Patent Application
20250033911
Embodiments described herein relate generally to a sheet conveying device, a sheet conveying method, and an image forming apparatus.
An image forming apparatus forms an image on a sheet. The image forming apparatus includes a sheet conveying device. The sheet conveying device is requested to suppress noise during sheet conveyance.
A sheet conveying device in an embodiment includes a first roller unit, a first conveyance path, a guide mechanism, and a control section. The first roller unit rotates while forming a first nip with a pair of rollers and conveys a sheet having reached the first nip. The first conveyance path conveys the sheet to the first roller unit. An upstream side in a conveying direction of the first conveyance path is represented as a first side in a first direction. A thickness direction of the sheet conveyed on the first conveyance path is represented as a second direction. The guide mechanism is disposed along the first conveyance path and guides the conveyance of the sheet. The guide mechanism is capable of changing a conveyance path width, which is width in the second direction of the first conveyance path. The control section is capable of controlling the guide mechanism as follows. The control section sets the conveyance path width at a time when a leading end of the sheet passes a first position of the guide mechanism to first width. The control section sets the conveyance path width at a time when a trailing end of the sheet passes the first position of the guide mechanism to second width smaller than the first width. In another embodiment, a sheet conveying method involves rotating a first roller while forming a first nip with another roller and conveying a sheet having reached the first nip; conveying the sheet to the first roller via a first conveyance path; guiding, using a guide mechanism disposed along the first conveyance path, the conveyance of the sheet and changing a conveyance path width, the conveyance path width exists in a second direction of the first conveyance path, if an upstream side in a conveying direction of the first conveyance path is represented as a first side in a first direction and a thickness direction of the sheet conveyed on the first conveyance path is represented as the second direction; and setting the conveyance path width at a time when a leading end of the sheet passes a first position of the guide mechanism to a first width and setting the conveyance path width at a time when a trailing end of the sheet passes the first position of the guide mechanism to a second width smaller than the first width.
The sheet conveying device in the embodiment is explained below with reference to the drawings.
The housing 10 forms the exterior of the image forming apparatus 1.
The scanner section 2 reads image information of a copy target object based on brightness and darkness of light and generates an image signal. The scanner section 2 outputs the generated image signal to the image forming unit 3.
The image forming unit 3 forms a toner image based on an image signal received from the scanner section 2 or the outside. The toner image is an image formed by toner or other materials. The image forming unit 3 transfers the toner image onto the surface of the sheet S. The image forming unit 3 heats and pressurizes the toner image on the surface of the sheet S and fixes the toner image on the sheet S.
The sheet supply section 4 supplies sheets S to the conveying section 5 one by one to be timed to coincide with the formation of the toner image by the image forming unit 3. The sheet supply section 4 includes a sheet storing section 20 and a pickup roller 21.
The sheet storing section 20 stores the sheets S of a predetermined size and a predetermined type.
The pickup roller 21 picks up the sheets S from the sheet storing section 20 one by one. The pickup roller 21 supplies the picked-up sheet S to the conveying section 5.
The conveying section 5 conveys the sheet S supplied from the sheet supply section 4 to the image forming unit 3. The conveying section 5 includes a conveying roller unit 42 and a registration roller unit 41.
The conveying roller unit 42 conveys the sheet S supplied from the pickup roller 21 to the registration roller unit 41. The conveying roller unit 42 strikes the leading end in a conveying direction of the sheet S against a first nip NA.
The registration roller unit 41 bends the sheet S in the first nip NA to thereby align the position of the leading end of the sheet S in the conveying direction. The registration roller unit 41 conveys the sheet S according to timing when the image forming unit 3 transfers the toner image onto the sheet S.
The image forming unit 3 is explained.
The image forming unit 3 includes a plurality of image forming sections F, a laser scanning unit 26, an intermediate transfer belt 27, a transfer section 28, and a fixing device 30.
The image forming sections F include photoconductive drums D. The image forming sections F form toner images corresponding to image signals on the photoconductive drums D. A plurality of image forming sections FY, FM, FC, and FK respectively form toner images by toners of yellow, magenta, cyan, and black.
Chargers charge the surfaces of the photoconductive drums D. Developing devices store developers including toners of yellow, magenta, cyan, and black. The developing devices develop electrostatic latent images on the photoconductive drums D in order to form toner images of the colors on the photoconductive drums D.
The laser scanning unit 26 scans the charged photoconductive drums D with laser light L to expose the photoconductive drums D. The laser scanning unit 26 exposes the photoconductive drums D with separate laser lights LY, LM, LC, and LK in order to form electrostatic latent images on the photoconductive drums D of the image forming sections FY, FM, FC, and FK for the colors.
The toner images on the surfaces of the photoconductive drums D are primarily transferred onto the intermediate transfer belt 27.
The transfer section 28 transfers the toner images primarily transferred on the intermediate transfer belt 27 onto the surface of the sheet S in a secondary transfer position.
The fixing device 30 carries out fixing processing. The fixing processing is processing for heating and pressurizing the toner images transferred onto the sheet S and fixing the toner images on the sheet S.
The reversing unit 9 reverses the sheet S in order to form an image on the rear surface of the sheet S. The reversing unit 9 reverses, with switchback, the front and the rear of the sheet S discharged from the fixing device 30. The reversing unit 9 conveys the reversed sheet S toward the registration roller unit 41.
The sheet S discharged with an image formed thereon is placed on the tray 7.
The control panel 8 is a part of an input section to which an operator inputs information for operating the image forming apparatus 1. The control panel 8 includes a touch panel and various hard keys.
The control section 6 controls operations of the sections of the image forming apparatus 1.
The CPU 91 executes a program stored in the memory 92 and the auxiliary storage device 93 to thereby function as the control section 6. The control section 6 controls operations of the functional sections of the image forming apparatus 1.
The auxiliary storage device 93 is configured using a storage device such as a magnetic hard disk device or a semiconductor storage device. The auxiliary storage device 93 stores information.
The communication section 90 includes a communication interface for connecting the image forming apparatus 1 to an external apparatus. The communication section 90 communicates with the external apparatus via the communication interface.
As illustrated in
The sheet conveying device 40 includes a first roller unit and a second roller unit. In the conveying direction of the sheet S, the first roller unit is present on a downstream side and the second roller unit is present on an upstream side. For example, the first roller unit is the registration roller unit 41 and the second roller unit is the conveying roller unit 42.
The sheet conveying device 40 includes the registration roller unit (the first roller unit) 41, a first conveyance path PA, a guide mechanism 50, a second conveyance path PB, the conveying roller unit (the second roller unit) 42, a sensor 47, and the control section 6.
The registration roller unit 41 forms the first nip NA with a pair of rollers. The registration roller unit 41 bends the leading end of the sheet S having reached the first nip NA to align the posture of the sheet S. The pair of rollers of the registration roller unit 41 respectively rotates around rotation axes 45 of the pair of rollers. The registration roller unit 41 conveys the sheet S to the image forming unit 3 at predetermined timing.
As illustrated in
The guide mechanism 50 guides the conveyance of the sheet S. The guide mechanism 50 includes a first guide 51 and a second guide 52. The first guide 51 and the second guide 52 are disposed along the first conveyance path PA.
In this specification, an X direction, a Y direction, and a Z direction of an orthogonal coordinate system are defined as follows. The X direction (a first direction) is the conveying direction of the sheet S in the first conveyance path PA. A −X direction (a first side in the first direction) is the upstream side in the conveying direction of the sheet S. A +X direction (a second side in the first direction) is the opposite side of the −X direction and is a downstream side in the conveying direction of the sheet S. The Y direction is a width direction of the sheet S conveyed on the first conveyance path PA. The Z direction (a second direction) is a thickness direction of the sheet S conveyed on the first conveyance path PA. A −Z direction (a first side in the second direction) is the first guide 51 side of the first conveyance path PA. A +Z direction (a second side in the second direction) is the opposite side of the −Z direction and is the second guide 52 side of the first conveyance path PA.
The guide mechanism 50 is present in the −X direction of the registration roller unit 41.
The first guide 51 is present in the −Z direction of the first conveyance path PA. The first guide 51 extends in the X direction along the first conveyance path PA. A relative position of the first guide 51 is fixed with respect to the rotation axes 45 of the registration roller unit 41.
The second guide 52 is present in the +Z direction of the first conveyance path PA. The second guide 52 extends in the X direction along the first conveyance path PA. The second guide 52 approaches the first guide 51 in the −X direction to the +X direction. The guide mechanism 50 guides the sheet S toward the first nip NA of the registration roller unit 41.
The second guide 52 is movable relatively to the first guide 51. The second guide 52 is capable of turning around a turning axis 55. The turning axis 55 is parallel to the Y direction. The turning axis 55 is present at the end portion in the −X direction of the second guide 52. A driving mechanism of the second guide 52 turns the second guide 52.
The guide mechanism 50 is capable of changing a conveyance path width PW. The conveyance path width PW is the width in the Z direction in a first position 56 of the first conveyance path PA. The first position 56 is a position between the distal end in the +X direction of the second guide 52 and the first guide 51. The conveyance path width PW is the width between the distal end in the +X direction of the second guide 52 and the first guide 51. If the second guide 52 turns around the turning axis 55, the conveyance path width PW changes.
In
In
As illustrated in
The conveying roller unit 42 is present in the first conveyance path PA in the −X direction of the registration roller unit 41. The conveying roller unit 42 rotates while forming a second nip NB with a pair of rollers. The conveying roller unit 42 conveys, along the first conveyance path PA, the sheet S having reached the second nip NB.
The sensor 47 detects passage of the trailing end of the sheet S in a second position 46 of the first conveyance path PA. The second position 46 is a position near the conveying roller unit 42 in the −X direction. For example, the sensor 47 is an optical sensor (a photosensor). If detecting the passage of the trailing end of the sheet S, the sensor 47 transmits a detection signal to the control section 6.
The control section 6 receives the detection signal of the sensor 47. The control section 6 controls turning of the second guide 52 of the guide mechanism 50.
If receiving the detection signal of the sensor 47, the control section 6 shifts the second guide 52 to the second state SB illustrated in
Before the trailing end of the sheet S passes through the registration roller unit 41, the trailing end of the sheet S is in an unconstraint (free) state. In the −X direction of the registration roller unit 41, the trailing end of the sheet S sometimes vibrates (jumps) in the Z direction. The conveyance path width PW at the time when the trailing end of the sheet S passes through the guide mechanism 50 is set to the small second width WB. The trailing end of the sheet S does not greatly vibrate in the Z direction. Even if the trailing end of the sheet S comes into contact with the guide mechanism 50, large sound does not occur. Consequently, noise during the conveyance of the sheet S is suppressed.
After the trailing end of the sheet S passed through the conveying roller unit 42, the trailing end of the sheet S changes to the unconstraint state. Before the trailing end of the sheet S passes through the conveying roller unit 42, the control section 6 shifts the conveyance path width PW to the second width WB. The trailing end of the sheet S after having passed through the conveying roller unit 42 does not greatly vibrate in the Z direction. Consequently, noise during the conveyance of the sheet S is suppressed.
If a predetermined time elapsed after the detection signal of the sensor 47 was received, the control section 6 shifts the second guide 52 to the first state SA illustrated in
The registration roller unit 41 bends, in the Z direction, the leading end of the sheet S having reached the first nip NA to align the posture of the sheet S. The conveyance path width PW at the time when the leading end of the sheet S passes through the guide mechanism 50 is set to the large first width WA. The leading end of the sheet S easily bends in the Z direction. Consequently, conveyance resistance of the sheet S is suppressed.
The control section 6 may control an operation of the guide mechanism 50 according to a type of the sheet S. A user of the image forming apparatus 1 inputs, to the control panel 8, a type of the sheet S to be subjected to image formation. The control section 6 determines whether the sheet S to be subjected to image formation is a sheet having thickness equal to or larger than a predetermined value. If the sheet S is a first sheet having thickness equal to or larger than the predetermined value, the control section 6 sets the conveyance path width PW at the time when the trailing end of the first sheet passes through the guide mechanism 50 to the second width WB.
If the trailing end of the thick first sheet vibrates in the Z direction and comes into contact with the guide mechanism 50, large sound occurs. The conveyance path width PW at the time when the trailing end of the first sheet passes through the guide mechanism 50 is set to the small second width WB. Consequently, noise during conveyance of the thick first sheet is suppressed.
If the sheet S is a second sheet having thickness smaller than the predetermined value, the control section 6 sets the conveyance path width PW at the time when the trailing end of the second sheet passes through the guide mechanism 50 to the first width WA. Even if receiving the detection signal of the sensor 47, the control section 6 does not shift the second guide 52 to the second state SB illustrated in
Even if the trailing end of the thin second sheet greatly vibrates in the Z direction and comes into contact with the guide mechanism 50, large sound does not occur. The conveyance path width PW during the conveyance of the second sheet is maintained at the large first width WA. Since the second guide 52 is maintained in the first state SA, noise involved in the turning of the second guide 52 does not occur.
A first modification of the embodiment is explained.
The second guide 52 includes a flexible film (Mylar) 54 at the distal end in the +X direction. The film 54 is formed in a thin-plate shape by a resin material or the like. The width in the Y direction of the film 54 may be the same as the width of the second guide 52 or may be smaller than the width of the second guide 52.
The sheet S conveyed on the first conveyance path PA comes into contact with the film 54 of the second guide 52. Since the film 54 has flexibility, occurrence of damage and noise of the sheet S is suppressed.
In the embodiment explained above, as an example, the first roller unit is the registration roller unit 41 and the second roller unit is the conveying roller unit 42. In contrast, the first roller unit and the second roller unit may be combinations of other roller units. The second roller unit only has to be present in the −X direction of the first roller unit. For example, the first roller unit may be the conveying roller unit 42 and the second roller unit may be a unit of a paper feeding roller and a separation roller in the sheet supply section 4. The first roller unit may be a roller unit of the transfer section 28 in the image forming unit 3 and the second roller unit may be the registration roller unit 41. The first roller unit may be a unit of a pressurizing roller and a heating roller in the fixing device 30 and the second roller unit may be a roller unit of the transfer section 28 in the image forming unit 3.
According to at least one embodiment explained above, the sheet conveying device 40 includes the registration roller unit 41, the first conveyance path PA, the guide mechanism 50, and the control section 6. The registration roller unit 41 rotates while forming the first nip NA with the pair of rollers and conveys the sheet S having reached the first nip NA. The first conveyance path PA conveys the sheet S to the registration roller unit 41. The upstream side in the conveying direction of the first conveyance path PA is represented as the −X direction. The thickness direction of the sheet S conveyed on the first conveyance path PA is represented as the Z direction. The guide mechanism 50 is disposed along the first conveyance path PA and guides the conveyance of the sheet S. The guide mechanism 50 is capable of changing the conveyance path width PW, which is the width in the Z direction of the first conveyance path PA. The control section 6 is capable of controlling the guide mechanism 50 as explained below. The control section 6 sets the conveyance path width PW at the time when the leading end of the sheet S passes the first position 56 of the guide mechanism 50 to the first width WA. The control section 6 sets the conveyance path width PW at the time when the trailing end of the sheet S passes the first position 56 of the guide mechanism 50 to the second width WB smaller than the first width WA. Consequently, it is possible to suppress noise during the conveyance of the sheet S.
While certain embodiments have been described these embodiments have been presented by way of example only, and are not intended to limit the scope of the inventions. Indeed, the novel embodiments described herein may be embodied in a variety of other forms: furthermore various omissions, substitutions and changes in the form of the embodiments described herein may be made without departing from the spirit of the inventions. The accompanying claims and there equivalents are intended to cover such forms or modifications as would fall within the scope and spirit of the invention.
