JP2005173364A - Multi-color image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a multi-color image forming apparatus which enables a worker to load/unload cartridges with his or her single hand with minimum gaps between cartridges. <P>SOLUTION: The multi-color image forming apparatus is provided with at least a plurality of image carrier units provided with rotatably supported image carriers and a transfer material carrying unit having an endless belt arranged so as to come into contact with all the image carriers. In this multi-color image forming apparatus, the transfer material carrying unit can take a first state at the time of transferring images on the image carriers to a transfer material carried on the transfer material carrier and a second state such that the transfer material carrying unit recedes from the image carrier units more than the first state, and a moving means comprising at least an operation part, an acting part which operates in contact with the image carrier units, and a guide part for movement of the image carrier units is provided in order to selectively move the image carrier units to a space formed in an apparatus main body after entry to the second state of the transfer material carrier unit. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a multicolor image forming apparatus such as a full color copying machine or a full color laser printer that employs an electrophotographic system.

  As shown in FIG. 9, there is a conventional inline-type multicolor image forming apparatus in which a plurality of photosensitive drums are arranged in a line (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2). In such a multicolor image forming apparatus, the cartridge mounting / removal configuration is roughly divided into a horizontal arrangement 200A in which a plurality of photosensitive drums are arranged in the horizontal direction and a vertical arrangement 200B in which the photosensitive drums are arranged in the vertical direction as shown in FIG. There is a configuration. The horizontal arrangement has a feature that the installation area is large although the height is low. On the other hand, the vertical arrangement configuration 200B has a merit that the installation area can be reduced although the height is high.

  Conventionally, in-line type multicolor image forming apparatuses are configured such that a cartridge in which a photosensitive drum, a charging unit, a developing unit, a cleaning unit, and the like are integrally arranged is arranged on a straight line and can be individually replaced when the toner of each color is used up. I was doing. Although the printing speed can be increased by arranging a plurality of cartridges, an arrangement space is required in the direction in which the cartridges are arranged, and the entire product tends to be large.

  As a method for attaching and detaching the cartridge, a configuration in which the photosensitive drum is attached and detached in the drum axis direction and a configuration in which the cartridge is attached and detached in a direction orthogonal to the drum axis have been considered. The configuration of attaching and detaching in the direction perpendicular to the drum axis has the merit that the front cartridge is exposed by retracting the belt unit, so that the visibility of the user is good and the apparatus main body can be configured simply. In addition, the vertically arranged configuration in which the cartridges are arranged in the vertical direction is configured such that the user can perform operations from the front surface of the apparatus main body, so that the cartridge exchangeability is good.

  As an example of the cartridge mounting / removal configuration in the above configuration, as shown in FIG. 10, handles 203 (203a, 203b) are provided in the vicinity of both ends of the photosensitive drum 202 (broken line) in the cartridge 201, and the user uses both hands to handle the handle. A configuration for grasping 203 and inserting / removing it was considered.

JP 2000-219354 A JP 2001-034031 A

  By the way, in the above-described prior art, miniaturization and price reduction of a multicolor image forming apparatus have been progressed in recent years, and at the same time, it has become widespread in various offices, and ease of use (easy maintenance) has been demanded. In order to allow users to handle jams and replace consumables with simpler operations, it was necessary to realize simple operations and a reduction in operational actions. Among them, the replaceability of the cartridge described in the prior art is a regular work performed by the user, and it is necessary to further improve the replaceability.

  Conventionally, with the replacement method that was attached and detached with both hands, it is necessary to provide a grip shape at the end of the cartridge, which is a consumable item, and the shape of the cartridge itself becomes unbalanced. Has also grown.

  In recent years, the multicolor image forming apparatus has been miniaturized, and it has been necessary to arrange the distances between the photosensitive drums close to each other. In other words, the apparatus must be downsized with the gap between the cartridges minimized.

  In the conventional configuration in which the grips are provided at both ends of the cartridge, it is impossible to attach and detach one hand, and providing the grip shape at the center of the cartridge is not possible considering that the belt unit is in contact with the photosensitive drum. It was possible.

  Further, in order to grasp the cartridges arranged in the vertical direction with one hand, it is necessary to provide a clue at the center thereof. However, a charging portion, a developing portion, and a cleaning portion are disposed on the outer peripheral portion of the photosensitive drum, and it is difficult to provide a concave shape only in the central portion.

  Therefore, if a space for inserting a finger is provided between the cartridges, it is necessary to make a space in the entire area. Actually, it is necessary to leave a gap of about 20 mm between the cartridges. When four color cartridges exist, an extra 80 mm of space is required for the cartridge, and the main body size (height) is increased as it is. Resulting in.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a multicolor image forming apparatus in which a cartridge can be attached and detached with one hand in a form in which a gap between the cartridges is minimized.

  In order to achieve the above object, the means of the present invention includes a transfer having at least a plurality of image carrier units each having an image carrier that is rotatably supported, and an endless belt arranged so as to contact all the image carriers. The material carrying unit and the transfer material carrying unit include a first state when the image on the image carrier is transferred to a transfer material carried on the transfer material carrier, and the image based on the first state. In a multicolor image forming apparatus capable of taking the second state of being retracted from the carrier unit, the image carrier unit is formed in the apparatus main body after the transfer material carrier unit is in the second state. In order to selectively move to the space, the moving unit includes at least an operation unit, an action unit that contacts and operates on the image carrier unit, and a guide unit for moving the image carrier unit. With a simple operation of Za, since only the image carrier unit that needs to be replaced is moved, it is possible to grasp user at hand. In addition, since the distance between the image carriers can be minimized, the image carrier unit can be accessed without increasing the main body size more than necessary.

  The image carrier unit includes moving means that moves in an axial direction of the image carrier, a direction orthogonal to a direction in which the transfer material is conveyed, and a direction substantially the same as the retraction direction of the transfer material carrier unit. And configured to be detachable from the apparatus main body in the same direction as the moving direction, it is possible to perform jam processing and image carrier unit replacement from one surface of the apparatus main body.

  Further, the image carrier unit has an uneven shape on the outer peripheral surface thereof and in the substantially central portion in the longitudinal direction of the photosensitive drum, so that a portion where the image carrier unit is grasped is clarified, and a one-handed operation can be urged to the user. become.

  The moving means includes at least an operation unit that operates in the same direction as the image carrier moves, an action unit that operates to contact and move the image carrier unit, and movement of the operation unit. The action part is fixed to a rotating shaft that is rotatably supported by the apparatus main body, and the action part swings by pressing and moving the operation part. With this configuration, the user can easily operate without hesitation, and since it is configured with simple mechanical parts, the moving means can be provided with high reliability and low cost.

  Further, since the transfer material carrier unit is configured to be swingable between the first state and the second state about the swing shaft, it is configured with simple mechanical parts, so that the reliability is high. The retracting means can be provided at a high cost and at a low cost.

  Further, the above-described solution is also effective when the transfer material carrier unit is replaced with an intermediate transfer unit.

  According to the present invention, only the image carrier unit that needs to be replaced can be moved smoothly along the surface of the guide portion by a simple operation of the user, so that the user can hold it with one hand. . In addition, by realizing one-handed operation, the mounting direction of the image carrier unit is limited to the front position of the main body, and it is possible to attach and detach the main body of the apparatus from the lateral direction. Was able to improve. In addition, since the distance between the image carriers can be minimized, the image carrier unit can be attached and detached without increasing the main body size more than necessary.

  Further, the image carrier unit has moving means that moves in the axial direction of the image carrier, the direction orthogonal to the direction in which the transfer material is conveyed, and the retreat direction of the transfer material carrier unit. By configuring so as to be detachable from the apparatus main body in the same direction as the moving direction, it was possible to set the direction for jamming and the direction for replacing the image carrier unit to be the same direction. In other words, user access to the device body can be configured only from the front side.

  In addition, since the image carrier unit has an uneven shape on the outer peripheral surface thereof and in the substantially central portion in the longitudinal direction of the photosensitive drum, a portion where the image carrier unit is grasped is clarified, and one-handed operation can be urged to the user. became.

  Further, the moving means transmits at least an operation portion that operates in the same direction as the image carrier moves, an action portion that operates to contact and move the image carrier unit, and a movement of the operation portion to the action portion. The action part is fixed to a rotating shaft that is rotatably supported by the apparatus main body, and the action part swings by pressing and moving the operation part. The user can recognize that the user presses the operation unit without hesitation, and can easily operate it, and since it is composed of simple mechanical parts, the mechanism reliability is high and the moving means can be provided at low cost. By using the rotation operation, the operation load due to friction can be minimized.

  Further, since the transfer material carrier unit is configured to be swingable between the first state and the second state about the swing shaft, it is configured with simple mechanical parts, so the reliability is high. The retracting means can be provided at low cost.

  Further, the above-described solution can achieve the same effect when the transfer material carrier unit is replaced with an intermediate transfer unit.

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

<Embodiment 1>
Embodiments of a multicolor image forming apparatus according to the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings.

[Overall configuration of multicolor image forming apparatus]
First, the overall configuration of the multicolor image forming apparatus will be outlined with reference to FIG. FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view showing the entire configuration of a full-color laser beam printer 100 which is an aspect of a multicolor image forming apparatus. Also, the right side in the figure is the front (front) side of the printer.

  A multicolor image forming apparatus 100 shown in FIG. 1 includes four photosensitive drums 1a, 1b, 1c, and 1d arranged in parallel in the vertical direction. The photosensitive drum 1 (1a, 1b, 1c, 1d) is rotationally driven counterclockwise in the drawing by a driving means (not shown). A photosensitive device 2 (2a, 2b, 2c, 2d) that uniformly charges the surface of the photosensitive drum 1 in order according to the rotation direction, and a laser beam is irradiated around the photosensitive drum 1 based on image information. A scanner unit 3 (3a, 3b, 3c, 3d) for forming an electrostatic latent image on the body drum 1, and a developing device 4 (4a, 4b, 4c, 4c) for developing the toner image by attaching toner to the electrostatic latent image 4d), an electrostatic transfer unit 5 for transferring the toner image on the photosensitive drum 1 to the transfer material S, and a cleaning device 6 (6a, 6b, 6c) for removing residual transfer toner remaining on the surface of the photosensitive drum 1 after the transfer. , 6d) and the like.

  Here, the photosensitive drum 1, the charging device 2, the developing device 4, and the cleaning device 6 are integrated into a cartridge to form a process cartridge 7. Hereinafter, the photosensitive drum 1 will be described in detail.

  The photoconductor drum 1 is configured by applying an organic photoconductive layer (OPC photoconductor) to the outer peripheral surface of an aluminum cylinder having a diameter of 30 mm, for example. Both ends of the photosensitive drum 1 are rotatably supported by a support member, and a driving force from a driving motor (not shown) is transmitted to one end, so that the photosensitive drum 1 is rotated counterclockwise. The

  As the charging device 2, a contact charging type can be used. The charging member is a conductive roller formed in the shape of a roller. The roller is brought into contact with the surface of the photosensitive drum 1, and the surface of the photosensitive drum 1 is made uniform by applying a charging bias voltage to the roller. In this way, it is charged.

  The scanner unit 3 is arranged at substantially the same level as the corresponding photosensitive drum 1 in the vertical direction, and a polygon in which image light corresponding to an image signal is rotated at high speed by a scanner motor (not shown) by a laser diode (not shown). The mirror 9 (9a, 9b, 9c, 9d) is irradiated. The image light reflected by the polygon mirror 9 selectively exposes the surface of the charged photosensitive drum 1 through the imaging lens 10 (10a, 10b, 10c, 10d) to form an electrostatic latent image. It is composed.

  Each of the developing devices 4a, 4b, 4c, and 4d is composed of a developing unit that stores toner of each color of yellow, magenta, cyan, and black.

  An electrostatic transfer belt 11 that circulates and moves so as to face and contact all the photosensitive drums 1a, 1b, 1c, and 1d is disposed. The electrostatic transfer belt 11 is composed of a film-like member having a volume resistivity of 1011 to 1014 Ω · cm and a thickness of about 150 μm. The electrostatic transfer belt 11 is supported by rollers in four directions in the vertical direction, and circulates and moves so that the transfer material S is electrostatically attracted to the outer peripheral surface on the left side in the drawing to bring the transfer material S into contact with the photosensitive drum 1. To do. As a result, the transfer material S is conveyed to the transfer position by the electrostatic transfer belt 11, and the toner image on the photosensitive drum 1 is transferred.

  The transfer roller 12 (12a, 12b, 12c, 12d) is arranged in parallel at a position in contact with the inside of the electrostatic transfer belt 11 and facing the four photosensitive drums 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d. A positive charge is applied from the transfer roller 12 to the transfer material S via the electrostatic transfer belt 11, and a negative polarity on the photosensitive drum 1 is applied to a sheet in contact with the photosensitive drum 1 by an electric field generated by the charge. The toner image is transferred.

  The electrostatic transfer belt 11 is a belt having a circumferential length of about 700 mm and a thickness of 150 μm. The belt is stretched by four rollers, a driving roller 13, driven rollers 14 a and 14 b, and a tension roller 15, and rotates in the direction of the arrow in the figure. As a result, the above-described electrostatic transfer belt 11 circulates and the toner image is transferred while the transfer material S is conveyed from the driven roller 14a side to the drive roller 13 side.

  The paper feed unit 16 feeds and conveys the transfer material S to the image forming unit, and a plurality of transfer materials S are stored in the paper feed cassette 17. At the time of image formation, the paper feed roller 18 (half-moon roller) and the registration roller pair 19 are driven and rotated in accordance with the image forming operation to separate and feed the transfer material S in the paper feed cassette 17 one by one, and at the front end of the transfer material S Struck the registration roller pair 19 and temporarily stopped to form a loop. Then, the rotation of the electrostatic transfer belt 11 and the image writing position are synchronized, and the sheet is fed to the electrostatic transfer belt 11 by the registration roller pair 19. Go.

  The fixing unit 20 fixes a plurality of color toner images transferred to the transfer material S, and includes a heating roller 21a that rotates, and a pressure roller 21b that presses and applies heat and pressure to the transfer material S. Consists of. Downstream of this, there is a paper discharge roller pair 23, which discharges the transfer material S out of the apparatus main body.

  Further, a paper discharge sensor (not shown) is disposed between the fixing roller pair 21 and the paper discharge roller pair 23 so that the transfer material S can be reliably discharged out of the main body or wound around the fixing roller pair 21. I am monitoring for it.

  In other words, the transfer material S to which the toner image on the photosensitive drum 1 is transferred is conveyed by the fixing roller pair 21 when passing through the fixing unit 20 and is given heat and pressure by the fixing roller pair 21. As a result, the toner images of a plurality of colors are fixed on the surface of the transfer material S.

  The double-sided path is formed on the back surface of the electrostatic transfer belt unit 5. A pair of conveying rollers 25 and 26 are arranged vertically in the double-sided path, and conveys the transfer material S downward in the figure. A U-turn path 27 is provided at the lowest point in order to change the sheet conveying direction, and the transfer material S guided to the U-turn path 27 is fed again to the registration roller pair 19.

  As an image forming operation, the process cartridges 7a, 7b, 7c, and 7d are sequentially driven in accordance with the print timing, and the photosensitive drums 1a, 1b, 1c, and 1d are driven to rotate counterclockwise in accordance with the drive. Is done. Then, the scanner units 3 corresponding to the respective process cartridges 7 are sequentially driven. By this driving, the charging roller 2 imparts a uniform charge to the circumferential surface of the photosensitive drum 1, and the scanner unit 3 exposes the circumferential surface of the photosensitive drum 1 according to the image signal to perform photosensitive drum 1. An electrostatic latent image is formed on the peripheral surface. The developing roller in the developing device 4 transfers (transfers) the toner to the low potential portion of the electrostatic latent image to form (develop) the toner image on the circumferential surface of the photosensitive drum 1.

  At the timing when the leading edge of the toner image on the circumferential surface of the photosensitive drum 1 that is the most upstream is rotated and conveyed to a point facing the electrostatic transfer belt 11, the printing start position of the transfer material S coincides with the point facing the electrostatic transfer belt 11. As described above, the registration roller pair 19 starts rotating to feed the transfer material S to the electrostatic transfer belt 11.

  The transfer material S is pressed against the outer periphery of the electrostatic transfer belt 11 so as to be sandwiched between the electrostatic adsorption roller 22 and the electrostatic transfer belt 11, and between the electrostatic transfer belt 11 and the electrostatic adsorption roller 22. By applying a voltage, a charge is induced in the transfer material S that is a dielectric and the dielectric layer of the electrostatic transfer belt 11, and the transfer material is electrostatically adsorbed on the outer periphery of the electrostatic transfer belt 11. Yes. As a result, the transfer material S is stably adsorbed to the electrostatic transfer belt 11 and conveyed to the most downstream transfer unit.

  While being conveyed in this way, the toner image on each photoconductive drum 1 is sequentially transferred to the transfer material S by an electric field formed between each photoconductive drum 1 and the transfer roller 12.

  The transfer material S on which the toner images of four colors are transferred is separated from the electrostatic transfer belt 11 by the curvature of the belt driving roller 13 and is carried into the fixing unit 20. After the toner image is thermally fixed by the fixing unit 20, the transfer material S is discharged out of the main body by the paper discharge roller pair 23 with the image surface facing down from the paper discharge unit 24.

  The operation of duplex printing will be described.

  When the printer body receives the double-sided printing signal, the paper discharge sensor detects that the transfer material S has passed through the fixing roller pair 21. In response to the detection signal, the paper discharge roller pair 23 performs reverse rotation and guides the transfer material S to the double-sided path. The transfer material S that has entered the double-sided path is conveyed by the conveying rollers 25 and 26 to the registration roller pair 19 through the U-turn path 27. Thereafter, the printing is completed by the same image forming process as the front surface printing, and the transfer material S is discharged from the paper discharge unit 24 to the outside of the apparatus main body.

  Next, the configuration of the main body frame that supports the photosensitive drum and the support configuration will be described with reference to FIG.

FIG. 2 shows a state in which the cartridge 7 is removed from the main body frame. As described above, the charging unit, the developing unit, and the cleaning unit are integrally formed in the cartridge 7. Bearings 31 (31a, 31b) (bearings) are fitted to both ends in the longitudinal direction of the photosensitive drum 1 (one-dot chain line) provided in the cartridge 7, and are rotatably attached. The bearing 31 is fitted into the container of the cartridge, and the axial direction is regulated by an E ring (not shown).
The left side plate 32a and the right side plate 32b are arranged at positions where the cart gills 7 are attached to the main body so as to contact the outer peripheral surface of the bearing 31. The left and right side plates 32 are bent outward at the lower portion thereof and fastened to the bottom plate 33 with screws from above. Like the left and right side plates 32, the bottom plate 33 is made of sheet metal, and a sheet passing hole 33a is formed on the front side so that the sheet can pass therethrough.

  The left right plate 32 has a bent shape 56 on the front side (cartridge insertion side) to give the rigidity of a single component. The left and right side plates 32 have a total of eight opening holes 34 at both ends of each cartridge so as to be in the bent shape portion. The opening hole 34 is used for positioning the drum, and is positioned by pressing and abutting the bearing 31 (bearing) against the end face of the opening hole 34.

  Further, a total of eight second opening holes 35 are formed on the same plane of the opening hole 34 and in a substantially horizontal direction. The second opening hole 35 is used for positioning the scanner unit 3. Similarly to the photosensitive drum 1, the scanner unit 3 is also positioned by pressing and abutting against the end face of the opening hole 35. A back stay 36 is positioned and fastened with screws on the back side of the main body frame. A total of four third opening holes 37 are formed in the rear stay with respect to the scanner unit 3 respectively, and positioning is performed by pressing and abutting the scanner unit 3 against the end surface of the opening hole 37 as described above.

  A total of eight guide members 49 (49a, 49b) are attached to the left and right plates 32, four on the left and right sides for each cartridge 7. The guide member 49 is formed of resin and fixed to the left and right side plates with screws (not shown), and serves to guide the bearing 31 of the photosensitive drum 1 to the opening hole 34 when the cartridge is inserted. Further, when the cartridge 7 is removed, it serves as a guide when the cartridge 7 is moved to the front side of the main body by an ejection mechanism described later. Thereby, the cartridge 7 can be smoothly attached and detached from the front side of the apparatus main body.

  Of course, in the process of attaching and detaching the cartridge 7, the cartridge 7 is guided while the guide member 49 is in contact, but when positioned, the cartridge 7 is arranged so as not to contact the guide member 49 (49a, 49b). ing.

  A stay 38 is positioned on the left and right side plates 32 so as to straddle the left and right side plates 32 and fastened with screws. The stay 38 has a role of increasing the rigidity of the main body frame and guaranteeing the pitch of the left and right side plates, and at the same time, protecting the user from touching the scanner unit when the cartridge is removed. The stay 38 is provided with four laser aperture holes 39 for allowing the laser to pass therethrough, and an aperture hole 40 for operating the eject lever characteristic of the present invention. The configuration and operation of the eject lever will be described later in detail.

  Next, a configuration relating to jam handling and cartridge access will be described with reference to FIG.

  The electrostatic transfer belt unit 5 is fixed to the printer main body so as to be swingable around a fulcrum 41 provided at the lower part. Further, in order to accurately position the photosensitive drum 1 with respect to the photosensitive drum 1, it is pressed and fixed to the abutting surface of the printer main body by a biasing means (not shown). With this configuration, the electrostatic transfer belt unit 5 is rotated in the clockwise direction in the figure against the biasing means described above, thereby realizing retraction with respect to the photosensitive drum 1.

  Further, the electrostatic transfer belt unit 5 is covered with a protective member 42 except for the surface that contacts the photosensitive drum 1 in order to protect the belt 11. A sheet passing rib is provided on the outer surface on the right side of the protection member 42 in the drawing, and also serves as a paper guide for a double-sided printing pass.

  The exterior member on the front side of the printer main body is divided into an upper cover 43 and a lower cover 44. Both the upper and lower covers 43 and 44 are provided with a paper passing rib on the inner surface, and also serve as a paper guide for a double-sided printing pass. The upper cover 43 is attached to the cover fulcrum 45 and the lower cover 44 is swingable around the cover fulcrum 46, and is configured to rotate and move in the direction of the arrow in the drawing to open the printer body cover.

  Next, the structure of the cartridge ejection mechanism characteristic of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

  Push buttons 61 are arranged on the side portions of the cartridges 7 in the bent shape 56a of the left side plate 32a described above. The push button 61 is guided by a slide guide 62 that guides the outer peripheral surface thereof, and is held so as to be slidable in the front-rear direction. The slide guide 62 is fixed at a position where it enters an opening hole formed in the bent shape 56a.

  Further, the push button 61 transmits the sliding operation to the eject mechanism portion at the rear of the main body by the connecting member 63. A biasing spring (not shown) is hung on the connecting member 63 and is always biased toward the push button 61 in the drawing.

  On the other hand, in the left and right side plates 32 (32a, 32b), a total of eight round holes 63 are formed on the back side of the stay 36 for each cartridge 7, one on each side. A rotating shaft 64 (a wavy line portion in FIG. 2) is rotatably attached to the left and right side plates in the round hole 63. The rotating shaft 64 is fixed in the axial direction by two E-rings (not shown). An eject lever 65 (65a, 65b) is fixed to the rotating shaft 64 with two screws. An opening hole 40 is formed in the stay 38 in the vicinity of the eject lever 65, and the eject lever 65 is arranged so as to jump out into the space where the cartridge 7 is located by rotating in the direction of the arrow of the rotation axis 64. Further, the rotary shaft 64 has a D-cut processed at its end, and an arm member 67 is attached to be engaged with the D-cut portion, and is fixed with a screw.

  The mutual attachment of the above-described parts will be described with reference to FIG.

  The arm member 67 integrally forms a cylindrical shape 68. An engaging shape 69 is integrally formed at the end of the connecting member 63. By fitting the engaging shape 69 into the cylindrical shape 68, the arm member 67 and the connecting member 63 are swingably attached. Yes. A cylindrical shape 70 is integrally formed on both sides of the other end portion of the connecting member 63, and an engagement shape 71 that engages with the front cylindrical shape 70 is integrally formed on the push button 61. In addition, the coupling member 63 and the push button 61 are swingably supported by the engagement between the cylindrical shape and the engagement shape.

  These members are all made of polyacetal resin having good slidability, and smooth movement of sliding and swinging. Furthermore, the push button 61 can improve visibility to the user by using a resin colored in the color of the corresponding cartridge.

  With these mechanisms, the sliding operation of the push button 61 is converted into the swinging operation of the eject lever 65. This eject mechanism can be configured with a small number of parts, and is a simple mechanism using a rotational operation, so that it is low in cost and highly reliable.

In addition, the operation of pushing the push button 61 is an operation that can be performed without the user's hesitation, and the cartridge moves forward just by pushing, improving the usability very easily.
In addition, the configuration using the push button that slides back and forth does not use a lot of space in the device body compared to the operation unit configuration that rotates the lever and twists the knob, so the mechanism is linearly arranged in four places. It is possible to arrange.

  Next, the cartridge access method using the cartridge access method and the eject mechanism will be described with reference to FIGS.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the upper cover 43 that is rotatably attached around the fulcrum 45 is rotated in the direction of the arrow to open the upper cover 43. Further, the lower cover 44 is rotated and opened in the direction of the arrow. Thereby, the electrostatic transfer belt unit 5 is exposed. Therefore, the grip portion 47 formed in the protection member 42 of the electrostatic transfer belt unit 5 is grasped, and the electrostatic transfer belt unit 5 is opened in the arrow direction. This operation allows access to the jammed paper on the belt and allows the four cartridges to be exposed. Each of the photosensitive drums is provided with a drum protection member 48. The drum protection member covers the photosensitive drum in conjunction with the opening operation of the electrostatic transfer belt unit 5.

  Next, the user presses the push button 61 on the left side of the cartridge that has run out of toner.

  5 and 6 are perspective views showing only the ejector mechanism.

  As shown in FIG. 5 and FIG. 6, by pushing the push button 61, the rotary shaft 64 and the rotary shaft are fixed and the eject lever 65 (65a, 65b) rotates in the direction of the arrow in the drawing, Abut and push out. By the guide member 49 (in FIG. 2) described above, the cartridge 7 slides only about a predetermined cartridge about 50 mm in the front direction of the main body. When the push button 61 is released, the push button returns to a predetermined position (position shown in FIG. 5) by the biasing spring (not shown) described above.

  FIG. 7 shows a state where the second cartridge 7 from the top has moved.

  An uneven shape 72 is provided at the center of the cartridge 7 so that the user can recognize that the center of the cartridge is grasped and the cartridge can be removed with one hand. The concave / convex shape 72 is configured by a rib having a height of about 0.5 to 2 mm, so that it can also serve as an anti-slip when gripped.

  When a new cartridge 7 is loaded, the cartridge is similarly held with one hand and is slid into the apparatus main body. Before the finger hits the upper and lower cartridges, the cartridge is once released and the center portion of the drum protection member 48 is pushed in to complete the loading.

  As described above, the ejector mechanism moves to a position where the cartridge can be grasped by a simple operation even in an arrangement in which the gap between the cartridges is minimized, thereby enabling one-handed operation and improving usability. . In addition, the attachment / detachment direction which has been only from one direction of the main body can be attached / detached from the lateral surface of the apparatus, and the degree of freedom in the direction of installing the apparatus main body is increased.

<Embodiment 2>
FIG. 9 shows Embodiment 2 of the multicolor image forming apparatus according to the present invention. In the description of the configuration of the multicolor image forming apparatus 150, the same members and the like as those of the multicolor image forming apparatus 100 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and those that do not change structurally and functionally will be described. Omitted.

  FIG. 9 is a longitudinal sectional view showing the overall configuration of a full-color laser beam printer 150 which is an embodiment of a multicolor image forming apparatus.

  An intermediate transfer belt 81 is provided on the front side of the printer so as to be in contact with the four photosensitive drums 1a, 1b, 1c, and 1d arranged in parallel in the vertical direction. The fixing unit 20 is disposed in the back of the printer main body above the paper feed cassette and below the lowest scanner unit 3a.

  The intermediate transfer belt 81 is composed of a film-like member having a thickness of about 150 μm. The basic structure of the intermediate transfer belt unit 82 is the same as that of the electrostatic transfer belt 11 described above. The intermediate transfer belt unit 82 moves in the clockwise direction, and sequentially transfers the toner image on the photosensitive drum 1 onto the belt. .

  The four color toner images transferred onto the intermediate transfer belt 81 are subjected to secondary transfer collectively onto the transfer material conveyed from the paper feeding unit at the secondary transfer unit where the driven roller 83 and the secondary transfer roller 84 abut. Is done.

  Then, after the toner image is thermally fixed by the fixing unit 20, the printer is conveyed with the back side of the printer main body facing upward by a pair of paper discharge rollers (not shown) with the image surface down from the paper discharge unit. It is discharged out of the main unit.

  The intermediate transfer belt 81 is attached and positioned as the intermediate transfer belt unit 82 with the fulcrum 85 of the printer body as the rotation center.

  Further, the lower cover 44 is attached so as to be swingable about the cover fulcrum 46, and is configured to swing and open in the clockwise direction in the drawing. When the lower cover 44 is opened, the intermediate transfer body unit 82 is exposed. As with the electrostatic transfer belt unit 11, the handle formed in the protective member is grasped and opened in the direction of the arrow. By this operation, the four cartridges can be exposed.

  As in the first embodiment, the cartridge can be replaced by taking out only the necessary cartridge using the eject mechanism.

  As described above, the same effect as in the first embodiment can be obtained also in the multicolor image forming apparatus using the intermediate transfer member.

  The present invention is applicable to a multicolor image forming apparatus such as a full color copying machine or a full color laser printer that employs an electrophotographic system.

It is sectional drawing which shows the Example of the multicolor image forming apparatus which concerns on this invention. 1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of a multicolor image forming apparatus according to the present invention. It is sectional drawing which shows the Example of the multicolor image forming apparatus which concerns on this invention. It is a perspective view which shows the Example of the attachment method of the components which concern on this invention. It is a perspective view which shows the Example of the eject mechanism which concerns on this invention. It is a perspective view which shows the Example of the eject mechanism which concerns on this invention. 1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of a multicolor image forming apparatus according to the present invention. It is sectional drawing which shows the other Example of the other color image forming apparatus which concerns on this invention. It is sectional drawing of the conventional multicolor image forming apparatus. It is a perspective view of the conventional process cartridge.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Photosensitive drum 3 Scanner unit 5 Electrostatic transfer belt unit 7 Cartridge 49 Guide member 61 Push button 62 Slide guide 63 Connection member 64 Rotating shaft 67 Arm member 72 Uneven shape 82 Intermediate transfer belt unit 100 Full color laser printer

Claims (12)

At least a plurality of image carrier units each including an image carrier that is rotatably supported, a transfer material carrier unit having an endless belt disposed so as to contact all the image carriers, and the transfer material carrier unit includes: A first state when the image on the image carrier is transferred to the transfer material carried on the transfer material carrier and a second state where the image carrier unit is retracted from the image carrier unit from the first state. In the obtained multicolor image forming apparatus,

In order to selectively move the image carrier unit to a space formed in the apparatus main body after the transfer material carrier unit is in the second state, the image carrier unit abuts at least the operation unit and the image carrier unit. A multi-color image forming apparatus comprising: a moving unit including an operating unit that operates and a guide unit for moving the image carrier unit.
The image carrier unit moves in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the image carrier, a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the transfer material is conveyed, and a direction substantially the same as the retraction direction of the transfer material carrier unit. The multicolor image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a device, wherein the multicolor image forming apparatus is detachable from the apparatus main body in the same direction as the moving direction.
3. The image carrier unit according to claim 1, wherein the image carrier unit has an uneven shape at an outer peripheral surface thereof and at a substantially central portion in a longitudinal direction of the photosensitive drum, and the image carrier unit using the image carrier unit. Color image forming apparatus.
The moving means includes at least an operation unit that operates in the same direction as the image carrier moves, an action unit that operates to contact and move the image carrier unit, and movement of the operation unit to the action unit. The multi-color image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the multi-color image forming apparatus comprises a connecting member for transmission.
5. The operation unit is fixed to a rotation shaft that is rotatably supported by the apparatus main body, and the operation unit swings by pressing and moving the operation unit. A multicolor image forming apparatus according to claim 1.
6. The multicolor image according to claim 1, wherein the transfer material carrier unit is capable of swinging between the first state and the second state about a swing axis. Forming equipment.
At least a plurality of image carrier units each including an image carrier that is rotatably supported, an intermediate transfer body unit having an endless belt disposed so as to be in contact with all the image carriers, and the intermediate transfer body unit includes: In a multicolor image forming apparatus capable of taking a first state when an image on an image carrier is transferred to the intermediate transfer member and a second state in which the image carrier unit is retracted from the first state. ,

In order to selectively move the image carrier unit to a space formed in the apparatus main body after the intermediate transfer body unit is in the second state, the image carrier unit operates in contact with at least the operation unit and the image carrier unit. A multi-color image forming apparatus comprising: a moving unit configured by a working unit that moves and a guide unit for moving the image carrier unit.
The image carrier unit has moving means that moves in a direction orthogonal to the axial direction of the image carrier and in a direction substantially the same as the retracting direction of the intermediate transfer body unit, and is detached from the apparatus main body in the same direction as the moving direction. The multicolor image forming apparatus according to claim 7, which is possible.
9. The image carrier unit, wherein the image carrier unit has a concavo-convex shape on an outer peripheral surface thereof and in a substantially central portion in the longitudinal direction of the photosensitive drum, and the image carrier unit using the image carrier unit. Image forming apparatus.
The moving means transmits at least an operation unit that operates in the same direction as the image carrier to move, an operation unit that operates to contact and move the image carrier, and movement of the operation unit to the operation unit. The multicolor image forming apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the multicolor image forming apparatus comprises:
11. The operating portion is fixed to a rotating shaft that is rotatably supported by the apparatus main body, and the operating portion swings when the operating portion is pressed and moved. A multicolor image forming apparatus according to claim 1. The multi-color image forming apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the intermediate transfer body unit can swing between the first state and the second state about a swing axis. apparatus.

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