JPH092677A - Sheet conveying device, image reading device, and image forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Abstract] [Purpose] To provide a sheet conveying device capable of easily exchanging a separation feeding unit. Constitution: Separation as a sheet conveying unit provided with a feeding roller 7 which is a conveying means for conveying a document as a sheet, and a front side plate 21 and a rear side plate 22 which are supporting portions for supporting the feeding roller 7. It has a feeding unit 29 and a frame body as fixing means for fixing the separation feeding unit 29, and the frame body is the front side plate 2 of the separation feeding unit 29.
1 and the rear side plate 22 are biased and fixed.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, a laser beam printer, a facsimile, and an image reading apparatus, and more particularly to a sheet conveying apparatus for conveying a sheet.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a separating and feeding section of a sheet conveying apparatus such as an automatic document conveying apparatus applied to an image forming apparatus has a short life as compared with the apparatus main body, and abrasion of rollers and belts may occur according to use. Since the coefficient of friction on the surface is reduced and problems such as sheet transport slip and increase in skew occur, it is necessary to replace the apparatus before its life.

Therefore, the separation feeding unit 129 is
As shown in FIG. 5, the frame 131 of the apparatus main body is fixed and supported by screws 149 from above, and at the time of replacement, a specialized service person removes the screws 149 with a tool to perform the replacement work. .

[0004]

However, in the above-mentioned conventional example, the separation feeding unit 129 which needs to be replaced with respect to the apparatus body is fixedly supported by the screw 149 with respect to the apparatus body. Separate feeding unit 129
When replacing the screw, the screw 149 must be removed and then replaced. Therefore, a specialized service person cannot perform the replacement work, a dedicated tool is required for the replacement, and the replacement takes time. There was a problem such as.

The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, and an object of the present invention is to provide a sheet conveying device in which the separation feeding unit can be easily replaced.

[0006]

In order to achieve the above object, according to the present invention, there is provided a sheet carrying unit including a carrying means for carrying a sheet and a supporting portion for supporting the carrying means. In a sheet conveying apparatus having a fixing unit that fixes the sheet conveying unit, the fixing unit biases and fixes the supporting portion of the sheet conveying unit.

The fixing means may urge the support portion of the sheet conveying unit in the width direction of the sheet.

At least one of the portion of the support portion that is biased by the fixing means and the portion that biases the support portion of the fixing means may be provided with a locking portion.

The fixing means may be biased by an elastic member.

It is preferable that the conveying means is a roller.

The transporting means may be a belt.

It is preferable that the sheet conveying unit can be detached from a direction substantially perpendicular to the conveyed sheet surface.

[0013]

In the sheet conveying device configured as described above,
Since the fixing means urges and fixes the supporting portion of the sheet conveying unit, the fixing means is easily fixed.

The fixing means urges the support portion of the sheet conveying unit in the widthwise direction of the sheet to urge it in the longitudinal direction of the sheet conveying unit.

By providing the locking portion on at least one of the portion of the support portion that is biased by the fixing means and the portion that biases the support portion of the fixing means, the biasing force is applied to a predetermined position.

The fixing means is easily biased by being biased by the elastic member.

Since the conveying means is a roller or a belt, the structure is simple.

Since the sheet conveying unit can be detached from a direction substantially perpendicular to the conveyed sheet surface, it can be detached without contacting other members.

[0019]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described below with reference to the illustrated embodiments.

(First Embodiment) FIG. 1 shows a schematic structure of an example of an automatic document feeder (hereinafter referred to as ADF) according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view from above of the separation feeding unit. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing a fixed supporting state of the separation feeding unit. FIG. 4 is a perspective view from above of a drive unit that drives the separation feeding unit.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 is a main body of an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine or LBP, and 2 is a fixed platen glass as an image reading processing unit disposed on the upper surface of the main body 1 of the image forming apparatus. The internal mechanism of the image forming apparatus main body 1 is omitted.

Reference numeral 3 is a general reference numeral of a document conveying device (sheet conveying device) mounted on the upper surface of the image forming apparatus main body 1 including the platen glass 2.

In this document transport device 3, 4 is an outer cover (main cover) of the document transport device 3, and 5 is a document tray serving as a document mounting table. Part is the document input part 2 of the apparatus
Insert into 0 and set loading.

Based on the document feeding start signal, the half-moon-shaped feed roller 6 is driven, and the feeding force is positively applied to the lowest document S of the stacked documents S on the document tray 5, and the feeding roller ( Only the lowermost original S is separated and fed into the original conveying device 3 by the separating / feeding unit composed of the rotary separating belt 8 of the conveying means 7.

In this embodiment, the conveying means is a roller, but it may be a belt. Further, although the separation side is the rotating separation belt, this may also be a roller.

The original S, which has been separated and fed by one sheet, is conveyed between the platen glass 2 and the original conveying rotation belt 10 through a path of the first sheet path a → the registration roller pair 9 → the second sheet path b. It

The registration roller pair 9 temporarily receives the leading edge of the original document S, which has been separated and fed by the feeding roller 7 and the rotary separation belt 8, into the nip portion, and obliquely feeds the original document S generated at the time of separation. And the timing of feeding the document S to the platen glass 2.

The original conveying rotary belt 10 is a means for conveying the original S on the platen glass 2, and the platen glass 2
A belt driving roller 11 on the left side and a turn roller 12 on the right side of the platen glass are suspended and stretched. The belt portion on the descending side is pressed against the upper surface of the platen glass 2 by a plurality of pressing rollers 13. Has been.

The original conveying rotary belt 10 is rotationally driven counterclockwise as indicated by the arrow, and the original S conveyed between the platen glass 2 and the original conveying rotary belt 10 from the second sheet path b.
The platen glass 2 is moved by the original conveying rotary belt 10.
The third sheet path c between the document transport rotary belt 10 and the document transport rotary belt 10 is transported while sliding on the upper surface of the platen glass 2 from the left side to the right side of the platen glass 2.

When the document S is conveyed to a predetermined set position on the upper surface of the platen glass 2, the driving of the document conveying rotation belt 10 is stopped and controlled, and the document S is conveyed to the platen glass 2.
It is stopped at a predetermined position on the upper surface and is automatically set.

Next, the mechanism of the image forming apparatus main body 1 side reads the image information of the set original S.

When the reading process is completed, the original conveying rotation belt 10 is driven to rotate counterclockwise again to convey the upper surface of the platen glass 2 to the right side, and the fourth sheet path d → the discharge roller pair 14 → The sheet is discharged onto the sheet discharge tray 16 arranged between the document tray 5 and the document conveying rotation belt 10 through the sheet discharge port 15.

In this way, the stacked originals S on the original tray 5 are sequentially fed onto the platen glass 2 for one sheet, the reading processing of the originals S is performed, and they are sequentially ejected onto the paper ejection tray 16. The cycle is done automatically.

The structure of the separating / feeding unit (sheet conveying unit) 29 and the fixed supporting structure will be described in detail with reference to FIGS.

First, the structure of the separation feeding unit 29 will be described.

Front side plate (support portion) 21, rear side plate (support portion)
22 and the paper guide upper part 28 are fixed by screws, respectively, and form a frame body of the separation feeding unit 29.

In the feeding roller 7, a feeding roller shaft 7a is rotatably supported by the front side plate 21 and the rear side plate 22 via bearings (not shown). Further, one end of the rotation separating belt 8 is hung on a belt driving roller 8b integrally attached to the belt driving shaft 8a, and the other end is rotatably held by a belt driven shaft 8d. Is hung on.

Here, the belt driven shaft 8d is fixed to the belt side plate 26 with screws, and the belt side plate 26 is rotatably supported by the belt drive shaft 8a via a bearing (not shown).

Further, a pressure spring 27 is attached to the belt side plate 26, and when the separation feeding unit 29 is attached to the ADF main body, the pressure spring 27 abuts against the outer cover 4 to cause the rotation separation belt. 8 is pressed downward and hits an abutting portion (not shown), so that the rotary separation belt 8 has a predetermined intrusion amount with respect to the feeding roller 7.

On the other hand, the feeding roller shaft 7a and the belt drive shaft 8
The roller gear 2 is attached to one end of the front plate 21 a of
3, the belt gear 25 is integrally attached, and the idler gear 24 is rotatably supported by the front side plate 21 between them.

The driving force from the ADF main body side is input to the roller gear 23 and transmitted to the belt gear 25 via the idler gear 24. As a result, when the transport roller 7 is rotationally driven in the direction of arrow A, the rotary separation belt 8 is rotationally driven in the same direction. Therefore, the originals S are separated and fed one by one.

Next, the fixed support of the separation feeding unit 29 will be described.

The front side plate 21 and the rear side plate 22 are respectively
Round holes (locking portions) 21a and 22a and round elongated holes (locking portions) 21b and 22b (not shown) are provided. 3
Reference numerals 1 and 32 denote frame bodies (fixing means) of the ADF main body, and a fixed shaft (locking portion) 33 is fixed to one frame body 32 by caulking. The fixed support unit 30 is fixed to the other frame 31 with screws.

Here, the support unit 30 will be described in more detail. Reference numeral 34 is a case of the support unit 30.
Reference numeral 35 is a lid, which is fixed by a screw, 36 is a slide fixing support shaft (locking portion) slidably supported by the case 34 and the lid 35, and a handle 37 is a slide fixing support shaft 3.
It is fixed to 6 by caulking.

A pressure spring (elastic member) 38 is inserted between the lid 35 and the handle 37 to press the slide fixing support shaft 36 toward the separating / feeding unit 29.

In this embodiment, the pressure spring 38 is used as the elastic member, but the present invention is not limited to this, and a leaf spring, rubber or the like may be used.

By these, the separation feeding unit 29
Are round holes 21a and 22a and round elongated holes 21b and 22b.
The fixed shaft 33 and the slide fixed support shaft 36 are inserted into (not shown), and are pressed toward the fixed shaft 33 by the slide fixed support shaft 36 that is pressed in the arrow B direction by the pressing spring 38. Supported by the state.

In this embodiment, the front side plate 2 as a supporting portion is
1 and the rear side plate 22 have round holes 21a, 22 as locking portions.
a and round elongated holes 21b and 22b are provided, and the frame body (fixing means) 31 and 32 are provided with the fixed shaft 33 and the slide fixed support shaft 36 as locking portions, but the present invention is not limited to this. A hole may be provided on the side of the fixing means, or a concave portion and a convex portion may be provided on each of the fixing means to engage with the concave portion.

When exchanging the separating / feeding unit 29, the outer cover 4 (see FIG. 1) covering the upper part of the separating / feeding unit 29 is opened around the support shaft 4a, and the handle 37 is moved to the arrow. By sliding in the C direction, the slide fixing support shaft 36 is also slid and retracted, and the front side plate 2
Pull out from 1.

Thereafter, the separation feeding unit 29 is moved to the arrow C direction.
The rear side plate 22 is pulled out from the fixed shaft 33 by sliding it in the direction and is removed upward and replaced.

When the separation feeding unit 29 is inserted, the above procedure can be reversed.

With such a configuration, the separate feeding unit 29 is not required to use a dedicated tool or service person.
Not only is the replacement time shortened, but the replacement operation itself can be easily performed by the user of the device.

Further, the driving section 4 of the separation feeding section unit 29
0 will be described with reference to FIG.

Reference numeral 41 is a drive motor, and the drive motor shaft 4
A drive gear 42 is integrally attached to the la 1a, and a gear holder 44 is rotatably attached via a bearing (not shown).
The gear holder 44 has a swing gear 43 rotatably attached to an idler shaft 45 so as to mesh with the drive gear 42.

Further, one end of a tension spring 46 is hooked on the gear holder 44, and the other end is hooked on the frame 31.

As a result, the swing gear 43 is pressed upward about the drive motor shaft 41a, and the roller gear 2 is pressed.
Mesh with three.

When the abutting portion 23b of the roller gear 23 and the abutting portion 43b of the swing gear 43 abut against each other,
The gear portions 23a and 43a can be engaged with each other while maintaining a regular distance between the shafts, and accurately transmit the driving force.

(Other Embodiments) In the first embodiment described above, the originals are used as the sheets, and the fixing and supporting and detaching structure of the separating / feeding unit of the automatic original conveying apparatus have been described. It is also possible to use a transfer sheet instead of an original as a sheet, and the same can be applied to the fixed support and attachment / detachment configuration of the transfer roller unit that transfers the transfer sheet of the image forming apparatus.

[0059]

The present invention has the above-described structure and operation. Since the fixing means urges and fixes the supporting portion of the sheet conveying unit, it can be easily fixed, and the sheet conveying unit can be removed and replaced. In addition to the need for a dedicated tool or service person, the replacement time can be shortened, and the replacement work itself can be easily performed by the user of the device.
As a result, the downtime of the device itself due to the replacement work is reduced, and the productivity of the device can be improved.

The fixing means urges the supporting portion of the sheet conveying unit in the width direction of the sheet, thereby urging the supporting portion of the sheet conveying unit in the longitudinal direction of the sheet conveying unit, thereby stabilizing the sheet.

By providing the engaging portion on at least one of the portion of the support portion that is biased by the fixing means and the portion that biases the support portion of the fixing means, the biasing force is applied to a predetermined position. It can be further stabilized.

By urging the fixing means by the elastic member, the fixing means can be easily urged, the urging force can be easily adjusted, and the fixing means can be easily removed.

Since the conveying means is a roller or a belt, the structure is simple.

Since the sheet conveying unit can be detached from the direction substantially perpendicular to the conveyed sheet surface, it can be detached without coming into contact with other members and the operability is improved.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an ADF as a sheet conveying device of the present invention.
FIG.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a separation feeding unit applied to the ADF of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a schematic view showing a supporting state of a separation feeding unit applied to the ADF of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a driving unit that drives the separation feeding unit that is applied to the ADF of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a separation feeding unit which is applied to a conventional ADF.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Image Forming Apparatus Main Body 3 Document Conveying Device (Sheet Conveying Device) 7 Feeding Roller (Conveying Means) 21 Front Side Plate (Supporting Part) 22 Rear Side Plate (Supporting Part) 21a, 22a Round Holes (Locking Part) 21b, 22b Length Round hole (locking part) 29,129 Separation feeding part unit (sheet conveying unit) 31,32,131 Frame body (fixing means) 33 Fixed shaft (locking part) 36 Slide fixing support shaft (locking part) 38 Pressure spring (elastic means)

Claims (9)

[Claims] 1. A sheet conveying apparatus comprising: a sheet conveying unit including a conveying unit that conveys a sheet; and a supporting unit that supports the conveying unit; and a fixing unit that fixes the sheet conveying unit. The sheet conveying device, wherein the fixing means urges and fixes the supporting portion of the sheet conveying unit. 2. The sheet conveying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the fixing unit urges the supporting portion of the sheet conveying unit in the width direction of the sheet. 3. The locking portion is provided in at least one of a portion of the supporting portion that is biased by the fixing means and a portion of the fixing portion that biases the supporting portion. The sheet conveying apparatus according to item 1. 4. The sheet conveying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the fixing means is biased by an elastic member. 5. The sheet conveying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the conveying unit is a roller. 6. The sheet conveying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the conveying unit is a belt. 7. The sheet carrying unit according to claim 1, wherein the sheet carrying unit is removable from a direction substantially perpendicular to a sheet surface to be carried. apparatus. 8. A sheet conveying device according to claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 or 7, and image reading means for reading an image of a sheet conveyed by the sheet conveying device. And an image reading apparatus having. 9. The sheet conveying device according to claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 or 7, and image forming means for forming an image on a sheet conveyed by the sheet conveying device. An image forming apparatus having: