JP2007219227A - Image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image forming apparatus capable of preventing the erroneous attachment of a cartridge and reliably completing the replacement operation of the cartridge by specifying and displaying the cartridge to be replaced and restricting the attachment/detachment of a cartridge other than the cartridge concerned. <P>SOLUTION: In the image forming apparatus, a developing cartridge 14 of every color rotated by a developing rotary unit faces to a photoreceptor drum so as to develop an electrostatic latent image on the surface of the photoreceptor drum with stored toner, and a toner image is transferred and fixed on recording paper. In the apparatus, a dial 45 specifying the sort of the developing cartridge to be replaced is arranged, and also key grooves 49y, 49c, 49m and 49k corresponding to the key shape 48 of every color of the developing cartridge are notched and formed on the outer periphery edge of the disk part 45d of the dial. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus, and more particularly, to an apparatus that can prevent an apologized type cartridge from being mounted.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, an electrophotographic recording type image forming apparatus that exposes and forms an electrostatic latent image based on image data on the surface of a carrier made of a photosensitive member has been known. The toner image on the carrier carried by developing the toner with a developing device is transferred to a recording medium such as recording paper to form an image.

  This type of image forming apparatus is designed to be detachably mounted with a cartridge that is constructed integrally with or separately from the developing unit and that contains toner. This cartridge repeatedly develops the electrostatic latent image on the surface of the carrier, and when the contained toner is consumed, it replaces the toner used by the developing device.

In such an image forming apparatus, yellow (Y), cyan (C), magenta (M), and black (K) toners are prepared, and an electrostatic latent image of image data for each color is developed with toner. Some are designed so that a color image can be formed by overlapping them. In this structure that can form a color image and has only one carrier, the developing unit and cartridge for each color toner move to the developing position of the electrostatic latent image on the surface of the carrier, and an exchange position that allows attachment / detachment. It is designed to move to (detachment position) (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2).
JP 2003-15409 A Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-4466

  However, in such a conventional image forming apparatus, when the cartridge is replaced and the toner is replenished, there is a possibility that a cartridge containing toner of a different color is erroneously mounted.

  From this, it is conceivable to provide a display for specifying the cartridge to be mounted. However, even if there is a display for specifying the cartridge, it is impossible to prevent the cartridges of different colors from being inadvertently installed.

  Therefore, according to the present invention, the cartridge to be replaced can be specified and displayed, and the removal / removal of the cartridge other than the cartridge can be restricted, so that the cartridge can be prevented from being erroneously mounted and the cartridge replacement operation can be completed with high reliability. An object is to provide an image forming apparatus.

  A first invention of an image forming apparatus that solves the above problems includes a carrier that carries a toner image obtained by developing an electrostatic latent image based on image data, and a toner that adheres to the electrostatic latent image on the surface of the carrier. A developing unit that forms a toner image by developing, and a cartridge that is constructed so as to be detachable from the apparatus main body integrally or separately from the developing unit and that contains toner to be used by the developing unit. An image forming apparatus for forming an image by transferring and fixing a toner image onto a recording medium, and having a developing device and a cartridge for each color toner forming a color image, and carrying the developing device and the cartridge The rotary unit includes a rotary unit that sequentially rotates the electrostatic latent image on the body surface to a developing position where toner development is performed and a detachable position where attachment / detachment is allowed. A dial for rotating operation is provided so as to specify the type of cartridge to be attached / detached, and the dial is provided with selection means for allowing attachment / detachment of only the developer cartridge of the specified color. Is.

  According to the present invention, the rotary operation is performed in order to specify the type of the cartridge that needs to be exchanged that is rotated and rotated, and allows only the specified cartridge to be taken out from the apparatus main body side. The mounting of only the cartridge can be permitted, and the removal and mounting of the cartridge other than the specified cartridge can be restricted. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent an erroneous mounting in which different types of cartridges are erroneously mounted, and it is possible to perform a cartridge replacement operation with high reliability.

According to a second aspect of the image forming apparatus for solving the above problem, in addition to the specific matter of the first aspect, the selection means is formed so as to correspond to a shape unique to the cartridge for each color and passes through the shape. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the cutout portion that allows the switching is formed so as to be switchable by a rotation operation of the dial.
Is.

  In the present invention, the shape of the notch that can be switched according to the rotation operation of the dial allows passage of only the specified cartridge, and can restrict removal and mounting of the cartridge other than the specified cartridge. . Therefore, it is possible to prevent erroneous mounting by mistakenly mounting different types of cartridges by using a specific shape corresponding to the type of cartridge, and high reliability without requiring complicated control. The cartridge replacement operation can be easily realized.

  According to a third aspect of the image forming apparatus for solving the above problems, in addition to the specific matters of the first or second aspect, a cartridge for storing each color toner capable of forming a color image is specified in the rotary unit as the dial. Equipped with a color dial with color selection means that allows attachment / detachment at a location, and a monochrome dial with single color selection means that allows multiple cartridges containing the same color to be attached to / detached from the rotary unit It is designed to be possible.

  According to the present invention, a cartridge for storing each color toner for forming a color image is rotated by attaching one of a color dial and a monochrome dial as a dial to be rotated to specify the type of cartridge to be replaced. It is possible to allow attachment / detachment to a specific part of the unit, or to attach / detach a plurality of cartridges containing the same color to / from the rotary unit. Therefore, the apparatus main body can be easily switched to a monochrome image forming machine or a color image forming machine.

  According to a fourth aspect of the image forming apparatus for solving the above-mentioned problems, in addition to the specific matters of any of the first to third aspects, the image forming apparatus is disposed at a position adjacent to the outer surface of the cartridge taken out from the rotary unit. It is characterized by having a cleaning member that slides on the outer surface of the developing cartridge and cleans the outer surface when taken out.

  In the present invention, for example, when a cartridge is taken out to be exchanged after the contained toner is consumed, the cartridge is cleaned by a cleaning member that comes into sliding contact with the outer surface of the cartridge as it moves in the take-out direction. Therefore, it is possible to clean the outer surface of the cartridge and wipe off the adhering toner and the like only by positioning the cleaning member at a position in sliding contact with the outer surface of the cartridge without operating the cleaning member.

  According to a fifth aspect of the image forming apparatus for solving the above-mentioned problems, in addition to the specific matters of the fourth aspect, the lock member for prohibiting the removal of the cartridge, and the cleaning member in conjunction with the operation of the lock member An interlocking mechanism that moves to a cleaning position that is pressed against the outer surface of the printer or a retracted position that is separated from the outer surface, and a lock position that transmits the rotational operation force of the dial to prohibit the removal of the developing cartridge, or the removal of the developing cartridge. A transmission mechanism that moves in conjunction with a rotation operation of the dial at any one of the unlock positions to be permitted.

  In this invention, in order to specify the type of cartridge to be replaced, the lock member that prohibits or permits the removal of the cartridge can be moved in conjunction with the rotary operation of the dial, and in conjunction with the operation of this lock member. The cleaning member for cleaning the outer surface of the cartridge can also be moved to the retracted position or the cleaning position. Therefore, the cleaning member can be positioned at the prohibition / permitted position or the retreat / cleaning position together with the lock member by only operating the dial to specify the type of the cartridge to be replaced, without performing any special operation.

  As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to limit the removal and mounting of cartridges other than those specified by simply rotating the dial in order to specify the type of cartridge to be replaced. It is possible to prevent erroneous mounting that is erroneously mounted. Therefore, the cartridge replacement operation can be easily performed without requiring excessive attention and skill, and the toner replenishment operation can be completed with high reliability.

  DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, the best embodiment of the invention will be described based on the drawings. 1 to 16 are views showing a first embodiment of an image forming apparatus according to the present invention.

  In FIG. 1, an image forming apparatus is a printer that is used by connecting to an external device such as a personal computer PC for creating and outputting an image such as a character. The image forming apparatus receives image data such as a character for image formation. An image recording apparatus 10 that receives and records and forms recording paper (recording medium) on one or both sides of the recording paper (recording medium) by an electrophotographic method, and transports a plurality of stacked recording papers to the image recording apparatus 10 and records and forms images. In addition, the recording paper is transported out of the apparatus and loaded on the paper conveying apparatus 20.

  In brief, the image recording apparatus 10 is based on a laser beam scanning device 11 that scans the laser beam L based on image data, and the laser beam L emitted from the laser beam scanning device 11 and scanned, based on the image data. A photosensitive drum (carrier) 12 on which an electrostatic latent image is exposed and formed on the surface, and a charger 13 for charging the outer peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum 12 so that an electrostatic latent image can be formed by irradiation with laser light L; , Yellow (Y), cyan (C), magenta (M), and black (K) toners are accommodated, and the accommodated toners are selectively attached to develop the electrostatic latent image on the surface of the photosensitive drum 12 with toner. A developing cartridge 14 for each color (only one portion is shown), and a developing rotary unit that stores the developing cartridge 14 in an installation space 15a for each color and rotates about a rotation shaft 15b. 5, an intermediate transfer belt 16 that receives a toner image developed on the photosensitive drum 12 and forms a toner image (monochrome image or color image) that can be transferred and recorded on the recording paper, and the recording paper that has been conveyed A transfer roller 17 that transfers the toner image carried by the intermediate transfer belt 16 by being pressed (nip) so as to be sandwiched between the intermediate transfer belt 16 and conveys the recording paper to the downstream, and toner The toner image is fixed by heating and pressing the recording paper that has been transferred with the image transferred, and the fixing roller pair 18 that sandwiches and conveys the recording paper further downstream, and the photosensitive drum 12 and the intermediate transfer belt. A waste toner tank 19 that collects and stores toner remaining on the surface of the 16 by a cleaning blade 19a. There.

  As a result, the image recording apparatus 10 develops the electrostatic latent image based on the image data formed on the surface of the photosensitive drum 12 by the laser beam scanning device 11 in the development rotary unit 15 switched according to the image data. The cartridge 14 develops toner, and thereafter, the toner image on the photosensitive drum 12 is primarily transferred to the intermediate transfer belt 16 and secondarily transferred to the recording paper conveyed by the paper conveying device 20. After recording, the fixing roller pair 18 is heated and pressed to fix the image to form an image. At this time, for example, when the developing rotary unit 15 contains a developing cartridge 14 containing toner of each color of yellow (Y), cyan (C), magenta (M), and black (K), the photosensitive drum By switching the color of the toner that develops the electrostatic latent image on the image 12, the toner of each color is overlaid or selected based on the received image data, and a color image to a single color image is printed on a recording sheet. be able to. Further, when the developing rotary unit 15 contains the developing cartridge 14 containing toner of the same color, for example, black (K), in all the developing cartridges 14, the electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive drum 12. Can be used as a dedicated machine for sequentially forming and forming monochrome images on recording paper by switching the developing cartridge 14 for developing the image.

  Briefly, the paper transport device 20 is detachably set at the lower part of the main body of the device, a paper cassette 21 on which a plurality of recording papers are stacked, and a recording paper raised by a lifting plate 21a on the bottom surface of the paper cassette 21. A pickup roller 22 that pulls out the uppermost recording sheet by feeding and rotating to the bundle and feeds it to the conveyance path f, and receives the recording sheet fed by the pickup roller 22 and holds it in the downstream conveyance path f. The intermediate transfer belt 16 and the transfer roller 17 of the image recording apparatus 10 receive the recording paper in the conveyance path f conveyed by the pair of relay conveyance rollers 23a and 23b and the conveyance conveyance roller pair 23a and 23b. A pair of registration rollers 24 sandwiched and conveyed at the position, and an intermediate transfer belt from the pair of registration rollers 24 6 and the transfer roller 17 and the conveying path f passing between the fixing roller pair 18 to receive a recording sheet on which a fixed image is formed on one surface side and carry it onto a paper discharge table 29 at the upper part of the apparatus main body. A pair of paper discharge rollers 25a and 25b for paper discharge and stacking is provided. Note that the intermediate transfer belt 16 and the transfer roller 17 and the fixing roller pair 18 of the image recording apparatus also have a function of conveying a recording sheet, and thus constitute a part of the sheet conveying apparatus 20.

  As a result, the sheet conveying apparatus 20 delivers the recording sheet pulled out from the sheet cassette 21 by the pickup roller 22 to the registration roller pair 24 via the relay conveying roller pair 23a, 23b, and then the registration roller pair 24 In synchronization with the operation of the image recording apparatus 10, the intermediate transfer belt 16 and the transfer roller 17 are fed to an image recording position where the image is pressed, and the toner image on the intermediate transfer belt 16 is transferred and recorded. Then, the recording paper fixed by the fixing roller pair 18 is received by the paper discharge roller pairs 25 a and 25 b, carried out on the paper discharge table 29, discharged and stacked.

  Here, the sheet conveying device 20 is disposed in a re-conveying path r for reversing a recording sheet on which an image is formed on one side and sending it to the conveying path f on the upstream side of the registration roller pair 24 and the path r. The intermediate conveyance roller pair 27 is provided, and the intermediate conveyance roller pair 27 receives the recording sheet sent into the re-conveyance path r when the paper discharge roller pairs 25a and 25b are reversed, and is received by the registration roller pair 24. By passing, it is possible to form an image on both sides of the recording paper. In addition, the sheet conveying device 20 includes a manual feeding path m for sending a manually fed recording sheet to a conveying path f on the upstream side of the registration roller pair 24 and a manual feeding roller pair 28 disposed in the path m. The recording paper inserted into the manual feed path m is received by the pair of manual feeding rollers 28 and transferred to the registration roller pair 24, whereby an image can be formed on one side or both sides of the recording paper.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the developing cartridge 14 of the image recording apparatus 10 is a container 31 that contains toner of any one of yellow (Y), cyan (C), magenta (M), and black (K). It is designed to develop the toner by selectively attaching the accommodated toner T to the electrostatic latent image on the surface of the photosensitive drum 12 by providing the developing roller 14a and the supply roller 14b therein. A developing unit for developing toner on the electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive drum 12 and a cartridge for storing the toner in a replenishable / replaceable manner are configured. The container 31 is formed in a similar shape so as to be housed in each housing space 15 a partitioned by the partition frame 15 c of the developing rotary unit 15 and stores each color toner T. The developing roller 14a is rotatably supported on the outer peripheral side of the container 31 separated from the rotating shaft 15b of the developing rotary unit 15 by applying a developing bias voltage. The developing roller 14a is transferred from the supply roller 14b and transferred to the regulating blade 32. The toner T charged by the toner is caused to fly according to the potential of the electrostatic latent image on the surface of the photosensitive drum 12 facing the toner T and is selectively attached. The supply roller 14b is pivotally supported by the container 31 so as to be adjacent to the developing roller 14a on the rotating shaft 15b side of the developing rotary unit 15, and presses and rotates the developing roller 14a to remove the surrounding toner T. Supply. In the container 31 of the developing cartridge 14, a partition plate 33 is installed at a position adjacent to the supply roller 14b. The partition plate 33 communicates the space on the rotating shaft 15b side with the upper portion of the installation space of the supply roller 14b. Thus, the storage space for the toner T in the container 31 is partitioned.

  With this configuration, in the developing cartridge 14, the toner T in the space on the outer peripheral side of the container 31 partitioned by the partition plate 33 is supplied to the developing roller 14a in which the supply roller 14b rotates in pressure contact. Further, when the developing rotary unit 15 rotates 90 degrees counterclockwise in FIG. 1 and rotates 180 degrees, the developing cartridge 14 stores the toner T stored on the rotating shaft 15b side and the supply roller 14b side of the container 31. After being put together at the upper part of the partition plate 33 (downward in FIG. 1), the toner T contained in the container 31 is stirred and refreshed by further rotating by 90 degrees and the toner T is transferred to the developing roller 14a. Collect on the supply roller 14b side so that supply is possible. That is, in the developing cartridge 14 mounted on the developing rotary unit 15 that rotates in this way, the stored toner T is replenished while being agitated toward the supply roller 14b by the rotation. An adjusting device (so-called agitator device or auger device) for performing the operation can be omitted as appropriate. However, when the adjusting device is omitted, the developing cartridge 14 has, for example, a count value by the toner counter, the number of dots of the image, before the toner T to be supplied to the developing roller 14a disappears from the periphery of the supplying roller 14b. When the usage amount of the toner T detected by the accumulated developing operation (image formation) time, the accumulated number of developed images, or the actually measured remaining amount of the toner T exceeds a preset value, the developing rotary unit 15 is moved. The toner T needs to be replenished and agitated.

  Further, in the image recording apparatus 10, the developing rotary unit 15 is rotated and the developing roller 14a of the developing cartridge 14 is moved to the developing position P1 where the developing roller 14a faces the outer peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum 12 as shown in FIG. When the remaining amount of toner in the developing cartridge 14 is reduced by repeating the image forming operation, the toner of the type (color) that needs to be replenished (replaced) is stored. A message for requesting replacement of the developing cartridge 14 is displayed on an operation panel (not shown), and the developing rotary unit 15 rotates as shown in FIG. 14 is positioned at the uppermost replacement position (detachment position) P2. The rotation / positioning of the developing cartridge 14 to the replacement position P2 is performed in accordance with an input instruction for replacement work from the operation panel by the operator, so that the image forming process by the other developing cartridges 14 can be continued. It goes without saying that it is good.

  On the front side of the developing rotary unit 15 (on the outer side of the apparatus main body, which is the upper surface side of the paper surface of FIG. 1), an interior plate 41 (see FIG. 15) that covers the internal mechanism of the apparatus main body is disposed. The interior plate 41 is formed with an exchange port 41a that is opened in a substantially similar shape so that the development cartridge 14 that is rotated and positioned to the exchange position P2 by the development rotary unit 15 can be pulled out. Here, as will be described later, the exchange port 41a of the interior plate 41 rotates with the engaging portion 42c on the front end side of the lever member 42 disposed on the front surface side and rotating on the inner surface side. Since the lever member 43 is slidably engaged in the engagement hole 43b of the lever member 43, the upper side is widened so that the engagement portion 42c of the lever member 42 can extend from the front surface side to the inner surface side.

  Further, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the interior plate 41 has a rotation shaft 42a for pivotally supporting the lever member 42 disposed below the front-side exchange port 41a. A rotation shaft 43a that pivotally supports the lever member 43 is disposed above the exchange port 41a on the inner surface side.

  The lever member 42 moves in the direction along the front surface side of the replacement port 41a of the developing cartridge 14 by rotating about the rotation shaft 42a, and is positioned on the front surface of the replacement port 41a as shown in FIG. By doing so, as shown in FIG. 5, the developer cartridge 14 is prohibited from being pulled out, and as shown in FIG. That is, the lever member 42 constitutes a lock member.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the lever member 42 has an extension portion 42b extending to the upper side of the replacement port 41a connected to the other end portion of the main body portion located in front of the replacement port 41a of the interior plate 41. In addition, an engaging portion 42c is formed at the tip of the extension portion 42b to be bent and engaged in a hand shape of a key toward the lever member 43 inside the interior plate 41 (on the apparatus main body side). Yes.

  As shown in FIG. 8, the lever member 43 has an engagement hole 43 b that is inserted into the engagement portion 42 c of the lever member 42 so that the lever member 43 cannot be pulled out. It is formed so as to extend from the vicinity of the rotation shaft 43a at one end to the other end.

  The lever member 43 is biased so that the other end on the opposite side of the rotation shaft 43a is pulled upward by the spring 44 and is rotated upward, and slides in the extending direction within the engagement hole 43b. The engaging portion 42c of the lever member 42 is engaged with the lever member 42 so that the lever member 42 and the respective rotating shafts 42a and 43a are rotated (oscillated) relative to each other.

  Thus, when the lever member 43 is rotated clockwise and moved to the lock position on the front surface of the exchange port 41a of the interior plate 41, the lever member 43 is prevented from being pulled out. Since the engaging portion 42c of 42 slides toward the one end portion side (rotating shaft 43a) in the engaging hole 43b, it is rotated clockwise in the figure (hereinafter also simply referred to as clockwise) by the biasing force of the spring 44. Is rotated. On the other hand, the lever member 43 is rotated counterclockwise and moved from the front surface of the exchange port 41a of the interior plate 41 to the unlocked position where the lever member 43 is retracted to the outside of the peripheral edge. Is permitted, the engaging portion 42c of the lever member 42 slides counterclockwise by sliding toward the other end side (spring 44 side) in the engaging hole 43b against the urging force of the spring 44. It is rotated.

  4 and 5, the lever member 42 is formed such that the meshing teeth 42 d (shown only in FIGS. 4 and 5) rotate coaxially and integrally around the left axis of the rotation shaft 42 a. The meshing teeth 45 a formed on the outer peripheral edge of the dial 45 mesh with the meshing teeth 42 d. The engaging teeth 42d around the rotating shaft 42a of the lever member 42 may be formed in a part that makes a round, but the lever member 42 only reciprocates (rotates) as will be described later. It suffices to form the region only on the left side in the figure.

  The dial 45 has a built-in one-way clutch so that the dial 45 can be rotated only in one clockwise direction indicated by an arrow in the drawing around the rotation shaft 45b. A knob formed coaxially with the rotation shaft 45b. The part 45c can be integrally rotated by the operator picking it from the front side. The dial 45 is integrally formed with a base end portion of a central knob 45c so that a large-diameter disk portion 45d rotates integrally. A rotating shaft 42a of a lever member 42 is formed on the outer peripheral edge of the disk portion 45d. Engagement teeth 45a meshing with the surrounding engagement teeth 42d are formed.

  Further, the dial 45 is divided into four equal parts in the circumferential direction so as to be assigned to each developing cartridge 14 to be attached to the developing rotary unit 15, and yellow (Y) and cyan accommodated in the developing cartridge 14. (C), magenta (M), and black (K) toners are color-coded into corresponding color regions Ry, Rc, Rm, and Rk. The color regions Ry, Rc, Rm, and Rk are also divided into two equal parts. The meshing region R1 is formed with meshing teeth 45a meshing with the meshing teeth 42d around the rotation shaft 42a of the lever member 42, and is formed on the outer diameter of the lever member 42 side with the meshing teeth 45a removed. The function is divided into a rotation region R2 that allows the lever member 42 to rotate by releasing the engagement with the engagement teeth 42d.

  Thus, when the dial 45 is rotated clockwise as indicated by an arrow in the drawing, when the meshing tooth 45a of the meshing region R1 of the disk portion 45d meshes with the meshing tooth 42d of the lever member 42, the lever member 42 is moved to the lever member. 43, the lever member 42 can be rotated counterclockwise about the rotation shaft 42a against the urging force of the spring 44, and the lever member 42 is locked to the front surface of the exchange port 41a of the interior plate 41 (see FIG. 4). In this state, the developing cartridge 14 can be pulled out by being retracted to the unlock position (state shown in FIG. 5) outside the peripheral edge of the replacement port 41a. Further, when the dial 45 is rotated clockwise, when the dial 45 is disengaged from the meshing region R1 where the meshing tooth 45a meshes with the meshing tooth 42d of the lever member 42 to the rotation region R2 of the disk portion 45d without the meshing tooth 45a, The lever member 42 can be rotated clockwise around the rotation shaft 42 a in conjunction with the rotation of the lever member 43 by the biasing force of the spring 44, and the lever member 42 can be rotated in the exchange port 41 a of the interior plate 41. Accordingly, the developer cartridge 14 can be prohibited from being pulled out from the unlock position on the outer peripheral edge to the lock position on the front surface of the replacement port 41a. Here, the dial 45 uses the color areas Ry, Rc, Rm corresponding to the yellow (Y), cyan (C), magenta (M), and black (K) of the developing cartridge 14 in the meshing area R1 and the rotation area R2. , The engagement and release of the engagement teeth 42d and 45a of the lever member 42 and the dial 45 are repeated, and the lever member 42 is repeatedly moved to the lock position or the unlock position. .

  Further, when the lever member 42 is retracted to the unlock position on the outer peripheral edge of the replacement port 41a of the interior plate 41, the lower surface of the developing cartridge 14 into which the upper surface of the main body portion is pulled out and inserted from the replacement port 41a. It is designed to be in a posture along one surface (one surface on the center side of the developing rotary unit 15) 14c, and on the rotating shaft 42a side, the other surface on the lower surface side of the developing cartridge 14 (the developing rotary unit 15). The guide member 46 formed so as to extend along the other center surface 14d is integrally formed (continuously provided).

  As a result, when the developing cartridge 14 rotated to the replacement position P2 by the developing rotary unit 15 is pulled out from the replacement port 41a of the interior plate 41 and inserted into the lever member 42, the lower surface (one surface and the other) of the developing cartridge 14 is inserted. Surface) 14c, 14d can be supported and guided together with the guide member 46, and the developer cartridge 14 is supported so that it can be inserted and removed while being held in a stable posture.

  The lever member 43 has a cleaning pad 50 fixed below the engagement hole 43b, and the cleaning pad 50 extends to the inside of the apparatus main body while maintaining a posture parallel to the engagement hole 43b. Then, the lever member 43 is rotated (oscillated) integrally with the lever member 43. That is, the cleaning pad 50 swings together with the lever member 43 in conjunction with the rotation of the lever member 42.

  Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the cleaning pad 50 has a holder 51 fixed to a support block 47 extending from the lower side of the engagement hole 43 b of the lever member 43 to the apparatus main body side. The holder 51 is provided with a pad portion (cleaning main body portion) 52.

  The holder 51 extends in a direction parallel to the upper surface of the support block 47, whereas the support block 47 of the lever member 43 has a pair of insertion holes 47a and insertion holes 47b in parallel to the extending direction. The jaw-shaped portion 51a that is in contact with each other and the pair of differences formed in a diameter that extends in the same direction as the support block 47 (ago-shaped portion 51a) and can be inserted into the insertion hole 47a. The insertion rod 51b and a female screw hole 51c which is perforated at a position corresponding to the insertion hole 47b between the insertion rods 51b and is engraved with a female screw groove are provided. With this configuration, the holder 51 is inserted into the insertion hole 47a while the jaw-shaped portion 51a is in contact with the upper surface of the support block 47, and the male screw 51d is inserted into the insertion hole 47b. The pad portion 52 can be supported in a posture extended in the extending direction of the support block 47 by screwing (see FIGS. 4 and 5) into the female screw hole 51 c and fixing with screws.

  Since the pad 51 is formed with a recessed shape 51e on the back side of the region adjacent to the jaw-shaped portion 51a, the pad portion 52 is affixed and supported by being attached to the peripheral edge portion 51f on the tip side and both sides. As shown in FIG. 11, the pad portion 52 has a sheet member 52 a made of, for example, polyethylene terephthalate having elasticity, and the sheet member 52 a is attached to the holder 51. It is fixed and supported by being affixed to the peripheral portion 51f of the. With this configuration, when the pad portion 52 is pressed against the surface of the wiping material 52b from the surface (cloth wiping surface) side, the elastic force of the wiping material 52b and the elastic force of the sheet member 52a cause the holder 51 to move. It can be bent into the hollow shape 51e to follow the outer surface of the object to be wiped and repelled to be pressed against it, and can be slid evenly on the entire surface of the object to be wiped to perform the wiping operation evenly.

  With this configuration, when the lever member 42 moves to the lock position on the front surface of the replacement port 41a of the interior plate 41 and prohibits the withdrawal of the developing cartridge 14 as shown in FIG. 43 is pulled by the urging force of the spring 44 and rotates clockwise, whereby the upper surface of the developing cartridge 14 that is mounted in the developing rotary unit 15 and rotates from the replacement port 41a (one surface on the outer peripheral side of the developing rotary unit 15). ) Move upward to be separated from 14e. For this reason, the cleaning pad 50 moves to a retracted position away from the region where the image recording apparatus 10 operates and the developing rotary unit 15 (developing cartridge 14) rotates, and the pad portion 52 comes into contact with surrounding members. Thus, the rotating operation of the developing rotary unit 15 is not obstructed, and since it is always in pressure contact, it is not damaged early.

  On the other hand, when the lever member 42 moves to the unlocking position outside the peripheral edge of the replacement port 41a of the interior plate 41 and allows the developing cartridge 14 to be pulled out, the cleaning pad 50 is provided with a lever as shown in FIG. The member 43 is pulled by the engaging portion 42c of the lever member 42 against the urging force of the spring 44 and rotated counterclockwise, whereby the member 43 is pulled onto the upper surface 14e of the developing cartridge 14 drawn out from the replacement port 41a. The pad portion 52 is pivotally moved downward so as to be pressed. Therefore, the cleaning pad 50 can be moved to a cleaning position where the pad portion 52 is pressed against the upper surface 14e of the developing cartridge 14 drawn out from the replacement port 41a in advance, and when the developing cartridge 14 is pulled out from the developing rotary unit 15. As shown in FIG. 14, the pad portion 52 can be brought into sliding contact with the entire upper surface 14e extending in the length direction of the developing cartridge 14 to wipe off dirt and the like. At this time, since the lower surface 14c, 14d side of the developing cartridge 14 drawn out from the developing rotary unit 15 is supported and guided by the lever member 42 and the guide member 46, the pad portion 52 of the cleaning pad 50 is placed on the upper surface 14e. Since it can be stably pressed (slidably contacted), and the pad portion 52 is also deformed into the hollow shape 51e of the holder 51 so as to follow and follow the upper surface 14e of the developing cartridge 14 that moves relatively, the upper surface thereof The entire surface of 14e can be wiped cleanly. That is, the lever member 43 and the spring 44 constitute an interlocking mechanism, and the lever member 42 together with the lever member 43 constitutes a transmission mechanism.

  Further, the dial 45 is a rotation area R2 (engagement area) for each of the color areas Ry, Rc, Rm, and Rk corresponding to yellow (Y), cyan (C), magenta (M), and black (K) of the developing cartridge 14. During R1), the keys cut out so as to correspond to the key shapes 48 (see FIG. 5) formed in different positions and shapes for the colors (types) of toner contained in the developing cartridge 14 respectively. Grooves (notches) 49y, 49c, 49m, and 49k are formed. For example, in the case of the developing cartridge 14 containing cyan (c) toner shown in FIG. 5, a wide key groove 49c (see FIG. 4) is provided near the center of the rotation region R2 of the disk portion 45d of the dial 45. Is formed, allowing only the developing cartridge 14 to be inserted / removed from the replacement port 41a and prohibiting other insertion / removal. That is, the key shape 48 of the developing cartridge 14 and the key grooves 49y, 49c, 49m, and 49k of the dial 45 constitute a selection unit. Here, in the disk portion 45d of the dial 45 in the drawing, the color regions Ry, Rc, Rm, and Rk corresponding to the corresponding developing cartridge 14 are illustrated, but the color of the toner to be replaced is specified as will be described later. Since the instruction mark M is disposed on the opposite side of the replacement port 41a (developing cartridge 14) with the dial 45 interposed therebetween, the knob 45b is color-coded so as to correspond to the opposite color region.

  Thereby, for example, when the remaining amount of toner stored in the developing cartridge 14 becomes small, the developing rotary unit 15 rotates to position the developing cartridge 14 at the replacement position P2 and needs to be replaced (replenished). Since the color (type) of the stored toner is displayed on the operation panel, the indication mark on the opposite side of the dial 45 displayed on the interior plate 41 can be obtained by picking and rotating the knob 45c of the dial 45. From M, the arrow of the lock display position (shown as LOCK in the figure) matches the arrow of the corresponding unlock display position (shown as UN in the figure). Match (state of FIG. 5). At this time, the dial 45 rotates from the rotation region R1 to the meshing region R2, and the meshing teeth 45a meshes with the meshing teeth 42d of the lever member 42, so that the lever member 42 is locked to the front position of the exchange port 41a ( It can be rotated from the peripheral position to the unlocked position (state shown in FIG. 5) from the peripheral edge and held by the one-way clutch, and at the same time, the color regions Ry, Rc, Rm, Rk on the opposite side of the instruction mark M. Each key groove 49y, 49c, 49m, 49k matches the key shape 48 for each color of the toner stored in the developing cartridge 14, so that the developing cartridge 14 can be pulled out. It is possible to restrict the toner developing cartridge 14 from being attached. After this, the knob 45c of the dial 45 is picked and rotated from the meshing area R2 to the rotation area R1, and the arrow of the lock display position is aligned with the indication mark M displayed on the interior plate 41, The engagement member 42d of the lever member 42 is removed (released) from the state of engagement with the engagement tooth 45a of the dial 45, and the lever member 42 can be rotated by the urging force of the spring 44 of the lever member 43. FIG. 4 can be returned to the state shown in FIG. 4, and the lever member 42 can be held at the lock position on the front surface of the replacement port 41a to prevent the developing cartridge 14 from being pulled out.

  Here, in the present embodiment, the development rotary unit 15 is designed to be usable as a monochrome-only machine while allowing the four development cartridges 14 containing black (k) toner to be attached. The black (k) toner developing cartridge 14 is not provided with a key shape, and the dial 45 is not provided with a substantial key groove as the key groove 49k. Be able to. When used as a monochrome machine, replace it with a monochrome machine dial with no keyway so that the color dial 45 is attached as it is. Thus, it is possible to easily avoid erroneous mounting of the developing cartridge 14 that contains toner of other colors.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 15, the interior plate 41 opened by the exchange port 41a of the developing cartridge 14 is provided with an exterior cover 55 so as to be able to face, and is designed so that the exchange port 41a can be opened and closed. On the inner surface side of the exterior cover 55, a rib frame 56 projecting toward the interior plate 41 side is deformed at a position corresponding to the lever member 42 rotated to the unlock position on the outer periphery of the replacement port 41a of the interior plate 41. It is formed and fixed in an impossible box shape.

  Thus, as shown by the solid line in FIG. 16, when the lever member 42 is in the unlocked position, the rib frame 56 shown by the alternate long and short dash line in the drawing hits the lever member 42 and the developing cartridge 14 is replaced (inserted). It is possible to restrict the outer cover 55 from being closed while being removable.

  Therefore, when the developer cartridge 14 is exchanged, the exterior cover 55 is opened to open the front side of the interior plate 41, and the color of the toner contained in the developer cartridge 14 that needs to be replaced (replenished) is changed. By simply rotating the dial 45 so that the arrow of the lock display position is at the position of the indication mark M, the lever member 42 is retracted from the front surface (lock position) of the interior plate 41 to the outer periphery (unlock position). Thus, the developing cartridge 14 positioned by being rotated to the replacement position P2 by the developing rotary unit 15 can be inserted and removed, and at the same time, the lever member 43 is placed on the upper surface 14e of the developing cartridge 14 at the replacement position P2 on the cleaning pad 50. The pad portion 52 can be wiped off by pressure contact and sliding contact. Therefore, at the same time that the developing cartridge 14 is pulled out from the replacement port 41a, the upper surface 14e, which is located near the area where the electrostatic latent image on the surface of the photosensitive drum 12 is developed, is easily cleaned, and the work is performed. Even if a person touches it, it can be prevented from getting dirty.

  Thereafter, after the developing cartridge 14 containing the color toner to be replenished in the developing rotary unit 15 is inserted into the keyhole 49 of the dial 45 from the replacement port 41a of the interior plate 41 without being obstructed, the lock display position is set. The lever member 42 is moved from the outer peripheral edge (unlock position) of the replacement port 41a of the interior plate 41 to the front surface (lock position) by simply rotating the dial 45 so that the arrow of the mark is at the position of the instruction mark M. The replacement operation of the cartridge 14 is prohibited, and at the same time, the lever member 43 is rotated in a direction to separate from the upper surface 14e of the developing cartridge 14 at the replacement position P2 so that the pad portion 52 of the cleaning pad 50 is separated. In this state, the rib frame 56 of the exterior cover 55 hits the lever member 42. Can closes the front side of the interior plate 41 without having to complete the replacement of the developing cartridge 14.

  As described above, in this embodiment, by rotating the dial 45 so as to match the color of the toner stored in the developing cartridge 14 to be replaced (specify the color), the lever member 42 is rotated forward and backward to develop. The insertion / removal of the cartridge 14 is prohibited / permitted, and only the mounting of the developing cartridge 14 having the same stored toner can be permitted. The developing cartridge 14 is pulled out by mistake, or the developing cartridge 14 of stored toner of a different color. Can be prevented from being accidentally mounted. Further, the cleaning pad 50 comes into pressure contact with the upper surface 14e in conjunction with the replacement operation of the developing cartridge 14, so that it can be wiped by sliding simultaneously with the withdrawal of the developing cartridge 14, and the upper surface 14e of the removed developing cartridge 14 can be wiped. It is possible to avoid contamination by the adhered toner or the like. Accordingly, the developer cartridge 14 can be replaced easily and reliably without requiring excessive attention and skill, and the operator and documents are not soiled by the dirt of the removed developer cartridge 14. The replenishment operation of the toner can be completed with high reliability.

  Next, FIGS. 17 to 19 are views showing a second embodiment of the image forming apparatus according to the present invention. Here, in this embodiment, since it is comprised substantially the same as the above-mentioned embodiment, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to the same structure and a characteristic part is demonstrated.

  In FIG. 17, in the image recording apparatus 10 of the image forming apparatus, a protrusion 61 protrudes in the engagement hole 43 b of the lever member 43 that supports the cleaning pad 50 so that the protrusion 61 can swing. The sliding of the engagement portion 42c on the distal end side of the lever member 42 engaged in the engagement hole 43b is limited at a preset timing (posture).

  Specifically, the protrusion 61 of the lever member 43 is an elastic piece produced by opening on the upper wall surface of the engagement hole 43b at a location approaching the rotation shaft 43a and notching parallel to the extending direction. The tip of the shape 62 is formed so as to protrude into the engagement hole 43b, and is adjacent to the engagement portion 42c of the lever member 42 located at the end of the engagement hole 43b on the rotating shaft 43a side. It is set to protrude at the position.

  Further, as shown in FIGS. 18 and 19, the lever member 43 has a spring 64 that urges the lever member 43 to rotate downward, instead of the pulling type spring 44 of the above-described embodiment. It is attached to the opposite side of the rotating shaft 43a.

  Here, in the present embodiment, the protrusion 61 is disposed in the engagement hole 43b of the lever member 43, and the spring 64 that biases in the opposite direction is installed in place of the spring 44, thereby implementing the above-described implementation. The dial 45 in the form is omitted.

  Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 18, the lever member 42 is directly rotated clockwise, for example, by being gripped after the development cartridge 14 is replaced, thereby locking the front surface of the replacement port 41a of the interior plate 41. The lever member 43 can resist the urging force of the spring 64 by the engaging portion 42c of the lever member 42 that engages in the engaging hole 43b. Thus, the engaging portion 42c of the lever member 42 is positioned at a position beyond the protrusion 61 in the engaging hole 43b. In this state, the lever member 43 has a protrusion 61 that projects into the engagement hole 43b when the engagement portion 42c of the lever member 42 slides in the direction away from the rotation shaft 43a (rotates downward). The lever member 42 is held at the lock position on the front surface of the exchange port 41a of the interior plate 41, and the state in which the developing cartridge 14 is prohibited from being pulled out can be maintained. At this time, the cleaning pad 50 supported by the lever member 43 maintains a posture rotated in a direction away from the upper surface 14 e of the developing cartridge 14.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 19, the lever member 42 is directly rotated counterclockwise, for example, by being gripped when the developing cartridge 14 is replaced, so that the engaging portion 42c on the distal end side is moved to the lever. When the protrusion 61 in the engagement hole 43b of the member 43 is pushed up and released, the lever member 43 is rotated counterclockwise with the downward rotation of the lever member 43 by the biasing force of the spring 64, The developing cartridge 14 can be allowed to be pulled out by being moved to the unlock position outside the peripheral edge of the exchange port 41 a of the interior plate 41. In this state, the lever member 43 remains pivoted downward by the urging force of the spring 64, and the engaging portion 42c of the lever member 42 is slid to the opposite side of the pivot shaft 43a (projection 61). In this state, the developing cartridge 14 is allowed to be pulled out. At this time, the cleaning pad 50 supported by the lever member 43 is rotated toward the upper surface 14e of the developing cartridge 14, and is pressed against (sliding) the upper surface 14e of the developing cartridge 14 that is pulled out from the replacement port 41a of the interior plate 41. Contact) and can be wiped off.

  As described above, in this embodiment, even if the configuration without the dial 45 is adopted, the operational effects of the above-described embodiment can be obtained in the same manner, and the lever member 42 is rotated forward and backward to insert the developing cartridge 14. It is possible to prohibit / permit removal and to wipe the upper surface 14e of the developing cartridge 14 in conjunction with the replacement work. Accordingly, the developer cartridge 14 can be replaced easily and reliably without requiring excessive attention and skill, and the operator and documents are not soiled by the dirt of the removed developer cartridge 14. The replenishment operation of the toner can be completed with high reliability.

  Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described so far, it is needless to say that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and may be implemented in various forms within the scope of the technical idea. For example, in the above-described embodiment, the case where the developing rotary unit 15 is provided will be described as an example. However, the present invention is not limited to this. In the case where one developing cartridge is installed or the developing cartridge is arranged in series. Can also be applied. Further, the present invention is not limited to the configuration in which the container (cartridge) for storing the toner and the developing device are replaced as a unit, and may be applied to the case where only the container for storing the toner is configured to be replaceable as a cartridge. Needless to say.

1 is a perspective front view illustrating a schematic basic configuration of an image forming apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view showing an internal configuration of the developing cartridge. 4A and 4B are diagrams showing the position of the developing cartridge, in which FIG. 4A is a conceptual front view showing a relative position during operation, and FIG. 4B is a conceptual front view showing a relative position during replacement. FIG. 6 is a front view showing a state when the developing cartridge is locked. FIG. 6 is a front view showing a state when the developing cartridge is unlocked. It is a figure which shows the structure of the one component, (a) is the front view, (b) is the top view, (c) is the AA cross-sectional arrow view. It is a figure which shows the principal part structure of the one component of the FIG. 6, and is the BB cross-sectional arrow view in the FIG. 6 (a). It is a figure which shows the structure of the one component, (a) is the front view, (b) is the top view, (c) is the side view seen from the extension direction. It is a perspective view which shows the whole structure of the one component. It is a figure which shows the structure of one component shown in the FIG. 10, (a) is the front view, (b) is the top view, (c) is the side view seen from the extension direction front end side. It is a figure which shows the principal part structure of the one component of the FIG. 10, and is the BB cross-sectional arrow view in the FIG. FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a state of the cleaning pad when the developing cartridge is locked. FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a state of the cleaning pad when the developing cartridge is unlocked. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an appearance of the developing cartridge. FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing an exterior cover that opens and closes an exchange port of the developing cartridge. It is a conceptual diagram explaining opening and closing of the exterior cover. It is a figure which shows the structure of one part of 2nd Embodiment of the image forming apparatus which concerns on this invention, (a) is the front view, (b) is the top view, (c) is seen from the extension direction. It is a side view. FIG. 6 is a front view showing a state when the developing cartridge is locked. FIG. 6 is a front view showing a state when the developing cartridge is unlocked.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Image recording device 11 ... Laser beam scanning device 12 ... Photosensitive drum 14 ... Developing cartridge 14a ... Developing roller 14b ... Supply roller 14c, 14d ... Lower surface 14e ... Upper surface 15 ... Developing rotary unit 16 …… Intermediate transfer belt 17 …… Transfer roller 18 …… Fixing roller pair 20 …… Paper transport device 21 …… Paper cassette 24 …… Registration roller pair 29 …… Discharge table 31 …… Container 32 …… Regulating blade 33 …… Partition plate 41 …… Interior plate 41a …… Exchange port 42, 43 …… Lever member 42a, 43a …… Rotating shaft 42b …… Extension part 42d, 45a …… Matching tooth 42c …… Engagement part 43b …… Engagement holes 44, 64 …… Spring 45 …… Dial 45b …… Rotating shaft 45d …… Disk part 45c …… Pinch part 46 …… Guide member 7 …… Support block 48 …… Key shape 49y, 49c, 49m, 49k …… Key groove 50 …… Cleaning pad 51 …… Holder 51e …… Depression shape 51f …… Peripheral part 52 …… Pad part 52a …… Sheet member 52b …… Wipe material 55 …… Exterior cover 56 …… Rib frame 61 …… Protrusion 62 …… Elastic piece shape 64 …… Spring M …… Indicating mark P1 …… Developing position P2 …… Replacement position R1 …… Mating area R2 ... Rotation area Ry, Rc, Rm, Rk ... Color area T ... Toner

Claims (5)

A carrier that carries a toner image obtained by developing an electrostatic latent image based on image data; a developer that forms a toner image by attaching toner to the electrostatic latent image on the surface of the carrier; A cartridge which is constructed so as to be detachable from the apparatus main body integrally or separately from the apparatus and which contains toner used by the developing device, and transfers the toner image on the surface of the carrier onto the recording medium to fix the image. An image forming apparatus for forming
Each color toner that forms a color image has a developing device and a cartridge, and the developing device and the cartridge are rotated to a developing position for developing the electrostatic latent image on the surface of the carrier and a detachable position that allows detachment. A rotary unit that is sequentially positioned and a dial that is rotated to specify the type of cartridge to be attached to and detached from the rotary unit are provided.
2. An image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the dial is provided with selection means for allowing only the developing cartridge of the specified color to be attached or detached.   2. The selection means is characterized in that a notch portion formed so as to correspond to a shape unique to the cartridge for each color and allowing passage of the shape is switchable by a dial rotation operation. The image forming apparatus described in 1.   As the dial, a color dial provided with a color selection unit that allows a cartridge containing each color toner capable of forming a color image to be attached to and detached from a specific portion of the rotary unit, and a plurality of cartridges containing the same color are rotary. 3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image forming apparatus is designed to be capable of being mounted with a monochrome dial provided with a single color selection unit that is allowed to be attached to and detached from the unit.   4. A cleaning member which is disposed at a position adjacent to the outer surface of the cartridge taken out from the rotary unit and which cleans the outer surface by sliding on the outer surface of the developing cartridge when being taken out. The image forming apparatus according to any one of the above. A locking member that prohibits removal of the cartridge, an interlocking mechanism that moves the cleaning member to a cleaning position that presses against the outer surface of the cartridge in conjunction with an operation of the locking member, or a retracting position that is separated from the outer surface; A transmission mechanism for transmitting the force and moving the lock member to one of a locked position for prohibiting the removal of the developing cartridge and an unlocking position for permitting the removal of the developing cartridge in conjunction with the rotation operation of the dial; The image forming apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising:

Images