JP2007086628A - Image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To avoid a large size of an apparatus by facilitating jam processing. <P>SOLUTION: The image forming apparatus comprises a pair of resist rollers 13A and 13B and a pair of guide parts 97 and 98 in the vicinity of the lower end of an opening part 2A and is provided with a feed part 50 for paper 4 on a conveying belt 18. One resist roller 13A and the cover side guide part 97 are supported by a front cover 3, open a part of the feed part 50 together with the front cover 3 to leave the conveying path of the paper 4 open, and facilitate the jam processing. In addition, since the upper end of the front cover 3 left open is at a lower position than the body side feed part 50 (body side guide part 98), a process part 25 need not be lifted up to a height or higher not interfering with the body side feed part 50 (body side guide part 98), thus the large size of the apparatus can be avoided. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus, and more particularly to a tandem image forming apparatus having a drawer portion.

A tandem color laser printer is known as an electrophotographic image forming apparatus. This type of laser printer generally includes a process unit having a plurality of image forming units each including a photosensitive drum, a developing device, a charger, and the like in a main body casing. Then, for example, by opening the cover provided on the front surface of the main body casing and pulling out the process unit forward from the opening of the main body casing, the components (developing devices and the like) of each image forming unit can be replaced. It is comprised so that it can do (refer patent document 1). Further, in such an image forming apparatus, a transport belt for transporting paper (recording medium) to each image forming unit is provided below the process unit, and further, in front of the transport belt (near the lower end of the opening). Some are provided with a feeding section for feeding paper fed from a paper tray onto a conveyor belt. The feeding unit includes, for example, a pair of guide units having arcuate surfaces facing each other across the sheet feeding path, a pair of conveyance rollers that convey the sheet while nipping the sheet, and the like.
JP 2003-107838 A

  By the way, in the configuration as described above, in order to ensure the workability at the time of jam processing, a part of the feeding unit, for example, one of the pair of opposing guide units or one of the conveying rollers is arranged on the other side. However, it is effective to be configured so that a part of the paper feed path can be temporarily opened. However, depending on the position at which one of the feeding units is moved, it is necessary to allow the process unit to escape so as not to interfere with the feeding unit when the process unit is pulled out. It is necessary to provide the device, which may increase the size of the device.

  The present invention has been completed based on the above-described circumstances, and it is an object of the present invention to facilitate the jam processing and avoid the enlargement of the apparatus.

  As means for achieving the above object, an image forming apparatus according to the invention of claim 1 includes a main body casing having an opening on one side surface, and a plurality of image forming units for forming an image on a recording medium, A process unit provided so as to be able to be pulled out laterally from the opening with respect to the main body casing; a conveyor belt disposed below the process unit and configured to convey a recording medium to the image forming units; A feeding unit that is disposed closer to the opening side with respect to the conveying belt, supplies the recording medium onto the conveying belt, and can be divided into a pair across the conveying path of the recording medium, and opens and closes the opening. The feeding unit is configured so that one of the feeding units is integrally displaceable, and the upper end of the feeding unit is lower than the upper end of the other feeding unit in the open state. Characterized in place with a cover body.

  The invention of claim 2 is characterized in that, in the invention according to claim 1, the feeding section sends out the recording medium so as to abut on the surface of the conveyor belt from obliquely above.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the first or second aspect of the present invention, the feeding unit includes a pair of guide units having arcuate surfaces facing each other across a conveyance path of the recording medium, and the recording medium A pair of transport rollers that sandwich and transport the guide member, and one guide portion and one transport roller of the pair of guide portions and the pair of transport rollers can be integrally displaced with respect to the cover body. It is characterized by being held in

<Invention of Claim 1>
By opening a part of the feeding unit together with the cover body, the conveyance path of the recording medium is opened, so that jam processing can be easily performed. In addition, when the upper end of the cover body in the opened state is at a position higher than the feeding section on the main body side, when the process section is pulled out, the position of the process section is higher than the upper end of the cover body to avoid interference with the cover body. As a result, it is necessary to provide a space in the main body casing for escaping the process part, thereby increasing the size of the apparatus. On the other hand, according to the present configuration, the upper end of the cover body in the opened state is positioned lower than the feeding unit on the main body side, so it is necessary to raise the process unit to a height that does not interfere with the feeding unit on the main body side. Therefore, an increase in the size of the apparatus can be avoided.

<Invention of Claim 2>
The recording medium sent out from the feeding unit comes into contact with the surface of the transport belt from obliquely above. If the recording medium sent out from the feeding unit is configured to abut against the surface of the conveyance belt in parallel, the recording medium may be lifted from the surface of the conveyance belt. On the other hand, according to the present configuration, the recording medium is pressed against the surface of the conveyance belt, so that the recording medium can be reliably adhered to the surface of the conveyance belt.

<Invention of Claim 3>
The feeding unit includes a pair of guide units and a pair of transport rollers, and one of the guide units and one of the transport rollers are integrally held with respect to the cover body. Thereby, when the cover body is opened, one guide portion and one transport roller are displaced together with the cover body, and the transport path of the recording medium is opened, so that the jam processing can be easily performed.

  Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

1. 1 is a side sectional view showing a schematic configuration of a laser printer 1 as an image forming apparatus of the present embodiment, and FIG. 2 is a side sectional view of the laser printer 1 in a state where a front cover 3 is opened. FIG. 3 is a side sectional view of the laser printer 1 in a state where the process unit 25 is being pulled out. In the following description, the right side of each figure is the front.

  The laser printer 1 is a direct transfer tandem type color laser printer, and includes a substantially box-shaped main body casing 2 as shown in FIG. An opening 2A is provided on the front surface (one side surface) of the main body casing 2, and a front cover 3 (corresponding to the “cover body” of the present invention) that covers the opening 2A so as to be opened and closed is attached. . By opening the front cover 3, the process unit 25 and the belt unit 15 in the main body casing 2 can be attached and detached, and the paper 4 jam occurring inside the main body casing 2 can be eliminated (the front cover 3 will be described later). Details.) Further, on the upper surface of the main casing 2, a paper discharge tray 5 on which paper 4 as a recording medium after image formation is stacked is formed.

  A paper feed cassette 7 on which paper 4 for forming an image is loaded is attached to the lower portion of the main casing 2 so as to be drawn forward (inserted / removed). The paper feed cassette 7 has a box shape with the top opened, and a paper pressing portion that can tilt to lift the front end side of the paper 4 by the bias of the spring 8 is applied to the paper storage portion 7B in the paper feed cassette 7. A plate 9 is provided. Further, a pickup roller 10 and a separation pad 11 that presses against the pickup roller 10 by biasing of a spring (not shown) are provided above the front end portion 7C of the sheet storage portion 7B. Further, a pair of paper feed rollers 12 (12A, 12B) is provided obliquely in front of the pickup roller 10.

  Here, the front side paper feed roller 12 </ b> A and the separation pad 11 are integrally provided in the paper feed cassette 7. Therefore, when the paper feed cassette 7 is pulled out, the paper feed roller 12A and the separation pad 11 are pulled out integrally with the paper feed cassette 7. As a result, even when the paper 4 is jammed in the vicinity of the pickup roller 10 or the paper feed rollers 12A and 12B, the paper jam is resolved by taking out the paper 4 after the paper feed cassette 7 is pulled out. Can be easily done.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the uppermost sheet 4 of the sheet feeding cassette 7 is pressed toward the pickup roller 10 by the sheet pressing plate 9, and the pickup roller 10 is rotated between the pickup roller 10 and the separation pad 11 by the rotation of the pickup roller 10. Each sheet is separated when sandwiched between. Then, the paper 4 sent out between the pickup roller 10 and the separation pad 11 is sent by a paper feed roller 12 to a feeding unit 50 provided above the paper.

  The feeding unit 50 includes a pair of registration rollers 13 (13A and 13B) and a pair of guides 97 and 98, as will be described in detail later. The registration roller 13 corrects the skew of the paper 4 sent from the paper feed roller 12 and then sends it to the downstream (rear) side at a predetermined timing. The guide units 97 and 98 convey the paper 4 to the belt unit 15. Guide onto belt 18.

  The belt unit 15 is provided below the process unit 25, and includes a pair of support rollers 16, 17 that are spaced apart from each other in the front-rear direction, and a conveyor belt 18 that is horizontally installed between the support rollers 16, 17. And is detachable from the main casing 2.

  The rear support roller 17 of the pair of support rollers 16 and 17 is a drive roller that is rotationally driven by the power of a motor (not shown), and the front support roller 16 applies tension to the conveyor belt 18 as will be described later. This is a tension roller. The conveying belt 18 is an endless belt made of a resin material such as polycarbonate, and the paper is placed on the upper surface thereof by circulating and moving counterclockwise in FIG. 1 when the supporting roller 17 as a driving roller is driven to rotate. 4 is conveyed backward. Inside the conveying belt 18, four transfer rollers 19 arranged to face the respective photosensitive drums 31 of the process unit 25 are provided at regular intervals in the front-rear direction, and the transfer rollers 19 corresponding to the respective photosensitive drums 31 are provided. The conveyance belt 18 is sandwiched between the two. At the time of transfer, a transfer bias is applied between the transfer roller 19 and the photosensitive drum 31. The support roller 17 is connected to a gear mechanism (not shown) provided in the main casing 2 when the belt unit 15 is mounted on the main casing 2, and is also a motor provided in the main casing 2. It is driven by the power of (not shown).

  A cleaning roller 21 is provided below the belt unit 15 to remove toner, paper dust, and the like attached to the conveyance belt 18. The cleaning roller 21 has a structure in which a foam material made of silicon is provided around a metal shaft member, and is opposed to the metal backup roller 22 provided in the belt unit 15 with the conveyance belt 18 interposed therebetween. Yes. A predetermined bias is applied between the cleaning roller 21 and the backup roller 22, whereby the toner and the like on the conveyor belt 18 are electrically attracted to the cleaning roller 21 side. Further, the cleaning roller 21 is in contact with a metal recovery roller 23 that removes toner or the like adhering to the surface, and the recovery roller 23 is a blade for scraping off the toner or the like adhering to the surface. 24 abuts.

  A scanner unit 27 is provided at an upper portion in the main body casing 2, a process unit 25 is provided on the lower side (the back side of the opening 2 </ b> A), and the belt unit 15 described above is further provided on the lower side of the process unit 25. Has been placed.

  The scanner unit 27 is fixed to the upper part inside the main casing 2 and irradiates the surface of the corresponding photosensitive drum 31 with laser light L for each color based on predetermined image data at high speed scanning.

  The process unit 25 includes four image forming units 26 corresponding to magenta, yellow, cyan, and black, and these image forming units 26 are arranged side by side. Each image forming unit 26 includes a photosensitive drum 31 as an image carrier, a scorotron charger 32, a developing cartridge 34 as a developing device, and the like. Further, the process unit 25 includes a frame-like frame 29 having four cartridge mounting units 30 arranged in the front-rear direction. Each cartridge mounting part 30 is opened up and down, and each developing cartridge 34 can be attached / detached inside thereof. The frame 29 holds the photosensitive drum 31 of each image forming unit 26 at the lower end position of each cartridge mounting portion 30, and further holds the scorotron charger 32 adjacent to the photosensitive drum 31.

  The photosensitive drum 31 includes a grounded metal drum body, and the surface layer is covered with a positively chargeable photosensitive layer made of polycarbonate or the like.

  The scorotron charger 32 is disposed opposite to the photosensitive drum 31 at a predetermined interval so as not to come into contact with the photosensitive drum 31 at an obliquely upper rear side of the photosensitive drum 31. The scorotron charger 32 uniformly charges the surface of the photosensitive drum 31 to positive polarity by generating corona discharge from a charging wire such as tungsten.

  The developing cartridge 34 has a substantially box shape, and a toner storage chamber 38 is provided in an upper portion thereof, and a supply roller 39, a developing roller 40, and a layer thickness regulating blade 41 are provided below the developing cartridge 34. Each toner storage chamber 38 stores positively chargeable nonmagnetic one-component toner of each color of yellow, magenta, cyan, and black as a developer. Each toner storage chamber 38 is provided with an agitator 42 for stirring the toner.

  The supply roller 39 is configured by coating a metal roller shaft with a conductive foam material, and the developing roller 40 is configured by coating the metal roller shaft with a conductive rubber material. Yes. The toner discharged from the toner storage chamber 38 is supplied to the developing roller 40 by the rotation of the supply roller 39 and is positively frictionally charged between the supply roller 39 and the developing roller 40. Further, the toner supplied onto the developing roller 40 enters between the layer thickness regulating blade 41 and the developing roller 40 with the rotation of the developing roller 40, where it is further sufficiently frictionally charged to have a constant thickness. It is carried on the developing roller 40 as a thin layer.

  The surface of the photosensitive drum 31 is uniformly positively charged by the scorotron charger 32 when rotating. Thereafter, exposure is performed by high-speed scanning of laser light from the scanner unit 27, and an electrostatic latent image corresponding to an image to be formed on the paper 4 is formed.

  Next, the electrostatic latent toner formed on the surface of the photosensitive drum 31 when the positively charged toner carried on the developing roller 40 comes into contact with the photosensitive drum 31 by rotation of the developing roller 40. Supplied to the image. As a result, the electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive drum 31 is visualized, and the surface of the photosensitive drum 31 carries a toner image with toner attached only to the exposed portion.

  Thereafter, the toner image carried on the surface of each photosensitive drum 31 is transferred to the transfer roller 19 while the paper 4 conveyed by the conveyance belt 18 passes through each transfer position between the photosensitive drum 31 and the transfer roller 19. Are sequentially transferred onto the paper 4 by a negative transfer bias applied to the sheet 4. The sheet 4 having the toner image transferred thereon is then conveyed to the fixing device 43.

  The fixing device 43 is disposed behind the conveyance belt 18 in the main body casing 2. The fixing device 43 includes a heating roller 44 that is rotationally driven with a heat source such as a halogen lamp, and a pressure roller 45 that is disposed below the heating roller 44 so as to face the heating roller 44 and is driven to rotate. It has. The fixing device 43 fixes the toner image on the paper 4 by heating the paper 4 carrying the four color toner images while being nipped and conveyed by the heating roller 44 and the pressure roller 45. The heat-fixed paper 4 is transported to a paper discharge roller 47 provided on the upper portion of the main body casing 2 by a transport roller 46 disposed obliquely above and rearward of the fixing device 43, and the paper discharge roller 47 performs the above-described operation. The paper is discharged onto the paper discharge tray 5.

2. As described above, the feeding unit 50 is composed of a pair of registration rollers 13 (13A, 13B) serving as conveyance rollers and a pair of guides 97, 98. The pair of guide parts 97 and 98 includes a cover side guide part 97 provided integrally with the front cover 3 and a main body side guide part 98 provided on the main body casing 2 side. The main body side guide part 98 has a convex arcuate surface, and the cover side guide part 97 is opposed to the convex arcuate surface of the main body side guide part 98 across the conveyance path of the paper 4. It has a concave arcuate surface. Further, the main body side guide portion 98 is disposed in the vicinity of the lower end of the opening 2 </ b> A and protrudes upward from the height A <b> 1 of the upper surface of the transport belt 18. The sheet 4 sent out from the registration roller 13 is guided by both guide portions 97 and 98 and abuts obliquely near the front end on the upper surface of the conveyor belt 18.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the front cover 3 includes a cover main body 95 that closes the opening 2 </ b> A of the main body casing 2, a pair of left and right connecting portions 96 that extend from lower ends of both side portions of the cover main body 95, and a connecting portion. 96 and a mounting shaft 3A provided at the lower end of 96. The attachment shaft 3A is attached to the lower end position on the front surface of the main body casing 2, and the front cover 3 is rotatable about the attachment shaft 3A. The front cover 3 has a closed position for closing the opening 2A as shown in FIG. 1 and 90 degrees from the closed position to the front side as shown in FIG. 2 (to the position where the front surface of the cover body 95 is horizontal). ) It can be rotated to an open position where the opening 2A is opened by being laid down.

  The cover body 95 has a triangular cross section whose thickness increases toward the lower side in FIG. 1. The registration roller 13A is attached to the lower part of the cover main body 95, and the cover side guide part 97 is integrated with the bottom surface on the downstream side (rear side). Is formed. As a result, when the front cover 3 is rotated from the closed position to the open position, the registration roller 13A and the cover-side guide portion 97 are separated (divided) from the counterpart registration roller 13B and the main-body-side guide portion 98, respectively. ), The conveyance path of the paper 4 is opened. As shown in FIG. 2, the height C of the upper end of the front cover 3 (downstream end of the cover side guide portion 97) when the front cover 3 is in the open position is the upper end of the main body side guide portion 98. The position is lower by B than the height B1.

  In addition, a storage chamber 68 is provided in the lower part of the cover body 95, and a paper dust removing unit 70 that removes paper dust attached to the paper 4 and a paper dust removing unit 70 remove the paper dust attached to the paper 4. An auger member 80 that conveys the paper dust to a paper dust storage container 90 disposed inside the main casing 2 is accommodated.

  The paper dust removing unit 70 was scraped by the registration roller 13A that attracts the paper dust attached to the conveyed paper 4 to the surface, the sponge member 72 that scrapes the paper dust on the surface of the registration roller 13A, and the sponge member 72. A paper dust receiving portion 73 that receives the paper dust.

  The registration roller 13 </ b> A has a metal roller shaft parallel to the mounting shaft 3 </ b> A of the front cover 3, and the peripheral surface of the portion facing the facing roller 13 </ b> B inside the main body casing 2 is exposed from the storage chamber 68. The surface of the registration roller 13A is made of an easily charged fluororesin, and static electricity is generated on the surface of the registration roller 13A due to contact (friction) with the sponge member 72 when the registration roller 13A rotates. . And the paper dust of the paper 4 is drawn near by this static electricity.

  The roller shaft of the registration roller 13A is supported by a support member (not shown) of the cover main body 95, and is performed at a predetermined timing via a gear mechanism that is driven and connected in a state where the front cover 3 is closed. The sheet 4 rotates between the registration roller 13B and the registration roller 13A on the main body casing 2 side, which rotates in the same direction (clockwise) as the conveyance direction by driving a motor (not shown) and is also rotated counterclockwise by the motor. It is designed to be transported at a predetermined timing with a gap in between.

  The sponge member 72 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape, and is made of, for example, urethane foam. One surface of the sponge member 72 is connected to the upper wall of the accommodation chamber 68 via an elastic body 69 such as a spring, and the sponge member 72 is applied to the surface of the registration roller 13A while being urged by the elastic force of the elastic body 69. It comes to contact.

  As a result, when the registration roller 13A rotates clockwise, the paper powder on the surface of the registration roller 13A accumulates while being scraped off from the surface of the registration roller 13A by the sponge member 72 and falls to the paper powder receiving portion 73. It is like that.

  The paper dust receiving portion 73 is recessed in an arc shape over the entire width of the transport path of the paper 4, and the lump of paper dust scraped off by the sponge member 72 is dropped on the paper powder receiving portion 73. It is like that.

  The auger member 80 is disposed along the paper dust receiving portion 73 and is rotationally driven by the input of power from a motor (not shown), and the paper dust on the paper dust receiving portion 73 is transferred to the paper dust storing port 90A. It conveys to the both-sides end side inside the main body casing 2 arranged.

  Further, in the front cover 3, a tubular paper dust passage portion 81 through which the conveyed paper dust passes (falls) is disposed in the paper dust receiving portion 73 located at the end of the conveyance path by the auger member 80 in the lower part in FIG. 1. Are provided in a protruding form. When the front cover 3 is in the closed position, the paper dust passage portion 81 communicates with the paper dust storage container 90 (paper dust storage port 90A) inside the main body casing 2 and passes (falls) through the paper dust passage portion 81. The paper dust thus stored is stored in a paper powder storage container 90 provided inside the main casing 2.

3. Operation of the present embodiment When a jam occurs during use of the laser printer 1, the front cover 3 in the closed position is pulled out to the front side and is rotated to the open position as shown in FIG. As a result, the registration roller 13A and the cover side guide 97 of the feeding unit 50 rotate together with the front cover 3, and the conveyance path of the paper 4 is opened. Therefore, the work for eliminating the jam can be easily performed. Can do.

  When the developing cartridge 34 or the belt unit 15 is attached or detached, the process unit 25 is pulled out from the state in which the front cover 3 is opened. The process unit 25 moves obliquely upward by guide means (not shown) provided in the main body casing 2 in accordance with the pulling operation. As a result, each photosensitive drum 31 of the process unit 25 is separated from the conveyance belt 18, so that the photosensitive drum 31 is not in sliding contact with the conveyance belt 18, and the drawing operation of the process unit 25 can be performed smoothly. At this time, the process unit 25 is lifted to a position where the lower end thereof (that is, the lower end of the photosensitive drum 31) is slightly higher than the height B1 of the upper end of the main body side guide unit 98. Then, the process unit 25 is pulled out horizontally while keeping its height position (see FIG. 3). At this time, the front cover 3 is in an open position where the height C of the upper end of the front cover 3 is lower than the height B1 of the upper end of the main body side guide portion 98, so that the drawn process unit 25 does not interfere with the front cover 3. Absent.

  When the main body side feeding unit 50 (main body side guiding unit 98) does not protrude upward as in the present embodiment, the height C of the upper end when the front cover 3 is in the open position is It suffices that the height is at least lower than the height position of the main body side feeding section 50 (main body side guiding section 98). For example, when the height of the main body side guide portion 98 is A1 which is the same as the height of the upper surface of the transport belt 18, the height C of the upper end when the front cover 3 is in the open position is the upper surface of the transport belt 18. It is only necessary to be lower than the height A1 (in FIG. 2, only A is lower).

  In this manner, each developing cartridge 34 can be attached and detached by pulling out the process section 25 and exposing each developing cartridge 34 to the outside of the main casing 2. When replacing the belt unit 15, the belt unit 15 is removed from the main casing 2 through the opening 2 </ b> A after the process unit 25 is extracted from the main casing 2.

4). Effects of the Present Embodiment As described above, according to the present embodiment, a part of the feeding unit 50 is opened together with the front cover 3 so that the conveyance path of the paper 4 is opened, so that jam processing is easily performed. be able to. Further, if the upper end of the opened front cover 3 is at a position higher than the main body side feeding unit 50 (that is, the main body side guide unit 98), for example, as shown by a two-dot chain line in FIG. When the 25 is pulled out, the process unit 25 is lifted to a position higher than the upper end of the front cover 3 in order to avoid interference with the front cover 3, and accordingly, a space for allowing the process unit 25 to escape is provided in the main body casing 2. Is required, which increases the size of the apparatus. On the other hand, according to the present embodiment, the upper end of the front cover 3 in the open state is positioned lower than the main body side feeding unit 50 (main body side guiding unit 98), and therefore the process unit 25 is supplied to the main unit side. There is no need to lift the feeder 50 (main body side guide portion 98) to a height that does not interfere with the feeding portion 50 (main body side guide portion 98).

  Further, the sheet 4 sent out from the feeding unit 50 comes into contact with the surface of the conveyor belt 18 from obliquely above. If the paper 4 sent out from the feeding unit 50 is configured to abut against the surface of the conveyor belt 18 in parallel, the paper 4 may be lifted from the surface of the conveyor belt 18. On the other hand, according to this configuration, since the paper 4 is pressed against the surface of the transport belt 18, the paper 4 can be securely adhered to the surface of the transport belt 18.

  Further, the feeding unit 50 includes a pair of guide portions 97 and 98 and a pair of registration rollers 13 (13A and 13B), of which one guide portion 97 and one registration roller 13A are integrated with the front cover 3. Is held in. As a result, when the front cover 3 is opened, the one guide portion 97 and the one registration roller 13A are displaced together with the front cover 3, and the conveyance path of the paper 4 is opened, so that the jam processing can be easily performed. .

<Other embodiments>
The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described with reference to the above description and drawings. For example, the following embodiments are also included in the technical scope of the present invention, and further, within the scope not departing from the gist of the invention other than the following. Various modifications can be made.
(1) In the above embodiment, a printer using four color toners of yellow, magenta, cyan, and black is exemplified. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a printer that uses two color toners of red and black, or a printer that uses six colors. The present invention can also be applied to those using toner.
(2) In the above-described embodiment, the feeding unit is composed of a pair of registration rollers and a pair of guide units. You may comprise including the sensor for detecting this, the rib for guiding paper, etc.

1 is a side sectional view showing a schematic configuration of a laser printer according to an embodiment of the present invention. Cross-sectional side view of the laser printer showing the front cover open Cross-sectional side view of the laser printer showing the state where the process part is being pulled out

Explanation of symbols

1. Laser printer (image forming device)
2 ... Body casing 2A ... Opening 3 ... Front cover (cover body)
4. Paper (recording medium)
13 (13A, 13B): Registration roller (conveyance roller)
18 ... Conveying belt 25 ... Process part 26 ... Image forming unit 50 ... Feeding part 97 ... Cover side guide part (guide part)
98 ... Main body side guide section (guide section)

Claims (3)

A body casing having an opening on one side;
A plurality of image forming units for forming an image on a recording medium, and a process unit provided so as to be capable of being pulled out from the opening in a lateral direction with respect to the main body casing;
A conveyor belt disposed below the process unit and configured to convey a recording medium to the image forming units;
A feeding unit that is arranged closer to the opening with respect to the conveying belt, supplies the recording medium onto the conveying belt, and can be divided into a pair across the conveying path of the recording medium;
The opening is covered so that it can be opened and closed, and one of the feeding parts is provided so as to be integrally displaceable, and the upper end of the feeding part is lower than the upper end of the other feeding part in the open state. Covered cover body,
An image forming apparatus comprising: The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the feeding unit feeds the recording medium so as to abut on the surface of the conveying belt obliquely from above. The feeding unit includes a pair of guide portions having arcuate surfaces opposed to each other with a conveyance path for the recording medium interposed therebetween, and a pair of conveyance rollers for nipping and conveying the recording medium. The guide part and one conveyance roller of a part and a pair of said conveyance roller are hold | maintained so that a displacement is integrally possible with respect to the said cover body, The Claim 1 or Claim 2 characterized by the above-mentioned. Image forming apparatus.

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