阅读说明：本技术 成像装置 (Image forming apparatus with a plurality of image forming units ) 是由 小国敦 铃木哲司 上杉拓志 于 2021-06-11 设计创作，主要内容包括：成像装置包括：包括抵接部分的盒；和装置主体。装置主体包括盒的安装部分、用于定影调色剂图像的定影部分、盒的附接检测机构、挡板和移动构件。附接检测机构包括能够通过盒的安装而在第一位置和第二位置之间移动的作用构件。挡板能够在关闭位置和打开位置之间移动。移动构件用于移动挡板和作用构件这两者并且包括被抵接部分,当盒被移动时,移动构件通过盒的抵接部分与被抵接部分的抵接而移动,作用构件从第一位置移动到第二位置,并且挡板从关闭位置移动到打开位置。(The image forming apparatus includes: a cartridge including an abutment portion; and a device main body. The apparatus main body includes a mounting portion of the cartridge, a fixing portion for fixing the toner image, an attachment detection mechanism of the cartridge, a shutter, and a moving member. The attachment detection mechanism includes an acting member that is movable between a first position and a second position by the mounting of the cartridge. The flapper is movable between a closed position and an open position. The moving member is used to move both the shutter and the acting member and includes an abutted portion, when the cartridge is moved, the moving member is moved by abutment of the abutting portion of the cartridge with the abutted portion, the acting member is moved from the first position to the second position, and the shutter is moved from the closed position to the open position.)

1. An image forming apparatus comprising:

a cartridge including an abutment portion; and

a device body, the device body comprising:

a mounting portion to which the cartridge is mounted in a mounting direction;

a fixing portion for fixing the toner image formed on the recording material;

a detection mechanism for detecting a cartridge, the detection mechanism comprising:

a sensor and an acting member that is equipped with an acting portion acting on the sensor and is movable between a first position at which the acting member is positioned in a state where the cartridge is not mounted on the mounting portion and a second position at which the acting member is positioned in a state where the cartridge has been mounted on the mounting portion;

a shutter configured to be movable between a closed position where an inlet for allowing the recording material to enter the fixing portion is closed and an open position where the inlet is open, the shutter being positioned at the closed position in a state where the cartridge is not mounted on the mounting portion, the shutter being positioned at the open position in a state where the cartridge is mounted on the mounting portion; and

a moving member for moving both the shutter and the acting member, the moving member including an abutted portion,

wherein, in a state in which the cartridge is moved in the mounting direction toward the mounting portion, the moving member is moved in the mounting direction by the abutting portion of the cartridge abutting against the abutted portion of the moving member, whereby the acting member is moved from the first position to the second position, and the shutter is moved from the closed position to the open position.

2. The image forming apparatus as set forth in claim 1,

wherein the sensor includes a light emitting portion configured to emit light and a light receiving portion configured to receive the light from the light emitting portion;

wherein a light receiving state of the light receiving portion in a state where the acting member is positioned at the second position is different from a light receiving state in a state where the acting member is positioned at the first position.

3. The image forming apparatus as set forth in claim 1,

wherein the reaction member is configured to rotate between a first position and a second position,

wherein the apparatus main body includes a link member configured to rotate the acting member, the link member including an engaging portion,

wherein the moving member is configured to move linearly in the mounting direction and includes an engaged portion, an

Wherein in a state in which the moving member is linearly moved, the link member is rotated by the engaging portion receiving a force from the engaged portion of the moving member, and the acting member is rotated between the first position and the second position by the link member.

4. The image forming apparatus as set forth in claim 3,

wherein the joint portion of the link member is a boss extending in the direction of the rotation axis of the link member,

wherein the engaged portion of the moving member is a groove extending in a crossing direction intersecting the mounting direction and the rotation axis direction; and

wherein the boss of the link member moves in the groove of the moving member in the crossing direction in a state where the link member rotates.

5. The image forming apparatus as set forth in claim 1,

wherein the cartridge includes a photosensitive drum, an

Wherein the abutment portion of the cartridge is positioned at a downstream side of the photosensitive drum in the mounting direction and is positioned at an end portion in the rotational axis direction of the photosensitive drum.

6. The image forming apparatus as set forth in claim 1,

wherein the flapper is configured to be rotatable between a closed position and an open position,

wherein the moving member is configured to move linearly in the mounting direction and includes an inclined surface inclined downward toward the mounting direction, an

Wherein the apparatus main body includes an intermediate member that is pushed upward by the inclined surface in a state where the moving member moves linearly in the mounting direction, the intermediate member pressing the shutter to rotate the shutter from the closed position to the open position.

7. The image forming apparatus as set forth in claim 1,

wherein the reaction member is configured to rotate between a first position and a second position,

wherein the apparatus main body includes a conveying portion that conveys the recording material to the fixing portion, and a contact member that is rotatable and provided with a contact portion that contacts the recording material conveyed by the conveying portion, and

wherein the contact member is configured to rotate the acting member from the second position to the third position in a state where the contact member is pushed and rotated by the recording material.

8. The image forming apparatus as set forth in claim 7,

wherein a rotational direction of the acting member from the second position to the first position is opposite to a rotational direction of the acting member from the second position to the third position.

9. The image forming apparatus as set forth in claim 8,

wherein the sensor includes a light emitting portion configured to emit light and a light receiving portion configured to receive the light from the light emitting portion; and

wherein a light receiving state of the light receiving portion in a state where the acting member is positioned at the second position is different from a light receiving state in a state where the acting member is positioned at the first position and the third position.

10. The image forming apparatus as set forth in claim 7,

wherein the contact portion is provided at a position where the contact portion is in contact with the recording material having a width in the conveying direction of the recording material equal to or larger than a predetermined width, but is not in contact with the recording material having a width in the conveying direction of the recording material narrower than the predetermined width.

11. An image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording material, comprising:

the main body of the device is provided with a plurality of grooves,

an attachable/detachable unit that is attachable/detachable to/from the apparatus main body;

a first moving member movable between a first position and a second position, the first position being a position where the first moving member is not in contact with the recording material, the second position being a position where the first moving member is in contact with the recording material;

a second moving member positioned at a third position in a state where the attachable/detachable unit is not attached to the apparatus main body, and positioned at a fourth position in a state where the attachable/detachable unit is attached to the apparatus main body;

an optical sensor including a light emitting portion and a light receiving portion; and

a flag member movable between a light transmitting position allowing the light receiving portion to receive the light from the light emitting portion and a light shielding position not allowing the light receiving portion to receive the light, the flag member being moved in conjunction with movement of the first moving member from the first position to the second position, and the flag member being moved in conjunction with movement of the second moving member from the third position to the fourth position.

12. The image forming apparatus as set forth in claim 11,

wherein the flag member is rotatably provided on the apparatus main body,

wherein the mark member rotates in a first rotational direction in conjunction with the movement of the first moving member from the first position to the second position, and

wherein the flag member rotates in a second rotational direction opposite to the first rotational direction in conjunction with the movement of the second moving member from the third position to the fourth position.

Technical Field

The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording material by an electrophotographic method.

Background

Generally, an electrophotographic image forming apparatus (hereinafter, simply referred to as "image forming apparatus") requires toner replenishment and maintenance of various process units. In order to facilitate such toner replenishment or maintenance, there is a commercially available cartridge including, for example, a photosensitive drum, a charging unit, a developing unit, and a cleaning unit, which are combined together in a frame, so that the cartridge can be detachably mounted to a main body of an image forming apparatus. The cartridge type image forming apparatus has a detection mechanism for detecting an insertion condition of a cartridge (e.g., a process cartridge). This can prevent unnecessary jamming from occurring when a printing operation is performed without inserting a cartridge. This mechanism is referred to as a cartridge presence/absence detection mechanism. In other words, the image forming apparatus does not operate when the cartridge presence/absence detection mechanism detects "cartridge absence", and allows the image forming apparatus to operate when "cartridge presence" is detected.

As disclosed in japanese patent application laid-open No.2002-323822, the image forming apparatus may be provided with a shutter member at an inlet of the fixing device. This is to protect the user and keep the user from contacting the heat generating part, for example, during card-plugging processing. Hereinafter, the shutter member will be referred to as a "fixing inlet shutter". Examples of known mechanisms for driving the fixing inlet shutter include a mechanism disclosed in japanese patent application laid-open No. 2002-. These mechanisms are appropriately selected depending on the structure of the apparatus main body or the structure of the cartridge.

Since the driving mechanism for the fixing entrance shutter and the cartridge presence/absence detecting mechanism are for different purposes, these mechanisms are separately provided as mechanisms independent from each other.

Disclosure of Invention

As described above, the cartridge presence/absence detecting mechanism and the mechanism for actuating the fixing inlet shutter are separately provided in the conventional apparatus. Further, each of these mechanisms requires an interface portion that operates as a trigger operating in conjunction with each other under the direct influence of the opening/closing operation of the door or the insertion/removal of the cartridge. This requires a large amount of space, thereby increasing the size of the main body. Further, the number of components per mechanism increases, which increases the cost.

An object of the present invention is to allow a shutter driving mechanism and a cartridge presence/absence detecting mechanism in an image forming apparatus to operate in conjunction with each other at low cost and in a reduced space.

In order to solve the problem, an image forming apparatus according to the present invention includes:

a cartridge including an abutment portion; and

a device body, the device body comprising:

a mounting portion to which the cartridge is mounted in a mounting direction;

a fixing portion for fixing the toner image formed on the recording material; a detection mechanism for detecting a cartridge, the detection mechanism comprising:

a sensor and an acting member that is equipped with an acting portion acting on the sensor and is movable between a first position at which the acting member is positioned in a state where the cartridge is not mounted on the mounting portion and a second position at which the acting member is positioned in a state where the cartridge has been mounted on the mounting portion;

a shutter configured to be movable between a closed position where an inlet for allowing the recording material to enter the fixing portion is closed and an open position where the inlet is open, the shutter being positioned at the closed position in a state where the cartridge is not mounted on the mounting portion, the shutter being positioned at the open position in a state where the cartridge is mounted on the mounting portion; and

a moving member for moving both the shutter and the acting member, the moving member including an abutted portion,

wherein, in a state in which the cartridge is moved in the mounting direction toward the mounting portion, the moving member is moved in the mounting direction by the abutting portion of the cartridge abutting against the abutted portion of the moving member, whereby the acting member is moved from the first position to the second position, and the shutter is moved from the closed position to the open position.

In order to achieve the above object, an image forming apparatus according to the present invention includes:

the main body of the device is provided with a plurality of grooves,

an attachable/detachable unit that is attachable/detachable to/from the apparatus main body;

a first moving member movable between a first position and a second position, the first position being a position where the first moving member is not in contact with the recording material, the second position being a position where the first moving member is in contact with the recording material;

a second moving member positioned at a third position in a state where the attachable/detachable unit is not attached to the apparatus main body, and positioned at a fourth position in a state where the attachable/detachable unit is attached to the apparatus main body;

an optical sensor including a light emitting portion and a light receiving portion; and

a flag member movable between a light transmitting position allowing the light receiving portion to receive the light from the light emitting portion and a light shielding position not allowing the light receiving portion to receive the light, the flag member being moved in conjunction with movement of the first moving member from the first position to the second position, and the flag member being moved in conjunction with movement of the second moving member from the third position to the fourth position.

According to the present invention, the shutter driving mechanism and the cartridge presence/absence detecting mechanism in the image forming apparatus can be operated in an interlocked manner with each other at low cost and with a reduced space.

Further features of the invention will become apparent from the following description of exemplary embodiments with reference to the attached drawings.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a schematic sectional view of an image forming apparatus according to first and third embodiments of the present invention,

fig. 2A and 2B are views for explaining a main body of an image forming apparatus according to the first embodiment, showing a state where an opening/closing door thereof is opened,

fig. 3 is a schematic sectional view of the main body of the image forming apparatus according to the first embodiment when the opening/closing door thereof is opened,

fig. 4A and 4B are views for explaining a process cartridge according to the first embodiment,

fig. 5 is a view for explaining a drive transmission portion and a positioning portion in a main body of an image forming apparatus according to the first embodiment,

fig. 6 is a schematic sectional view of the main body of the image forming apparatus according to the first embodiment when the opening/closing door thereof is closed,

figure 7 is a view for explaining an interface member according to the first embodiment,

fig. 8 is a view for explaining the cartridge presence/absence detecting lever according to the first embodiment,

fig 9 is a view for explaining a sensor link member according to the first embodiment,

fig. 10 is a view for explaining a fixing inlet shutter according to the first embodiment,

fig 11 is a view for explaining a barrier link member according to the first embodiment,

fig 12 is a view for explaining the arrangement of the interface member in the main body according to the first embodiment,

fig 13A is a view for explaining a state where the cartridge according to the first embodiment is not inserted,

fig 13B is a view for explaining a state where the cartridge according to the first embodiment is not inserted,

fig. 14A is a view for explaining a state where the cartridge according to the first embodiment has been inserted,

fig. 14B is a view for explaining a state where the cartridge according to the first embodiment has been inserted,

fig. 15A is a view for explaining a cartridge presence/absence detecting mechanism and a paper width detecting mechanism according to the first embodiment,

fig. 15B is a view for explaining the cartridge presence/absence detecting mechanism and the paper width detecting mechanism according to the first embodiment,

fig. 15C is a view for explaining the cartridge presence/absence detecting mechanism and the paper width detecting mechanism according to the first embodiment,

fig. 16A is a view for explaining the operation of the fixing inlet shutter according to the first embodiment,

fig. 16B is a view for explaining the operation of the fixing inlet shutter according to the first embodiment,

fig. 16C is a view for explaining the operation of the fixing inlet shutter according to the first embodiment,

figure 17 is a view for explaining an interface member according to a second embodiment of the present invention,

fig 18A is a view for explaining a state where the cartridge according to the second embodiment is not inserted,

fig 18B is a view for explaining a state where the cartridge according to the second embodiment is not inserted,

fig. 19A is a view for explaining a state where the cartridge according to the second embodiment has been inserted,

fig. 19B is a view for explaining a state where the cartridge according to the second embodiment has been inserted,

fig. 20 is a front side perspective view of a sheet width and attachable/detachable unit presence/absence detecting mechanism according to the third embodiment,

fig. 21 is a rear side perspective view of a sheet width and attachable/detachable unit presence/absence detecting mechanism according to a third embodiment,

figures 22A and 22B are perspective views of a sensor flag according to a third embodiment,

fig. 23A and 23B are front perspective views of a sensor mark and an attachable/detachable unit according to a third embodiment, an

Fig. 24 is a flowchart for explaining a process from the actuating means to the sheet width determination according to the third embodiment.

Detailed Description

Hereinafter, embodiments (examples) of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. However, the sizes, materials, shapes, relative arrangements thereof, and the like of the constituent elements described in the embodiments may be appropriately changed according to the configuration, various conditions, and the like of the apparatus to which the present invention is applied. Therefore, the sizes, materials, shapes, relative arrangements thereof, and the like of the constituent elements described in the respective embodiments are intended to limit the scope of the present invention to the following embodiments.

First embodiment

A first embodiment of the present invention will be described. Examples of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus (hereinafter, referred to as an image forming apparatus) to which the present invention is applied include an electrophotographic copying machine, an electrophotographic printer (e.g., an LED printer and a laser printer), a facsimile device, and a word processor. Examples of the recording material on which the image forming apparatus according to the present embodiment forms an image include a recording paper sheet and a plastic sheet.

In the following description, the positional relationship between the respective members is defined with respect to the rotational axis direction of the electrophotographic photosensitive drum (which is a longitudinal direction). In the longitudinal direction, the side of the electrophotographic photosensitive drum that receives the driving force from the main body of the image forming apparatus is the driving side, and the opposite side is the non-driving side. The schematic cross section of the imaging apparatus in fig. 1 corresponds to a state in which the imaging apparatus is placed on a horizontal surface as a ground surface (which is generally envisioned as a device-mounting ground surface). In the schematic cross section in fig. 1, for example, when the user faces the imaging apparatus with the non-driving side on the left and the driving side on the right, the direction defining the front and rear sides of the apparatus is the x-axis, the direction defining the non-driving side and the driving side is the y-axis, and the direction perpendicular to the apparatus mounting surface (vertical direction) is the z-axis.

Fig. 1 is a sectional view of an apparatus main body a and a process cartridge B (hereinafter referred to as cartridge B) of an image forming apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention. Here, the apparatus main body a refers to the electrophotographic image forming apparatus from which the cartridge B is removed.

Integral structure of electrophotographic image forming apparatus

The image forming apparatus shown in fig. 1 is an electrophotographic-based laser beam printer, which allows a cartridge B to be detachably set to an apparatus main body a. When the cartridge B is mounted to the apparatus main body a, an exposure device 3 (laser scanner unit) for forming a latent image on an electrophotographic photosensitive drum 62 as an image bearing member of the cartridge B is provided. A sheet tray 4 for storing a recording material (hereinafter referred to as a sheet PA) on which an image is to be formed is provided below the cassette B. The electrophotographic photosensitive drum 62 is a photosensitive member (electrophotographic photosensitive member) for forming an electrophotographic image.

The apparatus main body a includes a pickup roller 5a, a feeding roller pair 5b, a conveying roller pair 5c, a transfer roller 7, a fixing device 9, a discharge roller pair 10, and a discharge tray 11, which are arranged in this order in a conveying direction D of the sheet PA.

Imaging process

The following is an outline of the imaging process. The electrophotographic photosensitive drum 62 (hereinafter simply referred to as photosensitive drum 62) is driven in response to a print start signal so as to rotate at a prescribed peripheral speed (process speed) in the direction of arrow R. A charging roller (charging member) 66 supplied with a bias voltage is in contact with the outer peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum 62 and uniformly charges the outer peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum 62. The exposure apparatus 3 outputs laser light L according to image information. The laser light L passes through the laser opening of the cartridge B, so that the outer peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum 62 is exposed to and scanned by the laser light. Thus, an electrostatic latent image corresponding to image information is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum 62. Meanwhile, the toner in the cartridge B is carried by the developing roller 32 and supplied to the photosensitive drum 62 according to the electrostatic latent image to develop the latent image. In this way, the latent image is visualized as a toner image (developer image).

As shown in fig. 1, according to the output timing of the laser light L, the sheet PA is fed from the sheet tray 4 stored in the lower portion of the apparatus main body a by the pickup roller 5a, the feed roller pair 5b, and the conveying roller pair 5c as a conveying portion. The sheet PA is conveyed to a transfer position between the photosensitive drum 62 and the transfer roller 7. At the transfer position, the toner images are sequentially transferred from the photosensitive drum 62 onto the sheet PA.

The sheet PA to which the toner image is transferred is separated from the photosensitive drum 62 and conveyed to a fixing device 9 (fixing portion). The sheet PA is subjected to a press/heat fixing process at a nip portion which is a part of the fixing device 9, and the toner image is fixed onto the sheet PA. The sheet PA after the toner image fixing process is conveyed to the discharge roller pair 10 and discharged onto the discharge tray 11.

Mounting box

With reference to fig. 2A, 2B, 3, 4A, 4B, 5, and 6, how to mount the cartridge will be described in detail. Fig. 2A and 2B are views for explaining an image forming apparatus of which opening/closing door is opened, and fig. 3 is a sectional view of the image forming apparatus of which opening/closing door is opened. Fig. 4A and 4B are views for explaining the cartridge B. Fig. 5 is a view for explaining a drive transmitting portion and a positioning portion of a main body of the image forming apparatus. Fig. 6 is a sectional view of the image forming apparatus of which opening/closing door is closed.

The state of the apparatus main body a when the opening/closing door 13 is opened will be described. As shown in fig. 2A, 2B and 3, the apparatus main body a is provided with an opening/closing door 13 and an upper cover 14, and the opening/closing door 13 is provided with cartridge pressing members 1 and 2 and cartridge pressing springs 19 and 21. The opening/closing door 13 is pivotably attached to the upper cover 14. When the attachable/detachable cartridge B is mounted to the apparatus main body a, the opening/closing door 13 pivots upward with respect to the apparatus main body to open the cartridge insertion opening 17, as shown in fig. 2A, 2B, and 3.

Now, how to mount the cartridge B will be described. As shown in fig. 2A and 2B, the apparatus main body a is provided with a driving-side plate 15, a non-driving-side plate 16, and a conveyance guide 91. The drive-side plate 15 has a guide rail 15g as a guide. The non-drive side plate 16 has an upper rail 16d and a rail 16 e. The conveying guide 91 has a transfer roller 7, a conveying roller pair 5c, and a conveying guide (not shown) (see fig. 3).

As shown in fig. 4A and 4B, the cartridge B has a rotation stopper target portion 73c on the driving side, and a positioning target portion 71d and a rotation stopper target portion 71g on the non-driving side.

The cartridge B is mounted to the apparatus main body a in a direction substantially orthogonal to the axis of the photosensitive drum 62. The upstream or downstream in the mounting direction means the upstream or downstream in the moving direction of the cartridge B immediately before the cartridge B is mounted to the apparatus main body a.

When the cartridge B is mounted from the cartridge insertion opening 17 of the apparatus main body a, the rotation stopper target portion 73c of the cartridge B is guided to the upper rail 15g of the apparatus main body a on the driving side of the cartridge B. The positioning target portion 71d and the rotation stopper target portion 71g of the cartridge B are guided to the guide rails 16d and 16e of the apparatus main body a on the non-driving side of the cartridge B. Thus, the cartridge B is mounted to the apparatus main body a.

As shown in fig. 5, the conveying guide 91 of the apparatus main body a has a fitting portion 101 as a positioning portion of the cartridge B in the longitudinal direction. As shown in fig. 4A and 4B, a fitting target portion 121 as a portion to be positioned, which can be fitted with the fitting portion 101 of the apparatus main body a, is provided on the driving side of the cartridge B. During the mounting process, the fitting target portion 121 of the cartridge B is fitted with the fitting portion 101 of the apparatus main body a (because the concave fitting target portion 121 is fitted with the convex fitting portion 101 in a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction (axial direction) of the cartridge B), so that the cartridge B is positioned in the longitudinal direction (axial direction).

Now, a state where the opening/closing door 13 is closed will be described. As shown in fig. 2A, 2B, 3, and 5, the conveying guide 91 of the apparatus main body a has an upper positioning portion 91a and a lower positioning portion 91B as positioning portions on the driving side, and has a positioning portion 91c on the non-driving side. The drive-side plate 15 of the apparatus main body a has a rotation stopper portion 15c (provided at the end of the upper rail 15g in the mounting direction, see fig. 6), and the non-drive-side plate 16 has a rotation stopper portion 16 c. As shown in fig. 4A, the cartridge B has an upper positioning target portion 73d and a lower positioning target portion 73f on the driving side.

The cartridge pressing members 1 and 2 are provided at opposite ends of the opening/closing door 13 in the longitudinal direction. Cartridge pressing springs 19 and 21 are attached to the cartridge pressing members 1 and 2. The cartridge B has a pressing target portion 73e as a biasing force receiving portion on the driving side and a pressing target portion 71o on the non-driving side. When the opening/closing door 13 is closed, the pressing target portions 73e and 71o of the cartridge B are pressed by the cartridge pressing members 1 and 2 biased by the cartridge pressing springs 19 and 21 of the apparatus main body a (see fig. 6).

Thus, on the driving side, the upper positioning target portion 73d, the lower positioning target portion 73f, and the rotation stopper target portion 73c of the cartridge B abut on the upper positioning portion 91a, the lower positioning portion 91B, and the rotation stopper portion 15c of the apparatus main body a, respectively. Thus, the cartridge B and the photosensitive drum 62 are positioned on the driving side. On the non-driving side, the positioning target portion 71d and the rotation stopper target portion 71g of the cartridge B abut against the positioning portion 91c and the rotation stopper portion 16c of the apparatus main body a, respectively. Thus, the cartridge B and the photosensitive drum 62 are positioned on the non-driving side. Hereinafter, such a state that the cartridge B is positioned with respect to the apparatus main body a in the mounting direction is defined as a state that the cartridge B is mounted in the mounting portion of the apparatus main body a.

Construction of cartridge presence/absence detecting mechanism and fixing inlet shutter mechanism

Referring to fig. 4A, 4B, 7 to 13A, and 13B, the configurations of the cartridge presence/absence detecting mechanism and the fixing inlet shutter mechanism will be described. Fig. 7 to 11 are views each showing a single component according to the present embodiment. Fig. 12 is an enlarged view of the inside in fig. 2B, showing the arrangement of the interface member 120 in the apparatus main body a. Fig. 13A and 13B show a state where the cartridge B is not inserted, fig. 13A is a view seen from the left side (non-driving side) of the apparatus main body a, and fig. 13B is a view seen from diagonally right rear (driving side and rear side) of the apparatus main body a. In order to make portions related to the embodiment visible, fig. 13A and 13B do not show components not related to the present invention, such as the conveying guide 91 and a mechanism for detecting the sheet width (hereinafter referred to as a sheet width detecting mechanism).

The cartridge B in the present embodiment has a cartridge-side projection 102 on the non-driving side, which projects beyond the photosensitive drum 62 in the insertion direction of the cartridge B. That is, the cartridge-side projecting portion 102 is positioned on the downstream side of the photosensitive drum 62 in the mounting direction. Also, the cartridge-side projecting portion 102 is positioned at an end portion in the rotational axis direction of the photosensitive drum 62.

In the present embodiment, the cartridge-side projecting portion 102 also functions as a protective member (abutting portion) that prevents the photosensitive drum 62 from contacting the ground surface and generating stains and scratches when the cartridge B taken out of the apparatus main body a is placed on the ground surface and abutted against the ground surface.

The conveyance guide 91 of the apparatus main body a has an interface member 120 (moving member) that is movable substantially linearly (linearly moving) with respect to the direction in which the cartridge B is inserted. The interface member 120 has a main body side abutment portion 122 (abutted portion) to be abutted with the cartridge side protrusion 102 (abutment portion) (fig. 4B and 12). The interface member 120 is a common interface member common to the cartridge presence/absence detecting mechanism and the fixing inlet shutter mechanism. In other words, the member that triggers the interlocking operation of the cartridge presence/absence detecting mechanism and the fixing inlet shutter mechanism is shared by these mechanisms as a single member. More specifically, a plurality of these mechanisms are operated in conjunction with each other by operation of a single interface member.

The conveying guide 91 has a cartridge presence/absence detecting lever 130 (link member) that can rotate and a sensor link member 131 (acting member) that operates in conjunction with the cartridge presence/absence detecting lever 130. The sensor link member 131 has a light shielding portion 132 (acting portion) as a light shielding member. The sensor link member 131 causes the photo interrupter 133, which is an optical sensor that allows detection light to pass from the light emitting portion to the light receiving portion, to switch between the light transmitting state and the light shielding state in response to a change in the position of the light shielding portion 132 caused by a change in the position of the sensor link member 131. This portion is referred to as a cartridge presence/absence detecting mechanism. The light emitting portion is a portion that emits light, and the light receiving portion is a portion configured to receive light emitted from the light emitting portion. The sensor link member 131 is configured to be movable between a first position in which the photo interrupter 133 is formed in a light transmitting state and a second position in which the photo interrupter 133 is formed in a light shielding state by the light shielding portion 132. The cartridge presence/absence detecting mechanism has a photo interrupter 133 (sensor) and a sensor link member 131, and the sensor link member 131 is provided with a light shielding portion 132 that acts on the photo interrupter 133. The cartridge presence/absence detecting lever 130 and the sensor link member 131 may be integrally configured.

The cartridge presence/absence detecting mechanism in the present embodiment also has a function of detecting whether the width of the conveyed sheet PA is larger or smaller than a prescribed size. In other words, the sensor link member 131 operates in conjunction with a sheet width detection mechanism (which is not shown in fig. 13A and 13B). As will be described in detail, the optical detection unit including the above-described light shielding portion 132 and the photo interrupter 133 is a common optical detection unit for the cartridge presence/absence detection mechanism and the sheet width detection mechanism to be described. More specifically, the imaging apparatus according to the present embodiment is configured to realize detection operations by a plurality of detection mechanisms using a single optical detection unit.

The conveying guide 91 has a fixing entrance flapper 140 that opens and closes a fixing entrance portion 141 in the recording material conveying path, which is an entrance to the fixing device 9, and a flapper link member 142 at the fixing entrance portion 141, through which the sheet PA is conveyed to the fixing device 9. The fixing inlet shutter 140 is pivotably disposed about a shutter pivot center 146 extending in the Y-axis direction. The shutter link member 142 opens/closes the fixing inlet shutter 140 in conjunction with the interface member 120. In fig. 13A, the barrier link member 142 can only move linearly in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction). These elements are referred to as a fixing inlet shutter mechanism. The fixing inlet flapper 140 moves between a closed position closing the fixing inlet portion 141 and an open position opening the fixing inlet portion 141.

The interface member 120 has an engaging groove 123 (engaged portion) for operating in conjunction with the cartridge presence/absence detecting lever 130, and is connected to the cartridge presence/absence detecting lever 130 as an engaging boss 134 (engaging portion) of the cartridge presence/absence detecting lever 130 engages with the engaging groove 123. The interface member 120 has a slide surface 124 (inclined surface) including a slope portion for operating in conjunction with the shutter link member 142. The shutter link member 142 has a slide surface abutment portion 143 that abuts the slide surface 124. The slide surface 124 is an inclined surface extending downward toward the mounting direction of the cartridge B.

The interface member 120 is always pressed by a biasing member 125 such as a spring in a direction opposite to the direction in which the cartridge B is inserted. The fixing inlet flapper 140 is always biased in the direction of the arrow R1 by a biasing member, not shown.

Interlocked operation between cartridge presence/absence detecting mechanism and fixing inlet shutter mechanism

Referring to fig. 4A, 4B, 13A, 13B, 14A, and 14B, the interlocking operation of the cartridge presence/absence detecting mechanism and the fixing inlet flapper mechanism will be described in detail.

Referring to fig. 13A and 13B, a state in which the cartridge B is not inserted into the apparatus main body a (a state in which the cartridge is not mounted on the mounting portion) will be described.

The cartridge presence/absence detecting mechanism will be described. The interface member 120 is biased by a biasing member 125 in a direction opposite to the direction in which the cartridge B is inserted, and the main body side abutment portion 122 is positioned to protrude into the mounting space for the cartridge B. At this time, the position of the cartridge presence/absence detecting lever 130 is uniquely determined by the engagement between the engagement groove 123 and the engagement boss 134. The cartridge presence/absence detecting lever 130 has a lever-side abutting portion 135, and the sensor link member 131 has a sensor link-side abutting portion 136. The sensor link member 131 is biased in the direction of the arrow R2 about the Y axis by a biasing member, not shown. Here, the biasing force biasing the sensor link member 131 by a biasing member, not shown, is smaller than the biasing force biasing the interface member 120 by the biasing member 125. Therefore, the sensor-link-side abutment portion 136 abuts against the lever-side abutment portion 135, the position thereof is uniquely determined, and therefore the sensor-link-side abutment portion 136 follows the lever-side abutment portion 135. In this way, the sensor link member 131 operates in interlocking with the cartridge presence/absence detecting lever 130, and the position of the sensor link member 131 is determined as the position of the cartridge presence/absence detecting lever 130 is determined.

As described above, the sensor link member 131 has the light-transmitting and light-shielding portion 132 for switching the optical axis (not shown) of the photo interrupter 133. According to the present embodiment, in the state shown in fig. 13A and 13B in which the cartridge B is not inserted, the light shielding portion 132 is in a position where the optical axis is placed in a light transmitting state. That is, in a state where the cartridge B is not inserted into the apparatus main body a (a state where the cartridge is not mounted on the mounting portion), the sensor link member 131 is positioned at the first position.

Now, the fixing inlet flapper mechanism will be described. In the state of fig. 13A and 13B, the slide surface abutment portion 143 of the shutter link member 142 is positioned on the lower side of the slope in the slide surface 124 of the interface member 120. The shutter link member 142 (intermediate member) has a shutter pushing portion 144 on the side (upper side in fig. 13A and 13B) opposite to the sliding surface abutting portion 143. The fixing inlet shutter 140 has a shutter-side abutting portion 145 at a position where the shutter abuts against the shutter pushing portion 144. In other words, the fixing inlet shutter 140 is a rotating member provided with the shutter-side abutting portion 145 as an integral part thereof, and a rotational force is applied from the shutter link member 142 to the shutter-side abutting portion 145. The fixing inlet flapper 140 according to the present embodiment can pivot about the flapper pivot center 146 and is always biased in the direction of the arrow R1 by the biasing member (not shown) as described above. More specifically, the shutter-pushing portion 144 and the shutter-side abutment portion 145 abut against each other. A broken-line arrow SP indicates a sheet conveying path (recording material conveying path). In other words, when the cartridge B is not inserted, the fixing inlet flapper 140 is in a position to block the conveying path.

Next, a state in which the cartridge B has been inserted into the apparatus main body a (a state in which the cartridge has been mounted in the mounting portion) will be described with reference to fig. 4A, 4B, 14A, 14B, 15A, 15B, and 15C. Fig. 14A is a view seen from the left side (non-driving side) of the apparatus main body a. Fig. 14B is a view seen from diagonally right rear (drive side and rear side) of the apparatus main body a. In order to make portions relevant to the present invention visible, fig. 14A and 14B do not show components irrelevant to the present embodiment, such as the conveyance guide 91 and the mechanism for detecting the sheet width.

The cartridge presence/absence detecting mechanism will be described. When the cartridge B is inserted into the apparatus main body a, the position of the cartridge-side projecting portion 102 is uniquely determined by the positioning portion, the rotation stopper portion, the pressing portions (71d, 71g, 71o, 73c, 73d, 73f, and 73e), and the above-described pressing members (1 and 2). Thus, the cartridge-side projecting portion 102 is pushed into the main body-side abutment portion 122, and the interface member 120 is moved in the insertion direction of the cartridge B.

As described above, the interface member 120 and the cartridge presence/absence detecting lever 130 are connected by the engagement between the engagement projection 134 of the cartridge presence/absence detecting lever 130 and the engagement groove 123 of the interface member 120. The interface member 120 is moved substantially linearly (linear movement), and the cartridge presence/absence detecting lever 130 is pivoted (rotational movement). In order to operate these two components in conjunction, the engagement groove 123 according to the present embodiment has a clearance substantially orthogonal to the direction in which the cartridge B is inserted (mounting direction). In other words, when the cartridge presence/absence detection lever 130 is pivoted, the engagement boss 134 is displaced in the vertical direction (as shown in fig. 14A and 14B), but the engagement groove 123 has a gap in the vertical direction, and therefore the displacement does not prevent the engagement (the engaged state can be maintained).

Since the engagement allows the interface member 120 to move in the direction of inserting the cartridge B, the cartridge presence/absence detecting lever 130 pivots about the lever pivot center 137 in the direction of the arrow R3. Accordingly, the lever-side abutment portion 135 also pivots in the direction of the arrow R3. Here, the sensor link member 131 is biased in the direction of the arrow R2 by a biasing member, not shown. More specifically, the sensor link member 131 pivots in the direction of the arrow R2 while the lever-side abutment portion 135 and the sensor link-side abutment portion 136 are held in abutment. Accordingly, the light shielding portion 132 also pivots, so that the light is shielded with respect to the optical axis (not shown) of the photo interrupter 133 in the present embodiment. That is, in a state where the cartridge B is inserted into the apparatus main body a (a state where the cartridge is mounted in the mounting portion), the sensor link member 131 is positioned at the second position.

Here, the sensor link member 131 in the present embodiment operates in conjunction with the above-described sheet width detection mechanism (not shown). The sensor link member 131 pivots by a certain amount in the direction of the arrow R2, and then abuts against a sheet width detection mechanism (not shown) to stop pivoting. At this time, the sensor link member 131 keeps the light shielding portion 132 from blocking light with respect to an optical axis (not shown) of the photo interrupter 133. According to the present embodiment, when the cartridge B is fully inserted, the cartridge presence/absence detecting lever 130 is in a further pivoted position so that the lever-side abutting portion 135 is in a position away from the sensor-link-side abutting portion 136, as shown in fig. 4A and 4B.

Here, with reference to fig. 15A, 15B, and 15C, the operation in conjunction with the sheet width detection mechanism as the second detection mechanism will be described. Fig. 15A, 15B, and 15C show the apparatus main body a as viewed from obliquely left rear (non-driving side and rear side) of the apparatus main body a. Fig. 15A shows a state where the cassette B is not inserted, fig. 15B shows a state where the cassette B is inserted, and fig. 15C shows a state where the sheet PA reaches the paper width detection mechanism and detects the width of the sheet PA from the state of fig. 15B. The conveying guide 91 is not shown for convenience of description.

Referring to fig. 15A, a state before insertion of the cartridge B will be described. According to the present embodiment, the paper width detection levers 150 (contact members) (not shown in fig. 13A, 13B, 14A, and 14B) are arranged in left-right pairs in a direction orthogonal to the conveying direction of the sheet PA, and are each biased in the direction of the arrow R4 about the Y axis by biasing members (not shown) each having an equal biasing force. According to the present embodiment, since the operation is the same for both the left and right sides, only one of these elements will be described. An abutting portion (not shown) of the conveyance guide 91 and an abutting portion 151 of the paper width detection lever 150 abut and stop. At this time, in the present embodiment, there is a gap between the sensor link side abutment portion 136 and the sheet width detection link side abutment portion 152 of the sensor link member 131. The light shielding portion 132 of the sensor link member 131 is at a position where the optical axis (not shown) of the photo interrupter 133 is placed in a light transmitting state.

Fig. 15B illustrates a state in which the cartridge B has been inserted. When the cartridge B is inserted as described above, the sensor link member 131 rotates in the direction of the arrow R2. Here, the biasing force from the biasing member for biasing the sensor link member 131 is set to be smaller than the sum of the biasing forces from the biasing members (not shown) for biasing the sheet width detection lever 150. More specifically, the sensor link member 131, which is pivoted in interlocking with the cartridge presence/absence detecting lever 130, is stopped when the sensor link side abutting portion 136 and the sheet width detecting lever side abutting portion 152 abut. Therefore, there is a gap between the lever-side abutment portion 135 and the sensor link-side abutment portion 136. At this time, the light shielding portion 132 of the sensor link member 131 is at a position where the optical axis (not shown) of the photo interrupter 133 is placed in a light shielding state. The paper width detection portion 153 as a contact member is in a position protruding to the sheet PA conveyance path side.

In fig. 15C, a state (operation of the second interlocking mechanism) in which it is detected that the width of the conveyed sheet PA is larger than a prescribed size (predetermined width) will be described. When the leading end of the sheet PA contacts the sheet width detection portion 153, the sheet width detection portion 153 (contact portion) is pushed by the sheet PA, and the sheet width detection lever 150 pivots. The rotation of the sheet width detection lever 150 causes the sheet width detection lever side abutment portion 152 to pivot. Here, since the sensor link member 131 is biased in the direction of the arrow R2 by a biasing member, not shown, the sheet-width-detecting-lever-side abutting portion 152 and the sensor link-side abutting portion 136 are kept in the abutting state. This causes the sensor link member 131 to pivot, and when the paper width detection lever 150 is rotated by the sheet PA more than a certain amount, the light shielding portion 132 of the sensor link member 131 is in a position (third position) where the optical axis (not shown) is placed in a light transmitting state. In this way, it can be determined that the sheet PA is larger than a prescribed size. That is, the sensor link member 131 is configured to move from the second position to the third position when the sensor link member 131 is pushed by the recording material (the width of which in the conveying direction is equal to or greater than a predetermined width).

Thereafter, when the rear end of the sheet PA exits the paper width detecting portion 153, the paper width detecting lever 150 returns to the state in fig. 15B. When the sheet PA is smaller than a prescribed size (when the width is narrower than a predetermined width), the paper width detection portion 153 and the sheet PA do not abut against each other. Therefore, the paper width detection lever 150 does not pivot, and the optical axis (not shown) of the photo interrupter 133 is maintained in the light shielding state. That is, the sensor link member 131 is held at the second position.

Based on the size detection result on the sheet PA from the above-described paper width detection mechanism, an engine controller (not shown) controls so as to lower the fixing temperature control when it is determined that the sheet size is smaller than the prescribed size.

According to the present embodiment, the rotational phase in which the light shielding portion 132 causes the photo interrupter 133 to be placed in the light transmissive state in the cartridge presence/absence detecting mechanism is different from the rotational phase in which the light shielding portion 132 causes the photo interrupter 133 to be placed in the light transmissive state in the sheet width detecting mechanism. More specifically, in the cartridge presence/absence detecting mechanism, when the photo interrupter 133 is changed from the light shielding state to the light transmitting state (when the cartridge B is removed), the rotational direction of the light shielding portion 132 is one rotational direction. In the paper width detection mechanism, when the photo interrupter 133 is changed from the light shielding state to the light transmitting state (when passage of the recording material is detected), the rotation direction of the light shielding portion 132 is another direction opposite to the above-described direction. In other words, in the event flow from the mounting of the cartridge B in the apparatus main body a to the detection of the conveyance width of the recording material, the direction in which the light shielding portion 132 rotates with respect to the photo interrupter 133 is one direction (the other rotation direction). Similarly, in the event flow until the passage of the recording material is no longer detected and the cartridge B is removed from the apparatus main body a, the direction in which the light shielding portion 132 rotates with respect to the photo interrupter 133 is one direction (one rotational direction).

Next, the fixing inlet flapper mechanism will be described. As described above, the interface member 120 has the sliding surface 124 including a slope. In other words, when the interface member 120 moves in the insertion direction of the cartridge B, the slide surface 124 also moves in the insertion direction of the cartridge B. The slide surface abutment portion 143 of the shutter link member 142 always abuts against the slide surface 124 and can only move linearly in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction) in fig. 14A, and therefore the slide surface abutment portion 143 moves upward as the slide surface 124 moves. In other words, the slope of the sliding surface 124 serves as a cam surface. As a result, the shutter lifting portion 144 also moves upward. That is, the rotational direction of the sensor link member 131 from the second position to the third position is opposite to the rotational direction of the sensor link member 131 from the second position to the first position.

Here, the operations of the interface member 120, the shutter link member 142, and the fixing inlet shutter when the cartridge B is inserted in the present embodiment are illustrated in fig. 16A, 16B, and 16C. Fig. 16A, 16B, and 16C are views of the apparatus main body a from the left side (non-driving side), and components not relevant to the present invention (e.g., the conveying guide 91) are not shown so that the components relevant to the present invention are visible.

Fig. 16A shows a state at the time when the cartridge-side projecting portion 102 and the main body-side abutment portion 122 of the cartridge B are in contact (abutment). As the cartridge B is inserted, the interface member 120 moves in the direction of inserting the cartridge B. Fig. 16B shows a state at the time when the insertion of the cartridge B is further advanced. In the present embodiment, as shown in fig. 16B, during the movement of the interface member 120, the contact between the baffle plate pushing portion 144 and the baffle plate side abutting portion 145 is switched from the head end to the base portion. In other words, the fixing inlet shutter 140 is configured such that the distance from the rotation axis center to the shutter-side abutting portion 145 (which is an abutted portion against which the shutter pushing portion 144 abuts) varies with rotation and decreases with rotation during movement from the closed state to the open state. This is to further reduce the size of the apparatus main body a by reducing the amount of movement of the interface member 120 and the amount of movement of the shutter link member 142. For example, when the distance from the center of the rotation shaft to the shutter-side abutting portion 145 is constant, the amount of movement of the interface member 120 must be set longer than in the present embodiment. Fig. 16C shows a state in which the cartridge B has been fully inserted. In this state, the sliding surface abutment portion 143 of the shutter link member 142 has reached the uppermost flat portion of the sliding surface 124 of the interface member 120. In other words, the flap pushing-up portion 144 is located uppermost, and the base side of the flap-side abutting portion 145 is lifted to the uppermost position. At this time, the fixing inlet flapper 140 is in a fully opened state.

As described above, the manner of switching the contact between the shutter-side abutting portion 145 and the shutter push-up portion 144 in the present embodiment is to further reduce the size of the apparatus main body a. Therefore, when there is sufficient space for the interface member 120 and the shutter link member 142 to operate, or when the shutter push-up portion 144 of the shutter link member 142 can be raised to a sufficient level to contact the head end side of the shutter-side abutting portion 145 of the fixing inlet shutter 140 in fig. 16C, it is not necessary to switch the contact in this way.

As described above, by performing the interlocking operation of the cartridge presence/absence detecting mechanism and the fixing inlet shutter mechanism by a single interface member, it is possible to save space and reduce the number of parts, so that it is possible to reduce cost.

According to the present embodiment, the interface member 120 moves linearly, the cartridge presence/absence detecting mechanism is a link mechanism capable of linear movement and pivotal movement using the engaging groove, and the fixing entrance flapper mechanism is a link mechanism using a sliding surface. However, the linkage mechanism by the single interface member is not limited by the configuration according to the embodiment. The operation of each mechanism when detaching the cartridge B from the mounted state corresponds to an operation performed in the reverse order of the above-described operation. This operation will not be described.

Second embodiment

Hereinafter, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following case according to the second embodiment, an operation in conjunction with a sheet width detection mechanism (not shown) is not required. Since the configurations of the image forming apparatus main body a and the cartridge B, the image forming process, and the operation of inserting and removing the cartridge B are the same as those according to the first embodiment, a description thereof will not be provided. Matters not specifically described in the description of the second embodiment are the same as those according to the first embodiment.

Construction of cartridge presence/absence detecting mechanism and fixing inlet shutter mechanism

The configuration of the cartridge presence/absence detecting mechanism will be described with reference to fig. 17 and 18B. Fig. 17 is a view for explaining individual components in the interface member 220 according to the second embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 18A and 18B show a state in which the cartridge B is not inserted. Fig. 18A is a view from the left side of the apparatus main body a, and fig. 18B is a view from diagonally right rear of the apparatus main body a. In order to make visible the portions related to the present invention, fig. 18A and 18B do not show portions not related to the present invention, such as the conveying guide 91.

The conveyance guide 91 of the apparatus main body a has an interface member 220 capable of substantially linear movement with respect to the direction in which the cartridge B is inserted. The interface member 220 has a main body side abutment portion 222 for abutment with the cartridge side protrusion 102.

The interface member 220 has a light shielding portion 223. The apparatus main body a is also provided with a photo interrupter 233 whose optical axis (not shown) is switched between light transmission and shielding by the light shielding portion 223. This portion is the cartridge presence/absence detecting mechanism in the present embodiment.

The conveying guide 91 has a fixing entrance flapper mechanism at a fixing entrance 141 through which the sheet PA is conveyed to the fixing device 9. The fixing inlet shutter mechanism is the same as that according to the first embodiment, including the sliding surface 224 provided in the interface member 220, and thus a description thereof will not be provided.

Like the first embodiment, the interface member 220 according to the present embodiment is always biased by the biasing member 125 such as a spring in the direction opposite to the direction in which the cartridge B is inserted.

Similar to the first embodiment, the fixing inlet flapper 140 according to the present embodiment is always biased in the direction of the arrow R1 by a biasing member, not shown.

Interlocked operation between cartridge presence/absence detecting mechanism and fixing inlet shutter mechanism

The linkage between the cartridge presence/absence detecting mechanism and the fixing inlet shutter mechanism will be described in detail with reference to fig. 18A, 18B, 19A, and 19B.

First, a state in which the cartridge B is not inserted into the apparatus main body a will be described with reference to fig. 18A and 18B. The interface member 220 is in the protruding position because the main body side abutment portion 222 is biased by the biasing member 125 in the direction opposite to the direction in which the cartridge B is inserted. At this time, the light shielding portion 223 is in a position in which the optical axis (not shown) of the photo interrupter 233 is placed in a light transmitting state. The broken-line arrow SP indicates a sheet conveying path. In other words, when the cartridge B is not inserted, the fixing inlet flapper 140 is in a position to block the conveying path. Since the fixing inlet flapper mechanism is the same as that according to the first embodiment described above, a description thereof will not be provided.

Next, a state in which the cartridge B is inserted into the apparatus main body a will be described with reference to fig. 19A and 19B. Fig. 19A is a view seen from the left side of the apparatus main body a. Fig. 19B is a view seen from diagonally right rear of the apparatus main body a. In order to make portions relevant to the present invention visible, fig. 19A and 19B do not show portions not relevant to the present invention, such as the conveying guide 91.

When the cartridge B is inserted into the apparatus main body a, the cartridge-side projecting portion 102 pushes into the main body-side abutment portion 222, and the interface member 220 moves in the direction of inserting the cartridge B, similarly to the above-described first embodiment.

As described above, the mouthpiece 220 is provided with the light shielding portion 223, and as the cartridge B is inserted, the light shielding portion 223 also moves. When the cartridge B is fully inserted (fig. 19A and 19B), the light shielding portion moves to a position where the optical axis (not shown) of the photo interrupter 233 is placed in a light shielding state.

As described above, the fixing inlet shutter mechanism is the same as that according to the first embodiment, including the sliding surface 224 of the interface member 220. Similar to the first embodiment described above, when the cartridge B is inserted, the fixing inlet flapper 140 rotates and the fixing inlet 141 is placed in a fully opened state.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, even when it is not necessary to operate in conjunction with the paper width detection mechanism, the cartridge presence/absence detection mechanism and the fixing entrance flapper mechanism can be operated in conjunction with each other by a single interface member, so that space can be saved and the number of parts can be reduced, whereby the cost can be reduced.

According to the present embodiment, the interface member 220 is capable of linear movement, and the fixing inlet shutter mechanism is a cam mechanism using a sliding surface. However, the interlocking mechanism by the single interface member is not limited by the configuration according to the embodiment.

According to the present embodiment, the interface member 220 is provided with the light shielding portion 223, but the shutter link member 142 or the fixing inlet shutter 140 may also be provided with the light shielding portion.

Third embodiment

A third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. The feature of the third embodiment is the interlocking operation of the cartridge presence/absence detecting mechanism and the paper width detecting mechanism.

A sheet width and attachable/detachable unit presence/absence detecting mechanism provided in an image forming apparatus according to a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to fig. 1, 20 to 22A, 22B, 23A, 23B, and 24.

Image forming apparatus with a plurality of image forming units

Referring to fig. 1, an image forming apparatus according to a third embodiment of the present invention will be described. Fig. 1 is a schematic sectional view of the entire configuration of an image forming apparatus according to the present embodiment.

As shown in fig. 1, in the image forming apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment, a sheet PA as a recording material stored in a sheet tray 4 is placed on a sheet lifting unit 23, and the sheet lifting unit 23 lifts the sheet PA to positions of a pickup roller 5a and a feed roller 5b, which are paper feeding portions provided in the image forming apparatus 100. When printing is performed on the sheet PA placed on a sheet lifting unit (not shown) in the image forming apparatus 100 of the present embodiment, the sheet PA reaches a transfer portion between the drum 62 and the transfer roller 27 via a conveying roller pair 5c from the pickup roller 5a and the feed roller 5b, and after forming an image, the sheet passes through a conveying path including a fixing device 9 (which is a fixing portion) and is discharged from a discharge roller pair 10 as a paper discharge portion to a discharge tray 11. The controller 200, which is a control unit that controls various operations performed by the image forming apparatus 100, detects the sheet width and the presence/absence of the attachable/detachable unit based on the light receiving state of the optical sensor by a sheet width and attachable/detachable unit presence/absence detection mechanism that will be described below.

Sheet width and detachable unit presence/absence detecting mechanism

Referring to fig. 20 and 21, the overall configuration of the sheet width and attachable/detachable unit presence/absence detecting mechanism according to the third embodiment will be described. Fig. 20 is a perspective view of an area indicated by X in the image forming apparatus 100 of fig. 1, when viewed obliquely from the arrow a1 side or the front side of the apparatus main body, illustrating a conveying path including a sheet width detection unit. Fig. 21 is a perspective view of an area indicated by X when viewed obliquely from the arrow B1 side as the main body rear side, illustrating the sheet width detection unit and the attachable/detachable unit presence/absence detection mechanism according to the present embodiment.

In fig. 20, P1 denotes a conveying path of the sheet PA from the conveying roller pair 5c to the transfer portion, L1 denotes a conveying area for small-size sheets, and L2 denotes a conveying area for large-size sheets (the maximum size that can be guided). It is assumed that the sheet is conveyed in this conveyance path P1 such that the centers in the width direction (the direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction C1) of the two types of sheets PA of the small-size sheet L1 and the large-size sheet L2 coincide with the conveyance reference O-OO in the conveyance path P1.

The first lever 210 and the second lever 211 in fig. 21 are rotatably held by a first lever holder 213a and a second lever holder 213b of a conveying guide 213 as a guide member, and are disposed at different positions across a conveying reference O-OO in a direction orthogonal to the conveying direction C1. The first lever 210 and the second lever 211 as the first moving members are biased in the direction of the arrow a1 by the lever spring 214 as the biasing member, and the rotational force is stopped by the rotational stopper 213c provided at the conveying guide 213 in fig. 20.

In fig. 20, when the sheet PA is conveyed to a region of the first lever 210 or the second lever 211 protruding from the guide surface 213 of the conveying guide 213, one end side of the sheet PA in the width direction is in contact with (abutment against) the contact portion 210a of the first lever 210 or the other end side is in contact with (abutment against) the contact portion 211a of the second lever 211. As pushed by the sheet PA, the first lever 210 or the second lever 211 pivots in the direction opposite to the arrow a 1. When the sheet PA has passed through, the first lever 210 or the second lever 211 is pivoted in the direction of the arrow a1 by the biasing force of the lever spring 214, and is stopped by contacting the rotation stopper 213c (which serves as a regulating portion) of the conveying guide 213. The rotation stopper 213c serves as a regulating portion that regulates the rotational movement range of the first lever 210 and the second lever 211 after the rotational phase in which the sensor flag 212 is held at the prescribed light shielding position.

Referring to fig. 21, 22A, and 22B, the operation of the sensor flag 212 as the flag member will be described. Fig. 22A and 22B are perspective views showing enlarged views of the area around the sensor flag 212 and the photo interrupter 216 in fig. 21. The sensor flag 212 is rotatably held by a sensor flag holder 213d of the conveyance guide 213, and is biased in the arrow b1 direction (first rotational direction) opposite to the arrow a1 direction (second rotational direction) by a sensor flag spring 215 as a biasing member. The rotational force in the direction of the arrow b1 is stopped when the arm 212a contacts the engaging portion 210b of the first lever 210, and the rotational force in the direction of the arrow b1 is stopped when the arm 212b contacts the engaging portion 211b of the second lever 211, similar to the arm 212 a.

When the large-size sheet L2 is conveyed in the conveying path P, the head end of the sheet PA contacts the contact portions 210a and 211a of the first and second levers 210 and 211. This causes both the first lever 210 and the second lever 211 to rotate in the direction opposite to the arrow a1, and the rotational force of the sensor flag 212 that has stopped at the arms 212a and 212b is released. At this time, the sensor flag 212 is rotated in the direction of the arrow b1 together with the first lever 210 and the second lever 211 by the biasing force of the sensor flag spring 215. The rotational force of the sensor flag 212 in the arrow b1 direction due to the biasing force of the sensor flag spring 215 is smaller than both the rotational force of the first lever 210 in the arrow a1 direction and the rotational force of the second lever 211 in the arrow a1 direction due to the biasing force of the lever spring 214.

Therefore, the sensor flag 212 can be rotated in the arrow b1 direction only when both the first lever 210 and the second lever 211 are rotated in the direction opposite to the arrow a1, and when only one of the first lever 210 and the second lever 211 is rotated in the direction opposite to the arrow a1, one of the arms 212a and 212b is kept engaged with the engaging portion 210b of the first lever 210 or the engaging portion 211b of the second lever 211, and thus the sensor flag 212 is not rotated in the direction of the arrow b 1.

Fig. 22A shows the sensor flag 212 in a position (light shielding position) where the first lever 210 and the second lever 211 are engaged with the rotation stopper 213c of the conveyance guide 213. The light shielding portion 212c of the sensor flag 212 shields the optical axis 216a of the photo interrupter 216 as an optical sensor, thereby putting the signal of the photo interrupter 216 in a "light shielding (OFF)" state. The position of the first lever 210 and the second lever 211 at this time is referred to as a "first position", and the position of the sensor flag 212 is referred to as a "standby position" (non-paper passage position).

In fig. 22B, the large-size sheet L2 is conveyed in the conveying path P1, the first lever 210 and the second lever 211 are rotated in the direction opposite to the arrow a1 in fig. 20, and the sensor flag 212 is rotated in the direction of the arrow B1 (in the first light-transmitting position). At this time, the light shielding portion 212c of the sensor flag 212 is away from the optical axis 216a of the photo interrupter 216 and does not shield the optical axis 216a, so that light from the light emitting portion can be received by the light receiving portion, and a signal from the photo interrupter 216 is placed in a "light transmitting (ON)" state. The position of the first lever 210 and the second lever 211 at this time is referred to as "second position", and the position of the sensor flag 212 is referred to as "paper passing position".

When the large-size sheet L2 passes, the contact portion 210a of the first lever 210 and the contact portion 211a of the second lever 211 continue to contact the sheet PA, so that the rotation state of the first lever 210 and the second lever 211 is maintained, and the signal from the photo interrupter 216 maintains the "light transmitting (ON)" state. In this way, it can be determined that the large-size sheet L2 is being conveyed according to the transition of the signal from the photo interrupter 216 from the "light-shielding (OFF)" state to the "light-transmitting (ON)" state.

When the first lever 210 and the second lever 211 return from the paper passage position to the standby position after the large-size sheet L2 has passed, the sensor flag 212 returns from the paper passage position in fig. 23B to the standby position in fig. 22A, and the signal from the photo interrupter 216 returns from "light transmission (ON)" to "light shielding (OFF)". When the small-size sheet L1 is conveyed, the first lever 210 and the second lever 211 do not rotate, so that the position of the sensor flag 212 remains at the standby position in fig. 22A, and it can be determined that the small-size sheet L1 is conveyed while the sheet PA is passing through the conveying path P because the "light-shielded (OFF)" state of the signal from the photo interrupter 216 is maintained. Table 1 below shows combinations of signals from the photo interrupter 216 in respective position states of the first lever 210, the second lever 211, and the sensor flag 212 according to the present embodiment.

[ Table 1]

With reference to fig. 21, 23A and 23B, the configuration and operation of a mechanism for detecting the presence/absence of an attachable/detachable unit such as the cartridge B will be described. Fig. 23A and 23B are perspective views when the sensor flag 212, the photo interrupter 216, and the third lever 217 are obliquely viewed from the arrow a1 side as the front side of the main body.

As shown in fig. 21, the third lever 217 as the second moving member is rotatably held by the third lever holder 213e of the conveying guide 213, and is biased in the direction of arrow c1 by the third lever spring 218. Fig. 23A shows the relationship between the sensor flag 212 and the third lever 217 in the standby position (mounting position) as the fourth position.

When the cartridge B is inserted into the image forming apparatus 100, the pressing portion 29a of the cartridge B contacts and pushes the detecting portion 217a of the third lever 217 in the direction of the arrow D1, which causes the third lever 217 to rotate in the direction of the arrow D1 opposite to the arrow c 1. As a result, the contact portion 217b moves to the retreated position where it is separated from the arm 212b in the direction of the arrow b1 (first rotation direction). At this time, since the arm 212b of the sensor flag 212 and the contact portion 217b of the third lever 217 do not contact each other, the sensor flag 212 is rotated in the direction of the arrow b1 by the biasing force of the sensor flag spring 215. As a result, since the sensor flag 212 is engaged with the contact portion 210a of the first lever 210 and the contact portion 211a of the second lever 211, the sensor flag 212 is stopped at the standby position and the signal from the photo interrupter 216 is placed in the "light-shielding (OFF)" state.

Next, the operation of the sensor flag 212 and the third lever 217 when the cartridge B is not inserted will be described with reference to fig. 23B.

When the cartridge B is not inserted, no pressing force from the pressing portion 29a of the cartridge B is applied to the detecting portion 217a of the third lever 217, and therefore the third lever 217 is rotated in the direction of the arrow c1 by the biasing force of the third lever spring 218. At this time, the third lever 217 contacts the arm 212b of the sensor flag 212 at the arm 212b, which causes the sensor flag 212 to rotate in the arrow e1 direction (second rotation direction) opposite to the arrow b1 direction.

When the sensor flag 212 contacts the rotation stopper 213f of the conveyance guide 213 shown in fig. 23B, the rotation of the third lever 217 in the arrow c1 direction is stopped. At this time, the light shielding portion 212c of the sensor flag 212 is moved away from the optical axis 216a of the photo interrupter 216, which releases the "light shielding (OFF)" state of the optical axis 216a, and the signal from the photo interrupter 216 is placed in the "light transmitting (ON)" state. When the sensor flag 212 is rotated in contact with the third lever 217 and the signal from the photo interrupter 216 is placed in the "light transmissive (ON)" state, the positions of the first lever 210, the second lever 211, the sensor flag 212, and the third lever 217 are the "detection position" (non-mounting position) as the third position.

Referring to fig. 24 and table 2, how to determine the insertion state and non-insertion state of the cartridge B and how to detect the size of the conveyed sheet PA in the width direction (determinations L1 and L2) according to the present embodiment will be described. Fig. 24 is a flowchart for illustrating a process from turning on the power supply of the image forming apparatus 100 to determining the size in the width direction of the conveyed sheet PA. Table 2 shows the positional relationship between the elements in each item in the flowchart in fig. 24 and the determination of the imaging apparatus 100 according to the situation. The respective numbers (1) to (7) in the flowchart in fig. 24 correspond to the numbers in table 2.

[ Table 2]

When the power supply of the imaging apparatus 100 is turned on in (1) of fig. 24, the imaging apparatus 100 checks the state of the signal from the photo interrupter 216 in (2). When the signal from the photo interrupter 216 detected for the first time corresponds to the "light transmission (ON)" state, the sensor flag 212 is in the state of (3), i.e., in either the detection position (fig. 23B) or the sheet passing position (fig. 22B). In this case, the following two cases can be assumed.

Without cartridge insertion

The cartridge B is not inserted into the image forming apparatus 100, and the third lever 217 is in the detection position, which causes the sensor flag 212 to rotate in the direction of arrow e in fig. 23B to the detection position (fig. 23B), so that the signal from the photo interrupter 216 is placed in the "light transmissive (ON)" state.

Sheet remaining in image forming apparatus

When the image forming apparatus 100 stops operating due to any external factor or operation failure during conveyance of the sheet PA, and the sheet PA is held or stopped in the conveyance path P1, the first lever 210 and the second lever 211 may be pushed by the sheet PA to rotate in a direction opposite to the direction of the arrow a1 in fig. 21. As a result, the engagement of the sensor flag 212 by the first lever 210 and the second lever 211 is released, the sensor flag 212 is rotated in the direction of the arrow B1 to the sheet passing position (fig. 23B), and the signal from the photo interrupter 216 is placed in the "light transmitting (ON)" state.

As described above, when the image forming apparatus 100 recognizes the state (3) in fig. 24, the operator needs to insert a toner cartridge or remove a sheet PA remaining in the apparatus, and the image forming apparatus 100 may prompt the operator to perform any of these tasks, for example, through a display.

In the image forming apparatus 100 having the C-shaped path shape as shown in fig. 1, in order to insert and remove the toner cartridge B and remove the remaining sheet PA, an opening/closing door provided at the front side of the apparatus needs to be opened. When the open/close door is opened in response to an instruction from, for example, a display of the image forming apparatus 100, the operator can visually check whether the cassette B is present, and when the cassette B has been inserted but the print preparation has not been completed, the operator can immediately determine that the sheet PA remains in the apparatus.

When the state of the signal from the photo interrupter 216 is checked in (2) of fig. 24, if the signal is in the "light-shielding (OFF)" state, the sensor flag 212 is in the standby position (fig. 22A), i.e., state (4). This is limited to the case where the first lever 210 and the second lever 211 are in the standby position and the third lever 217 is rotated from the detection position (fig. 23B) to the standby position (fig. 23A).

Therefore, it can be determined that the cartridge B has been inserted into the image forming apparatus 100 and the sheet PA remaining in the apparatus is not at least within the range of the rotational locus of the first lever 210 and the second lever 211. In this case, the image forming apparatus 100 determines for the first time that the print preparation (image forming operation preparation) has been completed. After the state (4), when printing is started and the sheet PA reaches the conveying path P1, the state of the signal from the photo interrupter 216 is checked again. At this time, when the signal from the photo interrupter 216 is still in the "light shielding (OFF)" state even if a sufficiently long time has elapsed for the sheet PA to reach the positions of the first lever 210 and the second lever 211, the image forming apparatus 100 determines that the sheet PA passing therethrough is the small-size sheet L1.

ON the other hand, in (5), when the signal from the photo interrupter 216 is in the "light transmitting (ON)" state, the first lever 210 and the second lever 211 contact the sheet PA and rotate, and the disengaged sensor flag 212 rotates to the paper passing position (fig. 22B). Therefore, the image forming apparatus 100 determines that the conveyed sheet PA is the large-size sheet L2.

According to the present embodiment, the following advantages are provided in the paper width and attachable/detachable unit presence/absence detecting mechanism in the image forming apparatus.

In an image forming apparatus provided with a paper width detection mechanism and a photo interrupter corresponding to the paper width detection, a lever member is provided to detect the presence or absence of an attachable/detachable unit (e.g., a toner cartridge) that is attachable to or detachable from an apparatus main body, and by operating the lever member in conjunction with the paper width detection mechanism, the presence or absence of the attachable/detachable unit can be detected without providing a new dedicated photo interrupter. In this way, the configuration of the image forming apparatus can be simplified and the cost can be reduced.

According to the present embodiment, it cannot be determined whether the print preparation is not completed because the cartridge B is not inserted or because the sheet PA remains inside the image forming apparatus 100 in the state (3) in fig. 24. However, when this embodiment is combined with the signal state of another photo interrupter provided for other purposes, it is possible to determine which state the imaging apparatus 100 is in state (3).

For example, many image forming apparatuses are provided with a sheet head end detection lever for detecting the head end position of the sheet PA and a corresponding photo interrupter in a range where the first lever 210 and the second lever 211 are provided in the conveying path P1. In the state in (3), when the signal from the photo interrupter for detecting the sheet head end position is a signal corresponding to the paper passing position of the sheet head end detection lever, the sheet head end detection lever contacts the sheet PA to move, which indicates that the lever is in the sheet detection position. Therefore, it can be determined that the signal from the photo interrupter 216 is in the "light transmissive (ON)" state, not because the cartridge B is not inserted, but because the sheet PA remains in the conveying path P1.

Meanwhile, in the state (3), when the signal from the photo interrupter for detecting the sheet head end position is a signal corresponding to the standby position of the sheet head end detection lever, it is unlikely that any sheet PA remains in the conveying path P1, and it can be determined that the cartridge B is not inserted.

According to the present embodiment, the signal from the photo interrupter 216 at the standby position as one position is in the "light-shielding (OFF)" state, and the signal from the photo interrupter 216 at the paper passing position and the detection position as the other position is in the "light-transmitting (ON)" state, but the present invention is not limited thereto. When the shape of the light shielding portion 212c of the sensor flag 212 is changed, it is possible to set the standby position as another position corresponding to a "light transmitting (ON)" state, and set the paper passing position and the detection position as one position corresponding to a "light shielding (OFF)" state.

According to the embodiment of the present invention, the cartridge B is used as an example of an attachable/detachable unit to be attached to and detached from the image forming apparatus 100, and the detection of the detached/attached state of the cartridge B has been described, but the attachable/detachable unit according to the present invention is not limited to the cartridge B. For example, the present invention may be applied to detect the insertion/extraction state of the sheet tray 4 which loads the sheet PA and can be inserted into and removed from the image forming apparatus 100. Further, the present invention can be applied to detect any detection state other than the detachment/attachment state of the attachable/detachable unit. For example, the present invention may be applied to detect the open/close state of a door member that can be opened and closed with respect to the image forming apparatus 100.

While the present invention has been described with reference to exemplary embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed exemplary embodiments. The scope of the following claims is to be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent structures and functions.