Sheet conveyor and image forming apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2025172899-A1
Application number	US-202418960618-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 26, 2024
Priority date	Nov 28, 2023
Publication date	May 29, 2025
Grant date	—

Abstract

A first roller includes a rotation shaft extending in a first direction. A second roller faces the first roller in a second direction. A first bearing supports an end portion of the rotation shaft. The first bearing is formed of a conductive resin. A second bearing supports the first end portion. The second bearing is formed of a material having higher toughness than the first bearing. A spring urges the first bearing in a direction in which the first roller presses the second roller. The spring is formed of a conductive material. A frame supports the second bearing to be movable in the second direction. The second bearing receives a force of the rotation shaft that moves in the first direction. The frame restricts movement in the first direction of the second bearing that receives the force of the rotation shaft that moves in the first direction.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A sheet conveyor comprising:
a first roller including a rotation shaft extending in a first direction; a second roller facing the first roller in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, the first roller and the second roller being configured to convey a sheet in cooperation with each other; a first bearing configured to support a first end portion of the rotation shaft on one side in the first direction, the first bearing being formed of a conductive resin; a second bearing configured to support the first end portion, the second bearing being formed of a material having higher toughness than the first bearing; a spring configured to urge the first bearing in a direction in which the first roller presses the second roller, the spring being formed of a conductive material; and a frame configured to support the second bearing to be movable in the second direction, the second bearing being configured to receive a force of the rotation shaft that moves in the first direction, the frame being configured to restrict movement in the first direction of the second bearing that receives the force of the rotation shaft that moves in the first direction.

2 . The sheet conveyor according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a third bearing configured to support a second end portion of the rotation shaft on an other side in the first direction, the third bearing being formed of material having higher toughness than the first bearing, wherein the third bearing is configured to receive an opposite force from the rotation shaft, the opposite force being in an opposite direction to the force which the second bearing receives from the rotation shaft; and wherein the frame is configured to restrict movement in the first direction of the third bearing that receives the opposite force.

3 . The sheet conveyor according to claim 1 , wherein the second bearing includes a restricted portion that is restricted from moving in the first direction by the frame; and
wherein the first bearing and the restricted portion of the second bearing are located at a same position in the first direction.

4 . The sheet conveyor according to claim 1 , wherein the rotation shaft includes a protrusion protruding radially farther outward than the rotation shaft;
wherein the first bearing is located between the second bearing and the protrusion in the first direction; wherein the protrusion is configured to contact the first bearing by movement of the rotation shaft in the first direction; and wherein the second bearing is configured to receive the force of the rotation shaft that moves in the first direction by contacting the first bearing contacted by the protrusion in the first direction.

5 . The sheet conveyor according to claim 1 , wherein the first bearing includes:
a first bearing body fitted to the first end portion of the rotation shaft; and an engagement portion formed integrally with the first bearing body, the engagement portion engaging with one end of the spring;
wherein the second bearing includes:
a second bearing body fitted to the first end portion of the rotation shaft; and
a restricted portion formed integrally with the second bearing body, the restricted portion being restricted from moving in the first direction by the frame;

wherein one of the first bearing body and the second bearing body includes a fitting protrusion protruding to fit to an other one of the first bearing body and the second bearing body in the first direction; and
wherein the other one of the first bearing body and the second bearing body includes a fitting recess fitted to the fitting protrusion to restrict relative rotation between the first bearing body and the second bearing body about the rotation shaft.

6 . The sheet conveyor according to claim 1 , wherein the spring is a compression coil spring formed of a metal wire material; and
wherein the sheet conveyor further comprises:
a frame metal plate formed of a metal plate material and connected to ground; and
a ground connecting member formed of a metal wire material, the ground connecting member contacting the frame metal plate and the compression coil spring.

7 . The sheet conveyor according to claim 6 , further comprising:
a chute metal plate formed of a metal plate material, the chute metal plate being configured to guide the sheet toward the first roller and the second roller, wherein the ground connecting member includes a first portion contacting the chute metal plate and a second portion penetrating the frame.

8 . The sheet conveyor according to claim 1 , wherein the second bearing is formed of a non-conductive resin.

9 . The sheet conveyor according to claim 1 , wherein the first bearing is configured to directly receive the force of the rotation shaft that moves in the first direction; and
wherein the second bearing is configured to receive, via the first bearing, the force of the rotation shaft that moves in the first direction by contacting the first bearing.

10 . The sheet conveyor according to claim 1 , wherein the second bearing is configured to directly receive the force of the rotation shaft that moves in the first direction.

11 . An image forming apparatus comprising:
an apparatus main body; a sheet conveyor configured to convey a sheet; a print engine configured to form an image on the sheet; and a drawer movable between a mounted position at which the drawer is mounted on the apparatus main body and a pulled-out position at which the drawer is pulled out from the mounted position, the drawer supporting the print engine, the sheet conveyor comprising:
a first roller including a rotation shaft extending in a first direction;
a second roller facing the first roller in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, the first roller and the second roller being configured to convey the sheet in cooperation with each other;
a first bearing configured to support a first end portion of the rotation shaft on one side in the first direction, the first bearing being formed of a conductive resin;
a second bearing configured to support the first end portion, the second bearing being formed of a material having higher toughness than the first bearing;
a spring configured to urge the first bearing in a direction in which the first roller presses the second roller, the spring being formed of a conductive material; and
a frame configured to support the second bearing to be movable in the second direction,
the second bearing being configured to receive a force of the rotation shaft that moves in the first direction, the frame being configured to restrict movement in the first direction of the second bearing that receives the force of the rotation shaft that moves in the first direction, the second roller being rotatably supported by the drawer, the second roller being configured to be separated from the first roller due to movement of the drawer toward the pulled-out position, the drawer including:
a holding surface configured to hold the second bearing to be movable in the second direction in a state where the drawer is at the mounted position; and
a releasing surface configured to, when the drawer starts moving from the mounted position toward the pulled-out position, push the second bearing and release pressing of the first roller against the second roller.

12 . The image forming apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the sheet conveyor further comprises:
a third bearing configured to support a second end portion of the rotation shaft on an other side in the first direction, the third bearing being formed of materia

Assignees

• Brother Ind Ltd

Inventors

• Arakawa Takashi
• Haruta Kotaro
• Taira Kazuya

Classifications

• G03G21/1695

  for paper transport · CPC title

• G03G15/6529

  Transporting (G03G15/6555 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G03G15/6558

  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 title

• G03G15/6502

  Supplying of sheet copy material; Cassettes therefor · CPC title

• G03G21/1623

  Means to access the interior of the apparatus · CPC title