Connection mechanism and image forming apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9939774-B2
Application number	US-201615296923-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 18, 2016
Priority date	Jan 31, 2013
Publication date	Apr 10, 2018
Grant date	Apr 10, 2018

Abstract

A connection mechanism includes a connecting portion including a rotation arm rotatable around a rotation shaft, an urging unit configured to urge the rotation arm, and an engagement pin provided on the rotation arm; and a connected portion having an engagement groove formed in a tapered shape in an urging direction of the urging unit so as to allow entering of the engagement pin and holding of the engagement pin by the urging force of the urging unit.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A sheet post-processing apparatus for performing post-processing on a sheet on which images have been formed by an image forming apparatus, comprising:
a post-processing unit configured to perform post-processing on a sheet; and
a connecting portion including a rotation arm rotatable about a rotation shaft at a first end of the rotation arm and,
an urging unit configured to urge the rotation arm, the connecting portion being capable of being inserted integrally into a connected portion provided on the image forming apparatus,
wherein the rotation arm includes an engagement pin provided on a second end opposite to the first end of the rotatable arm,
wherein the connecting portion includes a case member configured to cover the rotation arm, the case member is configured to perform positioning, in a width direction intersecting an insertion direction of the connecting portion, of the connecting portion with respect to the connected portion,
wherein the engagement pin is guided by a guiding portion provided in the connected portion, and
wherein the engagement pin is configured to move along the guiding portion while the case member is inserted into the connected portion.

2. The sheet post-processing apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the guiding portion includes a first guide surface configured to move the engagement pin against an urging force of the urging unit and a second guide surface configured to move the engagement pin using the urging unit, and
wherein the second guide surface is located downstream of the first guide surface in the insertion direction of the connecting portion.

3. The sheet post-processing apparatus according to claim 2 ,
wherein the first guide surface is formed, centered on the rotation shaft, in an arcuate shape, and
wherein the second guide surface is formed, centered on the rotation shaft, in an arcuate shape.

4. The sheet post-processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the case member covers the entirety of the rotation arm.

5. The sheet post-processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the engagement pin is rotatably supported by the rotation arm.

6. The sheet post-processing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a releasing lever configured to release the connection between the engagement pin and the connected portion by rotating the rotation arm in a direction opposite the urging direction of the urging unit.

7. The sheet post-processing apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the connecting portion includes a first connecting portion and a second connecting portion that are located apart from each other in the width direction, and
wherein each of the first connecting portion and a second connecting portion includes the rotation arm, the engagement pin and the urging unit.

8. The sheet post-processing apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein an urging direction of the urging unit included in the first connecting portion and an urging direction of the urging unit included in the second connecting portion are opposite to each other.

9. An image forming apparatus comprising:
an image forming apparatus main body configured to form an image on a sheet;
a sheet post-processing apparatus configured to perform a predetermined post-processing operation on a plurality of sheets on which images have been formed by the image forming apparatus main body; and
a sheet post-processing apparatus as claimed in claim 1 configured to connect to the image forming apparatus.

10. A sheet post-processing apparatus for performing post-processing on a sheet on which images have been formed by an image forming apparatus, comprising:
a post-processing unit configured to perform post-processing on a sheet; and
a connecting portion including a rotation arm rotatable about a rotation shaft at a first end of the rotation arm, an urging unit configured to urge the rotation arm and an engagement pin provided on a second end opposite to the first end of the rotation arm, and capable of being inserted into a connected portion provided in the image forming apparatus,
wherein the connecting portion includes a positioning member configured to perform positioning, in a width direction intersecting an insertion direction of the connecting portion, of the connecting portion with respect to the connected portion,
wherein the engagement pin is guided by a guiding portion provided in the connected portion,
wherein the engagement pin is configured to move along the guiding portion while the positioning member is inserted into the connected portion,
wherein the connecting portion includes a first connecting portion and a second connecting portion that are located apart from each other in the width direction,
wherein each of the first connecting portion and a second connecting portion includes the rotation arm, the engagement pin and the urging unit, and
wherein an urging direction of the urging unit included in the first connecting portion and an urging direction of the urging unit included in the second connecting portion are opposite to each other.

11. The sheet post-processing apparatus according to claim 10 ,
wherein the guiding portion includes a first guide surface configured to move the engagement pin against an urging force of the urging unit and a second guide surface configured to move the engagement pin using the urging unit, and
wherein the second guide surface is located downstream of the first guide surface in the insertion direction of the connecting portion.

12. The sheet post-processing apparatus according to claim 11 ,
wherein the first guide surface is formed, centered on the rotation shaft, in an arcuate shape, and
wherein the second guide surface is formed, centered on the rotation shaft, in an arcuate shape.

13. The sheet post-processing apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the positioning member is configured to cover the rotation arm.

14. The sheet post-processing apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the engagement pin is rotatably supported by the rotation arm.

15. The sheet post-processing apparatus according to claim 10 , further comprising a releasing lever configured to release the connection between the engagement pin and the connected portion by rotating the rotation arm in a direction opposite the urging direction of the urging unit.

16. An image forming apparatus comprising:
an image forming apparatus main body configured to form an image on a sheet;
a sheet post-processing apparatus configured to perform a predetermined post-processing operation on a plurality of sheets on which images have been formed by the image forming apparatus main body; and
a sheet post-processing apparatus as claimed in claim 10 configured to connect to the image forming apparatus.

Assignees

• Canon Kk

Inventors

• Agata Jun

Classifications

• G03G21/1619

  Frame structures · CPC title

• Y10T403/602

  by separate spring · CPC title

• G03G21/1647 Primary

  Mechanical connection means · CPC title

• G03G2221/1696

  for auxiliary devices, e.g. add-on modules · CPC title

• G03G15/6582

  Special processing for irreversibly adding or changing the sheet copy material characteristics or its appearance, e.g. stamping, annotation printing, punching · CPC title