Sheet conveyor and image forming apparatus incorporating same

摘要

A sheet conveyor included in an image forming apparatus includes a conveying roller rotatable in normal and reverse directions to convey a sheet in opposite sheet conveyance directions, a switching guide rotatable about a support shaft to guide the sheet to a path, a first switchback mechanism performing a first operation of changing a direction of rotation of the conveying roller, a first actuator actuating the first switchback mechanism, a second switchback mechanism performing a second operation of changing a position of the switching guide, a second actuator actuating the second switchback mechanism. The switchback mechanisms and the actuators are configured to be replaceable with a switchback linking mechanism, by employing a linking member, configured to link the first and second operations to be actuated by one actuator of the first and second actuators without changing an arrangement of the one actuator of the first and second actuators.

主权项

1. A sheet conveyor comprising:
a conveying roller rotatable in normal and reverse directions to convey a sheet of recording material in opposite sheet conveyance directions; a support shaft; a switching guide rotatable about the support shaft to guide the sheet to a selected conveyance path; a first switchback mechanism configured to perform a first operation of changing a direction of rotation of the conveying roller; a first actuator to actuate the first switchback mechanism to perform the first operation; a second switchback mechanism configured to perform a second operation of changing a position of the switching guide; a second actuator to actuate the second switchback mechanism to perform the second operation, wherein the first switchback mechanism and the second switchback mechanism are configured to be replaceable with a switchback linking mechanism by employing a linking member, and the switchback linking mechanism is configured to link the first operation and the second operation and to be actuated by one actuator of the first actuator and the second actuator without changing an arrangement of the one actuator of the first actuator and the second actuator, a guide connector connected to the switching guide at one end side thereof supported by the support shaft; a connecting shaft to support the guide connector at an opposite end side of the guide connector; and a rotary center shaft, wherein the first switchback mechanism comprises
a drive gear meshed with the conveying roller;two relay gear trains meshed with the drive gear;a swing gear selectively meshed with either one of the relay gear trains; anda swing arm supported by the rotary center shaft and having one end side connected to the first actuator and the other end side connected to the swing gear via the rotary center shaft, wherein the second switchback mechanism comprises a pair of transmission members having one end side connected to the second actuator and an opposite end side detachably connected to the opposite end side of the guide connector of the switching guide via the connecting shaft, wherein the guide connector is designed to connect to one end side of the linking member via the connecting shaft, and wherein the swing arm is designed to connect to the opposite end side of the linking member via the rotary center shaft to which the swing gear is attached.