing device 40 is configured by arranging, inside a housing (not shown) in which an inlet and an outlet for the recording paper 5 are formed, a heating rotator 41 in the form of a roll or belt that rotates in the direction indicated by the arrow and is heated by a heating means so that the surface temperature is maintained at a predetermined temperature, and a pressure rotator 42 in the form of a belt or roll that rotates in contact with the heating rotator 41 at a predetermined pressure in a state substantially along the axial direction of the heating rotator 41. In this fixing device 40, the contact area where the heating rotator 41 and the pressure rotator 42 come into contact with each other becomes a fixing processing section that performs the required fixing process (heating and pressurization).

[0049] The paper feeder 30 is disposed so as to be located at a position vertically below the imaging devices 10 (Y, M, C, K). This paper feeder 30 is mainly composed of one (or more) paper containers 31 that contain stacked recording paper 5 of desired sizes, types, etc., and a sending device 32 that separates and sends out the recording paper 5 one sheet at a time from the paper container 31. The paper container 31 is attached so as to be able to be pulled out, for example, from the front of the device main body 1a, that is, the front surface that the user faces during operation (in this embodiment, the left surface in FIG. 1).

[0050] Examples of the recording paper 5 include thin paper such as plain paper or tracing paper used in electrophotographic copiers and printers, or OHP sheets, etc. In order to further improve the smoothness of the image surface after fixing, it is preferable that the surface of the recording paper 5 is as smooth as possible, and for example, coated paper in which the surface of plain paper is coated with a resin or the like, or so-called thick paper with a relatively large basis weight such as art paper for printing can be suitably used.

[0051] Between the paper feed device 30 and the secondary transfer device 26, a transport device 50 is provided that transports the recording paper 5 sent out from the paper feed device 30 to the secondary transfer position. In addition to the recording paper 5 sent out from the paper feed device 30, the transport device 50 transports, to the secondary transfer position, the recording paper 5 fed from the manual paper feed device 70, the recording paper 5 with an image formed on one side and transported through the double-sided transport path 61 in a reversed state, or the recording paper 5 sent out from an auxiliary paper feed device (not shown) that is arranged as an optional device at the bottom of the device body 1a of the image forming device 1, as described later.

[0052] The conveying device 50 has a plurality of paper feed conveying paths that are composed of one or a plurality of paper conveying roll pairs 51 and a plurality of conveying guides. As described above, the plurality of paper feed conveying paths are composed of a first paper feed conveying path 52 that conveys the recording paper 5 sent out from the paper feeder 30 according to the paper feeder 30 that sends out the recording paper 5, a second paper feed conveying path 53 that conveys the recording paper 5 sent out from the manual paper feeder 70, a third paper feed conveying path 54 that conveys the recording paper 5 that has been inverted through the double-sided conveying path 61, and a fourth paper feed conveying path 55 that conveys the recording paper 5 sent out from the auxiliary paper feeder (not shown). The first to fourth paper feed conveying paths 52 to 55 are provided so as to form a conveying path that is partially common to each other. The conveying device 50 will be described in detail later.

[0053] A pair of paper transport rolls 51 as an example of a transport means arranged at a position immediately before the secondary transfer position in the first to fourth paper feed transport paths 52 to 55 is configured as, for example, a roll (registration roll) for adjusting the transport timing of the recording paper 5. In addition, a paper transport path 56 is provided between the secondary transfer device 26 and the fixing device 40 for transporting the recording paper 5 after the secondary transfer sent out from the secondary transfer device 26 to the fixing device 40. Furthermore, a discharge transport path 59 including a pair of paper discharge rolls 58 for discharging the recording paper 5 after the fixing sent out from the fixing device 40 to a paper discharge section 57 at the top of the device body 1a is provided near an outlet for the recording paper 5 formed in the device body 1a of the image forming apparatus 1.

[0054] Between the fixing device 40 and the paper discharge roll pair 58, there is provided a switching gate 60 for switching the paper transport path. The paper discharge roll pair 58 is configured so that its rotation direction can be switched between a forward direction (discharge direction) and a reverse direction. When forming an image on both sides of the recording paper 5, after the rear end of the recording paper 5 with an image formed on one side passes the switching gate 60, the rotation direction of the paper discharge roll pair 58 is switched from the forward direction (discharge direction) to the reverse direction. The recording paper 5 transported in the reverse direction by the paper discharge roll pair 58 has its transport path switched by the switching gate 60, and is transported to a double-sided transport path 61 formed so as to be approximately vertical along the side of the device body 1a of the image forming device 1. The double-sided transport path 61 includes a paper transport roll pair 62 and transport guides 63, 64 that transport the recording paper 5 to the paper transport roll pair 51 in a reversed state.

[0055] 1, the image forming apparatus 1 has a manual feed device 70 disposed on the front surface of the apparatus body 1a, through which the user manually feeds recording paper 5. The manual feed device 70 has a manual feed tray 72 as an example of a manual feed section that is exposed to the outside when a front cover 71 is opened. The recording paper 5 placed on the manual feed tray 72 is fed in a state in which the sheets are separated one by one by a delivery device 73. The recording paper 5 fed from the manual feed tray 72 is transported to the paper transport roll pair 51 via a manual feed transport path 77 consisting of a plurality of paper transport roll pairs 74 and a plurality of transport guides 75, 76, and a second paper transport path 53.

[0056] 1, reference numeral 100 denotes a control device that comprehensively controls the operation of the image forming apparatus 1. The control device 100 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), or a bus for connecting the CPU, the ROM, etc., a communication interface, etc. (not shown).

[0057] 2, reference numerals 101 and 102 denote operation buttons for operating the image forming apparatus 1, and 103 denotes a display panel for displaying the operating state of the image forming apparatus 1. As shown in FIG.

[0058] <Operation of the image forming device> Hereinafter, a basic image forming operation by the image forming apparatus 1 will be described.

[0059] Here, the operation in a full-color mode in which the four image forming devices 10 (Y, M, C, K) are used to form a full-color image composed of a combination of toner images of four colors (Y, M, C, K) will be described.

[0060] When the image forming apparatus 1 receives command information requesting a full-color image forming operation (printing) from the operation buttons 101, 102 or a printer driver (not shown), the four image creating devices 10 (Y, M, C, K), the intermediate transfer device 20, the secondary transfer device 26, the fixing device 40, etc. start up.

[0061] 1, in each imaging device 10 (Y, M, C, K), first, each photoconductor drum 11 rotates in the direction indicated by the arrow A, and each charging device 12 charges the surface of each photoconductor drum 11 to a required polarity (negative polarity in the first embodiment) and potential. Next, exposure device 13 irradiates the surface of the charged photoconductor drum 11 with light emitted based on an image signal obtained by converting image information input to image forming device 1 into each color component (Y, M, C, K), and forms an electrostatic latent image of each color component composed of a required potential difference on the surface.

[0062] Next, each image forming device 10 (Y, M, C, K) develops the electrostatic latent image of each color component formed on the photoconductor drum 11 by supplying toner of the corresponding color (Y, M, C, K) charged to the required polarity (negative polarity) from the developing roll 141 and electrostatically attaching it to the electrostatic latent image of each color component. Through this development, the electrostatic latent image of each color component formed on each photoconductor drum 11 is visualized as a toner image of four colors (Y, M, C, K) developed with the toner of the corresponding color.

[0063] Next, when the toner images of each color formed on the photosensitive drum 11 of each image creating device 10 (Y, M, C, K) are transported to the primary transfer position, the primary transfer device 15 (Y, M, C, K) performs primary transfer of the toner images of each color in such a manner that they are superimposed in order onto the intermediate transfer belt 21 rotating in the direction indicated by arrow B of the intermediate transfer device 20.

[0064] In addition, in each of the imaging devices 10 (Y, M, C, K) where the primary transfer has been completed, the drum cleaning device 16 scrapes off any adhering matter to clean the surface of the photosensitive drum 11. This makes each of the imaging devices 10 (Y, M, C, K) ready for the next image formation operation.

[0065] Next, the intermediate transfer device 20 conveys the primarily transferred toner image to the secondary transfer position while holding it by the rotation of the intermediate transfer belt 21. Meanwhile, the paper feed device 30 sends out the required recording paper 5 to the first paper feed conveying path 52 in accordance with the image forming operation. In the first paper feed conveying path 52, a pair of paper conveying rolls 51 as registration rolls sends out and supplies the recording paper 5 to the secondary transfer position in accordance with the transfer timing.

[0066] At the secondary transfer position, the secondary transfer device 26 performs secondary transfer of the toner images on the intermediate transfer belt 21 all at once onto the recording paper 5. After the secondary transfer is completed in the intermediate transfer device 20, the belt cleaning device 27 removes and cleans the surface of the intermediate transfer belt 21 to remove any toner or other deposits remaining thereon after the secondary transfer.

[0067] Next, the recording paper 5 onto which the toner image has been secondarily transferred is peeled off from the intermediate transfer belt 21 and then transported to the fixing device 40 via a paper transport path 56. In the fixing device 40, the recording paper 5 after the secondary transfer is introduced into and passes through a contact portion between the rotating heating rotator 41 and the pressure rotator 42, whereby the necessary fixing process (heating and pressure) is performed to fix the unfixed toner image onto the recording paper 5. Finally, in the case of an image forming operation in which an image is only formed on one side of the recording paper 5 after fixing is completed, the recording paper 5 is discharged by a paper discharge roll pair 58 to, for example, a paper discharge section 57 installed at the top of the device main body 1a.

[0068] When forming an image on both sides of the recording paper 5, the recording paper 5 with an image formed on one side (first side) is transported to the paper discharge section 57 by the paper discharge roll pair 58, and the rotation direction of the paper discharge roll pair 58 is switched to the reverse direction while the paper discharge roll pair 58 is holding the rear end of the recording paper 5. The recording paper 5 transported in the reverse direction by the paper discharge roll pair 58 has its transport direction switched to the double-sided transport path 61 side by the switching gate 60. The recording paper 5 is then transported to the paper transport roller pair 51 in a reversed state via the double-sided transport path 61 equipped with the transport roller pair 62. The paper transport roller pair 51 sends out and supplies the recording paper 5 to the secondary transfer position in accordance with the transfer timing. The toner image is secondarily transferred from the intermediate transfer belt 21 to the back side (second side) of the recording paper 5, the fixing device 40 performs a fixing process, and the recording paper 5 is discharged by the paper discharge roll pair 58 with the second side facing down to the discharge storage section 57 installed at the top of the device main body 1a.

[0069] By the above operation, a recording paper 5 is output on which a full-color image formed by combining four color toner images is formed. When forming a monochrome image in the image forming apparatus 1, only the black imaging device 10K is used to form a monochrome image made of a black (K) toner image.

[0070] <Conveyor device configuration> FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional configuration diagram showing the conveying device of the image forming apparatus according to the first embodiment.

[0071] As shown in FIG. 1, the image forming apparatus 1 is equipped with a transport device 50 that transports recording paper 5 fed from the paper feed device 30, recording paper 5 fed from the manual paper feed device 70, recording paper 5 inverted and transported via a double-sided transport path 61, or recording paper 5 fed from an auxiliary paper feed device (not shown) that is optionally arranged at the bottom of the device body 1a of the image forming apparatus 1, to a secondary transfer position on the intermediate transfer belt 21 in synchronization with the toner image on the intermediate transfer belt 21.

[0072] As shown in FIG. 3, the conveying device 50 of this embodiment 1 is configured to include a pair of paper conveying rolls 51 as an example of a conveying means that aligns the leading edge of the recording paper 5 and conveys it, and a first guide member 80 as an example of a first guiding means that is arranged upstream of the pair of paper conveying rolls 51 in the conveying direction and guides the recording paper 5 along the conveying path to the pair of paper conveying rolls 51, and is capable of rotating in the direction of opening the conveying path, with the downstream end of the pair of paper conveying rolls 51 in the conveying direction as a fulcrum.

[0073] In other words, the conveying device 50 is equipped with a pair of paper conveying rolls 51 that aligns the leading edge of the recording paper 5 and conveys it, and a first guide member 80 that is arranged upstream of the pair of paper conveying rolls 51 in the conveying direction and guides the recording paper 5 along the conveying path to the pair of paper conveying rolls 51, and moves from the end on the paper conveying roll pair 51 side to the end on the opposite side to the pair of paper conveying rolls 51 to open the conveying path.

[0074] As shown in FIG. 3, the paper transport roll pair 51 is composed of a driving roll 51a and a driven roll 51b that is pressed against the driving roll 51a, which are divided into a plurality of parts and arranged so as to extend in a direction (width direction) along the surface of the recording paper 5, which is a direction intersecting the transport direction of the recording paper 5. The paper transport roll pair 51 is stopped until the recording paper 5 fed from the paper container 31 by the delivery device 32 or the like arrives. Then, the leading edge of the recording paper 5 fed from the paper container 31 by the delivery device 32 or the like is abutted against the nip portion of the stopped driving roll 51a and driven roll 51b. Therefore, the leading edge of the recording paper 5 is abutted against the nip portion of the driving roll 51a and the driven roll 51b and bent, and the inclination is eliminated and the leading edge of the recording paper 5 is aligned so as to coincide with the nip portion of the driving roll 51a and the driven roll 51b. After that, the driving roll 51a of the paper transport roll pair 51 is rotated in synchronization with the toner image on the intermediate transfer belt 21. The recording paper 5 is sandwiched between a driving roll 51a and a driven roll 51b and transported to a secondary transfer position of the intermediate transfer belt 21.

[0075] A first guide member 80 that guides the recording paper 5 transported through the first to fourth paper feed transport paths 52 to 55 as an example of a transport path to the nip portion of the paper feed roll pair 51 and a main transport path 84 formed by a plurality of guide members 81 to 83 arranged to face the first guide member 80 are arranged along the vertical direction on the upstream side in the transport direction of the paper feed roll pair 51 (in the illustrated example, downward in the vertical direction). The main transport path 84 is provided in common to the first, second and fourth paper feed transport paths 52, 53 and 55. As shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, the third paper feed transport path 54 is formed by the first guide member 80 and a second guide member 85 as an example of a second guide means that is fixed and arranged near the paper feed roll pair 51 so as to face the upper part of the first guide member 80. The first to third paper feed transport paths 52 to 54 are arranged close to the paper transport roll pair 51 in the order of the third paper feed transport path 54, the second paper feed transport path 53, and the first paper feed transport path 52.

[0076] As shown in Fig. 3 and Fig. 6, the first guide member 80 has a surface 801 on the main transport path 84 side formed in a flat plate shape that is elongated and substantially rectangular in the horizontal direction. The surface 801 of the first guide member 80 is provided with a first guide plate portion 801a arranged so as to be inclined toward the back side from substantially the center in the vertical direction to the upper portion, a second guide plate portion 801b formed continuously from the upper portion of the first guide plate portion 801a and arranged so as to be inclined toward the front side, and a third guide plate portion 801c formed continuously from the lower portion of the first guide plate portion 801a and arranged so that the lower end portion is inclined toward the back side. The first to third guide plate portions 801a to 801c are provided with a plurality of ribs 802, 802... that contact the back side of the recording paper 5 and guide it along the vertical direction. The multiple ribs 802, 802... are arranged at required intervals along the width direction of the recording paper 5, which intersects with the conveying direction of the recording paper 5. The recording paper 5 is conveyed with the center in the width direction as a reference (so-called center registration).

[0077] 3, in this embodiment 1, the tips of the multiple ribs 802, 802... (the tips protruding toward the main transport path 84 side) are not provided linearly along the vertical direction as shown by the two-dot chain line in the figure, but the tips of the multiple ribs 802a, 802a... provided on the first guide plate portion 801a are configured to be curved in a concave shape toward the back side beyond the two-dot chain line. Therefore, the tip 5a of the recording paper 5 transported along the first paper feed transport path 52 abuts against the tips of the multiple ribs 802a, 802a... at an upper position along the vertical direction, that is, at a position closer to a rotation fulcrum 809 of the first guide member 80, which will be described later, compared to when the tips of the multiple ribs 802, 802... are formed linearly. As a result, in the first embodiment, the tip 5a of the recording paper 5 abuts against the plurality of ribs 802, 802... and thus the rotation moment acting to rotate the first guide member 80 counterclockwise is smaller than when the tip 5a of the recording paper 5 abuts against the first guide member 80 at a position closer to the rotation fulcrum 809, and the distance from the abutment position to the rotation fulcrum 809 is shorter and the plurality of ribs 802, 802... are formed in a straight line as shown by the two-dot chain line. Therefore, even when feeding recording paper 5 with a relatively high rigidity such as cardboard, the rotation moment acting on the first guide member 80 by the tip 5a is relatively smaller, and positional fluctuation of the first guide member 80 is suppressed.

[0078] In Fig. 3, reference numeral 90 denotes a paper sensor actuator that detects the leading edge of the recording paper 5. The paper sensor actuator 90 is provided so as to be rotatable in a counterclockwise direction around a rotation fulcrum 901 provided on the third guide member 82. When the recording paper 5 passes through, the paper sensor actuator 90 is pushed by the leading edge of the recording paper 5, and rotates in the counterclockwise direction in the drawing to detect the passage of the recording paper 5. An output signal from the paper sensor is input to the control device 100. At the upper end of the first guide member 80, as shown in Fig. 6, a recess 902 is provided into which the paper sensor actuator 90 is inserted.

[0079] 3 and 7, a plurality of fourth guide plate portions 804 having a substantially trapezoidal side shape are provided at required intervals along the longitudinal direction on the back surface 803 of the first guide member 80, which form the lower portion of the third paper feed transport path 54 at its upper end. The fourth guide plate portions 804 have upper edges 804a formed in a downwardly curved concave shape having a required radius of curvature. The third paper feed transport path 54 is constituted by a lower edge 851 of the second guide member 85 formed in a downwardly curved concave shape and an upper edge 804a of the fourth guide plate portion 804 of the first guide member 80, as shown in FIG.

[0080] In addition, the end 641 of the guide member 64 forming the double-sided transport path 61 located upstream of the third paper feed transport path 54 is disposed so as to be located above the upper edge 804a of the fourth guide plate portion 804 of the first guide member 80. Therefore, when the recording paper 5 made of relatively rigid cardboard or the like is transported through the double-sided transport path 61, the end 641 of the guide member 64 forming the double-sided transport path 61 is pressed down by the recording paper 5 made of cardboard or the like, reliably preventing the leading edge of the recording paper 5 from hitting the side surface of the fourth guide plate portion 804 and causing transport failure.

[0081] Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 7, a plurality of reinforcing ribs 805, 806 for increasing the rigidity of the first guide member 80 are integrally provided on the back surface 803 of the first guide member 80 along the horizontal and vertical directions.

[0082] The first guide member 80 is provided with arms 808 protruding obliquely upward from the rear side at the upper ends of both side walls 807 provided at both ends along the longitudinal direction. A cylindrical rotation fulcrum 809 as an example of a rotation support means for rotatably mounting the first guide member 80 is provided on the outer surface of the tip of the arm 808 so as to protrude outward. As shown in FIG. 7, the rotation fulcrum 809 of the first guide member 80 is rotatably supported by support holes 813 of support arms 812 as an example of a rotation support means provided at both ends along the longitudinal direction of the third guide member 81. The first guide member 80 and the support holes 813 of the support arms 812 as an example of a rotation support means are arranged to face each other.

[0083] 4 and 8, the first guide member 80 can rotate approximately 180 degrees counterclockwise about a rotation fulcrum 809 to open the entire main transport path 84. In other words, the first guide member 80 moves about the rotation fulcrum 809 so that the end (upper end) on the side opposite the pair of paper transport rolls 51, which is the lower end (lower end) along the vertical direction in the illustrated example, opens the main transport path 84.

[0084] 1 and 6, positioning portions 810 are provided at both longitudinal ends and the center of the lower end of the first guide member 80, which position the first guide member 80 at an operating position by abutting against a frame member 814 as an example of a positioning portion made of sheet metal or the like and forming the fourth paper feed transport path 55 of the apparatus main body 1a. Also, as shown in FIG. 7, one longitudinal end of the first guide member 80 is provided with a finger hook portion 811 formed of a recess on which a user hooks his / her finger when opening or closing the first guide member 80 about a rotation fulcrum 809.

[0085] 3 and 7, a leaf spring portion 812 is provided in a cantilever shape in the center of the back surface 803 of the first guide member 80 along the longitudinal direction thereof, which applies a pressing force for positioning the first guide member 80 at the operating position. As shown in FIG. 9, a pressing portion 861 of a rear cover 86 provided on the back surface of the device body 1a of the image forming apparatus 1 so as to be openable and closable abuts against the leaf spring portion 812 of the first guide member 80. The rear cover 86 is attached to the device body 1a so as to be openable and closable approximately 90 degrees around a rotation fulcrum 862. As shown in FIG. 1, when the rear cover 86 of the image forming apparatus 1 is closed, the leaf spring portion 812 is pressed by the pressing portion 861 of the rear cover 86 to rotate in the clockwise direction, and the positioning portion 810 provided at the lower end portion abuts against the outer surface of the frame member 1b of the device body 1a, thereby positioning the first guide member 80 at the operating position.

[0086] 3, the rotation fulcrum 809 of the first guide member 80 is disposed at the upper end of the first guide member 80 along the vertical direction and at a position biased toward the rear side. As a result, the position of the center of gravity G of the first guide member 80 is disposed at a position biased toward the main transport path 84 side from the perpendicular line of the rotation fulcrum 809 in the vertical direction. Therefore, when the rear cover 86 of the image forming apparatus 1 is opened and the pressing force of the pressing part 861 is released, the first guide member 80 rotates by a rotation moment that rotates the first guide member 80 in the counterclockwise direction in the figure due to its own weight. When a transport failure of the recording paper 5 occurs, the user performs an operation to open the rear cover 86 of the image forming apparatus 1 as shown in FIG. 9, and by visually observing the first guide member 80 that rotates and moves in the direction to open the main transport path 84, the user understands that the first guide member 80 is a member that can rotate in the counterclockwise direction.

[0087] At a position opposite the first guide member 80 across the main transport path 84, there is provided a third guide member 81 which forms the first paper feed transport path 52, the second paper feed transport path 53 and the fourth paper feed transport path 55, as shown in FIG. 3.

[0088] 4 and 8, the third guide member 81 functions as a conveying device main body constituting a main part of the conveying device 50. The third guide member 81 has a lower end 814 formed in a frame shape protruding toward the rear side, and an upper end 815 formed in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped frame shape facing upward. One end 816 along the longitudinal direction of the third guide member 81 constitutes a side wall protruding toward the main conveying path 84 side.

[0089] The third guide member 81 is provided with a sending device housing section 817 that houses the sending device 32 of the paper feeder 30 on the rear side of the lower end section 814. Also, as shown in FIG. 3, the third guide member 81 is provided with an opposing plate section 818 that forms the main transport path 84 and the first paper feed transport path 52 on the side surface facing the first guide member 80. As shown in FIG. 8, the opposing plate section 818 is formed in a substantially rectangular flat plate shape that is elongated along the longitudinal direction of the third guide member 81. A plurality of ribs 819, 819... that guide the surface of the recording paper 5 are formed along the vertical direction on the opposing plate section 818 of the third guide member 81. The ribs 819, 819... of the third guide member 81 face the ribs 802, 802... of the first guide member 80 except for a part of the lower end section, thereby forming a part of the main transport path 84. The lower ends of the ribs 819 , 819 . . . of the third guide member 81 face an upper edge 833 of the fourth guide member 83 , thereby forming the leading end of the first paper feed transport path 52 .

[0090] A fourth guide member 82 is attached to the upper part of the third guide member 81. As shown in FIG. 3, the fourth guide member 82 includes a path forming plate 821 having a tip portion 821a formed in a short flat plate shape so as to face the upper edge of the first guide member 81, an intermediate portion 821b arranged so as to be inclined diagonally downward from the lower end of the tip portion 821a, and a base portion 821c arranged along the horizontal direction from the lower end of the intermediate portion 821b. A second conveying path 53 is formed between the path forming plate 821 of the fourth guide member 82 and an upper end edge 817 of the lower end portion 814 of the third guide member 81. A guide plate 822 as an example of a film-like member made of a Mylar film or the like that guides the recording paper 5 to the nip portion of the paper conveying roll pair 51 is attached to the tip portion 821a of the path forming plate 821 in a state in which the inclination angle with respect to the vertical direction is small and nearly vertical. Therefore, the guide plate 822 made of Mylar film or the like can guide the leading edge of the recording paper 5 transported from the third transport path 54, which has a relatively large curvature angle with respect to the vertical direction, to the nip portion of the paper transport roll pair 51 without causing damage due to collision of the recording paper 5.

[0091] To explain further, if the guide plate 822 made of Mylar film or the like is positioned at a large angle with respect to the vertical direction, there is a risk that the leading edge of the recording paper 5 transported from the third paper feed transport path 54, which has a relatively large curvature angle with respect to the vertical direction, will collide with the guide plate 822 and be damaged.

[0092] Furthermore, left and right support members 87, 88 are attached to the upper portion of the fourth guide member 82, as shown in Figs. 4 and 8, for rotatably supporting both ends of the paper transport roll pair 51 along the axial direction.

[0093] A fifth guide member 83 is attached to the lower end of the third guide member 81 at a position facing the main transport path 84. The fifth guide member 83 is formed in a substantially right-angled triangular shape in cross section. A vertical plate portion 831 is provided on the side of the fifth guide member 83, which faces the first guide member 80 to form the main transport path 84 and the fourth paper feed transport path 55. A plurality of ribs 832, 832... are formed along the vertical direction on the surface of the vertical plate portion 831 to guide the surface of the recording paper 5. A passage forming portion 833 is provided on the upper end of the third guide member 81, which is curved downwardly in a convex shape and forms the first paper feed transport path 52 between the third guide member 81 and the passage forming portion 833. A side wall 834 is integrally provided at one end along the longitudinal direction of the fifth guide member 83, which is arranged to face the side wall 816 of the first guide member 81, as shown in FIG. 8.

[0094] <Transport device operation> In the image forming apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment, the rotation fulcrum of the guide means for guiding the recording medium to the conveying means is positioned upstream along the conveying direction of the recording medium, so that even if the conveying device is made smaller, it is possible to avoid interference between the guide member and the conveying means when the guide means is rotated in a direction to open the conveying path, as compared to when the rotation fulcrum of the guide means for guiding the recording medium to the conveying means is positioned upstream along the conveying direction of the recording medium, as follows.

[0095] That is, in the image forming apparatus 1 according to this embodiment 1, as shown in FIG. 1, when a transport problem such as a paper jam occurs in the recording paper 5 fed from the paper feeder 30 or the like on the upstream side of the paper transport roll pair 51 along the transport direction of the recording paper 5, the actuator 90 of the paper sensor detects the transport problem of the recording paper 5.

[0096] The control device 100 stops the image forming operation when it detects a transport failure of the recording paper 5. Then, when the control device 100 determines based on a signal from the paper sensor that the location where the transport failure of the recording paper 5 has occurred is on the upstream side of the paper transport roll pair 51, it displays on the display panel 103 or the printer driver a message indicating that a transport failure of the recording paper 5 has occurred and prompting the user to open the rear cover 86.

[0097] 9, the user opens the rear cover 86 of the image forming apparatus 1. When the user opens the rear cover 86 of the device body 1a of the image forming apparatus 1, the pressing state of the leaf spring portion 812 of the first guide member 80 by the pressing portion 861 of the rear cover 86 is released. Therefore, as shown in the figure, the first guide member 80 rotates counterclockwise by a small angle due to its own weight.

[0098] Thereafter, the user places his / her finger on finger hook portion 811 of first guide member 80 and rotates first guide member 80 counterclockwise around rotation fulcrum 809, thereby exposing main transport path 84 to the outside, as shown in Figures 4 and 8. Then, the user removes recording paper 5 with poor transport from main transport path 84 exposed to the outside, and then rotates first guide member 80 clockwise to return it to its original state.

[0099] Thereafter, the user closes the rear cover 86 of the image forming apparatus 1. When the rear cover 86 of the image forming apparatus 1 is closed, as shown in Fig. 1, the pressing portion 861 of the rear cover 86 presses the leaf spring portion 812 of the first guide member 80, and the positioning portion 810 provided at the lower end portion of the first guide member 80 abuts against the frame portion 1b of the apparatus main body 1a, thereby positioning the first guide member 80 at the operating position.

[0100] In the first embodiment, the first guide member 80 is attached so as to be rotatable about a rotation fulcrum 809 provided at the upper end portion thereof.

[0101] Therefore, compared to conventional image forming devices in which the first guide member 80 is mounted rotatably around a rotation fulcrum provided at its lower end, even when the upper end of the first guide member 80 is positioned close to the paper transport roll pair 51 to reduce the size of the transport device 50, it is possible to prevent the first guide member 80 from interfering with the paper transport roll pair 51 and the second guide member 85 positioned in the vicinity thereof, as shown in Figures 4 and 10.

[0102] To explain further, when the first guide member 80' is attached rotatably around a rotation fulcrum (not shown) provided at its lower end as in the conventional image forming apparatus, the first guide member 80' rotates around the rotation fulcrum at its lower end as shown in FIG. 11, so that the upper end of the first guide member 80, i.e., the portion located near the paper transport roll pair 51, moves in a large arc to open the main transport path 84. Therefore, in order to prevent the first guide member 80 from interfering with the paper transport roll pair 51 and the second guide member 85 arranged in the vicinity thereof, etc., it is necessary to provide a relatively large gap between the first guide member 80 and the paper transport roll pair 51 and the second guide member 85" arranged in the vicinity thereof, etc., which results in an increase in size of the transport device 50 and the image forming apparatus 1.

[0103] In contrast, in the case of the image forming apparatus 1 to which the conveying device 50 according to the first embodiment is applied, as shown in Figures 4, 5 and 10, the first guide member 80 is attached so as to be rotatable about a rotation fulcrum 809 provided at its upper end, i.e., the end on the side of the paper transport roll pair 51. Therefore, the first guide member 80 only needs to be provided so as to be rotatable about the rotation fulcrum 809 provided at the end on the side of the paper transport roll pair 51, and the area over which the first guide member 80 moves when rotating is an extremely small area, and it is possible to arrange the upper end of the first guide member 80 close to the paper feed transport roll pair 51 and the second guide member 85 arranged in the vicinity thereof, etc.

[0104] Therefore, in order to prevent the first guide member 1 from interfering with the paper transport roll pair 51 and the second guide member 85 arranged in the vicinity thereof, etc., there is no need to provide a relatively large gap between the first guide member 1 and the paper transport roll pair 51 and the second guide member 85 arranged in the vicinity thereof, etc., making it possible to miniaturize the transport device 50 and ultimately the image forming device 1.

[0105] In the above embodiment, the image forming apparatus is described as being applied to a full-color image forming apparatus, but the present invention is not limited to this and can of course be applied to a monochrome image forming apparatus as well.

[0106] In addition, in the above embodiment, the image forming apparatus is described as being applied to an image forming apparatus that forms images by an electrophotographic method, but this is not limited to this, and it is of course also applicable to apparatuses that form images by an inkjet method or other methods.

[0107] In addition, in the above embodiment, reference was made to miniaturizing the image forming device. Although this invention is a technology that is particularly effective for small image forming devices, it goes without saying that a small image forming device is not a requirement for applying this invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0108] 1...Image forming device 1a…Device body 50...Transportation device 51...Paper transport roll pair 52...First conveying path 53...Second transport route 54…Third transport route 55…Fourth transport route 80...first guide member 809…Rotational fulcrum 81...Third guide member 82...fourth guide member 83...Fifth guide member

Claims

1. A conveying means for conveying the recording medium while aligning the leading edge of the recording medium; a guide means arranged on the upstream side of the conveying means in the conveying direction and guiding the recording medium along a conveying path to the conveying means, the guide means being rotatable in a direction to open the conveying path with the downstream side of the conveying means in the conveying direction as a fulcrum; Equipped with The guiding means is arranged along the vertical direction and is positioned in an operating position by applying a force to its lower end against a positioning portion, and the center of gravity is set so that when the force is released, a rotational moment acts about the fulcrum in a direction to open the conveying path.

2. A conveying means for conveying the recording medium while aligning the leading edge of the recording medium; a guide means arranged upstream in the conveying direction of the conveying means and guiding the recording medium along a conveying path to the conveying means, the guide means moving from an end portion on the conveying means side to an end portion on the opposite side to the conveying means so as to open the conveying path; Equipped with The guiding means is arranged along the vertical direction and is positioned in an operating position by applying a force to its lower end against a positioning portion, and the center of gravity is set so that when the force is released, a rotational moment acts in a direction opening the conveying path around the end on the conveying means side.

3. 2. The conveying device according to claim 1, wherein the fulcrum of the guide means is a downstream end along the conveying direction of the conveying means, and is set at a position away from the conveying path from the center of gravity position along a direction intersecting both the vertical direction and the surface of the recording medium.

4. 4. The transport device according to claim 3, wherein the position at which the abutting force acts on the guiding means is farther from the fulcrum than the position at which the recording medium transported along the transport path abuts against the guiding means.

5. a second guide means arranged on the conveying means side of the guide means and configured to guide the recording medium to the conveying means; The guide means includes a first guide member, The second guide means includes a second guide member, 5. The transport device according to claim 1, wherein a transport path different from the transport path is defined by a lower edge of the second guide member and an upper edge of the first guide member.

6. 6. The conveying apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the guide means moves in a direction away from the second guide means.

7. 7. The conveying device according to claim 1, further comprising a film-like member for guiding the recording medium to a nip portion of the conveying means.

8. The transport path includes a first transport path for transporting the recording medium from a storage unit that stores the recording medium; a second conveying path for conveying the recording medium from a manual feed unit that manually feeds the recording medium; a third transport path for transporting the recording medium that has been inverted; The conveying device according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising:

9. 9. The transport device according to claim 8, wherein the transport paths are arranged adjacent to the transport means in the order of the third transport path, the second transport path, and the first transport path.

10. 9. The conveying device according to claim 8, wherein the third conveying path is disposed on an opposite side of the guiding means to the first and second conveying paths.

11. an image forming means for forming an image on a recording medium; a conveying device that conveys the recording medium toward the image forming means; Equipped with 11. An image forming apparatus, comprising: a conveying device according to claim 1;

Images