Patent Grant
9522795
The present application is related to, claims priority from and incorporates by reference Japanese Patent Application No. 2013-177524, filed on Aug. 29, 2013.
The present invention relates to a medium loading device for a long medium and an image forming apparatus that adopts the medium loading device.
Conventionally in this type of medium loading device, a long sheet to be loaded is normally set in a rolled manner and supplied to an image forming apparatus (for example, JP Laid-open application publication 2002-362786, Paragraph 0020-0024, FIG. 6).
However, in the medium loading device having the above-described configuration, when long sheets are set in a pile, it is difficult that the sheets are smoothly supplied one by one because friction between adjacent parts is large.
A medium loading device disclosed in the application that is arranged adjacent to an image forming apparatus that includes a medium supply roller that carries a medium, includes a medium guide part that has a guide surface along which the medium is guided toward the medium supply roller, and is arranged on an upstream side of the medium supply roller in a medium carrying direction; a medium end contact part that is arranged on an upstream side of the medium guide part in the medium carrying direction, is positioned below the guide surface of the medium guide part in the vertical direction, and is configured to contact an medium upstream end of the medium so that a portion of the medium is upwardly supported when the medium upstream end of the medium contacts the medium end contact part.
According to the medium loading device of the present invention, it is possible that sheets are smoothly supplied one by one because friction generated between sheets is reduced.
As illustrated in
The sheet feed roller 3 (or medium supply roller) supplies a long sheet 21 set in the medium loading device 2 as described below. A feed roller 4 carries the supplied sheet 21 along a carrying path (illustrated in
An image forming unit 7 in the image forming apparatus main body 1 is configured with four development units 8, a transfer unit 9, and a fuser unit 14. The four development units 8 includes, from an upstream side along the carrying path of the long sheet 21 in a following order, a development unit 8K that forms a toner image in black (K), a development unit 8Y that forms a toner image in yellow (Y), a development unit 8M that forms a toner image in magenta (M), and a development unit 8C that forms a toner image in cyan (C) (reference number 8 is given when there is no necessity to distinguish and the development units are collectively referred.)
The transfer unit 9 includes an endless-type transfer belt 11 that is formed of a conductive material, a drive roller 12 that is rotated by a not-illustrated drive part in an arrow direction and rotatably moves the transfer belt 11, an idler roller 13 that forms a pair with the drive roller 12 and stretches the transfer belt 11, and four transfer rollers 10 that are arranged to press and contact image carriers 8a of the four development units 8 via the transfer belt 11.
Onto the transfer roller 10, a high voltage is applied from a not-illustrated voltage generation part, the high voltage having a reversed polarity of a toner image formed on the image carrier 8a in an electrophotographic process in the corresponding development unit 8. The transfer belt 11 transmits the high voltage applied to the transfer roller 10 and sequentially transfers toner images formed on the image carriers 8a in the development units 8 in an overlapped manner on a surface of the long sheet 21 carried along the carrying path toward the down stream side (in the arrow direction).
The fuser unit 14 includes a fuser roller 15 that is heated by an incorporated fuser heat generator and rotates in the arrow direction and a pressure application roller 16 that is pressed to the fuser roller 15 by a not-illustrated pressing method and rotates. The fuser unit 14 holds the long sheet 21 on which the toner image is transferred by the transfer unit 9 with a press-contact part and carries the long sheet 21, and meanwhile fuses the toner image to the surface of the long sheet 21. A fuser and carrying roller pair 17 is located in the vicinity and on the downstream side of the fuser unit 14, and carries the fused long sheet 21 ejected from the fuser unit 14 to the downstream. The carrying roller pair 18 carries the long sheet 21 carried by the fuser and carrying roller pair 17 to a further downstream side along the carrying path. The ejection roller pair 19 ejects the long sheet 21 carried by the carrying roller pair 18 to a stacker part 20 of the image forming apparatus main body 1.
Note, regarding the X, Y and Z axes in
Next, the medium loading device 2 is explained.
As illustrated in the figures, the medium loading device 2 is configured with a left side plate 51, a right side plate 52, a base plate 53, a first guide 54, a second guide 55, a third guide 56, and a shaft 57.
The base plate 53 in a board shape as a medium guide part is arranged between the left side plate 51 and the right side plate 52 arranged on left and right sides as viewed from a front side (minus side of X axis), and both end parts of the base plate 53 are firmly attached to the left and right side plates 51 and 52. The left and right side plates 51 and 52 have a shape that is plane-symmetric to an imaginary center plane (in parallel to a X-Z plane) that is located in the middle between the side plates 51 and 52, and integrally hold the base plate 53 in a lower center part (in X axis direction) in a state that the base plate 53 is slightly inclined to the image forming apparatus main body 1 side (X axis plus side) with respect to a horizontal direction. A width of the base plate 53 is set to be wider than a width of the long sheet 21 to be set.
On respective end part surfaces 51a and 52a of the left and right side plates 51 and 52, the surfaces being formed in a manner of being extended in a perpendicular direction on a side (X axis minus side) opposite to the image forming apparatus main body 1, a plurality of attachment long holes 51b and 52b that are arrayed in perpendicular directions are formed at a constant pitch. On respective tip end parts of left and right projection parts 58 and 59 arranged on the image forming apparatus main body 1 side (X axis plus side), hook parts 58a and 59a that insert into insertion hollows 26 and 27 (see
The first guide 54 as a medium contact holding part is formed by a processed piece of a metallic cylinder shape member, and is configured with engagement parts 54f and 54g, suspension parts 54a and 54b, locating parts 54c and 54d as medium end contact parts, and a link part 54e, which are formed in a connected manner. The engagement parts 54f and 54g that correspond to both end parts of the first guide 54 are detachably attached by inserting into a pair of the long holds 51b and 52b at the same height of the plurality of attachment long holes 51b and 52b that are formed at a constant pitch on the left and right side plates 51 and 52.
When the first guide 54 is attached to the left and right side plates 51 and 52, the suspension parts 54a and 54b of the first guide 54 extend vertically downward from the engagement parts 54f and 54g, and reach the locating parts 54c and 54d that bend in directions of getting close to each other and in a direction in parallel with the X axis minus side. The left and right locating parts 54c and 54d are connected to both end parts of the link part 54e extended vertically upward and having a U shape. Therefore, the locating parts 54c and 54d are located vertically lower than and on the X axis minus side of the base plate 53, and a height in the vertically direction of the first guide 54 is adjustable by selecting the long holds 51b and 52b at different height for attachment of the engagement parts 54f and 54g.
The second guide 55 as a medium supporting part is formed by a processed piece of a metallic cylinder shape member herein, and has a configuration that four guide pieces 81 are arranged in the width direction (Y axis direction) of the base plate 53. The guide piece 81 is formed with a front end guide part 81a as a contact part that is curved to have an almost semicircular shape, a supporting part 81b, and a connection part 81c in a connected manner. Thanks to the curved shape of the front end guide part 81a, a friction force generated against a sheet, which is carried over the part 81a, decreases. Also, smoothness of the sheet feeding is enhanced. A pair of the guide pieces 81 is linked to each other by a linkage part 55a at their front end guide parts 81a, and furthermore the four guide pieces 81 are fixed to fixing bars 55b and 55c and formed in an integrated manner. The front end guide part 81a is in a height of H81 from the guide surface of the base plate 53. The height H81 may be determined from a most upstream edge of any guide surface of, for example, the base plate 53, front cover 25, sheet feed plate 22.
Therefore, four tip guide parts 81a that are curved to have the almost semicircular shape are arranged in the width direction of the base plate 53, and thereby are arranged along an upper half part of circumference surface of a cylinder member. As described later, as the tip guide parts 81a function as almost the same as the cylinder member does, so that damage caused to the long sheet 21 may be reduced.
The second guide 55 is held by the base plate 53 herein. In the held state, the second guide 55 is positioned between the base plate 53 and the locating parts 54c and 54d of the first guide 54 in the X axis direction as illustrated in
A shaft 57 is formed by a processed piece of a metallic cylinder shape member. The shaft 57 is formed with supporting parts 57a and 57b and a linkage shaft part 57c in a connected manner. The supporting part 57a and 57b, as forming a symmetric pair, are formed in a crank shape and arranged in directions that respective upper parts thereof approach each other. The linkage shaft part 57c links end parts of the supporting parts 57a and 57b. The supporting parts 57a and 57b of the shaft 57 are respectively firmly supported by the left and right side plates 51 and 52 in the vicinities of end parts of the image forming apparatus main body 1 side (X axis plus side). Under the supported state, the linkage shaft part 57c is arranged to extend over an almost entire region of the base plate 53 in the width direction at a height position that is slightly lower than a height of the front end guide part 81a of the second guide 55.
The third guide 56 as the medium loading part is formed by a processed piece of a metallic cylinder shape member, and has a configuration that four guide pieces 83 are arranged in the width direction of the base plate 53. The guide piece 83 is formed with a loading guide part 83a that bends to have a dog leg shape, a supporting part 83b formed in a right angle shape from an almost center part of the loading guide part 83a, and a hook 83c provided at one end side of the loading guide part 83a in an integrated manner. In two guide pieces 83 that forms a pair in the guide pieces 83, end parts of the loading guide parts 83a and tip end parts of the supporting parts 83b are respectively linked by linkage parts 56a, 56b, and 56c. Furthermore, the third guide 56 is fixed by a fixing bar 56d that is suspended over all of the guide parts 83 in the vicinity of the linkage part 56a and a fixing bar 56e that is suspended over all of the guide parts 83 in a position of laying on the linkage part 56c, and therefore the third guide 56 is formed in an integrated manner.
The third guide 56 is revolvably supported by the shaft 57 when the hooks 83 fit on the linkage shaft part 57c of the shaft 57. Under the supported state, projection parts 56f and 56g of the fixing bar 56e respectively contact upper sides 51c and 52c of the left and right side plates 51 and 52 and this restricts revolve in a stationary state so that the third guide 56 stays at a reference revolve position. In the reference revolve position as illustrated in
Next, a procedure of attaching the medium loading device 2 to the image forming apparatus main body 1 and a procedure of setting the long sheet 21 into the medium loading device 2 are explained.
The medium loading device 2 is attached to the image forming apparatus main body 1 such that the hook parts 58a and 59a are respectively inserted into the insertion hollows 26 and 27 that forms a symmetric pair and is formed inside the image forming apparatus main body 1 of which the front cover 25 is opened, and is arranged in a front step thereof. At this time, the guide surface (upper surface) of the sheet supply plate 22 of the image forming apparatus main body 1, the guide surface (upper surface) of the front cover 25, and the guide surface 53a (see
For example, when a pile of fifty sheets of the long sheets 21 is set in the medium loading device 2, at first as illustrated in
In this state as illustrated in
At this time, the front end part 21a of the long sheet 21 is held by the sheet supply roller 3 and the sheet supply plate 22, and then an upmost layer of the long sheet contacting the sheet supply roller 3 is able to be supplied. Note, the sheet supply plate 22 is biased such that the upmost layer of the long sheet 21 contacts the sheet supply roller 3 with a predetermined pressure force after the long sheet 21 is set, however a detail explanation of the configuration is omitted.
Accordingly, the locating parts 54c and 54d of the first guide 54 are positioned on an upstream side of the front end guide part 81a of the second guide 55 along the carrying direction of the long sheet 21. The front end guide part 81a of the second guide 55 is positioned on an upstream side of the base plate 53 along the carrying direction. The loading guide part 83a of the third guide 56 is above the set long sheet 21 in the vertical direction.
Under the state where the pile of the long sheet 21 is set in the medium loading device 2, the long sheet 21 is supported at the almost middle part by the arc-shaped front end guide part 81a of the second guide 55. As a result, a load of the pile of the long sheet 21 is reduced and friction among the long sheets 21 is reduced.
Furthermore, because the rear end part 21b of the long sheet 21 is pushed and bent by the locating parts 54c and 54d of the first guide 54, a load of the pile of the long sheet at the arc-shaped front end guide part 81a of the second guide 55 is reduced and friction among the piled long sheets 21 at the part is reduced.
As a result, a distance W between a rotation shaft of the sheet feed roller 3 and a top part of the front end guide part 81a of the second guide 55 is set to be shorter than a length L of the long sheet 21 to be supplied in the carrying direction, and more preferably the distance W is within 40% to 70% of the length L. Herein, the distance W is set to be 600 mm and a length of the long sheet 21 to be treated is set to be from 900 mm through 1320 mm.
The front end part 21a of the long sheet 21 printed by the image forming device main body 1 and ejected onto the stacker part 20 moves onto the loading guide part 83a of the third guide 56 of the medium loading device 2 via an upper portion of the stacker part 20, is suspended vertically downward from a front end part of the loading guide part 83a, and the movement stops and the long sheet 21 is loaded on the loading guide part 83a when the rear end part 21b is ejected onto the stacker part 20.
At this time, the printed long sheet 21 is positioned above the front end guide part 81a of the second guide 55 as illustrated in
Note, it is preferred to extend an end part of the loading guide part 81a of the third guide 56 on the image forming apparatus main body 1 side to the vicinity of the stacker par 20 as needed such that a carrying path that is almost connected to the stacker part 20 of the image forming apparatus main body 1.
As described above, with the medium loading device 2 of the present embodiment, friction among sheets of the pile of the long sheet 21 set in the medium loading device 2 is reduced and this reduces a load during sheet supply, and as a result a stable sheet traveling during sheet supply is achieved.
A main deference between an image forming apparatus that adopts the medium loading device 202 and the image forming apparatus that adopts the medium loading device 2 according to the first embodiment illustrated in
The third guide 256 is formed by a processed piece of a metallic cylinder shape member, and has a configuration that four guide pieces 83 are arranged in the width direction of the base plate 53. The guide piece 83 is formed with the loading guide part 83a that bends to have a dog leg shape, the supporting part 83b formed in a right angle shape from an almost center part of the loading guide part 83a, a roller supporting part 83d extended obliquely downward from the tip end of the supporting part 83b, and the hook 83c provided at one end side of the loading guide part 83a in an integrated manner.
In the guide pieces 83, end parts of the loading guide parts 83a, tip end parts of the supporting parts 83b, and tip end parts of the roller supporting part 83d are respectively linked by the linkage parts 56a, 56b, and 56c, and a linkage shafts 56h. On the linkage shafts 56h, forming a pair, the guide rollers 60 as medium restriction parts that rotate around the linkage shafts 56h as rotation shafts are arranged. Furthermore, the guide pieces are fixed by the fixing bar 56d that is suspended over all of the guide parts 83 in the vicinity of the linkage part 56a and the fixing bar 56e that is suspended over all of the guide parts 83 in a position of laying on the linkage part 56c, and therefore the third guide 56 is formed in an integrated manner.
When the third guide 256 is at a reference revolve position illustrated in
Therefore, when sheet supply of the long sheet 21 set in the medium loading device 202 is started by the sheet supply roller 3, when tension caused by friction generated between the carried long sheet 21 and a long sheet 21 just above the carried long sheet 21 or the front end guide part 81a at the front end guide part 81a of the second guide 55, the long sheet 21 contacts the guide roller and is guided and carried.
Note, in the present embodiment, the guide rollers 60 are provided, however, not limited to those. Various embodiments may be applicable, and for example, a configuration that the long sheet 21 directly contacts a rotation shaft of the guide roller 60 such as the linkage shaft 56h working as a guide part may be applicable.
As described above, according to the medium loading device 202 of the present embodiment, even when tension is generated to the long sheet 21 between the sheet supply roller 3 and the front end guide part 81a of the second guide 55, the long sheet 21 contacts the guide roller 60 and is guided and carried, so that smooth carrying without giving damages on the long sheet 21 is achieved.
In the embodiments described above, an example of the present invention in which a printer is used as the image forming apparatus has been shown. However, the present invention is not limited to the example, and image forming apparatus such as copier, facsimile, etc. are also applicable.
Regarding the sheet or media of the present invention, there is no restriction on quality, size or material. The medium may be bond paper, recycled paper, gloss paper, matte paper, over-head-projector (OHP) films, which is made of plastic, or the like. Further, in the application, the medium is disclosed as a sheet with a certain length, but the medium may be a roll, being fed by cut one sheet by one sheet.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013-177524 | Aug 2013 | JP | national |
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8096544 | Kano | Jan 2012 | B2 |
| 8401456 | Kano | Mar 2013 | B2 |
| 9037072 | Matsumoto | May 2015 | B2 |
| 20040012141 | Hara | Jan 2004 | A1 |
| 20040085426 | Cuyler, Jr. | May 2004 | A1 |
| Number | Date | Country |
|---|---|---|
| 48-91676 | Feb 1972 | JP |
| 05-80758 | Nov 1993 | JP |
| 06-179529 | Jun 1994 | JP |
| 10-194468 | Jul 1998 | JP |
| 2002-362786 | Dec 2002 | JP |
| 2004-91211 | Mar 2004 | JP |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20150060592 A1 | Mar 2015 | US |
