JP2006082899A - Image formation device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a technology for reducing the scratch sound of a recording medium without generating jam or the like in an image formation device having a corrugation roll giving a curved surface to the recording medium. <P>SOLUTION: A scratch sound generation prevention means such as a means for forming a recession part 42, a means for forming a flat surface 43 or a means using a material 44 different from the other part is provided on a part of a conveying passage corresponding to a portion formed with the protrusively curved surface on the recording medium by the corrugation roll. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus, and more particularly, to a technique for preventing scratching sound of a recording medium in a recording medium conveyance path.

  In image forming apparatuses such as copiers, environmental compatibility has been emphasized in recent years. In particular, from the viewpoint of noise, it is possible to clear official environmental regulations such as the Eco Mark in Japan and the Blue Angel Mark overseas. It has become a factor that increases the value of the product.

  In order to reduce noise, the most basic solution is to eliminate or reduce the number of sound sources, but it is recording medium feed sound that remains unsolvable. In the present specification, a sheet will be described as a representative recording medium.

  The recording medium feed sound, that is, the sound generated when the sheet rubs against the chute, that is, the so-called rubbing sound, has been a big problem because it is generated while the sheet passes.

  For this problem, the chute is formed on the inner side and the outer side in the curved radial direction of the paper conveyance path, and the inner side of the tangent line connecting the peripheral surfaces of the inner rolls of the pair of paper conveyance rolls provided upstream and downstream of the chute. Improvements have been made so that the paper is not in contact with the chute as much as possible by providing an inner chute (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

  However, due to the fact that the size of the image forming apparatus is reduced, and after passing through the fixing device, the paper has to be discharged with a very tight curve, such a means is good because the gap between the inner and outer chutes greatly opens. For example, it is not preferable because the paper running performance cannot be maintained.

  Rather, as a new issue, after discharging, the paper is weak and the leading edge hangs down and curls, resulting in poor storage on the subsequent tray. A technique is adopted in which the paper is consciously waved in a direction perpendicular to the sheet, corrugated to discharge the paper, and no capacity failure occurs. In this case, a housing failure is avoided, but the sheet comes into contact with the inner chute or a part of the outer chute and a rubbing sound is generated.

On the other hand, if the gap between the inner and outer chutes is enlarged so that it does not simply touch the chute or if a part of the chute is removed, jams occur frequently when running on curled paper, etc., and the running performance will be significantly reduced. There were problems such as.
JP 08-059020 A (page 2-3, FIG. 3)

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems and to provide a technique for eliminating or reducing a paper rubbing sound without causing a jam or the like.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and is an image forming apparatus characterized by taking the following technical means. That is, according to the present invention, in an image forming apparatus having a corrugation roll that gives a curved surface to a recording medium, the recording medium has a convex curved surface by the corrugation roll in a recording medium conveyance path upstream or downstream of the corrugation roll. An image forming apparatus is characterized in that a means for preventing generation of scratching sound is provided in a portion corresponding to a place to be formed.

  In the image forming apparatus, as the scratching noise preventing means, if the corresponding part is formed with a concave part, a smooth surface, or a different means from other parts, a scratching sound is generated. Occurrence can be prevented or minimized, which is preferred.

  According to the present invention, in an image forming apparatus provided with a corrugation roll, it is possible to prevent or reduce the generation of scratching sound without causing jam or the like.

  That is, when a concave portion is formed in a portion of the paper conveyance path on the upstream side or downstream side of the corrugation roll that corresponds to the location where the recording medium forms a convex curved surface by the corrugation roll, the undulated paper becomes a chute. There will be no scratching because it will not touch. Since there is a chute except for a part that is notched, the running performance of curled paper or the like is not hindered.

  In addition, a smooth surface may be formed on a portion of the paper conveyance path on the upstream side or the downstream side of the corrugation roll corresponding to a location where the recording medium forms a convex curved surface by the corrugation roll, or sound may be generated with other materials. By attaching something that does not give off, it became possible to run without generating scratching noise. In this case, corrugation is applied to the paper to take measures against poor storage performance, and the paper does not curl and runnability is reduced.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing the structure of the paper discharge portion of the image forming apparatus to which the present invention is applied. The sheet 12 that has passed through the fixing roll 11 passes through the exit chutes 13 and 14 and is discharged onto the sheet tray 22 through the exit roll 21. The exit roll 21 corrugates the sheet 12 to prevent troubles such as curling of the sheet 12.

  5 to 7 schematically show the chutes 13 and 14 between the fixing roll 11 and the outlet roll 21, and FIG. 5 shows a side sectional shape of the current chute. The chute 13.14 is composed of an outer chute 13 and an inner chute 14, and the paper path is curved, so that the paper 12 hits the chute and generates abrasion noise.

  FIG. 6 shows a conventional example in which this is improved, and the inner surface of the inner chute 14 is provided outside the line 15 connecting the roll surfaces of the inlet roll (fixing roll 11) and the outlet roll 21. In this case, the leading end 12a of the paper 12 bent and curled by the entrance roll (fixing roll 11) hits the inner chute 14, and there arises a problem that the running property of the paper 12 deteriorates.

  FIG. 7 shows a shape in which a portion where the sheet 12 is in contact with the outer chute 13 is removed. In this case, the leading end 12a of the sheet 12 is not properly guided and hits the surface of the exit roll 21, causing a jam.

  The present invention reduces the abrasion noise between the exit chutes 13 and 14 and the paper 12 without causing these troubles.

  FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the chute 13 and 14 opened as an example, and is an explanatory view showing the corrugation 31 of the paper 12. Although a part of the paper 12 is shown in phantom lines in the figure, the paper 12 has a corrugated shape in a direction orthogonal to the traveling direction, and this is given a corrugation 31 by an outlet roll (not shown). It shows that. The chute portion 41 shown by hatching in FIG. 4 is in strong contact with the corrugation 31 portion of the paper 12 and generates a scratching noise, which causes noise.

  The present invention prevents the generation of this rubbing sound. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which a chute 41 shown by hatching in FIG. 4 is removed and a recess 42 is formed at that position. Even if it is not the concave part from which the chute is completely removed, a step of, for example, about 0.5 mm may be provided so that the corrugated part of the paper does not contact.

  In another embodiment shown in a perspective view in FIG. 2, a smooth surface 43 is formed on the inside of the outlet chute 14 on the portion of the chute portion 41 shown by hatching in FIG. 4. For example, the surface portion of the paper running surface of the chute 14 may be polished and smoothed. Further, a smooth member such as a polyfluorinated ethylene resin (trade name Teflon) tape, PET (polyethylene terephthalate) or the like may be pasted on a part of the surface of the paper running surface of the chute 14.

  FIG. 3 shows an embodiment in which a member 44 made of a material that does not generate a rubbing sound is attached to a portion of the chute portion 41 shown by hatching in FIG. For example, a part of the chute is formed of another member such as plastic that does not generate a scratching sound.

It is a perspective view which shows the exit chute of an Example. It is a perspective view which shows the exit chute of an Example. It is a perspective view which shows the exit chute of an Example. It is principle explanatory drawing of an Example. It is a side view of the conventional exit chute. It is a side view of the conventional exit chute. It is a side view of the conventional exit chute. FIG. 3 is a schematic side view of a paper discharge unit of the image forming apparatus.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 Fixing roll 12 Paper 12a Tip 13, 14 Outlet chute 15 Connecting line 21 Outlet roll 22 Paper tray 31 Corrugation 41 Chute part 42 Recess 43 Smooth surface 44 Member of the material which does not generate scratching sound

Claims (2)

In an image forming apparatus having a corrugation roll that gives a curved surface to a recording medium,
Friction noise generation preventing means is provided at a portion of the recording medium conveyance path on the upstream side or downstream side of the corrugation roll corresponding to a location where the recording medium forms a convex curved surface by the corrugation roll. Image forming apparatus.   2. The image according to claim 1, wherein the scratching noise preventing means is a means for forming a recess in the corresponding part, a means for forming a smooth surface, or a forming means made of a material different from other parts. Forming equipment.

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