SHEET STOPPER AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS

Abstract

To provide a sheet stopper which allows a sheet to be pulled out without difficulty from the upstream side in a sheet conveying direction, and an image forming device equipped with the same.SOLUTION: A sheet stopper 8 which is rotatably disposed and blocks a sheet conveyed on a sheet guide 7 comprises a base end part 80, a tip part 81 connected to the tip of the base end part 80, and an articulation mechanism 82 for bendably connecting the tip part 81 to the base end part 80. The sheet stopper can be transited between a first posture and a second posture where the base end part 80 and the tip part 81 are integrally rotated to the downstream side in a sheet conveying direction F to allow passage of the sheet. When a user pulls out a sheet from the upstream side in the sheet conveying direction F, the sheet stopper can be transited from the second posture to a third posture where the tip part 81 is bent to the upstream side in the sheet conveying direction F with respect to the base end part 80 to allow the sheet to be pulled out. In a process of transiting from the second posture to the third posture, a tip edge 81a of the tip part 81 is located on the outside surface of the sheet guide 7 or is located apart from the outside surface.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical field]

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

[0002] In image forming apparatuses such as copiers, multifunction machines, printers, and facsimile machines, a sheet stopper that blocks the passage of a sheet is generally used. The sheet stopper is provided, for example, on the upstream side in the sheet conveying direction with respect to a supply roller or the like that sends the sheet to a sheet conveying path. Conventionally, as a sheet stopper, one that can transition between a first position that blocks the sheet and a second position that rotates to the downstream side in the sheet conveying direction to allow the sheet to pass through is known (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2). In addition to such a sheet stopper, a sheet guide (corresponding to conveying guide 52 in Patent Document 1 and guide wall portion 341A in Patent Document 2) that guides the sheet to the supply roller or the like is used in combination. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2010-132383 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2018-150134 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Incidentally, if a so-called "sheet jam" occurs during sheet transport, in which normal transport of the sheet is hindered due to some influence (for example, the sheet getting caught on other parts in the transport path), it may be envisaged that the sheet will be pulled out from the upstream side in the sheet transport direction in order to clear the sheet jam.

[0005] 7 and 8, however, the leading end 92 of the conventional sheet stopper 91 can slip below the outer surface of the sheet guide 90, and therefore, even if an attempt is made to pull out a sheet from the upstream side of the sheet conveying direction F, the sheet becomes entangled in a zigzag shape between the leading end 92 of the sheet stopper 91 and the sheet guide 90, making it difficult to pull out the sheet. Even if the sheet can be pulled out from the upstream side of the sheet conveying direction F, there is a problem in that the sheet is damaged by contact with the leading end 92 of the sheet stopper 91, and pieces of the sheet are left behind in the image forming apparatus due to the damage.

[0006] The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned conventional problems, and aims to provide a sheet stopper that can effortlessly pull out a sheet from the upstream side in the sheet transport direction, and an image forming apparatus equipped with the same. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to achieve the above object, The first aspect The sheet stopper is rotatably provided and blocks a sheet transported on a sheet guide, and includes a base end on a rotation fulcrum side, a tip end connected to the tip of the base end, and a center-folding mechanism connecting the tip end to the base end in a bendable manner. The sheet stopper is capable of transitioning between a first position in which the base end and the tip end block the sheet together, and a second position in which the base end and the tip end are rotated together to the downstream side in the transport direction of the sheet to allow the sheet to pass when the sheet is transported. When a user pulls out the sheet from the upstream side in the transport direction of the sheet, the sheet stopper is capable of transitioning from the second position to a third position in which the tip end is bent to the upstream side in the transport direction of the sheet relative to the base end to allow the sheet to be pulled out. In the process of transitioning from the second position to the third position, a tip edge of the tip end is located on an outer surface of the sheet guide or is located away from the outer surface. When a user pulls out the sheet from the upstream side in the sheet conveying direction, the leading end portion is bent from the first position to the upstream side in the sheet conveying direction with respect to the base end portion to transition to a fourth position in which the sheet is allowed to be pulled out. It is characterized by the above. A sheet stopper according to a second aspect of the present application is a sheet stopper that is rotatably provided to block a sheet transported on a sheet guide, and includes a base end portion on a pivot point side, a tip portion connected to the tip of the base end portion, and a center-folding mechanism that connects the tip portion to the base end portion in a bendable manner. The sheet stopper is capable of transitioning between a first position in which the base end portion and the tip portion work together to block the sheet, and a second position in which the base end portion and the tip portion work together to rotate downstream in the transport direction of the sheet when the sheet is transported, thereby allowing the sheet to pass, and when a user pulls out the sheet from the upstream side of the transport direction of the sheet, the tip portion moves from the second position to the base end portion. and in the process of transitioning from the second position to the third position, a leading edge of the leading portion is located on an outer surface of the sheet guide or is located away from the outer surface, and when a user pulls out the sheet diagonally upward from the upstream side of the sheet transport direction, the base end is further rotated about the pivot point to the downstream side of the sheet transport direction, and the leading portion is bent upstream of the base end in the sheet transport direction to allow the sheet to be pulled out.

[0008] The sheet stopper may transition to the first position by its own weight.

[0009] In the sheet stopper, the center-folding mechanism may be formed of a connecting portion that rotatably connects the tip end portion to the base end portion.

[0010] In addition, the sheet stopper may be capable of transitioning from the first position to a fourth position in which, when a user pulls out the sheet from the upstream side of the sheet transport direction, the tip end is bent toward the upstream side of the sheet transport direction relative to the base end to allow the sheet to be pulled out.

[0011] In addition, when a user pulls out the sheet diagonally upward from the upstream side of the sheet transport direction, the sheet stopper may be capable of transitioning from the second or third position to a fifth position in which the base end is further rotated about the pivot point to the downstream side of the sheet transport direction, and the tip end is bent toward the upstream side of the sheet transport direction relative to the base end to allow the sheet to be pulled out.

[0012] The image forming apparatus described in the present application is The first aspect or the second aspect The sheet stopper is provided. Effect of the Invention

[0013] According to the present invention, the sheet can be pulled out smoothly from the upstream side in the sheet transport direction. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a configuration of an image forming apparatus according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 2] 4 is a partially cutaway front view of the sheet stopper in a first position as viewed from the front. FIG. [Diagram 3]13 is a partially cutaway front view showing a state in which a tip portion of the sheet stopper is bent toward the downstream side in the sheet conveying direction in the second position, as viewed from the front. FIG. [Figure 4] 13 is a partially cutaway front view showing a state in which a tip portion of the sheet stopper is bent toward the upstream side in the sheet conveying direction in the third position, as viewed from the front. FIG. [Diagram 5] 13 is a partially cutaway front view showing a state in which a tip portion of the sheet stopper is bent toward the upstream side in the sheet conveying direction in the fourth position, as viewed from the front. FIG. [Figure 6] 13 is a partially cutaway front view of the sheet stopper in a fifth position as viewed from the front. FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 11 is a partially cutaway front view showing an example of a conventional sheet stopper. [Figure 8] 8 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an enlarged view of a tip portion of the sheet stopper in FIG. 7 and its periphery. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0015] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the same components in the embodiments described below are designated by the same reference numerals, and redundant descriptions of those components will be omitted.

[0016] (Embodiment 1) -Overall configuration of image forming apparatus- First, the overall configuration of the image forming apparatus A in the first embodiment will be described.

[0017] FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the configuration of an image forming apparatus A in the first embodiment. In the figure, the symbol X indicates the width direction (depth direction), with the -X direction (negative X direction) being the front direction and the +X direction (positive X direction) being the rear direction. The symbol Y indicates the left-right direction Y perpendicular to the width direction X, with the -Y direction (negative Y direction) being the left direction and the +Y direction (positive Y direction) being the right direction. The symbol Z indicates the up-down direction, with the -Z direction (negative Z direction) being the down direction and the +Z direction (positive Z direction) being the up direction. These settings are the same in the following embodiments.

[0018] The image forming apparatus A is an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, and is an intermediate transfer type color multifunction machine capable of printing full color images. The image forming apparatus A includes an image reading unit 1 and an image forming apparatus main body B (see FIG. 1). In this embodiment, the image forming apparatus A uses toners of the colors yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C) and black (K) for printing.

[0019] The image reading unit 1 reads an image from a document, and is provided on the upper part of the image forming apparatus A. The image reading unit 1 has a document reading device 10, a document placement table 11, and an automatic document processing device 12 (see FIG. 1).

[0020] The document reading device 10 irradiates a document with light and reads an image from the document based on the reflected light. The document placement table 11 is a portion on which a document is placed by a user, and is provided above the document reading device 10. The document placement table 11 is made of transparent glass. The automatic document processing device 12 is provided above the document placement table 11, and automatically and continuously transports documents inserted by a user to the document reading device 10. The image of the document is read by the document reading device 10 while the document is placed on the document placement table 11 or while the document is transported to the document reading device 10 by the automatic document processing device 12.

[0021] The image forming apparatus main body B has an image forming section 2, an intermediate transfer body 3, a secondary transfer section 40, a fixing device 41, a manual feed tray 42, a sheet storage section 43, a sheet roller group 5, and a sheet discharge section 50 (see FIG. 1). The image forming apparatus A is provided with a sheet transport path S along which sheets are transported.

[0022] The image forming section 2 forms a toner image of each color based on image data, and includes an exposure device 20, a developing device 21, an image carrier 22, a charger 23, and a cleaning unit 24 (see FIG. 1).

[0023] The exposure device 20 exposes the surface of the image carrier 22, which has been charged by the charger 23, to light corresponding to each color, thereby forming an electrostatic latent image corresponding to each color on the image carrier 22. The development device 21 visualizes (makes visible) the electrostatic latent image formed on the surface of each image carrier 22 with toner of each color (Y, M, C, K) supplied from the toner cartridge T to form a toner image. The image carrier 22, on whose surface an electrostatic latent image is formed, is driven to rotate in a predetermined direction by driving a main motor (not shown). The toner image visualized on the image carrier 22 is conveyed to the intermediate transfer body 3 by the rotational drive of the image carrier 22. The charger 23 uniformly charges the surface of the image carrier 22 to a predetermined potential. The cleaning unit 24 removes and collects toner remaining on the surface of the image carrier 22 after development and image transfer. A series of operations according to the above configuration allows a toner image of each color to be formed on the surface of each image carrier 22.

[0024] The intermediate transfer body 3 is used for the primary transfer, and is disposed above the image carrier 22. Here, "primary transfer" refers to the transfer of the toner images of each color formed on the image carrier 22 onto the intermediate transfer belt 30. The intermediate transfer body 3 has the intermediate transfer belt 30, a driving roller 31, a driven roller 32, and a primary transfer roller 33 (see FIG. 1).

[0025] The intermediate transfer belt 30 is an endless belt that rotates in a predetermined direction, and is suspended between a drive roller 31 and a driven roller 32. The toner images of each color visualized on the image carrier 22 are transferred to the intermediate transfer belt 30 in a superimposed manner, and are conveyed to the secondary transfer section 40 by the rotation of the intermediate transfer belt 30. The drive roller 31 is a roller that is driven to rotate in a predetermined direction by the drive of a belt motor (not shown), and is provided on one end side of the intermediate transfer body 3. The intermediate transfer belt 30 is rotated by the rotation of the drive roller 31. The driven roller 32 is a roller that is rotatably provided along the intermediate transfer belt 30. The driven roller 32 is rotated according to the rotation of the intermediate transfer belt 30. The primary transfer rollers 33 are arranged in a row so as to correspond to the image carrier 22 via the intermediate transfer belt 30. A transfer bias is applied to the primary transfer roller 33, so that the toner image of the image carrier 22 is transferred to the intermediate transfer belt 30.

[0026] The secondary transfer unit 40 is used for secondary transfer and is disposed on the sheet transport path S. Here, the term "secondary transfer" refers to the transfer of the toner images of each color transferred onto the intermediate transfer belt 30 onto a sheet.

[0027] The fixing device 41 fixes the toner image onto the sheet by heating and melting the toner image that has been secondarily transferred onto the sheet and fixing it onto the sheet, and is provided downstream of the secondary transfer section 40 on the sheet transport path S.

[0028] Manual feed tray 42 is capable of placing sheets to be fed to image forming apparatus body B of image forming apparatus A, and is attached so as to be rotatable and openable relative to image forming apparatus body B. In this specification, "rotation" includes movement in forward and reverse directions around a certain axis, and rotation around a certain axis.

[0029] When the manual feed tray 42 is opened, a sheet supply port 420 is formed. A sheet supply device 6 is provided on the base end side of the manual feed tray 42, which sends out sheets from the manual feed tray 42 to the sheet transport path S through the sheet supply port 420. The sheet supply device 6 has a pickup roller (not shown) that picks out the top sheet among the sheets placed on the manual feed tray 42, a supply roller 61 that sends the top sheet picked out by the pickup roller to the sheet transport path S, and a separation roller 62 that forms a nip portion 63 with the supply roller 61.

[0030] The sheet storage section 43 is capable of storing sheets to be supplied to the image forming apparatus main body B, and is disposed at the bottom of the image forming apparatus A.

[0031] The sheet roller group 5 includes a pickup roller 5a, conveying rollers 5b to 5e, and a registration roller 5f. The pickup roller 5a pulls out the top sheet of the sheets in the sheet storage unit 43 and supplies it to the sheet conveying path S. The conveying rollers 5b to 5e convey the sheet along the sheet conveying path S. The registration roller 5f temporarily stops the sheet conveyed from the sheet storage unit 43 and aligns the leading edge of the sheet. Each of the sheet rollers 5 is rotated by a motor (not shown).

[0032] The sheet discharge section 50 is provided on the upper part of the image forming apparatus A, and is used to load and pull out printed sheets face down.

[0033] The image forming apparatus A performs printing on a sheet as follows. First, the image forming unit 2 forms a toner image based on image data generated by the image reading unit 1 or supplied from an external device. The primary transfer roller 33 performs primary transfer of the toner image onto the intermediate transfer belt 30 of the intermediate transfer body 3. During this time, the pickup roller 5a pulls out the sheet from the sheet storage unit 43, the conveying roller 5b conveys the sheet to the registration roller 5f, and the registration roller 5f conveys the sheet to the secondary transfer unit 40. Next, the secondary transfer unit 40 performs secondary transfer of the toner image primarily transferred onto the intermediate transfer belt 30 onto the sheet. The fixing device 41 fixes the toner image secondarily transferred onto the sheet. Thereafter, the conveying roller 5e conveys the sheet and discharges it onto the sheet discharge unit 50, completing the printing on the sheet.

[0034] -Sheet stopper- FIG. 2 is a partially cutaway front view of the sheet stopper 8 in the first position as viewed from the front.

[0035] A sheet guide 7 that guides a sheet to a nip portion 63 between the supply roller 61 and the separation roller 62, and a sheet stopper 8 that blocks the sheet transported on the sheet guide 7 are provided upstream of the supply roller 61 and the separation roller 62 of the sheet supply device 6 of the image forming apparatus A described above in the sheet transport direction F (see FIG. 2). In this embodiment, the sheet stoppers 8 are provided on both sides of the sheet supply device 6. The sheet supply device 6 described above further includes a stopper 64 that can restrict the rotation of the sheet stopper 8. The sheet guide 7 and the sheet stopper 8 will be described in detail below.

[0036] The sheet guide 7 is formed to have a smooth upward incline from the outer surface of the lift plate 42a that supports the sheets from the bottom surface in the manual feed tray 42 to the nip portion 63 (see FIG. 2). Specifically, the sheet guide 7 has an upstream portion 70 on the manual feed tray 42 side, a downstream portion 71 on the nip portion 63 side, and an inclined portion 72 connecting the upstream portion 70 and the downstream portion 71. The sheet guide 7 has a slit (not shown) along the sheet conveying direction F, into which the sheet stopper 8 can be loosely inserted.

[0037] The sheet stopper 8 is provided rotatably in the R direction around a rotation fulcrum δ that is supported by a frame (not shown). Hereinafter, the rotation direction of the sheet stopper 8 (specifically, the base end 80) toward the downstream side of the sheet conveying direction F, i.e., toward the supply roller 61 and separation roller 62, is defined as the +R direction, and the rotation direction of the sheet stopper 8 (specifically, the base end 80) toward the upstream side of the sheet conveying direction F, i.e., in the direction away from the supply roller 61 and separation roller 62, is defined as the -R direction.

[0038] The sheet stopper 8 includes a base end 80 on the side of the pivot fulcrum δ, a tip end 81 connected to the tip of the base end 80, and a center-folding mechanism 82 that connects the tip end 81 to the base end 80 so that the tip end 81 can be bent in the Q direction (see FIG. 2). Hereinafter, the bending direction of the tip end 81 toward the downstream side of the sheet conveying direction F, i.e., toward the supply roller 61 and separation roller 62, is defined as the +Q direction, and the bending direction of the tip end 81 toward the upstream side of the sheet conveying direction F, i.e., the direction away from the supply roller 61 and separation roller 62, is defined as the -Q direction.

[0039] The base end 80 is provided with an engaged portion 800 with which the stopper 64 of the sheet supplying device 6 can be engaged, and a contacted portion 801 with which the tip end 81 can be contacted (see FIG. 2).

[0040] The engaged portion 800 is formed in a generally hook-like shape protruding on the opposite side of the pivot point δ relative to the tip portion 81. The engaged portion 800 of the base end 80 is engaged with the stopper 64 of the sheet supply device 6, thereby restricting the rotation of the base end 80. On the other hand, the engaged portion 800 of the base end 80 is released from the engagement with the stopper 64 of the sheet supply device 6, thereby releasing the restriction on the rotation of the base end 80. In other words, the rotation of the base end 80 is restricted in conjunction with the operation of the stopper 64 of the sheet supply device 6, and the restriction is also released.

[0041] The contact portion 801 is formed in the shape of a protrusion on the side surface close to the tip portion 81 .

[0042] The tip portion 81 is formed so as to taper from the base end portion 80 toward the tip. The tip portion 81 is provided so as to hang down under its own weight toward the upstream side portion 70 of the sheet guide 7. The tip portion 81 is provided with an abutting portion 810 that can abut against the abutted portion 801 of the base end portion 80 in the bending direction +Q.

[0043] In this embodiment, the center-bending mechanism 82 is composed of a connecting member 83 that rotatably connects the tip end 81 to the base end 80 (see FIG. 2). The connecting member 83 is formed, for example, in a pin shape that protrudes from one side surface of the base end 80 and is provided so as to penetrate a connecting hole (not shown) of the tip end 81. By using such a connecting member 83, the center-bending mechanism 82 that connects the tip end 81 to the base end 80 in a bendable manner can be easily realized.

[0044] Fig. 3 is a partially cutaway front view showing a state in which the tip 81 of the sheet stopper 8 is bent toward the downstream side in the sheet transport direction F in the second position, as viewed from the front. Fig. 4 is a partially cutaway front view showing a state in which the tip 81 of the sheet stopper 8 is bent toward the upstream side in the sheet transport direction F in the third position, as viewed from the front. In Fig. 4, the two-dot chain line indicates the outline of the sheet stopper 8 in Fig. 2.

[0045] The sheet stopper 8 described above can be transitioned between a first position in which the base end 80 and the tip end 81 are integrally arranged to block a sheet placed on the manual feed tray 42, and a second position in which the base end 80 and the tip end 81 are integrally rotated to the downstream side of the sheet conveying direction F to allow the sheet to pass when the sheet is conveyed. In addition, when a user pulls out a sheet from the upstream side of the sheet conveying direction F, the sheet stopper 8 can be transitioned from the second position to a third position in which the tip end 81 is bent from the base end 80 to the upstream side of the sheet conveying direction F to allow the sheet to be pulled out. The first to third positions will be described below.

[0046] 2, in the first position, the base end 80 of the sheet stopper 8 is engaged with the stopper 64 of the sheet feeder 6 at the engaged portion 800, and the rotation of the sheet stopper 8 is restricted. The tip end 81 hangs down toward the upstream portion 70 of the sheet guide 7 by its own weight, and is loosely inserted into a slit (not shown) of the sheet guide 7. The tip end 81 is in contact with the contact portion 801 of the base end 80 at the contact portion 810, and the folding of the sheet toward the downstream side (+Q direction) of the conveying direction F is restricted. In this way, in the first position, the base end 80 and the tip end 81 of the sheet stopper 8 are integrally arranged to block the sheet placed on the manual feed tray 42.

[0047] 3, in the second position, the base end 80 of the sheet stopper 8 is released from engagement with the stopper 64 of the sheet feeder 6 and is in a rotatable state. In addition, the tip end 81 is pressed toward the downstream side (+Q direction) of the sheet conveying direction F from the sheet pulled out and conveyed by a pickup roller (not shown) of the sheet feeder 6, and the abutting portion 810 abuts against the abutted portion 801 of the base end 80. Furthermore, the base end 80 and the tip end 81 are rotated together toward the downstream side (+R direction) of the sheet conveying direction F by the pressure from the sheet. In this way, in the second position, the sheet stopper 8 allows the passage of the sheet placed on the manual feed tray 42.

[0048] The transition of the sheet stopper 8 from the second position to the first position is achieved by first causing the tip portion 81 of the sheet stopper 8 to hang down toward the upstream portion 70 of the sheet guide 7 under its own weight, and then restricting the rotation of the base end portion 80 by the stopper 64 of the sheet feeder 6. In other words, in this embodiment, the sheet stopper 8 transitions to the first position under its own weight. This allows the sheet stopper 8 to transition to the first position with a simple structure, reduces the cost of the sheet stopper 8, and makes it easy to assemble.

[0049] On the other hand, the transition of the sheet stopper 8 from the first position to the second position described above is achieved by releasing the restriction on the rotation of the base end 80 by the stopper 64 of the sheet supplying device 6 and transporting the sheet in the sheet transport direction F by the sheet supplying device 6.

[0050] 4, in the third position, the base end 80 of the sheet stopper 8 is in a rotatable state as in the second position. Also, the tip end 81 is bent by the folding mechanism 82 toward the manual feed tray 42 side, i.e., toward the upstream side (-Q direction) of the sheet transport direction F, in accordance with the movement of the sheet pulled by the user from the upstream side of the sheet transport direction F along the pull-out direction G opposite to the sheet transport direction F. In this way, in the third position, the sheet stopper 8 allows the sheet to be pulled out from the upstream side of the sheet transport direction F.

[0051] The transition of the sheet stopper 8 from the second position to the third position is achieved by the user pulling the sheet along the pull-out direction G from the upstream side of the conveyance direction F of the sheet.

[0052] 3 and 4, in the process of transition from the second position to the third position, the leading edge 81a of the leading end 81 is positioned away from the sheet guide 7. In other words, the movement trajectory P of the leading edge 81a of the leading end 81 in the process of transition from the second position to the third position is positioned away from the sheet guide 7. As a result, a clearance is secured between the leading end of the sheet stopper 8 and the sheet guide 7 on the sheet pull-out path toward the upstream side in the sheet conveying direction F, so that the sheet can be pulled out smoothly from the upstream side in the sheet conveying direction F.

[0053] Although not shown, in the process of transition from the second position to the third position, the leading edge 81a of the leading end 81 may be located on the outer surface of the sheet guide 7. This allows the sheet to be pulled out in a flatter state compared to a conventional structure in which the leading end 81 may sink below the outer surface of the sheet guide 7, so the above-mentioned effect of being able to pull out the sheet smoothly from the upstream side in the sheet conveying direction F remains unchanged.

[0054] In addition, the restriction of the rotation of the base end 80 or the release of that restriction do not have to be linked to the operation of the stopper 64 of the sheet supply device 6, and a separate configuration may be provided to restrict the rotation of the base end 80 and release the restriction.

[0055] The configuration of the center-tilting mechanism 82 is not limited to the above, and may be, for example, a configuration using gears or the like.

[0056] (Embodiment 2) Hereinafter, the second embodiment will be described only with respect to the points different from the first embodiment.

[0057] 5 is a partially cutaway front view showing a state in which a leading end 81 of the sheet stopper 8 in the fourth position is bent toward the upstream side in the sheet transport direction F. In Fig. 5, the dashed line indicates the outline of the sheet stopper 8 in the first position.

[0058] In embodiment 2, when a user pulls out a sheet from the upstream side of the sheet conveying direction F, the sheet stopper 8 can transition from a first position to a fourth position in which the tip 81 is bent toward the upstream side (-Q direction) of the sheet conveying direction F to allow the sheet to be pulled out.

[0059] 5, in the fourth position, the base end 80 of the sheet stopper 8 is restricted from turning as in the first position. Also, the tip end 81 is bent by the folding mechanism 82 toward the manual feed tray 42 side, i.e., toward the upstream side (-Q direction) of the sheet transport direction F, in accordance with the movement of the sheet pulled by the user from the upstream side of the sheet transport direction F along the pull-out direction G. In this way, in the fourth position, the sheet stopper 8 allows the sheet to be pulled out from the upstream side of the sheet transport direction F.

[0060] The transition of the sheet stopper 8 from the first position to the fourth position is achieved by the user pulling the sheet along the pull-out direction G from the upstream side of the conveying direction F of the sheet.

[0061] As described above, since the sheet stopper 8 can transition from the first position to the fourth position, the sheet can be pulled out from the upstream side of the sheet conveying direction F not only when the sheet stopper 8 is in the second position but also when the sheet stopper 8 is in the first position.

[0062] (Embodiment 3) Hereinafter, the third embodiment will be described only with respect to the points different from the first embodiment.

[0063] FIG. 6 is a partially cutaway front view of the sheet stopper 8 in the fifth position as viewed from the front.

[0064] In embodiment 3, when a user pulls out a sheet diagonally upward from the upstream side of the sheet conveying direction F, the sheet stopper 8 can transition from the second or third position to a fifth position in which the base end 80 is further rotated about the pivot point δ toward the downstream side of the sheet conveying direction F, and the tip end 81 is bent toward the upstream side of the sheet conveying direction F relative to the base end 80 to allow the sheet to be pulled out.

[0065] Specifically, as shown in FIG. 6, in the fifth position, the base end 80 of the sheet stopper 8 is in a rotatable state, similar to the second or third position. The base end 80 is further rotated toward the downstream side (+R direction) of the sheet conveying direction F by receiving an upward pressure from the sheet pulled along the pull-out direction H obliquely upward from the upstream side of the sheet conveying direction F by the user via the tip end 81. Furthermore, the tip end 81 is bent toward the upstream side (-Q direction) of the sheet conveying direction F with respect to the base end 80 by the center bending mechanism 82 by receiving an upward pressure from the sheet pulled along the pull-out direction H. In other words, the tip end 81 is bent in an L-shape with respect to the base end 80. At this time, a clearance CL is formed between the tip end 81 and the sheet guide 7.

[0066] The transition of the sheet stopper 8 from the second or third position to the fifth position is achieved by the user pulling the sheet from the upstream side of the conveying direction F of the sheet along the pull-out direction H.

[0067] As described above, the sheet stopper 8 can transition from the second or third position to the fifth position, and in the fifth position a clearance CL is formed between the tip 81 and the sheet guide 7, so that the sheet can be effortlessly pulled out diagonally upward from the upstream side of the sheet conveying direction F.

[0068] The above-mentioned embodiments and examples are illustrative in all respects and are not intended to be limiting. Therefore, the technical scope of the present invention is not interpreted solely by the above-mentioned embodiments and examples, but is defined based on the claims. In addition, all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims are included. [Explanation of symbols]

[0069] A Image forming device B. Image forming device main body 1 Image reading unit 2 Image forming section 3 Intermediate transfer body 42 Manual feed tray 42a Lifting plate 5 Sheet roller group 6 Sheet Feeder 61 Supply roller 62 Separation roller 63 Nip section 64 Stopper 7 Seat Guide 8 Sheet stopper 80 Proximal end 81 Tip 81a Tip edge 82 Folding mechanism 83 Connecting members 420 Sheet supply port F Conveying direction δ Rotation fulcrum

Claims

1. A sheet stopper that is rotatably provided and blocks a sheet conveyed on the sheet guide, A base end portion on a pivot point side; A tip portion connected to the tip of the base portion; A bending mechanism that bendably connects the tip end portion to the base end portion, the base end portion and the tip portion are capable of transitioning between a first position in which the base end portion and the tip portion integrally block the sheet and a second position in which the base end portion and the tip portion are integrally rotated to a downstream side in a conveying direction of the sheet when the sheet is conveyed, thereby allowing the sheet to pass; when a user pulls out the sheet from the upstream side of the sheet conveyance direction, the tip end portion is bent toward the upstream side of the sheet conveyance direction with respect to the base end portion from the second position to a third position in which the sheet is allowed to be pulled out, During the process of transition from the second posture to the third posture, a leading edge of the leading end portion is located on an outer surface of the sheet guide or is located apart from the outer surface, A sheet stopper characterized in that, when a user pulls out the sheet from the upstream side of the sheet's transport direction, the sheet stopper can transition from the first position to a fourth position in which the tip end is bent toward the upstream side of the sheet's transport direction relative to the base end to allow the sheet to be pulled out.

2. A sheet stopper that is rotatably provided and blocks a sheet being conveyed on a sheet guide, A base end portion on a pivot point side; A tip portion connected to the tip of the base portion; A bending mechanism that bendably connects the tip end portion to the base end portion, the base end portion and the tip portion are capable of transitioning between a first position in which the base end portion and the tip portion integrally block the sheet and a second position in which the base end portion and the tip portion are integrally rotated to a downstream side in a conveying direction of the sheet when the sheet is conveyed, thereby allowing the sheet to pass; when a user pulls out the sheet from the upstream side of the sheet conveyance direction, the tip end portion is bent toward the upstream side of the sheet conveyance direction with respect to the base end portion from the second position to a third position in which the sheet is allowed to be pulled out, During the process of transition from the second posture to the third posture, a leading edge of the leading end portion is located on an outer surface of the sheet guide or is located apart from the outer surface, A sheet stopper characterized in that, when a user pulls out the sheet diagonally upward from the upstream side of the sheet transport direction, the base end is further rotated about the pivot point to the downstream side of the sheet transport direction, and the tip end is bent toward the upstream side of the sheet transport direction relative to the base end to transition to a fifth position to allow the sheet to be pulled out.

3. 3. The sheet stopper according to claim 1, A sheet stopper that transitions to the first position under its own weight.

4. A sheet stopper according to any one of claims 1 to 3, The seat stopper is characterized in that the seat-folding mechanism is composed of a connecting portion that rotatably connects the tip end portion to the base end portion.

5. A sheet stopper according to any one of claims 2 to 4, A sheet stopper characterized in that, when a user pulls out the sheet from the upstream side of the sheet's transport direction, the sheet stopper can transition from the first position to a fourth position in which the tip end is bent toward the upstream side of the sheet's transport direction relative to the base end to allow the sheet to be pulled out.

6. 6. An image forming apparatus comprising the sheet stopper according to claim 1.

Images