Patent Application
20210214176
This patent application is based on and claims priority pursuant to 35 U.S.C. §119(a) to Japanese Patent Application No. 2020-004410, filed on Jan. 15, 2020, in the Japan Patent Office, the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein.
Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a sheet conveying device and an image forming apparatus incorporating the sheet conveying device.
Various types of sheet conveying devices are known to include a pair of rollers that holds a sheet to be conveyed, and a biasing member that biases one roller of the pair of rollers toward the other roller of the pair of rollers.
For example, a known sheet conveying device conveys a sheet by a pair of rollers including a drive roller and a pressure roller that presses the drive roller. The known sheet conveying device includes a pressure arm that retains the pressure roller. The pressure arm is rotatably supported about the rotary shaft. A leaf spring (biasing member) is supported by the support shaft al the intermediate position. One end of the leaf spring is in contact with one end of the pressure arm. A biasing member push portion (biasing support portion) is in contact with the opposite end of the leaf spring. By rotating the biasing member push portion about the rotation axis in the rotational direction, the leaf spring is elastically deformed about the support shaft as a fulcrum, so as to press the pressure roller against the drive roller. Further, by rotating the biasing member push portion about the rotation axis in a reverse direction opposite the rotational direction, the elastic deformation of the leaf spring is cancelled to bring the leaf spring to the original shape, and the pressing of the pressure roller against the drive roller is released.
At least one aspect of this disclosure, a novel sheet conveying device includes a pair of rollers, a biasing member, a guide member, a biasing support, and a biasing force changer. The pair of rollers includes a first roller and a second roller disposed in contact with the first roller. The pair of rollers is configured to hold a sheet between the first roller and the second roller while the sheet is conveyed. The biasing member is configured to bias the first roller toward the second roller. The biasing support is configured to support the biasing member. The biasing support has a guide target member configured to slide along the guide member to move the biasing support. The biasing force changer is configured to change a biasing force of the biasing member along with movement of the biasing support. The guide target member has a portion projecting into a sheet conveyance passage through which the sheet is conveyed by the pair of rollers.
Further, at least one aspect of this disclosure, an image forming apparatus includes the above-described sheet conveying device, and an image bearer configured to form an image on the sheet conveyed by the sheet conveying device.
Exemplary embodiments of this disclosure will be described in detail based on the following figures, wherein:
The accompanying drawings are intended to depict embodiments of the present disclosure and should not be interpreted to limit the scope thereof. The accompanying drawings are not to be considered as drawn to scale unless explicitly noted.
It will be understood that if an element or layer is referred to as being “on,” “against,” “connected to” or “coupled to” another element or layer, then it can be directly on, against, connected or coupled to the other element or layer, or intervening elements or layers may be present. In contrast, if an element is referred to as being “directly on,” “directly connected to” or “directly coupled to” another element or layer, then there are no intervening elements or layers present. Like numbers referred to like elements throughout. As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.
Spatially relative terms, such as “beneath,” “below,” “lower,” “above,” “upper” and the like may be used herein for ease of description to describe one element or feature's relationship to another element(s) or feature(s) as illustrated in the figures. It will be understood that the spatially relative terms are intended to encompass different orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures. For example, if the device in the figures is turned over, elements describes as “below” or “beneath” other elements or features would then be oriented “above” the other elements or features. Thus, term such as “below” can encompass both an orientation of above and below. The device may be otherwise oriented (rotated 90 degrees or at other orientations) and the spatially relative descriptors herein interpreted accordingly.
The terminology used herein is for describing particular embodiments and examples and is not intended to be limiting of exemplary embodiments of this disclosure. As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “includes” and/or “including,” when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.
Referring now to the drawings, embodiments of the present disclosure are described below. In the drawings for explaining the following embodiments, the same reference codes are allocated to elements (members or components) having the same function or shape and redundant descriptions thereof are omitted below.
Now, a description is given of an electrophotographic printer that functions as an electrophotographic image forming apparatus for forming images by electrophotography, according to the present disclosure.
It is to be noted that elements (for example, mechanical parts and components) having the same functions and shapes are denoted by the same reference numerals throughout the specification and redundant descriptions are omitted.
At first, a description is given of a basic configuration of an image forming apparatus 1000 according to an embodiment of this disclosure, with reference to
In
As a sheet feed roller 41 is driven to rotate, the recording sheet S is fed from the sheet tray 100. When a plurality of recording sheets S is fed from the sheet tray 100, an uppermost recording sheet S alone is separated from the other recording sheets S in a sheet separation nip region formed between the sheet feed roller 41 and a sheet separation pad 48, and is continuously conveyed downstream in a sheet conveyance direction in which the recording sheet S is conveyed. Then, the recording sheet S (i.e., the uppermost recording sheet S) reaches a regular sheet conveyance passage R1 that functions as a first sheet conveyance passage. Thereafter, the recording sheet S is gripped (held) in a sheet conveyance nip region formed by a pair of relay rollers 42 that functions as a pair of upper conveyance rollers, so that the recording sheet S is conveyed from upstream to downstream in the sheet conveyance direction in the regular sheet conveyance passage R1. Note that the pair of conveyance rollers may be a pair of conveyance bodies, at least one of which is a belt.
The downstream end of the regular sheet conveyance passage R1 communicates with a common sheet conveyance passage R3. A pair of registration rollers 43 is provided in the common sheet conveyance passage R3. A registration sensor 49 that detects the recording sheet S is provided in the common sheet conveyance passage R3, being disposed upstream from the pair of registration rollers 43 in the sheet conveyance direction. When the recording sheet S reaches the pair of registration rollers 43, the recording sheet S is stopped temporality in a stale in which the leading end of the recording sheet S is in contact with the registration nip region of the pair of registration rollers 43 that is stopped. While the leading end of the recording sheet S contacts the pair of registration rollers 43, skew of the recording sheet S is corrected. Note that the registration sensor 49 is also used for an initial operation and a confirmation operation to check whether there is a remaining recording sheet S when cancelling an abnormal stop of the image forming apparatus 1000 (paper jam detection operation).
The pair of registration rollers 43 starts rotating in synchrony with conveyance of the recording sheet S at a timing at which the recording sheet S contacts the surface of the photoconductor 1 to receive a toner image on the surface of the photoconductor 1 in the sheet transfer nip region. Then, the recording sheet S is conveyed toward the sheet transfer nip region, At this time, the pair of relay rollers 42 starts rotating simultaneously with the start of rotation of the pair of relay rollers 42, so as to start conveyance of the recording sheet S that has been temporarily stopped.
The image forming apparatus 1000 includes a bypass sheet feeder 30 in the housing 50. The bypass sheet feeder 30 includes a bypass sheet tray 31, a bypass sheet feed roller 32, a sheet separation pad 33, a bypass bottom plate 34, and a bypass bottom plate cam 35. A detailed description of the bypass sheet feeder 30 is given below. The recording sheet S placed on the bypass sheet tray 31 of the bypass sheet feeder 30 is fed from the bypass sheet tray 31 along with rotation of the bypass sheet feed roller 32 that functions as a sheet feed roller to feed the recording sheet S, to a bypass sheet conveyance passage R2 that functions as a second sheet conveyance passage. The downstream end of the bypass sheet conveyance passage R2 and the downstream end of the regular sheet conveyance passage R1 meet with a common sheet conveyance passage R3. The recording sheet S fed out by the bypass sheet feed roller 32 passes the sheet separation nip region formed by contact of the bypass sheet feed roller 32 and the sheet separation pad 33 in the bypass sheet conveyance passage R2. Then, the recording sheet S is conveyed to the common sheet conveyance passage R3 to be conveyed to the pair of registration rollers 43. Thereafter, similar to the recording sheet S fed from the sheet tray 100, the recording sheet S fed from the bypass sheet tray 31 passes the pair of registration rollers 43 to be conveyed to the transfer nip region.
To be more specific, a cleaning blade 2, a toner collection screw 3, a charging roller 4, a charging roller cleaning roller 5, a scraper 6, a latent image writing device 7, a developing device 8, and a transfer roller 10 are provided as the image forming units around the drum-shaped photoconductor 1 which is rotated in a clockwise direction in
The latent image writing device 7 includes an LED (light-emitting diode) array and performs light scanning with LED light over the surface of the photoconductor 1 that has been uniformly charged. As the latent image writing device 7 emits laser light beams onto the uniformly charged surface of the photoconductor 1, the electric potential of the irradiated (exposed) region of the charged surface of the photoconductor 1 attenuate, so that an electrostatic latent image is formed on the surface of the photoconductor 1.
As the photoconductor 1 rotates, the electrostatic latent image passes through a development region that formed between the surface of the photoconductor 1 and the developing device 8 when the photoconductor 1 is brought to face the developing device 8. The developing device 8 includes a developer circulation conveyance portion and a developing portion. The developer circulation conveyance portion includes developer that contains non-magnetic toner and magnetic carriers. The developer circulation conveyance portion includes a first screw 8b for conveying the developer to be supplied to a developing roller 8a, a second screw 8c for conveying the developer in an independent space positioned. beneath the first screw 8b. The developer circulation conveyance portion further includes an inclined screw 8d for receiving the developer from the second screw 8c and supplying the developer to the first screw 8b. The developing roller 8a, the first screw 8b, and the second. screw 8c are placed at attitudes parallel with each other. By contrast, the inclined screw 8d is placed at an attitude inclined with respect to the developing roller 8a, the first screw 8b, and the second screw 8c.
As the first screw 8b rotates, the first screw 8b conveys the developer from a far side toward a near side in a direction perpendicular to the drawing sheet of
While receiving used developer from the developing roller 8a, the second screw 8c conveys the received developer from the far side toward the near side in the direction perpendicular to the drawing sheet of
The developing roller 8a includes a developing sleeve and a magnet roller. The developing sleeve is a tubular-shaped rotatable non-magnetic member. The magnet roller is fixed to the developing sleeve in such a way as not to rotate together with the developing sleeve. Part of the developer that is conveyed by the first screw 8b is scooped up by the surface of the developing sleeve due to magnetic force generated by the magnet roller. The developer, which is carried onto the surface of the developing sleeve, is conveyed along with rotation of the developing sleeve and passes through an opposing position at which the developing sleeve and a doctor blade are disposed facing each other. According to this structure, the thickness of a layer of the developer on the surface of the developing sleeve is regulated while the developer is rotated together with rotation of the surface of the development sleeve. Thereafter, the developing roller 8a moves (rotates) while sliding on the surface of the photoconductor 1 in a development region in which the developing roller 8a is brought to face the photoconductor 1.
A development bias having the same polarity as the toner and as a uniformly charged electric potential (a background electric potential) on the surface of the photoconductor 1 is applied to the developing sleeve. The absolute value of this development bias is greater than the absolute value of the electric potential of the latent image and is smaller than the absolute value of the background electric potential on the background surface of the photoconductor 1. Therefore, in the development region, a development potential acts between the electrostatic latent image formed on the photoconductor 1 and the developing sleeve of the developing device 8, so as to electrostatically move the toner from the developing sleeve to the electrostatic latent image on the surface of the photoconductor 1. By contrast, a background potential acts between the background surface of the photoconductor 1 and the development sleeve of the developing device 8, so as to electrostatically move the toner from the photoconductor 1 to the developing sleeve. This action of the background potential causes the toner to selectively adhere to the electrostatic latent image formed on the surface of the photoconductor 1, so that the electrostatic latent image is developed in the development region.
The developer that has passed through the development region enters an opposite region in which the developing sleeve faces the second screw 8c as the developing sleeve rotates. In the opposite region, a repulsive magnetic field is formed by two magnetic poles having polarities different from each other out of multiple magnetic poles included in the magnet roller. The developer that has entered the opposite region is separated from the surface of the developing sleeve due to the effect of the repulsive magnetic field and is collected by the second screw 8c.
The developer that is conveyed by the inclined screw 8d contains the developer that has been collected from the developing roller 8a, and this collected developer is contributed to development in the development region, so that the toner concentration is lowered. The developing device 8 includes a toner concentration sensor that detects the toner concentration of the developer to be conveyed by the inclined screw 8d. Based on detection results obtained by the toner concentration sensor, a controller 51 outputs a replenishment operation signal for replenishing the toner to the developer that is conveyed by the inclined screw 8d accordingly. The controller 51 functions as circuitry that includes semiconductor circuits such as a central processing unit (CPU).
A toner cartridge 9 is disposed above the developing device 8. The toner cartridge 9 contains toner and agitates the toner with agitators 9b fixed to a rotary shaft 9a. Further, a toner replenishment member 9c is driven to rotate according to the replenishment operation signal output from the controller 51. With this operation, an amount of the toner corresponding to an amount of rotation of the toner replenishment member 9c is replenished to the inclined screw 8d of the developing device 8.
The toner image formed on the surface of the photoconductor 1 as a result of the development by the developing device 8 enters the transfer nip region where the photoconductor 1 and the transfer roller 10 contact each other along with rotation of the photoconductor 1. An electric bias having the opposite polarity to the latent image electric potential of the photoconductor 1 is applied to the transfer roller 10. Accordingly, a transfer bias is formed within the transfer nip region.
As described above, the pair of registration rollers 43 conveys the recording sheet S toward the transfer nip region in synchrony with a timing at which the toner image formed on the photoconductor 1 is overlaid onto the sheet S in the transfer nip region. Due to the transfer bias and the nip pressure, as the recording sheet S is brought to closely contact with the toner image formed on the photoconductor 1 at the transfer nip region, the toner image is transferred onto the recording sheet S.
Residual toner that is not transferred onto the recording sheet S remains on the surface of the photoconductor 1 after having passed through the transfer nip region. After being scraped off from the surface of the photoconductor 1 by the cleaning blade 2 that is in contact with the photoconductor 1, the residual toner is conveyed by the toner collection screw 3, toward a waste toner bottle.
The surface of the photoconductor 1 that is cleaned by the cleaning blade 2 is electrically discharged by an electric discharging device. Thereafter, the surface of the photoconductor 1 is uniformly charged again by the charging roller 4. Foreign materials such as toner additive agents and the toner that has not been removed by the cleaning blade 2 remain on the charging roller 4 that is in contact with the surface of the photoconductor 1. These foreign materials are shifted to the charging roller cleaning roller 5 that is in contact with the charging roller 4, and then are scraped off from the surface of the charging roller cleaning roller 5 by the scraper 6 that is in contact with the charging roller cleaning roller 5. The foreign materials scraped off from the surface of the charging roller cleaning roller 5 falls onto the toner collection screw 3.
In
The image forming apparatus 1000 switches printing modes between a single-side printing mode for performing single-side printing and a duplex printing mode for performing duplex printing. In the single-side printing mode, the image forming apparatus 1000 produces an image on one side of the recording sheet S. By contrast, the image forming apparatus 1000 prints respective images on both sides of the recording sheet S in the duplex printing mode. In the single-side printing mode or in the duplex printing mode in which images are formed on both sides of the recording sheet S, the pair of sheet ejection rollers 46 continues rotating in a forward direction and a reverse direction alternately, so that the recording sheet S in the sheet ejection passage R4 is ejected out of the image forming apparatus 1000. After passing through the fixing device 44, the recording sheet S is stacked on a sheet stacker provided on the top face of the housing 50 of the image forming apparatus 1000.
By contrast, in the duplex printing mode when an image is formed on one side of the recording sheet S, the pair of sheet ejection rollers 46 is rotated in the reverse direction at the timing at which the trailing end of the recording sheet S enters the sheet ejection nip region of the pair of sheet ejection rollers 46. At this time, a switching claw 47 disposed near the downstream end of the sheet ejection passage R4 moves to block (close) the sheet ejection passage R4 and open an entrance of a reverse conveyance passage R5 at the same time. As the recording sheet S starts reversing by the reverse rotation of the pair of sheet ejection rollers 46, the recording sheet S is conveyed to the reverse sheet conveyance passage R5. The downstream end of the reverse sheet conveyance passage R5 meets the common sheet conveyance passage R3 on the upstream side from the pair of registration rollers 43 in the sheet conveyance direction. After being conveyed in the reverse sheet conveyance passage R5, the recording sheet S is conveyed to the pair of registration rollers 43 in the common sheet conveyance passage R3 again. Then, after a toner image has been formed on the other side of the recording sheet S in the transfer nip region, the recording sheet S passes through the fixing device 44. the sheet ejection passage R4, and the pair of sheet ejection rollers 46 and is then ejected to the outside of the housing 50 of the image forming apparatus 1000.
Next, a description is given of the configuration and operations of a sheet conveying device that conveys the recording sheet S.
As illustrated in
The sheet feed roller shaft 62, the relay roller shaft 63, the bypass sheet feed roller shaft 64, and the bypass bottom plate cam shaft 65 includes respective clutches 62a, 63a, 64a, and 65a to turn on and off transmission of the driving force. When each clutch is turned on, the driving force is transmitted to rotate the sheet feed roller shaft 62, the relay roller shaft 63, the bypass sheet feed roller shaft 64, and the bypass bottom plate cam shaft 65. By contrast, when each clutch is turned off, transmission of the driving force is interrupted, and therefore the sheet feed roller shaft 62, the relay roller shaft 63, the bypass sheet feed roller shaft 64, and the bypass bottom plate cam shaft 65 do not rotate. Note that the driving force of the main motor 61 is also transmitted to the pair of registration rollers 43 via a registration clutch for the pair of registration rollers 43. In the present embodiment, the controller 51 controls turning on and off of each clutch (i.e., the clutches 62a, 63a, 64a, and 65a) using the driving force of the main motor 61, so as to perform conveyance of the recording sheet S. In other words, the controller 51 controls conveyance of the recording sheet S.
First, a description is given of conveyance of the recording sheet S from the regular sheet feeder 110, with reference to the flowchart of
The regular sheet feeder 110 includes a regular sheet feeder bottom plate 101 that is biased upward toward the sheet feed roller 41. Since the regular sheet feeder bottom plate 101 is biased as described above, the sheet feed roller 41 is in contact with an uppermost recording sheet S of the plurality of recording sheets S loaded in a form of a sheet bundle on the regular sheet feeder bottom plate 101. When starting conveyance of the recording sheet S from the regular sheet feeder 110, the controller 51 confirms whether the initial operation is completed (step S1). When the initial operation is not completed (NO in step S1), the controller 51 starts the initial operation (step S2). Here, the “initial operation” indicates an operation to lower the bypass bottom plate 34 to the lowest position (see
When the initial operation is completed (YES in step S1), the controller 51 turns on the main motor 61 (step S3), and then determines whether the recording sheet S to be fed is a thin paper or a plain paper (step S4). In the present embodiment, a user operates the operation panel of the image forming apparatus 1000, so that one type of sheet among various types of sheets printable in the image forming apparatus 1000, for example, plain paper (having a relatively low strength), thin paper (having a relatively low strength), and thick paper (having a relatively high strength) is selected as the recording sheet S contained in the sheet tray 100. The selection result is stored in a memory of the controller 51. In the process step S4 in the present embodiment, the controller 51 determines whether the recording sheet S to be fed is a thin paper or a plain paper based on the selection result stored in the memory.
Note that a method of determination of whether the sheet is a thin paper or a plain paper is not limited to this method of determination. For example, a sheet thickness detection sensor may detect the thickness of the recording sheet S contained in the sheet tray 100 or the thickness of the recording sheet S fed from the sheet tray 100 and the controller 51 may determine the type of the sheet based on the detection result.
Further, in the present embodiment, the type of the recording sheet S that is a determination target is determined based on the difference in the thickness of the recording sheet S. However, the type of the recording sheet S may be determined based on the difference in the characteristics that affect the difference in the strength of the recording sheet S or in the sheet conveyance load of the recording sheet S, for example, the difference in the material or size of the recording sheet S.
In the present embodiment, when the controller 51 has determined the recording sheet S is a thin paper or a plain paper (YES in step S4), since the nip pressure of the pair of relay rollers 42 has been lowered due to the above-described initial operation, the controller 51 maintains the low state of the nip pressure.
By contrast, when the controller 51 has determined the recording sheet S is not a thin paper or a plain paper, in other words, when the controller 51 has determined the recording sheet S is a thick paper (NO in step S4), the controller 51 performs a process operation to increase the nip pressure of the pair of relay rollers 42. To be more specific, in the initial operation, since the nip pressure of the pair of relay rollers 42 has been lowered, the controller 51 turns on the bypass sheet bottom plate cam clutch 65a (step S5) to cause the bypass bottom plate cam shall 65 to rotate in the clockwise direction in
Further, a relay driven roller 42b that is the other of the pair of relay rollers 42 has a roller shaft 66 that is received by a bearing 37a. As illustrated in
Thereafter, the controller 51 turns on the regular sheet feed clutch 62a and the relay clutch 63a (step S8). Consequently, as the sheet feed roller 41 rotates, the uppermost recording sheet S in the sheet tray 100 is fed toward the sheet separation pad 48. At this time, even if the second and subsequent recording sheets S are fed together with the uppermost recording sheet S, the conveyance of the second and subsequent recording sheets S is hindered by the frictional force with the sheet separation pad 48, and the uppermost recording sheet S alone passes the sheet separation pad 48. Note that, while the recording sheet S is fed (conveyed) from the regular sheet feeder 110, no recording sheet S is conveyed from the bypass sheet feeder 30. Therefore, the bypass sheet feed clutch 64a and the bypass sheet bottom plate cam clutch 65a are remained in an OFF state.
Thereafter, the recording sheet S that is fed from the sheet tray 100 is conveyed along the regular sheet conveyance passage R1 in
When the leading end of the recording sheet S reaches the registration sensor 49, the controller 51 determines whether the registration sensor 49 has turned on (step S9). When the registration sensor 49 has turned on (YES in step S9), the controller 51 turns off the regular sheet feed clutch 62a and the relay clutch 63a after a given time has elapsed (before the leading end of the recording sheet S reaches the pair of registration rollers 43) (step S10), The given time is, for example, 100 ms from the turning on of the registration sensor 49. After step S6, conveyance of the recording sheet S is temporarily stopped. Accordingly, the leading end of the recording sheet S contacts the registration nip region of the pair of registration rollers 43 that has been stopped, so that skew of the recording sheet S is corrected.
Then, the controller 51 turns on the relay clutch 63a and the registration clutch at a timing at which the recording sheet S is overlaid on the toner image formed on the surface of the photoconductor 1 in the transfer nip region (step S11). The timing is, for example, 200 ms after the controller 51 has turned off the regular sheet feed clutch 62a and the relay clutch 63a. Accordingly, the controller 51 starts the pair of registration rollers 43 and the pair of relay rollers 42 to rotate to convey the recording sheet S toward the transfer nip region. At this time, since the regular sheet feed clutch 62a remains off, the sheet feed roller 41 is not rotated. Even in a state in which the trailing end of the recording sheet S is sandwiched (held) between the sheet feed roller 41 and the sheet separation pad 48, the sheet feed roller 41 is rotated along with movement of the recording sheet S conveyed by the conveyance force of the pair of registration rollers 43 and the conveyance force of the pair of relay rollers 42. Therefore, conveyance of the recording sheet S is not hindered. Then, the controller 51 determines whether the registration sensor 49 is turned off (step S12). When the trailing end of the recording sheet S reaches the registration sensor 49 and the registration sensor 49 is turned off (YES in step S12), the controller 51 turns off the relay clutch 63a (step S13) to stop rotation of the pair of relay rollers 42.
Next, a description is given of conveyance of the recording sheet S from the bypass sheet feeder 30, with reference to
The bypass bottom plate 34 is biased by a bottom plate spring 36 upward toward the bypass sheet feed roller 32 that is disposed facing the bypass bottom plate 34. Further, as illustrated in
When starting conveyance of the recording sheet S from the bypass sheet feeder 30, the controller 51 confirms whether the initial operation is completed (step S21), When the initial operation is not completed (NO in step S21), the controller 51 starts the initial operation (step S22). When the initial operation is completed (YES in step S21), the controller 51 turns on the main motor 61 (step S23), and then turns on the bypass sheet bottom plate cam clutch 65a (step S24). As the bypass bottom plate cam shaft 65 rotates, the bypass bottom plate cam 35 changes (transits) states from a state in which the bypass bottom plate cam 35 is in contact with the bottom plate guide 34a (in other words, a state in which the bypass bottom plate 34 is separated from the bypass sheet feed roller 32) (see
To be more specific, the bypass sheet feeder 30 includes a projecting plate 35a that is integrally formed with the bypass bottom plate cam 35, and a press-down lever 65d that presses down a cam detection feeler 65b. As the bypass bottom plate cam shaft 65 rotates, the projecting plate 35a rotates from a position at which the projecting plate 35a contacts the press-down lever 65d to press down the cam detection feeler 65h (see
The controller 51 determines whether the feeler sensor 65c is turned off (step S25). When the feeler sensor 65c is turned off (YES in step S25), the controller 51 turns off the bypass sheet bottom plate cam clutch 65a (step S26). Accordingly, the bypass bottom plate cam shaft 65 stops rotating in the state in which the bypass bottom plate cam 35 is not in contact with the bottom plate guide 34a, in other words, is separated from the bottom plate guide 34a. Therefore, the bypass bottom plate 34 is biased by the biasing force of the bottom plate spring 36 toward the bypass sheet feed roller 32. As a result, the bypass sheet feed roller 32 is in contact with the uppermost recording sheet S of the plurality of recording sheets S loaded in a form of a sheet bundle on the bypass sheet tray 31 and the bypass bottom plate 34. The bypass sheet tray 31 and the bypass bottom plate 34 are coupled to each other, each of which functioning as a sheet loader.
Subsequently, the controller 51 turns on the bypass sheet feed clutch 64a (step S27). Consequently, as the bypass sheet teed roller 32 rotates, the uppermost recording sheet S on the bypass bottom plate 34 is fed toward the sheet separation pad 33. At this time, even if the second and subsequent recording sheets S are fed together with the uppermost recording sheet S, the conveyance of the second and subsequent recording sheets S is hindered by the frictional force with the sheet separation pad 33, and the uppermost recording sheet S alone passes the sheet separation pad 33.
Note that, while the recording sheet S is fed (conveyed) from the bypass sheet feeder 30, no recording sheet S is conveyed from the regular sheet feeder 110. Therefore, the regular sheet feed clutch 62a and the relay clutch 63a are remained in an OFF state.
Thereafter, the recording sheet S that is fed from the bypass sheet tray 31 is conveyed along the bypass sheet conveyance passage R2 in
Then, the controller 51 turns on the registration clutch at a timing at which the recording sheet S is overlaid on the toner image formed on the surface of the photoconductor 1 in the transfer nip region (step S30). Accordingly, the controller 51 starts the pair of registration rollers 43 to rotate to convey the recording sheet S toward the transfer nip region.
As illustrated in
A further detailed description is given of the configuration of the relay drive roller 42a and the relay driven roller 42b of the pair of relay rollers 42.
As described above, the bypass sheet feeder 30 in the present embodiment has a unit structure in which the relay driven roller 42b of the pair of relay rollers 42 is supported integrally with the bypass sheet feeding mechanism. The unit structure including the relay driven roller 42b and the bypass sheet feeding mechanism is screwed and fixed to the housing 50 of the image forming apparatus 1000. The door 39 is attached to open and close with respect to the bypass sheet feeding mechanism via a hinge mechanism. The bypass sheet tray 31 is attached to open and close with respect to the door 39 via the hinge mechanism. In the present embodiment, by opening the door 39, the process cartridge containing the photoconductor 1 is attached and detached with respect to the housing 50 of the image forming apparatus 1000 and the recording sheet S that is jammed in the image forming apparatus 1000 is removed from the image forming apparatus 1000.
However, since the relay driven roller 42b is supported not by the door 39 but by the bypass sheet feeding mechanism that is screwed and fixed to the housing 50 of the image forming apparatus 1000, the relay driven roller 42b and the relay drive roller 42a that is provided in the housing 50 of the image forming apparatus 1000 are configured so as not to be separated from each other.
Here, when a device error (problem) to suspend conveyance of the recording sheet S, such as a paper jam error, occurs to the image forming apparatus 1000, the recording sheet S remaining in the image forming apparatus 1000 needs to be removed. Hereinafter, the device error is explained with an example of the device error caused by the paper jam. Specifically, in the present embodiment, the sheet tray 100 is removed from the image forming apparatus 1000 in the sheet conveyance direction or in a direction intersecting the sheet conveyance direction, so that the recording sheet S remaining in the image forming apparatus 1000 is removed (pulled out) from the regular sheet feeder 110. At this time, in order to restrain the recording sheet S, for example, a thin paper and a plain paper each having a relatively low strength, from being torn when the recording sheet S is pulled out, it is preferable to open (separate) the possible areas in which the recording sheet S is held (such as the sheet conveyance nip region of the pair of relay rollers 42 and the nip region of the bypass sheet feed roller 32 and the bypass bottom plate 34).
As the example of a configuration in which the rollers of the pair of relay rollers 42 are separated from each other, known image forming apparatuses employ a configuration in which the relay driven roller 42b is supported on the door openably and closably attached to the housing 50 of the image forming apparatus 1000. With this configuration, the pair of relay rollers 42 may be separated by opening the door. However, as described above, since the relay drive roller 42a and the relay driven roller 42b of the pair of relay rollers 42 are configured so as not to be separated from each other, the pair of relay rollers 42 may not be opened (may not be separated from each other).
Therefore, in the present embodiment, in a case in which a paper jam occurs while the recording sheet S is conveyed in the regular sheet feeder 110, when the recording sheet S that is held by the pair of relay rollers 42 is removed (pulled out), the recording sheet S having a relatively high strength may be torn. In order to restrain this inconvenience, when conveying the recording sheet S having a relatively low strength (e.g., a thin paper and a plain paper), the nip pressure (contact pressure) of the pair of relay rollers 42 is changed to the low nip pressure. Accordingly, even though a paper jam occurs while the recording sheet S such as a thin paper or a plain paper is conveyed, since the nip pressure of the pair of relay rollers 42 is relatively low, the recording sheet S is restrained from being torn when pulling out of the recording sheet S from the pair of relay rollers 42 in the state.
At this time, since the nip pressure of the pair of relay rollers 42 is relatively low, in a case in which the conveyance load of the recording sheet S (e.g., the sliding with the conveyance guide and the conveyance resistance when the leading end of the recording sheet S enters the pair of relay rollers 42) is relatively large, it is likely that the recording sheet S slips at the sheet conveyance nip region of the pair of relay rollers 42, which may cause a conveyance failure in which the recording sheet S is not conveyed properly. However, the recording sheet S such as a thin paper or a plain paper is relatively thin and generally has a low rigidity. Therefore, even when the conveyance load is relatively small and the nip pressure of the pair of relay rollers 42 is relatively low, the conveyance failure is not likely to occur. Therefore, as long as the recording sheet S is a thin paper or a plain paper, even when the nip pressure of the pair of relay rollers 42 is relatively low, the stable sheet conveyance is performed.
On the other hand, when the recording sheet S having a relatively high strength (e.g., thick paper) that is hard to tear is conveyed, the high nip pressure is selected as the nip pressure (contact pressure) of the pair of relay rollers 42. In a case in which the recording sheet S is a thick paper, if the nip pressure of the pair of relay rollers 42 is relatively low, the conveyance failure is likely to occur. However, in the present embodiment, the pair of relay rollers 42 has the high nip pressure when conveying the recording sheet S (thick paper). Therefore, the conveyance failure is hard to occur, thereby achieving the stable sheet conveyance. Further, even if a paper jam occurs, as long as the recording sheet S is a thick paper, even when the nip pressure of the pair of relay rollers 42 is in the high nip pressure state, it is not likely to tear the recording sheet S when the recording sheet S is pulled out from the pair of relay rollers 42.
Note that, if a known configuration is employed to reduce the nip pressure (contact pressure) of the pair of relay rollers 42 after a paper jam has occurred, as long as the operation is performed appropriately after the occurrence of the paper jam, the known configuration may restrain the recording sheet S having a relatively low strength from being torn when the recording sheet S is pulled out. However, depending on the timing of occurrence of the paper jam or the configuration to achieve the paper jam handling, it is not likely to reduce the nip pressure of the pair of relay rollers 42 after the paper jam has occurred. For example, when the above-described jam detection sensor (e.g., the registration sensor 49) is erroneously detected or malfunctions, or the image forming apparatus is immediately disconnected, the drive sources of the main motor 61 and the clutches 62a, 63a, 64a, and 65a may not be driven normally, and therefore the nip pressure of the pair of relay rollers 42 may not be lowered when pulling out the jammed recording sheet S.
By contrast, in the present embodiment, in a case in which the recording sheet S is a thin paper or a plain paper, the biasing force of pressure spring 37b that biases the relay driven roller 42b toward the relay drive roller 42a is reduced to lower the nip pressure of the pair of relay rollers 42 before the paper jam occurs, to be more specific, before the recording sheet S is held by the pair of relay rollers 42 (refer to steps S1 to S4 in the flowchart of
Therefore, since there is no need to perform the operation to lower the nip pressure of the pair of relay rollers 42 after occurrence of the paper jam, the recording sheet S such as a thin paper or a plain paper is pulled out while the nip pressure of the pair of relay rollers 42 is relatively low when the paper jam has occurred.
Next, a description is given of change the nip pressure of the pair of relay rollers 42.
In the present embodiment, the nip pressure of the pair of relay rollers 42 is changed in the regular sheet conveyance passage R1 along with movement of a movable member that is used for conveying the recording sheet S in the bypass sheet conveyance passage R2. In the present embodiment, when the recording sheet S is conveyed using the regular sheet conveyance passage R1, the bypass sheet conveyance passage R2 is not used to convey the recording sheet S. Accordingly, when the recording sheet S is conveyed in the regular sheet conveyance passage R1, even if the movable member that is used to convey the recording sheet S in the bypass sheet conveyance passage R2 is moved, no problem occurs.
In the present embodiment, a sheet feeder for bypass sheet feeding such as the bypass sheet feeder 30 causes the recording sheet S on the bypass bottom plate 34 to contact (press against) the bypass sheet feed roller 32, thereby feeding the recording sheet S. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the bypass bottom plate 34 functions as a movable member. Along with movement of the bypass bottom plate 34, the nip pressure of the pair of relay rollers 42 is changed.
Specifically, the moving unit that causes the bypass bottom plate 34 to move rotates the bypass bottom plate cam shaft 65 by the driving force of the main motor 61, as described above. Then, when the bypass bottom plate cam shaft 65 is located at a rotational position at which the bypass bottom plate cam 35 presses down the bottom plate guide 34a against the biasing force of the bottom plate spring 36, the bypass bottom plate 34 is lowered (moved downward) to separate from the bypass sheet feed roller 32 (see
The sheet conveying device 200 further includes a pressure plate 37d that functions as a biasing force changer according to the present embodiment. The pressure plate 37d also functions as a biasing support that supports pressure spring 37b that biases the bearing 37a of the relay driven roller 42b toward the relay drive roller 42a. As the pressure plate 37d is rotated along with rotation of the bypass bottom plate cam shaft 65, the biasing force of pressure spring 37b is changed to change the nip pressure of the pair of relay rollers 42.
As illustrated in
The pressure spring 37b is a compression spring disposed so that one end of the pressure spring 37b contacts the bearing 37a of the relay driven roller 42b and the opposite end of the pressure spring 37b contacts the pressure plate 37d. The bearing 37a of the relay driven roller 42b is biased toward the relay drive roller 42a by the biasing force of the pressure spring 37b that is supported by the pressure plate 37d, The pressing portion 65e that is capable of pressing the pressure plate 37d toward the relay drive roller 42a is formed on the back face of the pressure plate 37d, which is opposite a spring contact face to which the pressure spring 37b contacts. The pressing portion 65e rotates along with rotation of the bypass bottom plate cam shaft 65.
When the rotational position of the bypass bottom plate cam shaft 65 is located at a position to lower the bypass bottom plate 34 (that is, a position at which the bypass bottom plate 34 separates from the bypass sheet feed roller 32), the pressing portion 65e on the bypass bottom plate cam shaft 65 is located at a non-pressing position, as illustrated in part (a) of
By contrast, when the rotational position of the bypass bottom plate cam shaft 65 is located at a position to lift the bypass bottom plate 34 (that is, a position at which the bypass bottom plate 34 contacts the bypass sheet feed roller 32), the pressing portion 65e on the bypass bottom plate cam shaft 65 is located at a pressing position, as illustrated in part (b) of
According to the present embodiment, the nip pressure of the pair of relay rollers 42 (the biasing force of pressure spring 37b) is changed in the regular sheet conveyance passage R1 along with movement of the bypass bottom plate 34 that functions as a movable member used for conveying the recording sheet S in the bypass sheet conveyance passage R2. Accordingly, a simple configuration that does not include a dedicated operation unit that changes the nip pressure of the pair of relay rollers 42 achieves the change in the nip pressure of the pair of relay rollers 42.
As illustrated in part (a) of
However, in the present embodiment, since the arrangement as illustrated in part (a) of
Therefore, in the present embodiment, as illustrated in part (c) of
However, if the pressure plate 37d is pressed by the pressing portion 65e at the position B that is shifted from the support position. A of the pressure spring 37b, the pressing portion 65e slides with the pressure plate 37d along with rotation of the pressing portion 65e. Due to the sliding of the pressing portion 65e with the pressure plate 37d, the position of the pressure plate 37d is likely to change. Therefore, each time the pressing portion 65e moves to the pressing position or the non-pressing position, it is likely that the position of the pressure plate 37d (in particular, the angle of rotation about the support position A of the pressure spring 37b) changes, When the position of the pressure plate 37d changes, even if the pressing portion 65e moves to the pressing position or the non-pressing position, the amount of contraction of the pressure spring 37b changes, the biasing force fluctuates, and the nip pressure of the pair of relay rollers 42 is not stabilized.
In order to address this inconvenience, in the present embodiment, a guide unit is provided to guide the pressure plate 37d so that the pressure plate 37d moves straight forward along the biasing direction of the pressure spring 37b while the pressure plate 37d remains at the constant position (without rotating about the support position A of the pressure spring 37b).
The guide unit according to the present embodiment includes a slider 37f and a slide groove 38b. The slider 37f functions as a guide target member provided on both sides of the pressure plate 37d in the axial direction of the relay driven roller 42b (see
The slide groove 38b is provided on the support frame 38 of the bypass sheet feeder 30 to guide the slider 37f of the pressure plate 37d by holding from the vertical direction (direction substantially orthogonal to the biasing direction of the pressure spring 37b and to the axial direction of the relay driven roller 42b). By so doing, when changing the biasing force of the pressure spring 37b, as the pressure plate 37d moves by the pressing force of the pressing portion 65e and the biasing force of the pressure spring 37b, the slider 37f of the pressure plate 37d is guided by the slide groove 38b of the support frame 38, and the pressure plate 37d moves straight forward along the biasing direction of the pressure plate 37d.
With this guide unit, even if the moment of rotation about the support position A of the pressure spring 37b (about the shaft that is substantially parallel to the axial direction of the relay driven roller 42b and that passes the support position A) occurs on the pressure plate 37d, the slider 37f contacts the slide groove 38b to restrict the rotation of the pressure plate 37d. To be more specific, the upper face portion (or the lower face portion) of the slider 37f on the upstream side in the moving direction of the slider 37f contacts the upper face (or lower face) of the inner wall of the slide groove 38b. Further, the lower face portion (or the upper face portion) of the slider 37f on the downstream side in the moving direction of the slider 37f contacts the lower face (or upper face) of the inner wall of the slide groove 38b. By so doing, the rotation of the pressure plate 37d is restricted.
By the slider 37f contacting the slide groove 38b as described above, the position of the pressure plate 37d on which the moment of rotation is generated becomes stable with the rotation being restricted. In this state, the pressure plate 37d moves straight forward. Accordingly, each time the pressing portion 65e moves to the pressing position or the non-pressing position, the change in the position of the pressure plate 37d is restrained, and therefore the fluctuation of the nip pressure of the pair of relay rollers 42 is restrained.
However, there is a clearance (vertical clearance) between the slider 37f of the pressure plate 37d and the slide groove 38b of the support frame 38 so that the slider 37f slides on the slide groove 38b. Therefore, the pressure plate 37d on which the moment of rotation is generated moves straight forward along the biasing direction while the slider 37f slides on the slide groove 38b in the state in which the slider 37f has rotated by the amount of the clearance with the slide groove 38b. In a case in which the slider 37f moves straight in this state, the position of the pressure plate 37d (in particular, the angle of rotation about the support position A of the pressure spring 37b) may change depending on the contact state of the slider 37f on the slide groove 38b. Therefore, in a case in which the change of the position of the pressure plate 37d is too large, the fluctuation of the nip pressure of the pair of relay rollers 42 exceeds the acceptable error range, and therefore the nip pressure of the pair of relay rollers 42 is not stabilized.
As a method of reducing the change in the position of the pressure plate 37d as much as possible, it is effective to elongate the length of the slider 37f and the length of the slide groove 38b (the length of the pressure plate 37d in the straight moving direction). In this case, when the same vertical clearance is provided to the slider 37f and the slide groove 38b, as the length of the slider 37f and the length of the slide groove 38b increase, the angle of rotation of the pressure plate 37d due to the moment of rotation is restrained to be smaller. This is achieved because, as the length of the slider 37f and the length of the slide groove 38b increase, when the rotation of the pressure plate 37d is restricted, the distance increases between the position at which the upper face portion (or the lower face portion) of the slider 37f on the upstream side in the moving direction of the slider 37f contacts the upper face (or lower face) of the inner wall of the slide groove 38b and the position at which the lower face portion (or the upper face portion) of the slider 37f on the downstream side in the moving direction of the slider 37f contacts the lower face (or upper face) of the inner wall of the slide groove 38b.
However, there is a limit to increasing the length of the slider 37f and the length of the slide groove 38b due to restrictions on the device layout. In particular, since various components are disposed on the side in the direction in which the relay driven roller 42b separates from the relay drive roller 42a, as indicated by arrow C2 illustrated in
Therefore, in the present embodiment, in order to increase the length of the slider 37f and the length of the slide groove 38b as long as possible, the tip portion 37f1 of the slider 37f (the end on the side in the direction in which the relay driven roller 42b approaches the relay drive roller 42a) projects into the sheet conveyance passage, closer to the side where the relay driven roller 42b contacts the relay drive roller 42a, than to the side of the end of the slide groove 38b of the support frame 38. With this configuration, the length of the slider 37f and the length of the slide groove 38b are longer when compared with the configuration in which the tip portion 37f1 of the slider 37f do not project into the sheet conveyance passage. Accordingly, the change in the position of the pressure plate 37d is reduced as much as possible, and the nip pressure of the pair of relay rollers 42 is stabilized.
Further, in a case in which the tip portion 37f1 of the slider 37f projects into the sheet conveyance passage, the leading end of the sheet contacts the tip portion 37f1 of the slider 37f while the sheet is being conveyed. At this time, if the leading end of the sheet that is being conveyed is caught by the tip portion 37f1 of the slider 37f, a paper jam is likely to occur.
Therefore, the tip portion 37f1 of the slider 37f according to the present embodiment includes a guide to guide the leading end of the recording sheet downstream in a sheet conveyance direction D even if the leading end of the recording sheet contacts while the recording sheet is conveyed. The guide may be any guide member as long as the leading end of the recording sheet is not caught by the tip portion 37f1 of the slider 37f.
In the present embodiment, the guide is achieved by providing the guiding shape to the tip portion 37f1 of the slider 37f to slide the leading end of the sheet that contacts the tip portion 37f1 of the slider 37f, downstream in the sheet conveyance direction D. Specifically, the tip portion 37f1 projecting into the sheet conveyance passage has an upstream face that is provided on the upstream side of the tip portion 37f1 of the slider 37f in the sheet conveyance direction D. The upstream face has a tapered shape (guiding shape). With this guiding shape, even if the leading end of the recording sheet S that is being conveyed contacts the tip portion 37f1 of the slider 37f, the leading end of the recording sheet S is guided downstream in the sheet conveyance direction D. and therefore the recording sheet S is restrained from being caught by the tip portion 37f1 of the slider 37f.
Further, in the present embodiment, when the pressing portion 65e is located at the non-pressing position, the tip portion 37f1 of the slider 37f is at the position at which the tip portion 37f1 of the slider 37f do not project into the sheet conveyance passage, as illustrated in
In order to address this inconvenience, in the present embodiment, as illustrated in
In the present embodiment, the pressing portion 65e is a cam. In the present embodiment, even if the rotation position (phase) of the pressing portion 65e of the bypass bottom plate cam shaft 65 is shifted due to the tolerance of parts or the error of the stop time in control, the pressing portion 65e is configured to have a constant cam outer diameter within the predetermined angle width a including the target rotation angle of the pressing position. According to this configuration, for example, the pressing amount of the pressure plate 37d by the pressing portion 65e when the pressing portion 65e has stopped at the rotational position illustrated in part (a) of
Since the reaction force of the biasing force of the pressure spring 37b that biases the relay driven roller 42b toward the relay drive roller 42a acts on the pressure plate 37d, the reaction force is transmitted to the bypass bottom plate cam shaft 65 via the pressing portion 65e that contacts the pressure plate 37d. Consequently, if the bypass bottom plate cam shaft 65 is warped, the pressing amount of the pressure plate 37d by the pressing portion 65e decreases, and therefore the biasing force may not reach the target biasing force (the nip pressure of the pair of relay rollers 42).
Therefore, in the present embodiment, a contact portion 37e is provided as a warp restrainer that restrains the warp of the bypass bottom plate cam shaft 65. The contact portion 37e contacts the bypass bottom plate cam shaft 65 to restrain the warp of the bypass bottom plate cam shaft 65. The contact portion 37e is a part of the support frame 38 of the bypass sheet feeder 30. Although there are two contact portions 37e in the present embodiment, one or three or more contact portions 37e may be provided.
Next, a description is given of a process flow of operations for an irregular stop (e.g., paper jam) in the image forming apparatus 1000.
In the image forming apparatus 1000, when a device error (problem) to suspend conveyance of the recording sheet S, such as a conveyance failure (including a paper jam), is detected (step S41), the controller 51 first turns off the regular sheet feed clutch 62a, relay clutch 63a, and the bypass sheet feed clutch 64a (step S42). Then, the controller 51 determines, from control data, whether the recording sheet S is being conveyed by the bypass sheet feeder 30 (step S43).
When the recording sheet S is being conveyed by the bypass sheet feeder 30 (YES in step S43), in the present embodiment, the recording sheet S is being held (gripped) between the bypass sheet feed roller 32 and the bypass bottom plate 34, in other words, the bypass bottom plate 34 is in contact with the bypass sheet feed roller 32 (
That is, the state in which the bypass bottom plate 34 is in contact with the bypass sheet feed roller 32 indicates the state in which the feeler sensor 65c is turned off, the controller 51 first turns on the bypass sheet bottom plate cam clutch 65a (step S44) to rotate the bypass bottom plate cam shaft 65. Then, the controller 51 determines whether the feeler sensor 65c is turned on (step S45). When the feeler sensor 65c is not turned on (NO in step S45), the controller 51 causes the process to continue step S45 until the feeler sensor 65c is turned on. When the feeler sensor 65c is turned on (YES in step 45), the controller 51 turns off the bypass sheet bottom plate cam clutch 65a (step S46) to stop rotation of the bypass bottom plate cam shaft 65. Thereafter, the controller 51 turns off the main motor 61 (step S51), and then stops the image forming apparatus 1000 (step S52), so that the user can remove the jammed recording sheet(s) S from in the image forming apparatus 1000.
With the above-described control, when a device error (problem) to suspend conveyance of the recording sheet S occurs when conveying the recording sheet S by the bypass sheet feeder 30, the bypass bottom plate 34 is separated from the bypass sheet feed roller 32. This control facilitates removal of the recording sheet S remaining in the bypass sheet conveyance passage R2 (in other words, the recording sheet S sandwiched between the bypass sheet feed roller 32 and the bypass bottom plate 34).
Further, when the recording sheet S is being conveyed by the regular sheet feeder 110 (not by the bypass sheet feeder 30) (NO in step 543), it is likely that the recording sheet S is being sandwiched (held) between the rollers of the pair of relay rollers 42. At this time, when it is determined that the type of the recording sheet S is a thick paper and the sheet is being conveyed, the nip pressure of the pair of relay rollers 42 is in the high nip pressure state.
Here, in a case in which the recording sheet S that is actually conveyed is a thick paper (sheet having high strength), as described above, even if the nip pressure of the pair of relay rollers 42 is in the high nip pressure state, the recording sheet S is pulled out and removed without tearing the recording sheet S without being torn. However, due to a manual operation error or a setting error, in a case in which the recording sheet S that is actually conveyed is a thin paper or a plain paper (sheet having low strength), the recording sheet S is torn when being pulled out from the image forming apparatus 1000 when the nip pressure of the pair of relay rollers 42 is relatively high. Therefore, it is desirable to lower the nip pressure of the pair of relay rollers 42. Further, even when the recording sheet actually conveyed is a thick paper (having a relatively high strength), a relatively large force is used to pull out the recording sheet S when the pair of relay rollers 42 is in the high nip pressure state. Therefore, it is desirable to lower the nip pressure of the pair of relay rollers 42 to enhance the workability of paper jam handling.
Therefore, in the present embodiment, when the recording sheet S is being conveyed in the regular sheet feeder 110 (NO in step S43), the controller 51 determines whether the recording sheet S is a thin paper or a plain paper (step S47). When the recording sheet S is a thin paper of a plain paper (YES in step S47), the operation in the flowchart of
Accordingly, since the nip pressure of the pair of relay rollers 42 is changed from the high nip pressure state to the low nip pressure state, even when the recording sheet S that is actually conveyed is a thin paper or a plain paper (having a relatively low strength), the recording sheet S is pulled out without tearing the recording sheet S. Further, when the recording sheet S actually conveyed is a thick paper (having a relatively high strength), the recording sheet S is easily pulled out without using a relatively large power, and therefore the workability of paper jam handling is enhanced.
As described above, in the configuration of the present embodiment, the nip pressure of the pair of relay rollers 42 (e.g., the biasing force of pressure spring 37b) that is used for conveying the recording sheet S in the regular sheet conveyance passage R1 is changed along with movement of the bypass bottom plate 34 functioning as a movable member that is used for conveying the recording sheet S in the bypass sheet conveyance passage R2. However, a configuration of the sheet conveying device is not limited to this configuration. For example, in a case in which the bypass sheet feeder 30 employs a sheet feeder having a configuration in which the bypass sheet feed roller 32 is lowered (moved downward) to press (contact) the bypass sheet feed roller 32 to a recording sheet on the bypass sheet tray 31 to feed the recording sheet, the bypass sheet feed roller 32 may be a movable member to change the nip pressure of the pair of relay rollers 42 along with movement of the bypass sheet feed roller 32. Further, for example, the rollers of the pair of relay rollers 42 may be changed along with movement of a movable member that is used in a sheet conveyance passage other than the bypass sheet conveyance passage R2 (for example, the reverse sheet conveyance passage R5).
Further, in the present embodiment, a description of the changing unit to change the nip pressure of the pair of relay rollers 42 (the biasing force of pressure spring 37b) used in the regular sheet conveyance passage R1 has been made but any other changing unit may be applied. For example, a changing unit to change the nip pressure of another pair of conveyance rollers (for example, the pair of sheet ejection rollers 46) may be employed. In addition, the pair of relay rollers 42 of the present embodiment is a target object to change the nip pressure is a pair of sheet conveying rollers including a drive roller and a driven roller. However, the configuration of the pair of sheet conveying rollers applied to the present embodiment is not limited to the above-described pair of relay rollers 42. For example, the pair of sheet conveying rollers may include two drive rollers or two driven rollers.
Further, the pair of relay rollers 42 according to the present embodiment includes the rollers that are not separated from each other. However, the rollers of the pair of relay rollers 42 may be separated from each other.
Further, in the present embodiment according to this disclosure, the image forming apparatus 1000 is described as an example of a printer. However, the image forming apparatus 1000 may be a copier including an image reading device or a copier having a function of a facsimile machine. Further, this disclosure is applicable to image forming apparatuses adapted to form images through other schemes, such as known ink jet schemes, known toner projection schemes, or the like as well as to image forming apparatuses adapted to form images through electrophotographic schemes. Further, as long as a sheet conveying device is provided, this disclosure is not limited to an image forming apparatus but is also applicable to an image reading device provided with an automatic document feeder (ADF).
The configurations according to the above-descried embodiments are not limited thereto. This disclosure can achieve the following aspects effectively.
In Aspect 1, a sheet conveying device (for example, the sheet conveying device 200) includes a pair of rollers (for example, the pair of relay rollers 42), a biasing member (for example, the pressure spring 37b), a guide member (for example, the slide groove 38b), a biasing support (for example, the pressure plate 37d), and a biasing force changer (for example, the pressure plate 37d and the pressing portion 65e). The pair of rollers includes a first roller (for example, the relay driven roller 42b) and a second roller (for example, the relay drive roller 42a) disposed in contact with the first roller. The pair of rollers is configured to hold a sheet (for example, the recording sheet S) between the first roller and the second roller while the sheet is conveyed. The biasing member is configured to bias the first roller toward the second roller. The biasing support is configured to support the biasing member. The biasing support has a guide target member (for example, the slider 370 configured to slide along the guide to move the biasing support. The biasing force changer is configured to change a biasing force of the biasing member along with movement of the biasing support. The guide target member has a portion (for example, the tip portion 37f1) projecting toward inside a sheet conveyance passage through which the sheet is conveyed by the pair of rollers.
There is a clearance between the guide target member and the guide member so that the guide target member and the guide member are relatively movable to each other. Therefore, in a case in which the moment of rotation about the shaft extending in the direction orthogonal to the moving direction of the biasing support occurs to the biasing support, the biasing support rotates by the amount of the clearance between the guide target member and the guide member to change the position of the biasing support.
In order to restrain the change in the position of the biasing support, it is effective to increase the length of the guide target member and the length of the guide member (the length in the moving direction of the biasing support). This configuration is effective because, as the length of the guide target member and the length of the guide member increase, when the rotation of the biasing support is restricted, the distance increases between the contact position of the guide target member and the guide member contacting each other on the upstream side in the moving direction of the biasing support and the contact position of the guide target member and the guide member contacting each other on the downstream side in the moving direction of the biasing support, thereby reducing the angle of rotation of the biasing support due to the moment of rotation.
According to the configuration of Aspect 1, the length of the guide target member is elongated until the part of the guide target member projects toward inside the sheet conveyance passage. Therefore, when compared with a known configuration in which the guide target member does not project toward inside the sheet conveyance passage, the length of the guide target member and the length of the guide member (the length in the moving direction of the biasing support) increase. Accordingly, the change in the position of the biasing support is reduced as much as possible, and the nip pressure of the pair of rollers is stabilized.
In Aspect 2 according to Aspect 1, the portion (for example, the tip portion 37f1) of the guide target member (for example, the slider 37f) is a guide portion configured to guide a leading end of the sheet (for example, the recording sheet S) downstream in a sheet conveyance direction even when the leading end of the sheet contacts the portion of the guide target member.
According to the configuration of Aspect 2, even if the leading end of the sheet that is being conveyed contacts the portion of the guide target member that projects toward inside the sheet conveyance passage, the leading end of the sheet is guided downstream in the sheet conveyance direction, and therefore the sheet is restrained from being caught by the part of the guide target member.
In Aspect 3 according to Aspect 2, the guide portion has a guiding shape to slide the leading end of the sheet (for example, the recording sheet S) that has contact the portion (for example, the tip portion 37f1) of the guide target member (for example, the slider 370 downstream in the sheet conveyance direction.
According to the configuration of Aspect 3, with a simple configuration, the sheet is restrained from being caught by a part of the guide target member that projects toward inside the sheet conveyance passage.
In Aspect 4 according to any one of Aspects 1 to 3, wherein the biasing force changer (for example, the pressure plate 37d and the pressing portion 65e) is configured to cause the biasing support (for example, the pressure plate 37d) to move between a projection position at which the portion of the guide target member (for example, the slider 370 is projected toward inside the sheet conveyance passage and a non-projection position at which the portion of the guide target member is not projected toward inside the sheet conveyance passage.
According to the configuration of Aspect 4, a long moving distance of the biasing support is achieved.
In Aspect 5 according to Aspect 4, the sheet conveying device (for example, the sheet conveying device 200) further includes an opening (for example, the slot 38c) through which the portion (for example, the tip portion 37f1) of the guide target member (for example, the slider 370 moves, the opening having a plurality of edges. Of the plurality of edges of the opening, at least a downstream edge (for example, the downstream edge 38c1) of the opening in the sheet conveyance direction has a guiding shape (for example, the chamfered shape) configured to guide the leading end of the sheet (for example, the recording sheet S) downstream in the sheet conveyance direction even when the leading end of the sheet contacts the downstream edge of the opening.
According to the configuration of Aspect 5, when the guide target member is not projected toward inside the sheet conveyance passage, even if the leading end of the sheet that is being conveyed contacts the edge of the opening, the leading end of the sheet is guided downstream in the sheet conveyance direction, and therefore the sheet is restrained from being caught by the edge of the opening.
In Aspect 6 according to any one of Aspects 1 to 5, the guide target member (for example, the slider 370 is an elongated member (the slider 37f) configured to extend in a straight direction along which the biasing support (for example, the pressure plate 37d) moves straight in a biasing direction of the biasing member (for example, the pressure spring 37b). A tip portion (for example, the tip portion 37f1) of the guide target member (for example, the slider 37f) is configured to project toward inside the sheet conveyance passage.
According to the configuration of Aspect 6, a simple member such as a spring is employed to bias as a biasing member.
In Aspect 7, the image forming apparatus (for example, the image forming apparatus 1000) further includes a pressing portion (for example, the pressing portion 65e) mounted on a rotary shall (for example, the bypass bottom plate cam shaft 65). The biasing force changer is configured to move the biasing support along with rotation of the rotary shaft as the pressing portion presses the biasing support at a position (for example, the position B) shifted from a support position (for example, the support position A) of the biasing member in the biasing support.
According to the configuration of Aspect 7, the biasing force changer moves the biasing support even if the pressing portion mounted on the rotary shaft does not press the biasing support at the same position (for example, the position B′) that is the same position as the support position of the biasing member at the biasing support. At this time, even if a rotational moment around the support position A of the biasing member is generated in the biasing support, the length of the guide target member (for example, the slider 370 and the length of the guide (for example, the slide groove 38b), in other words, the length in the moving direction of the biasing support, are long. Therefore, the change in position of the biasing support is relatively small, and the nip pressure of the pair of rollers is stabilized.
In Aspect 8, an image forming apparatus (for example, the image forming apparatus 1000) includes the sheet conveying device (for example, the sheet conveying device 200) according to any one of Aspects 1 to 7, and an image bearer (for example, the photoconductor 1) configured to form an image on the sheet (for example, the recording sheet P) conveyed by the sheet conveying device.
According to the configuration of Aspect 8, an image forming apparatus having the stable nip pressure of a pair of rollers that conveys a sheet is provided.
The present disclosure is not limited to specific embodiments described above, and numerous additional modifications and variations are possible in light of the teachings within the technical scope of the appended claims. It is therefore to be understood that, the disclosure of this patent specification may be practiced otherwise by those skilled in the art than as specifically described herein, and such, modifications, alternatives are within the technical scope of the appended claims. Such embodiments and variations thereof are included in the scope and gist of the embodiments of the present disclosure and are included in the embodiments described in claims and the equivalent scope thereof.
The effects described in the embodiments of this disclosure are listed as the examples of preferable effects derived from this disclosure, and therefore are not intended to limit to the embodiments of this disclosure.
The embodiments described above are presented as an example to implement this disclosure. The embodiments described above are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, replacements, or changes can be made without departing from the gist of the invention. These embodiments and their variations are included in the scope and gist of this disclosure and are included in the scope of the invention recited in the claims and its equivalent.
Any one of the above-described operations may be performed in various other ways, for example, in an order different from the one described above.
Each of the functions of the described embodiments may be implemented by one or more processing circuits or circuitry. Processing circuitry includes a programmed processor, as a processor includes circuitry. A processing circuit also includes devices such as an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), digital signal processor (DSP), field programmable gate array (FPGA), and conventional circuit components arranged to perform the recited functions.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-004410 | Jan 2020 | JP | national |
