JP2006030365A - Image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To improve user's operability in moving an intermediate transfer body and a secondary transfer means for transferring again a toner image formed on the intermediate transfer body to a sheet of transfer paper from the inside of an image forming apparatus main body to the outside. <P>SOLUTION: In the image forming apparatus provided with the intermediate transfer rotor to which a toner image formed on an image carrier is transferred and the secondary transfer device for transferring again the toner image from the intermediate transfer body to a transfer material, both of the intermediate transfer rotor and the secondary transfer device are constituted so as to be detached from the image forming apparatus; and a movement regulation member for inhibiting the detachment of the intermediate transfer rotor from the image forming apparatus main body when the secondary transfer device is installed in the image forming apparatus main body and permitting the detachment of the intermediate transfer rotor from the image forming apparatus main body when the secondary transfer device is detached from the image forming apparatus main body is installed. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, a printer, and a facsimile machine, and more specifically, a plurality of image carriers, an intermediate transfer member to which toner images on the image carriers are sequentially transferred, and the intermediate transfer member The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus having a secondary transfer unit for secondary transfer of the upper toner image onto transfer paper.

JP-A-11-352741 JP 2000-194203 A

  Each process device and process unit that make up the image forming apparatus can be easily removed to replace the device or unit to extend the life of the image forming apparatus, or to easily perform the processing operation during jam processing It is planned to become.

  Patent Document 1 discloses a configuration in which a photosensitive drum and its developing device are detachable in the direction toward the operation side of the image forming apparatus main body, and the intermediate transfer body unit is detachable in a direction orthogonal thereto. With such a configuration, the maintainability and usability of the photosensitive drum and the developing device that are frequently replaced are improved, and the intermediate transfer member unit can be attached / detached via an existing opening / closing member that rotates and opens with respect to the apparatus main body. This eliminates the need for a new door and eliminates the need for a large notch on the operation side. In terms of the intermediate transfer member, both the intermediate transfer member and the transfer unit for transferring the toner image of the intermediate transfer member to the transfer paper are detached from the apparatus main body.

  Patent Document 2 discloses a configuration in which the intermediate transfer body unit can be attached to and detached from the apparatus main body. In this configuration, the secondary transfer unit positioning unit is integrated with a roller holding member (holding plate) that stretches the intermediate transfer belt. This positioning part enables the parallelism and the distance between the axes of the secondary transfer bias roller and the stretching roller at the position facing the secondary transfer bias roller of the intermediate transfer body unit to be attached / detached / replaced. Regardless, it is always kept constant. In this configuration, the secondary transfer bias roller is not supposed to be easily detached from the apparatus main body in principle.

  The present invention improves the usability of the user when moving the intermediate transfer member and the secondary transfer means for retransferring the toner image on the intermediate transfer member onto the transfer paper from the inside of the image forming apparatus main body to the outside. Is an issue.

  In order to solve the above problems, according to the present invention, an intermediate transfer rotator to which a toner image on an image carrier is transferred, and a secondary transfer device that re-transfers the toner image on the intermediate transfer rotator to a transfer material. The intermediate transfer rotator and the secondary transfer device are both detachable from the image forming apparatus main body, and the secondary transfer apparatus is mounted in the image forming apparatus main body. The intermediate transfer rotator is prohibited from being removed from the image forming apparatus body, and when the secondary transfer device is detached from the image forming apparatus body, the intermediate transfer rotator can be detached from the image forming apparatus body. A movement restricting member is attached.

  It is preferable if the movement restricting member is formed integrally with the secondary transfer device and exists in the removal direction of the intermediate transfer rotating body. The intermediate transfer rotator is configured to be attached to and detached from the image forming apparatus main body in the direction of the rotation axis, and the secondary transfer device is attached to and detached from the image forming apparatus main body in a direction orthogonal to the rotation axis direction. It is convenient to be configured as follows. The movement restricting member configured integrally with the secondary transfer device is, for example, a protruding piece protruding toward the intermediate transfer rotating body. The support member for the secondary transfer device that is rotatably attached to the image forming apparatus main body is provided, and when the support member is opened and rotated with respect to the image forming apparatus main body, the secondary transfer device is removed from the image forming apparatus. It is more effective if it is configured to be removed. The secondary transfer device may be configured to be able to contact and separate, and may be configured to contact the intermediate transfer rotator during standby.

  In an image forming apparatus comprising: an intermediate transfer rotator to which a toner image on an image carrier is transferred; and a secondary transfer device that retransfers the toner image on the intermediate transfer rotator to a transfer material. And the secondary transfer device are configured to be detachable from the main body of the image forming apparatus, and a support member for the secondary transfer device that is rotatably attached to the main body of the image forming apparatus is provided. If the secondary transfer device is removed from the image forming apparatus when it is pivoted open relative to the main body and the intermediate transfer rotator can be removed, the above problem can be solved in the same manner.

  In the image forming apparatus comprising: an intermediate transfer rotator to which the toner image on the image carrier is transferred; and a secondary transfer device that retransfers the toner image on the intermediate transfer rotator to a transfer material. The transfer rotator is configured to be attached to and detached from the image forming apparatus main body in the direction of the rotation axis, and the secondary transfer device is attached to and detached from the image forming apparatus main body in a direction orthogonal to the rotation axis direction. Even if comprised, the said subject can be solved.

  According to the present invention, when the secondary transfer device is mounted in the image forming apparatus main body, the removal of the intermediate transfer rotating body from the image forming apparatus main body is prohibited, and the secondary transfer device is removed from the image forming apparatus main body. By providing a movement restricting member that allows the intermediate transfer rotator to be removed from the image forming apparatus main body when it is removed, the intermediate transfer rotator or the intermediate transfer unit is always moved by the secondary transfer device. After being moved out. As a result, when the intermediate transfer unit is attached or detached, it is possible to prevent rubbing between the secondary transfer device and the intermediate transfer unit, and it is possible to prevent damage to the belt, roller, or the entire unit. Also, when a problem such as jamming of transfer paper occurs, the user first moves the relatively light secondary transfer device to solve the problem, and if that still does not solve the problem (for example, paper is caught in the intermediate transfer unit). The intermediate transfer unit, which is relatively heavy, is moved out for the first time. As a result, it is possible to avoid the waste of moving the relatively heavy intermediate transfer unit to the outside, despite the problem that can be solved by simply moving the relatively lightweight secondary transfer device to the outside. , User convenience is improved.

  Further, if the secondary transfer device itself has a movement restricting member, it is possible to unlock the intermediate transfer rotator by the movement restricting member in conjunction with the movement of the secondary transfer device. The intermediate transfer rotator or the intermediate transfer unit moves from the inside of the image forming apparatus main body along the rotation axis direction, and thus in the direction orthogonal to the transfer paper conveyance direction, and the secondary transfer apparatus moves in the rotation axis direction. The transfer paper jammed between the secondary transfer device and the intermediate transfer rotator during jam processing is rotated in the direction perpendicular to the image forming apparatus main body. It is possible to prevent a problem of being shredded in the axial direction. When the secondary transfer device is held by a support member rotatably attached to the image forming apparatus main body and is movable in conjunction with the support member, the secondary transfer device is detached from the image forming apparatus main body. In some cases, it is held by the support member, and the user does not need to support the secondary transfer device outside the image forming apparatus main body.

  Both the intermediate transfer rotator and the secondary transfer device are detachable from the main body of the image forming apparatus, and a support member for the secondary transfer device that is rotatably attached to the main body of the image forming apparatus is provided. The secondary transfer device is removed from the image forming device when it is pivoted open relative to the forming device main body, and the intermediate transfer rotating body can be removed, so that the intermediate transfer rotation is an essential function. Move the secondary transfer device that should be accurately positioned relative to the body, take out the intermediate transfer rotator and replace the unit or perform jamming. Improved usability.

  When the intermediate belt method is adopted and each color photoconductor is installed in tandem with the intermediate belt, the intermediate transfer unit becomes larger in the direction in which the photoconductors are arranged, and the opening width for attaching / detaching the intermediate transfer unit is Although the side surface orthogonal to the rotation axis or the side surface where the photoconductor does not contact (the side where the secondary transfer device contacts in FIG. 1) is reduced, intermediate transfer to the secondary transfer device side, for example, for replacement or the like When pulling out the unit, it is necessary to support the secondary transfer device separately from the intermediate transfer unit, and even if this is done with a support member (in the case of the following example, the front cover), in that case the intermediate transfer unit is attached and detached. For example, the support member must be opened approximately 90 ° or in the vertical direction of the front cover, and the intermediate transfer unit can be adjusted to the intermediate transfer unit. Such as requiring opening area close to the height sum of the shooting device, it is defective. However, the intermediate transfer rotator is movable from the inside of the image forming apparatus main body in the rotation axis direction, and the secondary transfer device is moved from the inside of the image forming apparatus main body in the direction orthogonal to the rotation axis direction. The opening area can be made as small as possible, and the secondary transfer device can be separated in the direction perpendicular to the axis to add an effect of simplifying the jam processing and the like. Is possible. In addition, there is an advantage that the exchange of each unit does not interfere with each other.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described with reference to one embodiment. 1, 2 and 3 are configuration diagrams of a color image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
In FIG. 1, a color image forming apparatus includes an intermediate transfer belt 11 and a transfer belt unit 10 as an intermediate transfer member and four image stations. Each image station has an image carrier (hereinafter referred to as a photosensitive drum). 20Y, 20C, 20M, and 20Bk, around which are dedicated charging devices 30Y, 30C, 30M, and 30Bk, developing devices 50Y, 50C, 50M, and 50Bk, cleaning devices 40Y, 40C, 40M, and 40Bk. have.

  Reference numeral 9 denotes a toner bottle that replenishes toner, and is filled with yellow (Y), cyan (C), magenta (M), and black (Bk) toners from the left in the figure, and from here, transport (not shown) Depending on the route, a predetermined supply amount is supplied to the developing devices 50Y, 50C, 50M, and 50Bk of the respective colors.

The intermediate transfer belt 11 serving as an intermediate transfer rotating member preferably has a Young's modulus indicating mechanical strength of 30000 kg / cm ² or more. Examples of materials that can maintain such strength include resins having excellent mechanical properties such as polyimide, polyethersulfone, polyetherketone, and polyetheretherketone. In particular, polyimide is preferable because it is easily available. The polyimide resin has a feature that the deformation of the belt at the time of driving is small as compared with a conventionally used thermoplastic resin.

  A polyimide resin is generally a polymer synthesized by condensation polymerization using tetracarboxylic dianhydride and diamine or diisocyanate as monomer components. Examples of the tetracarboxylic acid component of the dianhydride include pyromellitic acid, naphthalene-1,4,5,8-tetracarboxylic acid, naphthalene-2,3,6,7-tetracarboxylic acid, 2,3,5, 6-biphenyltetracarboxylic acid, 2,2 ′, 3,3′-biphenyltetracarboxylic acid, 3,3 ′, 4,4′-biphenyltetracarboxylic acid, 3,3 ′, 4,4′-diphenylethertetracarboxylic Acid, 3,3 ′, 4,4′-benzophenonetetracarboxylic acid, 3,3 ′, 4,4′-diphenylsulfonetetracarboxylic acid, 3,3 ′, 4,4′-azobenzenetetracarboxylic acid, bis ( 2,3-dicarboxyphenyl) methane, bis (3,4-dicarboxyphenyl) methane, β, β-bis (3,4-dicarboxyphenyl) propane, β, β-bis (3,4 Radical Po hydroxyphenyl) may be mentioned hexamethylene full Oro propane.

  Examples of the diamine component include m-phenyldiamine, p-phenyldiamine, 2,4-diaminotoluene, 2,6-diaminotoluene, 2,4-diaminochlorobenzene, m-xylylenediamine, p-xylylenediamine, 1, 4-diaminonaphthalene, 1,5-diaminonaphthalene, 2,6-diaminonaphthalene, 2,4′-diaminonaphthalebiphenyl, benzidine, 3,3-dimethylbenzidine, 3,3′-dimethoxybenzidine, 3,4 ′ -Diaminodiphenyl ether, 4,4'-diaminodiphenyl ether (oxy-p, p'-dianiline; ODA), 4,4'-diaminodiphenyl sulfide, 3,3'-diaminobenzophenone, 4,4'-diaminophenyl sulfone, 4,4'-diaminoazobenzene, 4,4'-diamy Diphenylmethane, beta, beta-bis (4-amine phenyl) can be mentioned propane. The compound which substituted the amino group in the above-mentioned diamine component made into the said isocyanate component with the isocyanate group can be mentioned. Commercially available products of these polyimides include, for example, pyromellitic acid-based polyimide (Kapton HA: manufactured by DuPont) having ODA as a diamine component, and 3,3 ′, 4,4′-biphenyltetracarboxylic acid-based polyimide (Upilex S: And Ube Industries, Ltd.).

  Examples of the conductive agent dispersed in the base material include conductive carbon materials such as carbon black and graphite, metals or alloys such as aluminum and copper alloys, and tin oxide, zinc oxide, antimony oxide, indium oxide, and potassium titanate. , Conductive metal oxides such as antimony oxide-tin oxide composite oxide (ATO) and indium oxide-tin oxide composite oxide (ITO), lithium perchlorate, quaternary ammonium perchlorate, quaternary ammonium chloride One or two or more fine powders such as an electrolyte such as sodium trifluoromethanesulfonate are used. The metal oxide may be coated with insulating fine particles such as barium sulfate, calcium carbonate, and magnesium silicate.

  Among these conductive agents, carbon black is preferable in terms of price and environmental stability. Furthermore, from the viewpoint of dispersibility, a tin oxide composite oxide (product name: UF) with an average particle size of 0.1 μm manufactured by Mitsui Kinzoku Co., Ltd., a zinc oxide (Pastran Type-II) with 0.3 μm, Metal oxide with an average particle size of 1 μm or less, such as a barium sulfate surface with an average particle size of 0.4 μm coated with tin-based oxide (Pastran Type-IV), 0.2 μm ATO, 0.2 μm ITO, etc. Are also preferably used. The conductive metal oxide is preferably surface-treated with one or more silane coupling agents. Since the surface-treated metal oxide is improved in compatibility with the resin constituting the base material, the dispersion thereof becomes uniform and variation in the resistance value of the base material is suppressed.

By the way, it is known that the expansion / contraction (displacement amount) of the belt due to the load during driving of the belt is inversely proportional to the Young's modulus of the belt material. That is, the relationship between the Young's modulus of the belt material and the amount of displacement due to the load when the belt is driven can be expressed by the following equation (1).
Δl = α ・ P ・ l / (t ・ w ・ E) ………………………… (1)
here,
Δl: Belt displacement (μm)
α: Coefficient P: Load (N)
l: Belt length between two tension rolls (mm)
t: Belt thickness (mm)
w: Belt width (mm)
E: Young's modulus of belt material (N / mm ² )

Conventionally used thermoplastic resin materials such as PC and PVDF have a Young's modulus of 24000 kg / cm ² or less when carbon black is dispersed. In contrast, in the present invention, since the Young's modulus of the resin material of the surface layer (Ba) is increased to 30000 kg / cm ² or more, disturbances during driving of the belt (for example, the cleaning blade comes into contact with or separates from the belt surface). If the load fluctuations generated when the belts are the same), the belt stretches and shrinks by 25% or more than the conventional one. Therefore, a high-quality transfer image can be obtained stably. In order to reduce the amount of displacement of the belt due to disturbance during driving of the belt and obtain a high-quality transfer image quality, the thickness of the belt is preferably 50 μm or more. If the belt becomes too thick, deformation of the belt surface at the portion of the tension roll will increase, and when forming a color image, the position of the multiple toner image will shift and color misregistration will occur. Is preferably in the range of 50 to 300 μm, particularly 70 to 200 μm.

  The operation for obtaining a color image is basically the same as the conventional one. When the transfer paper 2 is fed from the paper feed cassette 1 by the paper feed roller 3, and the leading edge of the transfer paper 2 reaches the registration roller pair 4, a sensor (not shown) The transfer sheet 2 is conveyed to the nip portion between the secondary transfer roller 5 and the intermediate transfer belt 11 by the registration roller pair 4 while being detected and timed by this detection signal.

  The photosensitive drums 20Y, 20C, 20M, and 20Bk, which are uniformly charged in advance by the charging devices 30Y, 30C, 30M, and 30Bk, are exposed and scanned with laser light by the optical writing device 8, and the photosensitive drums 20Y, 20C, and 20M. , 20Bk, an electrostatic latent image is formed.

  The electrostatic latent images are developed by the developing devices 50Y, 50C, 50M, and 50Bk for the respective colors, and yellow, cyan, magenta, and black toner images are formed on the surfaces of the photosensitive drums 20Y, 20C, 20M, and 20Bk.

  Next, a voltage is applied to the primary transfer rollers 12Y, 12C, 12M, and 12Bk, and the toner on the photosensitive drums 20Y, 20C, 20M, and 20Bk is sequentially transferred onto the intermediate transfer belt 11. At this time, the image forming operation for each color is executed while shifting the timing from the upstream side toward the downstream side so that the toner image is transferred to the same position on the intermediate transfer belt 11.

  The image formed on the intermediate transfer belt 11 is conveyed to the position of the secondary transfer roller 5 and is secondarily transferred to the transfer paper 2. The transfer paper 2 on which the toner images of the respective colors are transferred is conveyed to the fixing device 6 and thermally fixed, and is discharged out of the apparatus by the discharge roller 7.

  The residual toner on the photoconductive drums 20Y, 20C, 20M, and 20Bk is cleaned by the respective cleaning devices 40Y, 40C, 40M, and 40Bk, and then the charging device 30Y, in which the bias of the AC component is superimposed and applied to the direct current. 30C, 30M, and 30Bk are charged simultaneously with static elimination to prepare for the next image formation. The residual toner on the intermediate transfer belt 11 is cleaned by the intermediate transfer belt cleaning device 13 to prepare for the next image forming process.

  Although the color of the toner to be handled is different, the configuration of the image station is the same, so the detailed configuration will be described with reference to FIG. At this time, Y, C, M, and K corresponding to the toner colors along the respective symbols of the image station are omitted.

  The developing device 50 includes a developing case 55 having an opening, a developing roller 51 disposed so as to face and face the surface of the photosensitive drum 20, a developing blade 52 that regulates the developer on the developing roller 51 to a certain height, The first conveying screw 53 and the second conveying screw 54 arranged at a position facing the roller 51 are configured. The cleaning device 40 includes a cleaning case 43 having an opening, a cleaning blade 41 for cleaning residual toner on the photosensitive drum 20, and a waste toner screw for transporting the cleaned waste toner to a waste toner bottle (not shown). 42 and the like. The transfer belt unit 10 includes an intermediate transfer belt 11, a primary transfer roller 12 for transferring the toner image on the photosensitive drum 20 to the intermediate transfer belt 11, an intermediate transfer belt case 14 for holding those components, and the like. Yes. Reference numeral 31 denotes a cleaning roller of the charging device (charging roller) 30, and L denotes laser light from the optical writing device 8 (FIG. 1).

  Next, in FIG. 3, the transfer belt unit 10 is set on the main body frame 102. The transfer belt unit is configured to be detachable in the illustrated intermediate transfer unit pull-out direction (a direction perpendicular to the transfer paper transfer direction), and the unit can be replaced. FIG. 4 is a view of the transfer belt unit as viewed from the unit drawing direction. As shown in the figure, the transfer belt unit 10 and the secondary transfer device 104 (unit including the transfer roller 5 in FIG. 1) are in contact with each other, and the transfer is performed between them. As the paper passes, the image formed on the transfer belt unit is transferred to the transfer paper. As illustrated in FIG. 5, the secondary transfer device 104 has the front cover holding claw 110 </ b> B sandwiched with the rotation shaft 110 </ b> A of the secondary transfer device (the rotation shaft or the unit can be rotated in the claw). 103 is substantially held, is configured to be movable from the main body in conjunction with the front cover, and is removable. As shown in FIG. 6, the front cover 103 is moved in the direction of the arrow based on the rotation center 105. The movement of the front cover 103 around the rotation center 105 is realized by rotating the front cover rotation holes 106 and 107 shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 according to the shafts 108 and 109 of the main body frame 102 shown in FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 10, the secondary transfer device 104 includes a transfer roller 5, a case 119, and a pre-transfer guide 121, and the transfer unit can rotate around a rotation shaft 110 </ b> A set in the case 119. Further, the shaft 114 is rotated by the motor unit 115 and the cam 113 is rotated in conjunction therewith, so that the secondary transfer device unit can be moved by moving around the rotation center 116.

  The secondary transfer device 104 is given a force in a direction opposite to the force generated by the cam by a spring 118, and assists in determining the position of the unit. With these functions, the secondary transfer device is configured to be able to contact and separate from the transfer belt unit. Of course, the secondary transfer device is in contact with the primary transfer member (intermediate transfer belt) at the time of image formation, but the residual toner on the transfer belt unit generated after the transfer paper is jammed is not attached to the secondary transfer device and can be separated. Is required. Also, during standby, it is not possible to perform image formation for the time until contact, avoiding a situation where the time to image formation takes a long time, and obtaining an effect that enables image formation at a higher speed. It is preferable to be configured to contact the transfer belt unit. However, even in this case, the secondary transfer device must be separated from the transfer belt unit when the unit is removed.

  Next, an example of restricting the movement of the transfer belt unit 10 will be described. In FIG. 11, a movement restricting member 112 is integrally formed with the secondary transfer device 104. This movement restricting member 112 protrudes in the pulling direction of the transfer belt unit 10 so as to prevent the unit from being pulled out, and is positioned so as to be sandwiched between the transfer belt unit 10 and the main body frame 102 as shown in FIG. . As a result, the intermediate transfer unit 10 is locked, and the unit cannot be moved. Further, by sandwiching the movement restricting member 112 between the transfer belt unit 10 and the main body frame 102 with a small gap, the inertial force for moving the transfer belt unit 10 in the locked state can be reduced, and the locked state without increasing the strength of the parts. (If there is a gap, it will hit the movement restricting member after movement to some extent, so inertial force will work). After the secondary transfer device moves as shown in FIG. 13, the regulating member formed integrally with the secondary transfer device also moves and disappears, so that the lock belt is released and the transfer belt unit 10 can be attached and detached. Become.

  As another form (not shown), the movement restricting member 112 may be attached to the main body frame 102 instead of the secondary transfer device 104. In this case, it is preferable to provide a link mechanism that switches the movement restricting member 112 from the locked state to the unlocked state in conjunction with the movement of the secondary transfer device 104 to the outside. Alternatively, a detection unit that electrically detects the movement of the secondary transfer device 104 to the outside is provided, and the movement restriction member 112 is driven based on the detection result to switch the movement restriction member 112 from the locked state to the unlocked state. A drive control device may be provided.

1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a color image forming apparatus. It is a composition conceptual diagram of an image station. It is a figure explaining the setting to the main body frame of a transfer belt unit. FIG. 5 is a diagram of the transfer belt unit as viewed from the unit drawing direction. It is a figure which shows a mode that a secondary transfer apparatus is hold | maintained at a front cover. It is a figure which shows the rotational movement possibility of a front cover. It is a figure explaining the structure of a rotation center. It is a figure explaining the structure of a rotation center. It is a figure explaining the structure of a rotation center. It is a figure explaining the structure of a secondary transfer apparatus. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a state where the pull-out of the transfer belt unit is restricted. It is a figure explaining the locked state by a movement control member. It is a figure explaining a lock release state.

Explanation of symbols

5 Secondary transfer roller 10 Transfer belt unit (intermediate transfer unit)
11 Intermediate transfer belt 12 Primary transfer roller 20 Photosensitive drum 102 Main body frame 103 Front cover 104 Secondary transfer device 112 Movement restricting member

Claims (8)

An image forming apparatus comprising: an intermediate transfer rotator to which a toner image on an image carrier is transferred; and a secondary transfer device that re-transfers the toner image on the intermediate transfer rotator to a transfer material.
The intermediate transfer rotator and the secondary transfer device are both configured to be detachable from the image forming apparatus main body.
When the secondary transfer device is mounted in the main body of the image forming apparatus, the intermediate transfer rotating body is prohibited from being removed from the main body of the image forming apparatus, and the secondary transfer device is removed from the main body of the image forming apparatus. An image forming apparatus, comprising a movement restricting member that enables the intermediate transfer rotating body to be detached from the main body of the image forming apparatus.   The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the movement restricting member is formed integrally with a secondary transfer device and exists in a direction in which the intermediate transfer rotating body is removed.   The intermediate transfer rotator is configured to be attached to and detached from the image forming apparatus main body in the direction of the rotation axis, and the secondary transfer device is attached to and detached from the image forming apparatus main body in a direction orthogonal to the rotation axis direction. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image forming apparatus is configured as described above.   The image forming apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the movement restricting member configured integrally with the secondary transfer device is a protruding piece protruding toward the intermediate transfer rotating body.   The support member for the secondary transfer device that is rotatably attached to the image forming apparatus main body is provided, and when the support member is opened and rotated with respect to the image forming apparatus main body, the secondary transfer device is removed from the image forming apparatus. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the image forming apparatus is configured to be removed.   The image forming apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the secondary transfer device is configured to be able to contact and separate, and configured to contact the intermediate transfer rotator during standby. An image forming apparatus comprising: an intermediate transfer rotator to which a toner image on an image carrier is transferred; and a secondary transfer device that re-transfers the toner image on the intermediate transfer rotator to a transfer material.
The intermediate transfer rotator and the secondary transfer device are both configured to be detachable from the image forming apparatus main body.
A support member for a secondary transfer device that is rotatably attached to the image forming apparatus main body is provided, and when the support member is opened and rotated with respect to the image forming apparatus main body, the secondary transfer device is detached from the image forming apparatus. An image forming apparatus configured to allow removal of the intermediate transfer rotator. An image forming apparatus comprising: an intermediate transfer rotator to which a toner image on an image carrier is transferred; and a secondary transfer device that re-transfers the toner image on the intermediate transfer rotator to a transfer material.
The intermediate transfer rotator is configured to be attached to and detached from the image forming apparatus main body in the direction of the rotation axis, and the secondary transfer device is attached to and detached from the image forming apparatus main body in a direction orthogonal to the rotation axis direction. An image forming apparatus configured as described above.

Images