JPH11305627A - Mechanism for attaching/detaching fixing unit - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a mechanism for attaching/detaching a fixing nit capable of being easily attached/detached to/from an electrophotographic device without using a tool by a user. SOLUTION: As to this mechanism for attaching/detaching a fixing unit, when a cover 11 is opened, engagement between a pin 16 and an engaging groove 21 is released at the same time when engagement between a locking lever 12 and a locking pin 22 is released so that a rocking lever 20 rocks at a second position. A part of the movable surface 13a of a supporting member 13 is constituted to be utilized as a guide for guiding the movement of a fixing unit 8 to a taking-out position by the leading end of a rocking lever 20 and when the unit 8 is positioned on an operating position and a cover 11 is closed, after the lever 20 rocks at the first position while the lever 12 is engaged with the pin 22, the groove 21 is engaged with the pin 16.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a fixing unit attaching / detaching mechanism, and more particularly, to a method for easily attaching / detaching a fixing unit provided in an electrophotographic apparatus such as a copying machine or a facsimile apparatus to / from the electrophotographic apparatus. The present invention relates to a detachable mechanism of a fixing unit that can be used.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, an electrophotographic apparatus is provided with a fixing unit for fixing a toner corresponding to image data transferred to a recording sheet. The fixing unit includes a fixing roller heated by a heater, The pressure roller includes a pressure roller that slides on the fixing roller, a thermistor that detects the temperature of the fixing roller, and the like. When fixing the toner on the recording paper, the fixing paper and the pressure roller sandwich the recording paper to fix the toner on the recording paper.

Incidentally, the fixing unit having such a configuration is housed in a case to form a unit.
This case is housed in the main body of the electrophotographic apparatus, and is firmly fixed to the main body by screws or the like.

[0004]

However, in such a conventional fixing unit, since the case is housed in the main body of the electrophotographic apparatus and fixed by screws or the like, the user can easily perform maintenance and replacement. The serviceman had to attach and detach using a tool.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a fixing unit attaching / detaching mechanism capable of easily attaching / detaching to / from an electrophotographic apparatus without using a tool by a user.

[0006]

According to the first aspect of the present invention,
In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, a fixing unit detachable mechanism for detachably attaching a fixing unit to an electrophotographic apparatus is provided on a side surface of a main body of the electrophotographic apparatus. A cover capable of opening and closing the unit, a lock lever provided on the cover, and a moving surface provided in the main body and movably supporting the fixing unit between an operating position and a take-out position in the main body. A first engaging portion provided on the fixing unit, the first engaging portion being engaged with the supporting member when the fixing unit is located at the operating position, and a base end portion swingable on the supporting member. And a front end portion extends from the base end portion toward the cover, and swings between a first position for fixing the fixing unit to the operating position and a second position for moving the fixing unit to the take-out position. And a cover that closes the second engagement portion and the cover that can engage with the first engagement portion when the swing member swings to the first position. A third engaging portion that engages with the lock lever when the lock lever is released. When the cover is opened, the engagement between the lock lever and the third engaging portion is released, and the swinging member is moved. At the same time as swinging to the second position, the engagement between the first engaging portion and the second engaging portion is released, and the distal end portion of the swinging member forms a part of the moving surface of the support member, and the fixing unit When the fixing unit is located at the operation position and the cover is closed, the rocking member is engaged with the third engagement portion while the rocking member is being moved to the first engagement position. After swinging to the position, the first engagement portion and the second engagement portion are engaged.

In this case, when the fixing unit is removed from the main body of the electrophotographic apparatus, when the cover is opened, the engagement between the lock lever and the third engagement portion is released, and the swing member is moved to the second position.
At the same time as swinging to the position, the engagement between the first engagement portion and the second engagement portion is released. At this time, the tip of the swinging member constitutes a part of the moving surface of the support member and serves as a guide for guiding the movement of the fixing unit to the take-out position. The fixing unit can be moved to the take-out position and taken out.

On the other hand, when the fixing unit is attached to the main body, the fixing unit is moved to the operating position along the tip of the swinging member and the supporting member. Next, when the cover is closed, the swing member swings to the first position while the lock lever is engaged with the third engagement portion, and then the first engagement portion and the second engagement portion are engaged, and the fixing unit is rotated. Is held by the support member. As a result, the swinging member can be moved between the first position and the second position in accordance with the opening / closing operation of the cover to hold and release the fixing unit. Thus, the fixing unit can be smoothly attached and detached. As a result, the user can easily attach and detach the fixing unit without using a tool.

[0009]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. 1 to 4 are views showing an embodiment of a fixing unit detaching / attaching mechanism according to the present invention. In the present embodiment, an example is shown in which the fixing unit is provided in a copying machine as an electrophotographic apparatus.
Other devices may be used as long as they fix image data on recording paper, such as facsimile machines and multifunction machines.

First, the configuration will be described. In FIG. 1, 1
Is a copying machine as an electrophotographic apparatus, and the copying machine 1 has an automatic document feeder (hereinafter simply referred to as A
DF2). The document automatically conveyed by the ADF 2 is conveyed to a contact glass 3 provided on the upper surface of the main body 1a.
The image is read by a scanner device 4 provided below.

The image of the original read by the scanner device 4 is applied to an electrostatic latent image on a photosensitive drum of an image forming means 6 including a photosensitive drum, a charging charger, a transfer charger, a developing device, a cleaning device, and the like by an optical writing system 5. Is to be transcribed. The electrostatic latent image transferred to the photosensitive drum is formed as a toner image by a developing device, and the toner image is transferred to recording paper fed from the paper feeding unit 7. ing.

After the recording paper is fixed by the fixing unit 8, it is discharged outside the main body 1a. The fixing unit 8 includes a fixing roller 9 heated by a heater, a pressure roller 10 slidably contacting the fixing roller 9, a thermistor (not shown) for detecting the temperature of the fixing roller, and the like. I have. Next, a mechanism for attaching and detaching the fixing unit 8 will be described with reference to FIGS.

In FIG. 2, reference numeral 11 denotes a cover. The cover 11 is provided on the left side of the main body 1a, and opens and closes the main body 1a to open and close the fixing unit 8. Further, a lock lever 12 is provided on the cover 11, and the lock lever 12 is disposed inside the main body 1a. Also, as shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, a support member 13 is provided in the main body 1a, and the support member 13 moves the fixing unit 8 to an operation position in the main body 1a (this operation position is an electric position of the fixing unit 8). And a moving surface 13 for moving the system between an electric system of the copying machine 1) and a take-out position.
a, the connector 14 of the electric system of the fixing unit 8 and the connector 15 of the electric system of the copying machine 1 are connected when the fixing unit 8 is located at the operating position.

The case 8 has a positioning pin 16 (first
An engaging portion) and a positioning pin 17 are provided, and these pins 16 and 17 are adapted to engage with engaging grooves 18 and 19 formed in the support member 13. A base end of a swing lever (swing member) 21 is provided on the support member 13 so as to be swingable. The swing lever 20 has a tip end extending from the base end toward the cover 11. doing. An engaging groove (second engaging portion) 20 is formed in the swing lever 20.
When the tip of the swing lever 20 swings upward (this position is called a second position) from below (this position is called a second position), it engages with the pin 16 (this position is called the first position).

A lock pin (third engaging portion) 22 is provided at the tip end of the swing lever 20.
Reference numeral 22 is adapted to engage with the lock lever 12 when the swing lever 20 swings to the first position. In this state, the fixing unit 8 is located at the operating position and is held by the support member 13. When the cover 11 is opened, the rocking lever 20 is disengaged from the lock lever 12 and the lock pin 22 and rocks to the second position. At this time, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the distal end portion (indicated by reference numeral 20a) of the swing lever 20 forms a part of the moving surface 13a, and the removal of the fixing unit 8 is performed. Become a guide that guides you to the location.

Next, a method of attaching and detaching the fixing unit 8 to and from the main body 1a will be described. First, when removing the fixing unit 8 from the main body 1a, when the cover 11 is opened, the engagement between the lock lever 12 and the lock pin 22 is released and the swing lever 20 swings to the second position, and 16 and engagement groove 21
Is disengaged. At this time, the tip of the swing lever 20
As shown in FIG. 3, the support member 13 and the swing lever 20a constitute a part of the moving surface 13a of the support member 13 and serve as a guide for guiding the fixing unit 8 to the removal position.
The fixing unit 8 can be taken out by moving it to the take-out position along the front end portion 20a.

On the other hand, when the fixing unit 8 is mounted on the main body 1a, the fixing unit 8 is moved to the operating position along the tip 20a of the swing lever 20 and the support member 13 at the position shown in FIG. When the pins 16 and 17 are engaged with the engagement grooves 18 and 19, the connectors 14 and 15 are connected. Then, cover 11
When the lock lever 12 is closed, the swing lever 20 swings to the first position while engaging with the lock pin 22 on the lock lever 12, and then the pin 16 and the engagement groove 21 are engaged, and as shown in FIG. Is held by the support member 13.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the swing lever 20 can be moved between the first position and the second position in accordance with the opening and closing operation of the cover 13 to hold and release the fixing unit 8. In addition, the fixing unit 8 can be smoothly attached and detached by using the tip portion 20a of the swing lever 20. As a result, the user can easily attach and detach the fixing unit 8 without using a tool.

[0019]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the swinging member can be moved between the first position and the second position with the opening and closing operation of the cover to hold and release the fixing unit. In addition, the fixing unit can be smoothly attached and detached using the tip of the swinging member. As a result, the user can easily attach and detach the fixing unit without using a tool.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a view showing an embodiment of a fixing unit detaching / attaching mechanism according to the present invention, and is a schematic view of a copying machine provided with a fixing unit.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a state in which the fixing unit according to the embodiment is moved to an operation position and mounted on a main body.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a state in which the fixing unit according to the embodiment has been moved to a take-out position.

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a state of a swing lever after a fixing unit according to one embodiment is taken out.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Copier (electrophotographic apparatus) 1a Main body 8 Fixing unit 11 Cover 12 Lock lever 13 Support member 13a Moving surface 16 Pin (1st engaging part) 20 Swing lever (Swing member) 20a Tip part 21 Engaging groove ( 2nd engaging part) 22 Lock pin (third engaging part)

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A fixing unit detachable mechanism for detachably attaching a fixing unit to an electrophotographic apparatus, provided on a side surface of a main body of the electrophotographic apparatus, and opening and closing the main body to open the fixing unit. And a cover which can be closed, a lock lever provided on the cover, and a support provided in the main body and having a moving surface for movably supporting the fixing unit between an operation position and a take-out position in the main body. A member, a first engagement portion provided on the fixing unit, which engages with the support member when the fixing unit is located at the operating position, and a base end portion is provided on the support member so as to be swingable. And a tip end extending from the base end toward the cover and swingably provided between a first position for fixing the fixing unit at the operating position and a second position for moving the fixing unit to the take-out position. When the swing member swings to the first position, the second engagement portion engageable with the first engagement portion and the cover are closed. A third engagement portion that engages with the lock lever, wherein when the cover is opened, the engagement between the lock lever and the third engagement portion is released and the swing member is moved to the second position. At the same time, the first engaging portion and the second engaging portion are disengaged from each other, and the leading end of the swinging member constitutes a part of the moving surface of the support member, and the fixing unit is taken out of the fixing unit. When the cover is closed with the fixing unit positioned at the operating position, the rocking member is swung to the first position while the lock lever is engaged with the third engaging portion. Wherein the first engagement portion and the second engagement portion are engaged after being moved. .