Image forming apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9272858-B2
Application number	US-201213626936-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 26, 2012
Priority date	Nov 28, 2011
Publication date	Mar 1, 2016
Grant date	Mar 1, 2016

Abstract

An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit, a roller, a driving shaft, a support shaft, a bearing portion, a contact member and a pivot shaft. The driving shaft is removably connected to one end of the roller and the support shaft is disposed at the other end of the roller in an axial direction. The pivot shaft is configured to pivotably support the contact member, and includes a rotating shaft disposed coaxially with an axis line of the roller and an eccentric portion extending toward the roller at a position on the other end side of the roller and eccentric from an axis line of the rotating shaft. The contact member is disposed in the eccentric portion. Distance from the axis line of the rotating shaft to the eccentric portion in a radial direction is larger than dimension of the support shaft in a radial direction.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An image forming apparatus, comprising:
an image forming unit configured to form an image on a sheet;
a roller configured to rotate in contact with the sheet;
a driving shaft disposed coaxially with an axis of the roller and configured to transmit a rotating force to the roller and to be removably connected to a first end of the roller in an axial direction;
a support shaft disposed at a second end of the roller in the axial direction, configured to support the roller, and extending in the axial direction;
a bearing portion configured to support the support shaft such that the support shaft is movable in the axial direction;
a contact member disposed at a side of the roller in the axial direction which includes the second end and configured to pivot between a contact position in which the contact member is in contact with the sheet conveyed by the roller and a non-contact position in which the contact member is not in contact with the sheet; and
a pivot shaft configured to pivotably support the contact member and comprising:
a rotating shaft disposed coaxially with the axis of the roller; and
an eccentric portion extending toward the side of the roller in the axial direction which includes the second end, wherein the eccentric portion is eccentric with respect to an axis of the rotating shaft,

wherein:
the contact member is disposed in the eccentric portion; and
a distance from the axis of the rotating shaft to the eccentric portion in a radial direction is larger than a dimension of the support shaft extending from the axis of the roller to an outer surface of the support shaft in the radial direction.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the contact member is disposed in the eccentric portion at an end of the pivot shaft which is nearest to the side of the roller in the axial direction which includes the second end.

3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a pocket portion disposed in the eccentric portion and including a concave portion capable of receiving the support shaft.

4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the pocket portion is formed as a cylinder in which a part of a cylindrical wall of the cylinder is opened.

5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the pocket portion, the eccentric portion, and the rotating shaft are integrally formed of resin.

6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a holder, wherein:
the bearing portion is disposed in a frame extending in a direction parallel to the axial direction; and
the holder is configured to support the rotating shaft and is removably attached to the frame.

7. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein, when the roller and the support shaft move toward the contact member, the driving shaft and the first end of the roller in the axial direction are disconnected from each other before the support shaft comes in contact with the pivot shaft.

8. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a separating pad configured to apply conveyance resistance to the sheet and disposed at a position facing the roller.

Assignees

• Hirose Atsuo
• Brother Ind Ltd

Inventors

• Hirose Atsuo

Classifications

• B65H3/0669 Primary

  Driving devices therefor · CPC title

• B65H2553/41

  Photoelectric detectors · CPC title

• B65H2403/721

  Positive-contact clutches, jaw clutches · CPC title

• B65H2553/612

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B41J13/076

  Construction of rollers; Bearings therefor · CPC title