Patent Publication Number: US-8985572-B2

Title: Sheet loading unit, sheet transport device, and image forming apparatus including the same

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority from the corresponding Japanese Patent Application No. 2013-172092, filed Aug. 22, 2013, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present disclosure relates to a sheet loading unit including a pair of cursors for positioning sheets in a width direction, and a pinion engaging with racks of the cursors so as to rotate, and to a sheet transport device and an image forming apparatus including the same. 
     Conventionally, there is widely used a sheet loading unit equipped with a pair of cursors including racks moving in the width direction of a paper sheet (sheet) and positioning portions for positioning the paper sheet in the width direction, and a pinion engaging with the pair of racks so as to rotates when the racks move. The racks and the pinion are disposed between a sheet loading plate on which the paper sheets are loaded and a main body disposed below the sheet loading plate, and the positioning portions of the cursors are disposed above the sheet loading plate. 
     In an assembling process of this sheet loading unit, the sheet loading plate is placed in a turned over state (upside down), and the pair of racks are placed on the sheet loading plate. Then, the pinion is engaged with the pair of racks and is attached to a shaft of the sheet loading plate. After that, the sheet loading plate, the racks and the pinion are turned over and are placed and attached onto the main body. In order to prevent the pinion from dropping off in this case, a snap fit structure for preventing drop-off of the pinion is provided to the shaft of the sheet loading plate in the conventional sheet loading unit. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A sheet loading unit according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes a main body, a sheet loading plate, a pair of positioning portions, a pair of racks, and a pinion. The sheet loading plate is disposed on an upper surface of the main body, and at least a part of sheet is loaded on it. The positioning portions are disposed to be opposed to each other on an upper surface of the sheet loading plate and are capable of moving in a width direction perpendicular to a sheet transport direction, so as to contact with the sheet for performing positioning of the sheet in the width direction. The racks are connected to the positioning portions and include rack gear parts disposed between the sheet loading plate and the main body so as to extend in the width direction. The pinion is supported between the sheet loading plate and the main body in a rotatable manner and is engaged with the pair of rack gear parts so that the positioning portions move in an interlocking manner. At least one of the racks is provided with a stopper capable of moving between a first position facing a lower surface of the pinion and a second position not facing the lower surface of the pinion in response to the rack moves along the width direction. 
     Other objects of the present invention and specific advantages obtained from the present disclosure will become more apparent from the description of embodiments given below. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       These and/or other aspects and advantages of the invention will become apparent and more readily appreciated from the following description of the embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of which: 
         FIG. 1  is a cross-sectional view schematically illustrating a structure of a multifunction peripheral equipped with a document loading unit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view illustrating a structure of a multifunction peripheral equipped with the document loading unit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view illustrating a structure of the document loading unit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view illustrating a structure from below of a rack and a pinion and vicinity thereof in the document loading unit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure from which a main body is removed. 
         FIG. 5  is a cross section perspective view illustrating a structure from below of the rack and the pinion and vicinity thereof in the document loading unit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure from which the main body is removed. 
         FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional view illustrating a structure of the rack and the pinion and vicinity thereof in the document loading unit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective view illustrating a structure from below of the rack and the pinion and vicinity thereof in the document loading unit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure from which a main body is removed. 
         FIG. 8  is a bottom view illustrating a structure of the rack and the pinion and vicinity thereof in the document loading unit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure from which a main body is removed. 
         FIG. 9  is a cross-sectional view illustrating a state where the pinion goes up in the document loading unit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 10  is a cross-sectional view illustrating a state where a document loading plate and the rack and the pinion are turned upside down in an assembling process of the document loading unit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS 
     Now, embodiments of the present disclosure are described with reference to the drawings. 
     With reference to  FIG. 1  to  FIG. 10 , a structure of an multifunction peripheral  100  equipped with a document loading unit (sheet loading unit)  30  according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is described. Note that a tandem color multifunction peripheral is described here as the image forming apparatus. Four image forming units Pa, Pb, Pc, and Pd are disposed in order from a transport direction upstream side (right side in  FIG. 1 ) in a main body of the multifunction peripheral  100 . These image forming units Pa to Pd are disposed corresponding to four images of different colors (magenta, cyan, yellow and black), and form magenta, cyan, yellow and black images in order by charging, exposing, developing, and transferring processes. 
     These image forming units Pa to Pd are provided with photoreceptor drums  1   a ,  1   b ,  1   c  and  1   d  for carrying visible images (toner images) of individual colors, respectively, and an intermediate transfer belt  8  driven by drive means (not shown) to rotate in a clockwise direction in  FIG. 1  is disposed to be adjacent to the image forming units Pa to Pd. The toner images formed on the photoreceptor drums  1   a  to  1   d  are primarily transferred and superposed in order onto the intermediate transfer belt  8  that moves while contacting with the photoreceptor drums  1   a  to  1   d . After that, the toner image on the intermediate transfer belt  8  is secondarily transferred onto a paper sheet P as an example of a recording medium by a secondary transfer roller  9  and is further fixed onto the paper sheet P by a fixing unit  13 . Then, the paper sheet P is discharged from the apparatus main body. The photoreceptor drums  1   a  to  1   d  are rotated in a counter clockwise direction in  FIG. 1  so that image forming processes are performed on the photoreceptor drums  1   a  to  1   d.    
     The paper sheet P onto which the toner image is transferred is stored in a paper sheet cassette  16  in a lower part of the apparatus. The paper sheet P is transported by a sheet feed roller  12   a  and a registration roller pair  12   b  to a nip part between the secondary transfer roller  9  and a drive roller  11  for the intermediate transfer belt  8  described later. The intermediate transfer belt  8  is made of a dielectric resin sheet, and a seamless belt is mainly used. In addition, on a downstream side of the secondary transfer roller  9 , there is disposed a blade-like belt cleaner  19  for removing the toner and the like remaining on the surface of the intermediate transfer belt  8 . 
     An image reading unit  20  includes a scanning optical system equipped with a scanner lamp for illuminating a document (sheet) in copying and a mirror for changing an optical path of reflection light from the document, a condenser lens for condensing the reflection light from the document to form an image, and a CCD sensor for converting the formed image light into an electric signal (which are not shown). The image reading unit  20  reads a document image and generates image data. 
     On an upper surface of the image reading unit  20 , there are disposed a document placing table (not shown) equipped with a transparent glass plate (contact glass) and an operation panel  21  protruding toward a front of the apparatus. In addition, on the upper surface of the image reading unit  20 , a document transport device (sheet transport device)  22  (see  FIG. 2 ) including a transport roller (sheet transport unit) and the like for transporting the document sheet to an image reading position on the document placing table is supported in an openable and closable manner. Note that  FIG. 2  is an external perspective view of the multifunction peripheral  100  viewed from the front (right direction in  FIG. 1 ). 
     Next, the image forming units Pa to Pd are described. As illustrated in  FIG. 1 , around and below the photoreceptor drums  1   a  to  1   d  disposed in a rotatable manner, there are disposed chargers  2   a ,  2   b ,  2   c  and  2   d  for charging the photoreceptor drums  1   a  to  1   d , an exposing device  5  for exposing image information on the photoreceptor drums  1   a  to  1   d , developing units  3   a ,  3   b ,  3   c  and  3   d  for forming toner images on the photoreceptor drums  1   a  to  1   d , and cleaning units  7   a ,  7   b ,  7   c  and  7   d  for removing developer (toner) and the like remaining on the photoreceptor drums  1   a  to  1   d.    
     When image data is input from the image reading unit  20 , first the surfaces of the photoreceptor drums  1   a  to  1   d  are uniformly charged by the chargers  2   a  to  2   d . Then, the exposing device  5  irradiates the photoreceptor drums  1   a  to  1   d  with light in accordance with the image data, and hence electrostatic latent images corresponding to the image data are formed on the photoreceptor drums  1   a  to  1   d . A predetermined amount of two-component developer containing magenta, cyan, yellow and black color toner are respectively filled in the developing devices  3   a  to  3   d . Further, when a ratio of toner in the two-component developer stored in the developing devices  3   a  to  3   d  becomes lower than a predetermined value as toner images are formed as described below, the toner is supplied from toner cartridges  4   a  to  4   d  to the developing devices  3   a  to  3   d . The toner in the developer is supplied by the developing devices  3   a  to  3   d  onto the photoreceptor drums  1   a  to  1   d  and is adhered to the same in an electrostatic manner so that the toner image is formed in accordance with the electrostatic latent image formed by exposure by the exposing device  5 . 
     Then, a predetermined transfer voltage is applied to primary transfer rollers  6   a  to  6   d  so that the magenta, cyan, yellow and black toner images on the photoreceptor drums  1   a  to  1   d  are primary transferred onto the intermediate transfer belt  8 . These four color images are formed with a predetermined positional relationship determined for forming a predetermined full color image in advance. After that, as preparation for successive formation of a new electrostatic latent image, the toner and the like remaining on the surface of the photoreceptor drums  1   a  to  1   d  is removed by the cleaning units  7   a  to  7   d.    
     The intermediate transfer belt  8  is stretched around a transport roller  10  on an upstream side and the drive roller  11  on a downstream side. When a driving motor (not shown) rotates the drive roller  11 , the intermediate transfer belt  8  starts to rotate in a clockwise direction. Then, the paper sheet P is transported from the registration roller pair  12   b  at predetermined timing to the nip part (secondary transfer nip part) between the drive roller  11  and the adjacent secondary transfer roller  9 , and the full color image on the intermediate transfer belt  8  is transferred onto the paper sheet P. The paper sheet P with the transferred toner image is transported to the fixing unit  13 . 
     The paper sheet P transported to the fixing unit  13  is heated and pressed by a fixing roller pair  13   a  so that the toner image is fixed to the surface of the paper sheet P, and a predetermined full color image is formed. A transport direction of the paper sheet P with the formed full color image is changed at a branching part  14  branching into a plurality of directions. When forming an image only on one side of the paper sheet P, the paper sheet P is discharged onto a discharge tray  17  as it is by a discharge roller  15 . 
     On the other hand, when forming images on both sides of the paper sheet P, the paper sheet P after passing the fixing unit  13  is temporarily transported in the direction to the discharge roller  15 . After a rear end of the paper sheet P passes the branching part  14 , the discharge roller  15  is reversely rotated, and the transport direction of the branching part  14  is switched. Then, the rear end of the paper sheet P is led to a paper sheet transport path  18  so that the paper sheet P is transported again to the secondary transfer nip part in a state where the image side is reversed. Then, the next image formed on the intermediate transfer belt  8  is transferred by the secondary transfer roller  9  onto the new side without an image of the paper sheet P. Then, the paper sheet P is transported to the fixing unit  13  so that the toner image is fixed, and then is discharged onto the discharge tray  17 . 
     Next, a structure of the document loading unit  30  disposed in the document transport device  22  of the image reading unit  20  is described. 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 2  and  FIG. 3 , the document loading unit  30  includes a document loading plate (sheet loading plate)  31  on which the document (sheet) is loaded, a main body  32  disposed below the document loading plate  31  so as to support the document loading plate  31 , a pair of cursors  33  for positioning the document, and a pinion  34  disposed between the document loading plate  31  and main body  32  in a rotatable manner (see  FIG. 4 ). 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 3 , the document loading plate  31  is provided with two slits extending in a document width direction (perpendicular to a document transport direction), and the cursors  33  move along the slits. In addition, as illustrated in  FIG. 4  and  FIG. 5 , a lower surface of the document loading plate  31  is provided with a shaft (boss)  31   a  protruding downward to be the rotation shaft of the pinion  34 . Note that in the document loading plate  31 , as illustrated in  FIG. 3 , a downstream side part  31   b  and an upstream side part  31   c  in the document transport direction may be formed separately or may be molded integrally. 
     The main body  32  forms a lower surface of the document loading unit  30 . As illustrated in  FIG. 6 , the main body  32  is provided with a support  32   a  for supporting a lower surface of the pinion  34  so as to protrude upward at a position corresponding to the shaft  31   a  of the document loading plate  31 . This support  32   a  has an inner diameter larger than an outer diameter of the shaft  31   a  and pivoted by the shaft  31   a . In addition, an upper end (tip) of the support  32   a  is disposed upper than a lower end of the shaft  31   a  in the state where the document loading plate  31  is attached to the main body  32  and is disposed upper than a contact surface of a stopper  35   c  described later contacting with the pinion  34 . 
     The cursors  33  include racks  35  disposed between the document loading plate  31  and the main body  32  so as to move along the document width direction (see  FIG. 4 ) and positioning portions  36  connected to the racks  35  so as to be disposed to be opposed to each other on an upper surface of the document loading plate  31  for performing positioning in the document width direction (see  FIG. 3 ). The rack  35  and the positioning portion  36  are attached to the main body  32  in a slidable manner so as to straddle two parallel slits  37  formed in the document loading plate  31  so as to extend in the document width direction. Note that the rack  35  and the positioning portion  36  may be integrally connected by fit-in or the like or may be formed integrally by resin molding. 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 4 , the rack  35  includes a sliding part (rack gear part)  35   a  extending in the document width direction and an extension part (connection part)  35   b  extending from one end of the sliding part  35   a  in a direction perpendicular to the document width direction. A rack gear extending in the document transport direction is formed on one side edge in a short side direction of the sliding part  35   a . The extension part  35   b  of one of the racks  35  is formed to straddle the sliding part  35   a  of the other rack  35 . 
     Here, the extension part  35   b  of the one of the racks  35  is provided with the stopper  35   c  that can pass a part of the lower surface of the pinion  34  (first position opposed to the lower surface of the pinion  34 ). Between this stopper  35   c  and the extension part  35   b , there may be disposed a connection part (arm)  35   d  extending in the document width direction so as to connect the stopper  35   c  and the extension part  35   b  and to overlap the sliding part  35   a  of the other rack  35  in an up and down direction. 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 4  and  FIG. 7 , the stopper  35   c  extends from the connection part  35   d  to the pinion  34 . When the rack  35  moves along the document width direction, the stopper  35   c  moves between a first position facing (overlapping) the lower surface of the pinion  34  (position facing the upper surface in  FIG. 4 ) and a second position that does not face (not overlap) the lower surface of the pinion  34 . Then, in a state where the stopper  35   c  of one of the racks  35  is at the first position facing the lower surface of the pinion  34  (state of  FIG. 4  and  FIG. 5 ), the stopper  35   c  of one of the racks  35  and the sliding part  35   a  of the other rack  35  are opposed to each other via a part of the pinion  34 . 
     In addition, as illustrated in  FIG. 8 , the one of the racks  35  with the stopper  35   c  may be provided with a rib (contact rib)  35   e  that can be elastically deformed may be formed at one side edge of the connection part  35   d , while the other rack  35  may be provide with an engaging part (protrusion)  35   f  that engages with the rib  35   e  when the stopper  35   c  moves to the first position facing the lower surface of the pinion  34 . The engaging part  35   f  is protruding on a surface of the other rack  35 . 
     In addition, as illustrated in  FIG. 9 , the surface of the stopper  35   c  facing the pinion  34  (lower surface of the stopper  35   c  in  FIG. 9 ) at the first position is formed in a convex shape having inclined surfaces inclining to be lower toward both ends from a vertex that is the center in the document width direction (moving direction of the stopper  35   c , or the left and right direction in  FIG. 9 ). 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 4  and  FIG. 5 , the pinion  34  is attached to the shaft  31   a  of the document loading plate  31  in a rotatable manner. The pinion  34  is provided with a pinion gear (not shown) engaging with the pair of rack gears, and the pinion  34  rotates along with movement of the racks  35 . Therefore, when one of the cursors  33  is moved, the pinion  34  rotates so that the other cursor  33  moves in the opposite direction to the one of the cursors  33  by the same movement amount. 
     In a state where the document loading unit  30  is assembled (as illustrated in  FIG. 6 ), the pinion  34  is supported by the support  32   a  of the main body  32  so that a predetermined gap is formed between the pinion  34  and the stopper  35   c  so as not to contact with the stopper  35   c.    
     Next, the assembling process of the document loading unit  30  is described. 
     First, as illustrated in  FIG. 7 , the document loading plate  31  is placed upside down, and the pair of racks  35  is placed thereon. Further, the rack  35  and the positioning portion  36  are secured via the slits of the document loading plate  31 . In this case, the racks  35  are placed so that the positioning portions  36  are closest to each other. 
     After that, the pinion  34  is attached to the shaft  31   a  of the document loading plate  31  while the pinion gear of the pinion  34  is engaged with the pair of rack gears. In this case, the stopper  35   c  is placed at a position not contacting with the pinion  34 . 
     After that, as illustrated in  FIG. 4 , the rack  35  is moved by a predetermined distance in the direction such that the positioning portions  36  approach to each other. Thus, the stopper  35   c  is moved to the first position facing the lower surface of the pinion  34  (at this stage, it is the position facing the upper surface of the pinion  34  because they are upside down). In this way, the pinion  34  is disposed between the stopper  35   c  and the sliding part  35   a  so that movement of the pinion  34  in the up and down direction is restricted. 
     Further, as illustrated in  FIG. 8 , when the stopper  35   c  is moved in the document width direction, it is perceived that the stopper  35   c  is moved to the first position facing the lower surface of the pinion  34  from a feeling when the rib  35   e  is engaged with the engaging part  35   f . Therefore, it is not necessary to visually check a position of the stopper  35   c . In addition, it is possible to prevent the cursors  33  from expanding during assembly work so that the stopper  35   c  is removed from the lower surface of the pinion  34  (the stopper  35   c  moves to the second position). In addition, as illustrated in  FIG. 9 , even if the pinion  34  is raised, the surface of the stopper  35   c  facing the pinion  34  (lower surface in  FIG. 9 ) presses the pinion  34  so that the rise of the pinion  34  is corrected. 
     Further, as illustrated in  FIG. 10 , the document loading plate  31 , the rack  35 , and the pinion  34  are turned upside down. In this case, because the stopper  35   c  supports the lower surface of the pinion  34 , the pinion  34  does not drop off. 
     After that, as illustrated in  FIG. 6 , the document loading plate  31 , the rack  35 , and the pinion  34  are placed and attached onto the main body  32 . In this case, the pinion  34  is raised and supported by the support  32   a  of the main body  32 , and a predetermined gap is formed between the pinion  34  and the stopper  35   c . In other words, the stopper  35   c  does not contact with the pinion  34 . 
     In this way, the document loading unit  30  is assembled. 
     In this embodiment, as described above, one of the racks  35  is provided with the stopper  35   c  that can move between the first position facing (overlapping) the lower surface of the pinion  34  and the second position that does not face (not overlap) the lower surface of the pinion  34  in response to the rack  35  moves in the width direction. In this way, in the assembling process of the document loading unit  30 , the document loading plate  31  is placed upside down, and the rack  35  and pinion  34  are placed thereon. Then, the stopper  35   c  is moved to the first position facing the lower surface of the pinion  34  (in this stage, it is the position facing the upper surface of the pinion  34  because the document loading plate  31 , the rack  35 , and the pinion  34  are placed upside down). Therefore, even if the document loading plate  31 , the rack  35 , and the pinion  34  are reversed upside down, the pinion  34  can be prevented from dropping off. Therefore, it is not necessary to provide the sheet loading plate with a snap fit structure for preventing drop-off of the pinion like the conventional sheet loading unit. Thus, it is not necessary to add a slide structure to a mold of the sheet loading plate or to form an opening in the surface of the sheet loading plate. Further, because it is not necessary to add the slide structure to the mold of the document loading plate  31 , an increase of manufacturing cost can be suppressed. In addition, because it is not necessary to form the opening in the surface of the document loading plate  31 , it is not necessary to attach a label or the like to the opening, and hence an increase of manufacturing cost and complicated manufacturing steps can be suppressed. 
     In addition, the drop-off of the pinion  34  can be prevented only by moving the stopper  35   c  to the first position facing the lower surface of the pinion  34  before turning upside down of the document loading plate  31 , the rack  35 , and the pinion  34 . Therefore, the assembly work is not complicated. 
     In addition, as described above, the stopper  35   c  and the other rack  35  are opposed to each other via a part of the pinion  34  in a state where the stopper  35   c  of one of the racks  35  is disposed at the first position. In this way, drop-off of the pinion  34  can be easily prevented. 
     In addition, as described above, one of the racks  35  is provided with the rib  35   e  that can be elastically deformed, and the other rack  35  is provided with the engaging part  35   f  that engages with the rib  35   e  at the first position when the stopper  35   c  is being moved from the second position to the first position. In this way, in the assembling process of the document loading unit  30 , when the stopper  35   c  is moved from the second position to the first position, it is perceived whether or not the stopper  35   c  is moved to the first position by a feeling when the engaging part  35   f  is engaged with the rib  35   e . In other words, it is not necessary to visually check a position of the stopper  35   c . Therefore, assembly workability can be improved. 
     In addition, as described above, the surface of the stopper  35   c  facing the pinion  34  is formed in a convex shape having inclined surfaces inclining to be lower toward both ends from a vertex that is the center in the document width direction (moving direction of the stopper  35   c ). In this way, when the pinion  34  is placed on the document loading plate  31 , even if the worker misses rise (insufficient insertion) of the pinion  34 , the surface of the stopper  35   c  facing the pinion  34  presses the pinion  34  so as to correct the rise when the stopper  35   c  is moved to the first position. 
     In addition, as described above, the pinion  34  is supported by the support  32   a  so that downward movement thereof is restricted in a state where the document loading unit  30  is assembled. Therefore, the pinion  34  does not contact with the stopper  35   c . In this way, because deterioration of rotation performance of the pinion  34  can be suppressed, deterioration of operability of the cursors  33  can be suppressed. 
     Note that the embodiments described above are examples in every aspect and should not be interpreted as restrictions. The scope of the present disclosure is defined not by the above description of the embodiments but by the claims, which includes all modifications within equivalent meanings and range to the claims. 
     For instance, in the embodiment described above, the document loading unit  30  provided to the document transport device  22  of the image reading unit  20  is exemplified and described as the sheet loading unit of the present disclosure, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. For instance, the present disclosure can be applied also to a manual feeding tray (sheet loading unit). In addition, the present disclosure can be applied also to a sheet feed cassette (sheet loading unit) that can be attached to and detached from the image forming apparatus main body, in which the sheet stack tray (sheet loading plate) swings in the up and down direction. 
     In addition, in the embodiment described above, there is described an example where the stopper is provided to only one of the racks, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. It is possible to provide the stoppers to both racks.