JP5724019B2 - Image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, a printer, or a facsimile machine.

  In a full-color image forming apparatus, a laser scanning unit is used on the peripheral surfaces of a plurality of photosensitive drums corresponding to yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C), and black (BK), respectively. An electric latent image is formed, and each color toner image is generated by each color toner.

  The toner images of the respective colors generated on the peripheral surfaces of the respective photoconductive drums are sequentially superimposed and transferred onto an endless running intermediate transfer belt, whereby a color image is synthesized on the intermediate transfer belt. Next, the color image synthesized on the intermediate transfer belt is transferred to a sheet material made of paper or the like using a transfer roller, and then pressed and heated by a fixing device to form a color image. Has been.

  The intermediate transfer belt is detachably unitized with respect to the apparatus main body, and is configured to be removable from the apparatus main body during maintenance or the like (for example, see Patent Document 1 below). When taking out this intermediate transfer belt unit from the main body of the apparatus, pull it out of the machine along the main body rail provided inside the apparatus, and then touch the transfer roller or the transport path located below it. Needs to be lifted and removed.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2005-70218

However, if the intermediate transfer belt unit falls on the transfer roller or transport path due to human factors such as operational mistakes, the transfer roller or transport path, or the intermediate transfer belt of the unit may be damaged, It may be damaged.
In particular, in the tandem type in which the plurality of photosensitive drums are arranged side by side, the length of the intermediate transfer belt unit itself is inevitably long and difficult to handle, so that the human error is likely to be induced. is there.

  SUMMARY An advantage of some aspects of the invention is that it provides an image forming apparatus that can prevent the intermediate transfer belt unit from dropping and smoothly perform the unit attaching / detaching operation.

  In order to solve the above-described problems, the present invention provides an intermediate transfer belt unit having an endless belt and side frames disposed on both sides in the width direction of the endless belt via an inlet portion provided at a predetermined height. An apparatus main body guided along and accommodated therein, a handle portion provided on an upper surface portion of the intermediate transfer belt unit, and disposed between both ends in a longitudinal direction which is a direction along the main body rail, A first opening / closing portion rotatable with respect to the apparatus main body between a closing position for closing the inlet portion and an opening position for opening the inlet portion, and disposed outside the first opening / closing portion; A second opening / closing portion rotatable with respect to the apparatus main body between a closing position for closing the inlet portion and an opening position for opening the inlet portion; and the first opening / closing portion, When 1 opening / closing part is located in the open position The first support part capable of supporting the side frame at a height corresponding to the inlet part, and the second opening / closing part, and when the second opening / closing part is located in the open position, And a second support portion that is disposed farther from the inlet portion than the first support portion and can support the side frame at a height corresponding to the inlet portion. The opening / closing portion and the second opening / closing portion have a rotating shaft extending in the horizontal direction below the inlet portion, and the first support portion and the second support portion are the intermediate transfer belt. A configuration is adopted in which the unit is provided so as to be supported outside the apparatus main body in a state where the handle portion can be gripped.

  Further, the present invention employs a configuration in which the first opening / closing portion and the second opening / closing portion have a suspension member that restricts the opening / closing portion from being opened larger than the open position.

  Moreover, in this invention, the structure that the said handle part is provided so that standing / falling down along the said longitudinal direction is employ | adopted.

  Further, in the present invention, a configuration is adopted in which the second support part is provided at the tip of the second opening / closing part.

  In the present invention, a configuration is adopted in which a restriction portion is provided for restricting the position of the intermediate transfer belt unit in the width direction when the side frame is supported by the support portion.

  Moreover, in this invention, the structure that the said support part and the said control part are integrally formed is employ | adopted.

  In the present invention, the opening / closing portion includes a transfer roller disposed to face the endless belt when positioned at the closed position, and a conveyance path for conveying a sheet material between the endless belt and the transfer roller. A configuration in which at least one of them is provided is adopted.

  According to the present invention, the intermediate transfer belt unit can be prevented from dropping and the unit can be attached and detached smoothly.

1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a copying machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating an appearance of a bottom surface side of an intermediate transfer belt unit according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating a planar-side appearance of an intermediate transfer belt unit supported by a main body rail in the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating a planar-side appearance of an intermediate transfer belt unit pulled out along a main body rail in the embodiment of the present invention. It is a perspective view which shows the external appearance of the apparatus main body in embodiment of this invention. It is a perspective view when the opening-and-closing part in the embodiment of the present invention is located in the open position. It is the schematic which shows arrangement | positioning when the opening-and-closing part in embodiment of this invention is located in an open position. FIG. 5 is a perspective view for explaining unit attaching / detaching work of the intermediate transfer belt unit in the embodiment of the present invention.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of an image forming apparatus according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following drawings, the scale of each member is appropriately changed in order to make each member a recognizable size. In the following description, an XYZ orthogonal coordinate system may be set, and the positional relationship of each member may be described with reference to this XYZ orthogonal coordinate system.

(Schematic configuration of image forming apparatus)
FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a copying machine P according to an embodiment of the present invention.
The copying machine (image forming apparatus) P includes a discharge part a, a toner cartridge storage part b, an image forming part c, and a paper part d. Further, the copying machine P is provided with a transport section e from a sheet section d positioned at the lower part to a discharge section a positioned at the upper section. In addition, the copying machine P is provided with a scanner unit f for reading a document on the upper portion of the discharge unit a.

  The discharge unit a is configured such that a sheet (sheet material) on which a predetermined image is formed is discharged through the transport unit e. The bottom surface of the discharge part a is inclined so that when a plurality of sheets are discharged, one end side is aligned and stacked.

  The toner cartridge storage section b can store a black toner (BK) toner cartridge b1, a yellow toner (Y) toner cartridge b2, a cyan toner (C) toner cartridge b3, and a magenta toner (M) toner cartridge b4. It is configured. The cartridges b1 to b4 are configured to be able to supply toner to the developing unit c2 of the image forming unit c.

  The image forming unit c includes a laser scanning unit c1, a developing unit c2, an intermediate transfer belt unit c3, a cleaning unit c4, a secondary transfer unit c5, and a fixing unit c6.

  Similarly to the known laser scanning unit, the laser scanning unit c1 includes a light beam generator that generates laser light, a polygon mirror that scans a light beam emitted from the light beam generator, and the polygon mirror. And an fθ lens that forms an image on the photosensitive drums 1a to 1d described later.

  The developing unit c2 develops the electrostatic latent images formed on the peripheral surfaces of the photosensitive drums 1a to 1d by supplying toner to the photosensitive drums 1a to 1d, and each color (BK, Y, Four developing units c21 corresponding to C, M) are provided.

  The photosensitive drums 1a to 1d are provided at predetermined intervals along the conveyance direction of the intermediate transfer belt unit c3. These photosensitive drums 1a to 1d are provided corresponding to the respective colors (BK, Y, C, M). Each of the photoconductive drums 1a to 1d is provided with a charger, a static eliminator, a cleaner, and the like, and an electrostatic latent image is generated on the charged drum peripheral surface using the laser scanning unit c1. A toner image is formed by the toner supplied from the toner cartridge housing portion b to the developing unit c2.

  The intermediate transfer belt unit c3 has an endless intermediate transfer belt (endless belt) 2 composed of a laminated belt formed by laminating an elastic layer on a synthetic resin belt base. One end side (+ X side) of the intermediate transfer belt 2 is opposed to a part of the conveyance unit e provided along the vertical direction (Z direction) on one end side of the main body of the copying machine P, and the other end. The side (−X side) is located on the other end side of the main body of the copying machine P, and is provided substantially horizontally. The intermediate transfer belt 2 is configured such that one end side is stretched around a drive roller 3 connected to a drive source (not shown) and the other end side is stretched around a tension roller 4.

  Primary transfer rollers 5 a to 5 d are provided at positions facing the photosensitive drums 1 a to 1 d of the intermediate transfer belt 2 with the intermediate transfer belt 2 interposed therebetween. The primary transfer rollers 5 a to 5 d are configured to be able to rotate as the intermediate transfer belt 2 moves. In addition to the driving roller 3 and the tension roller 4, the intermediate transfer belt 2 is supported by a conversion roller or an idling roller that changes the moving direction of the belt.

The cleaning unit c4 is provided on the tension roller 4 side, and is configured to remove the toner remaining on the intermediate transfer belt 2 using a blade or the like, and to discharge the removed toner to a waste toner bottle (not shown). ing.
The secondary transfer unit c5 includes a drive roller 3 described above and a secondary transfer roller (transfer roller) 6 that faces the drive roller 3 and is disposed with the intermediate transfer belt 2 interposed therebetween.

  As described above, the secondary transfer roller 6 faces the drive roller 3 and is disposed with the intermediate transfer belt 2 interposed therebetween. The secondary transfer roller 6 is always provided to press the drive roller 3. Therefore, when the intermediate transfer belt 2 is moved (rotated) by the driving roller 3, the secondary transfer roller 6 can rotate along with the movement. When the sheet is conveyed via the conveying unit e, the secondary transfer roller 6 can be rotated while the sheet is interposed between the intermediate transfer belt 2 and the sheet is fixed to the fixing unit. It can be transported to the c6 side.

  The fixing unit c6 is provided in a part of the transport unit e on the downstream side of the secondary transfer unit c5, and a pair of sheets arranged so as to sandwich the paper transported through the transport unit e. Consists of rollers. The fixing unit c6 is configured so that the toner image on the sheet transferred by the secondary transfer unit c5 by being pressed and heated by the pair of rollers can be fixed on the sheet.

  The paper portion d includes a paper feed tray d1 provided so as to be openable and closable with respect to the apparatus main body 10 and a paper feed cassette (cassette) d2 provided so as to be drawable with respect to the apparatus main body 10. The sheet feeding tray d1 or the sheet feeding cassette d2 is configured to be able to supply sheets one by one to the transport unit e.

  The conveyance part e is provided from the paper part d located in the lower part to the discharge part a located in the upper part, and includes a plurality of conveyance rollers and a guide plate. The transport unit e is configured to transport the paper supplied from the paper unit d one by one toward the discharge unit a, and a transport path toward the discharge unit a on the downstream side of the fixing unit c6. And a reverse C-shaped conveyance path (reversal path) e2 so as to branch to the opposite side, to move downward and to merge again on the upstream side of the secondary transfer unit c5.

  In the copying machine P configured as described above, when the driving roller 3 starts to be driven and the intermediate transfer belt 2 starts to rotate, in the case of color printing, each of the photosensitive drums 1a to 1d from the laser scanning unit c1. A laser beam corresponding to the image data is irradiated to form an electrostatic latent image, and a toner image of each color is formed by the supplied toner. The toner images of the respective colors are sequentially superimposed and transferred onto the intermediate transfer belt 2 to synthesize a color image. Next, the color image synthesized on the intermediate transfer belt 2 is transferred to a sheet by a secondary transfer unit c5, and then subjected to a fixing process by being pressurized and heated by a fixing unit c6. Finally, the paper on which the color image is printed is discharged to the discharge unit a. When images are formed on both sides of a sheet, the leading end side of the sheet is discharged to the discharge unit a and temporarily stopped in a state where the trailing end is in the apparatus main body 10. Transport to e2. The sheet is conveyed again through the conveyance path e2 to the conveyance path e1, and the back surface side is conveyed opposite to the secondary transfer unit c5 in the conveyance path e1, and image formation is performed on the back surface.

(Configuration of intermediate transfer belt unit and apparatus main body)
FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a bottom side appearance of the intermediate transfer belt unit c3 in the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a planar-side appearance of the intermediate transfer belt unit c3 supported by the main body rail 11 in the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing an external appearance of the intermediate transfer belt unit c3 drawn out along the main body rail 11 in the embodiment of the present invention.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the intermediate transfer belt unit c <b> 3 has side frames 20 disposed on both sides in the width direction (Y-axis direction) of the intermediate transfer belt 2. The side frames 20 extend in the length direction (X-axis direction) along the revolving path of the intermediate transfer belt 2 and are provided in pairs. The side frame 20 supports the intermediate transfer belt 2, the driving roller 3, the tension roller 4, the primary transfer rollers 5a to 5d, and the like.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the intermediate transfer belt unit c <b> 3 is supported by a main body rail 11 provided in the apparatus main body 10 when attached to the apparatus main body 10. The main body rail 11 is configured to slidably support the side frame 20 of the intermediate transfer belt unit c3 and guide it in the horizontal direction (X-axis direction) (see FIG. 4).

  On the upper surface of the intermediate transfer belt unit c3, there is provided a handle portion 21 that can stand up and down. The handle part 21 is arranged at intervals in the length direction. The operator can support the intermediate transfer belt unit c3 by holding the handle portion 21 raised as shown in FIG. Further, as shown in FIG. 3, by tilting the handle portion 21, the intermediate transfer belt unit c <b> 3 can be slid along the main body rail 11 without interfering with or colliding with components in the apparatus main body 10.

  FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing an appearance of the apparatus main body 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a perspective view when the opening / closing part 30 in the embodiment of the present invention is positioned in the open position. FIG. 7 is a schematic view showing an arrangement when the opening / closing part 30 is positioned in the open position in the embodiment of the present invention.

  As shown in FIG. 5, a handle portion 30 a of the opening / closing portion 30 is provided on the right side (+ X side) side surface of the apparatus main body 10. The handle portion 30a is provided above the paper feed tray d1. When attaching / detaching the intermediate transfer belt unit c3, the operator holds the handle portion 30a and opens the opening / closing portion 30 constituting a part of the right side surface of the apparatus main body 10 as shown in FIGS. Thus, the intermediate transfer belt unit c3 accommodated in the apparatus main body 10 can be exposed to the outside.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the intermediate transfer belt unit c <b> 3 is configured to be accommodated inside the apparatus main body 10 through an inlet portion 12 provided at a predetermined height in the apparatus main body 10. Specifically, the + X side end portion of the main body rail 11 described above extends to the inlet portion 12, and the intermediate transfer belt unit c <b> 3 is guided by the main body rail 11 and accommodated inside the apparatus main body 10. It has a configuration. The opening / closing part 30 is configured to be rotatable with respect to the apparatus main body 10 between an open position for opening the inlet part 12 and a closed position for closing the inlet part 12.

The opening / closing part 30 of this embodiment includes a first opening / closing part 31 and a second opening / closing part 32.
As shown in FIG. 7, the first opening / closing portion 31 is configured to be rotatable with respect to the apparatus main body 10 with a rotation shaft (not shown) disposed below the inlet portion 12 as a fulcrum. When the first opening / closing part 31 is located at the closed position, as shown by a dotted line in FIG. 7, the first opening / closing part 31 is located on an extension line extending in the horizontal direction from the inlet part 12 to close the inlet part 12. .

  On the other hand, when the first opening / closing part 31 is located at the open position, as shown by a solid line in FIG. 7, the first opening / closing part 31 is located at a position retracted from the extended line extending in the horizontal direction from the inlet part 12 and opens the inlet part 12. It has a configuration. In addition, the 1st opening-and-closing part 31 located in an open position is hung with the wire etc. which are not illustrated, and is controlled so that it may not open larger than the said position.

  On the inner surface side of the first opening / closing part 31, a secondary transfer roller 6 of the secondary transfer unit c5 and a part of the transport path e1 constituting the transport part e are provided. A part of the transport path e <b> 2 is formed on the outer surface side of the first opening / closing part 31. The secondary transfer roller 6 of the secondary transfer unit c5 is disposed to face the intermediate transfer belt 2 when the first opening / closing portion 31 is located at the closed position, and the first opening / closing portion 31 is located at the opened position. Sometimes, it is configured to be separated from the intermediate transfer belt 2.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the second opening / closing portion 32 is configured to be rotatable with respect to the apparatus main body 10 with a rotation shaft (not shown) disposed below the inlet portion 12 as a fulcrum. The rotation axis of the second opening / closing part 32 may be the same as or different from the rotation axis of the first opening / closing part 31. In addition, the second opening / closing part 32 is disposed outside the first opening / closing part 31. For this reason, when opening the 1st opening-and-closing part 31, the 2nd opening-and-closing part 32 will be opened first.

  When the second opening / closing part 32 is located at the closed position, as shown by a dotted line in FIG. 7, the second opening / closing part 32 is located on an extended line extending in the horizontal direction from the inlet part 12 to close the inlet part 12. . On the other hand, when the second opening / closing part 32 is located at the open position, as shown by a solid line in FIG. 7, the second opening / closing part 32 is located at a position retracted from an extended line extending in the horizontal direction from the inlet part 12 and opens the inlet part 12. It has a configuration. Similarly, when the second opening / closing part 32 is located at the open position, the second opening / closing part 32 is suspended by a wire (not shown) or the like so as not to be opened larger than the position.

  The second opening / closing section 32 is provided with a transport path (reversing path) e2 that constitutes the transport section e. The length from the rotation axis of the second opening / closing part 32 to the tip part 36 is larger than the length from the rotation axis of the first opening / closing part 31 to the tip part 35. Thereby, when located in the open position, the distal end portion 36 of the second opening / closing portion 32 is configured to open outward from the distal end portion 35 of the first opening / closing portion 31.

6 and 7, the opening / closing portion 30 having the above-described configuration supports the side frame 20 of the intermediate transfer belt unit c3 at a height corresponding to the inlet portion 12 when the opening / closing portion 30 is positioned at the opening / closing position. A possible support 40 is provided.
The support part 40 includes a first support part 41 provided in the first opening / closing part 31 and a second support part 42 provided in the second opening / closing part 32.

  The first support portion 41 is provided in the vicinity of the distal end portion 35 of the first opening / closing portion 31. The first support portions 41 are provided in pairs in the Y-axis direction at intervals that can support the side frames 20 of the intermediate transfer belt unit c3. When the first opening / closing part 31 is located at the open position, the first support part 41 is configured to transport the secondary transfer roller 6 of the secondary transfer unit c5 provided in the first opening / closing part 31 and the transport path of the transport part e. It is configured to be located above e1 and at the same height as the main body rail 11. Therefore, the first support portion 41 can function as a rail that assists and extends the function of the main body rail 11 outside the machine.

  On the other hand, the second support portion 42 is provided at the distal end portion 36 of the second opening / closing portion 32 that opens outward from the distal end portion 35 of the first opening / closing portion 31. Therefore, when the second opening / closing part 32 is located at the open position, the second support part 42 is arranged to be separated from the inlet part 12 rather than the first support part 41.

  The second support portions 42 are also provided in pairs in the Y axis direction at intervals that can support the side frames 20 of the intermediate transfer belt unit c3, and when the second opening / closing portion 32 is located at the open position, It is configured to be located above the transport path e2 of the transport unit e provided in the second support unit 42 and at the same height as the main body rail 11. Therefore, the second support portion 42 can also function as a rail that assists and extends the function of the main body rail 11 outside the machine.

  A regulating portion 50 is provided next to the support portion 40 configured as described above. The restricting portion 50 is configured to restrict the position in the width direction (Y-axis direction) of the intermediate transfer belt unit c3 when the side frame 20 of the intermediate transfer belt unit c3 is supported by the support portion 40. The restricting portions 50 are provided in pairs in the Y-axis direction at intervals corresponding to the width of the inlet portion 12 (main body rail 11).

  The support part 40 and the regulation part 50 are integrally formed. The restricting portion 50 has a substantially plate shape having a plane that can face both side surfaces in the width direction of the intermediate transfer belt unit c3. Moreover, the support part 40 has a substantially rib shape protruding perpendicularly from the planar shape (see FIG. 6). According to this configuration, the support portion 40 and the restriction portion 50 are integrally formed, the number of parts can be reduced, the manufacturing cost can be suppressed, and the support portion 40 functions as a reinforcing rib, improving the overall strength. Can be made.

Next, with reference to FIG. 8 additionally, a unit attaching / detaching operation of the intermediate transfer belt unit c3 in the copying machine P having the above configuration will be described.
FIG. 8 is a perspective view for explaining the unit attaching / detaching operation of the intermediate transfer belt unit c3 in the embodiment of the present invention.

  When the intermediate transfer belt unit c3 is taken out from the apparatus main body 10, first, the operator grasps the handle 30a shown in FIG. 5 and opens the opening / closing part 30 to open the intermediate transfer belt accommodated in the apparatus main body 10. Unit c3 is exposed to the outside. More specifically, the operator first turns the second opening / closing part 32 to the open position, and then turns the first opening / closing part 31 to the open position, thereby Is retracted from the extended line of the inlet portion 12 to expose the inlet portion 12 (see FIG. 7).

  When the opening / closing part 30 is located at the open position, the support part 40 provided on the opening / closing part 30 is located at a height corresponding to the exposed inlet part 12. In this state, as shown in FIG. 8, when the intermediate transfer belt unit c <b> 3 is pulled out from the entrance portion 12, the intermediate portion of the intermediate transfer belt unit c <b> 3 is raised by the support portion 40 at a height corresponding to the entrance portion 12. The side frames 20 on both sides can be supported without touching the transfer belt 2. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the unit from dropping when the unit is attached or detached without damaging the intermediate transfer belt 2 of the intermediate transfer belt unit c3.

  The intermediate transfer belt unit c <b> 3 is provided as a pair with the first support part 41 provided as a pair with the first opening / closing part 31 and the second opening / closing part 32. Are supported at a total of four locations by the second support portion 42 spaced from the inlet portion 12 of the apparatus main body 10 and are stably supported. As a result, the operator can erect the handle 21 on the top surface of the intermediate transfer belt unit c3 (see FIG. 4), hold the handle 21 and lift the intermediate transfer belt unit c3 calmly. The unit can be easily removed without dropping onto the secondary transfer roller 6 of the secondary transfer unit c5 or the transport paths e1 and e2 of the transport unit e.

On the other hand, when the intermediate transfer belt unit c3 is attached to the apparatus main body 10 after maintenance, the operator first positions the opening / closing part 30 at the open position. Then, the intermediate transfer belt unit c <b> 3 is supported by the support unit 40 provided in the opening / closing unit 30. Since the intermediate transfer belt unit c3 is stably supported by the support unit 40, the intermediate transfer belt unit c3 is placed on the secondary transfer roller 6 of the secondary transfer unit c5 provided in the opening / closing unit 30 and the transport paths e1 and e2 of the transport unit e. It will not fall.
Therefore, the operator can calm down and lay down the handle part 21.

  When the opening / closing part 30 is located at the open position, the support part 40 is located at the same height as the main body rail 11 (see FIG. 7). Therefore, as shown in FIG. 8, the operator can transfer the intermediate transfer belt unit c <b> 3 continuously from the support portion 40 to the main body rail 11. In addition, when the intermediate transfer belt unit c3 is supported by the support portion 40, the regulating portion 50 aligns the intermediate transfer belt unit c3 and the inlet portion 12 of the apparatus main body 10 in the width direction. For this reason, the mounting operation of the intermediate transfer belt unit c3 to the apparatus main body 10 can be easily performed.

The intermediate transfer belt unit c3 transferred to the main body rail 11 is guided in the horizontal direction inside the apparatus main body 10 and accommodated in a predetermined position. Thereafter, the operator closes the inlet 12 by positioning the opening / closing part 30 at the closed position, and the secondary transfer roller 6 of the secondary transfer unit c5 is moved to the intermediate transfer belt 2 of the intermediate transfer belt unit c3. Further, a transport path of a transport section e that transports the paper is formed between the secondary transfer roller 6 and the intermediate transfer belt 2 (see FIG. 1).
Thus, the attaching / detaching operation of the intermediate transfer belt unit c3 is completed.

Therefore, according to the present embodiment described above, the intermediate transfer belt unit c3 having the intermediate transfer belt 2 and the side frames 20 arranged on both sides in the width direction of the intermediate transfer belt 2 is provided at the entrance portion 12 provided at a predetermined height. A device main body 10 accommodated therein, an opening / closing portion 30 rotatable relative to the device main body 10 between a closed position for closing the inlet portion 12 and an open position for opening the inlet portion 12, and an opening / closing portion 30 and adopting a copier P having a support portion 40 capable of supporting the side frame 20 at a height corresponding to the entrance portion 12 when the opening / closing portion 30 is located at the open position. The side frames 20 on both sides of the intermediate transfer belt unit c3 can be supported at a height corresponding to the portion 12 without touching the intermediate transfer belt 2 of the intermediate transfer belt unit c3. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the unit from dropping when the unit is attached or detached without damaging the intermediate transfer belt 2 of the intermediate transfer belt unit c3.
Therefore, in this embodiment, the intermediate transfer belt unit c3 can be prevented from dropping and the unit can be attached and detached smoothly.

  As mentioned above, although preferred embodiment of this invention was described referring drawings, this invention is not limited to the said embodiment. Various shapes, combinations, and the like of the constituent members shown in the above-described embodiments are examples, and various modifications can be made based on design requirements and the like without departing from the gist of the present invention.

  For example, in the above-described embodiment, the opening / closing part has been illustrated with respect to the configuration including the first opening / closing part and the second opening / closing part. However, the present invention is not limited to this configuration. If there is no sheet reversing path or the like, the number of opening / closing sections may be one.

  For example, in the above-described embodiment, a copying machine is exemplified as the image forming apparatus, but the present invention is also applicable to an image forming apparatus such as a printer or a facsimile apparatus.

P: copier (image forming apparatus), 2 ... intermediate transfer belt (endless belt), 6 ... secondary transfer roller (transfer roller), 10 ... main body of the apparatus, 11 ... main body rail, 12 ... inlet section, 20 ... side frame 30 ... Opening / closing part, 31 ... First opening / closing part, 32 ... Second opening / closing part, 40 ... Supporting part,
41: first support portion, 42: second support portion, 50: regulating portion, c3: intermediate transfer belt unit, c5: secondary transfer unit

Claims (7)

An apparatus main body for guiding an intermediate transfer belt unit having an endless belt and side frames arranged on both sides of the endless belt in the width direction along an inner rail through an inlet portion provided at a predetermined height, ,
A handle portion provided on an upper surface portion of the intermediate transfer belt unit and disposed between both ends in a longitudinal direction which is a direction along the main body rail;
A first opening / closing part rotatable with respect to the apparatus main body between a closed position for closing the inlet part and an open position for opening the inlet part;
A second opening / closing portion disposed outside the first opening / closing portion and rotatable with respect to the apparatus main body between a closed position for closing the inlet portion and an open position for opening the inlet portion; ,
A first support portion that is provided in the first opening and closing portion and is capable of supporting the side frame at a height corresponding to the inlet portion when the first opening and closing portion is located in an open position;
Provided in the second opening / closing portion, and when the second opening / closing portion is located in the open position, the second opening / closing portion is disposed farther from the inlet portion than the first support portion and A second support portion capable of supporting the side frame at a corresponding height,
The first opening / closing part and the second opening / closing part have a rotating shaft extending in a horizontal direction below the inlet part,
The first support portion and the second support portion are provided so as to be able to support the intermediate transfer belt unit in a state where the handle portion can be gripped outside the apparatus main body. apparatus.   2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a suspension member that restricts the first opening and closing portion and the second opening and closing portion from opening more than the open position.   The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the handle portion is provided so as to be able to stand up / fall down along the longitudinal direction.   The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second support portion is provided at a distal end portion of the second opening / closing portion.   5. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a restricting portion that restricts a position of the intermediate transfer belt unit in the width direction when the side frame is supported by the support portion. Image forming apparatus.   The image forming apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the support portion and the restriction portion are integrally formed.   The opening / closing portion is provided with at least one of a transfer roller that is arranged to face the endless belt when positioned at the closed position and a conveyance path that conveys a sheet material between the endless belt and the transfer roller. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image forming apparatus is an image forming apparatus.