Electrophotography – Having particular structure – Modular or displaceable
Reexamination Certificate
2003-03-04
2004-12-07
Brase, Sandra L. (Department: 2852)
Electrophotography
Having particular structure
Modular or displaceable
Reexamination Certificate
active
06829453
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a carrying apparatus provided in an electrophotographic copier, for example, for holding and carrying paper, and an image forming apparatus for forming an image on the paper carried by the carrying apparatus.
An apparatus shown in
FIG. 8
, for example, is well known as an image forming apparatus of this type.
In
FIG. 8
, reference numeral
101
denotes the main unit of the apparatus. The main unit
101
contains an image forming unit
102
for forming an image on the paper as a carried medium and a paper feed unit
103
for feeding paper to the image forming unit
102
.
The image forming unit
102
is provided with a photoconductive rotary drum
106
as an image holding member. On the circumference of the photoconductive drum
106
, an electrifier
107
, scanning optics to take in an image light
108
(not shown), a developing unit
109
, a transfer charger
110
, a separation charger
111
, a cleaning unit
112
, and a de-electrifier
113
are arranged along the drum rotating direction.
The paper feed unit
103
has a paper feed cassette
115
set at the inner bottom of the main unit
101
, and a paper carrying path
116
which carries upward the paper fed from the paper feed cassette
115
. Paper P is loaded in the paper feed cassette
115
, and fed by rotation of a paper feed roller
114
. In the paper feeding direction of the paper feed roller
114
, a separation roller
124
and a feed roller
125
are provided to separate and feed sheets of paper one by one.
The paper carrying path
116
is provided along a vertical direction. In the carrying path
116
, a pair of carrying rollers
117
, a pair of registration rollers
118
, an image transfer unit
119
, a pair of fixing rollers
120
and a pair of eject rollers
121
are arranged in order from downstream to upstream. The pair of carrying rollers
117
comprises a drive roller
117
a
as a first roller and a follower roller
117
b
as a second roller which rotates contacting with the drive roller
117
a
. An ejected paper tray
122
is provided on the paper ejection side of the pair of eject rollers
121
.
When an image is formed, the surface of the photoconductive drum
106
is electrified by the electrifier
107
, the image light
108
is radiated to the surface of the electrified photoconductive drum
106
, and an electrostatic latent image corresponding to a document image is formed. This electrostatic latent image sent to the developing unit
109
by the rotation of the photoconductive drum
106
, and the latent image is developed to a toner image by the developer supplied from the developing unit
109
.
On the other hand, in this time, the paper P is supplied by rotation of the paper feed roller
114
, and the paper P is held and carried by the pair of carrying rollers
117
. The paper P is adjusted in position by the pair of registration rollers
118
, sent to the image transfer unit
119
located between the photoconductive drum
106
and transfer charger
110
, where the magnetic toner image formed on the photoconductive drum
106
is transferred to the paper P. The paper P having the transferred magnetic toner image is separated from the photoconductive drum
106
by the action of the separation charger
111
, and carried. The paper P is sent to the pair of fixing rollers
120
, where the transferred toner image is fixed to the paper P, and the paper is ejected to the ejected paper tray
122
by the rotation of the pair of paper eject rollers
121
.
The paper supplied from the paper feed cassette
115
and sent to the carrying path
116
may jam in the pair of carrying rollers
117
. To enable removal of the jammed paper, an open/close cover
127
which opens and closes the carrying path
116
is provided in the lower part of one side of the main unit
101
. The drive roller
117
a
of the pair of carrying rollers
117
is fixed to the main unit
101
, and the follower roller
117
b
is fixed to the open/close cover
127
. The follower roller
117
b
contacts with and separates from the drive roller
117
a
each time the open/close cover
127
is closed and opened.
The lower side of the open/close cover
127
is rotatably fixed to the main unit
101
through a support shaft
129
, and the upper side is provided with a lock device
130
which locks the open/close cover
127
to the main unit
101
.
The lock device
130
comprises a lock lever
131
and a stopper pin
132
. The lock lever
131
is rotatably fixed to the open/close cover
127
through a support shaft
133
. The stopper pin
132
is fixed to the main unit
101
. The forward end of the lock lever
131
is formed with a hook
131
a
, and the rear end is connected to an operation lever
134
. The lock lever
131
is rotated by the operation of the operation lever
134
, so that the open/close cover
127
is locked to the main unit
101
with the hook
131
a
removably engaged with the stopper pin
132
.
When removing paper jammed in the pairs of carrying rollers
117
, the operation lever
134
is operated and the lock lever
131
is turned in the direction of arrow A centering around the support shaft
133
. As a result, the hook
131
a
of the lock lever
131
separates from the stopper pin
132
, and the lock is released. After the lock is released, the open/close cover
127
is opened by turning it in the direction of arrow B centering around the support shaft
129
. As a result, the follower rollers
117
b
separates from the drive roller
117
a
, the carrying path
116
is opened, and the jammed paper can be removed.
If the drive roller
117
a
and follower roller
117
b
which constitute the pair of carrying rollers
117
are not exactly positioned, the paper carrying accuracy will be lowered.
Thus, in the conventional apparatus, the dimensional accuracy of the open/close cover
127
to which the follower roller
117
b
is fixed is strictly controlled, or a mechanism for positioning the drive roller
117
a
and follower roller
117
b
is required as an optional unit.
However, there is a problem in the former case that the dimensional control of the open/close cover is difficult, and another problem arises in the latter case that the number of parts increases and the cost increases.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been made in order to solve the above problems. It is an object of the present invention is to provide a carrying apparatus capable of positioning a first roller and a second roller without requiring an optional positioning mechanism, and an image forming apparatus.
According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a carrying apparatus comprising a main unit which is opened and closed by an open/close cover; a carrying device which has a first roller supported by the main unit through a first support shaft, and a second roller supported by the open/close cover through a second support shaft, and which holds and carries a material to be carried by the first and second rollers; and a lock device which is fixed to the second support shaft and is removably engaged with the first support shaft, for locking the open/close cover to the main unit and determining the relative position of the first and second rollers.
Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and obtained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out hereinafter.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5200781 (1993-04-01), Hata
patent: 5300998 (1994-04-01), Ogisawa et al.
patent: 5802426 (1998-09-01), Miyazaki et al.
patent: 5839032 (1998-11-01), Yasui et al.
patent: 5897244 (1999-04-01), Miyazaki et al.
patent: 5974290 (1999-10-01), Inoue
patent: 6621997 (2003-09-01), Chung
patent: 6678490 (2004-01-01), Tanaka
patent: 6-110278 (1994-04-01), None
patent: 7-157132 (1995-06-01), None
patent: 11-310356 (1999-11-01), None
Brase Sandra L.
Foley & Lardner LLP
Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
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