CN105988349B

CN105988349B - Mounting device and image forming apparatus

Info

Publication number: CN105988349B
Application number: CN201610112490.3A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 平田宗和; 西冈国彦; 木村一平; 齐藤雅彦; 尾花阳光; 中村光孝; 前田圭介; 清水亮
Original assignee: Liguang Co
Current assignee: Liguang Co
Priority date: 2015-03-16
Filing date: 2016-03-01
Publication date: 2020-01-21
Anticipated expiration: 2036-03-01
Also published as: CN105988349A; JP2016173404A

Abstract

The invention provides a mounting device and an image forming apparatus, which can mount a toner supply container (200) as a mounting body protruding to the outside of an apparatus body in a detachable manner, and when a front cover member (40) as a cover member is closed, even when the toner supply container (200) is mounted, an interlock switch (310) as a closed state detection mechanism for detecting the closed state can be used with a simple structure. A relay mechanism (400) is provided between the front cover member (40) and the interlock switch (310). The approach action of the front cover member (40) to the toner replenishing container (200) is transmitted to the interlock switch (310) by means of the relay mechanism (400), and the switch (310) is actuated thereby.

Description

Mounting device and image forming apparatus

Technical Field

The invention relates to a mounting device and an image forming apparatus.

Background

Conventionally, in an image forming apparatus, a developing device, a process unit, and the like in an apparatus main body are checked and replaced by opening a front cover member of the apparatus main body. In order to prevent an operation state that may cause danger to an operator when performing such spot inspection and replacement, a mechanism called interlock is generally provided. The interlock mechanism is, for example, an interlock switch or the like that is interlocked with a switch such as a front cover member of the apparatus main body, and switches a DC power supply voltage of a load driving circuit device such as a motor. Thus, even if the main power supply of the apparatus main body is in an activated state, the load does not vary and an operation state dangerous to the operator does not occur because the driving voltage of the load is not applied as long as the front cover member or the like is opened.

However, for users who print large amounts of toner, it is desirable to increase the replacement cycle of the toner cartridge by increasing the amount of toner stored. In view of this, a technique has been proposed in which a toner replenishing container such as a large toner hopper having an increased toner storage capacity can be connected to a developing device by opening a front cover member.

However, since the inside of the image forming apparatus is less empty due to intensification, when a large toner supply container is mounted, the front cover member cannot be brought into a normally closed state but is merely in a "half-open state". In this half open state, the image forming apparatus cannot be operated due to the interlock.

In order to operate the image forming apparatus even in the "half-open state", a mechanism for releasing the interlock of the apparatus main body needs to be separately provided. When such an interlock releasing mechanism is separately provided outside the apparatus main body, the apparatus becomes complicated and the cost increases. Further, since the interlock release mechanism provided separately protrudes outside the apparatus main body, it is restricted by the installation space of the image forming apparatus and the like for a general user who does not need a large toner supply container.

Patent document 1 (japanese patent No. 3032249) or patent document 2 (japanese unexamined patent publication No. h 2-228678) discloses an invention in which a relay member for releasing an interlock switch is incorporated into a developing device or a process unit. The relay member is configured to be interlocked with the front cover member and then release the interlock switch. The above-described invention is intended to prevent wasteful printing of blank sheets after the interlock is released by closing the front cover member when the developing device or the process unit is not mounted in the device main body, and is not capable of solving the above-described problems associated with the mounting of a large toner supply container.

[ patent document 1 ] Japanese patent No. 3032249

[ patent document 2 ] Japanese patent application laid-open No. Hei 2-228678

Disclosure of Invention

In view of the above circumstances, an object of the present invention is to provide a mounting device that can detachably mount a mounting body as a mounting body protruding to the outside of a device main body, and that can use a closed state detection mechanism for detecting the closed state with a simple configuration even when the mounting body is mounted when the mounting position is closed by a cover member.

In order to solve the above-described problem, an aspect of the present invention provides a mounting device capable of detachably mounting a mounting body protruding to an outside of a device main body to a mounting position provided in the device main body, the mounting device including: a cover member movably disposed in the apparatus main body and capable of opening and closing the attachment position; a closed state detection mechanism that is disposed in the device body and detects a closed state when the attachment position is closed by the cover member; and a relay mechanism that is disposed between the cover member and the closed state detection mechanism, transmits an approaching motion of the cover member to the mounting body mounted in the mounting position to the closed state detection mechanism, and causes the closed state detection mechanism to operate, and when the mounting position is closed by the cover member, the closed state detection mechanism operates by the closing motion of the cover member, and in a state where the mounting body is mounted in the mounting position, the approaching motion of the cover member to the mounting body is transmitted to the closed state detection mechanism via the relay mechanism, and causes the closed state detection mechanism to operate.

The present invention has a relay mechanism for transmitting the action of the cover member approaching the mounting body mounted in the device body to the closed state detection mechanism on the body side, and even in the case of using the mounting body, the relay mechanism can transmit the approaching action of the cover member to the closed state detection mechanism and then make the closed state detection mechanism operate. Therefore, even when the mounting body is used, the closed state detection mechanism can be operated by the cover member by adding the relay mechanism, and therefore, the apparatus cost can be reduced.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the image forming apparatus.

Fig. 3 is an oblique view of the image forming apparatus when the cover member is opened.

Fig. 4a is a side view of the image forming apparatus when the cover member is opened.

Fig. 4b is a side view of the image forming apparatus when the cover member is closed.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the image forming apparatus with the toner supply container attached.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view of the image forming apparatus when the toner supply container is attached.

Fig. 7a is a perspective view of the image forming apparatus when the additional cover member is attached to the toner replenishment container.

Figure 7b shows an oblique view of the additional cover member.

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the image forming apparatus when the front cover member is closed toward the toner supply container to which the additional cover member is attached.

Fig. 9 is a perspective view showing a relay mechanism constituted by two members.

Fig. 10a is a sectional view of the image forming apparatus when the toner replenishment container of the relay mechanism having two members is attached and the front cover member is opened.

Fig. 10b is a sectional view of the image forming apparatus when the toner replenishment container having the relay mechanism of two members is attached and the front cover member is closed.

Fig. 11 is a perspective view showing a relay mechanism constituted by one member.

Fig. 12a is a sectional view of the image forming apparatus when the toner replenishment container having the relay mechanism of one member is attached and the front cover member is opened.

Fig. 12b is a sectional view of the image forming apparatus when the toner supply container having the relay mechanism of one member is attached and the front cover member is closed.

Fig. 13 is a sectional view of the toner replenishment container having the optical relay mechanism.

Fig. 14 is a sectional view of the toner replenishment container having an electrical relay mechanism.

Fig. 15a is a side view of the image forming apparatus in which a wire interlocked with a swing support shaft of a front cover member is used as a relay mechanism.

Fig. 15b is a side view of the image forming apparatus when the wire is pressed by the wire pressing portion formed in the additional cover member.

Detailed Description

An image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. The image forming apparatus can be used in, for example, a copying machine, a facsimile machine, a laser printer, a full-color laser printer, and the like. Fig. 1 is an oblique view of an image forming apparatus 1000, and fig. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view thereof. Although this image forming apparatus 1000 is a monochrome image forming apparatus, it goes without saying that the present invention can also be applied to a color image forming apparatus.

The image forming apparatus 1000 is detachably mounted with the process unit 100. The process unit 100 constitutes a first mounting body of the present invention, and is configured by integrating the photoreceptor 110, the developing unit 120, the charging roller 130, the cleaning device 140, the waste toner housing unit 150, and the like. As shown in fig. 5 and 6, the process unit 100 may be configured such that the front cover member 40 is slightly opened on the near side with the pivot support point 38 as the center, and the toner supply container 200 or the additional cover member 60 is detachably connected as a second attachment body. The front cover member 40 is configured to interlock with the apparatus body as described later, and when the front cover member 40 is opened, the image forming apparatus cannot be operated because the driving voltage of the load is not applied even when the main power supply of the apparatus body is activated.

< construction of image Forming apparatus >

Drum-shaped photoreceptor 110 of process unit 100 is located in the substantial center in the main body of image forming apparatus 1000. The photosensitive body 110 rotates in the direction of the arrow in the figure. The photoreceptor 110 is not limited to a drum shape, and may be a belt shape.

A charging roller 130 and a transfer roller 10 are disposed above and below the photoreceptor 110. Further, a developing roller 121 of the developing unit 120 is disposed on the right side of the photosensitive member 110, and a cleaning device 140 is disposed on the left side. The charging roller 130 is applied with a predetermined bias by a high voltage power supply, and is brought into contact with the surface of the photoreceptor 110 to uniformly charge the surface of the photoreceptor 110 to a predetermined potential.

A writing device 11 is disposed above the charging roller 130. The writing device 11 may perform exposure on the surface of the photosensitive body 110 using a laser or an LED according to image data. Then, an electrostatic latent image pattern is formed on the surface of the photoreceptor 110 uniformly charged by the charging roller 130 by exposure from the writing device 11.

The developing unit 120 of the process unit 100 includes a toner accommodating portion 123, and a developing roller 121 and a supply roller 122 disposed in the toner accommodating portion 123. The developing roller 121 carries the developer and applies a predetermined developing bias by a high-voltage power supply. The toner placed on the developing roller 121 adheres to the electrostatic latent image pattern on the surface of the photosensitive body 110 by an electric field formed between the photosensitive body 110 and the developing roller 121, and the electrostatic latent image is visualized as a toner image. The supply roller 122 has a sponge-like surface layer impregnated with toner, and supplies necessary toner and removes unnecessary toner simultaneously to the developing roller 121 after contacting the developing roller 121.

A transfer bias is applied to the transfer roller 10 by a high-voltage power supply, and the toner image developed on the surface of the photosensitive body 110 is transferred to the surface of the paper fed between the transfer roller 10 and the photosensitive body 110 by the transfer bias. The sheet having the toner image transferred thereto is conveyed to the fixing device 12, and the toner image is fixed to the sheet at the fixing device 12. The sheet with the toner image fixed thereon is further conveyed and discharged to the discharge stack portion 19 on the upper surface of the main body by the discharge roller 13. The surface of the photoreceptor 110 after the toner image is transferred to the paper sheet is cleaned by the cleaning device 140 to remove the transfer residual toner, and the transfer residual toner is stored in the waste toner storage portion 150 of the cleaning device 140.

A drawer-type paper feed tray 14 is disposed below the transfer roller 10, and a paper feed roller 15 is disposed above the front side of the paper feed tray 14. Above the paper feed roller 15, a relay roller 16 and a timing roller 17 are disposed. The paper P in the paper feed tray 14 is fed from the paper feed roller 15 to the relay roller 16, and further fed from the relay roller 16 to the timing roller 17, and the position of the leading end of the paper P is specified and regulated at the timing roller 17. Then, in synchronization with the toner image formed on the photoreceptor 110, the paper P is fed from the timing roller 17, and the toner image on the photoreceptor 110 is transferred to the paper P at the transfer nip portion between the photoreceptor 110 and the transfer roller 10.

< operation of image Forming apparatus >

When the image forming apparatus 1000 receives a print command generated by an operation of an operation panel or the like, the paper P is conveyed from the uppermost layer of the stacked sheet bundle of the paper feed tray 14 by the paper feed roller 15 one by one, and the leading end of the paper P passes through the relay roller 16 and reaches the timer roller 17. Thereafter, the further rotation of the relay roller 16 is continued to correct the nip portion of the machine roller 17 when the paper is skewed.

On the other hand, in response to a print command generated by an operation of an operation panel or the like, an electrostatic latent image is written on the surface of the photoconductor 110 charged by the charging roller 130 by the writing device 11. The electrostatic latent image is visualized by the toner T supplied onto the surface of the photoreceptor 110 by the supply roller 122 and the developing roller 121. The developed toner image is transferred to the paper P fed from the timing roller 17 toward the transfer roller 10 in synchronization with the formation of the toner image.

Here, as shown In fig. 2, the photoreceptor 110 and the charging roller 130 and the like disposed around the photoreceptor are configured as an integrated cartridge unit (hereinafter referred to as "aio (all In one)"). The AIO further includes a developing roller 121, a supply roller 122, a cartridge covering and supporting them from the outside, a toner container 123 for containing toner T, and a waste toner container 150 for containing discharged waste toner by cleaning the toner on the surface of the photoreceptor.

After the toner image is transferred to the paper P, the paper P is conveyed to the fixing roller 12a and the pressure roller 12b, and the toner image is heat-fixed by the pressure roller 12b facing the fixing roller 12a, thereby completing the image formation. Then, the paper P is sequentially discharged onto the discharge stack portion 19 by the discharge roller 18, and the printing operation is completed.

< interlocking mechanism >

The image forming apparatus 1000 has a switch detection mechanism of the front cover member 40 for activating and deactivating the interlock of the apparatus body. The spot inspection and replacement of the processing unit 100 and the like are performed by opening the front cover member 40 to the lower side in front as shown in fig. 3, and a plurality of devices using a high-voltage power supply are arranged in the apparatus body. In order to prevent the occurrence of an operation state dangerous to the operator, a mechanism called interlock is provided in the main body of the image forming apparatus 1000 so as to interlock with the switch detection mechanism of the front cover member 40. By this interlock mechanism, when the front cover member 40 is opened, the interlock switch 310 in fig. 4a is turned OFF (OFF-on), and thus the power supply system including the high-voltage power supply is turned OFF, and the apparatus main body enters an inactive state.

Further, when the front cover member 40 is closed from the state in which the cover member is opened in fig. 4a to the original state shown in fig. 4b, a striker (striker)41 formed to protrude as an action portion inside the upper end portion of the front cover member 40 presses the interlock switch 310. Thus, the interlock switch 310 is turned ON and then the interlock is released, and the apparatus main body can be operated.

On the side of the apparatus body, as shown in fig. 3, a first insertion hole 54 for inserting the striker 41 of the front cover member 40 is formed. As shown in fig. 4b, when the front cover member 40 is closed, the striker 41 is inserted into the first insertion hole 54 to activate the interlock switch 310, and then the interlock is released.

A pair of right and left locking

holes

52a, 52b are formed in the side surface of the apparatus body as shown in fig. 3. The closed state of the front cover member 40 is maintained by inserting and locking the locking

claws

42a, 42b, which are provided in the front cover member 40 as a pair on the left and right, into the locking

holes

52a, 52 b. By the maintenance of the closed state, the striker 41 of the front cover member 40 continues to push the interlock switch 310, and the interlock is maintained in the released state.

The operation and release of the interlock switch 310 are not limited to the mechanical operation by the striker 41 as shown in fig. 4a and 4 b. In fig. 13 and 14, as will be described later, the optical or electrical on and off operation may be performed on the optical sensor receiving portion 221 or the interlock switch 310, which also serves as an interlock switch.

< toner replenishment container >

As shown in fig. 5 and 6, the image forming apparatus 1000 can be equipped with a large toner supply container 200 having a toner hopper or the like. By providing such a large toner supply container 200, the amount of toner stored in the toner storage portion 123 of the process unit 100 can be substantially increased. Therefore, the replacement cycle of the AIO can be extended, and the stock amount of the AIO can be reduced even for a user with a large amount of printing. In addition, the abnormal operation time of the image forming apparatus 1000 accompanying AIO replacement can be shortened.

The toner supply container 200 is attached to the image forming apparatus 1000 at the same position as the process unit 100 shown in fig. 5 and 6, and is a side surface of the main body of the image forming apparatus 1000. When the toner supply container 200 is attached, a supply port at the lower end thereof is connected to the toner accommodating portion 123 of the process unit 100.

As shown in fig. 5 and 6, the toner supply container 200 has a projecting shape that is large outside the apparatus main body. Therefore, since the conventional front cover member 40 cannot cover the toner supply container 200, it is necessary to replace it with a large cover member. However, the use of such a large cover member causes an increase in cost, and a storage space for the large cover member is also required when the toner supply container 200 is not used.

Further, the striker 41 as shown in fig. 4a and 4b must be disposed in the large cover member, and it is not always easy to set the moving locus of the striker that can activate the interlock switch 310 on the main body side. If it is not possible or difficult to provide the striker on the cover side corresponding to the position of the interlock switch 310 on the body side, it is necessary to additionally provide the interlock switch on the body side in a manner corresponding to the position of the striker provided on the large cover member side. As a result, two interlock switches are required in the apparatus main body, which inevitably leads to a large change in the design of the apparatus main body or a large increase in cost.

Therefore, in the embodiment of the present invention, even when the toner supply container 200 is attached, the conventional front cover member 40 is used as it is to cover a part of the toner supply container 200, and only the part that is not covered by the front cover member 40 can be covered by the additional cover member 60 described later. In this way, a large cost increase due to a large cover member is avoided, and a small additional cover member 60 is required, so that a small cost increase is only required. When the toner supply container 200 is not used, the storage space is limited because the cover member 60 is added to be small.

However, the posture of the front cover member 40 covering a part of the toner supply container 200 is a so-called "half-open state". Therefore, the interlock release operation cannot be performed without changing the state. In the embodiment of the present invention, a relay mechanism, which will be described later, is disposed between the striker 41, which is the operating portion of the front cover member 40, and the interlock switch 310, which is the closed state detection mechanism on the main body side. This relay mechanism transmits the prescribed position or posture state of the "half-open state" of the front cover member 40 to the interlock switch 310 to release the interlock.

In this interlock released state, the front cover member 40 covers the inclined lower surface side of the toner supply container 200, and the pair of right and left locking

claws

42a and 42b of the front cover member 40 are locked to the locking holes 52a and 52b on the main body side. By maintaining such a locked state of the front cover member 40, the interlock releasing action of the interlock switch 310 is maintained, and the apparatus body can be actuated.

< additional cover member >

Next, the additional cover member 60 covering the upper side of the toner supply container 200 will be described with reference to fig. 7a, 7b, and 8. The additional cover member 60 includes a horizontal upper plate portion 61 having a height substantially equal to the upper surface of the apparatus main body, a pair of left and right triangular plate portions 62 extending perpendicularly downward from both left and right edges of the upper plate portion, and an inclined plate portion 63 folded back inward from the front edge of the upper plate portion 61. The inclined plate portion 63 is connected to the tip end sides of the pair of left and right triangular plate portions 62, and thereby the additional cover member 60 is configured to have a predetermined strength as a whole.

As shown in fig. 7b, the additional cover member 60 is provided with four locking

claws

64a, 64b, 64c, and 64d on the base end side facing the apparatus main body for detachably attaching the additional cover member 60 to the apparatus main body. On the other hand, as shown in fig. 7a, locking

holes

53a, 53b, 53c, and 53d are provided on the main body side of the image forming apparatus 1000 so as to correspond to the locking claws 64a to 64d (the locking hole 53d is hidden from view).

Then, the four locking claws 64a to 64d of the additional cover member 60 can be detachably locked to the four locking holes 53a to 53d on the main body side. Thus, the additional cover member 60 is removed when the toner supply container 200 is not used, and the front cover member 40 can be closed as shown in fig. 4b, so that it is not necessary to increase the size of the apparatus for a user with a small amount of printing.

As shown in fig. 8, the inclined plate portion 63 of the additional cover member 60 has a pair of left and right locking

holes

63a, 63b that can be locked to a pair of left and right locking

claws

42a, 42b of the front cover member 40. Further, a second insertion hole 69 is formed in one end portion of the inclined plate portion 63, and the striker 41 of the front cover member 40 can press an end portion 401c of a first moving member 401 of a mechanical relay mechanism 400, which will be described later, through the second insertion hole 69. As shown in fig. 7b, an insertion hole 62d through which the pressing end 402b of the second moving member 402 of the mechanical relay mechanism 400 is inserted is formed on the base end side of the triangular plate portion 62.

The additional cover member 60 may be formed integrally with the toner supply container 200, in addition to being formed separately from the toner supply container 200. That is, the additional cover member 60 can be configured as a part of the housing of the toner supply container 200. However, the toner supply container 200 is often disposable, and if the toner supply container 200 itself is also used as an additional cover member, the running cost increases. Therefore, in order to reduce the cost, it is preferable to separately and independently configure the cover member 60 and the toner supply container 200.

< Relay mechanism >

The relay mechanism may be any of a mechanical relay mechanism, an optical relay mechanism, an electrical relay mechanism, and the like. First, an embodiment of the mechanical relay mechanism 400 will be described. As shown in fig. 9, the mechanical relay mechanism 400 includes a first moving member 401 and a second moving member 402 having a predetermined length. A first guided pin 401a and a second guided pin 401b extending in a short distance in the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction are disposed at both ends of the first moving member 401. The first moving member 401 and the second moving member 402 are connected to each other as a hinge pin by the second guided pin 401b so as to be bendable.

The protruding portions of the first guided pin 401a and the second guided pin 401b are slidably fitted into the first rail portion 62a and the second rail portion 62b formed in the shape of long holes in the inner surface of the triangular plate portion 62 (the right triangular plate portion 62 in fig. 7 b) on the side of the additional cover member 60 as shown in fig. 10a and 10 b. The first rail portion 62a is disposed at a position inside the second insertion hole 69 of the inclined plate portion 63 so as to be inclined at right angles to the inclined plate portion 63, and the second rail portion 62b is disposed horizontally below the upper plate portion 61.

The second moving member 402 is disposed so as to be movable in the lateral direction between the

horizontal guide portions

66 and 67 formed on the inner surface of the triangular plate portion 62 of the additional cover member 60. Then, the one end lower surface 402a of the second moving member 402 is slidably mounted on the lower horizontal guide portion 67. The opposite end of the second moving member 402 is a pressing end 402b capable of pressing the interlock switch 310, and the pressing end 402b is inserted into the insertion hole 62d of the additional cover member 60.

A step portion 68 standing vertically is formed in an end portion of the horizontal guide portion 67, and one end of a compression coil spring 70 as an urging mechanism is supported in the step portion 68. The other end of the compression coil spring 70 abuts against the second moving member 402 and applies a force constantly toward the right in fig. 10a, 10b, that is, in a direction away from the interlock switch 310, to the second moving member 402.

Thus, in the state where the front cover member 40 is opened, the mechanical relay mechanism 400 is reliably moved to a position where it does not act on the interlock switch 310, and therefore, the opening and closing of the front cover member 40 can be reliably detected. That is, it is possible to reliably prevent a situation in which the front cover member 40 is erroneously detected as being in the closed state even if the front cover member 40 is in the open state. In addition, in the open state of the front cover member 40, the first moving member 401 can be reliably returned to the standby position shown in fig. 10a by the urging force of the compression coil spring 70.

As shown in fig. 10a, in the open state of the front cover member 40, the striker 41 disposed in the front cover member 40 does not abut against the first moving member 401. Therefore, the mechanical relay mechanism 400 is in a state of being moved rightward by the urging force of the compression coil spring 70, and the pressing end 402b of the second moving member 402 is separated from the interlock switch 310. Thus, the control system of the image forming apparatus 1000 can confirm the open state of the front cover member 40 by the closed state of the interlock switch 310.

Next, when the front cover member 40 approaches the toner replenishing container 200 side and enters the closed state as shown in fig. 10b, the striker 41 of the front cover member 40 pushes the end of the first moving member 401 in the arrow a direction of fig. 10b through the second insertion hole 69 of the additional cover member 60. By the pressing action of the striker 41, the mechanical relay mechanism 400 is moved leftward in fig. 10b against the urging force of the compression coil spring 70. At this time, the guided

pins

401a and 401b at both ends of the first moving member 401 are guided by the first guide rail portion 62a and the second guide rail portion 62b of the additional cover member 60, and then the pressing force of the striker 41 is efficiently transmitted to the second moving member 402 while changing the inclination of the first moving member 401.

The second moving member 402 moves in the direction of arrow B in fig. 10B by the transmission of the pressing force, and the pressing end 402B of the second moving member 402 passes through the first insertion hole 54 provided in the side surface of the image forming apparatus 1000 to act on the interlock switch 310, and then the switch is activated. Thus, the closed state of the front cover member 40 is detected, and then, the power supply system, such as the high-voltage power supply, is released from the shut-off state by the release operation of the interlock, so that the apparatus main body can be operated.

When the toner supply container 200 is not used, the additional cover member 60 shown in fig. 7b is removed from the apparatus main body as shown in fig. 4a and 4 b. When the front cover member 40 is closed in this state as shown in fig. 4b, since the striker 41 of the front cover member 40 directly acts (abuts) on the interlock switch 310 through the first insertion hole 54, the closed state of the front cover member 40 is detected.

As described above, the interlock mechanism (cover member switch detection mechanism) of the image forming apparatus 1000 to which the toner supply container 200 can be detachably attached can be configured without changing the shape of the striker 41 of the front cover member 40 or the position of the interlock switch 310. Therefore, when the toner supply container 200 is provided or not provided, it is not necessary to separately manufacture the apparatus main body in order to realize the interlock mechanism, and therefore, the cost can be reduced. In addition, in the case where the toner replenishment container 200 is not provided, the apparatus main body does not become unnecessarily large in size.

The mechanical relay mechanism 400 may be assembled to the additional cover member 60 as shown in fig. 10a and 10b, or may be separately disposed from the additional cover member 60. However, in this case, since the additional cover member 60 and the relay mechanism 400 of the machine need to be separately mounted, the mounting work is troublesome, and the relay mechanism 400 of the machine may be forgotten to be mounted. Therefore, the mechanical relay mechanism 400 is preferably incorporated in the additional cover member 60 as shown in fig. 10a and 10 b.

< modification of relay mechanism >

Next, a modification of the mechanical relay mechanism 400 will be described. The mechanical relay mechanism 400 is composed of two moving

members

401 and 402. In this case, the number of parts is two, and the number of assembly steps for connecting the two moving

members

401 and 402 is also required. Then, the moving member 410 shown in fig. 11 is a moving member separately formed to reduce the number of parts and man-hours.

The moving member 410 is formed of an integrally formed plate-like member, and one end side thereof is elongated to form a pressing end 411 which abuts against the interlock switch 310. The opposite side of the moving member 410 is wide, and an inclined portion 412 is formed at an end thereof as a sliding surface against which the striker 41 of the front cover member 40 abuts. Further, upper and lower side edges of the moving member 410 are guided

portions

413 and 414 linearly extending in the horizontal direction, and a guided pin 415 is provided in a portion close to the guided portion 413 in a protruding manner.

As shown in fig. 12a and 12b, the moving member 410 is disposed so as to be movable in the lateral direction between the

horizontal guide portions

66 and 67 formed on the inner surface of the triangular plate portion 62 of the additional cover member 60. The

horizontal guide portions

66 and 67 are provided with

rotating members

65a, 65b, and 65c such as rollers facing each other in the vertical direction, and the upper and lower guided

portions

413 and 414 of the moving member 410 are guided in the horizontal direction so as to be sandwiched between the rotating members 65a to 65 c.

Thus, by reducing the sliding movement load of the moving member 410 and reducing the operation force when the front cover member 40 is closed, the operability of the front cover member 40 can be improved, and the on operation and the off operation of the interlock switch 310 can be reliably performed. The turning members 65a to 65c may be disposed on the upper and lower guided

portions

413 and 414 of the moving member 410 instead of the

horizontal guide portions

66 and 67.

A third guide rail 62c having a horizontally elongated hole shape is formed on the inner surface of the triangular plate 62, and the guided pin 415 of the moving member 410 is slidably inserted into the third guide rail 62 c. A vertical step portion 68 is formed at an end portion of the horizontal guide portion 67, and a compression coil spring 70 is disposed between the step portion 68 and the moving member 410. The moving member 410 constantly applies a force in a direction away from the interlock switch 310 to the mechanical relay mechanism 400 rightward in fig. 12a and 12b by the compression coil spring 70.

When the integrally formed moving member 410 is used, as shown in fig. 12b, when the striker 41 abuts against the inclined surface 412 of the moving member 410 in the arrow direction C, the abutting portion of the striker 41 and the inclined portion 412 of the moving member 410 slide in the direction D perpendicular to the arrow direction C. Therefore, by configuring at least one of the contact portion of the striker 41 and the inclined portion 412 as a low-friction sliding member, the sliding movement resistance of the striker 41 and the moving member 410 can be reduced.

This allows the moving member 410 to move without the contact portion of the striker 41 being caught by the inclined portion 412, and reduces the operating force of the front cover member 40 at the time of opening and closing, thereby improving the operability. The sliding member may be a sheet having low frictional resistance, such as teflon (registered trademark) tape, that can be attached to the contact portion of the striker 41 or the inclined portion 412.

< optical relay mechanism >

Fig. 13 shows an embodiment when the front cover member 40 is closed when an optical relay mechanism is used as the relay mechanism. A photosensor emitter 220 is attached to the inside of the distal end of the front cover member 40, and a photosensor receiver 221 as an interlock switch is disposed on the apparatus main body side. The light emitted from the light sensor emitting portion 220 is received by the light sensor receiving portion 221 through the insertion hole 62d of the additional cover member 60 and the first insertion hole 54 on the main body side, and then the closed state of the front cover member 40 is detected.

When the optical path from the photosensor emitter 220 to the photosensor receiver 221 interferes with the toner supply container 200, etc., a reflection plate 222 is provided to bypass the optical path. By providing the reflecting plate 222, even if the toner replenishment container 200 is increased in size, the optical path is not blocked by the container, and the optical relay mechanism can be reliably operated.

< electric relay mechanism >

Fig. 14 shows an embodiment in which an electric relay mechanism is used as the relay mechanism. A second interlock switch 320 is disposed in a portion (inside the inclined plate portion 63) of the front cover member 40 where the contact portion of the striker 41 abuts, and the second interlock switch 320 and the interlock switch 310 on the main body side are connected in parallel via a lead wire 320 and

conductive terminals

340a and 340 b. The

conductive terminals

340a and 340b are disposed on the mounting surfaces of the additional cover member 60 and the main body facing each other.

With this electrical relay mechanism, when the additional cover member 60 is attached, as shown in fig. 14, the second interlock switch 320 is actuated by the striker 41 of the front cover member 40 when the front cover member 40 is closed toward the toner supply container 200. Thus, the interlock switch 310 on the device body side becomes in the same circuit state as the start operation. Therefore, the interlock of the apparatus main body is released, and the apparatus main body can be operated in a state where the toner supply container 200 is attached. In the case of this electrical relay mechanism, the insertion hole 62d may be used as the insertion lead 330.

< relay mechanism of wire >

Next, as a modified embodiment of the mechanical relay mechanism, an embodiment in which a wire is used as the relay mechanism will be described with reference to fig. 15a and 15 b. In this embodiment, a pressing member 500 for operating the interlock switch 310 is disposed in the vicinity of the switch 310. The switch pressing member 500 is a driving member that operates the interlock switch 310 as the off state detection mechanism. The switch pressing member 500 is disposed to be slidable in the left-right direction, and is biased to the left direction by a biasing mechanism.

On the other hand, a take-up shaft 38a is disposed coaxially with the pivot support point 38 of the front cover member 40. Then, the winding shaft 38a and the switch pressing member 500 are connected by a wire 510 as a relay mechanism. The wire 510 may be arranged in any route, but as described later, at least a part of the wire 510 is arranged in a position close to the side surface of the apparatus main body in order to contact the pressing portion 60a of the additional cover member 60. Here, the steel wire 510 is exemplified by a rope-like body, but a belt or a rope may be used instead of the steel wire 510.

When the wire 510 is used as the relay mechanism in this way, as shown in fig. 15a, the front cover member 40 is closed in the arrow direction around the pivot support point 38, and the wire 510 is wound around the winding shaft 38a against the urging mechanism of the switch pressing member 500. In this way, when the switch pressing member 500 moves in the direction of the arrow in fig. 15a, the interlock switch 310 is activated, and the interlock of the apparatus main body is released, and the apparatus main body can be operated. On the other hand, when the front cover member 40 is opened, the switch pressing member 500 is moved leftward by the biasing mechanism, and then the interlock switch 310 is closed, so that the interlock is caught in the apparatus body, and the apparatus body cannot be operated.

Fig. 15b is a view showing a state where the additional cover member 60 and the toner replenishing container 200 as a second mounting body are mounted on the side surface of the apparatus main body. A wire pressing portion 60a protruding toward the apparatus body side is formed in the additional cover member 60. Therefore, when the additional cover member 60 is mounted to the apparatus body as shown in fig. 15b, the wire 510 is bent leftward by the pressing of the wire pressing portion 60a of the additional cover member 60, and the actual length of the wire is shortened by the length of the bent portion.

Therefore, when the front cover member 40 is moved from the open position of fig. 15b to the inclined chain line position toward the additional cover member 60, the interlock switch 310 is actuated by the switch pressing member 500. This releases the interlock of the apparatus main body, and the apparatus main body can be operated in a state of being mounted on the toner supply container 200.

That is, in the above modified embodiment, the wire pressing portion 60a of the cover member 60 is added so that the operation of the wire 510 as the relay mechanism becomes effective. Instead of adding the cover member 60, a projection having the same function as the wire pressing portion 60a may be provided on the toner supply container 200.

< summary >

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and it goes without saying that various modifications are possible within the scope of the technical idea described in the scope of the claims. The present invention has at least the following configurations.

(constitution 1)

A mounting device capable of detachably mounting a mounting body (200) protruding to the outside of a device body to a mounting position provided in the device body, the mounting device comprising: a cover member (40) which is movably disposed in the apparatus main body and which can be opened and closed in the attachment position; a closed state detection means (310) that is disposed in the device body and detects a closed state when the attachment position is closed by the cover member (40); a relay mechanism (400) which is disposed between the cover member (40) and the closed state detection mechanism (310), transmits an approaching operation of the cover member (40) to the mounting body (200) mounted in the mounting position to the closed state detection mechanism (310), and operates the closed state detection mechanism (310), and, when the mounting position is closed by the cover member (40), the closed state detection means (310) is operated by the closing operation of the cover member (40), in a state where the mounting body (200) is mounted in the mounting position, an approaching action of the cover member (40) to the mounting body (200) is transmitted to the closed state detection mechanism (310) by means of the relay mechanism (400), and the closed state detection mechanism (310) is caused to operate. According to the configuration 1, since the relay mechanism 400 is provided in the closed state detection mechanism 310 for transmitting the action of the cover member 40 approaching the mounting body 200 mounted in the apparatus body to the body side, even when the mounting body 200 is used, the closed state detection mechanism 310 can be operated after the approaching action of the cover member 40 is transmitted to the closed state detection mechanism 310 via the relay mechanism 400. Therefore, even when the mounting body (200) is used, the closed state detection mechanism (310) can be operated by the cover member (40) by adding the relay mechanism (400), and therefore, the device cost can be reduced.

(constitution 2)

The apparatus according to configuration 1, characterized in that: a part of the mounting body (200) mounted in the mounting position can be covered by the cover member (40), and another part of the mounting body (200) can be covered by an additional cover member (60). According to the configuration 2, the mounting body (200) can be protected by both the cover member (40) and the additional cover member (60), or the cover member (40) does not become useless, so that cost reduction can be achieved. The additional cover member (60) does not necessarily need to be separate from the mounting body (200). The case of the mounting body (200) itself may also serve as an additional cover member (60).

(constitution 3)

The apparatus according to configuration 2, characterized in that: the relay mechanism (400) is disposed in the additional cover member (60). According to the constitution 3, since it is not necessary to mount the relay mechanism 400 and the additional cover member 60 separately to the main body, the mounting workability is good, and it is also possible to prevent forgetting to mount the relay mechanism 400.

(constitution 4)

A mounting device capable of mounting a first mounting body (100) that does not protrude outside a device body and a second mounting body (200) that protrudes outside the device body, respectively, into mounting positions provided inside the device body, characterized by comprising: a cover member (40) which is movably disposed in the apparatus main body and which can be opened and closed in the attachment position; a closed state detection means (310) that is disposed in the device body and detects a closed state when the attachment position is closed by the cover member (40); a relay mechanism (400) which is disposed between the cover member (40) and the closed state detection mechanism (310), transmits an approaching motion of the cover member (40) to the second attachment body (200) attached to the attachment position to the closed state detection mechanism (310), and causes the closed state detection mechanism (310) to operate, and in a state where the attachment body (200) is attached to the attachment position, when the attachment position is closed by the cover member (40), the closed state detection mechanism (310) operates by the closing motion of the cover member (40), and in a state where the second attachment body (200) is attached to the attachment position, the approaching motion of the cover member (40) to the second attachment body (200) is transmitted to the closed state detection mechanism (310) via the relay mechanism (400), and causes the closed state detection mechanism (310) to operate.

According to the configuration 4, since the relay mechanism 400 is provided in the closed state detection mechanism 310 for transmitting the action of the cover member 40 approaching the second attachment body 200 attached to the apparatus main body to the main body side, even when the second attachment body 200 is used, the closed state detection mechanism 310 can be operated after the approaching action of the cover member 40 is transmitted to the closed state detection mechanism 310 via the relay mechanism 400. Therefore, even when the second mounting body (200) is used, the closed state detection mechanism (310) can be operated by the cover member (40) by adding the relay mechanism (400), so that the configuration of the device body does not need to be changed when the first mounting body and the second mounting body (200) are used, and the device cost can be reduced. Further, by bringing the cover member (40) close to the second mounting body (200), the protrusion of the cover member (40) can be eliminated, and the closed state detection means (310) can be activated in a state in which the external shape of the device is intensified.

(constitution 5)

The apparatus according to configuration 4, characterized in that: a part of the second mounting body (200) mounted in the mounting position can be covered by the cover member (40), and another part of the second mounting body (200) can be covered by an additional cover member (60). According to the configuration 5, the mounting body can be protected by both the cover member (40) and the additional cover member (60), or the cover member (40) is not wasted, so that cost reduction can be achieved.

(constitution 6)

The apparatus according to claim 5, characterized in that: at least a part of the relay mechanism (400) is disposed in the additional cover member (60). According to the configuration 6, since it is not necessary to mount the relay mechanism (400) and the additional cover member (60) separately to the body, the mounting workability is good, and it is also possible to prevent forgetting to mount the relay mechanism (400).

(constitution 7)

The apparatus according to any one of constitutions 4 to 6, wherein: the additional cover member (60) is fixedly disposed on a side surface of the apparatus body, and includes a horizontal plate portion (61) extending in a horizontal direction from the apparatus body, and a pair of triangular plate portions (62) connecting both end edges of the horizontal plate portion (61) and the side surface of the apparatus body, and the second mounting body (200) is housed in the additional cover member (60) by closing the gap between the triangular plate portions (62) by the cover member (40). According to the configuration 7, a triangular cover body that easily secures the strength required for the cover member (40) and the additional cover member (60) can be configured, and an internal space can be sufficiently secured, and even a large second mounting body (200) can be easily housed.

(constitution 8)

The apparatus according to any one of constitutions 4 to 7, wherein: the relay mechanism (400) has a moving member (401, 402, 410) that is movable between the cover member (40) and the closed state detection mechanism (310), and operates the closed state detection mechanism (310) after moving the moving member by abutment of an action portion (41) formed in the cover member (40) with one end of the moving member. According to the configuration 8, since the moving members (401, 402, 410) of the mechanical relay mechanism (400) are used as the relay mechanism, the structure of the relay mechanism can be simplified, the number of parts can be reduced, malfunction can be reduced, and reliability can be improved.

(constitution 9)

The apparatus according to claim 8, characterized in that: the moving member (401, 402, 410) is urged by an urging mechanism (70) in a direction opposite to a direction in which the moving member moves in abutment with the acting portion of the cover member (40). According to the structure 9, the urging mechanism (70) can prevent the moving member from shaking and perform stable operation, and can reliably detect the opening and closing of the cover member (40) to prevent malfunction and improve reliability. The urging mechanism (70) can use an elastic member such as rubber in addition to a spring such as a compression spring or a tension spring, and various springs such as a coil spring or a leaf spring can be used as the spring.

(constitution 10)

The device according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in that: the moving member (400) includes at least a first moving member (401) and a second moving member (402) that are movable in different directions, and the first moving member (401) is capable of abutting against the acting portion (41) of the cover member (40), and the second moving member (402) is capable of abutting against the closed state detection mechanism (310). According to the configuration 10, by providing at least the first moving member (401) and the second moving member (402) which are movable in different directions, the movement of the cover member (40) can be efficiently transmitted to the closed state detection mechanism (310) via the moving members (401, 402), and the operation performance of the closed state detection mechanism (310) can be improved.

(constitution 11)

The device according to configuration 8 or 9, characterized in that: a sliding surface (412) on which the action part (41) of the cover member (40) slides is formed at an end of the moving member (410). According to the configuration 11, the motion of the cover member 40 can be efficiently transmitted to the closed state detection mechanism 310 via the moving member 410 by the sliding surface 412, and the operational performance of the closed state detection mechanism 310 can be improved.

(constitution 12)

The apparatus according to any one of constitutions 8 to 11, characterized in that: the moving member (410) is guided by roller members (65 a-65 c). According to the configuration 12, the movement of the cover member 40 can be effectively transmitted to the closed state detection mechanism 310 via the moving member 410 by guiding the moving member 410 by the roller members 65a to 65c, and the operation performance of the closed state detection mechanism 310 can be improved.

(constitution 13)

The apparatus according to constitution 4 or 5, characterized in that: the relay mechanism has a light sensor emitting unit (220) and a light sensor receiving unit (221), the light sensor emitting unit (220) is disposed in the cover member (40), the light sensor receiving unit (221) is disposed in the device body, and the light sensor receiving unit (221) operates the closed state detection mechanism (310) by receiving light from the light sensor emitting unit (220). According to the configuration 13, the optical sensor emitting unit (220) and the optical sensor receiving unit (221) optically configure the relay mechanism, thereby saving space.

(constitution 14)

The apparatus according to constitution 4 or 5, characterized in that: the closed state detection means is constituted by a first switch (310), and the relay means includes a second switch (320) connected in parallel with the first switch (310) and activated by the action portion of the cover member (40). According to the configuration 14, the relay mechanism is electrically configured by the second switch (320), so that space saving can be achieved.

(constitution 15)

The apparatus according to constitution 4 or 5, characterized in that: the relay mechanism includes a cable body that moves by the closing operation of the cover member, and an activation member that is coupled to the cable body and activates the closed state detection mechanism by the closing operation of the cover member. According to the configuration 15, the relay mechanism is configured by the cable-shaped body (510), so that the arrangement is easy, and the space saving can be realized. (constitution 16) the device according to any one of constitutions 1 to 15, characterized in that: the closed state detection means has an interlock switch (310), and the interlock switch (310) is connected by the closed state detection of the closed state detection means so that the device can be operated. According to the configuration 16, since the closed state detection means has the interlock switch (310), the safety of the apparatus can be improved.

(constitution 17)

An image forming apparatus (1000) having a photoreceptor (110) and a developing unit (120) and capable of mounting a process unit (100) not protruding outside the apparatus main body and a toner supply container (200) protruding outside the apparatus main body so as to be connectable to the process unit (100) in a mounting position provided in the apparatus main body of the image forming apparatus (1000), comprising: a cover member (40) which is movably disposed in the apparatus main body and which can be opened and closed in the attachment position; an interlock switch (310) that is disposed in the device body and detects a closed state when the attachment position is closed by the cover member (40); a relay mechanism (400) which is disposed between the cover member (40) and the interlock switch (310), transmits an approaching operation of the cover member (40) to the toner replenishing container (200) mounted at the mounting position to the interlock switch, and releases the interlock switch (310), and when the mounting position is closed by the cover member (40), the interlock switch (310) is released by the closing operation of the cover member (40), in a state where the toner replenishment container (200) is attached to the process unit (100) at the mounting position, the closing operation of the cover member (40) to the toner replenishment container (200) is transmitted to the interlock switch (310) via the relay mechanism (400), and the interlock switch (310) is released. According to the structure 17, even when the toner supply container 200 is used, the approach operation of the cover member 40 is transmitted to the interlock switch 310 via the relay mechanism 400, and the interlock switch 310 can be operated. Therefore, even if the toner supply container (200) is used, the interlock switch (310) can be operated by the cover member (40) by adding the relay mechanism (400), so that the configuration of the apparatus main body does not need to be changed even if the toner supply container (200) is used, and the apparatus cost can be reduced thereby. Further, by bringing the cover member (40) close to the toner supply container (200), the protrusion of the cover member (40) can be eliminated, and the interlock switch (310) can be actuated in a state where the external shape of the apparatus is intensified.

While the present invention has been described specifically with reference to the embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and it goes without saying that various modifications are possible within the scope of the technical idea described in the scope of the claims. For example, although the toner supply container 200 is exemplified as the attachment in the above-described embodiment, the attachment is not limited to the toner supply container 200.

The number of the mounting body and the toner supply container is not limited to one, and two or more mounting bodies and toner supply containers may be connected and mounted in series or in parallel. As an example of the mounting body, for example, a large-sized process unit having a standard process unit 100 and a toner replenishment container 200 integrally formed is selectively used separately according to the application. The position where the cover member is disposed is not limited to the front surface of the apparatus main body as in the case of the front cover member 40. The present invention can be applied even if the cover member is disposed on the side surface or the upper surface of the apparatus main body. In addition, the cover member may be slidable in addition to being swingable.

Further, the cover member is not limited to the one in which the interlock switch 310 is operated only in a state where the front cover member 40 is completely closed (a state closest to the toner supply container 200) as shown in fig. 10 b. The interlock switch 310 may be operated immediately by a slight movement of the front cover member 40 in the closing direction from the state of fig. 10 a. At this time, the front cover member 40 does not necessarily need to be brought into the fully closed state as shown in fig. 10 b.

The relay mechanism may have various configurations, and in addition to the above, for example, a flexible shaft or the like may be used for a mechanical relay mechanism, or an electromagnetic wave may be used for an electrical relay mechanism.

Claims

1. A mounting device capable of detachably mounting a mounting body protruding to the outside of a device body to a mounting position provided in the device body, comprising:

a cover member movably disposed in the apparatus main body and capable of opening and closing the attachment position;

a closed state detection mechanism that is disposed in the device body and detects a closed state when the attachment position is closed by the cover member;

a relay mechanism which is disposed between the cover member and the closed state detection mechanism, transmits an approaching operation of the cover member to the mounting body mounted in the mounting position to the closed state detection mechanism, and operates the closed state detection mechanism,

the closed state detection mechanism is operated by a closing action of the cover member when the mounting position is closed by the cover member, and an approaching action of the cover member to the mounting body in a state where the mounting body is mounted in the mounting position is transmitted to the closed state detection mechanism via the relay mechanism and causes the closed state detection mechanism to operate,

a part of the mounting body mounted in the mounting position can be covered by the cover member, while the other part of the mounting body can be covered by an additional cover member; the additional cover member is fixedly arranged on the side surface of the device body and comprises a horizontal plate part extending from the device body in the horizontal direction and a pair of triangular plate parts connecting the two end edges of the horizontal plate part and the side surface of the device body; and the mounting body is housed inside the additional cover member by the cover member closing the space between the triangular plate portions.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the relay mechanism is disposed in the additional cover member.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 or 2, wherein:

the closed state detection means has an interlock switch that enables the device to operate when connected by closed state detection by the closed state detection means.

4. A mounting device capable of mounting a first mounting body that does not protrude outside a device body and a second mounting body that protrudes outside the device body, respectively, in mounting positions provided in the device body, characterized by comprising:

a relay mechanism that is disposed between the cover member and the closed state detection mechanism, transmits an approaching operation of the cover member to the second attachment body attached to the attachment position to the closed state detection mechanism, and operates the closed state detection mechanism,

the closed state detection mechanism is operated by a closing action of the cover member when the mounting position is closed by the cover member in a state where the first mounting body is mounted in the mounting position, and an approaching action of the cover member to the second mounting body is transmitted to the closed state detection mechanism via the relay mechanism in a state where the second mounting body is mounted in the mounting position and the closed state detection mechanism is operated,

a part of the second mounting body mounted in the mounting position can be covered by the cover member, while the other part of the second mounting body can be covered by an additional cover member; the additional cover member is fixedly arranged on the side surface of the device body and comprises a horizontal plate part extending from the device body in the horizontal direction and a pair of triangular plate parts connecting the two end edges of the horizontal plate part and the side surface of the device body; and the second attachment body is housed inside the additional cover member by the cover member closing the space between the triangular plate portions.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein:

at least a part of the relay mechanism is disposed in the additional cover member.

6. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein:

the relay mechanism has a moving member that is movable between the cover member and the closed state detection mechanism, and operates the closed state detection mechanism after moving the moving member by abutment of an action portion formed in the cover member with one end of the moving member.

7. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein:

8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein:

the moving member is biased by a biasing mechanism in a direction opposite to a direction in which the moving member moves in abutment with the acting portion of the cover member.

9. The apparatus according to any one of claims 6-8, wherein:

the moving member includes at least a first moving member and a second moving member that are movable in different directions, and the first moving member is abuttable with the acting portion of the cover member, and the second moving member is abuttable with the closed state detecting mechanism.

10. The apparatus according to any one of claims 6 to 8, wherein:

a sliding surface on which the action portion of the cover member slides is formed at an end of the moving member.

11. The apparatus according to any one of claims 6 to 8, wherein:

the moving member is guided by a roller member.

12. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein:

the relay mechanism has a light sensor emitting portion and a light sensor receiving portion, the light sensor emitting portion is disposed in the cover member, the light sensor receiving portion is disposed in the apparatus main body, and the light sensor receiving portion activates the closed state detection mechanism by receiving light from the light sensor emitting portion.

13. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein:

the closed state detection means is constituted by a first switch, and the relay means includes a second switch connected in parallel with the first switch and activated by an action portion of the cover member.

14. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein:

the relay mechanism includes a cable body that moves by the closing operation of the cover member, and an activation member that is coupled to the cable body and activates the closed state detection mechanism by the closing operation of the cover member.

15. The apparatus according to any one of claims 4 to 8, 12 to 14, wherein:

16. An image forming apparatus having a photoreceptor and a developing unit, and capable of mounting a process unit not protruding outside an apparatus main body and a toner replenishment container capable of protruding outside the apparatus main body in connection with the process unit, respectively, in a mounting position provided in the apparatus main body, the image forming apparatus comprising:

an interlock switch disposed in the apparatus main body and detecting a closed state when the attachment position is closed by the cover member;

a relay mechanism disposed between the cover member and the interlock switch, transmitting an approaching operation of the cover member to the toner replenishing container attached to the attachment position to the interlock switch, and releasing the interlock switch,

when the mounting position is closed by the cover member, the interlock switch is released by the closing operation of the cover member, and the closing operation of the cover member to the toner replenishment container is transmitted to the interlock switch via the relay mechanism and the interlock switch is released in a state where the toner replenishment container is connected to the process unit at the mounting position,

a part of the toner replenishment container mounted in the mounting position can be covered by the covering member, and the other part of the toner replenishment container can be covered by an additional covering member; the additional cover member is fixedly arranged on the side surface of the device body and comprises a horizontal plate part extending from the device body in the horizontal direction and a pair of triangular plate parts connecting the two end edges of the horizontal plate part and the side surface of the device body; and the cover member closes the space between the triangular plate portions to accommodate the toner replenishment container inside the additional cover member.