IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND TRANSFER DEVICE

• US 20200133173A1
• Filed: 10/17/2019
• Published: 04/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2018
• Status: Active Application

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Takai, Naoki
• Granted Patent: US 10,845,737 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/1615 relating to the driving mechanism for the intermediate support, e.g. gears, couplings, belt tensioning
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/6558 Feeding path after the copy sheet preparation and up to the transfer point, e.g. registering; Deskewing; Correct timing of sheet feeding to the transfer point
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 21/1695 for paper transport

Abstract

An image forming apparatus includes a conveyance device configured to transport a conveyed object, a conveyance guide configured to guide the conveyed object to the conveyance device, a housing including a shaft support. The conveyance guide includes a rotation shaft that includes a non-circular shaft portion. The shaft support has a circular hole part and a guide slot. The circular hole part is configured to rotatably support the rotation shaft, and the rotation shaft is inserted into the shaft support through the guide slot while a flat surface of the non-circular shaft portion slides along a guide surface of the guide slot. The image forming apparatus further includes a restrictor configured to restrict movement of the rotation shaft inserted into the circular hole part of the shaft support in a direction opposite to a direction of insertion of the rotation shaft into the shaft support.

Claims

1. An image forming apparatus comprising:

a conveyance device configured to transport a conveyed object;

a conveyance guide configured to guide the conveyed object to the conveyance device, the conveyance guide including a rotation shaft that includes a non-circular shaft portion;

a housing including a shaft support, the shaft support having a circular hole part and a guide slot, the circular hole part configured to rotatably support the rotation shaft, the rotation shaft configured to be insertable through the guide slot into the shaft support while a flat surface of the non-circular shaft portion slides along a guide surface of the guide slot; and

a restrictor configured to restrict movement of the rotation shaft inserted into the circular hole part of the shaft support in a direction opposite to a direction of insertion of the rotation shaft into the shaft support.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the circular hole part has a curved surface and communicates with the guide slot, and

wherein a center of the rotation shaft is offset from a center of the circular hole part in a direction perpendicular to the direction of insertion of the rotation shaft when the rotation shaft is inserted into the shaft support while the flat surface of the non-circular shaft portion slides along the guide surface of the guide slot.

3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1

wherein the restrictor includes an engagement portion of the housing and an engaged portion of the conveyance guide, and

wherein the engagement portion engages the engaged portion in conjunction with insertion of the non-circular shaft portion into the guide slot.

4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 3,

wherein the engaged portion is displaced with respect to the engagement portion by elasticity, and

wherein, when the engaged portion has passed through the engagement portion, the engaged portion returns to an original shape in which the engaged portion is not displaced, and engages the engagement portion.

5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 3,

wherein the restrictor inhibits the non-circular shaft portion from entering the guide slot in a state in which an engagement between the engagement portion and the engaged portion is released and the conveyance guide is rotated with respect to the housing.

6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the conveyance device is a transfer roller, and

wherein the transfer roller does not contact the conveyance guide when the conveyance guide is positioned where the conveyance guide guides the conveyed object to the conveyance device.

7. The image forming apparatus according to claim 6,

wherein the conveyance guide includes an arm configured to support the transfer roller.

8. The image forming apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising a photoconductor drum configured to form a transfer portion together with the transfer roller,

wherein the housing has an opening through which the photoconductor drum is removably installable in the image forming apparatus, and

wherein the non-circular shaft portion is positioned closer to the opening than the transfer roller.

9. A transfer device comprising:

a transfer roller;

a conveyance guide configured to guide a conveyed object to the transfer roller, the conveyance guide including a rotation shaft that includes a non-circular shaft portion;

a housing including a shaft support, the shaft support having a circular hole part and a guide slot, the circular hole part configured to rotatably support the rotation shaft, the rotation shaft configured to be insertable through the guide slot into the shaft support while a flat surface of the non-circular shaft portion slides along a guide surface of the guide slot; and

a restrictor configured to restrict movement of the rotation shaft inserted into the circular hole part of the shaft support in a direction opposite to a direction of insertion of the rotation shaft into the shaft support.

10. The transfer device according to claim 9,

wherein the circular hole part has a curved surface and communicates with the guide slot,

wherein a center of the rotation shaft is offset from a center of the circular hole part in a direction perpendicular to the direction of insertion of the rotation shaft when the rotation shaft is inserted into the shaft support while the flat surface of the non-circular shaft portion slides along the guide surface of the guide slot.

11. The transfer device according to claim 9,

wherein the restrictor includes an engagement portion of the housing and an engaged portion of the conveyance guide, and

wherein the engagement portion engages the engaged portion in conjunction with insertion of the non-circular shaft portion into the guide slot.

12. The transfer device according to claim 11,

wherein the engaged portion is displaced with respect to the engagement portion by elasticity, and

wherein, when the engaged portion has passed through the engagement portion, the engaged portion returns to an original shape, in which the engaged portion is not displaced, and engages the engagement portion.

13. The transfer device according to claim 11,

wherein the restrictor inhibits the non-circular shaft portion from entering the guide slot in a state in which an engagement between the engagement portion and the engaged portion is released and the conveyance guide is rotated with respect to the housing.

14. The transfer device according to claim 9,

wherein the transfer roller does not contact the conveyance guide when the conveyance guide is positioned where the conveyance guide guides the conveyed object to the transfer roller.

15. The transfer device according to claim 9,

wherein the conveyance guide includes an arm configured to support the transfer roller.

16. An image forming apparatus comprising the transfer device according to claim 9.