JP2000221741A - Image forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent a contact spring from coming off from a housing without spoiling assemblability in the case of directly attaching the contact spring to the housing. SOLUTION: This image forming device is equipped with a process cartridge having a photoreceptor drum, a component mounted board, a high-pressure contact spring (contact spring) 2 for transmitting a signal from the component mounted board to the process cartridge, and a main body frame (housing) 1 supporting the component mounted board and the spring 2. In such a case, the device is provided with a slit for a rocking part 1a for housing the rocking part 2a of the spring 2 and a path opening part 1b required to house the rocking part 2a of the spring 2 into the slit 1a in the frame 1, and the width of the opening part 1b is set to be narrow toward the slit 1a.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording material, such as a copying machine, a printer, and a facsimile.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 8 shows a laser printer equipped with a process cartridge as a specific example of a conventional image forming apparatus.

FIG. 8 is a sectional view of a laser printer.
The laser printer mounts the process cartridge 101, forms an image by an electrophotographic method, and records the image on a recording material.

In the process cartridge 101, a photosensitive drum 102 serving as an image carrier is rotatably provided in a frame, and a charging means for uniformly charging the surface of the photosensitive drum 102 is provided around the photosensitive drum 102. Developing means for developing a latent image formed by irradiating the charged photosensitive drum 102 with a light image corresponding to image information with a developer (hereinafter, referred to as toner) to visualize the latent image as a toner image And the photosensitive drum 102 after transferring the toner image to the recording material P.
Cleaning means for removing toner remaining on the surface of the printer are provided, and these are integrated by a frame to form a unit as the process cartridge 101. Incidentally, the laser printer has a mounting means (not shown) for mounting the process cartridge 101 in the apparatus main body.

On the other hand, an optical system 103 for irradiating the photosensitive drum 102 with a light image corresponding to image information is provided at an upper portion in the apparatus main body.

The recording material P stored in the paper feed cassette 104 is fed by a paper feed roller 105 and a separation claw 10 which are activated by a print signal from a host computer (not shown).
6, the sheets are separated and fed one by one. The recording material P is conveyed by the conveying roller 107, the first roller 108, the second roller 1
The sheet is conveyed after being turned upside down through a sheet feeding reversing section composed of the roller 09 and the third roller 109, and is sent to the rear inside the apparatus main body (left side in FIG. 1). Then, the recording material P is transferred to the transfer guide 1.
11, the photosensitive drum 102 and the transfer roller 112
To the pressure contact nip.

On the other hand, image information from a host computer (not shown) is irradiated as an optical image from the optical system 103 onto the photosensitive drum 102 in the process cartridge 101 to form a latent image on the photosensitive drum 102 in accordance with the image information. The latent image is developed by toner and visualized. Then, the recording material P is conveyed at a timing corresponding to the image information developed as a toner image, and a voltage having a polarity opposite to that of the toner image formed on the photosensitive drum 102 is applied to the transfer roller 112 so that the photosensitive material is exposed at the pressure nip. Drum 10
2 is transferred to the recording material P.

Then, the recording material P to which the toner image has been transferred
Immediately after passing through the transfer section, the toner passes directly above the static elimination needle (not shown) and the static elimination needle holder 113 that guides the static elimination needle, and passes through the transport path 115 provided on the electrical unit 114 for fixing. And the fixing film 1 of the fixing unit
The toner image is fixed by passing through a pressure nip portion between the pressure roller 16 and the pressure roller 117. The recording material P that has passed through the fixing unit passes through the rear part of the apparatus main body behind the fixing unit, is turned upside down again, and is discharged by a discharge roller 118 onto a discharge tray 119 provided in the upper part of the apparatus main body. .

A main body of the apparatus is provided with a spring-shaped contact mechanism for supplying a high voltage to the charging means, the developing means and the charging roller provided in the process cartridge 101.

[0010]

However, when the high-voltage contact spring is directly assembled to the frame, the frame must be provided with a spring retaining function, which causes a problem that the assemblability is significantly impaired.

Therefore, conventionally, a separate member for attaching the high-voltage contact spring to the frame has been newly provided to have a spring retaining function.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and has as its object to prevent the contact spring from coming off the housing without impairing the assemblability when the contact spring is directly mounted on the housing. An object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus which can be achieved.

[0013]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a process cartridge having a photosensitive drum, an electrical substrate, and a device for transmitting a signal from the electrical substrate to the process cartridge. A contact spring, an image forming apparatus including a housing that supports the electrical board and the contact spring, wherein a swing portion slit that accommodates a swing portion of the contact spring in the housing; A path opening is provided to be accommodated in the swing part slit, and the width of the path opening is set narrower toward the swing part slit.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, a taper rib is provided below the path opening to increase in height toward the swing portion slit.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, a taper rib is provided above the path opening so as to increase in height toward the swing portion slit.

Therefore, according to the present invention, when the swinging part of the contact spring is passed through the swinging part slit of the housing, the swinging part of the contact spring slides while being inclined and is accommodated in the swinging part slit. Once the part fits into the swinging part slit of the housing, the tip of the contact spring abuts the housing before the swinging part of the contact spring passes through the swinging part slit of the housing. Contact spring does not come off the swing part slit,
When the contact spring is directly attached to the housing, the contact spring can be prevented from coming off from the housing without impairing the assemblability.

[0017]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

<First Embodiment> FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a state in which a high-voltage contact spring is mounted on a main body frame, FIG. 2 is an explanatory view showing a procedure when the high-pressure contact spring is mounted on the main body frame, and FIG. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a state in which a swinging part of a high-voltage contact spring attached to a frame is tilted, and FIG. 4 is a configuration diagram around a high-voltage contact spring including an electric board and a process cartridge.

1 to 4, reference numeral 1 denotes a main body frame;
Reference numeral 2 denotes a high-voltage contact spring that connects the electrical board 4 and the process cartridge 5. Reference numeral 3 denotes a tapered rib provided below the path opening 1 b to the swinging portion slit 1 a formed in the main body frame 1; An electric board for transmitting signals, 5 is a process cartridge including transfer means, and 6 is an electrode plate for receiving a voltage from the high-voltage contact spring 2.

As shown in FIG. 4, the process cartridge 5
Is inserted into the main body frame 1, the electrode plate 6 pushes down the high-voltage contact spring 2, and both contact with a predetermined spring pressure. Then, the high-voltage current flowing out of the electric board 4 flows through the high-voltage contact spring 2 to the electrode plate 6 in the process cartridge 5.

Thus, the main body frame 1 of the high-voltage contact spring 2
When the high-voltage contact spring 2 is slid in the direction of the oscillating portion slit 1a of the main body frame 1,
As shown in FIG. 2, the tip swing portion 2 of the high-voltage contact spring 2
Since the width of the path opening 1b to the swing portion slit 1a of the main body frame 1 is smaller than the length of the
And the tip swinging portion 2a of the high-voltage contact spring 2 interferes with each other.
The oscillating portion 2a of the high-pressure setting spring 2 is lifted up and set by the spring force in the oscillating portion slit 1a of the main body frame 1 (see FIGS. 1 and 2). Then, once the high-voltage contact spring 2 is set on the main body frame 1, even if the user pushes the tip rocking portion 2a of the high-voltage contact spring 2 into some beat, as shown in FIG. Before the high-voltage contact spring 2 pushed into the main frame 1 comes off the oscillating portion slit 1a of the main body frame 1, the distal-end oscillating portion 2a of the high-voltage contact spring 2 abuts against the tapered rib 3 and its bending is unlikely to occur. Does not come off from the swing portion slit 1a of the main body frame 1.

<Second Embodiment> Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a state where the high-voltage contact spring is mounted on the main body frame, FIG. 6 is a view showing a procedure when the high-voltage contact spring is mounted on the main body frame, and FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the state which folded down the part.

Since the basic structure of the main body of the image forming apparatus according to the present embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment, the same elements as those shown in FIGS. The same symbols are given, and the description thereof is omitted below.

In this embodiment, a tapered rib 7 is formed above the path opening 1b up to the swinging portion slit 1a formed in the main body frame 1.

The high-voltage contact spring 2 is connected to the main body frame 1.
When the high-voltage contact spring 2 is attached to the oscillating portion slit 1a, the oscillating portion 2a of the high-voltage contact spring 2 hits the taper 7 in the middle of the path opening 1b to the oscillating portion slit 1a. The swinging portion 2 of the high-pressure setting spring 2 in the swinging portion slit 1a of the body frame 1.
a is lifted up and set by the spring force (see FIGS. 5 and 6).

Conversely, when the high-voltage contact spring 2 is to be removed from the oscillating portion slit 1a of the main body frame 1, when the high-pressure contact spring 2 is pushed in, the high-pressure contact spring 2 moves from the oscillating portion slit 1a. Since the swinging portion 2a comes into contact with the surface of the main body frame 1 before coming off, the high-voltage contact spring 2 does not bend, so that the high-voltage contact spring 2 cannot be slid laterally from the swinging portion slit 1a.

Further, even if the high-voltage contact spring 2 is tilted and removed in the same manner as when the high-voltage contact spring 2 is inserted,
As shown in FIG. 7, the swing part slit 1a of the main body frame 1
, The high-voltage contact spring 2 cannot be tilted. Therefore, even if the user presses the high-voltage contact spring 2 by mistake, the trouble that the high-voltage contact spring 2 comes off the oscillating portion slit 1a does not occur.

[0029]

As is apparent from the above description, according to the present invention, a process cartridge having a photosensitive drum,
An electrical substrate, a contact spring for transmitting a signal from the electrical substrate to the process cartridge, and an image forming apparatus including a housing supporting the electrical substrate and the contact spring;
A swinging part slit for accommodating the swinging part of the contact spring in the housing and a path opening until the swinging part of the contact spring is accommodated in the swinging part slit are provided. Since the contact spring is set narrower toward the swing portion slit, an effect is obtained that the contact spring can be prevented from coming off from the housing without impairing the assemblability when the contact spring is directly attached to the housing.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a state in which a high-voltage contact spring is attached to a main body frame in the image forming apparatus according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing a procedure for attaching a high-voltage contact spring to a main body frame in the image forming apparatus according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a state in which a swinging portion of a high-voltage contact spring attached to a main body frame is lowered in the image forming apparatus according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a configuration diagram around a high-voltage contact spring including an electric board and a process cartridge in the image forming apparatus according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a state where a high-voltage contact spring is attached to a main body frame in the image forming apparatus according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing a procedure for attaching a high-voltage contact spring to a main body frame in the image forming apparatus according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a state in which a swinging portion of a high-voltage contact spring attached to a main body frame is lowered in the image forming apparatus according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention;

FIG. 8 is a longitudinal sectional view of a laser beam printer as a conventional image forming apparatus.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Body frame (casing) 1a Oscillating part slit 1b Path opening part 2 High-voltage contact spring (contact spring) 2a Oscillating part 3 Tapered rib 4 Electrical board 5 Process cartridge 6 Electrode plate 7 Tapered rib

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. An image forming apparatus comprising: a process cartridge having a photosensitive drum; an electrical board; a contact spring for transmitting a signal from the electrical board to the process cartridge; and a housing supporting the electrical board and the contact spring. In the device, a swing portion slit for accommodating the swing portion of the contact spring in the housing, and a path opening until the swing portion of the contact spring is accommodated in the swing portion slit are provided. An image forming apparatus, wherein a width is set narrower toward the swinging portion slit. 2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a taper rib whose height increases toward the swing portion slit is provided below the path opening. 3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a taper rib whose height increases toward the swinging portion slit is provided above the path opening.