JP2005037586A - Image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image forming apparatus having a belt unit capable of standing up in the posture of an almost vertically long state taken when attached to the image forming apparatus even if the vertically long belt unit is put as a single body, thereby avoiding toner soiling and the damage of an intermediate transfer belt and a photoreceptor belt, and realizing the facilitation of maintenance care. <P>SOLUTION: In the image forming apparatus equipped with the belt unit where a belt vertically long when attached to a main body and a cleaning device cleaning the belt are mounted, the belt unit has a supporting member by which it can stand up in the posture of the almost vertically long state taken when attached to the image forming apparatus by a posture holding member even if it is a single body. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, and more particularly to an image forming apparatus that forms a color image having a plurality of photosensitive drums that are image carriers in the vertical direction and an intermediate transfer belt or a photosensitive belt. .
[0002]
[Prior art]
Conventionally, a tandem type color image forming apparatus in which a vertically long intermediate transfer belt unit (hereinafter also simply referred to as a belt unit) or a photosensitive belt unit and a plurality of image forming units are erected is a color page printer or a color digital copying machine. It is used as a printing part.
[0003]
The belt unit (or photosensitive belt unit) including a cleaning device, the image forming unit, and a drum, which is an image carrier corresponding to each image forming unit, are placed and supported on a drum frame, and during maintenance, The drum pedestal is pulled out of the main body of the image forming apparatus (hereinafter simply referred to as the apparatus main body), and developer, toner, and the like are supplied, cleaned, and parts are replaced.
[0004]
Examples already disclosed include a vertically long image forming unit including a developing device and a toner replenishing device, a unit including an intermediate transfer belt, a charging / writing device, a paper feeding device, a transfer conveyance belt, a fixing device, and the like. There is a technique for facilitating maintenance by forming the apparatus main body as a unit separate from the unit and making it separable (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
[0005]
[Patent Document 1]
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-331008 [0006]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, since the belt unit removed from the drum mount has a vertically long form, it is difficult to leave the belt unit alone in the posture attached to the apparatus main body. Also, if the belt unit is tilted or turned sideways, waste toner leaks from the cleaning device and scatters, causing problems such as toner contamination, damage to the intermediate transfer belt, and the photoreceptor belt. Also, when it is placed sideways, maintenance work is difficult and inconvenient.
[0007]
According to the present invention, the belt unit can be erected alone or in the vertical posture attached to the apparatus apparatus. As a result, toner contamination can be avoided and the intermediate transfer belt or the photoreceptor belt can be damaged. An object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus having a belt unit that is easy to perform maintenance work.
[0008]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In an image forming apparatus provided with a vertically long belt and a belt unit on which a cleaning device for cleaning the belt is mounted when the main body is mounted, the belt unit alone or vertically mounted on the image forming apparatus by a posture holding member An image forming apparatus comprising: a support member that can stand in a state posture.
[0009]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
First, the image forming apparatus of the present invention will be described.
[0010]
In the description of the embodiment of the present invention, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited by the terms used in this specification.
[0011]
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of the overall configuration of the image forming apparatus.
In FIG. 1, 10 is a photoconductor as an image carrier, 11 is a scorotron charger as charging means, 12 is a writing device as image writing means, 13 is a developing device as developing means, and 14 is the surface of the photosensitive body 10. , A cleaning blade, 16 a developing sleeve, and 20 an intermediate transfer belt. The image forming unit 1 includes a photoconductor 10, a scorotron charger 11, a developing unit 13, a cleaning device 14, and the like. Since the mechanical configuration of the image forming unit 1 for each color is the same, Y ( Reference numerals are given to the configuration of only the yellow (yellow) series, and reference symbols are omitted for the constituent elements of M (magenta), C (cyan), and K (black).
[0012]
The arrangement of the image forming means 1 for each color is in the order of Y, M, C, K with respect to the running direction of the intermediate transfer belt 20, and each photoconductor 10 contacts the stretched surface of the intermediate transfer belt 20. The contact point rotates in the same direction as the traveling direction of the intermediate transfer belt 20 and at the same linear speed.
[0013]
The intermediate transfer belt 20 is stretched around a driven roller 21, a transfer roller 22, a tension roller 23, a static elimination roller 27, a drive roller 24, and the like. These rollers and the intermediate transfer belt 20, a transfer device 25, a cleaning device 28, a transfer auxiliary roller, and the like. 29 or the like constitutes the belt unit 3. The intermediate transfer belt 20 travels by rotation of the driving roller 24 by a driving motor (not shown). The details of the belt unit according to the present invention will be described later.
[0014]
The photosensitive member 10 is formed by forming a photosensitive layer such as a conductive layer, an a-Si layer, or an organic photosensitive member (OPC) on the outer periphery of a cylindrical metal base formed of, for example, an aluminum material, and the conductive layer is grounded. It rotates in the counterclockwise direction indicated by the arrow in the figure.
[0015]
An electrical signal corresponding to the image data from the reading device 80 is converted into an optical signal by the image forming laser, and is projected onto the photoconductor 10 by the writing device 12.
[0016]
The developing unit 13 is a developing sleeve formed of a cylindrical nonmagnetic stainless steel or aluminum material that keeps a predetermined interval with respect to the circumferential surface of the photoconductor 10 and rotates in the same direction as the rotation direction of the photoconductor 10. 16.
[0017]
The intermediate transfer belt 20 is an endless belt having a volume resistivity of 10 ⁶ to 10 ¹² Ω · cm. Seamless belt having a two-layer structure in which a conductive material is dispersed and a 0.1 to 1.0 mm thick semiconductive film substrate is coated with a fluorine coating having a thickness of 5 to 50 μm as a toner filming prevention layer. It is. In addition to this, a semiconductive rubber belt having a thickness of 0.5 to 2.0 mm in which a conductive material is dispersed in silicon rubber, urethane rubber, or the like can also be used.
[0018]
The transfer unit 25 has a function of transferring a toner image formed on the photoreceptor 10 onto the intermediate transfer belt 20 by applying a direct current having a polarity opposite to that of the toner. As the transfer unit 25, a transfer roller can be used in addition to the corona discharger.
[0019]
Reference numeral 26 denotes an earth roller that can be released from contact with the transfer roller 22 via the intermediate transfer belt 20 and retransfers the toner image formed on the intermediate transfer belt 20 onto the transfer material P.
[0020]
The cleaning device 28 is provided to face the driving roller 24 with the intermediate transfer belt 20 interposed therebetween. After the toner image is transferred to the transfer material P, the intermediate transfer belt 20 has the charge of the residual toner weakened by the neutralizing roller 27 to which an AC voltage superimposed with a DC voltage having the same or opposite polarity as that of the toner is applied. Then, it is dropped onto the conveying screw 283 by the conveying roller 282 and conveyed to the waste duct 284 (see FIG. 2) via the conveying pipe 285 (see FIG. 2).
[0021]
4 is a fixing device, 41 is a heating roller, 42 is a pressure roller, 43 is a guide plate, 44 is a fixing discharge roller, and 81 is a main body discharge roller. 70 is a paper feed roller, 71 is a timing roller, 72 is a paper cassette, and 73 is a transport roller.
[0022]
Next, the image forming process will be described.
Simultaneously with the start of image recording, the photoconductor drive motor (not shown) starts to rotate the photoconductor 10 of the color signal Y in the counterclockwise direction indicated by the arrow, and at the same time, a potential is applied to the photoconductor 10 by the charging action of the scorotron charger 11. Is started.
[0023]
After the potential is applied to the photoconductor 10, the writing device 12 starts writing an image corresponding to the Y image data, and an electrostatic latent image corresponding to the Y image of the original image is formed on the surface of the photoconductor 10. Is done.
[0024]
The electrostatic latent image is reversely developed in a non-contact state by a Y developing device 13, and a Y toner image is formed on the photoconductor 10 as the photoconductor 10 rotates.
[0025]
The Y toner image formed on the photoconductor 10 is transferred onto the intermediate transfer belt 20 by the action of the Y transfer unit 25.
[0026]
After the Y toner image is transferred to the intermediate transfer belt 20, the photoconductor 10 is cleaned by the cleaning device 14 and enters the next image forming cycle (hereinafter, the same applies to the M, C, and K cleaning processes). Therefore, explanation is omitted).
[0027]
Next, the writing device 12 performs image writing corresponding to an M (magenta) color signal, that is, M image data, and an electrostatic latent image corresponding to the M image of the original image is formed on the surface of the photoconductor 10. . The electrostatic latent image is converted into an M toner image on the photosensitive member 10 by the M developing unit 13, and is synchronized with the Y toner image on the intermediate transfer belt 20 by the M transfer unit 25. Is superimposed on the toner image.
[0028]
By a similar process, the Y and M superimposed toner images are synchronized, and the C (cyan) toner image is superimposed on the Y and M superimposed toner images by the C transfer unit 25. Further, synchronization with the Y, M, and C superimposed toner images is performed, and the K (black) toner image is superimposed on the Y, M, and C superimposed toner images in the K transfer device 25, A superimposed toner image of Y, M, C, and K is formed on the intermediate transfer belt 20. The intermediate transfer belt 20 carrying the superimposed toner image is fed clockwise as indicated by an arrow.
[0029]
On the other hand, the transfer material P is fed from the paper cassette 72 by the paper feed roller 70, is conveyed to the timing roller 71 through the conveyance roller 73, and the superimposed toner on the intermediate transfer belt 20 is driven by the timing roller 71. The image is synchronized with the image and fed to the transfer region S of the transfer roller 222 (which is in contact with the earth roller 26) to which a DC voltage having the same polarity as the toner is applied. The superimposed toner image is transferred onto the transfer material P. Thereafter, the charge of the residual toner is weakened by the neutralization roller 27, and the intermediate transfer belt 20 is cleaned by the cleaning blade 281 in contact with the intermediate transfer belt 20, and then enters the next image forming cycle.
[0030]
The transfer material P onto which the superimposed toner image has been transferred is further sent to the fixing device 40, and is nipped and conveyed while being applied with heat and pressure at the nip portion T between the heating roller 41 and the pressure roller 42. The transfer material P on which the alignment toner image is melted and fixed is discharged to a discharge tray 82 by a discharge roller 81.
[0031]
Next, the belt unit according to the present invention will be described.
FIG. 2 is a plan view of the intermediate transfer belt unit mounted on the apparatus main body as viewed from the direction A in FIG.
[0032]
FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a drum mount on which the intermediate transfer belt unit is placed.
[0033]
FIG. 4 is a view of the intermediate transfer belt unit placed on the drum mount as viewed from the front side of the apparatus main body.
[0034]
In FIG. 2, the drum mount 5 on which the belt unit 3 is placed is mounted on the apparatus main body.
[0035]
Reference numerals 31 and 32 denote a front plate and a rear plate, which are frames of the belt unit 3, respectively, a driving roller 24 for rotating the intermediate transfer belt 20 via a bearing (not shown), a driven roller 21, a tension roller 23 shown in FIG. And a cleaning device 28 are also supported.
[0036]
In FIG. 3, the drum mount 5 forms a frame reinforced by a front panel 51, a rear panel 52, stays 53A and 53B, guide rails 54A and 54B, a developing device support shelf (not shown), and the like, and is provided in the apparatus main body. The apparatus main body can be taken in and out along the rails 55A and 55B (see FIG. 2) corresponding to the guide rails 54A and 54B.
[0037]
Returning to FIG. 2, when the drum mount 5 is mounted on the apparatus main body, the belt unit 3 is a positioning member for the front side plate 31 screwed to the front panel 51, and the support pins 511 are the front side plate 31. The position of the front side plate 31 is regulated by engaging with the positioning hole 311, and the support pin 521, which is a positioning member of the rear side plate 32, provided on the frame body (not shown) of the apparatus main body is provided on the rear side plate 32. The predetermined position is maintained by engaging the positioning hole 321 and restricting the position of the rear side plate 32.
[0038]
A cleaning device 28 is placed above the front plate 31, the rear plate 32, and the belt unit 3, and waste toner scraped off by the blade 281 (see FIG. 1) passes along the transport pipe 285 by the transport screw 283. And stored in a waste tank (not shown) via a waste duct 284 attached to the apparatus main body.
[0039]
The intermediate transfer belt 20 is rotated by power from a drive unit (not shown) via a coupling 242 fixed to a drive shaft 241 integrated with the drive roller 24.
[0040]
Next, an operation of pulling out the drum base 5 from the apparatus main body and removing the belt unit 3 from the drum base 5 will be described.
[0041]
First, the support pin 521 is removed from the positioning hole 321 as the drum mount 5 attached to the apparatus main body is unlocked (not shown) via the guide rails 54A and 54B and pulled in the direction of arrow B. At the same time, the support position of the rear plate 32 is such that the support pin 322 provided on the rear plate 32 abuts on the receiving member 52A provided on the rear panel 52, and the belt unit 3 is slightly tilted together with the drum base 5 Pulled out of the device body. At the same time, the coupling 242 is disengaged, the waste toner guide 285 is removed from the waste duct 284, and the waste outlet 287 is closed by a shutter 286 that slides the transport pipe 285 with a spring force.
[0042]
Next, when the screw-supported support pin 511 is removed from the front panel 51, the support pin 312 provided on the front side plate 31 of the belt unit 3 contacts the receiving member 51A provided on the front panel 51, and the front The support position of the side plate 31 changes. In other words, the belt unit 3 is supported by the receiving members 51A and 52A via the support pins 312 and 322.
[0043]
In other words, when the drum mount 5 is mounted on the apparatus main body, the support pins 312 and 322 are in a state of floating from the receiving members 51A and 52A.
[0044]
Here, the belt unit 3 supported by the receiving members 51A and 52A can be taken out alone by lifting.
[0045]
The front ends of the support pins 511 and 521 are tapered, and conversely, the belt unit 3 can be easily engaged with the positioning hole 311 when the belt unit 3 is attached to the drum mount 5, and when the drum mount 5 is inserted into the apparatus main body. Can be easily engaged with the positioning hole 321.
[0046]
However, as described above, since the belt unit 3 is mounted in the machine in a vertically long posture, if it is tilted sideways, the waste toner remaining in the cleaning device spills outside to cause toner contamination, and damage to the intermediate transfer belt may occur. In the state of being laid down, there is a concern that the efficiency of the maintenance work may be reduced.
[0047]
Therefore, it is desirable that the belt unit 3 is set up in a substantially vertically long posture as when the belt unit 3 is placed on the drum mount 5.
[0048]
By applying the posture holding member, the present invention makes it possible to stand the belt unit 3 in a posture substantially similar to the state where the belt unit 3 is mounted on the apparatus main body, thereby avoiding toner contamination and damage to the intermediate transfer belt, It is characterized by the ability to improve maintenance work.
[0049]
FIG. 5 is a view showing a state in which a posture holding member for holding a vertically long posture is added to the belt unit.
[0050]
In FIG. 5, in the present embodiment, the posture holding member 30 is integrated with the shaft-like support bar 313 and the front side plate 31 (or the rear side plate 32) in which the E-ring 315 is locked in the groove as a stopper. The support plate 314 is formed of two support members, and the support plate 314 is provided with a hole into which the support bar 313 is fitted. The posture holding member 30 allows the belt unit 3 to stand in a vertically long posture. It is possible.
[0051]
When the belt unit 3 is stood as a single unit, the support bar 313 is inserted into the hole of the support plate 314 and inserted up to the E-ring 315, so that the belt unit 3 can be stood in a substantially vertically long posture mounted on the apparatus main body. However, in order to avoid damage to the intermediate transfer belt 20, it is necessary that the end portions of the front side plate 31 and the rear side plate 32 of the belt unit 3 are in contact with the floor surface, and the intermediate transfer belt 20 is in a position floating from the floor.
[0052]
When the belt unit 3 is placed on the drum mount 5, the support bar 313 may be stored in the free space of the apparatus main body. In addition, if the support bar 313 is made to be a telescopic structure, a small space can be saved for storage.
[0053]
Further, as a posture holding member, a plate-like member 317 that can be attached and detached using a support pin 312 may be attached at a position where the belt unit 3 cannot fall down.
[0054]
Although the intermediate transfer belt unit has been described above as an embodiment, the same posture holding member can be applied to an image forming apparatus incorporating a vertically long photosensitive belt unit.
[0055]
FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a photoreceptor belt type image forming apparatus.
In FIG. 6, 10A is an endless and flexible photosensitive belt as an image carrier, 11A is a scorotron charger as charging means, 12A is a writing device as image writing means, 13A is a developing device as developing means, Reference numeral 16A denotes a developing sleeve, and 28A denotes a cleaning device for cleaning the photosensitive belt 10A. The image forming unit 1 includes a scorotron charger 11A, a developing unit 13A, and the like. Since the mechanical configuration of the image forming unit 1 for each color is the same, only the Y (yellow) series configuration is shown in the figure. Reference numerals are omitted for constituent elements of M (magenta), C (cyan), and K (black).
[0056]
The arrangement of the image forming means 1 for each color is in the order of Y, M, C, K from the top with respect to the running direction of the photosensitive belt 10A.
[0057]
The photosensitive belt unit 3A is a driven roller 21A, a transfer roller 22A, a tension roller 23A, a neutralizing roller 27A, a driving roller 24A, an auxiliary roller 29A, and a frame that supports these rollers, on which the photosensitive belt 10A is stretched. A front plate 31A, a rear plate 32A (see FIG. 7), a cleaning device 28A, and the like are included.
[0058]
The running of the photosensitive belt 10A is performed by a driving roller 24A that rotates from a driving source (not shown) via a clutch (not shown).
[0059]
An electrical signal corresponding to the image data from the reading device 80 is converted into an optical signal by an image forming laser and projected onto the photosensitive belt 10A by the writing device 12A.
[0060]
The developing unit 13A is formed of a cylindrical non-magnetic stainless steel or aluminum material that rotates at the closest distance in the same direction as the running direction of the photosensitive belt 10A while maintaining a predetermined interval with respect to the surface of the photosensitive belt 10A. And a developing sleeve 16A.
[0061]
The earth roller 26A can be brought into and out of contact with the photoreceptor belt 10A, and is provided to face the transfer roller 22A. The photoreceptor belt 20A after the transfer has the charge of the residual toner weakened by the charge removing roller 27A to which a DC voltage having the same polarity or opposite polarity as the toner is applied, and the toner on the peripheral surface is scraped off by the cleaning blade 28B.
[0062]
4 is a fixing device, 41 is a heating roller, 42 is a pressure roller, 43 is a guide plate, 44 is a fixing discharge roller, and 81 is a main body discharge roller. 70 is a paper feed roller, 71 is a timing roller, 72 is a paper cassette, and 73 is a transport roller.
[0063]
Next, a photosensitive belt type image forming process will be described.
Simultaneously with the start of image recording, the drive roller 24A is rotated by the start of a drive motor (not shown), and the application of a potential to the photoreceptor belt 10A is started by the charging action of the scorotron charger 11 corresponding to the color signal Y.
[0064]
After the photosensitive belt 10A is applied with a potential, writing of an image corresponding to Y image data is started by the writing device 12A, and an electrostatic latent image corresponding to the Y image of the original image is formed on the surface of the photosensitive belt 10A. Is formed.
[0065]
The electrostatic latent image is reversely developed in a non-contact state by a Y developing device 13, and a Y toner image is formed on the photoconductor 10 as the photoconductor 10 rotates.
[0066]
After the Y toner image is formed on the photoreceptor belt 10A, the next M or less image forming cycle is entered (hereinafter, the same is true for the M, C, and K image forming processes, and the description is omitted).
[0067]
Next, the Y toner image on the photoreceptor belt 10A is synchronized, and the M toner image is superimposed on the Y toner image.
[0068]
By the same process, the Y and M superimposed toner images are synchronized, and the C (cyan) toner image is superimposed on the Y and M superimposed toner images, and the Y, M, and C superimposed images are further superimposed. Synchronized with the combined toner image, the K (black) toner image is superimposed on the Y, M, C superimposed toner image, and the Y, M, C, and K superimposed on the intermediate transfer belt 20. A toner image is formed.
[0069]
The photoreceptor belt 10A carrying the superimposed toner image is fed clockwise as indicated by an arrow.
[0070]
On the other hand, the transfer material P is fed from the paper cassette 72 by the paper feed roller 70, is conveyed to the timing roller 71 through the conveyance roller 73, and the superimposed toner image on the photosensitive belt 10 </ b> A is driven by the timing roller 71. And is fed to the transfer region S of the transfer roller 22A (which is in contact with the ground roller 26A) to which a DC voltage having the same polarity as that of the toner is applied. The superimposed toner image is transferred onto the transfer material P. Thereafter, the photosensitive belt 10A travels, the charge of the residual toner is weakened by the charge removing roller 27A, is cleaned by the cleaning blade 28B in contact with the photosensitive belt 10A, and the next image forming cycle starts.
[0071]
The transfer material P onto which the superimposed toner image has been transferred is further sent to the fixing device 40, and is nipped and conveyed while being applied with heat and pressure at the nip portion T between the heating roller 41 and the pressure roller 42. The transfer material P on which the alignment toner image is melted and fixed is discharged to a discharge tray 82 by a discharge roller 81.
[0072]
Next, the attitude maintenance of the photosensitive belt unit according to the present invention will be described.
Similar to the intermediate transfer belt unit 3 described above, the photosensitive belt unit 3A is mounted on a pedestal that can be inserted into and pulled out from the apparatus main body, and has a structure that can be pulled out and easily removed from the pedestal.
[0073]
Here, the details of the method for attaching and removing the photosensitive belt 10A to the mount are omitted, and only the contents relating to the present invention will be described.
[0074]
FIG. 7 is a view showing a state in which a posture holding member is added to the photosensitive belt unit.
In FIG. 7, the posture holding member 30 </ b> A includes a shaft-like support bar 313 in which an E ring 315 is locked in a groove as a stopper, and a front plate 31 </ b> A (or a rear plate 32 </ b> A) that is a support member of the support rod 313. The support plate 314 is an integral two support member, and the support plate 314 is provided with a hole into which the support bar 313 is fitted. Here, the same reference numerals as those of the belt unit 3 are used for the reference numerals of the members constituting the posture holding member.
[0075]
When the photoconductor belt unit 3A is stood alone, the support belt 313 is inserted into the hole of the support plate 314 and inserted up to the E-ring 315, so that the photoconductor belt unit 3A can be stood in a vertically long posture attached to the apparatus main body. . However, in order to avoid damage to the intermediate transfer belt 20, it is necessary that the ends of the front side plate 31 and the rear side plate 32 of the photoreceptor belt 3A are in contact with the floor surface, and the intermediate transfer belt 20 is in a position floating from the floor surface. is there.
[0076]
When the photosensitive belt unit 3A is placed on the drum mount 5, the support bar 313 can be stored in a free space of the apparatus main body. In addition, if the support bar 313 is made to be a telescopic structure, a small space can be saved for storage.
[0077]
Moreover, you may attach the plate-shaped member 317 which can be attached and removed shown with the dashed-dotted line.
[0078]
【The invention's effect】
It is possible to stand a vertically long belt unit in a vertically long posture loaded in the main body of the apparatus, and it is possible to avoid toner contamination, intermediate transfer belt, and photoreceptor belt damage due to waste toner spilling outside, Maintenance work is improved.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of an overall configuration of an image forming apparatus.
FIG. 2 is a plan view of the intermediate transfer belt unit mounted on the apparatus main body as viewed from the direction A in FIG.
FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a drum mount on which an intermediate transfer belt unit is placed.
FIG. 4 is a view of an intermediate transfer belt unit placed on a drum mount as viewed from the front side of the apparatus main body.
FIG. 5 is a view showing a state in which a posture holding member for holding a vertically long posture is added to the belt unit.
FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a photosensitive belt type image forming apparatus.
FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a state in which a posture holding member is added to the photosensitive belt unit.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Photoconductor 10A Photoconductor belt 20 Intermediate transfer belts 22, 22A Transfer rollers 21, 21A Drive rollers 24, 24A Drive rollers 26, 26A Earth roller 3 Intermediate transfer belt unit 3A Photoconductor belt unit 30 Posture holding member 31, 31A 32, 32A Rear side plate 312, 322 Support pin 313 Support bar 314 Support plate 5 Drum mount 51 Front panel 52 Rear panel 51A, 52A Receiving member 511, 521 Support pin

Claims (5)

In an image forming apparatus provided with a vertically long belt and a belt unit on which a cleaning device for cleaning the belt is mounted when the main body is mounted, the belt unit alone or vertically mounted on the image forming apparatus by a posture holding member An image forming apparatus comprising: a support member that can stand in a state posture. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the posture holding member is a shaft-shaped body. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the posture holding member has a plate-like shape. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the belt unit is an intermediate transfer belt. 4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the belt unit is a photosensitive belt.

Images