阅读说明：本技术 片材传送装置及具备其的图像形成装置以及片材传送方法 (Sheet conveying apparatus, image forming apparatus including the same, and sheet conveying method ) 是由 赤川雄飞 于 2019-05-30 设计创作，主要内容包括：本发明提供能够以稳定的速度传送片材且能够避免片材抵接到一对传送辊时的冲击所引起的从动辊的旋转的片材传送装置及图像形成装置以及片材传送方法。将片材向规定的片材传送方向传送的片材传送装置及图像形成装置以及片材传送方法中,在将来自驱动辊的旋转驱动力传递到从动辊时使从动辊的表面移动速度比驱动辊的表面移动速度快,利用设置于从驱动辊到从动辊的驱动传递路径的任一部位的单向离合器,容许从动辊相对于驱动辊的向第二旋转方向的相对旋转,所述第二旋转方向是作为片材传送方向的第一旋转方向的相反方向,另一方面,限制从动辊相对于驱动辊的向第一旋转方向的相对旋转。(the invention provides a sheet conveying apparatus, an image forming apparatus, and a sheet conveying method, which can convey a sheet at a stable speed and avoid rotation of a driven roller caused by impact when the sheet abuts against a pair of conveying rollers. In a sheet conveying apparatus, an image forming apparatus, and a sheet conveying method for conveying a sheet in a predetermined sheet conveying direction, when a rotational driving force from a driving roller is transmitted to a driven roller, a surface moving speed of the driven roller is made faster than a surface moving speed of a driving roller, and relative rotation of the driven roller with respect to the driving roller in a second rotational direction, which is a direction opposite to a first rotational direction as a sheet conveying direction, is permitted by a one-way clutch provided at any portion of a drive transmission path from the driving roller to the driven roller, while relative rotation of the driven roller with respect to the driving roller in the first rotational direction is restricted.)

1. A sheet conveying apparatus for conveying a sheet in a predetermined sheet conveying direction by a pair of conveying rollers including a driving roller and a driven roller, the sheet conveying apparatus comprising:

A drive transmission mechanism configured to transmit a rotational drive force from the drive roller to the driven roller, the drive transmission mechanism being configured to increase a surface moving speed of the driven roller to be faster than a surface moving speed of the drive roller; and

A one-way clutch provided at any position of a drive transmission path from the drive roller to the driven roller in the drive transmission mechanism;

The one-way clutch permits relative rotation of the driven roller with respect to the drive roller in a second rotational direction that is opposite to a first rotational direction that is a direction for conveying the sheet, and restricts relative rotation of the driven roller with respect to the drive roller in the first rotational direction.

2. The sheet conveying apparatus according to claim 1,

The drive transmission mechanism includes: a drive gear provided on a drive shaft of the drive roller, and a driven gear provided on a driven shaft of the driven roller and engaged with the drive gear,

the one-way clutch is disposed between the drive gear and the drive shaft or between the driven shaft and the driven gear.

3. The sheet conveying apparatus according to claim 1,

The drive transmission mechanism includes: a drive gear provided on a drive shaft of the drive roller, a driven gear provided on a driven shaft of the driven roller, and a gear train meshing with both the drive gear and the driven gear,

The gear train includes a plurality of intermediate gears respectively disposed at a plurality of intermediate gear shafts and engaged with each other,

The one-way clutch is provided at any one of a position between the drive gear and the drive shaft, a position between the driven gear and the driven shaft, and a position between the intermediate gear and the intermediate gear shaft.

4. The sheet conveying apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3,

The one-way clutch includes a first member and a second member which are rotatable in one direction and non-rotatable in the other direction,

The first member is connected to a driven side and the second member is connected to a driving side, or the first member is connected to a driving side and the second member is connected to a driven side.

5. An image forming apparatus is characterized in that,

The sheet conveying apparatus including any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein in a state where rotation of the pair of conveying rollers is stopped, after a leading end of the conveyed sheet is brought into abutment with the pair of conveying rollers to be temporarily stopped, the sheet is conveyed by rotating the pair of conveying rollers.

6. A sheet conveying method for conveying a sheet in a predetermined sheet conveying direction by a pair of conveying rollers including a driving roller and a driven roller,

Making a surface moving speed of the driven roller faster than a surface moving speed of the driving roller when transmitting a rotational driving force from the driving roller to the driven roller,

Relative rotation of the driven roller with respect to the drive roller in a second rotational direction opposite to the first rotational direction, which is the sheet conveying direction, is permitted by a one-way clutch provided at any portion of a drive transmission path from the drive roller to the driven roller, while relative rotation of the driven roller with respect to the drive roller in the first rotational direction is restricted.

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a sheet (sheet) transport device, an image forming apparatus such as a copier, a multifunction device, a printer, and a facsimile machine, and a sheet transport method.

Background

An image forming apparatus generally includes a sheet conveying apparatus that conveys a sheet by a pair of conveying rollers. In general, in the image forming apparatus, in a state where rotation of a pair of conveying rollers (so-called resist rollers) is stopped, a leading end of a sheet conveyed is brought into contact with the pair of conveying rollers to temporarily stop conveying the sheet, and the sheet is further conveyed by rotating the pair of conveying rollers. Thereby, the timing of conveying the sheet is synchronized with the image formation on the image carrier or the intermediate transfer body, and therefore the oblique feeding (skew) of the sheet can be further prevented.

In such an image forming apparatus, one of the pair of conveyance rollers is a driving roller, and the other is a driven roller, and the driven roller is driven to rotate by the driving rotation of the driving roller. In this case, the driven roller is allowed to rotate to some extent even if it comes into contact with the stopped drive roller when the drive roller is stopped. Therefore, there is a case where the driven roller slightly rotates due to an impact when the sheet abuts against the pair of conveying rollers. In this way, when the leading end of the sheet is brought into abutment with the pair of conveying rollers, the leading end of the sheet slightly protrudes from the nip portion of the pair of conveying rollers. As a result, a shift of the sheet with respect to the image formed on the image carrier or the intermediate transfer body and a skew feeding of the sheet are caused.

Therefore, conventionally, a pair of conveying rollers are connected by a drive transmission mechanism that transmits a rotational drive force from a drive roller to a driven roller, and when the drive roller stops, the driven roller is braked by the drive transmission mechanism and is also reliably stopped (see, for example, patent document 1). The drive transmission mechanism may include, for example, a drive transmission mechanism including only a gear, and a belt, or a pulley, a belt, or the like.

Disclosure of Invention

Technical problem to be solved by the invention

However, due to poor accuracy such as variations in the components constituting the drive transmission mechanism, the rotation (surface movement speed) is not uniform or substantially uniform between the drive roller and the driven roller. In this case, the sheet cannot be conveyed at a stable speed due to uneven rotation or the like, and as a result, the image formed on the sheet is affected. For example, a periodic horizontal stripe, so-called a stripe, is sometimes generated in an image formed on a sheet.

In this regard, patent document 2 discloses a mechanism in which a feed roller is provided to a feed roller shaft with a one-way clutch interposed therebetween, and when the feed roller is driven, rotation of the feed roller shaft is transmitted via the one-way clutch. In this configuration, when the paper is aligned between the paper separating device and the resist roller device, the paper can be prevented from being reversed and retreated due to the reverse rotation of the feed roller caused by the strength of the paper loop.

In the drive transmission mechanism described in patent document 2, in order to prevent the paper from backing up due to the reverse rotation of the feed roller, only the one-way clutch is provided, and when the rotation is not consistent or substantially consistent between the drive roller and the driven roller due to a precision failure such as a deviation of parts constituting the drive transmission mechanism, a problem that the sheet cannot be conveyed at a stable speed due to a failure such as a rotation unevenness cannot be solved.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a sheet conveying apparatus, an image forming apparatus, and a sheet conveying method, which can convey a sheet at a stable speed and can avoid rotation of a driven roller due to an impact when the sheet abuts against a pair of conveying rollers.

means for solving the problems

In order to solve the above problem, a sheet conveying apparatus, an image forming apparatus, and a sheet conveying method of the present invention are provided as follows.

(1) Sheet conveying apparatus

the sheet conveying apparatus of the present invention conveys a sheet in a predetermined sheet conveying direction by a pair of conveying rollers including a driving roller and a driven roller, and includes: a drive transmission mechanism configured to transmit a rotational drive force from the drive roller to the driven roller, the drive transmission mechanism being configured to increase a surface moving speed of the driven roller to be faster than a surface moving speed of the drive roller; and a one-way clutch provided at any position of a drive transmission path from the drive roller to the driven roller in the drive transmission mechanism; the one-way clutch permits relative rotation of the driven roller with respect to the drive roller in a second rotational direction opposite to the first rotational direction, which is the sheet conveying direction, and restricts relative rotation of the driven roller with respect to the drive roller in the first rotational direction.

(2) Image forming apparatus with a toner supply device

an image forming apparatus according to the present invention includes the sheet conveying apparatus according to the present invention, and conveys the sheet by rotating the pair of conveying rollers after the leading end of the conveyed sheet is brought into contact with the pair of conveying rollers and temporarily stopped in a state where the rotation of the pair of conveying rollers is stopped.

(3) Sheet conveying method

The sheet conveying method of the present invention conveys a sheet in a predetermined sheet conveying direction by a pair of conveying rollers including a driving roller and a driven roller, and transmits a rotational driving force from the driving roller to the driven roller so that a surface moving speed of the driven roller becomes faster than a surface moving speed of the driving roller.

Effects of the invention

according to the present invention, the sheet can be conveyed at a stable speed, and rotation of the driven roller caused by an impact when the sheet abuts against the pair of conveying rollers can be avoided.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an image forming apparatus including a sheet conveying apparatus according to the present embodiment, as viewed from the front.

Fig. 2 is a schematic block diagram of a drive system of the drive transmission mechanism and the one-way clutch in the sheet conveying apparatus.

Fig. 3A is a perspective view schematically showing one form of the one-way clutch.

Fig. 3B is a longitudinal sectional view schematically showing one form of the one-way clutch.

Fig. 4A is a schematic cross-sectional view schematically showing an example of an operation state of the one-way clutch when the pair of conveyance rollers conveys a sheet with the first rotation direction set to the clockwise direction.

Fig. 4B is a schematic cross-sectional view schematically showing an operation state of the one-way clutch shown in fig. 4A when the pair of conveyance rollers stop.

Fig. 5A is a schematic cross-sectional view schematically showing an example of an operation state of the one-way clutch when the pair of conveyance rollers conveys a sheet with the first rotation direction set to the counterclockwise direction.

Fig. 5B is a schematic cross-sectional view schematically showing an operation state of the one-way clutch shown in fig. 5A when the pair of conveyance rollers stop.

Fig. 6A is a schematic cross-sectional view schematically showing another example of the operation state of the one-way clutch when the pair of conveyance rollers conveys a sheet with the first rotation direction set to the clockwise direction.

Fig. 6B is a schematic cross-sectional view schematically showing an operation state of the one-way clutch shown in fig. 6A when the pair of conveyance rollers stop.

Fig. 7A is a schematic cross-sectional view schematically showing another example of the operation state of the one-way clutch when the pair of conveyance rollers conveys a sheet with the first rotation direction set to the counterclockwise direction.

Fig. 7B is a schematic cross-sectional view schematically showing an operation state of the one-way clutch shown in fig. 7A when the pair of conveyance rollers stop.

Fig. 8A is a schematic plan view showing an example of the arrangement configuration of the drive transmission mechanism and the one-way clutch in the sheet conveying apparatus.

Fig. 8B is a schematic rear view showing an example of the arrangement configuration of the drive transmission mechanism and the one-way clutch in the sheet conveying apparatus.

Fig. 9A is a schematic plan view showing another example of the arrangement configuration of the drive transmission mechanism and the one-way clutch in the sheet conveying apparatus.

Fig. 9B is a schematic rear view showing another example of the arrangement configuration of the drive transmission mechanism and the one-way clutch in the sheet conveying apparatus.

Detailed Description

hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals. Their names and functions are also the same. Therefore, detailed description thereof will not be repeated.

< construction of image Forming apparatus >

Fig. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an image forming apparatus 100 including a sheet conveying apparatus 200 according to the present embodiment, as viewed from the front. Image forming apparatus 100 shown in fig. 1 is a monochrome image forming apparatus for forming a monochrome image on a sheet P such as a recording sheet based on image data read by document reading apparatus 108 or image data transmitted from the outside. Further, the image forming apparatus 100 may be, for example, a color image forming apparatus capable of forming a color image (particularly, an intermediate transfer type color image forming apparatus).

The image forming apparatus 100 includes a document reading device 108 and an image forming apparatus main body 110, and the image forming apparatus main body 110 is provided with an image forming portion 102 and a sheet conveying system 103.

The image forming unit 102 includes an exposure unit 1, a developing unit 2, a photosensitive drum 3 functioning as an electrostatic latent image carrier, a cleaning unit 4, a charging unit 5, a transfer unit 6, and a fixing unit 7. Further, the sheet conveyance system 103 includes a paper feed tray 81, a manual paper feed tray 82, and a discharge tray 14.

a document platen 92 made of transparent glass on which a document G is placed is provided at an upper portion of the image forming apparatus main body 110, and an optical unit 90 for reading the document G is provided at a lower portion of the document platen 92. A document reading device 108 is provided above the document platen 92. The image of the original G read by the original reading device 108 is sent to the image forming apparatus main body 110 as image data, and the image formed based on the image data in the image forming apparatus main body 110 is recorded on the sheet P.

The image forming apparatus main body 110 is provided with a sheet conveying path Wa that guides a sheet P fed from the paper feed tray 81 or the manual paper feed tray 82 to the discharge tray 14 via the transfer roller 61 and the fixing unit 7 in the transfer unit 6. In the vicinity of the sheet conveying path Wa, pickup rollers 11a and 11b, a pair of conveying rollers 210 (resist rollers), a transfer roller 61, a heating roller 71 and a pressure roller 72 in the fixing unit 7, a pair of sheet rollers 12a, and a pair of discharge rollers 31 are disposed. The pair of conveying rollers 210 are rotationally driven by a rotational driving unit (driving motor) not shown. The rotation driving unit is restricted from rotating (does not rotate) in a drive stop state.

The image forming apparatus 100 includes: a sheet storage device (specifically, a paper feed tray 81 or a manual paper feed tray 82) for storing sheets, and a sheet conveying device 200 for conveying the sheets P fed from the sheet storage device. In the image forming apparatus 100, when performing an image forming operation, the sheet feeding means (specifically, the pickup rollers 11a and 11b) feeds the sheets P stored in the sheet storage apparatus one by one from the sheet storage apparatus to the image forming apparatus main body 110, and the image forming apparatus main body 110 forms an image.

In the image forming apparatus 100, when image formation is performed, a sheet P is fed from the paper feed tray 81 or the manual paper feed tray 82, and is conveyed to the pair of conveying rollers 210. Next, the sheet P is conveyed by the transfer roller 61 at a timing to align the sheet P with the toner image on the photosensitive drum 3 rotating in the rotating direction C, and the toner image is transferred onto the sheet P. Then, the sheet P is passed through the heating roller 71 and the pressure roller 72 in the fixing unit 7, whereby unfixed toner on the sheet P is melted and fixed by heat, and is discharged onto the discharge tray 14 via the sheet roller 12a and the discharge roller 31.

When an image is formed not only on the front surface but also on the back surface of the sheet P, the sheet P is conveyed from the discharge roller 31 in the reverse direction toward the sheet reverse conveyance path Wb, the front and back sides of the sheet P are reversed via the reverse conveyance rollers 12b and 12c and guided again to the pair of conveyance rollers 210, and a toner image is formed and fixed on the back surface of the sheet P in the same manner as on the front surface of the sheet P, and then discharged to the discharge tray 14.

[ sheet conveying apparatus ]

the sheet conveying apparatus 200 conveys the sheet P in a predetermined sheet conveying direction S by a pair of conveying rollers 210 including a driving roller 211 and a driven roller 212.

In the present embodiment, the pair of conveying rollers 210 are resist rollers. That is, the image forming apparatus 100 is configured to, in a state where the rotation of the pair of conveyance rollers 210 is stopped, bring the leading end of the conveyed sheet P into contact with the pair of conveyance rollers 210 to temporarily stop, and then convey the sheet P by rotating the pair of conveyance rollers 210.

Fig. 2 is a schematic block diagram showing a drive system of the drive transmission mechanism 300 and the one-way clutch 400 in the sheet conveying apparatus 200.

The sheet conveying apparatus 200 includes a drive transmission mechanism 300 and a one-way clutch 400.

The drive transmission mechanism 300 is configured such that, when the rotational drive force from the drive roller 211 is transmitted to the driven roller 212, the surface movement speed V2 (circumferential speed) of the driven roller 212 is set to be higher than the surface movement speed V1 (circumferential speed) of the drive roller 211. The one-way clutch 400 is provided at any position of the drive transmission path from the drive roller 211 to the driven roller 212 in the drive transmission mechanism 300.

The one-way clutch 400 allows relative rotation of the driven roller 212 with respect to the drive roller 211 in the second rotational direction R2. Here, the second rotation direction R2 is a direction opposite to the first rotation direction R1, which is a direction for conveying the sheet R1. The one-way clutch 400 restricts (prohibits) the relative rotation of the driven roller 212 with respect to the drive roller 211 in the first rotational direction R1.

According to the present embodiment, when conveying the sheet P, the drive transmission mechanism 300 transmits the rotational driving force from the driving roller 211 to the driven roller 212 such that the surface moving speed V2 of the driven roller 212 is faster than the surface moving speed V1 of the driving roller 211. At this time, the one-way clutch 400 provided at any portion of the drive transmission path from the drive roller 211 to the driven roller 212 in the drive transmission mechanism 300 allows the driven roller 212 to rotate relative to the drive roller 211 in the second rotational direction R2. Accordingly, when the sheet P is conveyed, the one-way clutch 400 can be idly rotated, and thus, a precision failure such as a deviation of parts constituting the drive transmission mechanism 300 can be avoided. Accordingly, the rotation can be made uniform or substantially uniform between the driving roller 211 and the driven roller 212, and defects such as uneven rotation can be avoided. Therefore, the conveyance of the sheet P can be performed at a stable speed, and furthermore, the occurrence of banding can be effectively prevented. On the other hand, the one-way clutch 400 restricts relative rotation of the driven roller 212 with respect to the drive roller 211 in the first rotational direction R1. Accordingly, when the drive roller 211 is stopped, the driven roller 212 is in a state in which the relative rotation of the driven roller 212 with respect to the drive roller 211 in the first rotational direction R1 is restricted. Therefore, even if there is a shock when the sheet P abuts against the pair of conveying rollers 210, rotation of the driven roller 212 can be avoided. Accordingly, when the leading end P1 of the sheet P is brought into contact with the pair of conveying rollers 210, the leading end P1 of the sheet P can be prevented from protruding from the nip Q of the pair of conveying rollers 210, and further, the deviation of the sheet P with respect to the image formed on the image carrier or the intermediate transfer member (the photosensitive drum 3 in this example) and the skew feeding of the sheet P can be effectively prevented.

Next, a driving and transmitting operation of the rotational driving force from the driving roller 211 to the driven roller 212 by the one-way clutch 400 will be described.

Fig. 3A and 3B are a perspective view and a vertical cross-sectional view schematically showing one form of the one-way clutch 400, respectively.

In the present embodiment, the one-way clutch 400 includes a first member (specifically, the inner race 410) and a second member (specifically, the outer race 420) that are rotatable in one direction and non-rotatable in the other direction.

In this example, the one-way clutch 400 includes a coil spring 430, and is configured such that the coil spring 430 is inserted into the inner race shaft 411 and one end 431 of the coil spring 430 is fixed to the outer race 420.

The one-way clutch 400 having this configuration allows relative rotation of the driven roller 212 with respect to the drive roller 211 in the second rotational direction R2. When the driven roller 212 rotates in the second rotational direction R2 relative to the drive roller 211 in a state where the drive roller 211 and the driven roller 212 are rotated in the first rotational direction R1, the driving side of the inner race 410 and the outer race 420 rotates faster than the driven side. In this example, the coil spring 430 is twisted in a direction of being loosened with respect to the inner ring shaft 411. Accordingly, the inner diameter of the coil spring 430 is enlarged, and the frictional force between the contact surfaces of the inner race shaft 411 and the coil spring 430 is reduced or eliminated. This allows the driven roller 212 to rotate relative to the drive roller 211 in the second rotational direction R2.

On the other hand, the one-way clutch 400 restricts relative rotation of the driven roller 212 with respect to the drive roller 211 in the first rotational direction R1. Therefore, in a state where the drive roller 211 and the driven roller 212 are stopped, the driven roller 212 does not rotate in the first rotation direction R1 with respect to the drive roller 211. In this example, when the driven roller 212 attempts to rotate in the first rotation direction R1 with respect to the drive roller 211, the coil spring 430 twists in a direction to tighten with respect to the inner ring shaft 411. Accordingly, the inner diameter of the coil spring 430 is reduced, and the frictional force between the contact surfaces of the inner race shaft 411 and the coil spring 430 is increased. This can restrict the relative rotation of the driven roller 212 with respect to the drive roller 211 in the first rotational direction R1.

Next, specific examples of the case where the inner race is connected to the driven side and the outer race is connected to the driving side and the case where the inner race is connected to the driving side and the outer race is connected to the driven side will be described in order.

[ first embodiment ]

[ case where the inner race is connected to the driven side and the outer race is connected to the driving side ]

First, an example in which the inner race 410 of the one-way clutch 400 is connected to the driven side and the outer race 420 is connected to the driving side will be described below with reference to fig. 4A to 5B.

(sheet conveying with a pair of conveying rollers)

Fig. 4A is a schematic cross-sectional view schematically showing an example of the operation state of the one-way clutch 400 at the time of sheet conveyance by the pair of conveyance rollers 210 with the first rotation direction R1 set to the clockwise direction. Fig. 5A is a schematic cross-sectional view schematically showing an example of the operation state of the one-way clutch 400 at the time of sheet conveyance by the pair of conveyance rollers 210 with the first rotation direction R1 set to the counterclockwise direction.

The drive transmission mechanism 300 is configured such that the surface movement speed V2 of the driven roller 212 is higher than the surface movement speed V1 of the drive roller 211, but as shown in fig. 4A and 5A, the one-way clutch 400 is in an idling state because the inner race 410 rotates slower than the outer race 420. Accordingly, the driven roller 212 is driven and rotated in the first rotational direction R1 by the surface of the roller portion 212a coming into contact with the surface of the roller portion 211a of the driving roller 211 which is driven and rotated in the first rotational direction R1. Therefore, the rotational driving force is not transmitted from the driving roller 211 to the driven roller 212 via the drive transmission mechanism 300, but is transmitted via the roller portions 211a and 212 a. That is, the surface moving speed V2 of the driven roller 212 is made faster than the surface moving speed V1 of the drive roller 211 by the drive transmission mechanism 300, and the surface moving speed V1 of the drive roller 211 is made the same as or substantially the same as the surface moving speed V2 of the driven roller 212 by the idling of the one-way clutch 400. At this time, in the one-way clutch 400, both the outer race 420 and the inner race 410 rotate in the same first rotational direction R1. However, when the driving roller 211 and the driven roller 212 have the same or substantially the same surface moving speed, the driven inner race 410 rotates in the second rotational direction R2 relative to the driving outer race 420. That is, the rotation speed of the inner race 410 in the first rotation direction R1 is slower than the rotation speed of the outer race 420 in the first rotation direction R1.

(when a pair of transfer rollers stops)

Fig. 4B is a schematic cross-sectional view schematically showing an operation state of the one-way clutch 400 shown in fig. 4A when the pair of conveying rollers 210 is stopped. Fig. 5B is a schematic cross-sectional view schematically showing an operation state of the one-way clutch 400 shown in fig. 5A when the pair of conveyance rollers 210 stops.

The outer ring 420 on the driving side is connected to a rotation driving unit that drives the driving roller 211. In addition, since the rotation driving section does not rotate in the stopped state, the driving roller 211 does not rotate. Therefore, when the pair of conveying rollers 210 stops, even if the leading end P1 of the sheet P abuts against the pair of conveying rollers 210, the outer ring 420 on the driving side does not rotate in the first rotation direction R1 as the sheet conveying direction S. Further, even if the driven-side inner race 410 attempts to rotate in the first rotational direction R1 because the leading end P1 of the sheet P abuts against the pair of conveyance rollers 210, the one-way clutch 400 restricts the rotation of the driven-side inner race 410 in the first rotational direction R1 with respect to the stopped drive-side outer race 420, as shown in fig. 4B and 5B. Therefore, the driven-side inner race 410 does not rotate in the first rotational direction R1.

As described above, the one-way clutch 400 can be easily and compactly provided in the drive transmission mechanism 300 by connecting the inner race 410 to the driven side and the outer race 420 to the driving side.

[ second embodiment ]

[ case where the inner race is connected to the driving side and the outer race is connected to the driven side ]

Next, an example in which the inner race 410 of the one-way clutch 400 is connected to the drive side and the outer race 420 is connected to the driven side will be described below with reference to fig. 6A to 7B.

(sheet conveying with a pair of conveying rollers)

fig. 6A is a schematic cross-sectional view schematically showing another example of the operation state of the one-way clutch 400 at the time of sheet conveyance by the pair of conveyance rollers 210 with the first rotation direction R1 set to the clockwise direction. Fig. 7A is a schematic cross-sectional view schematically showing another example of the operation state of the one-way clutch 400 at the time of sheet conveyance by the pair of conveyance rollers 210 with the first rotation direction R1 set to the counterclockwise direction.

The drive transmission mechanism 300 is configured such that the surface movement speed V2 of the driven roller 212 is higher than the surface movement speed V1 of the drive roller 211, but as shown in fig. 6A and 7A, the one-way clutch 400 is in an idling state because the outer race 420 rotates slower than the inner race 410. Accordingly, the driven roller 212 is driven and rotated in the first rotational direction R1 by the surface of the roller portion 212a coming into contact with the surface of the roller portion 211a of the driving roller 211 which is driven and rotated in the first rotational direction R1. Therefore, the rotational driving force is not transmitted from the driving roller 211 to the driven roller 212 via the drive transmission mechanism 300, but is transmitted via the roller portions 211a and 212 a. That is, the surface moving speed V2 of the driven roller 212 is made faster than the surface moving speed V1 of the drive roller 211 by the drive transmission mechanism 300, and the surface moving speed V1 of the drive roller 211 is made the same as or substantially the same as the surface moving speed V2 of the driven roller 212 by the idling of the one-way clutch 400. At this time, in the one-way clutch 400, both the inner race 410 and the outer race 420 rotate in the same first rotational direction R1. However, when the driving roller 211 and the driven roller 212 have the same or substantially the same surface moving speed, the outer race 420 on the driven side rotates in the second rotational direction R2 relative to the inner race 410 on the driving side. That is, the rotation speed of the outer race 420 in the first rotation direction R1 is slower than the rotation speed of the inner race 410 in the first rotation direction R1.

(when a pair of transfer rollers stops)

Fig. 6B is a schematic cross-sectional view schematically showing an operation state of the one-way clutch 400 shown in fig. 6A when the pair of conveyance rollers 210 stops. Fig. 7B is a schematic cross-sectional view schematically showing an operation state of the one-way clutch 400 shown in fig. 7A when the pair of conveyance rollers 210 stops.

The inner race 410 on the drive side is connected to a rotation drive unit that drives the drive roller 211. In addition, since the rotation driving section does not rotate in the stopped state, the driving roller 211 does not rotate. Therefore, when the pair of conveying rollers 210 stops, even if the leading end P1 of the sheet P abuts against the pair of conveying rollers 210, the inner race 410 on the drive side does not rotate in the first rotation direction R1 as the sheet conveying direction S. Further, even if the driven-side outer ring 420 attempts to rotate in the first rotational direction R1 because the leading end P1 of the sheet P abuts against the pair of conveying rollers 210, the one-way clutch 400 restricts the rotation of the driven-side outer ring 420 relative to the stopped driving-side inner ring 410 in the first rotational direction R1, as shown in fig. 6B and 7B. Therefore, the driven outer ring 420 does not rotate in the first rotation direction R1.

As described above, the one-way clutch 400 can be easily and compactly provided in the drive transmission mechanism 300 by connecting the inner race 410 to the drive side and the outer race 420 to the driven side.

The one-way clutch 400 is not limited to the structure shown in fig. 3 to 7B, and can be of various structures known in the art.

Next, specific embodiments of the drive transmission mechanism 300 and the one-way clutch 400 in the sheet conveying apparatus 200 will be described below.

[ third embodiment ]

Fig. 8A and 8B are a schematic plan view and a schematic rear view respectively showing an example of the arrangement configuration of the drive transmission mechanism 300 and the one-way clutch 400 in the sheet conveying apparatus 200.

As shown in fig. 8A and 8B, the drive transmission mechanism 300 includes a drive gear 310A and a driven gear 320A. The drive gear 310A is provided on the drive shaft 211b of the drive roller 211. The driven gear 320A is provided on the driven shaft 212b of the driven roller 212. The driven gear 320A meshes with the drive gear 310A.

One-way clutch 400 is provided between driven shaft 212b and driven gear 320A.

In addition, the one-way clutch 400 may be disposed between the driving gear 310A and the driving shaft 211 b. Accordingly, the one-way clutch 400 can be easily provided in the drive transmission mechanism 300 with a simple configuration in which the drive transmission mechanism 300 includes the drive gear 310A and the driven gear 320A.

Here, in the sheet conveying apparatus 200, the gear ratio of the drive gear 310A and the driven gear 320A and the outer diameters of the roller portion 211a of the drive roller 211 and the roller portion 212a of the driven roller 212 are set so that the surface movement speed V2 of the driven roller 212 is faster than the surface movement speed V1 of the drive roller 211.

[ fourth embodiment ]

Fig. 9A and 9B are a schematic plan view and a schematic rear view respectively showing another example of the arrangement configuration of the drive transmission mechanism 300 and the one-way clutch 400 in the sheet conveying apparatus 200.

As shown in fig. 9A and 9B, the drive transmission mechanism 300 includes a drive gear 310B, a driven gear 320B, and a gear train 330. The drive gear 310B is provided on the drive shaft 211B of the drive roller 211. The driven gear 320B is provided on the driven shaft 212B of the driven roller 212. The gear train 330 meshes with both the drive gear 310B and the driven gear 320B.

The gear train 330 is composed of a plurality of intermediate gears 331(1) to 331(n) (n is an integer of 2 or more, and n is 3 in this example). The plurality of intermediate gears 331(1) to 331(n) are provided on the plurality of intermediate gear shafts 332(1) to 332(m) (m is an integer of 2 or more, and m is 2 in this example). The plurality of intermediate gears 331(1) to 331(n) mesh with each other.

The one-way clutch 400 is provided at any position between the intermediate gears 331(1) to 331(n) and the intermediate gear shafts 332(1) to 332 (m).

In this example, the one-way clutch 400 is provided between the intermediate gear 331(3) and the intermediate gear shaft 332 (2). In detail, the intermediate gear 331(1) is provided to the intermediate gear shaft 332 (1). The intermediate gear 331(1) meshes with the drive gear 310B. The intermediate gear 331(2) is provided to the intermediate gear shaft 332 (2). The intermediate gear 331(2) meshes with the intermediate gear 331 (1). The intermediate gear 331(3) is provided to the intermediate gear shaft 332 (2). The intermediate gear 331(3) meshes with the driven gear 320B.

In addition, the one-way clutch 400 may be disposed between the other intermediate gear 331 and the other intermediate gear shaft 332, between the driving gear 310B and the driving shaft 211B, or between the driven gear 320B and the driven shaft 212B. Accordingly, the one-way clutch 400 can be easily provided in the drive transmission mechanism 300 with a simple configuration in which the drive transmission path includes the drive gear 310B, the driven gear 320B, and the gear train 330.

Here, in the sheet conveying apparatus 200, the gear ratios of the drive gear 310B, the driven gear 320B, and the gear train 330 and the outer diameters of the roller portion 211a of the drive roller 211 and the roller portion 212a of the driven roller 212 are set so that the surface movement speed V2 of the driven roller 212 is faster than the surface movement speed V1 of the drive roller 211.

[ other embodiments ]

In the above-described example, the drive transmission mechanism is constituted by only the gear, but may include a gear and a belt, a pulley and a belt, and the like.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and can be implemented in other various forms. Accordingly, such embodiments are to be considered in all respects only as illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the invention is indicated by the claims and is not limited at all by the text of the specification. Further, changes and modifications within the equivalent scope of the claims are within the scope of the present invention.

Description of the reference numerals

100 image forming apparatus

200 sheet conveying device

210 conveyance roller

211 drive roller

211a roller part

211b drive shaft

212 driven roller

212a roller part

212b driven shaft

300 drive transmission mechanism

310A drive gear

310B drive gear

320A driven gear

320B driven gear

330 gear train

331 intermediate gear

332 intermediate gear shaft

400 one-way clutch

410 inner ring

411 inner ring shaft

420 outer ring

430 spiral spring

431 one end

P sheet

R1 first direction of rotation

R2 second direction of rotation

S sheet conveying direction

V1 surface moving speed

V2 surface moving speed