SHEET CONVEYING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING SYSTEM INCLUDING THE SAME

Abstract

To provide a sheet conveyance device capable of avoiding interference with a sheet loading tray when opening and closing a conveyance path in a configuration in which the sheet loading tray is provided above a conveyance path, and an image forming system with the sheet conveyance device.SOLUTION: A sheet conveyance device includes a sheet conveyance path, an upper conveyance guide provided on the seat conveyance path and facing the upper surface of a seat, a lower conveyance guide facing the lower surface of the seat, a conveyance member that conveys the sheet along the sheet conveyance path, and a sheet loading tray located above the upper conveyance guide. The upper conveyance guide can rotate vertically with one end side in a sheet conveyance direction or one end side in a sheet width direction orthogonal to the sheet conveyance direction as a rotating shaft. The seat loading tray is movable at least at a part that comes into contact with the upper conveyance guide when it is rotated to a seat receiving position that forms a seat loading surface and a retracting position that is rotated upward from the seat receiving position.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a sheet transport device that transports a sheet and an image forming system including the same. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there is known an image forming apparatus in which an internal discharge space is provided between an image forming unit and an image reading unit arranged above the image forming unit. In the image forming apparatus in which an internal discharge space is provided, paper (sheet) on which an image is formed in the image forming unit is discharged to a tray provided in the internal discharge space.

[0003] When a post-processing device that performs post-processing such as forming punch holes and stapling is attached to an image forming apparatus having an internal discharge space, the post-processing device is mounted outside the internal discharge space, and an intermediate transport unit having a transport path for transporting paper on which an image is formed to the post-processing device is installed in the internal discharge space. On the other hand, when post-processing is not performed on paper on which an image is formed, the paper is discharged to a separate tray provided above the intermediate unit in the internal discharge space.

[0004] As a countermeasure in the event that a paper jam occurs within the relay transport unit, a configuration is known in which the lower transport guide and upper transport guide of the relay transport unit are rotatably connected, as disclosed in Patent Document 1, so that the transport path of the relay transport unit can be opened.

[0005] Patent document 2 discloses an image forming device that has multiple stages of paper output trays and an intermediate paper output section that selectively guides paper output into the internal space to the paper output trays, and that is capable of moving the intermediate paper output section between a guide position that enables paper to be guided to the lower paper output tray and a paper jam processing position. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] JP 2011-195277 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2003-73009 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] In the configurations described in Patent Documents 1 and 2, if a separate tray is fixed above the relay transport unit, the upper transport guide and the separate tray interfere with each other when the upper transport guide of the relay transport unit is rotated to open the sheet transport path. As a result, the upper transport guide cannot be rotated significantly, and there is a problem in that a sufficient jam processing space cannot be secured.

[0008] In consideration of the above problems, the present invention aims to provide a sheet transport device and an image forming system equipped with the same, which are capable of avoiding interference with a sheet stacking tray when opening and closing the transport path in a configuration in which a sheet stacking tray is provided above the transport path. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] In order to achieve the above object, a first configuration of the present invention is a sheet transport device including a sheet transport path, an upper transport guide, a lower transport guide, a transport member, and a sheet stacking tray. A sheet passes through the sheet transport path. The upper transport guide is provided in the sheet transport path and faces an upper surface of the sheet. The lower transport guide is disposed below the upper transport guide and faces a lower surface of the sheet. The transport member transports the sheet along the sheet transport path. The sheet stacking tray is disposed above the upper transport guide and stacks the sheets. The upper transport guide is rotatable up and down around one end side in the sheet transport direction or one end side in the sheet width direction perpendicular to the sheet transport direction as a pivot. At least a portion of the sheet stacking tray that comes into contact with the upper transport guide when it rotates can be moved between a sheet receiving position that forms a sheet stacking surface on which sheets are stacked, and a retracted position rotated upward from the sheet receiving position. Effect of the Invention

[0010] According to the first configuration of the present invention, at least the portion of the sheet stacking tray located directly above the upper transport guide moves from the sheet receiving position to the retracted position, which widens the rotation range of the upper transport guide and makes it possible to widely open the sheet transport path, thereby facilitating the removal of a sheet jammed in the sheet transport path. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an internal configuration of an image forming system 200 including an image forming apparatus 100 according to a first embodiment of the present invention to which an intermediary transport unit 26 is attached. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a front cross-sectional view of the relay transport unit 26 and the separation tray 27 in the image forming apparatus 100 according to the first embodiment; [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 shows a state in which the upper discharge guide 42 has been rotated upward from the state shown in FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 11 is a side view of the internal discharge space 22 of the image forming apparatus 100 according to the second embodiment of the present invention, in which the relay transport unit 26 is installed, viewed from the downstream side in the paper discharge direction. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a state in which the upper relay guide 26a of the relay transport unit 26 has been rotated upward from the state shown in FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 11 is a front cross-sectional view of the relay transport unit 26 and the separate tray 27 in a state where the upper relay guide 26a of the relay transport unit 26 is rotated upward in the image forming apparatus 100 according to the second embodiment; [Figure 7] FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram showing an internal configuration of an image forming system 200 including an intermediary transport unit 26 according to a third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a collection tray 61 and its surroundings provided inside an intermediary transport unit 26 according to a third embodiment; [Figure 9] FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the collection tray 61 and the first bypass transport path 54a of the relay transport unit 26 in the third embodiment, illustrating a state in which the collection tray movable portion 65 is located at a sheet receiving position. [Figure 10]FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the collection tray 61 and the first bypass transport path 54a of the relay transport unit 26 of the third embodiment, illustrating a state in which the collection tray movable part 65 is located at the retreated position. [Figure 11] FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the collection tray 61 and the first bypass transport path 54a of the relay transport unit 26 of the third embodiment, illustrating a state in which the upper transport guide 71 of the first bypass transport path 54a is open. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an internal configuration of an image forming system 200 including an image forming apparatus 100 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Fig. 1, the image forming system 200 includes the image forming apparatus 100, which is an example of a sheet conveying apparatus of the present invention to which a relay conveying unit 26 is attached, and a paper post-processing device 30.

[0013] The image forming apparatus 100 is a so-called internal paper discharge type digital multifunction machine, and is composed of a main housing 20 and an upper housing 21 disposed above the main housing 20. The main housing 20 is composed of a lower housing 20a and a connecting housing 20b that is connected between the lower housing 20a and the upper housing 21 along the right side of FIG. 1. The lower housing 20a is provided with a paper feed section 4, a paper transport section 5 disposed on the side and above the paper feed section 4, an image forming section 6 disposed above the paper feed section 4, and a fixing section 7 disposed downstream of the image forming section 6 in the paper transport direction (right side of FIG. 1). The connecting housing 20b is provided with a paper discharge section for transporting the paper S after fixing and discharging it from the main housing 20.

[0014] The image forming unit 6 forms a predetermined toner image on the paper S by an electrophotographic process. The image forming unit 6 includes a rotatably supported photoconductor drum 10, and a charging device 11, an exposure device 12, a developing device 13, a transfer device 14, a cleaning device 15, and a static eliminator (not shown), which are arranged around the photoconductor drum 10 along the direction of rotation of the photoconductor drum 10.

[0015] An image reading unit 8 that reads image information of an original document is provided inside the upper housing 21. At the top of the upper housing 21, a document transport device 3 is arranged that feeds the original documents one by one onto a contact glass (not shown) provided on the upper surface of the image reading unit 8 when a stack of original documents is automatically read by the image reading unit 8.

[0016] Further, below the upper housing 21 and to the left of the connecting housing 20b, an internal discharge space 22 is formed which is largely open toward the left side surface and the front surface. A relay transport unit 26 which receives the paper S discharged by the first discharge roller pair 18 (conveying member) and transports it to the paper post-processing device 30 is detachably attached to the internal discharge space 22. Further, above the relay transport unit 26, a separate tray 27 is disposed which carries the paper S which is transferred by the second discharge roller pair 19 (conveying member). The configurations of the relay transport unit 26 and the separate tray 27 will be described later.

[0017] The paper post-processing device 30 includes a punch hole forming device 31 that forms punch holes in the paper S that has been conveyed therein, a processing tray 32 that stacks the conveyed paper S, and a stapler 33 that staples the bundle of papers stacked on the processing tray 32. A main tray 34a that can be raised and lowered to a position suitable for discharging the paper S is provided on the side of the paper post-processing device 30.

[0018] The basic operation of the image forming system 200 configured as above will be described below. First, in the image forming apparatus 100, the outer peripheral surface of the photoconductor drum 10 rotating in the counterclockwise direction in Fig. 1 is uniformly charged by the charging device 11. Then, based on image information read by the image reading unit 8, a beam of light from the exposure device 12 is irradiated onto the outer peripheral surface of the photoconductor drum 10, and an electrostatic latent image is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the photoconductor drum 10. A developer (toner) is supplied from the developing device 13 to this electrostatic latent image, so that the electrostatic latent image is developed into a toner image.

[0019] In parallel with the formation of the toner image, the paper S is sent from the paper feed unit 4 to the paper transport path 5 and is stopped temporarily at the pair of registration rollers 9. The paper S stopped at the pair of registration rollers 9 is transported toward the photoconductor drum 10 on which the toner image has been formed at a predetermined timing. Then, the toner image on the outer circumferential surface of the photoconductor drum 10 is transferred to the paper S by a transfer device 14 consisting of a transfer roller or the like. The paper S on which the toner image has been transferred is separated from the photoconductor drum 10 and transported toward the fixing unit 7. As the paper S passes through the fixing unit 7, it is heated and pressurized, and the toner image is fixed onto the paper S.

[0020] After the transfer process of the toner image onto the paper S is completed, the photoconductor drum 10 has residual toner remaining on its outer peripheral surface removed by the cleaning device 15, and then undergoes a discharging process to remove residual charge by a discharging device (not shown). Thereafter, the outer peripheral surface of the photoconductor drum 10 is again charged by the charging device 11, and image formation is performed in the same manner.

[0021] The paper S that has passed through the fixing unit 7 is transported into the connecting housing 20b along a vertical transport path 16 (sheet transport path) that faces vertically upward. The upper part of the vertical transport path 16 branches into a first transport path 23 located at the lower part inside the connecting housing 20b and a second transport path 24 located at the upper part.

[0022] When post-processing of the paper S by the paper post-processing device 30 is performed, the paper S is guided to the first transport path 23 by the first branch guide 17. The paper S guided to the first transport path 23 is discharged to the left from the first discharge roller pair 18 and carried into the relay transport unit 26. The paper S carried into the relay transport unit 26 passes through a relay transport path 35 (see FIG. 2) in the relay transport unit 26 and is carried into the paper post-processing device 30.

[0023] When the paper S is not to be processed by the paper post-processing device 30, the paper S is guided to the second transport path 24 by the first branch guide 17. The paper S guided to the second transport path 24 is discharged leftward from the second discharge roller pair 19 and stacked on a separate tray 27 arranged in the internal discharge space 22. Alternatively, the paper S carried into the relay transport unit 26 may be stacked on a discharge tray 29 (see FIG. 2) on the upper surface of the relay transport unit 26 via a discharge transport path 37 and a third discharge roller pair 40 (both see FIG. 2).

[0024] On the other hand, when printing is performed on both sides of the paper S, the paper S is guided to the second conveying path 24 by the first branch guide 17, and a part of the paper S is once protruded from the second discharge roller pair 19 to the separate tray 27. Next, the second discharge roller pair 19 is rotated in reverse to switch back the paper S. The paper S is guided to the inverted conveying path 25 with the image side inverted, and is conveyed again to the registration roller pair 9. Then, the next image formed on the outer peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum 10 is transferred by the transfer device 14 to the side of the paper S on which no image is formed. After that, the paper S is conveyed to the fixing section 7 and the toner image is fixed, and then the paper S is conveyed to the paper post-processing device 30 via the first discharge roller pair 18 and the relay conveying unit 26, or is discharged to the discharge tray 29. Alternatively, the paper S is discharged to the separate tray 27 via the second discharge roller pair 19.

[0025] Fig. 2 is a front cross-sectional view of the relay transport unit 26 and the separate tray 27 in the image forming apparatus 100 of the first embodiment. The relay transport unit 26 is attached to the bottom of the internal discharge space 22 from the front side of the image forming apparatus 100 main body (the front side of the paper surface in Fig. 1, in a direction parallel to the axial direction of the first discharge roller pair 18). As shown in Fig. 2, the relay transport unit 26 has an upper relay guide 26a facing the upper surface of the paper S to be transported, and a lower relay guide 26b facing the lower surface of the paper S to be transported. A relay transport path 35 is formed between the upper relay guide 26a and the lower relay guide 26b.

[0026] A plurality of relay transport roller pairs 39 are arranged on the relay transport path 35, and transport the paper S carried in from the first discharge roller pair 18 to the paper post-processing device 30 (see FIG. 1) arranged on the downstream side in the transport direction (left side in FIG. 2). The relay transport roller pairs 39 are composed of an upper transport roller 39a rotatably supported by the upper relay guide 26a, and a lower transport roller 39b rotatably supported by the lower relay guide 26b.

[0027] A discharge conveying path 37 branching off from the relay conveying path 35 is formed immediately downstream of the first discharge roller pair 18 in the conveying direction. A third discharge roller pair 40 is disposed at the downstream end of the discharge conveying path 37. A second branch guide 41 is provided at the branch point of the relay conveying path 35 and the discharge conveying path 37. When the paper S is discharged to the discharge tray 29 formed on the upper surface of the relay conveying unit 26, the paper S is guided by the second branch guide 41 to the discharge conveying path 37, and is discharged to the left from the third discharge roller pair 40 and stacked on the discharge tray 29.

[0028] The discharge conveying path 37 is formed by an upper discharge guide 42 facing the upper surface of the paper S, and a lower discharge guide 43 facing the lower surface of the paper S. The upper discharge guide 42 is supported by a first rotating shaft 44 extending in the paper width direction (direction perpendicular to the paper surface of FIG. 2) perpendicular to the conveying direction near the downstream end of the discharge conveying path 37 so as to be rotatable up and down relative to the lower discharge guide 43. Note that, although the first rotating shaft 44 is provided coaxially with the upper discharge roller constituting the third discharge roller pair 40 in this embodiment, the first rotating shaft 44 may be provided at another position.

[0029] A separate tray 27 is disposed above the relay transport unit 26. The separate tray 27 has a main body 27a supported at the rear side of the internal paper discharge space 22, and a movable part 27b connected to the upstream side of the main body 27a in the transport direction (the right side in FIG. 2). The movable part 27b is supported by a second rotation shaft 45 extending in the paper width direction (the direction perpendicular to the paper surface in FIG. 2) so as to be rotatable up and down relative to the main body 27a. The movable part 27b is normally disposed at a position (hereinafter referred to as a sheet receiving position) where it forms a paper stacking surface for stacking paper S together with the main body 27a as shown in FIG. 2.

[0030] Fig. 3 is a diagram showing a state in which the upper discharge guide 42 has been rotated upward from the state in Fig. 2. When a paper jam occurs in the discharge conveying path 37, as shown in Fig. 3, the upper discharge guide 42 is rotated upward to open the discharge conveying path 37 and the paper S is pulled out to the front side of the image forming apparatus 100 (the front side of the paper in Fig. 3) and removed.

[0031] In the image forming apparatus 100 of this embodiment, when the upper discharge guide 42 rotates upward, the movable part 27b of the separate tray 27 located above the upper discharge guide 42 rotates upward together with the upper discharge guide 42, and the movable part 27b moves from the sheet receiving position to a position rotated upward (hereinafter referred to as the retracted position). As a result, the rotation of the upper discharge guide 42 is not restricted by the separate tray 27, and the rotation range of the upper discharge guide 42 becomes large, so that the discharge conveying path 37 can be widely opened. Therefore, the work of removing the paper S jammed in the discharge conveying path 37 can be easily performed.

[0032] In addition, since the first rotation shaft 44 of the upper discharge guide 42 and the second rotation shaft 45 of the movable part 27b of the separate tray 27 both extend in the paper width direction (direction perpendicular to the paper surface of FIG. 2), the upper discharge guide 42 and the movable part 27b rotate in the same direction (paper discharge direction). Therefore, the upward rotation of the upper discharge guide 42 causes the movable part 27b to smoothly rotate upward.

[0033] Furthermore, by providing the second rotating shaft 45 downstream (left side in FIG. 3) of the first rotating shaft 44 in the paper discharge direction (transport direction), the rotation angle of the movable part 27b becomes smaller than that of the upper discharge guide 42. As a result, even in a configuration in which the space above the separate tray 27 is narrow and the rotation range of the movable part 27b cannot be made large, the rotation range of the upper discharge guide 42 can be ensured.

[0034] 4 is a side view of the internal discharge space 22 of the image forming apparatus 100 according to the second embodiment of the present invention, in which the relay transport unit 26 is installed, viewed from the downstream side in the paper discharge direction (the left side in FIG. 1). In this embodiment, the upper relay guide 26a of the relay transport unit 26 is supported by a third rotating shaft 46 extending along the rear side of the internal discharge space 22 (the left side in FIG. 4) so ​​as to be vertically rotatable relative to the lower relay guide 26b. The separate tray 27 is supported by an inner wall surface of the internal discharge space 22 by a fourth rotating shaft 47 extending along the rear side of the internal discharge space 22 so as to be vertically rotatable.

[0035] 4, the separate tray 27 is disposed at a sheet receiving position that forms a sheet stacking surface for stacking the sheet S discharged from the second discharge roller pair 19. The other configurations of the relay transport unit 26 and the image forming apparatus 100 are similar to those of the first embodiment.

[0036] Fig. 5 is a diagram showing a state in which the upper relay guide 26a of the relay transport unit 26 has been rotated upward from the state in Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a front cross-sectional view of the relay transport unit 26 and the separate tray 27 periphery, showing a state in which the upper relay guide 26a of the relay transport unit 26 has been rotated upward. When a paper jam occurs in the relay transport path 35, the upper relay guide 26a is rotated upward relative to the lower relay guide 26b as shown in Figs. 5 and 6 to open the relay transport path 35 and pull out the paper S to the front side of the image forming apparatus 100 (the right side in Fig. 5, the front side of the paper in Fig. 6) and remove it.

[0037] In the image forming apparatus 100 of this embodiment, when the upper relay guide 26a rotates upward, the main body 27a of the separate tray 27 located above the upper relay guide 26a is pushed up by the upper discharge guide 42. As a result, the main body 27a rotates upward together with the upper relay guide 26a and moves from the sheet receiving position to the retreat position (see FIG. 5). This widens the rotation range of the upper relay guide 26a, and the relay transport path 35 can be widely opened. Therefore, the work of removing the paper S jammed in the relay transport path 35 can be easily performed.

[0038] 7 is a schematic diagram showing the internal configuration of an image forming system 200 including a relay transport unit 26 according to a third embodiment of the present invention. The image forming system 200 including an image forming apparatus 100, a relay transport unit 26 which is an example of a sheet transport device of the present invention, and a paper post-processing device 30 will be described with reference to FIG.

[0039] The image forming apparatus 100 is an inkjet recording type printer, and includes a paper feed section 4 arranged at the bottom of the image forming apparatus 100, a paper transport section 5 that feeds paper S stored in the paper feed section 4 to the image forming section 6, and the image forming section 6 arranged above the paper feed section 4.

[0040] The image forming unit 6 is composed of a print head 6a and a transport unit 6b arranged opposite the print head 6a. The transport unit 6b has an endless transport belt wound around multiple rollers including a drive roller. The paper S transported by the paper transport unit 5 passes under the print head 6a while being attracted to and held by the transport belt 7a by a paper suction unit provided on the inside of the transport belt. The paper S on which a predetermined image has been recorded by the image forming unit 6 is discharged from the discharge roller pair 50 and carried into the relay transport unit 26.

[0041] The relay transport unit 26 of this embodiment is independently disposed between the image forming apparatus 100 and the paper post-processing apparatus 30, and transports the paper S discharged from the image forming apparatus 100 to the paper post-processing apparatus 30. The relay transport unit 26 performs a reversing process for reversing the front and back of the paper S on which an image has been recorded by the image forming apparatus 100, and a drying process for drying the ink on the paper S. As shown in FIG. 7, the paper S carried in from the relay entrance 51 of the relay transport unit 26 passes through the first transport path 52a and is transported to the first reversing transport path 53a. The first reversing transport path 53a reverses the front and back of the paper S by switching (switching back) the transport direction of the paper S carried from the first transport path 52a.

[0042] In addition, a second transport path 52b is provided branching off from the first transport path 52a, and the paper S that has passed through the second transport path 52b is transported to a second reversing transport path 53b. The second reversing transport path 53b reverses the front and back sides of the paper S by switching (switching back) the transport direction of the paper S transported from the second transport path 52b.

[0043] The sheet S, whose front and back sides have been inverted by the first reversing conveying path 53a or the second reversing conveying path 53b, merges with the third conveying path 52c. The sheet S is conveyed to the first bypass conveying path 54a and the second bypass conveying path 54b which branch off from the third conveying path 52c. The first bypass conveying path 54a and the second bypass conveying path 54b each include a first correction unit 55 and a second correction unit 56. The first correction unit 55 and the second correction unit 56 correct the position of the sheet S in the width direction (the direction perpendicular to the paper surface of FIG. 7).

[0044] The sheet S that has passed through the first bypass transport path 54a and the second bypass transport path 54b merges with the fourth transport path 52d. The sheet S passes through the fourth transport path 52d and is transported into the sheet post-processing device 30 via the relay outlet 57.

[0045] Also, an internal discharge conveying path 58 is provided branching off from the fourth conveying path 52d, and the paper S that passes through the internal discharge conveying path 58 is discharged onto a collection tray 61 by an internal discharge roller pair 60. If a paper jam occurs in the paper post-processing device 30, the conveying path is switched by a third branch guide 62 provided at the branch point of the fourth conveying path 52d and the internal discharge conveying path 58, and the succeeding paper S present in the relay conveying unit 26 is discharged onto the collection tray 61 via the internal discharge conveying path 58 and the internal discharge roller pair 60.

[0046] In the first conveying path 52a to the fourth conveying path 52d, the first bypass conveying path 54a, the second bypass conveying path 54b, and the in-machine discharge conveying path 58, conveying roller pairs 59 (conveying members) for conveying the paper S are disposed at appropriate positions.

[0047] Inside the paper post-processing device 30, there are provided a punch hole forming device 31 which forms punch holes in the paper S that has been conveyed, a stapler 33 which stacks a plurality of sheets of paper S, aligns the ends of the stack of sheets S and staples them together, and a saddle stitching and center folding unit 36 ​​which staples the center of the stack of sheets S and then folds the stack of sheets S around the stapled portion to form a booklet. On the side of the paper post-processing device 30, there are provided a main tray 34a which can be raised and lowered to a position suitable for discharging the paper S, a sub-tray 34b fixed to the upper part of the paper post-processing device 30, and a booklet tray 34c onto which the stack of sheets S folded into a booklet by the saddle stitching and center folding unit 36 ​​is discharged.

[0048] 8 is a perspective view of the collection tray 61 provided inside the relay transport unit 26. The collection tray 61 has a collection tray main body 63 and a collection tray movable part 65. The collection tray main body 63 is fixed to the rear frame 70a of the relay transport unit 26. The collection tray movable part 65 is rotatably supported on the front side of the collection tray main body 63 (the front side of FIG. 8) via a hinge part 67.

[0049] 9 and 10 are perspective views of the collection tray 61 and the first bypass transport path 54a, respectively showing the collection tray movable portion 65 in a state where it is located at the sheet receiving position and the retracted position.

[0050] The first bypass transport path 54a is disposed below the collection tray 61, and includes an upper transport guide 71 and a lower transport guide 73 that face the upper and lower surfaces of the paper S. The upper transport guide 71 and the lower transport guide 73 form the transport surface (transport guide) of the first bypass transport path 54a. The upper transport guide 71 supports an upper roller that constitutes the transport roller pair 59 in the first bypass transport path 54a. The lower transport guide 73 supports a lower roller that constitutes the transport roller pair 59.

[0051] The upper conveying guide 71 is supported so as to be openable and closable vertically relative to the lower conveying guide 73, with one end in the width direction perpendicular to the conveying direction of the paper S (the rear side of the relay conveying unit 26, the right side in Figure 9) as a pivot shaft 71a and the front side of the relay conveying unit 26 (the front left side in Figure 9), which is the opposite side to the pivot shaft 71a, as a pivot end.

[0052] During normal image formation, the collection tray movable part 65 is disposed at the sheet receiving position as shown in Fig. 8 and Fig. 9. The collection tray movable part 65 disposed at the sheet receiving position is flush with the collection tray main body part 63 and, together with the collection tray main body part 63, forms a paper stacking surface on which the paper S discharged from the in-machine discharge roller pair 60 is stacked. The collection tray movable part 65 is movable to a retracted position rotated upward from the sheet receiving position as shown in Fig. 10.

[0053] 11 is a perspective view showing a state in which the upper conveying guide 71 is open. When the paper S transported to the first bypass conveying path 54a jams, the rotating end of the upper conveying guide 71 is rotated upward to open the conveying surface from the front side (left side in FIG. 11) of the relay conveying unit 26, and the upper and lower conveying rollers constituting the conveying roller pair 59 are separated, so that the jammed paper S can be pulled out to the front side (left side in FIG. 11) of the relay conveying unit 26 and removed.

[0054] 11, the collection tray movable part 65 is located directly above the upper conveying guide 71. Therefore, when the upper conveying guide 71 is rotated upward, the collection tray movable part 65 is pushed up by the upper conveying guide 71 and moves from the sheet receiving position to the retracted position.

[0055] As a result, even if the collection tray 61 is disposed directly above the first bypass transport path 54a, interference between the collection tray 61 and the upper transport guide 71 when the upper transport guide 71 is opened can be avoided, and the upper transport guide 71 can be opened and closed smoothly during jam clearance work. This makes it possible to reduce the space required for arranging the collection tray 61, and also increases the degree of freedom in the layout within the relay transport unit 26.

[0056] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, in the above-described first embodiment, the upper discharge guide 42 is configured to rotate in the transport direction, but the upper discharge guide 42 may be configured to rotate in the paper width direction. In that case, it is preferable that the movable part 27b of the separate tray 27 located above the upper discharge guide 42 is also configured to rotate in the paper width direction, and that the upper discharge guide 42 and the movable part 27b rotate in the same direction.

[0057] In the above embodiment, the image forming apparatus 100 having a separate tray 27 above a removable relay transport unit 26, and the relay transport unit 26 having a collection tray 61 above the first bypass transport path 54a inside the apparatus have been described as examples of sheet transport devices. However, the present invention can also be applied to other image forming apparatuses 100, relay transport units 26, and paper post-processing devices 30 as long as they are configured to have a sheet stacking tray above the transport path.

[0058] Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the monochrome multifunction machine shown in FIG. 1 and the inkjet printer shown in FIG. 7, but can be applied to various image forming apparatuses such as color multifunction machines, monochrome and color printers, and facsimiles. [Industrial Applicability]

[0059] The present invention can be used in a sheet transport device that transports sheets. By using the present invention, in a configuration in which a sheet stacking tray is provided above a transport path, it is possible to provide a sheet transport device that can avoid interference with the sheet stacking tray when opening and closing the transport path, and an image forming apparatus including the same. [Explanation of symbols]

[0060] 16 Vertical transport path (sheet transport path) 18 First discharge roller pair (conveying member) 19 Second discharge roller pair (conveying member) 26 Relay transport unit 26a Upper relay guide (upper conveying guide) 26b Lower relay guide (lower conveying guide) 27 Separate tray (sheet stacking tray) 30 Paper post-processing device 35 Relay transport path (sheet transport path) 37 Discharge transport path (sheet transport path) 39 Intermediate transport roller pair (transport member) 41 Third discharge roller pair (conveying member) 42 Upper discharge guide (upper transport guide) 43 Lower discharge guide (lower transport guide) 44 1st rotation support shaft 45 2nd rotation support shaft 46 3rd rotation support shaft 47 4th rotation support shaft 54a First bypass conveying path (sheet conveying path) 57 Transport roller pair (transport member) 61 Collection tray (sheet stacking tray) 63 Collection tray body 65 Collection tray moving part 71 Upper transport guide 73 Lower transport guide 100 Image forming device 200 Image forming system S Paper (sheet)

Claims

1. a sheet conveying path through which a sheet passes; an upper conveying guide facing an upper surface of the sheet passing through the sheet conveying path; a lower conveying guide facing a lower surface of the sheet passing through the sheet conveying path; a conveying member that conveys the sheet along the sheet conveying path; a sheet stacking tray disposed above the upper conveying guide and configured to stack the sheets; In a sheet conveying apparatus comprising: the upper conveying guide is rotatable up and down about a pivot shaft at one end side in a sheet conveying direction or at one end side in a sheet width direction perpendicular to the sheet conveying direction, the sheet stacking tray is movable between a sheet receiving position where at least a portion that comes into contact with the upper conveying guide when the upper conveying guide rotates forms a sheet stacking surface on which the sheets are stacked, and a retreated position rotated upward from the sheet receiving position, the transport member includes a first discharge roller pair and a second discharge roller pair provided above the first discharge roller pair, The sheet transport path includes: a relay conveyance path that delivers the sheet discharged from the first discharge roller pair to a sheet carry-in device connected downstream in the sheet conveyance direction, The upper conveying guide is an upper relay guide that forms an upper surface of the relay conveyance path and faces an upper surface of the sheet passing through the relay conveyance path; The sheet transport path includes: a discharge conveyance path formed by branching off from the relay conveyance path and guiding the sheet discharged from the first discharge roller pair to a discharge tray formed on an upper surface of the upper relay guide, The upper conveying guide is an upper discharge guide facing an upper surface of the sheet passing through the discharge conveying path; The lower conveying guide is a lower relay guide that forms a lower surface of the relay conveying path and faces a lower surface of the sheet passing through the relay conveying path; a lower discharge guide facing a lower surface of the sheet passing through the discharge conveying path, the sheet stacking tray is disposed above the relay conveying path and the discharge conveying path, and includes a separate tray for stacking the sheet discharged from the second discharge roller pair; the separate tray has a main body portion constituting the sheet stacking surface, and a movable portion connected to the main body portion and rotatable above the upper discharge guide, the movable portion is pivotally supported by the main body portion at one end side in the sheet conveying direction or one end side in the sheet width direction, and is configured to rotate relative to the main body portion about a rotational support shaft, and is movable between the sheet receiving position and the retracted position by the rotation of the upper discharge guide, the upper discharge guide is supported by a first pivot shaft extending along the sheet width direction at a downstream end side in the sheet conveying direction so as to be rotatable up and down relative to the lower discharge guide, The movable part is supported on the main body part so as to be rotatable up and down by a second pivot shaft extending in the sheet width direction at the downstream end side of the sheet transport direction, and is characterized in that it rotates in the same direction as the upper discharge guide with the upstream end side of the sheet transport direction as a rotation end.

2. 2 . The sheet transport device according to claim 1 , wherein the second rotation shaft is provided downstream of the first rotation shaft in the sheet transport direction.

3. the upper relay guide is supported by the lower relay guide so as to be rotatable up and down by a third pivot shaft extending along the sheet conveying direction, the main body is supported by a fourth pivot shaft extending along the sheet conveying direction so as to be rotatable in the same direction as the upper relay guide, 3. The sheet transport device according to claim 1, wherein the main body portion is movable between the sheet receiving position and the retracted position by coming into contact with the upper transport guide when the upper transport guide rotates.

4. a sheet conveying path through which a sheet passes; an upper conveying guide facing an upper surface of the sheet passing through the sheet conveying path; a lower conveying guide facing a lower surface of the sheet passing through the sheet conveying path; a conveying member that conveys the sheet along the sheet conveying path; a sheet stacking tray disposed above the upper conveying guide and configured to stack the sheets; In a sheet conveying apparatus comprising: the upper conveying guide is rotatable up and down about a pivot shaft at one end side in a sheet conveying direction or at one end side in a sheet width direction perpendicular to the sheet conveying direction, the sheet stacking tray is movable between a sheet receiving position where at least a portion that comes into contact with the upper conveying guide when the upper conveying guide rotates forms a sheet stacking surface on which the sheets are stacked, and a retreated position rotated upward from the sheet receiving position, the transport member includes a first discharge roller pair and a second discharge roller pair provided above the first discharge roller pair, The sheet conveying path includes: a relay conveyance path that delivers the sheet discharged from the first discharge roller pair to a sheet carry-in device connected downstream in the sheet conveyance direction, The upper conveying guide is an upper relay guide that forms an upper surface of the relay conveyance path and faces an upper surface of the sheet passing through the relay conveyance path; The upper conveying guide is a discharge conveyance path formed by branching off from the relay conveyance path and guiding the sheet discharged from the first discharge roller pair to a discharge tray formed on an upper surface of the upper relay guide, The upper conveying guide is an upper discharge guide facing an upper surface of the sheet passing through the discharge conveying path; The lower conveying guide is a lower relay guide that forms a lower surface of the relay conveying path and faces a lower surface of the sheet passing through the relay conveying path; a lower discharge guide facing a lower surface of the sheet passing through the discharge conveying path, the sheet stacking tray is disposed above the relay conveying path and the discharge conveying path, and includes a separate tray for stacking the sheet discharged from the second discharge roller pair; the separate tray has a main body portion constituting the sheet stacking surface, and a movable portion connected to the main body portion and rotatable above the upper discharge guide, the movable portion is pivotally supported by the main body portion at one end side in the sheet conveying direction or one end side in the sheet width direction, and is configured to rotate relative to the main body portion about a rotational support shaft, and is movable between the sheet receiving position and the retracted position by the rotation of the upper discharge guide, the upper relay guide is supported by the lower relay guide so as to be rotatable up and down by a third pivot shaft extending along the sheet conveying direction, the main body is supported by a fourth pivot shaft extending along the sheet conveying direction so as to be rotatable in the same direction as the upper relay guide, The main body portion is movable between the sheet receiving position and the retracted position by contacting the upper transport guide when the upper transport guide rotates.

5. an image forming unit that forms an image on the sheet, 5. The sheet conveying device according to claim 1, further comprising: a sheet conveying unit configured to convey the sheet on which an image is formed by the image forming unit and which is discharged from the first discharge roller pair or the second discharge roller pair; a sheet post-processing device that is connected to a downstream side of the sheet transport device in the sheet transport direction and performs a predetermined post-processing on the sheet; An image forming system comprising:

Images