Conveying device and image forming apparatus

Abstract

To determine a mutual positional relation with good accuracy when two guide members are closed, without a sheet being caught between the two openable / closable guide members opposing to an opposing guide member.SOLUTION: An opening / closing guide member 50 and a swing guide member 46 are provided opposing to an opposing guide member 60 respectively and forming conveyance passages K4, K5. Also, an overlapping part X in which a part of the opening / closing guide member 50 and a part of the swing guide member 46 are overlapped in a comb-teeth-like manner with respect to a width direction is formed so as to oppose to the opposing guide member 60. Also, in the opening / closing guide member 50, a restriction part 52 is provided for restricting the swing guide member 46 swinging in a direction being separated from the opposing guide member 60 in the closure time. Then, at the time of opening the opening / closing guide member 50, the restriction of the swing guide member 46 by the restriction part 52 is cancelled, and the swing of the swing guide member 46 to a retreat position being separated from an opposing position becomes possible.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a conveying device for conveying sheets, and to an image forming apparatus including the conveying device, such as a copying machine, a printer, a facsimile machine, or a combination machine thereof or a printing machine. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, in image forming devices such as copiers and printers, a technique has been known in which an opposing guide member is configured to be openable and closable together with an opening / closing guide member in order to open the inside of a conveying device and remove a jammed sheet in a conveying path such as a double-sided conveying path (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Specifically, in Patent Document 1, a transport unit in which a double-sided transport path (a transport path formed by an opening / closing guide member and an opposing guide member) is formed is configured to be openable and closable. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0003] In conventional conveying devices, when a conveying path is formed by placing two guide members arranged side by side along the conveying direction opposite each other, if only one of the guide members (opening / closing guide member) is configured to be openable and closable together with the opposing guide member and the other guide member is fixed so that it cannot be opened or closed, when a sheet jams across the two guide members, even if an attempt is made to open the opposing guide member together with the guide member (opening / closing guide member), the opposing guide member interferes with the jammed sheet and the jammed sheet cannot be opened, resulting in a problem. One possible solution to this problem is to configure the two guide members (opening / closing guide member and swinging guide member) so that they can be opened and closed. However, this can lead to problems such as the positional relationship between the two guide members not being accurately determined when they are closed, or a gap being formed where the two guide members are adjacent, causing a sheet to get caught and jam during transport.

[0004] The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a conveying device and an image forming device in which a conveying path is formed by two guide members arranged side by side along the conveying direction, each facing an opposing guide member, and even when the two guide members are configured to be able to open and close, the sheet does not get caught between the two guide members, and the relative positional relationship between the two guide members is accurately determined when the two guide members are closed. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The conveying device of the present invention includes an opening / closing guide member that forms a conveying path through which a sheet is conveyed opposite an opposing guide member and is rotatable together with the opposing guide member about a support shaft so as to open the inside of the closed device, and a swinging guide member that is installed on the upstream side or downstream side of the opening / closing guide member in the conveying direction, forms the conveying path opposite the opposing guide member together with the opening / closing guide member, and is swingable about a rotation shaft, and a part of the opening / closing guide member and the swinging guide member are swung in the width direction in which the support shaft and the rotation shaft extend. An overlapping portion where a part of the member overlaps in a comb-tooth shape is formed to face the opposing guide member, and the opening / closing guide member is provided with a regulating portion that, when closed, regulates the swinging guide member from swinging in a direction away from the opposing position facing the opposing guide member, and when the opening / closing guide member is opened, the regulation of the swinging guide member by the regulating portion is released, allowing the swinging guide member to swing to a retracted position away from the opposing position, and when the swinging guide member is positioned in the retracted position, the rotation of the opposing guide member is not hindered. [Effects of the Invention]

[0006] According to the present invention, a conveying device and an image forming device can be provided in which a conveying path is formed by two guide members arranged side by side along the conveying direction, each facing an opposing guide member, and even when the two guide members are configured to be able to open and close, a sheet does not get caught between the two guide members and the relative positional relationship between the two guide members is accurately determined when the two guide members are closed. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] 1 is an overall configuration diagram showing an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] 10A and 10B are schematic diagrams illustrating an opening operation in the transport device. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram showing a transport device. [Figure 4] 10 is a view showing an overlapping portion between the swing guide member and the opening / closing guide member in the width direction. FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a state in which the transport device is being opened. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a state in which the transport device is opened. [Figure 7] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating a state in which a conventional conveying device is being opened. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a configuration diagram showing a transport device as a first modified example. [Figure 9] 9 is a diagram showing a state in which the transport device of FIG. 8 is being opened. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the transport device of FIG. 9 in an open state. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a state in which the transport device is opened as a second modification. [Figure 12] 12 is a diagram showing the state in which the transport device of FIG. 11 is being closed. FIG. [Figure 13] FIG. 12 is a diagram showing the transport device of FIG. 11 in a closed state. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In each drawing, the same or corresponding parts are designated by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations will be appropriately simplified or omitted.

[0009] First, the overall configuration and operation of an image forming apparatus 1 will be described with reference to FIG. 1, the image forming apparatus 1 in this embodiment is a tandem color printer. Four toner bottles 102Y, 102M, 102C, and 102K corresponding to the respective colors (yellow, magenta, cyan, and black) are detachably (replaceably) installed in a bottle storage section 101 located at the top of the image forming apparatus main body 1. An intermediate transfer unit 85 is disposed below the bottle storage section 101. Image forming sections 4Y, 4M, 4C, and 4K corresponding to each color (yellow, magenta, cyan, and black) are arranged side by side so as to face an intermediate transfer belt 78 (image carrier) of the intermediate transfer unit 85. Below the image forming apparatus main body 1, there is provided a paper feed section 12 (paper feed cassette) in which a plurality of sheets P such as paper are stored in a stack. In addition, on the right side of the image forming apparatus main body 1, a conveying device 30 (double-sided conveying unit) is installed for conveying (discharging) the sheet P toward the stack section 100, or for inverting (switching back) the sheet P and conveying it along the double-sided conveying path K5.

[0010] Each of the image forming units 4Y, 4M, 4C, and 4K is provided with a photosensitive drum 5Y, 5M, 5C, and 5K, respectively. A charging unit 75, a developing device 76, a cleaning device 77, a charge removal unit, and the like are disposed around each of the photosensitive drums 5Y, 5M, 5C, and 5K. An image forming process (charging process, exposure process, development process, transfer process, and cleaning process) is performed on each of the photosensitive drums 5Y, 5M, 5C, and 5K, and an image of each color is formed on the surface of each of the photosensitive drums 5Y, 5M, 5C, and 5K.

[0011] The photosensitive drums 5Y, 5M, 5C, and 5K are rotated by a main motor in the clockwise direction in Fig. 1. Then, at the position of the charging unit 75, the surfaces of the photosensitive drums 5Y, 5M, 5C, and 5K are uniformly charged (charging process). Thereafter, the surfaces of the photosensitive drums 5Y, 5M, 5C, and 5K reach the irradiation position of the laser light emitted from the exposure unit 3 (writing unit), and an electrostatic latent image corresponding to each color is formed by exposure scanning at this position (this is the exposure process).

[0012] Thereafter, the surfaces of the photosensitive drums 5Y, 5M, 5C, and 5K reach positions facing the developing devices 76, where the electrostatic latent images are developed to form toner images of the respective colors (developing process). Thereafter, the surfaces of the photosensitive drums 5Y, 5M, 5C, and 5K reach positions facing the intermediate transfer belt 78 and first transfer bias rollers 79Y, 79M, 79C, and 79K, and at these positions the toner images on the photosensitive drums 5Y, 5M, 5C, and 5K are transferred onto the intermediate transfer belt 78 (this is the primary transfer step). At this time, a small amount of untransferred toner remains on the surfaces of the photosensitive drums 5Y, 5M, 5C, and 5K.

[0013] Thereafter, the surfaces of the photosensitive drums 5Y, 5M, 5C, and 5K reach a position facing the cleaning device 77, at which point the untransferred toner remaining on the photosensitive drums 5Y, 5M, 5C, and 5K is mechanically collected by the cleaning blade of the cleaning device 77 (cleaning process). Finally, the surfaces of the photosensitive drums 5Y, 5M, 5C, and 5K reach positions facing the charge removal units, where the residual potential on the photosensitive drums 5Y, 5M, 5C, and 5K is removed. Thus, a series of image forming processes performed on the photosensitive drums 5Y, 5M, 5C, and 5K is completed.

[0014] Thereafter, the toner images of each color formed on the surface of each photosensitive drum through a developing process are transferred in a superimposed manner onto the surface of the intermediate transfer belt 78. In this way, a color image is formed on the surface of the intermediate transfer belt 78. Here, the intermediate transfer unit 85 is composed of the intermediate transfer belt 78, four primary transfer bias rollers 79Y, 79M, 79C, and 79K, a secondary transfer backup roller 82, a cleaning backup roller 83, a tension roller 84, and an intermediate transfer cleaning device 80. The intermediate transfer belt 78 is stretched and supported by three rollers 82 to 84, and is moved endlessly in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 1 by the rotational drive of one roller 82 connected to a main motor.

[0015] The four primary transfer bias rollers 79Y, 79M, 79C, and 79K sandwich the intermediate transfer belt 78 between themselves and the photosensitive drums 5Y, 5M, 5C, and 5K, respectively, to form primary transfer nips. A transfer bias opposite in polarity to the toner is applied to the primary transfer bias rollers 79Y, 79M, 79C, and 79K. The intermediate transfer belt 78 then travels in the direction of the arrow and passes through the primary transfer nips of the primary transfer bias rollers 79Y, 79M, 79C, and 79K in sequence. In this way, the toner images of each color on the photosensitive drums 5Y, 5M, 5C, and 5K are primarily transferred onto the surface of the intermediate transfer belt 78 in a superimposed manner (this is the primary transfer process).

[0016] Thereafter, the intermediate transfer belt 78, onto which the toner images of each color have been superimposed and primarily transferred, reaches a position facing a secondary transfer roller 89 serving as a transfer device. At this position, a secondary transfer backup roller 82 sandwiches the intermediate transfer belt 78 between itself and the secondary transfer roller 89 (transfer device), forming a secondary transfer nip. The four-color toner images formed on the intermediate transfer belt 78 are then transferred onto the sheet P conveyed to the position of this secondary transfer nip (secondary transfer process). At this time, untransferred toner that has not been transferred to the sheet P remains on the intermediate transfer belt 78. Thereafter, the intermediate transfer belt 78 reaches the position of the intermediate transfer cleaning device 80. At this position, untransferred toner on the intermediate transfer belt 78 is collected. Thus, the series of transfer processes performed on the intermediate transfer belt 78 is completed.

[0017] Here, the sheet P transported to the position of the secondary transfer nip is transported from the paper feed section 12 arranged below the device main body 1 via the first and second transport paths K0 and K1. More specifically, a plurality of sheets P such as paper are stacked and stored in the paper feed unit 12. When the paper feed roller 31 is rotated counterclockwise in FIG. 1, the topmost sheet P sandwiched between the paper feed roller 31 and the friction pad 32 is fed toward between the rollers of the registration roller pair 33 (timing roller pair) while being guided by guide plates that form the first and second conveying paths K0 and K2.

[0018] The sheet P conveyed to the registration roller pair 33 (timing roller pair) is temporarily stopped at the roller nip (nip portion) of the registration roller pair 33, which has stopped rotating. Then, the registration roller pair 33 is rotated in synchronization with the color image on the intermediate transfer belt 78, and the sheet P is conveyed toward the secondary transfer nip (image forming portion). In this way, the desired color image is transferred onto the sheet P.

[0019] Thereafter, the sheet P onto which the color image has been transferred at the secondary transfer nip (image forming portion) is transported via the second transport path K1 to the fixing device 20. Then, at this position (the fixing nip portion formed by the pressure contact between the fixing belt 21 and the pressure roller 22), the toner image carried on the surface is fixed onto the sheet P by heat and pressure (the fixing process).

[0020] After the fixing process, the sheet P passes through the second conveying path K1, is guided to the discharge conveying path K2 by a switching member 45 (branching claw), and is discharged to the outside of the apparatus by first and second rollers 40, 41 that function as a discharge roller pair. The sheets P discharged to the outside of the apparatus by the first and second rollers 40, 41 are sequentially stacked on the stacking unit 100 as output images. In this way, a series of image forming processes in the image forming apparatus is completed.

[0021] Here, the operation of the sheet P (or the image forming device 1) from the paper feed section 12 to the stack section 100 described above is when a single-sided print mode (a mode in which an image is formed only on the front side of the sheet P) is selected. In addition, in the single-sided printing mode (or in the double-sided printing mode when the sheet P is discharged to the stacking section 100 after printing on both sides has been completed), the switching member 45 stops at a position where it has rotated counterclockwise around the pivot axis (the position shown in Figure 1) so as to open the discharge conveying path K2 and close the relay conveying path K3.

[0022] On the other hand, when a double-sided print mode (a mode in which an image is formed on each of the front and back sides of the sheet P) is selected, the sheet P (or the image forming apparatus 1) operates as follows. The process in which the sheet P fed from the paper feed unit 12 passes through the first and second conveying paths K0 and K1 and the secondary transfer nip before reaching the fixing device 20 is the same as that in the single-sided print mode. Then, the sheet P (with an image formed on its front side) after the fixing process is guided by the switching member 45 to the switchback conveying path K4 via the relay conveying path K3. At this time, the switching member 45 rotates clockwise around the pivot shaft and stops at a position where it closes the discharge conveying path K2 and opens the relay conveying path K3. Then, in the switchback conveying path K4, when the rear end of the sheet P (the rear end in the conveying direction) reaches the nip between the reversing roller 42 and the second roller 40 (when the rear end of the sheet P passes the branch point between the relay conveying path K3 and the double-sided conveying path K5), the rotational drive of the reversing roller 42 is temporarily stopped. At this time, the rear end of the sheet P (the sheet P after the fixing process has been performed on the front surface) is held by the reversing roller 42, with the leading end side exposed to the outside of the device (above the stacking unit 100). Thereafter, the reversing roller 42 is rotated in the opposite direction to reverse (reverse) the conveying direction of the sheet P, and the sheet P is conveyed toward the double-sided conveying path K5. At this time, the switching member 45 is stopped at a position where it has rotated counterclockwise around the pivot shaft so as to close the relay conveying path K3 and open the discharge conveying path K2 (and the double-sided conveying path K5) (the state shown in FIGS. 1 and 3).

[0023] 1, the sheet P is guided to the double-sided conveying path K5, and is conveyed by a plurality of conveying rollers 47 and 48 provided on the double-sided conveying path K5, and is guided to the position of the secondary transfer nip. At this position, the sheet P undergoes a secondary transfer process to the back side, similar to the secondary transfer process to the front side, and is then conveyed toward the fixing device 20, where a fixing process to the back side is performed. Then, as explained above, the sheet P after the fixing process (the sheet P after printing on both sides) is guided through the discharge conveying path K2 to the nip portion of the first and second rollers 40, 41, and is discharged outside the device by the first and second rollers 40, 41, and is stacked sequentially on the stacking section 100.

[0024] The characteristic configuration and operation of the conveying device 30 (image forming apparatus 1) in this embodiment will be described in detail below with reference to FIGS. 2 to 6. As previously described with reference to FIG. 1, a conveying device 30 (double-sided conveying unit) capable of executing a double-sided print mode is provided on the right side of the image forming apparatus 1 in this embodiment. 2(A), 3, etc., this conveying device 30 (double-sided conveying unit) is provided with an opening / closing guide member 50 that functions as a first unit and an opposing guide member 60 that functions as a second unit. The opening / closing guide member 50 (first unit) is a unit that forms part of the switchback conveying path K4 and part of the double-sided conveying path K5. On the other hand, the opposing guide member 60 (second unit) is a unit that forms the second conveying path K1, the relay conveying path K3, part of the switchback conveying path K4, and part of the double-sided conveying path K5.

[0025] Referring now to Figures 2(A) and (B), the conveying device 30 (double-sided conveying unit) is configured so that the opening / closing guide member 50 and the opposing guide member 60 can rotate integrally around the support shaft 30a in order to open and close the interior of the image forming device 1. Specifically, when the opening / closing guide member 50 and the opposing guide member 60 in the closed state as shown in Figure 2(A) (and Figure 1) are rotated clockwise (in the direction of the arrow) around the support shaft 30a as shown in Figure 2(B), part of the interior of the conveying device 30 (and the image forming apparatus main body 1) (such as the second conveying path K1 and the fixing device 20) is opened (exposed), making it possible to remove a sheet P that has jammed in the second conveying path K1, etc., or to detach and install the fixing device 20 for maintenance.

[0026] In this embodiment, the opposing guide member 60 (second unit) is configured to be rotatable around the support shaft 30a without being linked to the rotation of the opening / closing guide member 50 (first unit) around the support shaft 30a. That is, with reference to FIGS. 2(B) and 2(C), the opposing guide member 60 (second unit) is configured to be rotatable relative to the opening / closing guide member 50 (first unit) about the support shaft 30a. Specifically, when the opening / closing guide member 50 and the opposing guide member 60 are in an open state as shown in Figure 2(B), if only the opening / closing guide member 50 is further rotated clockwise (in the direction of the arrow) around the support shaft 30a as shown in Figure 2(C), a part of the interior of the conveying device 30 (such as the double-sided conveying path K5) is opened (exposed), making it possible to remove a sheet P that has jammed in the double-sided conveying path K5 or the like. Although not shown, from the closed state of Fig. 2(A), only the opening / closing guide member 50 can be rotated clockwise around the support shaft 30a without rotating the opposing guide member 60. Furthermore, from the open state of Fig. 2(B), only the opposing guide member 60 can be rotated counterclockwise around the support shaft 30a without rotating the opening / closing guide member 50.

[0027] Here, referring to Figure 3 (and Figures 5 and 6), the opening / closing guide member 50 is a first unit that forms a conveying path (including a conveying path from the switchback conveying path K4 to the double-sided conveying path K5) along which the sheet P is conveyed opposite the opposing guide member 60, and is configured to be rotatable together with the opposing guide member 60 around the support shaft 30a so as to open the inside of the closed conveying device 30 (and the image forming apparatus main body 1). The opening / closing guide member 50 is formed with a double-sided guide surface 51 (double-sided guide plate) that faces the opposing guide member 60 (opposing guide surface 61).

[0028] In this embodiment, the opposing guide member 60 is a second unit configured to be rotatable around the support shaft 30a without being linked to the rotation of the opening / closing guide member 50 (first unit), as previously described using Figure 2 (C). In the present embodiment, the opposing guide member 60 (second unit) is integrally formed with a transport guide surface 62 (transport guide plate) as a guide portion that forms the relay transport path K3, the second transport path K1, etc. Specifically, in the opposing guide member 60 (second unit), the transport guide surface 62 (guide portion) is formed on a side (the side closer to the image forming apparatus main body 1) different from the side on which the opposing guide surface 61 is formed.

[0029] As previously described with reference to FIG. 1 and the like, the conveying device 30 in this embodiment is provided with the relay conveying path K3, the switchback conveying path K4, the double-sided conveying path K5, and the switching member 45. The relay conveying path K3 is a conveying path for conveying the sheet P after the fixing process toward the switchback conveying path K4. The switchback conveying path K4 is a conveying path for reversing the conveying direction of the sheet P. The double-sided conveying path K5 is a conveying path along which the sheet P reversed by the switchback conveying path K4 is conveyed.

[0030] The switching member 45 is a member for switching between conveyance of the sheet P from the relay conveyance path K3 to the switchback conveyance path K4 and conveyance of the sheet P from the switchback conveyance path K4 to the double-sided conveyance path K5. Specifically, in the former case, the switching member 45 rotates clockwise around the rotation axis and is positioned at the position shown by the dashed line in FIG. 3, and in the latter case, the switching member 45 rotates counterclockwise around the rotation axis and is positioned at the position shown by the solid line in FIG. 3. The switching member 45 is also formed with a guide surface (the upper surface in FIG. 3) for forming part of the switchback conveying path K4 opposite a swinging guide member 46 (reversal guide surface 47) described later, and for forming the relay conveying path K3 opposite a conveying guide surface 62 of the opposing guide member 60. The switching member 45 is also formed with a guide surface (the lower surface in FIG. 3) for forming the discharge conveying path K2.

[0031] In this embodiment, referring to FIG. 3, a portion of the switching member 45 and a portion of the opposing guide member 60 are configured to overlap in a comb-tooth shape in the width direction (the direction perpendicular to the paper surface of FIG. 3, the left-right direction of FIG. 4). That is, when the switching member 45 is located at the position shown in FIG. 3, the portion adjacent to the opposing guide member 60 overlaps with no gap. With this configuration, the sheet P can be smoothly conveyed from the second conveying path K1 to the discharge conveying path K2 and from the switchback conveying path K4 to the double-sided conveying path K5 without getting caught.

[0032] 3 (and FIGS. 5 and 6), the conveying device 30 in this embodiment has a swingable guide member 46 (second opening / closing guide member) that can swing around a rotation shaft 46a, and is installed upstream in the conveying direction relative to the opening / closing guide member 50 (first opening / closing guide member). The swingable guide member 46, together with the opening / closing guide member 50, is a member that faces the opposing guide member 60 and forms a conveying path (including a conveying path from the switchback conveying path K4 to the double-sided conveying path K5). The swing guide member 46 is formed with a reversing guide surface 47 (reversing guide plate) that faces the upper surface of the switching member 45 and a part of the upstream side of the opposing guide surface 61 of the opposing guide member 60. In this embodiment, the rotation shaft 46a of the swing guide member 46 is disposed so as to coincide with the axial center of the reversing roller 42, but the position of the rotation shaft 46a is not limited to this.

[0033] In this way, when two guide members arranged side by side along the conveyance direction are opposed to the opposing guide member 60 to form conveyance paths K4 and K5, if only one guide member 150 (opening / closing guide member) is configured to be openable and closable together with the opposing guide member 60, as in the conventional conveyance device 130 shown in Figure 7, and the other guide member 146 is fixed so that it cannot be opened or closed, even if the overlapping portion of the opposing guide member 60 and the fixed guide member 146 on the locus M is formed in a comb-like shape, when a sheet P jams across the two guide members 146 and 150, even if an attempt is made to open the opposing guide member 60 together with the opening / closing guide member 150, the opposing guide member 60 interferes with the jammed sheet P, preventing it from being opened. In other words, the sheet P is positioned at a position that overlaps the locus M described by the tip of the opposing guide member 60 when opened, and the opening operation of the opposing guide member 60 is hindered. In contrast, in this embodiment, the two guide members (the opening / closing guide member 50 and the swinging guide member 46) opposing the opposing guide member 60 are configured to be openable and closable, so that even if a sheet P jams across the two guide members 46, 50 as shown in Figures 5 and 6 and an attempt is made to open the opposing guide member 60 together with the opening / closing guide member 50, by rotating the swinging guide member 46 to the retracted position shown by the solid line in Figure 6, the jammed sheet P will not be pressed down by the swinging guide member 46 (because its leading edge becomes free), making it possible to remove the jammed sheet P and to open the opening / closing guide member 50 and the opposing guide member 60 together. Therefore, it is possible to easily remove not only a sheet P jammed across the two guide members 46, 50, but also a sheet P jammed in the second conveying path K1 or the duplex conveying path K5. In particular, the swinging guide member 46 is rotated so as not to overlap the locus M drawn by the tip end of the opposing guide member 60 (the position at the longest distance from the support shaft 30a) when the guide member 46 is opened.

[0034] 3 and 4, in the conveying device 30 of this embodiment, a portion of the opening / closing guide member 50 (the upstream end in the conveying direction) and a portion of the swinging guide member 46 (the downstream end in the conveying direction) overlap in a comb-tooth shape in the width direction in which the support shaft 30a and the rotating shaft 46a extend (the direction perpendicular to the paper surface in FIG. 3, the left-right direction in FIG. 4), forming an overlapping portion X opposite the opposing guide member 60. That is, the adjacent portions of the swing guide member 46 and the opening / closing guide member 50 overlap without any gaps (forming overlapping portion X) as shown in FIG. 3 when viewed in a cross section perpendicular to the support shaft 30a and the rotation shaft 46a. In this way, by forming the overlapping portion X in the portion where the swinging guide member 46 and the opening / closing guide member 50 are adjacent (by not forming a gap), the problem of the sheet P getting caught in the adjacent portion (the portion where the sheet P is passed) and jamming is less likely to occur. In other words, even if the opening / closing guide member 50 and the swinging guide member 46 that face the opposing guide member 60 are each configured to be openable and closable, the problem of the sheet P getting caught between the two guide members 46, 50 and jamming is less likely to occur. In this specification, the state in which two members (the swing guide member 46 and the opening / closing guide member 50) overlap in a "comb-like" shape means a state in which the two members overlap without any gaps when viewed in a cross section perpendicular to the width direction, and is not limited to the state shown in Figure 4.

[0035] Here, referring to Figure 3 etc., in this embodiment, the swinging guide member 46 (reversal guide surface 47) is formed so that the end portion on the downstream side in the conveying direction (the lower right side in Figure 3) is closer to the opposing guide member 60 (opposing guide surface 61) than the end portion on the upstream side in the conveying direction (the upper left side in Figure 3) of the opening / closing guide member 50 (double-sided guide surface 51). That is, in the vicinity of the overlapping portion X, the reversing guide surface 47 of the swinging guide member 46 is set to be located lower than the double-sided guide surfaces 51 of the opening / closing guide member 50 in FIG. With this configuration, the sheet P can be smoothly transferred from the swing guide member 46 (switchback conveying path K4) to the open / close guide member 50 (double-sided conveying path K5) without getting caught.

[0036] Here, the opening / closing guide member 50 (first unit) in this embodiment is provided with a regulating portion 52 that regulates the swinging guide member 46 from swinging in a direction away from the opposing position opposite the opposing guide member 60 (opposing guide surface 61) when closed (the state shown in Figure 3). That is, even if an external force is applied to rotate (swing) the swing guide member 46 counterclockwise in FIG. 3 around the rotation axis 46a, the swing guide member 46 abuts against the restricting portion 52, and the rotation is restricted. Furthermore, the regulating portion 52 is provided at a position that does not interfere with the conveyance of the sheet P in the conveying paths K4 and K5. Specifically, in this embodiment, the regulating portion 52 is formed at the top of the opening / closing guide member 50 (first unit) so as to protrude toward the swing guide member 46.

[0037] As shown in Figure 5, when the opening / closing guide member 50 is opened, the restriction of the swinging guide member 46 by the restricting portion 52 is released, and the swinging guide member 46 becomes able to swing from the opposing position (the position in Figure 3) to a retracted position (the position in Figure 6). That is, when the opening / closing guide member 50 transitions from the closed state of Figure 3 to the state of Figure 5, the restriction by the restricting portion 52 is released, and the swinging guide member 46 becomes able to move (rotate) from the opposing position shown by the dashed line in Figure 6 to the retracted position shown by the solid line. In other words, when the opening / closing guide member 50 is in the open state shown in FIG. 6, the rotation of the swinging guide member 46 to the retracted position is not hindered by the restricting portion 52 (opening / closing guide member 50).

[0038] When the swing guide member 46 is located at the retracted position shown in FIG. 6, the rotation of the opposing guide member 60 (second unit) is not impeded. In more detail, as explained above using Figures 5 and 6, the swinging guide member 46 is rotated so as not to overlap with the trajectory M of the opposing guide member 60 when open, so that jammed sheets P can be easily removed so as to straddle the swinging guide member 46 and the opening / closing guide member 50, as well as sheets P jammed in the second conveying path K1 or the double-sided conveying path K5.

[0039] By providing the thus configured regulating section 52 on the opening / closing guide member 50, even if the two guide members (the opening / closing guide member 50 and the swinging guide member 46) are configured to be able to open and close, the relative positions of the opening / closing guide member 50 and the swinging guide member 46 when closed as shown in Figure 3 can be determined with high precision. In detail, if the regulating portion 52 is not provided, when an external force (for example, an external force generated by a sheet P hitting the swaying guide member 46 as it passes through that position) acts to push up the swaying guide member 46 (rotating it counterclockwise in Figure 3 around the rotation axis 46a), neither the absolute position of the swaying guide member 46 nor the relative position of the swaying guide member 46 with respect to the opening / closing guide member 50 is determined, which may result in poor transport of the sheet P. In contrast to this, in the present embodiment, such pushing up of the swinging guide member 46 is restricted by the restricting portion 52, so that the absolute position of the swinging guide member 46 and the relative position of the swinging guide member 46 with respect to the opening / closing guide member 50 are determined with high precision. Therefore, the above-mentioned poor conveyance of the sheet P is less likely to occur.

[0040] In this embodiment, the swing guide member 46 is configured to be swingable toward the opposing position (the position shown in FIG. 3) under its own weight. That is, the swing guide member 46 in the retracted position (the position shown in FIG. 6) rotates around the rotation shaft 46a by its own weight toward the opposing position shown in FIG. In the conveying device 30 configured in this manner, in order to open the swinging guide member 46, which is in a closed state as shown in Fig. 3, as shown in Fig. 5 and Fig. 6, an operator such as a user manually rotates the swinging guide member 46. Therefore, although not shown, an operating part such as an operating lever that enables such an operation is exposed on the outside of the exterior cover of the conveying device 30.

[0041] In addition, in this embodiment, as shown in Figure 3, the swinging guide member 46 that abuts against the regulating portion 52 when closed abuts against a portion (the first stopper portion 90) that does not interfere with the transport of the sheet P in the transport device 30, thereby determining the opposing position relative to the opposing guide member 60. More specifically, a first stopper portion 90 is provided on the housing (not shown) of the conveying device 30 so as to protrude in the width direction at a fixed position that is not linked to the swinging of the swinging guide member 46. Meanwhile, a contact portion 46b is provided on the swinging guide member 46 so as to protrude in the width direction. When the swinging guide member 46 is closed, the contact portion 46b of the swinging guide member 46 abuts against the first stopper portion 90, thereby determining the position of the swinging guide member 46 (reverse guide surface 47) relative to the opposing guide member 60 (opposing guide surface 61) that is positioned relative to the housing of the conveying device 30. Note that the first stopper portion 90 is not shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. As a result, the sheet P is conveyed well between the opposing guide member 60 (opposing guide surface 61) and the swinging guide member 46 (reversing guide surface 47). In this embodiment, the first stopper portion 90 that abuts against the abutment portion 46b of the swinging guide member 46 is provided on the housing of the conveying device 30, but the first stopper portion 90 can also be provided on the opposing guide member 60.

[0042] 6, the transport device 30 in this embodiment is provided with a second stopper portion 91 as a stopper portion that limits the swinging of the swing guide member 46 from the opposing position beyond the retracted position. Specifically, a second stopper portion 91 (stopper portion) is provided on the housing (not shown) of the conveying device 30 so as to protrude in the width direction at a fixed position that is not linked to the swinging of the swinging guide member 46. Meanwhile, a contact portion 46b is provided on the swinging guide member 46 so as to protrude in the width direction. When opened, the contact portion 46b of the swinging guide member 46 abuts against the second stopper portion 91, thereby restricting the swinging guide member 46 from rotating in the opening direction. In other words, the swinging guide member 46 is not opened indefinitely, and its retracted position (maximum open position) is determined. Note that the second stopper portion 91 is not shown in FIGS. 3 and 5. This prevents the swing guide member 46 from being opened indefinitely, causing problems such as collision with other members, or dropping off.

[0043] <Variation 1> As shown in FIGS. 8 to 10, the conveying device 30 in the first modification is provided with a tension spring 95 as a biasing member that biases the swinging guide member 46 so that it swings toward the retracted position (the position shown in FIG. 10). More specifically, a tension spring 95 serving as a biasing member has a hook on one end connected to the housing (not shown) of the conveyance device 30, and a hook on the other end connected to the swing guide member 46. As a result, the swing guide member 46 is biased to rotate counterclockwise in Figures 8 to 10 around the rotation shaft 46a. The biasing force of the tension spring 95 is sufficiently smaller than the force required to push up the opening / closing guide member 50 when closed, and is large enough to rotate the swing guide member 46 toward the retracted position when the restriction by the restriction portion 52 is released. With this configuration, the swing guide member 46 rotates to the retracted position in conjunction with the operation of the opening / closing guide member 50 when it is opened (including when it is opened or closed together with the opposing guide member 60). Therefore, such an opening operation can be performed smoothly without having to manually rotate the swing guide member 46 to the retracted position. Furthermore, in variant example 1, the sheet P does not get caught between the two openable and closable guide members 46, 50 that face the opposing guide member 60, and the relative positions of the two guide members 46, 50 can be accurately determined when they are closed. In addition, in variant example 1, when returning the swing guide member 46, which is in the retracted position shown in Figure 10, to the opposing position shown in Figure 8, it is necessary to push the swing guide member 46 against the biasing force of the tension spring 95. Furthermore, when configured in this manner, when the door is closed, the swing guide member 46 comes into contact with the regulating portion 52 due to the biasing force of the tension spring 95, thereby determining its position, and therefore the installation of the first stopper portion 90 previously described with reference to Figure 3 can be omitted.

[0044] <Variation 2> As shown in Figures 11 to 13, the conveying device 30 in variant example 2 is provided with a pushing portion 53 on the opening / closing guide member 50 that pushes the swinging guide member 46 to swing toward the opposing position (the position shown in Figure 13) against the force of the tension spring 95 (spring member) in conjunction with the rotation of the opening / closing guide member 50 when transitioning from the open state (the state shown in Figure 11) to the closed state (the state shown in Figure 13). More specifically, in the opening / closing guide member 50, the pushing portion 53 protrudes above the vicinity of the restricting portion 52 toward the side approaching the swing guide member 46 (the left side in FIG. 11). When the opening / closing guide member 50 in the open state shown in FIG. 11 is rotated counterclockwise around the support shaft 30a, the swing guide member 46 slides along the inclined surface of the pushing portion 53 while in contact with the pushing portion 53, as shown in FIG. 12, and is pushed by the pushing portion 53 to rotate the swing guide member 46 clockwise in FIG. 12 around the rotation shaft 46a. Then, the pushing of the swing guide member 46 by the pushing portion 53 is eventually switched to abutment of the swing guide member 46 by the restricting portion 52, and finally, the position of the swing guide member 46 in the rotation direction is determined by the restriction of the restricting portion 52, as shown in FIG. In this way, in variant example 2, when returning the swing guide member 46, which is in the retracted position shown in Figure 11, to the opposing position shown in Figure 13, there is no need to manually push the swing guide member 46 against the biasing force of the tension spring 95. Furthermore, in variant example 2, the sheet P does not get caught between the two openable and closable guide members 46, 50 that face the opposing guide member 60, and the relative positions of the two guide members 46, 50 can be accurately determined when they are closed.

[0045] As described above, the conveying device 30 in this embodiment forms conveying paths K4 and K5 through which the sheet P is conveyed opposite the opposing guide member 60, and is provided with an opening / closing guide member 50 that is rotatable together with the opposing guide member 60 about the support shaft 30a so as to open the closed interior of the device 30. Also, a swinging guide member 46 is provided that is installed upstream (or downstream) of the opening / closing guide member 50 in the conveying direction and forms the conveying paths K4 and K5 together with the opening / closing guide member 50 opposite the opposing guide member 60, and is swingable about the rotation shaft 46a. An overlapping portion X, where a portion of the opening / closing guide member 50 and a portion of the swinging guide member 46 overlap in a comb-tooth shape in the width direction in which the support shaft 30a and the rotation shaft 46a extend, is formed opposite the opposing guide member 60. The opening / closing guide member 50 is also provided with a restricting portion 52 that restricts the swinging guide member 46 from swinging in a direction away from the opposing position where it faces the opposing guide member 60 when closed. When the opening / closing guide member 50 is opened, the restriction on the swinging guide member 46 by the restricting portion 52 is released, and the swinging guide member 46 is able to swing to a retracted position away from the opposing position. When the swinging guide member 46 is positioned at the retracted position, the opposing guide member 60 is not hindered from rotating. As a result, even when two guide members 46, 50 arranged side by side along the conveying direction are opposed to an opposing guide member 60 to form a conveying path and the two guide members 46, 50 are configured to be openable and closable, the sheet P does not get caught between the two guide members 46, 50, and the relative positions of the two guide members 46, 50 when they are closed can be determined with high precision.

[0046] In this embodiment, the present invention is applied to the conveying device 30 installed in a color image forming apparatus 1, but the present invention can naturally also be applied to a conveying device installed in a monochrome image forming apparatus. In addition, in this embodiment, the present invention is applied to the conveying device 30 installed in the electrophotographic image forming apparatus 1, but the application of the present invention is not limited to this, and the present invention can also be applied to conveying devices installed in other types of image forming apparatuses (for example, inkjet image forming apparatuses, stencil printing machines, etc.). Furthermore, the present invention can also be applied to conveying devices that do not involve image formation (for example, devices that simply convey sheets toward a predetermined position). In addition, in this embodiment, the present invention is applied to a conveying device 30 equipped with a double-sided conveying path K5 installed to the side of the image forming device 1, but the present invention can also be applied to a conveying device installed in another position or to a conveying device that does not have a double-sided conveying path. In addition, in this embodiment, the present invention is applied to a conveying device 30 in which the swinging guide member 46 is installed upstream in the conveying direction relative to the opening / closing guide member 50, but the present invention can also be applied to a conveying device in which the swinging guide member is installed downstream in the conveying direction relative to the opening / closing guide member. Even in such cases, the same effects as those of this embodiment can be obtained.

[0047] It is to be noted that the present invention is not limited to the present embodiment, and it is clear that the present embodiment can be appropriately modified within the scope of the technical concept of the present invention in addition to the modifications suggested in the present embodiment. Furthermore, the number, position, shape, etc. of the components are not limited to the present embodiment, and the number, position, shape, etc. of the components can be any number, position, shape, etc. that is suitable for implementing the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0048] 1 Image forming apparatus (image forming apparatus main body), 30 conveying device, 30a spindle, 42 Reversing roller, 45 Switching member, 46 swing guide member, 46a Rotation axis, 46b contact part, 47 Reversing guide surface, 50 opening and closing guide member (first unit), 51 double-sided guide surface, 52 Regulatory Department, 53 Pushing part, 60 opposing guide member (second unit), 61 opposing guide surface, 62 conveying guide surface (guide part), 90 first stopper portion, 91 second stopper portion (stopper portion), 95 tension spring (biasing member), X polymerization part, K0: First conveying path, K1: Second conveying path, K2 discharge conveyor, K3 relay conveyor, K4 Switchback conveyor (conveyor), K5 double-sided transport path (transport path), P sheet (recording medium). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0049] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-123393

Claims

1. an opening / closing guide member that faces the opposing guide member and forms a conveying path along which the sheet is conveyed, and that is rotatable together with the opposing guide member about a support shaft so as to open the inside of the closed device; a swingable guide member that is installed on the upstream side or downstream side of the opening / closing guide member in the conveying direction, that faces the opposing guide member together with the opening / closing guide member to form the conveying path, and that is swingable about a rotation axis; Equipped with an overlapping portion where a part of the opening / closing guide member and a part of the swinging guide member overlap in a comb-tooth shape in the width direction in which the support shaft and the rotating shaft extend, is formed so as to face the opposing guide member; the opening / closing guide member includes a restricting portion that restricts the swinging guide member from swinging in a direction away from an opposing position where the swinging guide member faces the opposing guide member when the opening / closing guide member is closed; When the opening / closing guide member is opened, the restriction of the swinging guide member by the restricting portion is released, and the swinging guide member can swing to a retracted position away from the opposing position, A conveying device characterized in that when the swingable guide member is located at the retracted position, the opposing guide member is not hindered from rotating.

2. 2. The conveying device according to claim 1, wherein the swingable guide member is capable of swinging toward the opposing position under its own weight.

3. 2. The conveying device according to claim 1, further comprising a biasing member for biasing the swingable guide member so that the swingable guide member swings toward the retracted position.

4. 4. The conveying device according to claim 3, wherein a pushing portion is provided on the opening / closing guide member to push the swinging guide member toward the opposing position against the biasing force of the biasing member in conjunction with the rotation of the opening / closing guide member when transitioning from an open state to a closed state.

5. the regulating portion is provided at a position where it does not interfere with the conveyance of the sheet in the conveyance path, A conveying device as described in any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the oscillating guide member that abuts against the regulating portion when closed abuts against a portion that does not interfere with the conveyance of sheets in the device, thereby determining the opposing position.

6. 6. The conveying device according to claim 1, further comprising a stopper portion that limits the swinging of the swinging guide member from the opposing position beyond the retracted position.

7. 7. The conveying device according to claim 1, wherein the opposing guide member is configured to be rotatable about the support shaft without being linked to the rotation of the opening / closing guide member.

8. The swing guide member is The opening and closing guide member is disposed upstream in the conveying direction. A conveying device as described in any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the downstream end in the conveying direction is formed so as to be closer to the opposing guide member than the upstream end in the conveying direction of the opening / closing guide member.

9. a relay conveyance path for conveying the sheet after the fixing process toward the switchback conveyance path; the switchback conveying path for reversing the conveying direction of the sheet; a double-sided conveying path along which the sheet inverted by the switchback conveying path is conveyed; a switching member that switches between conveying a sheet from the relay conveying path to the switchback conveying path and conveying a sheet from the switchback conveying path to the double-sided conveying path; Equipped with The opposing guide member is integrally formed with a guide portion that forms the relay transport path, 8. The conveying device according to claim 1, wherein the conveying path includes a conveying path extending from the switchback conveying path to the double-sided conveying path.

10. An image forming apparatus comprising the conveying device according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

Images