JP7627093B2 - Image forming system - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an image forming system that forms an image on a sheet.

A commonly known image forming system includes an image forming apparatus and a sheet feeding apparatus, which is an example of a sheet transport apparatus, arranged alongside the image forming apparatus. The sheet feeding apparatus has a feeding cassette that stores multiple sheets so that sheets can be supplied to the image forming apparatus. Patent Document 1 proposes an image forming system in which an evacuation tray is provided above the sheet feeding apparatus, and when an abnormality such as multiple sheet feeds is detected, multiple overlapping sheets are discharged to the evacuation tray.

JP 2007-279168 A

However, in the image forming system described in Patent Document 1, the evacuation tray is located above the sheet feeding device, so the path for transporting the sheet to the evacuation tray is long, and a driving mechanism such as a motor is also required to transport the sheet to the upper evacuation tray, resulting in a problem of the image forming system becoming larger.
In addition, in the image forming system described in Patent Document 1, the image forming apparatus and the sheet feeding device are arranged adjacent to each other. As a result, when a transport abnormality occurs inside the image forming apparatus, the sheet inside the image forming apparatus cannot be removed unless the sheet feeding device is separated from the image forming apparatus. Therefore, there is a concern that the workability of removing the sheet may be reduced when a transport abnormality occurs inside the image forming apparatus.

The present invention aims to provide an image forming system that is compact and can improve the ease of removing sheets when a sheet transport abnormality occurs within the image forming device without separating the image forming device from the sheet feeding device .

The image forming system of the present invention is an image forming system including an image forming apparatus that forms an image on a sheet, and a sheet feeding device that feeds the sheet to the image forming apparatus, the sheet feeding device including a stacking tray for stacking sheets, a transport section that transports the sheets stacked on the stacking tray, a detection section that detects double feeding of the sheets transported by the transport section, a storage tray that is provided downstream of the transport section in the sheet transport direction by the transport section and stores the sheets, and a detection section that is provided vertically above the storage tray and spaced from the storage tray, and detects whether the sheet is fed multiple times. the image forming device has a door member that can be opened and closed in the vertical direction in the space between the storage tray and the switching member, has a contact surface against which a sheet whose transport path has been switched by the switching member located at the second position can come into contact , and is operated by a user when removing a sheet from within the image forming device.

According to the present invention, the image forming system can be made compact , and a sheet that has become abnormally conveyed in the image forming apparatus can be easily removed without separating the image forming apparatus from the sheet feeding device .

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of an image forming system according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a control system of the image forming system according to the embodiment. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a main part of an image forming system according to an embodiment. 4 is a flowchart of an operation of the sheet feeding device according to the embodiment. 5A and 5B are schematic diagrams for explaining an operation of the sheet feeding device according to the embodiment. 5A and 5B are schematic diagrams for explaining an operation of the sheet feeding device according to the embodiment. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a portion of an image forming system in an embodiment where a sidewall member is in an open state. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a storage tray according to the embodiment. 1 is a schematic diagram of a sheet feeding device according to an embodiment;

The following describes in detail an embodiment of the present invention with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of an image forming system 1000 according to an embodiment. The image forming system 1000 shown in FIG. 1 includes an image forming apparatus 100 and a sheet feeding apparatus 10, which is an example of a sheet transport apparatus. The image forming apparatus 100 is an electrophotographic copying machine, printer, facsimile, or a combination machine of these. Note that the image forming apparatus 100 is not limited to an electrophotographic type, and may be of another type such as an inkjet type. Examples of sheets include plain paper, thin paper, thick paper, plastic sheets, etc.

The image forming device 100 comprises a device body 1001, and a document reading unit 16 including a platen glass 14 and an ADF 15, which are arranged on the device body 1001. The device body 1001 is covered with an exterior cover (housing) 52. The device body 1001 also comprises a sheet feeding unit 18 that feeds sheets, a body conveying unit 19 that conveys the fed sheets, an image forming unit 17 that forms an image on the sheet, and a control unit 300 that controls these, all of which are arranged inside the exterior cover 52.

The control unit 300 controls the image forming unit 17 in response to an image signal acquired from an external device, such as a personal computer, that is communicatively connected, or an image signal acquired from the document reading unit 16, and causes the image forming unit 17 to form a toner image (image) on a sheet.

The sheet feeding device 10 is connected to the image forming device 100 and feeds a sheet P to the image forming device 100. The image forming section 17 of the image forming device 100 can acquire the sheet P fed to the sheet feeding device 10 and form an image on the sheet P. In this embodiment, the sheet feeding device 10 includes a sheet feeding unit 12, a sheet storage unit 13, and a control section 200 that controls each section of the sheet feeding unit 12 and the sheet storage unit 13.

The sheet storage unit 13 is disposed between the sheet feeding unit 12 and the image forming apparatus 100. The sheet feeding unit 12 includes a sheet feeding section 36 that feeds sheets P. The sheet feeding section 36 includes a stack tray 21 that can be raised and lowered while multiple sheets P are stacked thereon, a feed roller 31 that contacts the uppermost sheet P of the sheet stack stacked on the stack tray 21, and a separation feeding section 35 including a feed roller 32 and a separation roller 33 that are provided downstream of the feed roller 31 in the sheet transport direction. The sheets P are separated and fed one by one by the separation feeding section 35.

The sheet storage unit 13 includes a pair of conveying rollers 34 capable of conveying the sheet P fed from the sheet feeding unit 36 as an example of a conveying unit. The sheet storage unit 13 also includes a downstream conveying roller pair 37 capable of conveying the sheet P conveyed by the conveying roller pair 34 to the image forming device 100. The sheet feeding device 10 also includes a switching member 39 disposed downstream of the conveying roller pair 34 in the sheet conveying direction and upstream of the downstream conveying roller pair 37 in the sheet conveying direction in the conveying path PA of the sheet P. The switching member 39 is switched between a first position where the sheet P conveyed by the conveying roller pair 34 is guided to the downstream conveying roller pair 37, i.e., the image forming device 100, and a second position where the sheet P conveyed by the conveying roller pair 34 is guided downward, different from the downstream conveying roller pair 37, i.e., the image forming device 100.

When the sheet feeding device 10 is started, the stack tray 21 rises to a feeding position where the top sheet P of the sheet stack on the stack tray 21 can be fed by the feed roller 31, and the feed roller 31 starts feeding the sheet P. The sheet P fed from the stack tray 21 by the feed roller 31 is nipped by the feed roller 32 and the separation roller 33 and separated one by one, while being conveyed toward the conveying roller pair 34, and is conveyed toward the image forming device 100 by the conveying roller pair 34 and the downstream conveying roller pair 37. In addition, the stack tray 21 is controlled so that the top sheet P rises to the feeding position each time the feed roller 31 feeds a predetermined number of sheets.

In the sheet P feeding operation, the topmost sheet P in the stack tray 21 is separated and fed one by one, and then continuously transported to the image forming device 100 via the transport roller pair 34 and the downstream transport roller pair 37. However, at that time, there are cases where multiple sheets P are fed overlapping each other, resulting in double feeding. This is thought to be due to factors such as a decrease in the separation performance of the separation and feeding section 35 due to wear of the feed roller 32 and the separation roller 33, a change in the coefficient of friction between sheets due to the environment inside the sheet feeding device 10, such as temperature or humidity, and adhesion due to cutting burrs on the edges of the sheets.

When multiple sheets P are fed, the possibility of a paper jam increases compared to when a single sheet is fed. Even if image formation is completed with multiple sheets fed, blank sheets will be mixed in with the image-formed product, which can cause problems, for example, when binding the sheets.

In this embodiment, the sheet feeding device 10 is equipped with an air blowing mechanism 40 that blows a constant amount of air toward the side of the topmost sheet P on the stack tray 21, which is fed from the delivery roller 31 toward the separation feeding section 35. The air blowing mechanism 40 reduces friction between the sheets, making it possible to reduce adhesion between the sheets. However, even when the air blowing mechanism 40 is used, double feeding of sheets P may occur.

In this embodiment, the sheet feeding device 10 is disposed upstream of the pair of conveying rollers 34 in the sheet conveying direction and includes a multiple feed detection unit 50 that can detect multiple feeds in which multiple overlapping sheets P are fed from the sheet feeding unit 36.

Figure 2 is a block diagram showing a control system of the image forming system 1000 according to the embodiment. The control unit 300 of the image forming device 100 has a CPU 301, a ROM 302, a RAM 303, and an I/O 304. The CPU 301 reads out a program indicating a control procedure stored in the ROM 302, and controls each part of the image forming device 100 by referring to data such as work data stored in the RAM 302 and input data input via the I/O 304.

The image forming apparatus 100 includes an abnormality detection unit 311 capable of detecting an abnormality. The abnormality detection unit 311 is, for example, a sensor capable of detecting a sheet jam in the sheet transport path, and is configured with a photointerrupter arranged in the sheet transport path of the image forming apparatus 100. The CPU 301 determines whether a sheet jam has occurred based on whether the sheet has passed the photointerrupter at a predetermined timing.

The control unit 200 of the sheet feeding device 10 has a CPU 201, a ROM 202, a RAM 203, and an I/O 204. The CPU 201 reads out a program indicating a control procedure stored in the ROM 202, and controls each part of the sheet feeding device 10 by referring to data such as work data stored in the RAM 202 and input data input via the I/O 204. In this embodiment, the control objects of the CPU 201 include the switching member 39 and the conveying roller pair 34. The double feed detection unit 50 is composed of, for example, an ultrasonic sensor or a photointerrupter. The double feed detection unit 50 irradiates ultrasonic waves or light onto the sheet P on the conveying path PA, and receives the ultrasonic waves or light that has passed through the sheet P on the conveying path PA. The CPU 201 determines whether the sheet P is one or multiple sheets based on the attenuation of the ultrasonic waves or light that has passed through the sheet P on the conveying path PA.

3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a main part of the image forming system 1000 according to the embodiment. The switching member 39 can be switched between a first position P1 and a second position P2. The first position P1 is a position where the sheet P conveyed to the conveying roller pair 34 is guided to the downstream conveying roller pair 37, i.e., the image forming device 100. The second position P2 is a position where the sheet P conveyed to the conveying roller pair 34 is guided downward. At the second position P2, the switching member 39 guides the sheet P diagonally downward, i.e., in the direction of the arrow Z1 in FIG. 3, from the upstream side S1 of the sheet conveying direction S to the downstream side S2 of the sheet conveying direction S. When the double feed detection unit 50 detects double feed of the sheet P, or when the abnormality detection unit 311 detects an abnormality in the image forming device 100, the switching member 39 is switched from the first position P1 to the second position P2 by the control unit 200. If the multi-feed detection unit 50 does not detect a multi-feed of sheets P, and if the abnormality detection unit 311 does not detect an abnormality, the control unit 200 switches the switching member 39 from the second position P2 to the first position P1.

The sheet storage unit 13 has a storage tray 38 arranged below the switching member 39 with a predetermined space R1 between them. The storage tray 38 is capable of storing sheets P guided by the switching member 39 located at the second position P2. By storing the overlapped sheets P in the storage tray 38, the feeding operation can be continued while ensuring high productivity without stopping the conveying operation. In addition, even if the image forming apparatus 100 stops the image forming operation due to an abnormality such as a sheet jam, the sheets can be prevented from remaining on the conveying path PA upstream side S1 of the switching member 39 in the sheet conveying direction S.

The exterior cover 52 of the image forming device 100 has a side wall member 51 that is part of the member that defines the predetermined space R1. The predetermined space R1 is defined by a member included in the sheet storage unit 13 and the side wall member 51 included in the exterior cover 52 of the image forming device 100. The members included in the sheet storage unit 13 that define the predetermined space R1 include, for example, a part of the exterior cover 131 of the sheet feeding device 10, a part of the member 132 that forms the transport path PA, the storage tray 38, etc.

The side wall member 51 includes an abutment surface 511 that can abut against the sheet P guided by the switching member 39 located at the second position P2. In this embodiment, the abutment surface 511 is a vertical surface. The sheet storage unit 13 has a guide member 54 that is disposed on the downstream side S2 of the switching member 39 in the sheet conveying direction S. The guide member 54 guides the sheet P guided by the switching member 39 located at the second position P2 to the abutment surface 511.

The sidewall member 51, which is part of the exterior cover 52 of the image forming apparatus 100, is a member that defines the predetermined space R1 below the switching member 39, and it is possible to omit providing a sidewall member in the sheet feeding device 10. Since the sidewall member for defining the predetermined space R1 can be omitted in the sheet feeding device 10, it is possible to reduce the size of the image forming system 1000. Furthermore, while reducing the size of the image forming system 1000, it is possible to make the predetermined space R1 wider, and it is possible to store many sheets in the storage tray 38. In addition, there is no need to provide a dedicated escape path inside the sheet feeding device 10 to guide the sheets to the storage tray 38, and it is possible to reduce the space and cost of the image forming system 1000.

Figure 4 is a flowchart of the operation of the sheet feeding device 10 according to the embodiment. Figures 5 and 6 are schematic diagrams for explaining the operation of the sheet feeding device 10 according to the embodiment. Below, the control of the conveying roller pair 34 and the switching member 39 in the image forming job of the image forming system 1000 will be explained. When the CPU 201 of the control unit 200 receives a feeding instruction from the control unit 300 of the image forming apparatus 100, it starts the operation of the conveying roller pair 34 (S101). The switching member 39 is located at the first position P1. During the operation of the conveying roller pair 34, the CPU 201 determines whether the sheets fed from the sheet feeding unit 36 are double-fed based on the detection result of the double-feed detection unit 50 (S102).

If the sheets fed from the sheet feeding section 36 are being double-fed (S102: YES), the CPU 201 switches the switching member 39 from the first position P1 shown by the dashed line to the second position P2 shown by the solid line (S103), as shown in FIG. 5. That is, when the double-feed detection section 50 detects double-feeding of sheets, the switching member 39 is switched from the first position P1 to the second position P2 under the control of the CPU 201. As a result, the double-fed sheets are not directed toward the image forming device 100, but are transported diagonally downward in the direction of the arrow Z1. The amount of switching of the switching member 39 from the first position P1 to the second position P2, i.e., the switching angle, may be preset according to the basis weight and size of the sheets being transported.

As shown in FIG. 6, the sheet P being conveyed to the conveying roller pair 34 comes into contact with the contact surface 511 of the side wall member 51 of the image forming apparatus 100, is guided downward in the vertical direction Z0 along the contact surface 511, and is stacked on the storage tray 38. After the overlapped sheets P are stacked on the storage tray 38, the CPU 201 stops the operation of the conveying roller pair 34 (S104) and switches the switching member 39 from the second position P2 to the first position P1 (S105). After moving the switching member 39 to the first position P1, the CPU 201 returns to step S101 and continues the normal feeding operation.

In this way, by storing the overlapped sheets P in the storage tray 38 during the sheet feeding operation in the sheet feeding device 10, the feeding operation of the next sheet can be continued, ensuring high productivity without stopping the feeding operation.

If the sheets fed from the sheet feeding unit 36 are not being fed in duplicate (S102: NO), the CPU 201 determines whether an abnormality in the image forming device 100 has been detected (S106).

When an abnormality is detected in the image forming device 100 (S106: YES), the CPU 201 switches the switching member 39 from the first position P1 to the second position P2 (S107), as shown in FIG. 5. That is, when an abnormality is detected by the abnormality detection unit 311, the switching member 39 is switched from the first position P1 to the second position P2 under the control of the CPU 201. As a result, the sheet P fed to the sheet feeding unit 36 is guided by the switching member 39 and is not directed toward the image forming device 100, but is transported diagonally downward in the direction of the arrow Z1 by the transport roller pair 34.

As shown in FIG. 6, the sheet P conveyed to the conveying roller pair 34 comes into contact with the contact surface 511 of the side wall member 51 of the image forming apparatus 100, is guided downward in the vertical direction Z0 along the contact surface 511, and is stacked on the storage tray 38. After the sheet P is stacked on the storage tray 38, the CPU 201 stops the operation of the conveying roller pair 34 (S108) and switches the switching member 39 from the second position P2 to the first position P1 (S109). The CPU 201 determines whether the abnormality has been resolved (S110), and if the abnormality has not been resolved (S110: NO), it waits as it is. If the abnormality has been resolved (S110: YES), the CPU 201 resumes the operation of the conveying roller pair 34.

In step S110, it is determined whether the abnormality has been resolved by determining whether a sheet is stuck in the transport path of the image forming apparatus 100. If a sheet is stuck in the transport path, the abnormality has not been resolved, and the image forming operation is stopped. In this embodiment, even if a sheet is fed to the sheet feeding section 36 and is in the middle of being transported, if the leading end of the sheet in the sheet transport direction S is located upstream of the switching member 39 in the sheet transport direction, the sheet can be stored in the storage tray 38, just like a sheet that has been fed multiple times. Since the sheet on the transport path PA in the sheet feeding device 10 is sent to the storage tray 38, the sheet is prevented from being stuck in the transport path PA, and when an abnormality such as a sheet jam occurs in the image forming apparatus 100, the operator can reduce the work of removing the sheet from the sheet feeding device 10 of the image forming system 1000.

If no double feed is detected in the sheet feeding section 36 and no abnormality is detected in the image forming device 100 (S106: NO), the CPU 201 continues the operation of the transport roller pair 34. Because the switching member 39 is located at the first position P1, the sheet fed from the sheet feeding section 36 is transported to the image forming device 100 by the transport roller pair 34.

When a sheet jam occurs in the device body 1001 of the image forming device 100, the operator must remove the jammed sheet. Hereinafter, this process is referred to as jam removal. The side wall member 51 is provided on the device body 1001 so as to be openable and closable, so that when a sheet jam occurs in the device body 1001 of the image forming device 100, the operator can access the device body 1001 to remove the jam. That is, the side wall member 51 is a door member provided on the device body 1001 so as to be openable and closable. The side wall member 51 can move between an open position and a closed position. In Figs. 1, 3, 5, and 6, the side wall member 51 is illustrated in a closed state. Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a portion of the image forming system 1000 in an embodiment in which the side wall member 51 is in an open state.

The side wall member 51, which is a door member of the image forming apparatus 100, can be opened toward the specified space R1. Therefore, it is possible to access the inside of the image forming apparatus 100 and clear a jam without detaching the sheet feeding device 10 from the image forming apparatus 100.

The sidewall member 51 is located below the guide member 54 in the vertical direction Z0 in the open state so as not to interfere with the guide member 54 in the open state. In addition, the sidewall member 51 is located above the bottom 381 of the storage tray 38 in the vertical direction Z0 in the open state so as not to interfere with the storage tray 38 in the open state. The closed position of the sidewall member 51 is a restricting position that restricts the operator from accessing the image forming device 100 when the image forming device 100 is performing an image forming operation. The open position of the sidewall member 51 is a jam processing position that allows the operator to access the image forming device 100 when a sheet jam occurs in the image forming device 100. In this way, when the sidewall member 51 is opened, the sidewall member 51 is prevented from interfering with the guide member 54 or the storage tray 38, and sheet jam processing in the image forming device 100 can be easily performed.

The sheet feeding device 10 also has a door member 1311 that is part of the exterior cover 131 and can be opened and closed relative to the sheet feeding device body, opening the specified space R1. FIG. 7 illustrates the door member 1311 in an open state. By opening the door member 1311, the operator can access the storage tray 38, and can also open and close the side wall member 51, which is the door member of the image forming device 100.

Figure 8 is a perspective view of the storage tray 38 according to the embodiment. The bottom 381 of the storage tray 38 has a bottom surface 3811 that is inclined diagonally downward from the upstream side S1 of the sheet transport direction S toward the downstream side S2 of the sheet transport direction S, i.e., in the direction of the arrow Z1, and a recess 3812 that is recessed into the bottom surface 3811 so as not to interfere with the side wall member 51 in the open state.

As shown in FIG. 8, the bottom surface 3811 is inclined, so that a sheet that falls onto the storage tray 38 slides diagonally downward along the inclined bottom surface 3811 and is loaded onto the bottom surface 3811 with the sheet end abutting the side wall portion 385 on the downstream side S2 of the storage tray 38 in the sheet transport direction S. This improves the stacking of sheets on the storage tray 38 and makes it easier for the operator to remove sheets from the storage tray 38.

The end of the bottom surface 3811 on the downstream side S2 of the sheet conveying direction S is the deepest part of the storage tray 38. The inclination angle of the bottom surface 3811 of the storage tray 38 with respect to the horizontal plane (floor surface) can be adjusted by the position at which the storage tray 38 is fixed to the frame 133 of the sheet feeding device 10 shown in FIG. 3. Specifically, a slit 1331 is formed in the frame 133, and the storage tray 38 is fixed to the frame 133 by a screw 383 that screws into the storage tray 38 through the slit 1331. The position and inclination angle of the storage tray 38 with respect to the frame 133 can be determined by the position of the screw 383 with respect to the slit 1331. It is preferable to position the storage tray 38 with respect to the frame 133 so that the end of the bottom 381 of the storage tray 38 on the downstream side S2 of the sheet conveying direction S, i.e., the lowest end of the storage tray 38, abuts the floor surface. It is also preferable to position the storage tray 38 relative to the frame 133 so that the end 382 on the downstream side S2 of the sheet conveying direction S of the storage tray 38 abuts against the device body 1001 of the image forming device 100.

3, the end 382 of the storage tray 38 on the downstream side S2 of the sheet conveying direction S is located below the abutment surface 511 of the sidewall member 51 in the closed state. By positioning the end 382 of the storage tray 38 below the abutment surface 511 of the sidewall member 51, the leading end of the sheet P guided downward in the vertical direction Z0 along the abutment surface 511 is caught by the end 382 of the storage tray 38, and the occurrence of a jam such as a sheet clogging can be prevented. Furthermore, the end 382 of the storage tray 38 is located on the downstream side S2 of the sheet conveying direction S with respect to the abutment surface 511 of the sidewall member 51. In other words, the end 382 of the storage tray 38 is arranged to overlap the abutment surface 511 of the sidewall member 51 on the downstream side S2 of the sheet conveying direction S. As described above, the position and inclination angle of the storage tray 38 with respect to the frame 133 can be adjusted by the position of the screw 383 with respect to the slit 1331. Therefore, a gap may occur between the sidewall member 51 and the end 382 of the storage tray 38. If a gap exists between the sidewall member 51 and the storage tray 38, the sheet P falling along the contact surface 511 of the sidewall member 51 may fly out of the device through the gap. In contrast, in this embodiment, the end 382 of the storage tray 38 is positioned so as to overlap the contact surface 511 of the sidewall member 51 downstream in the sheet conveying direction, so that the sheet P falling along the contact surface 511 can be reliably guided to the storage tray 38.

The end 382 is the upper end of the side wall 385. The side wall 385 of the storage tray 38 has an inclined surface 3821 that is inclined diagonally downward from the end 382 toward the upstream side S1 of the sheet transport direction S, that is, in the direction of the arrow Z2, and a side wall surface 3822 that is continuous with the inclined surface 3821 toward the upstream side S1 of the sheet transport direction S. In addition, the inclination angle of the inclined surface 3821 with respect to the imaginary vertical plane is larger than the inclination angle of the side wall surface 3822 with respect to the imaginary vertical plane. It is preferable that the inclined surface 3821 is located below the abutment surface 511 in the vertical direction Z0. As a result, the sheet P falling along the abutment surface 511 is guided to the bottom 381 of the storage tray 38 by the inclined surface 3821 of the storage tray 38. Therefore, it is possible to effectively prevent the sheet P falling along the abutment surface 511 from getting caught on the end 382 of the storage tray 38. In other words, the inclined surface 3821 can generate a force that moves the sheet P falling toward the storage tray 38 toward the upstream side S1 of the sheet transport direction S. This allows the sheet P falling toward the storage tray 38 to be pulled away from the side wall member 51, improving the stacking ability of the sheet P on the storage tray 38.

9 is a schematic diagram of the sheet feeding device 10 according to the embodiment. As described above, the sidewall member 51 is a door member provided on the device body 1001 so as to be openable and closable, so that a gap G0 is generated between the device body 1001 of the image forming device 100 and the upper end 510 in the vertical direction Z0 of the sidewall member 51 located in the closed position. The guide member 54 guides the sheet conveyed by the conveying roller pair 34 and guided diagonally downward by the switching member 39 toward the abutment surface 511 so as to abut against the abutment surface 511 of the sidewall member 51. Specifically, the guide member 54 is disposed at a position overlapping with the imaginary straight line (imaginary plane) A1 indicated by the dashed line connecting the nip position of the conveying roller pair 34 and the upper end 510 in the vertical direction Z0 of the sidewall member 51. This allows the leading end of the sheet to be caught in the gap G0 between the device body 1001 and the upper end 510 of the sidewall member 51, preventing the sheet from becoming jammed.

The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and many variations are possible within the technical concept of the present invention. Furthermore, the effects described in the embodiments are merely a list of the most favorable effects resulting from the present invention, and the effects of the present invention are not limited to those described in the embodiments.

10...sheet feeding device (sheet transport device), 17...image forming section, 38...storage tray, 39...switching member, 51...side wall member, 100...image forming device, 1000...image forming system

Claims (8)

an image forming apparatus for forming an image on a sheet;
a sheet feeding device that feeds a sheet to the image forming apparatus,
The sheet feeding device is
A loading tray for loading sheets;
a conveying section that conveys the sheets stacked on the stacking tray;
a detection unit that detects double feeding of the sheets conveyed by the conveying unit;
a storage tray that is provided downstream of the conveying unit in a sheet conveying direction by the conveying unit and that stores sheets;
a switching member that is disposed at a position vertically above the storage tray and spaced from the storage tray, and that switches a sheet transport path by moving between a first position where the sheet transported by the transport unit is guided to the image forming device and a second position where the sheet detected as having been multi-fed by the detection unit is guided to the storage tray below in the vertical direction ,
the image forming apparatus has a door member that can be opened and closed in the vertical direction in a space between the storage tray and the switching member, has a contact surface that can contact a sheet whose transport path has been switched by the switching member located at the second position , and is operated by a user when removing a sheet from the image forming apparatus.
1. An image forming system comprising: The sheet feeding device is
a guide member configured to guide the sheet, the conveying path of which has been switched by the switching member positioned at the second position, to the contact surface;
2. The image forming system according to claim 1 , the storage tray is located between the stacking tray and the image forming device in the sheet transport direction,
an end portion of the storage tray that is closer to the image forming apparatus is located below the abutment surface of the door member in the vertical direction;
3. The image forming system according to claim 1, wherein the image forming apparatus is a printer . 4. The image forming system according to claim 3 , wherein the receiving tray has an inclined surface that is inclined so that an end portion closer to the image forming device is positioned lower in the vertical direction than an end portion closer to the loading tray. The image forming apparatus includes:
an abnormality detection unit capable of detecting an abnormality in conveyance of a sheet conveyed in the image forming apparatus;
The switching member is
When the abnormality detection unit detects the transport abnormality, the position is switched from the first position to the second position.
5. The image forming system according to claim 1, wherein the image forming apparatus is a computer . The door member is located above the bottom of the storage tray in the vertical direction when in an open state.
6. The image forming system according to claim 1, wherein the image forming apparatus is a computer . The bottom of the storage tray has a bottom surface and a recess that is recessed relative to the bottom surface so as not to interfere with the door member.
7. The image forming system according to claim 1, wherein the image forming apparatus is a printer . the sheet feeding device has an exterior cover that constitutes an external appearance of the device and that can be opened to access the storage tray,
When the exterior cover is in an open state, a door member of the image forming apparatus is accessible.
8. The image forming system according to claim 1, wherein the image forming apparatus is a printer.

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