Patent Grant
10935910
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus that cools a sheet to be discharged to a stacking portion with air.
In a conventional image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, when duplex printing is performed, toner is heated and fixed on the obverse surface and the reverse surface of a sheet and the sheet is discharged. In this case, the sheet heated in the fixing portion retains heat even after having been discharged to the stacking portion by the discharging portion and having been stacked. If the sheet is discharged at a temperature higher than the temperature at which the toner on the sheet is melted, portions of toner melt and fix to each other in the state where the sheets are stacked at the stacking portion, which may cause a problem that the sheets are stuck to each other.
In order to solve this problem, a cooling device is provided at a sheet conveying path from the fixing portion to the discharging portion as disclosed in Patent Document 1 or at the discharging portion as disclosed in Patent Document 2.
However, in recent years, high-speed apparatuses have become mainstream in which a sheet is conveyed at a high speed and accordingly toner on the sheet is fixed in a short time. This necessitates a higher temperature in the fixing portion. Further, the time for the sheet to be discharged after the sheet has passed through the fixing portion has become shorter and shorter. Therefore, in the conventional configurations described above, the cooling device cannot sufficiently cool the sheet, and the toner is discharged at a temperature higher than the temperature at which the toner melts. As a result, a problem may occur that the sheets are stuck to each other.
Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2010-215311
Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2011-197108
An object of the present invention is to reduce the temperature of the sheets to suppress the sheets from sticking to each other (melt-adhesion).
In order to accomplish the above object, an image forming apparatus according to the present invention, comprising:
a transferring portion configured to transfer a toner image onto a sheet;
a fixing unit configured to fix the toner image on the sheet;
a plurality of discharging rollers which discharge the sheet to a stacking portion;
a first guide member configured to guide one surface of the sheet downstream of the fixing unit in a sheet conveying direction and upstream of the plurality of discharging rollers in the sheet conveying direction;
a second guide member placed to face the first guide member, the second member being configured to guide the other surface of the sheet downstream of the fixing unit in the sheet conveying direction and upstream of the plurality of discharging rollers in the sheet conveying direction;
a plurality of protruded portions provided on the second guide member in a sheet width direction orthogonal to the sheet conveying direction, the plurality of protruded portions having openings through which air passes;
a plurality of recessed portions provided on the first guide member in the sheet width direction, the plurality of recessed portions being respectively located so as to face the plurality of protruded portions; and
a blower unit which blows air toward the sheet via the openings provided on the protruded portions of the second guide member,
wherein by the plurality of protruded portions provided on the second guide member and the plurality of recessed portions provided on the first guide member, a corrugated shape is formed in the width direction on the sheet to which air is blown, the plurality of recessed portions facing the plurality of protruded portions.
According to the present invention, it is possible to reduce the temperature of the sheets to suppress the sheets from sticking to each other (melt-adhesion).
Further features of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of exemplary embodiments with reference to the attached drawings.
Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be illustratively described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, dimensions, materials, shapes, relative arrangements and the like of the components described in the following embodiments should be appropriately changed depending on the configuration and various conditions of the apparatus to which the present invention is applied. Therefore, the scope of the present invention is not intended to be limited thereto unless otherwise specified.
(Description of Overall Configuration of the Apparatus)
The entire configuration of the image forming apparatus according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to drawings.
In the image forming apparatus 100 in
A description will be given of a process of forming an image sent to the secondary transfer unit 103 at the same timing as the process of conveying the sheet S to the secondary transfer unit 103. The image forming unit 120 mainly includes the photosensitive body 121, the exposure mechanism 122, a developing mechanism (not shown), the primary transfer mechanism 123, and the photosensitive body cleaner 124. Based on a received signal of image information, the exposure mechanism 122 emits light to the photosensitive body 121 via a diffraction portion (not shown), if necessary, to form an electrostatic latent image while the photosensitive body 121 rotates in the direction indicated by the arrow A in the drawing. The surface of the photosensitive body 121 has been uniformly charged by a charging portion (not shown) in advance.
The electrostatic latent image formed on the photosensitive body 121 as described above is developed with toner by the developing mechanism so that a toner image is formed on the photosensitive body 121. Thereafter, a predetermined pressing force and an electrostatic bias are applied to the intermediate transfer belt 130 by the primary transfer mechanism 123 so that the toner image formed on the photosensitive body 121 is transferred onto the intermediate transfer belt 130. Thereafter, the transfer residual toner slightly remaining on the photosensitive body 121 is collected by the photosensitive body cleaner 124 for preparing for the next image formation. The image forming apparatus shown in
Next, the intermediate transfer belt 130 will be described. The intermediate transfer belt 130 is stretched by rollers such as the drive roller 131, the tension roller 132, and the secondary transfer inner roller 104, and is moved in the direction of the arrow B in the drawing for conveyance. Accordingly, the image forming processes of the respective colors, which are performed in parallel by the image forming portions 120 of Y, M, C and Bk are performed at such timings that an image formed by each of the image forming portions overlaps with upstream toner images of other colors which have already been transferred onto the intermediate transfer belt 130. As a result, a full-color toner image is finally formed on the intermediate transfer belt 130 and is conveyed to the secondary transfer portion 103.
A full-color toner image is collectively transferred on a sheet at the secondary transfer portion 103 through the above-described conveying process of the sheet S and image forming process for the sheet S. The sheet S to which the toner image has been transferred is conveyed to the fixing portion (fixing unit) 150, where the toner image is melted and fixed by being pressed and heated by the fixing portion 150. A conveying path is selected (switched) by the conveyance branch mechanism 151 for the sheet S with the fixed image obtained as described above. That is, a conveying path for the sheet S is selected such that the sheet S is discharged onto the discharge trays 160 and 161 by a discharging portion described later or the sheet S is conveyed from the reverse conveying mechanism 162 to the duplex conveying mechanism 163. The sheet S conveyed to the duplex conveying mechanism 163 is conveyed again to the secondary transfer portion 103 where an image is formed on the second surface in a similar way for that on the first surface. The sheet S on whose second surface an image has been fixed is further conveyed, and is selectively discharged to one of the discharge trays 160 and 161 by the discharging portion.
(Description of Discharging Portion)
Next, a discharging portion (sheet discharging device) will be described with reference to drawings, which conveys the sheet that has passed through the fixing portion 150 and discharges it onto the discharge trays 160 and 161 working as a stacking portion. A description will be made assuming that the sheet S is discharged to the discharge tray 160.
As shown in
As shown in the cross-section B of
As shown in the cross-section C of
At the discharging portion having the above-described configuration, the sheet S discharged from the fixing portion 150 is sent to the conveying rollers 152 and conveyed further by the conveying rollers 152. The sheet S conveyed by the conveying rollers 152 is introduced into a conveyance path for discharging the sheet to the discharge tray 160 by the conveyance branch mechanism 151 while being guided by the inner guide 153 and the outer guide 155 which are opposed to each other. Thereafter, the sheet S is cooled by blowing air from the obverse surface cooling device 154 provided at a more inner position than the inner guide 153 while being guided by the inner guide 153 and the outer guide 155 which are opposed to each other and then is discharged onto the discharge tray 160 by the discharging rollers 156.
Next, the state of the sheet S guided by the inner guide 153 and the outer guide 155 which are opposed to each other between the conveying rollers 152 and the discharging rollers 156 in the discharging portion according to the present embodiment will be described using a comparative example.
In the discharging portion of the comparative example, when the sheet S is guided by the inner guide 153 and the outer guide 155, which are two opposing conveying guides, the inner guide 153 and the outer guide 155 have a linear shape in the cross-section in the width direction orthogonal to the conveying direction at the conveying guide. Therefore, as shown in
In contrast to the above comparative example, when the sheet S is guided by the inner guide 153 and the outer guide 155, which are the two opposing conveyance guides, in the discharging portion of the present embodiment, the inner guide 153 and the outer guide 155 have a recessed and protruded shape in the cross-section (see
Each convex shape of the sheet S is formed along the conveying direction. When the obverse surface cooling device 154 blows air toward the sheet S having the corrugated shape, the blown air is guided along the conveying direction (each arrow direction in
As a result, the cooling effect of the air blown from the obverse surface cooling device 154 can be obtained not only in the conveying path by the inner guide 153 and the outer guide 155 but also on the discharge tray 160. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the temperature of the sheets on the discharge tray and suppress a problem that the sheets adhere to each other (melt-adhesion). It is preferable that the recessed portions 155a and the protruded portions 153a extend along the conveying direction for the corrugated shape to be properly formed on the sheet S.
In the discharging portion according to the second embodiment of the present invention, the pressing members 157 are used to form a corrugated shape on the sheet S in the width direction orthogonal to the conveying direction instead of the protruded and recessed shape of the conveying guide of the first embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the same members as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description of the members having the same configuration and function is omitted.
In this embodiment, the outer guide 155 and the inner guide 153 are provided with ribs extending in the conveying direction. By providing these ribs, the area where the sheet contacts the outer guide 155 or the inner guide 153 can be reduced. That is, the resistance produced by the contact is reduced.
The openings through which the air passes are provided on the inner guide 153 between these ribs.
The discharging portion (sheet discharging device) that conveys the sheet that has passed through the fixing portion 150 and discharges the sheet onto the discharge trays 160 and 161 will be described with reference to
As shown in the cross-section B of
Further, the conveying rollers 152 shown in the cross-section C of
In
In the discharging portion having the above-described configuration, the sheet S discharged from the fixing portion 150 is sent to the conveying rollers 152 and further conveyed by the conveying rollers 152. The sheet S conveyed by the conveying rollers 152 is introduced into a conveying path for discharging the sheet to the discharge tray 160 by the conveyance branch mechanism 151 while being guided by the inner guide 153 and the outer guide 155 which are opposed to each other. Thereafter, the sheet S is pressed by the pressing members 157 provided so as to move toward the sheet S in the conveying path, is cooled by air blown from the obverse surface cooling device 154 provided at a more inner position than the inner guide 153, and is discharged to the discharge tray 160 by the discharge rollers 156 while being guided by the inner guide 153 and the outer guide 155 which are opposed to each other.
When the sheet S enters the area in which the pressing members 157 are provided, a corrugated shape (the concave and convex shape shown in
As a result, the cooling effect of the air blown from the obverse surface cooling device 154 can be obtained not only in the conveying path by the inner guide 153 and the outer guide 155 but also on the discharge tray 160. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the temperature of the sheets on the discharge tray so that the problem that the sheets adhere to each other (melt-adhesion) can be suppressed.
In the discharging portion according to the third embodiment of the present invention, the reverse surface cooling device 158 is used for forming a corrugated shape on the sheet S in the width direction orthogonal to the conveying direction instead of providing the recessed and protruded shape of the conveying guide of the first embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the same members as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description of the members having the same configuration and function is omitted.
The discharging portion (sheet discharging device) that conveys the sheet that has passed through the fixing portion 150 and discharges the sheet onto the discharge trays 160 and 161 will be described with reference to the
As shown in the cross-section C of
The conveying rollers 152 shown in the cross-section D of
In the discharging portion having the above-described configuration, the sheet S discharged from the fixing portion 150 is sent to the conveying rollers 152 and further conveyed by the conveying rollers 152. The sheet S conveyed by the conveying rollers 152 is introduced into a conveying path for discharging the sheet to the discharge tray 160 by the conveyance branch mechanism 151 while being guided by the inner guide 153 and the outer guide 155 which are opposed to each other. Thereafter, the sheet S is cooled by the obverse surface cooling devices 154 provided at a more inner position than the inner guide 153 and the reverse surface cooling devices 158 provided at a more outer position than the outer guide 155 and arranged alternately with the obverse surface cooling devices 154 while being guided by the inner guide 153 and the outer guide 155 which are opposed to each other. Then, the sheet S is discharged to the discharge tray 160 by the discharge rollers 156.
The obverse surface cooling device 154 and the reverse surface cooling device 158 are alternately arranged in the width direction. Therefore, when the sheet S is blown by the obverse surface cooling device 154 and the reverse surface cooling device 158, a corrugated shape is formed on the sheet S in the width direction orthogonal to the conveying direction, and the obverse surface cooling devices 154 blow air toward each ridged portion (each convex portion) of the corrugated shape of the sheet S. Thus, the blown air is guided by the corrugated shape of the sheet S, and is efficiently sent to the discharge tray 160 while suppressing dispersion in each direction.
As a result, the cooling effect of the air blown from the obverse surface cooling device 154 can be obtained not only in the conveying path by the inner guide 153 and the outer guide 155 but also on the discharge tray 160. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the temperature of the sheets on the discharge tray so that the problem that the sheets adhere to each other (melt-adhesion) can be suppressed.
In the above-described embodiments, at both ends of one roller of the discharging rollers 156, the ring members 156c whose outer diameter is larger than that of the one roller are provided to enlarge the corrugated shape of the sheet S. However, the present invention is not limited to this configuration. For example, only at one end of the one roller 156a of the discharging rollers 156 in the width direction, the ring member 156c whose outer diameter is larger than that of the roller 156a may be provided. Alternatively, the effect of the present invention can be obtained without this ring member.
In the above-described embodiments, in order to more efficiently use the air blown from the obverse surface cooling device 154, the conveying rollers 152 are configured as a cylindrical roller that contacts the entire area of the sheet S in the width direction. The effect of the present invention can be obtained even if the conveying rollers 152 do not have this configuration.
Further, in the above-described embodiments, the discharging portion integrally provided in the image forming apparatus is exemplified as the sheet discharging device. However, the present invention is not limited to this configuration and the discharging portion may be detachably attachable to the image forming apparatus. Specifically, the same effect can be obtained in a sheet processing apparatus such as a finisher by applying the present invention to a discharging portion that conveys a sheet that has passed through a fixing portion and discharges the sheet to a stacking portion.
In the above-described embodiments, the printer is exemplified as the image forming apparatus. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, another type of image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, a facsimile apparatus, or a multifunction machine combining these functions may be used. Further, the present invention is not limited to an image forming apparatus that uses an intermediate transfer member, sequentially transfers toner images of respective colors onto the intermediate transfer member, and transfers the toner images born on the intermediate transfer member onto a sheet at a time. For example, the present invention may be applied to the image forming apparatus in which a sheet carrier is used, and toner images of respective colors are sequentially transferred and overlapped on a sheet carried on the sheet carrier. A similar effect can be obtained by applying the present invention to these image forming apparatuses.
While the present invention has been described with reference to exemplary embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed exemplary embodiments. The scope of the following claims is to be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent structures and functions.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| JP2017-190080 | Sep 2017 | JP | national |
This application is a Continuation of International Patent Application No. PCT/JP2018/036544, filed Sep. 28, 2018, which claims the benefit of Japanese Patent Application No. 2017-190080, filed Sep. 29, 2017, both of which are hereby incorporated by reference herein in their entirety.
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| Number | Date | Country |
|---|---|---|
| 103207556 | Jul 2013 | CN |
| 102006017461 | Nov 2006 | DE |
| 2003212371 | Jul 2003 | JP |
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| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20200218180 A1 | Jul 2020 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | PCT/JP2018/036544 | Sep 2018 | US |
| Child | 16819279 | US |
