Image forming device

Abstract

To adjust the positions of a pair of rotators with respect to a support base.SOLUTION: An image formation apparatus according to an aspect of the present invention comprises: a printing unit which prints an image on a plate-like printing medium; a pair of clamping rotators which convey the plate-like printing medium to the printing unit; and an upstream side support base which supports the plate-like printing medium on the upstream side in the conveyance direction with respect to the clamping rotators. The image formation apparatus has: a plurality of rotators which are disposed side by side; a support body which supports the plurality of rotators; and an adjustment mechanism which adjusts relative positions between the plurality of rotators and the support body.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, in image forming devices, a configuration is known in which a removable transport auxiliary member is provided in the image forming device in order to transport plate-shaped printing media such as building materials or plastic plates, which are recording media other than sheet-shaped recording media.

[0003] In addition, to assist in the transport of plate-shaped printing media, a configuration has been disclosed in which an upstream support table is provided upstream of the clamping roller in the transport direction to support the unprinted portion of the plate-shaped printing media, and a downstream support table is provided downstream of the medium support means in the transport direction to support the printed portion of the plate-shaped printing media (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in the configuration of Patent Document 1, twisting of the support bases, such as the upstream support base and downstream support base attached to the image forming device, can cause part of the plate-shaped printing medium to float relative to the support base, which can reduce the transport performance of the plate-shaped printing medium.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to adjust the position of a rotating body relative to a support base. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] An image forming apparatus according to one aspect of the present invention is an image forming apparatus comprising: a printing unit that prints an image on a plate-shaped printing medium; a clamping rotor that sends the plate-shaped printing medium to the printing unit; and an upstream support base that supports the plate-shaped printing medium upstream of the clamping rotor in the conveying direction, the image forming apparatus comprising: a plurality of rotors that are arranged side by side; a support that supports the plurality of rotors; and an adjustment mechanism that adjusts the relative positions of the plurality of rotors and the support. a biasing mechanism that biases the plurality of rotating bodies toward the plate-shaped printing medium; With The biasing mechanism includes a rotating body elongated hole having a longitudinal direction in the vertical direction, a rotating shaft member of the rotating body inserted into the rotating body elongated hole, and a rotating body biasing member that biases the rotating shaft member toward the plate-shaped printing medium. do. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, the position of the rotating body relative to the support base can be adjusted. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the periphery of a printing unit of the image forming apparatus according to the embodiment. [Figure 2] 2A and 2B are diagrams showing an example of the configuration of an upstream support base and a downstream support base according to the embodiment, in which FIG. 2A is a top view and FIG. 2B is a cross-sectional view taken along the arrow CC in FIG. 2A. [Figure 3] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating an example of the configuration of an upstream support base and a downstream support base according to a first modified example. [Figure 4] 4A and 4B are diagrams showing examples of the configuration of an upstream mounting portion, where FIG. 4A is a diagram showing mounting to an upper roller, and FIG. 4B is a diagram showing mounting to a lower roller. [Figure 5] 5A and 5B are diagrams showing an example of the configuration of an upstream attachment portion according to a modified example, in which FIG. 5A shows the state before locking, and FIG. 5B shows the state after locking. [Figure 6] 3A and 3B are diagrams illustrating an example of the configuration of an upstream support according to the first embodiment. [Figure 7] 7A and 7B are diagrams showing an example of the configuration around the upstream roller, in which FIG. 7A is a front view, FIG. 7B is a cross-sectional view taken along the line EE in FIG. 7A, and FIG. 7C is a diagram of a modified example. [Figure 8] 8A and 8B are diagrams showing an example of the configuration of an upstream roller support body according to a second embodiment, in which FIG. 8A is a front view and FIG. 8B is a cross-sectional view taken along the line FF in FIG. 8A. [Figure 9]9(a) and 9(b) are diagrams illustrating a first example of a printing medium transport state, in which FIG. 9(a) is a top view of an ideal transport state, FIG. 9(b) is a cross-sectional view along the IXA-IXA section line in FIG. 9(a), FIG. 9(c) is a top view of a transport state in which one side of the upstream support is tilted downward in a direction approximately perpendicular to the transport direction, FIG. 9(d) is a cross-sectional view along the IXC-IXC section line in FIG. 9(c), FIG. 9(e) is a top view of a transport state in which the upstream roller is tilted downward to correct the tilt of the printing medium, and FIG. 9(f) is a cross-sectional view along the IXE-IXE section line in FIG. 9(e). [Figure 10] 10(a) and 10(b) are diagrams illustrating a second example of the print medium transport state, in which Figure 10(a) is a top view of an ideal transport state, Figure 10(b) is a cross-sectional view along the XA-XA section line of Figure 10(a), Figure 10(c) is a top view of a transport state in which the upstream side of the upstream support in the transport direction is sunken, Figure 10(d) is a cross-sectional view along the XC-XC section line of Figure 10(c), Figure 10(e) is a top view of a transport state in which the upstream roller at the most downstream side in the transport direction is sunken and the inclination of the print medium is corrected, and Figure 9(f) is a cross-sectional view along the XE-XE section line of Figure 9(e). DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The following describes the embodiments of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, the same components are designated by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations will be omitted where appropriate.

[0010] Furthermore, the embodiments shown below are examples of image forming apparatuses that embody the technical concepts of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the embodiments shown below. The dimensions, materials, shapes, relative locations, etc. of the components described below are intended to be illustrative and not to limit the scope of the present invention unless otherwise specified. Furthermore, the sizes and positional relationships of components shown in the drawings may be exaggerated for clarity.

[0011] The image forming apparatus according to the embodiment comprises a printing unit that prints an image on a plate-shaped printing medium, a clamping rotor that feeds the plate-shaped printing medium to the printing unit, and an upstream support table that supports the plate-shaped printing medium upstream of the clamping rotor in the transport direction.

[0012] Plate-shaped printing media are plate-shaped members such as building materials or plastic plates, and are heavier than sheet-shaped printing media such as paper. Note that building materials refer to construction materials. For example, building materials are wooden plate-shaped members used for the walls or ceilings of buildings. Furthermore, plastic plates refer to plate-shaped members made of plastic material. For example, plastic plates are plate-shaped members that serve as the base material for signs.

[0013] In an embodiment, when such a plate-shaped printing medium is fed in the conveyance direction by the medium conveyance mechanism and positioned on the medium support means, the plate-shaped printing medium is supported by an upstream support table, thereby preventing the plate-shaped printing medium from skewing due to conveyance resistance, etc. Here, skewing refers to advancing at an angle. Skewing includes both the plate-shaped printing medium being tilted in-plane and advancing at an angle relative to the conveyance direction, and the plate-shaped printing medium being tilted out-of-plane (in the tilting direction) and advancing at an angle relative to the conveyance direction.

[0014] In another embodiment, the printer includes a plurality of rotating bodies arranged side by side, a support supporting the plurality of rotating bodies, and an adjustment mechanism for adjusting the relative positions of the plurality of rotating bodies and the support. In this embodiment, the adjustment mechanism adjusts the position of the rotating bodies relative to the support base, thereby increasing the contact area between the rotating bodies and the plate-shaped print medium, thereby suppressing a decrease in the conveyance performance of the plate-shaped print medium. For example, in this embodiment, the printer prevents a decrease in productivity in conveying the print medium, prevents conveyance anisotropy that causes differences in conveyance performance depending on the conveyance direction, and uniforms conveyance performance regardless of the conveyance direction.

[0015] Hereinafter, an embodiment will be described using an image forming apparatus of a liquid ejection type that forms an image by ejecting liquid from a liquid ejection head onto a plate-shaped printing medium as an example. Note that in the embodiments, the terms image formation, recording, printing, copying, and printing are all synonymous.

[0016] The liquid may have any viscosity and surface tension that allows it to be ejected from a liquid ejection head, but is not particularly limited thereto. Preferably, the viscosity of the liquid is 30 mPa·s or less at room temperature and pressure, or upon heating or cooling. More specifically, the liquid may be a solution, suspension, emulsion, or the like containing a solvent such as water or an organic solvent, a colorant such as a dye or pigment, a functionalizing material such as a polymerizable compound, resin, or surfactant, a biocompatible material such as DNA, amino acids, proteins, or calcium, or an edible material such as a natural dye. These may be used, for example, in inkjet inks.

[0017] Liquid ejection heads are functional components that eject and spray liquid from nozzles. Energy sources for ejecting liquid include piezoelectric actuators (laminated piezoelectric elements and thin-film piezoelectric elements), thermal actuators that use electrothermal conversion elements such as heating resistors, and electrostatic actuators that consist of a vibration plate and an opposing electrode.

[0018] In the diagrams below, directions are sometimes indicated by the X, Y, and Z axes, but the X direction along the X axis indicates the main scanning direction in which the carriage included in the image forming device moves back and forth. The Y direction along the Y axis indicates the sub-scanning direction along the transport direction in which the plate-shaped printing medium is fed. The Z direction along the Z axis indicates the direction perpendicular to both the X and Y axes.

[0019] Additionally, the X direction in which the arrow points is referred to as the +X direction, and the opposite direction of the +X direction is referred to as the -X direction; the Y direction in which the arrow points is referred to as the +Y direction, and the opposite direction of the +Y direction is referred to as the -Y direction; and the Z direction in which the arrow points is referred to as the +Z direction, and the opposite direction of the +Z direction is referred to as the -Z direction. The image forming device is assumed to feed plate-shaped printing media in the +Y direction. However, these do not limit the orientation of the image forming device, and the image forming device can be placed in any orientation.

[0020] [First embodiment] (Example of the configuration around Printing Unit 2) 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the periphery of a printing unit 2 in an image forming apparatus 100 according to an embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the image forming apparatus 100 has a platen 1, a printing unit 2, registration rollers 3, a sub-scanning motor 4, and a maintenance recovery mechanism 5.

[0021] The platen 1 is a medium support means that supports the plate-shaped printing medium P. The platen 1 has a support surface formed with high flatness, and by supporting the plate-shaped printing medium P with the support surface, the positional relationship between the plate-shaped printing medium P and the carriage 26 provided in the printing unit 2 is maintained with high precision.

[0022] The printing unit 2 includes a guide rod 21 , a main scanning motor 22 , a driving pulley 23 , a driven pulley 24 , a timing belt 25 , a carriage 26 , and a linear encoder 27 .

[0023] The printing unit 2 prints an image on the platen 1 while moving a carriage 26 back and forth along a main scanning direction A by a guide rod 21, a main scanning motor 22, a drive pulley 23, a driven pulley 24, and a timing belt 25.

[0024] The guide rod 21 is a guide member that is hung together with guide stays between both side plates of the image forming apparatus 100 in the X-axis direction. The guide rod 21 supports the carriage 26 so that it can move in the main scanning direction A.

[0025] The main scanning motor 22 is a drive source for reciprocating the carriage 26, which is disposed on the +X direction side, which is one side of the main scanning direction. A timing belt 25 is wound around a drive pulley 23, which is rotationally driven by the main scanning motor 22, and a driven pulley 24, which is disposed on the −X direction side, which is the other side of the main scanning direction. A belt holding portion of the carriage 26 is fixed to the timing belt 25, and the carriage 26 is reciprocated along the main scanning direction A when the main scanning motor 22 is driven.

[0026] The carriage 26 is equipped with four recording heads 261a, 261b, 261c, and 261d, each of which integrates a liquid ejection head and a head tank that supplies liquid to the head. However, the number of recording heads is not limited to four, and can be selected appropriately depending on the application of the image forming apparatus 100.

[0027] Each of the four recording heads 261a, 261b, 261c, and 261d has a nozzle row in which a plurality of nozzles are arranged along the transport direction B. Each nozzle in the nozzle row ejects liquid toward the -Z direction. Furthermore, the recording head 261a and the recording heads 261b, 261c, and 261d are arranged so as to be shifted in position by one nozzle row along the transport direction B.

[0028] Each of the recording heads 261a, 261b, 261c, and 261d has two nozzle rows. The recording heads 261a and 261b eject black droplets, which are the same color, from both nozzle rows. The recording head 261c ejects cyan droplets from one nozzle row, and the other nozzle row is an unused nozzle row. The recording head 261d ejects yellow droplets from one nozzle row and magenta droplets from the other nozzle row.

[0029] As a result, for monochrome images, image forming apparatus 100 can use recording heads 261a and 261b to print a width equivalent to two recording heads with one movement in main scanning direction A. For color images, image forming apparatus 100 can use recording heads 261b, 261c, and 261d, for example. However, the configuration of the recording heads is not limited to this and can be selected appropriately depending on the application of image forming apparatus 100.

[0030] The linear encoder 27 includes an encoder sheet 271 and an encoder sensor 272. The encoder sheet 271 is arranged along the main scanning direction A. The encoder sensor 272 is provided on the carriage 26, and reads the encoder sheet 271 while moving in accordance with the movement of the carriage 26. The image forming apparatus 100 can detect the position and speed of the carriage 26 from the output of the linear encoder 27.

[0031] The registration rollers 3 are an example of a pair of clamping rotors that clamp the plate-shaped printing medium P. The sub-scanning motor 4 is a medium conveying mechanism that rotates the registration rollers 3 to feed the plate-shaped printing medium P in the conveying direction B and position it on the platen 1.

[0032] The registration rollers 3 sandwich the plate-shaped printing medium P between two paired rollers, and are driven to rotate by the sub-scanning motor 4, thereby feeding the plate-shaped printing medium P along the conveying direction B. The medium conveying mechanism may include mechanisms such as gears, belts, or pulleys in addition to the sub-scanning motor 4. At least one of the paired rollers included in the registration rollers 3 is a drive roller, and the other of the two rollers is a driven roller.

[0033] The maintenance and recovery mechanism 5 is disposed on the −X direction side of the platen 1 in the image forming apparatus 100, and performs maintenance and recovery of the recording heads 261a, 261b, 261c, and 261d.

[0034] In the main scanning movement region where the carriage 26 moves along the main scanning direction A, and in the printing region where printing is performed on the plate-shaped printing medium P, the plate-shaped printing medium P is fed by the registration rollers 3. Thereafter, the plate-shaped printing medium P is intermittently fed in the transport direction B by the registration rollers 3.

[0035] The head tanks provided in the recording heads 261a, 261b, 261c, and 261d are supplied with ink of each color from ink cartridges, which are main tanks that are replaceably mounted in the image forming apparatus 100, via supply tubes.

[0036] (Configuration example of upstream support base and downstream support base) 2 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the upstream support table 6 and the downstream support table 7 in the image forming apparatus 100. FIG. 2(a) is a top view, and FIG. 2(b) is a cross-sectional view taken along the CC arrow in FIG. 2(a). As shown in FIG. 2, the image forming apparatus 100 includes the upstream support table 6, the downstream support table 7, and a base unit 10. The base unit 10 is a component on which the platen 1 is placed.

[0037] 2(b), the registration rollers 3 include a pair of rollers, an upper roller 31 and a lower roller 32. The registration rollers 3 sandwich the plate-shaped printing medium P between the upper roller 31 and the lower roller 32 and transport the plate-shaped printing medium P along the transport direction B.

[0038] The upstream support base 6 supports the upstream side of the plate-shaped printing medium P when the plate-shaped printing medium P is fed by the registration rollers 3. The upstream support base 6 is disposed upstream of the platen 1 along the transport direction B, and supports the plate-shaped printing medium P from below in the vertical direction (-Z direction side).

[0039] 2, the upstream support base 6 includes upstream mounting portions 61a and 61b, an upstream outer frame member 62, an upstream support body 63, and an upstream reinforcing member 64. There are no particular restrictions on the materials for these components, and they can be made of materials such as metal or resin.

[0040] The upstream mounting portions 61a and 61b are mounting portions that the upstream support base 6 has. The upstream mounting portions 61a and 61b are detachable from the registration rollers 3, and the upstream support base 6 is positioned relative to the registration rollers 3 by being abutted against the registration rollers 3.

[0041] The upstream attachment portions 61a and 61b are each a columnar member and are disposed on both sides of the platen 1 in the main scanning direction A, and are brought into contact with the registration rollers 3, respectively.

[0042] By bringing the upstream mounting portions 61a and 61b into contact with the registration rollers 3, the upstream support base 6 is mounted in a state in which the upstream support base 6 is positioned on the registration rollers 3. In addition, by removing the upstream mounting portions 61a and 61b from the registration rollers 3, the upstream support base 6 is removed.

[0043] The upstream mounting portions 61a and 61b have the same configuration except for the positions where they are arranged, and therefore will be collectively referred to as the upstream mounting portion 61 below unless otherwise distinguished.

[0044] The upstream outer frame member 62 is a rectangular frame-shaped member, and is formed by joining four pillar-shaped members, which form the sides of the rectangle, with screws or the like.

[0045] The upstream support 63 is a beam member that is bridged between the columnar members of the upstream outer frame member 62 and extends along the conveying direction B. The upstream support 63 includes four beam members that are bridged between two columnar members of the upstream outer frame member 62 that extend along the main scanning direction A.

[0046] Each of the four upstream supports 63 contacts the plate-shaped printing medium P on the +Z side and supports the plate-shaped printing medium P from the -Z side. The upstream supports 63 are also bridged between the columnar members of the upstream outer frame member 62, thereby also serving to reinforce the mechanical strength of the upstream support base 6.

[0047] The upstream reinforcing member 64 is a beam member that is bridged between the columnar members of the upstream outer frame member 62 and extends along the main scanning direction A. The upstream reinforcing member 64 includes one beam member that is bridged between two columnar members of the upstream outer frame member 62 that extend along the conveying direction B.

[0048] The upstream support base 6 is made lighter by including an upstream outer frame member 62, which is a frame-shaped member. Furthermore, the upstream support base 6 is provided with an upstream support body 63 and an upstream reinforcing member 64, which reinforces the mechanical strength of the upstream outer frame member 62 and prevents bending and the like.

[0049] The downstream support base 7 supports the downstream side of the plate-shaped printing medium P when the plate-shaped printing medium P is fed by the registration rollers 3. The downstream support base 7 is disposed downstream of the platen 1 along the transport direction B, and supports the plate-shaped printing medium P from the -Z direction side.

[0050] 2, the downstream support base 7 includes downstream mounting portions 71a and 71b, a downstream outer frame member 72, a downstream support body 73, and a downstream reinforcing member 74. There are no particular restrictions on the materials for these components, and they can be made of materials such as metal or resin.

[0051] The downstream side mounting portions 71a and 71b are mounting portions that the downstream side support base 7 has. The downstream side mounting portions 71a and 71b are detachable from the registration rollers 3, and the downstream side support base 7 is positioned relative to the registration rollers 3 by abutting against the registration rollers 3.

[0052] The downstream support base 7 is attached in a state in which the downstream mounting portions 71a and 71b are abutted against the registration rollers 3, thereby positioning the downstream support base 7 on the registration rollers 3. The downstream support base 7 is removed by removing the downstream mounting portions 71a and 71b from the registration rollers 3.

[0053] The downstream side mounting portions 71a and 71b are each a columnar member and are disposed on both sides of the platen 1 in the main scanning direction A, and are brought into contact with the registration rollers 3.

[0054] However, the downstream mounting portions 71a and 71b are not necessarily limited to those mounted on the registration rollers 3. For example, a second roller separate from the registration rollers 3 may be provided downstream of the platen 1, and the downstream mounting portions 71a and 71b may be mounted on this second roller. In this case, the downstream support base 7 is positioned on the second roller.

[0055] The downstream mounting portions 71a and 71b have the same configuration except for the positions where they are disposed, and therefore will be collectively referred to as the downstream mounting portion 71 below unless otherwise distinguished.

[0056] The downstream outer frame member 72 is a rectangular frame-shaped member, and is formed by joining four pillar-shaped members that form the sides of the rectangle with screws or the like.

[0057] The downstream support 73 is a beam member that is suspended between the columnar members of the downstream outer frame member 72 and extends along the conveying direction B. The downstream support 73 includes four beam members that are suspended between two columnar members of the downstream outer frame member 72 that extend along the main scanning direction A.

[0058] Each of the four downstream supports 73 contacts the plate-shaped printing medium P on the +Z side and supports the plate-shaped printing medium P from the -Z side. The downstream supports 73 are also bridged between the columnar members of the downstream outer frame member 72, thereby also serving to reinforce the mechanical strength of the downstream support base 7.

[0059] The downstream-side reinforcing member 74 is a beam member that is bridged between the columnar members of the downstream-side outer frame member 72 and extends along the main scanning direction A. The downstream-side reinforcing member 74 includes one beam member that is bridged between two columnar members of the downstream-side outer frame member 72 that extend along the conveying direction B.

[0060] The downstream-side support base 7 is made lighter by including a downstream-side outer frame member 72, which is a frame-shaped member. In addition, the downstream-side support base 7 is provided with a downstream-side support body 73 and a downstream-side reinforcing member 74, which reinforces the mechanical strength of the downstream-side outer frame member 72 and prevents bending, etc.

[0061] However, the configurations of the upstream support base 6 and the downstream support base 7 are not limited to those shown in FIG. 2, and can be changed as appropriate depending on the size, weight, etc. of the plate-shaped printing medium P.

[0062] For example, rattles during transport can be prevented by inclining the upstream support base 6 and the downstream support base 7. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of an example of the configuration of the upstream support base 6' and the downstream support base 7' according to such a first modified example.

[0063] As shown in Figure 3, the upstream support base 6' is higher in the vertical direction on the upstream transport side. Also, the downstream support base 7' is lower in the vertical direction on the downstream transport side. In this way, the upstream support base 6 and the downstream support base 7 can be configured to be inclined. However, it is also possible for only one of the upstream support base 6' or the downstream support base 7' to be configured to be inclined.

[0064] (Configuration example of upstream mounting portion 61) Next, Fig. 4 shows an example of the configuration of the upstream mounting portion 61. Fig. 4(a) shows the upstream mounting portion 61 mounted on the upper roller 31, and Fig. 4(b) shows the upstream mounting portion 61 mounted on the lower roller 32.

[0065] 4(a), the upstream mounting portion 61 includes a recess 611 at one end. The recess 611 is a recess having a substantially V-shaped cross section that is substantially perpendicular to the axial direction of the registration roller 3. The substantially V-shaped recess 611 penetrates the upstream mounting portion 61 along the axial direction of the registration roller 3.

[0066] Two surfaces S and Q included in the recess 611 come into contact with the circumferential surface of the shaft member 31a included in the upper roller 31 of the registration rollers 3, thereby positioning the upstream support base 6 on the registration rollers 3. In other words, the registration rollers 3 are paired, and the upstream mounting portion 61 of the upstream support base 6 is attached to the upper roller 31, which is vertically above it.

[0067] The shape of the recess 611 does not necessarily have to be an approximately V-shaped cross-sectional shape, and it may be, for example, a rectangular cross-sectional shape, but from the standpoint of positioning stability, an approximately V-shaped cross-sectional shape that can be stably abutted against the circumferential surface is preferable.

[0068] 4(b) indicates the surface of the upstream attachment portion 61 that comes into contact with the plate-shaped printing medium P when the plate-shaped printing medium P is being transported. In this embodiment, the transport surface 66 corresponds to the surface of the upstream support body 63 on the +Z direction side.

[0069] By attaching the upstream support base 6 to the lower roller 32 via the upstream attachment portion 61, it becomes easier to match the height in the Z direction of the circumferential surface of the lower roller 32, with which the plate-shaped printing medium P comes into contact when transporting the plate-shaped printing medium P, and the transport surface 66. In other words, the registration rollers 3 are paired, and the upstream attachment portion 61 of the upstream support base 6 is attached to the lower roller 32, which is vertically lower. This makes it possible to more effectively prevent the plate-shaped printing medium P from skewing when it is fed.

[0070] 4(b) illustrates the upstream support base 6, the downstream support base 7 can also be attached to the lower roller 32 in the same manner, and the same effects as those described above can be obtained. That is, the downstream attachment portion 71 of the downstream support base 7 may be attached to the upper roller 31 on the vertically upper side, or to the lower roller 32 on the vertically lower side. Furthermore, the upstream support base 6 and the downstream support base 7 may be attached to different rollers, for example, by attaching the upstream support base 6 to the upper roller 31 and the downstream support base 7 to the lower roller 32.

[0071] 5A and 5B are diagrams showing an example of the configuration of an upstream attachment portion 61' according to a modified example, in which Fig. 5A shows the state before locking by the auxiliary member, and Fig. 5B shows the state after locking by the auxiliary member.

[0072] 5, the image forming apparatus 100 includes an auxiliary member 65. The auxiliary member 65 is disposed on the lower surface of the upstream mounting portion 61′ and is movable in the conveying direction B. The auxiliary member 65 is a member that assists the upstream mounting portion 61′ in disengaging from the shaft center member 31a.

[0073] The auxiliary member 65 includes a sloped surface 651 and is provided so as to be movable along the movement direction D. As shown in FIG. 5(a), before locking, the auxiliary member 65 is not in contact with the shaft center member 31a. When locking, the auxiliary member 65 moves along the movement direction D, and the sloped surface 651 comes into contact with the circumferential surface of the shaft center member 31a.

[0074] Simply abutting the recess 611 against the axial member 31a may cause the axial member 31a and the upstream mounting portion 61' to come off through the open side of the recess 611. The inclined surface 651 of the auxiliary member 65 comes into contact with the circumferential surface of the axial member 31a, thereby preventing the upstream mounting portion 61' abutted against the axial member 31a from coming off the axial member 31a.

[0075] When removing the upstream mounting part 61' from the shaft core member 31a, the auxiliary member 65 is moved in the direction opposite to the movement direction D. This opens one side of the recessed part 611, so that the shaft core member 31a passes through the open side of the recessed part 611, allowing the upstream mounting part 61' to be removed.

[0076] Furthermore, in FIG. 5, the positioning of the upstream support base 6 by the upstream mounting portion 61' has been described, but the positioning of the downstream support base 7 is similar, so a duplicated description will be omitted here.

[0077] (Configuration example of the upstream support 63) 6 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the upstream support 63. As shown in FIG. 6, the upstream support 63 includes an upstream roller 631 and an upstream roller support 632.

[0078] The upstream roller 631 is an example of a plurality of rotating bodies that come into contact with the plate-shaped printing medium and are arranged side by side in the conveying direction B. Note that all of the upstream rollers have the same configuration, and the upstream roller 631 is a general term for the plurality of upstream rollers.

[0079] The upstream roller 631 is a cylindrical member that can rotate around an axis along the main scanning direction A. The cylindrical axis of the upstream roller 631 and the rotation axis are approximately aligned. The upstream roller 631 also comes into contact with the surface of the plate-shaped printing medium P when the plate-shaped printing medium P is transported. The upstream roller 631 rotates in response to the transport of the plate-shaped printing medium P, thereby reducing the transport resistance of the plate-shaped printing medium P.

[0080] There are no particular restrictions on the material of the upstream rollers 631, but using a plastic material or the like is preferable in terms of parts cost. There are also no particular restrictions on the number and size of the upstream rollers 631, and they can be selected appropriately depending on the size of the plate-shaped printing medium, etc.

[0081] The upstream roller support 632 is an example of a support that supports multiple upstream rollers 631. The upstream roller support 632 rotatably supports multiple upstream rollers 631. There are no particular restrictions on the material of the upstream roller support 632, and the upstream roller support 632 can be made of materials including metal materials, plastics, etc.

[0082] (Example of configuration around upstream roller 631) Fig. 7 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration around the upstream roller 631. Fig. 7(a) is a front view, Fig. 7(b) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line EE in Fig. 7(a), and Fig. 7(c) is a diagram showing the configuration of a biasing mechanism according to a modified example.

[0083] 5, upstream roller 631 has a rotary shaft member 633, and upstream roller support 632 has a rotor slot 634. Furthermore, upstream roller support 632 has leaf spring 635 installed therein.

[0084] The rotating shaft member 633 is a shaft-shaped member that penetrates the cylindrical axis of the upstream roller 631. The rotating body elongated hole 634 is a long hole with its longitudinal direction in the vertical direction. In the example of FIG. 7, the vertical direction corresponds to the Z direction, and therefore will be referred to as the Z direction hereinafter. The rotating body elongated holes 634 are provided on the side plates of the upstream roller support body 632 on both sides of the upstream roller 631 along the main scanning direction A.

[0085] The leaf springs 635 are an example of a rotating body biasing member that biases the rotating shaft member 633 inserted into the rotating body elongated hole 634 toward the plate-shaped printing medium P. The leaf springs 635 are provided in pairs on both sides of the upstream roller 631 in the main scanning direction A.

[0086] The rotary shaft member 633 is inserted into the elongated hole 634 for the rotary body, and is supported by a leaf spring 635 so as to be rotatable integrally with the upstream roller 631 around an axis along the main scanning direction A.

[0087] The leaf spring 635 includes a bottom surface portion 635a, a spring slope portion 635b, and an upper surface portion 635c. The leaf spring 635 has a substantially symmetrical shape, and the bottom surface portion 635a and the spring slope portion 635b are paired so as to be substantially symmetrical. The bottom surface portion 635a of the leaf spring 635 is fixed to the bottom portion of the upstream roller support member 632 with a screw 636, thereby fixing the leaf spring 635 to the upstream roller support member 632.

[0088] The upper surface portion 635c of the leaf spring 635 is in contact with the rotating shaft member 633, and the elasticity of the spring slope portion 635b mainly urges the rotating shaft member 633 in the +Z direction, thereby urging the upstream roller 631 toward the plate-shaped printing medium P. The rotating shaft member 633 is movable in the Z direction by the urging force of the leaf spring 635, but the range of its movement is limited by the longitudinal length of the elongated hole 634 for the rotating body.

[0089] Here, the upstream roller 631 is biased in the +Z direction by the rotating shaft member 633 inserted into the rotating body elongated hole 634 moving in the +Z direction due to the bias of the leaf spring 635. Therefore, the rotating shaft member 633, the rotating body elongated hole 634, and the leaf spring 635 constitute a biasing mechanism that biases the upstream roller 631 toward the plate-shaped printing medium.

[0090] However, the configuration of the additional mechanism is not limited to this. For example, as shown in Fig. 7(c), the additional mechanism may be configured to include a receiving portion 637, a spring 635A having one end inserted into a recess provided in the receiving portion 637, and a moving element 638 connected to the other end of the spring 635A. Even in this configuration, the moving element 638 can urge the rotating shaft member 633 in the +Z direction, thereby urging the upstream roller 631 toward the plate-shaped printing medium.

[0091] The above-mentioned biasing mechanism may be provided to the upstream roller 631 or the upstream roller support member 632.

[0092] 6 and 7, the upstream support base 6 has been described as an example, but the downstream support base 7 may also have a similar configuration and function. Specifically, the downstream support base 7 is removably attached and includes downstream rollers 731 that are in contact with the plate-shaped printing medium P and are arranged side by side in the conveyance direction B, and downstream roller supports 732 that support the downstream rollers 731. The downstream rollers 731 may have a downstream biasing mechanism that biases them toward the plate-shaped printing medium P.

[0093] (Functions and Effects of Image Forming Apparatus 100) Next, the effects of the image forming apparatus 100 will be described.

[0094] Since plate-shaped print media are heavier than sheet-shaped print media such as paper, the resistance to transport increases and the plate-shaped print media may skew. For this reason, a configuration is known in which an image forming apparatus is provided with a removable transport auxiliary member such as an upstream support table or a downstream support table.

[0095] However, in conventional configurations, twisting of the support bases, such as the upstream support base and downstream support base attached to the image forming device, can cause the plate-shaped printing medium to float relative to the upstream roller 631, which can reduce the conveying performance of the plate-shaped printing medium.

[0096] In this embodiment, the image forming apparatus 100 includes a printing unit 2 that prints an image on a plate-shaped printing medium P, a registration roller 3 (a rotating clamping body) that feeds the plate-shaped printing medium P to the printing unit 2, and an upstream support base 6 that supports the plate-shaped printing medium P upstream of the registration roller 3 in the conveying direction.

[0097] Image forming apparatus 100 also has a plurality of upstream rollers 631 (a plurality of rotating bodies) arranged side by side, upstream roller supports 632 (supports) that support upstream rollers 631, and an adjustment mechanism that adjusts the relative positions of the plurality of upstream rollers 631 and upstream roller support 632. The adjustment mechanism is configured with, for example, a rotating shaft member 633, a rotating body elongated hole 634, a leaf spring 635, etc.

[0098] Even if the upstream support base 6 is attached twisted, the adjustment mechanism urges the upstream rollers 631 toward the plate-shaped printing medium P, thereby adjusting the position of the upstream rollers 631 relative to the support base 6. As a result, multiple upstream rollers 631 come into contact with the plate-shaped printing medium P, increasing the contact area between the upstream rollers 631 and the printing medium P and suppressing a decrease in the conveyance performance of the plate-shaped printing medium P. For example, a decrease in productivity in conveying the printing medium can be prevented, and conveyance anisotropy, which causes differences in conveyance performance depending on the conveyance direction, can be prevented, making the conveyance performance uniform regardless of the conveyance direction.

[0099] Furthermore, the image forming apparatus 100 may have a biasing mechanism that includes a rotating shaft member 633, a rotating body slot 634, and a leaf spring 635. In this case as well, the same effects as those of the above-described adjustment mechanism can be obtained.

[0100] From the viewpoint of operability and ease of installation of the image forming apparatus 100, it is preferable that the upstream support base 6 be removably attached. Furthermore, from the viewpoint of improving the adjustment accuracy of the above-mentioned adjustment mechanism, it is preferable that the upstream support base 6 has a plurality of upstream roller supports 632.

[0101] In addition, this embodiment includes a downstream roller 731 (downstream rotating body) installed side by side, a downstream roller support 732 (downstream support) that supports the downstream roller 731, and a downstream biasing mechanism that biases the downstream roller 731 toward the plate-shaped printing medium P.

[0102] Even if the downstream support base 7 is installed twisted, the downstream biasing mechanism biases the downstream rollers 731 toward the plate-shaped printing medium P, making it possible to adjust the position of the downstream rollers 731 relative to the support base 6. As a result, multiple downstream rollers 731 come into contact with the plate-shaped printing medium P, increasing the contact area between the downstream rollers 731 and the printing medium P and suppressing a decrease in the conveyance performance of the plate-shaped printing medium P. For example, this can prevent a decrease in productivity in conveying the printing medium, and prevent conveyance anisotropy, which causes differences in conveyance performance depending on the conveyance direction, making it possible to uniformize conveyance performance regardless of the conveyance direction.

[0103] It is preferable that the downstream support base 7 be removably attached from the viewpoint of operability, ease of installation, etc. of the image forming apparatus 100. Furthermore, from the viewpoint of improving the adjustment accuracy by the downstream biasing mechanism, it is preferable that the downstream support base 7 has a plurality of downstream roller supports 732.

[0104] In addition, in this embodiment, the upstream roller support 632 has a rotating body elongated hole 634 with its longitudinal direction in the Z direction (vertical direction), a rotating shaft member 633 of the upstream roller 631 inserted into the rotating body elongated hole 634, and a plate spring 635 (rotating body biasing member) that biases the rotating shaft member 633 toward the plate-shaped printing medium P.

[0105] The elasticity of the leaf spring 635 allows the upstream rollers 631 to move in the Z direction along the longitudinal direction of the rotor slots 634, bringing the upstream rollers 631 into contact with the plate-shaped printing medium P. As a result, it is possible to prevent a portion of the plate-shaped printing medium P from floating above the upstream support base 6, and suppress a decrease in the conveyance performance of the plate-shaped printing medium P.

[0106] [Second embodiment] Next, an image forming apparatus 100a according to a second embodiment will be described. Note that the same components as those described in the first embodiment are given the same part numbers, and duplicated descriptions will be omitted where appropriate.

[0107] 8A and 8B are diagrams showing an example of the configuration of the upstream roller support member 632 and its surroundings provided in the image forming apparatus 100a. Fig. 8A is a front view, and Fig. 8B is a cross-sectional view taken along the line FF in Fig. 8A. As shown in Fig. 8A, the image forming apparatus 100a has an upstream support plate 639.

[0108] The upstream support plate 639 is an example of a support plate that supports the upstream roller support 632. The upstream support plate 639 also has a support slot 639a and a spring 641.

[0109] The support elongated hole 639a is a long hole whose longitudinal direction is in the Z direction and into which the upstream roller support 632 is inserted. A protrusion 632a formed on the end of the upstream roller support 632 along the conveying direction B is inserted into the support elongated hole 639a. The length of the support elongated hole 639a along the Z axis direction is h.

[0110] The spring 641 is an example of a support biasing member that biases a portion of the upstream roller support 632 inserted into the support slot 639a toward the plate-shaped printing medium P.

[0111] The spring 641 is provided between the bottom surface of the upstream roller support member 632 and the upper surface of the upstream outer frame member 62, and biases the bottom surface of the upstream roller support member 632 in the +Z direction.

[0112] The upstream roller support 632 is biased in the +Z direction by the elasticity of the spring 641, and the upstream roller 631 is biased in the +Z direction.

[0113] The protrusion 632a is movable along the Z direction by the bias of the spring 641, but the range of movement is restricted by the length of the support slot 639a in the longitudinal direction.

[0114] The upstream roller 631 is biased in the +Z direction by the spring 641 urging the protrusion 632a inserted into the support slot 639a. Therefore, the protrusion 632a, support slot 639a, and spring 641 form a biasing mechanism that biases the upstream roller 631 toward the plate-shaped printing medium. The upstream roller support 632 has this biasing mechanism.

[0115] Although the configuration of the end portion of the upstream roller support member 632 on the conveying direction B (+Y direction) side has been described in FIG. 8, the end portion of the upstream roller support member 632 on the -Y direction side also has the same configuration.

[0116] With the above configuration, even if the upstream support base 6 is attached twisted, the biasing mechanism biases the upstream rollers 631 toward the plate-shaped printing medium P, making it possible to adjust the position of the upstream rollers 631 relative to the support base 6. As a result, the multiple upstream rollers 631 come into contact with the plate-shaped printing medium P, increasing the contact area between the downstream rollers 731 and the printing medium P and preventing a decrease in the conveyance performance of the plate-shaped printing medium P.

[0117] In this embodiment, the upstream support base 6 has been described, but the same configuration can also be applied to the downstream support base 7, and similar effects can be obtained.

[0118] <Example of conveyance state of print medium P> Here, the state of transport of the print medium P by the image forming apparatus 100 will be described.

[0119] Figure 9 illustrates a first example of the transport state of the print medium P by the image forming apparatus 100. Figure 9(a) is a top view showing an ideal transport state, Figure 9(b) is a cross-sectional view taken along the IXA-IXA line in Figure 9(a), Figure 9(c) is a top view showing a transport state in which one side of the upstream support 63 is tilted downward in a direction substantially perpendicular to the transport direction B. Figure 9(d) is a cross-sectional view taken along the IXC-IXC line in Figure 9(c), Figure 9(e) is a top view showing a transport state in which the upstream roller 631b is tilted downward in a vertical direction to correct the tilt of the print medium P, and Figure 9(f) is a cross-sectional view taken along the IXE-IXE line in Figure 9(e).

[0120] 9(a) and 9(b), the printing medium P is transported while maintaining a horizontal state in a direction substantially perpendicular to the transport direction B. In contrast to this ideal state, in FIGS. 9(c) and 9(d), the printing medium P is transported tilted so that one side of the upstream support 63 (the upstream support 63a side) in the direction substantially perpendicular to the transport direction B is tilted vertically downward. As a result of the tilt of the upstream support 63, the upstream roller 631a is out of contact with the printing medium P, and the upstream roller 631b is in contact with the printing medium P.

[0121] 9(e) and 9(f), the upstream roller 631b sinks in the direction of the arrow 93 (vertically downward), causing both the upstream roller 631a and the upstream roller 631b to come into contact with the printing medium P, correcting the tilt of the printing medium P caused by the tilt of the upstream support 63. In this way, the image forming apparatus 100 can correct the tilt of the printing medium P, where one side in a direction approximately perpendicular to the transport direction B sinks or floats.

[0122] Figure 10 is a diagram illustrating a second example of the transport state of the print medium P by the image forming apparatus 100. Figure 10(a) is a top view showing an ideal transport state, Figure 10(b) is a cross-sectional view taken along the XA-XA section line in Figure 10(a), Figure 10(c) is a top view showing a transport state in which the upstream side of the upstream support 63 in the transport direction B is sunken vertically downward, Figure 10(d) is a cross-sectional view taken along the XC-XC section line in Figure 10(c), Figure 10(e) is a top view showing a transport state in which the upstream roller 631c, which is the most downstream in the transport direction B, is sunken vertically downward to correct the tilt of the print medium P, and Figure 10(f) is a cross-sectional view taken along the XE-XE section line in Figure 10(e).

[0123] 10(a) and 10(b), the print medium P is transported while maintaining a horizontal position in the transport direction B. In contrast to this ideal state, in FIGS. 10(c) and 10(d), the upstream support 63 is tilted during transport so that the upstream side of the print medium P is lowered in the transport direction B. As a result of the upstream support 63 being tilted, the multiple upstream rollers 631c located upstream in the transport direction B are out of contact with the print medium P, and the upstream rollers 631d located downstream in the transport direction B are in contact with the print medium P.

[0124] 10(e) and 10(f), the upstream roller 631d, which is the most downstream roller in the transport direction B, sinks vertically downward, causing both the upstream roller 631c and the upstream roller 631d to come into contact with the printing medium P, thereby correcting the tilt of the printing medium P caused by the tilt of the upstream support 63. In this way, the image forming apparatus 100 can correct the tilt of the printing medium P, where one side in the transport direction B sinks or floats.

[0125] From the above, in the embodiment, if multiple upstream rollers 631 are arranged in both the conveying direction B and the direction approximately perpendicular to the conveying direction B, the contact area between the upstream rollers 631 and the plate-shaped printing medium P can be increased, and conveying performance can be improved.

[0126] Although the embodiments have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the specifically disclosed above embodiments, and various modifications and changes are possible without departing from the scope of the claims.

[0127] Furthermore, all numbers such as ordinal numbers and quantities used in the description of the embodiments are merely examples for specifically explaining the technology of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the exemplified numbers. [Explanation of symbols]

[0128] 1 platen 2 Printing Department 21 Guide rod 22 Main scanning motor 23 Drive pulley 24 driven pulley 25 Timing belt 26 Carriage 261a, 261b, 261c, 261d recording heads 27 Linear Encoder 271 Encoder Sheet 272 Encoder Sensor 3 Registration roller (an example of a rotating clamping body) 4 Sub-scanning motor 5 Maintenance and recovery mechanism 6 Upstream support stand (example of support stand) 61 Upstream attachment part 62 Upstream outer frame member 63 Upstream support 631 Upstream roller (an example of a rotating body) 632 Upstream roller support (example of support) 632a Protrusion 633 Rotating shaft members 634 Long hole for rotating body 635 Leaf spring (an example of a rotating body biasing member) 635a Bottom part 635b Spring slope 635c Top part 637 Receiving part 638 Moving Child 639 Upstream support plate (example of support plate) 639a Long hole for support 64 Upstream reinforcement 641 Spring (an example of a support biasing member) 65 Auxiliary parts 651 Slope 652 Plane section 66 Conveying surface 67 Upstream support member 7 Downstream support stand (example of support stand) 71 Downstream attachment part (example of attachment part) 72 Downstream outer frame member 73 Downstream support 74 Downstream reinforcement 77 Downstream support member 10 units 100 Image forming device A Main scanning direction B Conveying direction P Plate-shaped printing media [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0129] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 5242770

Claims

1. a printing unit that prints an image on a plate-shaped printing medium; a rotating clamping body that feeds the plate-shaped printing medium to the printing unit; an upstream support table that supports the plate-shaped print medium upstream of the pinch rotor in a conveyance direction, A plurality of rotating bodies arranged side by side; a support body that supports the plurality of rotating bodies; an adjustment mechanism for adjusting the relative positions of the plurality of rotating bodies and the support body; a biasing mechanism that biases the plurality of rotating bodies toward the plate-shaped printing medium, The biasing mechanism includes: a rotating body elongated hole having a longitudinal direction in the vertical direction; a rotating shaft member of the rotating body inserted into the rotating body elongated hole; a rotating body biasing member that biases the rotating shaft member toward the plate-shaped printing medium.

2. 2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the upstream support table is removably attached.

3. 3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the upstream support table includes a plurality of the support members.

4. a downstream support base for supporting the plate-shaped printing medium downstream of the pinching rotor in the conveyance direction; a plurality of downstream rotors arranged side by side; a downstream support body that supports the plurality of downstream rotating bodies; 4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a downstream biasing mechanism that biases the downstream rotating body toward the plate-shaped printing medium.

5. 5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the downstream support table is removably attached.

6. A printing unit that prints an image on a plate-shaped printing medium; a rotating clamping body that feeds the plate-shaped printing medium to the printing unit; an upstream support table that supports the plate-shaped print medium upstream of the pinch rotor in a conveyance direction, A plurality of rotating bodies arranged side by side; a support body that supports the plurality of rotating bodies; an adjustment mechanism for adjusting the relative positions of the plurality of rotating bodies and the support body, a downstream support base for supporting the plate-shaped printing medium downstream of the pinching rotor in the conveyance direction; a plurality of downstream rotors arranged side by side; a downstream support body that supports the plurality of downstream rotating bodies; a downstream biasing mechanism that biases the downstream rotating body toward the plate-shaped printing medium, The image forming apparatus is characterized in that the downstream side support table is removably attached.

7. 7. The image forming apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the downstream support table includes a plurality of the downstream support members.

8. a printing unit that prints an image on a plate-shaped printing medium; a clamping rotor that is driven to rotate while clamping the plate-shaped printing medium and feeds the plate-shaped printing medium to the printing unit; an upstream support table that supports the plate-shaped print medium upstream of the pinch rotor in a conveyance direction, A plurality of rotating bodies arranged side by side; a support body that supports the plurality of rotating bodies; an adjustment mechanism for adjusting the relative positions of the plurality of rotating bodies and the support body; a biasing mechanism that biases the plurality of rotating bodies toward the plate-shaped printing medium, The biasing mechanism includes: a rotating body elongated hole having a longitudinal direction in the vertical direction; a rotating shaft member of the rotating body inserted into the rotating body elongated hole; a rotating body biasing member that biases the rotating shaft member toward the plate-shaped printing medium.

9. A printing unit that prints an image on a plate-shaped printing medium; a clamping rotor that is driven to rotate while clamping the plate-shaped printing medium and feeds the plate-shaped printing medium to the printing unit; an upstream support table that supports the plate-shaped print medium upstream of the pinch rotor in a conveyance direction, A plurality of rotating bodies arranged side by side; a support body that supports the plurality of rotating bodies; an adjustment mechanism for adjusting the relative positions of the plurality of rotating bodies and the support body; a biasing mechanism including a support plate that supports the support and biases the support toward the plate-shaped printing medium, The support plate is a support slot having a longitudinal direction in the vertical direction and into which a portion of the support is inserted; a support biasing member that biases a portion of the support inserted into the support slot toward the plate-shaped printing medium.

10. 10. The image forming apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the upstream support table is removably attached.

11. 11. The image forming apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the upstream support table has a plurality of the supports.

12. a downstream support base for supporting the plate-shaped printing medium downstream of the pinching rotor in the conveyance direction; a plurality of downstream rotors arranged side by side; a downstream support body that supports the plurality of downstream rotating bodies; 12. The image forming apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising: a downstream biasing mechanism that biases the downstream support toward the plate-like printing medium.

13. A printing unit that prints an image on a plate-shaped printing medium; a clamping rotor that is driven to rotate while clamping the plate-shaped printing medium and feeds the plate-shaped printing medium to the printing unit; an upstream support table that supports the plate-shaped print medium upstream of the pinch rotor in a conveyance direction, A plurality of rotating bodies arranged side by side; a support body that supports the plurality of rotating bodies; an adjustment mechanism for adjusting the relative positions of the plurality of rotating bodies and the support body, a downstream support base for supporting the plate-shaped printing medium downstream of the pinching rotor in the conveyance direction; a plurality of downstream rotors arranged side by side; a downstream support body that supports the plurality of downstream rotating bodies; a downstream biasing mechanism that biases the downstream support toward the plate-shaped printing medium.

14. 14. The image forming apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the downstream support table is removably attached.

15. 15. The image forming apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the downstream support table includes a plurality of the downstream support members.

Images