Sheet conveyance apparatus and image forming apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11091334-B2
Application number	US-201916542160-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 15, 2019
Priority date	Oct 31, 2016
Publication date	Aug 17, 2021
Grant date	Aug 17, 2021

Abstract

A sheet conveyance apparatus includes a storage unit storing a sheet, a conveyance member to convey a sheet, a support shaft portion, and a separation unit. The support shaft portion has one end fixed to a main body of the sheet conveyance apparatus and the other end as a free end that is not fixed to the main body. The separation unit pinches and conveys a sheet with the conveyance member and separates a plurality of sheets stored in and fed from the storage unit one by one. The separation unit includes a separation member that is supported by the support shaft portion and rotatable with the support shaft portion, and a holding member to hold the separation member. By moving the holding member in an axial direction of the support shaft portion, the separation unit is removed from the apparatus with the holding member holding the separation member.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A sheet conveyance apparatus comprising:
a storage unit configured to store a sheet;
a conveyance member configured to convey the sheet;
a support shaft portion having one end as a fixed end that is fixed to a main body of the sheet conveyance apparatus and the other end as a free end that is not fixed to the main body;
a separation unit configured to pinch the sheet with the conveyance member, to convey the pinched sheet with the conveyance member, and to separate, one by one, a plurality of sheets stored in and fed from the storage unit, wherein the separation unit includes a separation member configured to be supported by the support shaft portion and rotatable with the support shaft portion, and includes a holding member holding the separation member in a state where the separation member is not supported by the support shaft portion; and
a guiding member that neighbors the separation unit in an axial direction of the support shaft portion and is configured to guide the sheet fed from the storage unit,
wherein, by moving the holding member from the fixed end side of the support shaft portion to the free end side of the support shaft portion in the support shaft portion axial direction, the separation unit is removed from the sheet conveyance apparatus with the holding member holding the separation member, and
wherein, by moving the holding member from the fixed end side of the support shaft portion to the free end side of the support shaft portion in the support shaft portion axial direction, the guiding member moves in the axial direction together with the separation unit.

2. The sheet conveyance apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the holding member has an engaging portion configured to engage with a protruding portion provided to the main body, and
wherein, when the engaging portion engages with the protruding portion, the separation unit is fixed to the main body.

3. The sheet conveyance apparatus according to claim 2 ,
wherein the separation member has a through-hole that runs through a center axis of rotation of the separation member, and
wherein, where the support shaft portion is inserted into the through-hole, the separation unit is fixed to the main body and the separation member is supported by the support shaft portion.

4. The sheet conveyance apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein, in a state where the separation member is supported by the support shaft portion, the separation member is lifted by the support shaft portion and is urged against the conveyance member and, due to the lifting and the urging, the separation member is not in contact with a holding portion.

5. The sheet conveyance apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein, by moving the holding member from a free end side of the support shaft portion to a fixed end side of the support shaft portion in the support shaft portion axial direction, the separation unit is attached to the sheet conveyance apparatus.

6. The sheet conveyance apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the support shaft portion has a torque limiter at the fixed end and is configured to receive driving force from a driving source and to rotate in a rotation direction that is the same as a rotation direction of the conveyance member.

7. The sheet conveyance apparatus according to claim 6 ,
wherein the separation member is configured to come into contact with the conveyance member and form a separation pinch portion, and
wherein, in a case where plural sheets are pinched at the separation pinch portion, the separation unit separates the plural sheets one by one by causing the separation member to rotate in the rotation direction that is the same as the rotation direction of the conveyance member.

8. The sheet conveyance apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the guiding member has a fitted portion, and the holding member has a fitting portion that can fit with the guiding member fitted portion, and
wherein, by moving the holding member from the free end side of the support shaft portion to the fixed end side of the support shaft portion in the support shaft portion axial direction with the guiding member fitted portion and the holding member fitted portion fitted with each other, the guiding member is moved with the separation unit.

9. The sheet conveyance apparatus according to claim 8 , further comprising a fixing portion configured to fix the separation unit to the main body,
wherein, in a case where the separation unit is fixed to the main body by the fixing portion, the guiding member is also fixed to the main body.

10. The sheet conveyance apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a guide portion that neighbors the separation unit and is configured to guide the sheet fed from the storage unit,
wherein the guide portion is a part of the storage unit.

11. The sheet conveyance apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the separation member has an elastic portion on a surface of the separation member.

12. The sheet conveyance apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising an opening and closing member configured to open and close relative to the sheet conveyance apparatus,
wherein the separation unit is removed from the sheet conveyance apparatus via a space to be formed in a state where the opening and closing member is opened.

13. An image forming apparatus comprising:
an image forming unit for forming an image on a sheet; and
a sheet conveyance apparatus having:
a storage unit configured to store the sheet,
a conveyance member configured to convey the sheet,
a support shaft portion having one end as a fixed end that is fixed to a main body of the sheet conveyance apparatus and the other end as a free end that is not fixed to the main body,
a separation unit configured to pinch the sheet with the conveyance member, to convey the pinched sheet with the conveyance member, and to separate, one by one, a plurality of sheets stored in and fed from the storage unit, wherein the separation unit includes a separation member configured to be supported by the support shaft portion and rotatable with the support shaft portion, and includes a holding member holding the separation member in a state where the separation member is not supported by the support shaft portion, and
a guiding member that neighbors the separation unit in an axial direction of the support shaft portion and is configured to guide the sheet fed from the storage unit,
wherein, by moving the holding member from the fixed end side of the support shaft portion to the free end side of the support shaft portion in the support shaft portion axial direction, the separation unit is removed from the image forming apparatus with the holding member holding the separation member, and
wherein, by moving the holding member from the fixed end side of the support shaft portion to the free end side of the support shaft portion in the support shaft portion axial direction, the guiding member moves in the axial direction together with the separation unit.

14. The image forming apparatus to claim 13 , further comprising an opening and closing member configured to open and close relative to the image forming apparatus,
wherein the separation unit is removed from the image forming apparatus via a space to be formed in a state where the opening and closing member is opened.

Assignees

• Canon Kk

Inventors

• Aono Kazuhiko
• Matsumoto Yasuaki

Classifications

• B65H3/5261 Primary

  Retainers of the roller type, e.g. rollers · CPC title

• B65H2402/32

  Sliding support means · CPC title

• B65H27/00

  Special constructions, e.g. surface features, of feed or guide rollers for webs (rollers in general F16C13/00) · CPC title

• B65H2402/31

  Pivoting support means · CPC title

• B65H2404/1523

  moving in parallel to its axis · CPC title