JP2006111002A - Image forming apparatus and transporting apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To solve the problem that maintenance performance including jam eliminating processing is deteriorated by an increase in the number of spurs along with an increase in the printable paper size with many spurs exposed when a guiding member is opened. <P>SOLUTION: An upper guide unit 74 has a plurality of spurs 176 in the lower surface side of a frame 175 for pressing the upper surface of paper 5 transported by a transporting roller 171 of a lower guide unit 73. Protecting members 178 are disposed to be displacable between an open position for opening a transporting channel 70 and a guiding position for guiding the paper sheet 5. The protecting members 178 which are at clear positions away from the both side surfaces of the spurs 176 when the upper guide unit 74 is at a guide position is provided on the frame 175. The protecting members 178 are formed of plate-like members for protecting the spurs 176 by displacing themselves to protecting positions advanced from both side surfaces of the spurs 176. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus and a conveying apparatus.

  A recording medium using a recording head (image forming means) composed of a liquid ejection head for ejecting recording liquid droplets as an image forming apparatus such as a printer, a facsimile machine, a copying machine, a printer / fax / copier multifunction machine, etc. (Paper, recording medium, transfer material, etc. are also used interchangeably.) While transporting the recording liquid droplets (hereinafter also referred to as ink droplets) on the paper, image formation (recording, printing, printing) Inkjet recording apparatuses that perform printing are also used synonymously are known.

  In such an ink jet recording apparatus, since an image is formed using a recording liquid, an image is formed so as to be conveyed while pressing the cockling of a recording medium immediately after the recording liquid is landed and the image is formed. While the image forming surface is held down by a spur that abuts the surface, the other surface is transported by a transport roller or the like.

As a conventional ink jet recording apparatus using such a spur, as disclosed in Patent Document 1, a discharge roller and a plurality of spurs are arranged on the downstream side in the paper transport direction from a recording head that discharges ink droplets. The plurality of spurs are rotatably held by a paper discharge guide member that guides the paper to be discharged, and the paper discharge guide member is provided to be openable. Are separated from the opposed paper discharge rollers.
JP 2000-037916 A

Further, as described in Patent Document 2, an image forming body carrying a toner image formed by a toner image forming unit, a toner image carried on the image forming body is transferred, and the transferred toner image is A belt-like intermediate transfer member carried on the surface, a first transfer means for transferring a toner image carried on the image forming member onto the surface of a transfer material conveyed by the intermediate transfer member, and a intermediate transfer member. A second transfer unit that transfers the toner image to the back surface of the transfer material, a separation unit that separates the transfer material, and a fixing unit that fixes the toner image transferred on both sides of the transfer material separated by the separation unit; And the second transfer unit and the separation unit are integrated transfer / separation units, and the image forming apparatus has a two-divided structure including an upper casing and a lower casing. .
Japanese Patent No. 10-171205

  As described in Patent Document 1 described above, the paper discharge guide member provided with a spur can be opened to improve jam handling or other maintainability, but the printable paper size. With the increase in size, the number of spurs also increases, and when the guide member is opened, a large number of spurs are exposed, and there is a problem that the maintainability is deteriorated including jam removal processing.

  SUMMARY An advantage of some aspects of the invention is that it provides an image forming apparatus with improved maintainability.

  In order to solve the above-described problems, a transport apparatus according to the present invention transports a guide member including a plurality of spurs that press the recording medium onto a transport path that transports the recording medium on which image formation by the recording head has been completed. The guide member is disposed so as to be displaceable between a position where the path is opened and a position where the recording medium is guided, and the guide member has a protection which can be displaced between a protection position for protecting the spur and a retracted position retracted from the protection position. It was set as the structure provided with the member.

  Here, the protection member is a plate-like member, and can be configured to be positioned on the opposite side through the conveyance path and the guide member in the retracted position. In this case, the protective member has a plate-like portion that covers the outer peripheral surface side of the spur when in the protective position, or plate-like members that are located on both sides of the spur when in the protective position. It is preferable that the configuration be Moreover, it is preferable that the protection member rotates and is displaced to the protection position.

  Further, the protection member can be configured to face the conveyance path in a state of being retracted from the spur at the retracted position. In this case, it is preferable that the protection member moves in a direction away from the guide member or in a direction along the guide member and is displaced to the protection position.

  Furthermore, when the guide member is moved from the guide position to the release position, the protection member is preferably moved to the protection position by its own weight or engagement with or release from another member. Or the protection member of a guide member can be set as the structure displaced by manual operation.

  The transport device according to the present invention provides a holding member having a plurality of spurs for pressing the recording medium on the transport path between an open position for opening the transport path and a guide position for the spur to press the recording medium. The holding member is provided with a guide member that is in a state that guides the recording medium when the guide member is in the guide position and that protects the spur when the release member is in the open position. The configuration was as follows.

  Here, it is preferable that the guide member moves in conjunction with the opening operation of the holding member to protect the spur. The holding member and the guide member are preferably connected by a plurality of arm members. In this case, one of the arms connected by the plurality of arm members has a slider link mechanism, and the holding member It is preferable that when the arm rotates in conjunction with the rotation, the guide member moves and the spur is protected.

  Further, it is preferable that the guide member has an opening, and the recording medium is pressed by the spur protruding from the opening. In this case, it is preferable that the arm is rotated in conjunction with the rotation of the holding member to move the guide member, and the spur is retracted from the opening to be protected.

  An image forming apparatus according to the present invention includes a transport apparatus according to the present invention that transports a recording medium on which image formation by an image forming unit that forms an image on the recording medium is completed. Here, it is preferable that the image forming unit is a liquid discharge head for discharging a droplet of the recording liquid.

  According to the transport device of the present invention, the guide member includes the protective member that can be displaced between the protective position that protects the spur and the retracted position that is retracted from the protective position. In this state, the spur can be protected by the protective member, and maintenance is improved.

  According to the transport apparatus according to the present invention, the holding member having a plurality of spurs that press the recording medium on the transport path, the opening position that opens the transport path, and the guide position that the spur presses the recording medium, The guide member is in a state of guiding the recording medium when the guide member is in the guide position and protecting the spur when the guide member is in the open position. Since the spur can be protected by the guide member with the holding member in the open position, the maintainability is improved.

  According to the image forming apparatus according to the present invention, since the transport device according to the present invention is provided, the maintainability is improved.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. An outline of an example of the image forming apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram illustrating the overall configuration of the image forming apparatus, FIG. 2 is a plan view illustrating an image forming unit and a sub-scanning conveyance unit, and FIG. 3 is a side view illustrating the same.

  This image forming apparatus has an image forming part (means) 2 for forming an image, a sub-scanning conveying part (means) 3, etc. in the inside (enclosure) of the apparatus main body 1. The paper 5 is fed one by one from the paper feed unit (means) 4 provided, and the paper 5 is conveyed by the image forming unit 2 while the sub-scanning conveying unit 3 conveys the paper 5 at a position facing the image forming unit 2. After forming (recording) a desired image by ejecting droplets, the image was formed on the upper surface of the apparatus main body 1 through a paper discharge conveyance unit (means) 7 constituted by the conveyance apparatus according to the present invention in the case of single-sided printing. In the case of duplex printing, the sheet 5 is discharged onto the discharge tray 8 and sent to the duplex unit 10 provided at the bottom of the apparatus main body 1 from the middle of the discharge conveyance unit 7 to perform switchback conveyance, and again. Then, the paper is fed to the sub-scan transport unit 3 to form images on both sides, and then discharged onto the paper discharge tray 8. To.

  The image forming apparatus also has an image reading unit (scanner) for reading an image above the discharge tray 8 above the apparatus main body 1 as an input system for image data (print data) formed by the image forming unit 2. Part) 11. The image reading unit 11 includes a scanning optical system 15 including an illumination light source 13 and a mirror 14 and a scanning optical system 18 including mirrors 16 and 17. The scanned document image is read as an image signal by the image reading element 20 disposed behind the lens 19, and the read image signal is digitized and subjected to image processing, and the image-processed print data is printed. be able to.

  Further, this image forming apparatus uses an information processing apparatus such as an external personal computer, an image reading apparatus such as an image scanner, and an imaging apparatus such as a digital camera as an input system for image data (print data) formed by the image forming unit 2. For example, print data including image data from the host side can be received via a cable or a network, and the received print data can be processed and printed.

  Here, as shown in FIG. 2, the image forming unit 2 of the image forming apparatus holds the carriage 23 movably in the main scanning direction by the guide rod 21 and a guide stay (not shown), and is driven by the main scanning motor 27. It moves and scans in the main scanning direction via a timing belt 29 spanned between the pulley 28A and the driven pulley 28B.

  A recording head 24 including a droplet discharge head for discharging droplets of each color is mounted on the carriage 23, the carriage 23 is moved in the main scanning direction, and the sheet 5 is transferred to the sheet by the sub-scanning conveyance unit 3. A shuttle type is used in which droplets are ejected from the recording head 24 while feeding in the transport direction (sub-scanning direction) to form an image. A line-type head can also be used.

  The recording head 24 has two droplet discharge heads 24k1 and 24k2 that discharge black (Bk) ink, respectively, and one each that discharges cyan (C) ink, magenta (M) ink, and yellow (Y) ink. Each of the sub-tanks 25 mounted on the carriage 23 is composed of a total of five liquid droplet ejection heads (hereinafter referred to as “recording head 24” when the colors are not distinguished). Of ink is supplied.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 1, a recording liquid cartridge containing black (Bk) ink, cyan (C) ink, magenta (M) ink, and yellow (Y) ink from the front of the apparatus main body 1 to the cartridge mounting portion. Each color ink cartridge 26 can be detachably mounted, and ink is supplied from each color ink cartridge 26 to each color sub-tank 25. The black ink is supplied from one ink cartridge 26 to the two sub tanks 25.

  The recording head 24 uses a piezoelectric element as a pressure generating means (actuator means) for pressurizing the ink in the ink flow path (pressure generation chamber) to deform the vibration plate that forms the wall surface of the ink flow path. A so-called piezo type that discharges ink droplets by changing the volume in the flow channel, or discharges ink droplets with a pressure generated by heating the ink in the ink flow channel using a heating resistor to generate bubbles. The so-called thermal type, the diaphragm that forms the wall surface of the ink flow path and the electrode are placed opposite to each other, and the diaphragm is deformed by the electrostatic force generated between the vibration plate and the electrode, thereby the ink flow path inner volume It is possible to use an electrostatic type or the like that discharges ink droplets by changing the above.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 2, a maintenance / recovery device 121 for maintaining and recovering the nozzle state of the recording head 24 is disposed in the non-printing area on one side in the scanning direction of the carriage 23. The maintenance / recovery device 121 includes five moisturizing caps 122k2, 122k1, 122c, 122m, and 122y for capping the nozzle surfaces of the five recording heads 24 (“moisturizing caps” when colors are not distinguished). 122 ”), a single suction cap 123, a wiper blade 124 for wiping the nozzle surface of the recording head 24, and discharge (empty discharge) of droplets that do not contribute to recording (image formation). For example, an empty discharge receiving member 125 is provided.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 2, in the non-printing area on the other side of the carriage 23 in the scanning direction, droplets that do not contribute to recording (image formation) (empty discharge) are discharged from the five recording heads 24. An empty discharge receiving member 126 is provided. The empty discharge receiving member 126 has five openings 127k2, 127k1, 127c, 127m, and 127y corresponding to the recording head 24 (referred to as “openings 127” when colors are not distinguished).

  As shown in FIG. 3, the sub-scanning conveyance unit 3 is a driving roller for conveying the paper 5 fed from below by changing the conveyance direction by approximately 90 degrees and facing the image forming unit 2. An endless transport belt 31 laid between the transport roller 32 and a driven roller 33 which is a tension roller, and a charging means to which a high voltage as an alternating voltage is applied from a high voltage power source in order to charge the surface of the transport belt 31 A charging roller 34, a guide member 35 that guides the conveyance belt 31 in a region facing the image forming unit 2, and a pressing roller (pressure roller) that presses the paper 5 against the conveyance belt 31 at a position facing the conveyance roller 32. 36 and a separation claw 37 for separating the paper 5 on which the image is formed by the image forming unit 2 from the transport belt 31.

  The transport belt 31 of the sub-scan transport unit 3 is rotated in the paper transport direction (sub-scan direction) in FIG. 2 by rotating the transport roller 32 from the sub-scan motor 131 through the timing belt 132 and the timing roller 133. It is configured to do. The transport belt 31 includes, for example, a surface layer that is a sheet adsorption surface formed of a pure resin material that is not subjected to resistance control, such as ETFE pure material, and a back layer that is subjected to resistance control using carbon with the same material as the surface layer. Although a two-layer structure (medium resistance layer, earth layer) is used, the present invention is not limited to this, and a one-layer structure or a structure of three or more layers may be used.

  In addition, a cleaning unit (mylar is used here) 135 for removing paper dust and the like adhering to the surface of the conveyor belt 31 between the driven roller 33 and the charging roller 34, and the surface of the conveyor belt 31. And a static elimination brush 136 for removing electric charges.

  The paper feed unit 4 can be inserted / removed from the front side of the apparatus main body 1. The paper feed cassette 41 that stacks and stores a large number of sheets 5 and the sheets 5 in the sheet feed cassette 41 are separated and sent out one by one. For this purpose, a feed roller 42 and a friction pad 43 are provided.

  Further, the paper feed unit 4 includes a manual feed tray 46 for stacking and storing paper 5, a manual feed roller (not shown) for feeding the paper 5 one by one from the manual feed tray 46, and a lower side of the apparatus main body 1. A transport roller 48 for transporting the paper 5 fed from the paper feed cassette or the duplex unit 10 that is optionally mounted on the paper, and a transport roller 49 for feeding the fed paper 5 to the sub-scanning transport unit 3. I have. A member for feeding the sheet 5 to the sub-scanning conveying unit 3 such as the sheet feeding roller 42 is rotationally driven by a sheet feeding motor (driving means) 45 including an HB type stepping motor via a sheet feeding clutch (not shown).

  The paper discharge transport unit 7 feeds the paper 5 sent out from between the paper discharge roller 71 and the spur 72, a transport roller 71 that feeds the paper 5 separated by the separation claw 37 of the sub-scanning transport unit 3, and a spur 72 that faces the transport roller 71. The lower guide portion 73 and the upper guide portion 74 that are conveyed while being guided, and the sheet 5 fed from between the lower guide portion 73 and the upper guide portion 74 are reversed through the reverse discharge path 81 that is the first conveyance path. A reversing roller pair 77 and a reversing paper discharge roller pair 78 for feeding the paper discharge tray 8 face down are provided. A conveyance path for conveying the sheet 5 between the lower guide portion 73 and the upper guide portion 74 is referred to as a conveyance path 70.

  Further, the paper discharge transport unit 7 has a straight paper discharge path 82 as a second transport path for discharging the paper 5 on which image formation has been performed straight up with face-up. The sheet 5 sent out from the guide portion 74 can be discharged to a straight discharge tray (straight discharge cover) 83 provided to be foldable on the other side of the apparatus body 1 through the straight discharge path 82.

  A switching mechanism 60 is provided on the exit side of the lower guide portion 73 and the upper guide portion 74 in order to switch between the first paper discharge path 81, the second paper discharge path 82, and the double-sided conveyance path described below.

  The duplex unit 10 receives a sheet 5 conveyed by being guided by the switching mechanism 60 from the side surface of the apparatus main body 1 and conveys the sheet 5 downward. Subsequently, a horizontal feeding conveyance path 90a that conveys in the horizontal direction and a horizontal conveyance section 101b that constitutes a switchback conveyance path 90b are integrally provided.

  The vertical double-sided conveyance path 90c is provided with a double-sided entrance roller pair 91 for conveying the fed paper 5 downward and a conveyance roller pair 92 for sending it out to the horizontal taking-in conveyance path 90a. 93, and the switchback conveyance path 90b includes a double-sided exit roller 94 composed of a reverse roller for reversing and refeeding the sheet 5 fed from the take-in conveyance path 90a and three double-sided conveyance roller pairs 95. Yes.

  Further, the branch plate 96 for switching between the conveyance path of the sheet 5 from the take-in conveyance path 90a to the switchback conveyance path 90b and the conveyance path for refeeding from the switchback conveyance path 90b to the conveyance roller pair 48 can be swung. Provided. The branch plate 96 can swing between a switchback side position shown by a solid line in FIG. 1 and a refeeding side position shown by a broken line.

  Although not shown, an image start sensor for detecting the leading edge of the paper 5 on the upstream side in the paper conveyance direction of the image forming unit 2 and an image end for detecting the trailing edge of the paper 5 on the downstream side in the paper conveyance direction are also shown. A sensor is provided.

  Next, the lower guide portion 73 and the upper guide portion 74 of the paper discharge conveyance portion 7 configured by the conveyance device according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 4 is a side view illustrating the state where the upper guide portion is closed, FIG. 5 is a perspective view illustrating the state where the upper guide portion is closed, and FIG. 6 is a side view illustrating the state where the upper guide portion is opened, FIG. Is a perspective explanatory view of the state where the upper guide portion is opened, FIG. 8 is a schematic side sectional explanatory view of the state where the upper guide portion is closed, FIG. 9 is a schematic side sectional explanatory view of the state where the upper guide portion is opened, 10 is a perspective explanatory view seen from above the upper guide portion in the guide position, FIG. 11 is a perspective explanatory view seen from below the upper guide portion, and FIG. 12 is a view of the upper guide portion in the open position. FIG. 13 is a perspective explanatory view seen from the bottom of the upper guide portion.

  First, the lower guide portion 73 includes a guide member 170 that guides the lower surface of the paper 5 to be conveyed, and a plurality of rows (here, three rows) in the paper conveyance direction as shown in FIG. 7, and a direction orthogonal to the paper conveyance direction. A plurality of transport rollers 171 are provided. The conveyance roller 171 is rotationally driven by a driving source (not shown) via a driving force transmission mechanism 172 using a belt and a pulley shown in FIG.

  The upper guide portion 74 is in contact with the conveyance roller 171 of the lower guide portion 73 on the lower surface side (conveyance path 70 side) of the frame (frame body) 175, and the upper surface of the sheet 5 conveyed on the conveyance path 70 by the conveyance roller 171. A plurality of spurs 176 capable of freely rotating (spinning) to hold the squeeze, and guide members 177 that also serve as a spur support plate for guiding the paper 5 conveyed at positions retracted from the spurs 176 on both sides of each spur 176. ing.

  The upper guide portion 74 is pivotally supported by a support shaft 175a provided on the downstream side of the frame 175 in the paper conveyance direction so as to be swingable, and is a position where the conveyance path 70 is opened (the position shown in FIG. And a position where the paper 5 to be conveyed is guided (a position where the spur 176 can contact the conveying roller 171, a position shown in FIG. 4, which is referred to as a “guide position”). Arranged as possible.

  Further, the upper guide portion 74 is in a retracted position retracted from both side surfaces of the spur 176 when the upper guide portion 74 is set to the guide position, and advances to both side surfaces of the spur 176 when the upper guide portion 74 is set to the open position. (The advanced position is referred to as a “protective position”.) A protective member 178 made of a plate-like member for protecting the spur 176 is provided.

  That is, the three support shafts 180 are rotatably held along the row of the transport rollers 171 on the upper surface side of the frame 175, and the protection member 178 having a fan-shaped side surface on the peripheral surface of the support shaft 180 is spured 176. The three support shafts 180 are respectively connected to the common link member 182 via the link members 181 and the levers 183 are provided on the common link members 182.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the lever 183 can come into contact with the upper flange portion 170a of the guide member 170 of the lower guide portion 73. When the upper guide portion 74 is in the guide position, as shown in FIG. By engaging 183 with the upper flange portion 170a, which is another member, the protective member 178 is rotated to the retracted position of FIGS. 4, 5, and 8 to 10, and the upper guide portion 74 is swung to the open position. When moved, the lever 183 and the upper flange portion 170a are disengaged (by disengagement) as shown in FIG. 7, and the protective member 178 is self-weighted as shown in FIG. 6, FIG. 7, FIG. 9, FIG. As shown in FIG. 13, the frame 175 is rotated and advanced to the protection position for protecting the spur 176 through the opening 175 b.

  With this configuration, when a jam or the like of the paper 5 on which image formation has been completed occurs in the conveyance path 70 of the paper discharge conveyance unit 7 or the like, the upper guide unit 74 is moved from the guide position shown in FIGS. By lifting in the C direction to the open position, the upper guide portion 74 is separated from the lower guide portion 73 and the conveyance path 70 is opened, so that it is possible to take measures such as removing jammed paper. It is preferable to provide a mechanism for locking the upper guide portion 74 at the release position.

  At this time, the protection member 178 rotates to the right in FIG. 4 due to the release of the engagement of the lever 183 with the flange portion 170a, which is another member, and rotates by its own weight on the lower surface side of the frame 175. It moves to both sides of the spur 176 and protects the spur 176 by entering a state where it has advanced from the outer peripheral surface of the spur 176 when viewed from the side. As a result, it is possible to prevent the sheet to be removed from the spur 176 from being caught during the jam removing process and the like, and the maintainability is improved.

  Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 14 is a schematic sectional side view illustrating a state where the upper guide portion according to the embodiment is closed, FIG. 15 is a schematic sectional side view illustrating a state where the upper guide portion is opened, and FIG. 16 is a guide position. FIG. 17 is a perspective explanatory view seen from above the upper guide portion, and FIG. 18 is a perspective explanatory view seen from above the upper guide portion in the open position. FIG. 19 is a perspective explanatory view seen from below the upper guide portion.

  In this embodiment, instead of the protection member 178 of the above embodiment, a protection member 198 having a cover part (plate-like part) 198a that covers the outer peripheral side of the spur 176 at the protection position is provided. Since other configurations are the same as those of the above-described embodiment, description thereof is omitted.

  With this configuration, when a jam or the like of the paper 5 on which image formation has been completed occurs in the conveyance path 70 of the paper discharge unit 7, the upper guide unit 74 is moved from the guide position shown in FIG. 14 to the open position shown in FIG. By doing so, the upper guide portion 74 is separated from the lower guide portion 73 and the conveyance path 70 is opened, so that it is possible to take measures such as removing jammed paper. In this case as well, it is preferable to provide a mechanism for locking the upper guide portion 74 in the release position.

  At this time, as described above, the protective member 198 is disengaged from the flange portion 170a, which is another member, and rotates by its own weight to the lower surface side of the frame 175 in the right direction in FIG. 15. As shown in FIG. 19, the spur 176 is protected by moving forward so as to cover the outer peripheral surface of the spur 176. As a result, it is possible to prevent the sheet to be removed from the spur 176 from being caught during the jam removing process and the like, and the maintainability is improved.

  Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 20 is a schematic side view for explaining a main part in a state in which the upper guide part according to the embodiment is closed, FIG. 21 is a schematic side view for explaining a main part in a state in which the upper guide part is opened, and FIG. 22 is a guide position. FIG. 23 is a perspective view of an essential part seen from below the upper guide part in the open position.

  In this embodiment, the spur 176 is rotatably held by the spur support plate 201 on the lower surface of the frame 175 of the upper guide portion 74, and the sheet conveyed by the transport roller 171 while the upper guide portion 74 is at the guide position. A protective member 202 is provided which projects from the spur 176 and protects the spur 176 when the upper guide portion 74 is in the release position. That is, it faces the transport path in a state of being retracted from the spur at the member retracted position.

  The protective member 202 is a substantially box-shaped member that is attached to the holding frame 203 that can be displaced in a direction away from and approaching the frame 175, and that has a groove 202a on which the spur 176 can protrude on the downstream side in the transport direction. When the spur 176 protrudes from the groove 202a, the spur 176 faces the conveyance path in a state of being retracted from the spur 176, and when the upper guide 74 is set to the open position, the direction away from the frame 175 as shown in FIG. To a protected position in which the spur 176 is housed.

  In addition, the protection member 202 is provided with respect to each spur 176, all the protection members 202 are attached to the holding frame 203, and all the protection members 202 are displaced by the displacement of the holding frame 203 in FIGS. The position is displaced between the retracted position (position that functions as a guide member) and the protected position in FIGS.

  With this configuration, when the upper guide portion 74 is moved from the guide position shown in FIGS. 20, 22, and 24 to the open position, the holding frame 203 is moved to the arrow as shown in FIGS. The spur 176 is housed in the protection member 202 by being lowered in the direction shown (separated from the frame 175), and the protective member 202 covers and protects the outer peripheral surface side of the spur 176. As a result, it is possible to prevent the sheet to be removed from the spur 176 from being caught during the jam removing process and the like, and the maintainability is improved.

  In each of the above-described embodiments, the example has been described in which the protection member is displaced to the protection position by its own weight (or engagement or disengagement with another member) due to the swinging of the upper guide portion, but the upper guide portion is released. It is also possible to displace the protective member by manual operation when setting the position. In each of the above embodiments, the protection member is described as rotating by its own weight due to the disengagement with the other member. However, when the upper guide portion is in the open position, the protection member is engaged with the other member. By doing so, it can also be set as the structure which a protection member advances to a protection position.

  Next, a fourth embodiment of the transport apparatus according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 26 to 37 by using an example applied to the paper discharge transport section 7 of the image forming apparatus. 26 is an explanatory side view of the state where the upper guide portion is closed, FIG. 27 is an explanatory perspective view of the state where the upper guide portion is closed, FIG. 28 is an explanatory side view of the state where the upper guide portion is opened, and FIG. Similarly, FIG. 30 is a detailed side view of the upper guide portion in a closed state, FIG. 31 is a detailed side view of the upper guide portion 74 in an open state, and FIG. FIG. 33 is an upper perspective explanatory view of the state where the upper guide portion is opened, and FIG. 34 is a perspective view of the vicinity of the small guide portion when the upper guide portion is closed as viewed from below. FIG. 35 is an explanatory perspective view of the vicinity of the small guide portion in the state where the upper guide portion is opened, as viewed from below, FIG. 36 is a sectional explanatory view of the vicinity of the small guide portion in the state where the upper guide portion is closed, and FIG. It is sectional explanatory drawing of the small guide part vicinity of the state which the guide part opened.

  First, similarly to the above-described embodiment, the lower guide portion 274 is disposed on the lower side and the upper guide portion 274 is disposed on the upper side across the paper conveyance path 70.

  Similarly to the above-described embodiment, the lower guide portion 273 includes a guide member 370 that guides the lower surface of the sheet to be conveyed, a plurality of rows (here, three rows) in the sheet conveyance direction as shown in FIG. And a plurality of conveying rollers 371 provided in a direction orthogonal to each other. The transport roller 371 is rotationally driven by a drive source (not shown).

  The upper guide portion 274 includes a frame (frame body) 375 that is a holding member, a spur 376, a guide member 377, link portions 381 and 382, and the like. Then, the frame 375 as a holding member is pivotally supported by the support shaft 375a provided on the downstream side in the sheet conveyance direction so as to be rotatable with respect to the apparatus main body side, and the position where the conveyance path 70 is opened (FIGS. 28 and 29). This position is referred to as “open position”), a position for guiding the conveyed paper (a position where the spur 276 can abut on the conveyance roller 271, a position illustrated in FIGS. 26 and 27. It is arranged so that it can be displaced between the position and the position.

  Here, as shown in FIGS. 34 and 36, the spur 376 is rotatably held by a spur support plate 401 on the lower surface side (conveying path 70 side) of the frame (frame body) 275 so that the frame 375 is guided to the guide position. In this state, the sheet abuts against the conveying roller 371 of the lower guide portion 273 and the upper surface of the sheet conveyed through the conveying path 70 is pressed by the conveying roller 371.

  In addition, the guide member 377 guides the sheet conveyed at a position retracted from the spur 376 on both sides of each spur 376. As shown in FIGS. 12 and 14, the guide member 377 includes a small guide portion 402 and a holding frame 403, and the small guide portion (spur guide member) 402 has a groove portion (opening portion) into which the spur 376 can project. ) When the retraction position where the spur 376 protrudes from the groove portion 402a faces the conveyance path 70 in a state of retreating from the spur 376 and the upper guide portion 274 is set to the open position, Then, the spur 376 is rotated in a direction to cover the spur 376 and displaced to a protection position in which the spur 376 is accommodated.

  The guide member 377 is rotatably held on the frame 375 via link members 381 and 382 as shown in FIGS. As a result, the guide member 377 is held so as to be rotatable with respect to the frame 375.

  Here, the link member 381 on the downstream side has an arm 383, and the end of the arm 383 has a shaft portion 383a. The shaft portion 383a is slidably mounted in the elongated hole 379a of the side plate 379, A slider link mechanism is configured.

  Accordingly, when the upper guide portion 374 (frame 375) is opened and closed, the shaft portion 383a at the tip of the arm 283a slides and moves through the long hole 379a, and the guide member 377 is rotated via the links 381 and 382. When the frame 375 is set to the open position, as shown in FIGS. 29, 31, 35, and 37, the guide member 377 rotates in a direction covering the spur 376 with respect to the frame 375, and the spur 376 is provided inside. It is displaced to the protection state in which it is stored.

  When the frame 375 is set to the guide position, the spur 376 protrudes from the groove (opening) 402a of the small guide portion 402 of the guide plate 277 as shown in FIGS. The upper surface of the sheet conveyed through the conveyance path 70 is pressed by the conveyance roller 371 and the guide member 377 is displaced to guide the sheet conveyed through the conveyance path 70. Thus, by having an opening in the guide member and pressing the sheet with a spur protruding from the opening, it is possible to improve the maintainability and ensure the sheet conveyance.

  With this configuration, when a paper jam has occurred in which the image formation has been completed in the conveyance path 70 of the paper discharge conveyance unit 7, the upper guide unit 274 is lifted from the guide position shown in FIG. By setting the opening position, the upper guide portion 274 is separated from the lower guide portion 273 and the conveyance path 70 is opened, so that it is possible to take measures such as removing jammed paper. It is preferable to provide a mechanism for locking the upper guide portion 274 in the release position.

  At this time, the guide member 377 is moved by sliding the shaft portion at the tip of the arm 383a through the long hole 379a, and rotates via the links 381 and 382 to cover the spur 376 with respect to the frame 375. By rotating in the direction and displacing to a protected position in which the spur 376 is accommodated, it is possible to prevent the paper to be removed from the spur 376 from being caught during a jam removal process or the like, and to improve maintainability.

1 is a schematic configuration diagram illustrating an overall configuration of an image forming apparatus according to the present invention. 2 is an explanatory plan view of an image forming unit and a sub-scanning conveyance unit of the apparatus. It is a side explanatory view similarly. It is side surface explanatory drawing of the state which closed the upper guide part. It is a perspective explanatory view of the state where the upper guide part was similarly closed. It is side surface explanatory drawing of the state which open | released the upper guide part. It is a perspective explanatory view of the state where the upper guide part was similarly opened. It is typical side cross-sectional explanatory drawing of the state which closed the upper guide part. It is typical sectional side explanatory drawing of the state which open | released the upper guide part. It is perspective explanatory drawing seen from the upper guide part in the state in a guide position. It is the perspective explanatory view seen from under the same upper guide part. It is perspective explanatory drawing seen from the upper guide part in the state in an open position. It is the perspective explanatory view seen from under the same upper guide part. It is typical sectional drawing explanatory drawing of the state which closed the upper guide part which concerns on 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is typical sectional side explanatory drawing of the state which open | released the upper guide part. It is perspective explanatory drawing seen from the upper guide part in the state in a guide position. It is the perspective explanatory view seen from under the same upper guide part. It is perspective explanatory drawing seen from the upper guide part in the state in an open position. It is the perspective explanatory view seen from under the same upper guide part. It is principal part typical side surface explanatory drawing of the state which closed the upper guide part which concerns on 3rd Embodiment of this invention. It is a principal part schematic side surface explanatory view of the state where the upper guide part was opened. It is perspective explanatory drawing seen from the upper guide part in the state in a guide position. It is perspective explanatory drawing seen from the upper guide part in the state in an open position. It is principal part perspective explanatory drawing seen from the upper guide part of the state in a guide position. It is principal part perspective explanatory drawing seen from the upper guide part in the state in an open position. FIG. 10 is an explanatory side view illustrating a state in which an upper guide portion is closed in an example in which a transport device according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention is applied to a paper discharge transport unit of the image forming apparatus. It is a perspective explanatory view of the state where the upper guide part was similarly closed. These are side explanatory drawings of the state where the upper guide part was opened. It is a perspective explanatory view of the state where the upper guide part was similarly opened. It is a detailed side surface explanatory drawing of the state where the upper guide part closed similarly. It is a detailed side surface explanatory drawing of the state where the upper guide part opened similarly. It is an upper perspective explanatory view of the state where the upper guide part closed similarly. It is an upper perspective explanatory view of the state where the upper guide part opened similarly. It is the perspective explanatory view which looked at the small guide part vicinity of the state which the upper guide part closed similarly from the bottom. It is the perspective explanatory view which looked at the small guide part vicinity of the state where the upper guide part opened similarly from the bottom. It is a section explanatory view near the small guide part of the state where the upper guide part was also closed. It is a section explanatory view near the small guide part of the state where the upper guide part opened similarly.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Apparatus main body 2 ... Image formation part 3 ... Sub-scanning conveyance part 4 ... Paper feed part 5 ... Paper (recording medium)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 7 ... Paper discharge conveyance part 8 ... Paper discharge tray 11 ... Image reading part 23 ... Carriage 24 ... Recording head 31 ... Conveyance belt 32 ... Conveyance roller 34 ... Charging roller 73 ... Lower guide part 74 ... Upper guide part 170 ... Guide member 171 ... Conveying roller 175 ... Frame 176 ... Spur 177 ... Guide member 178 ... Protective member 180 ... Support shaft 181 ... Link member 182 ... Common link member 183 ... Lever 198 ... Protective member 202 ... Protective member

Claims (17)

  In a transport apparatus that transports a recording medium, a guide member having a plurality of spurs that press the recording medium on a transport path is displaced between a position where the transport path is opened and a position where the recording medium is guided. The transport device is characterized in that the guide member is provided with a protective member that is displaceable between a protective position for protecting the spur and a retracted position retracted from the protective position.   The transport apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the protection member is a plate-like member and is positioned on the opposite side through the transport path and the guide member in the retracted position.   The transport apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the protection member has a plate-like portion that covers an outer peripheral surface side of the spur when in the protection position.   The transport apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the protection member has plate-like portions located on both sides of both side surfaces of the spur when in the protected position.   5. The transport apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the protection member rotates and is displaced to the protection position. 6.   The transport apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the protective member of the guide member faces the transport path in a state of being retracted from the spur at the retracted position.   The transport apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the protection member of the guide member moves in a direction away from the guide member or a direction along the guide member and is displaced to the protection position. .   8. The transport device according to claim 1, wherein the protection member of the guide member engages or disengages with its own weight or another member when the guide member is moved from the guide position to the release position. The transfer device is moved to the protection position by the above.   9. The transport apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the protective member is displaced by a manual operation.   In a transport apparatus for transporting a recording medium, a holding member having a plurality of spurs for pressing the recording medium on a transport path is formed by an opening position for opening the transport path and a guide position for the spur to press the recording medium. The guide member is in a state of guiding the recording medium when the guide member is in the guide position and protecting the spur when the guide member is in the open position. A conveying apparatus comprising:   The transport apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the guide member moves in conjunction with an opening operation of the holding member to protect the spur.   The transport apparatus according to claim 10 or 11, wherein the holding member and the guide member are connected by a plurality of arm members.   13. The transport device according to claim 12, wherein one of the arms connected by the plurality of arm members has a slider link mechanism, and the guide rotates as the arm rotates in conjunction with rotation of the holding member. A conveying device characterized in that the member moves to protect the spur.   14. The transport apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the guide member has an opening, and the recording medium is pressed by the spur protruding from the opening.   15. The transport device according to claim 14, wherein the arm is rotated in conjunction with the rotation of the holding member to move the guide member, and the spur is retracted from the opening to be protected. A conveying apparatus characterized by that.   16. An image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording medium, wherein the conveying apparatus conveys the recording medium after image formation by an image forming unit for forming an image on the recording medium is completed. An image forming apparatus characterized by being a transfer device. 17. The image forming apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the image forming unit is a liquid discharge head that discharges droplets of a recording liquid.

Images