JP2007334080A - Assembly adjusting method for color image forming apparatus and color image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an assembly adjusting method for a color image forming apparatus in which inexpensive and stable skew correction is performed by varying the shaft height of a photoreceptor, and a color image forming apparatus. <P>SOLUTION: The color image forming apparatus is constituted so that an angle at which a light beam L radiated from a writing unit 4 is made incident on the photoreceptor drum 3 may be 3 to 15° to a perpendicular direction and the height in the perpendicular direction of both ends of the shaft 3a of the photoreceptor drum 3 can be optionally increased/decreased. The height B of the shaft 3a of the photoreceptor drum 3 from a frame 12 on an apparatus main body side is adjusted according to the screwing amount of an adjusting screw 13 attached to the frame 12. The irradiation position on the photoreceptor drum 3 with the light beam L is varied. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a color image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, a printer, a facsimile machine, and a multifunction machine (MFP) thereof, and an assembly adjustment method thereof.

  A plurality of photoconductors are provided, and a plurality of light beams are scanned on the corresponding photoconductors by a scanning device to form images of the respective colors on the photoconductors. An image forming apparatus that forms an image on the intermediate transfer belt by sequentially transferring the images so as to overlap each other on the intermediate transfer belt, transfers the image transferred on the intermediate transfer belt to a recording paper, and forms an image; In the assembly adjustment method, each color on the image is adjusted by adjusting a folding mirror that has been conventionally arranged in a scanning optical device that irradiates a plurality of light beams, and adjusting the inclination of the plurality of light beams. The image was adjusted to obtain a good image. For this reason, the number of adjustment mechanism parts is increased, and the cost is high, and a solution has been desired. There has also been a demand for a color image forming apparatus that can shorten the adjustment time and perform readjustment, and an assembly adjustment method thereof.

JP 2002-244387 A JP 2001-265090 A JP 2003-205649 A

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above-described conventional problems. An assembly adjustment method for a color image forming apparatus that can perform stable skew correction at low cost by changing the photosensitive member shaft height, and color An object is to provide an image forming apparatus.

  The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus in which a plurality of image forming units are juxtaposed and an image formed by each image forming unit is sequentially superimposed and transferred onto a recording sheet to form a color image, and in particular, an intermediate transfer belt of the color image forming apparatus. The present invention relates to a registration adjustment mechanism for adjusting the inclination of the upper scanning line, and an assembly adjustment method for a color image forming apparatus according to claim 1 of the present invention includes a plurality of photoconductors and a plurality of light beams. Each of the plurality of images formed on the intermediate transfer belt so as to overlap each other on the intermediate transfer belt. In the method of assembling and adjusting an image forming apparatus, an image is formed on the intermediate transfer belt by sequentially transferring the images, and the image transferred on the intermediate transfer belt is transferred to a recording sheet to form an image. In addition to having a member that supports the photosensitive member axis in the horizontal and vertical directions, the light beam is incident on the photosensitive member at an angle of 3 to 15 ° with respect to the vertical direction, and the photosensitive member is It is characterized in that the relative inclination of the light beam on the photoconductor is corrected by configuring the vertical height of both ends of the body axis to be arbitrarily variable.

  According to the second aspect of the present invention, in the assembly adjustment method of the color image forming apparatus according to the first aspect, a height of the shaft of the photosensitive member is set such that a spacer having an arbitrary thickness is provided on a frame supporting the shaft. The height in the vertical direction can be varied on the left and right by pasting.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the method of assembling and adjusting a color image forming apparatus according to the first aspect, a helical gear is used as a gear for driving the photosensitive member, and the photosensitive member is driven when a driving force is applied to the photosensitive member. The body shaft is biased so as to be pressed against the frame side surface of the image forming apparatus main body, and the both ends of the frame supporting the photosensitive member shaft in the vertical direction are lowered by a predetermined amount so as to be lowered inward in the axial direction of the photosensitive member. When a driving force is applied to the helical gear that drives the photoconductor, the shaft of the photoconductor is moved along the inclined surface of the frame, and the end of the shaft of the photoconductor contacts the frame. The height in the vertical direction of the shaft of the photoconductor can be arbitrarily varied by changing the contact position between the shaft of the photoconductor and the inclined surface of the frame by attaching a spacer of an arbitrary thickness at the position. Characterize

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the method for adjusting an assembly of a color image forming apparatus according to the third aspect, the adjustment is provided on the frame without attaching a spacer to the end surface of the shaft of the photoreceptor and the contact portion of the frame. By rotating the screw, the contact position of the shaft of the photoconductor and the adjustment screw is changed, the contact position of the shaft of the photoconductor and the inclined surface of the frame is varied, and the vertical height of the photoconductor shaft is changed. Is arbitrarily variable.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a color image forming apparatus that scans a plurality of photoconductors and a plurality of light beams on the corresponding photoconductors to form an image for each color on the photoconductor. A plurality of images formed on the photosensitive member in order to transfer the plurality of images sequentially on the intermediate transfer belt, thereby forming an image on the intermediate transfer belt. In an image forming apparatus for transferring an image transferred on a belt to a recording sheet to form an image, a support device for supporting the axis of the photosensitive member in a horizontal and vertical direction, and an angle at which the light beam is incident on the photosensitive member. An incident angle defining device configured to be incident at an angle of 3 to 15 ° with respect to the vertical direction, and a position defining device capable of arbitrarily varying the vertical height of both ends of the shaft of the photosensitive member, Of the light beam on the photoreceptor Characterized by comprising as a possible corrected to slope.

  According to Claim 6, in the color image forming apparatus according to Claim 5, the position defining device attaches a spacer having an arbitrary thickness to a frame that supports the shaft of the photosensitive member. The height of the left and right of is variable.

  According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, in the color image forming apparatus according to the fifth aspect, a helical gear is used as a gear for driving the photoconductor, and the shaft of the photoconductor is rotated when a driving force is applied to the photoconductor. A device for biasing to press against the side of the frame; and both ends of the frame supporting the photosensitive member shaft in the vertical direction are inclined by a predetermined amount so as to be lowered inward in the axial direction of the photosensitive member; When a driving force is applied to the helical gear that drives the body, the shaft of the photoconductor moves along the inclined surface of the frame, and the end of the shaft of the photoconductor is attached to a position where it contacts the frame. The contact position between the photosensitive member axis and the inclined surface of the frame is changed by a spacer having a thickness, and the vertical height of the photosensitive member axis can be arbitrarily varied. To do.

  According to the eighth aspect of the present invention, in the large image forming apparatus according to the seventh aspect, an adjustment screw is provided on the frame without attaching a spacer to the end surface of the shaft of the photoconductor and the contact portion of the frame, and the adjustment is performed. By rotating a screw, the contact position between the shaft of the photoconductor and the adjusting screw is changed, and the contact position between the shaft of the photoconductor and the inclined surface of the frame is changed, and the vertical height of the shaft of the photoconductor is changed. Is configured to be arbitrarily variable.

  In the present invention, the skew correction can be performed by changing the photosensitive member shaft height, and the inexpensive and stable skew correction can be performed. In the adjustment of the mirror and the like, the mirror position may move due to vibration. Since the height is changed by sticking or the like, there is an effect that the structure can be strong against changes due to vibration.

  The best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described below with reference to the embodiments shown in the drawings.

  FIG. 1 shows a cross-sectional view of an example of a color image forming apparatus that is an object of the present invention. The apparatus of this example is a color printer. In general, an electrophotographic color image forming apparatus of this type has a plurality of image forming units 1... Various methods for transferring a color image via the intermediate transfer belt 2 have been proposed. However, since the plurality of image forming units 1 are provided, the inclinations of the plurality of light beams L from the plurality of photosensitive drums 3 and the writing units 4 using the lasers respectively included in the respective image forming units 1 due to mechanical accuracy or the like. May occur separately, and when the images are superimposed, the inclinations do not match and color misregistration occurs. In particular, on the side of the color image forming apparatus main body 5 having the plurality of image forming units 1 (image forming stations) having the writing unit 4 and the photosensitive drum 3 and the intermediate transfer belt 2, a plurality of lights emitted from the writing unit 4 are used. If the inclination of the beam L varies, and the parallelism of the irradiated photosensitive drum 3 is poor and there is an inclination, the inclination of the scanning line of each color superimposed on the intermediate transfer belt 3 does not appear, and the position is partially adjusted. Can be made, but in most other parts it cannot be aligned. In particular, if the inclinations of the photosensitive drums 3 of the respective colors are different, they are inclined when the image is written from the writing unit 4 to the photosensitive drum 3 and are further deteriorated when the image is moved from the photosensitive drum 3 to the intermediate transfer belt 2. Since this occurs, the inclination of the scanning line becomes twice worse. In the present invention, the inclination of the photosensitive drum 3 is easily adjusted at low cost.

  Normally, it is desirable to correct the inclination by inclining the parallelism of the photosensitive drum 3 in the horizontal direction, but in this case, the sensitivity may be too high. In other words, when adjustment is performed with the parallelism in the horizontal direction, for example, in order to adjust the inclination of 40 μm, it is necessary to adjust 20 μm only on one side of the shaft of the photosensitive drum 3. It is difficult in reality. Therefore, in the present invention, the correction method is such that the sensitivity can be reduced and adjustment can be easily performed in place of correction of several tens of μm with the adjustment every several hundred μm as the inclination.

  In FIG. 1, 6 is a fixing unit, 7 is a paper feed cassette, 8 is a paper feed roller, 9 is a transfer belt driving roller, 10 is a primary transfer roller, and 11 is a color matching sensor.

  First, the first embodiment will be described. FIG. 2 (A, B) is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the main part showing Embodiment 1 of the present invention. As shown in the figure, this embodiment shows the arrangement of the light beam L emitted from the writing unit 4 and the photosensitive drum 3, and the light beam L emitted from the writing unit 4 is incident on the photosensitive drum 3. The angle is configured to be incident at an angle of 3 to 15 ° with respect to the vertical direction, and the vertical height of both ends of the shaft 3a of the photosensitive drum 3 can be arbitrarily increased or decreased. Specifically, as shown in the figure, the height B of the shaft 3a of the photosensitive drum 3 from the frame 12 can be adjusted by the screwing amount of the adjusting screw 13 attached to the frame 12 on the apparatus main body side. With this configuration, the irradiation position of the light beam L on the photosensitive drum 3 can be changed. In the figure, reference numeral 14 denotes a horizontal positioning member of the photosensitive drum 3.

  In FIG. 2A, the shaft 3a of the photosensitive drum 3 is in contact with the frame 12, but in FIG. 2B, the shaft 3a of the photosensitive drum 3 is the adjustment screw 13 protruding from the frame 12. The height of the shaft 3 a of the photosensitive drum 3 is varied by the height B from the adjustment screw 13 and the frame 12.

  Next, a second embodiment will be described. FIGS. 3A and 3B are enlarged cross-sectional views of the main part showing Embodiment 2 of the present invention. As shown in the drawing, in this embodiment, an inclined spacer 15 is disposed between the shaft 3a of the photosensitive drum 3 and the frame 12, and the position of the inclined spacer 15 is adjusted in the horizontal direction by the adjusting screw 13, whereby the shaft of the photosensitive drum 3 is arranged. The height of the inclined spacer 15 sandwiched between 3a and the frame 12 is varied, and thereby the height of the shaft 3a of the photosensitive drum 3 is adjusted.

  Next, a third embodiment will be described. 4A and 4B are enlarged cross-sectional views of the main part showing Embodiment 3 of the present invention. As shown in the figure, in this embodiment, the height of the shaft 3 a of the photosensitive drum 3 is adjusted by the spacer 16 attached to the frame 12. In FIG. 4A, the shaft 3a of the photosensitive drum 3 is positioned on the frame 12, but in FIG. 4B, the shaft 3a of the photosensitive drum 3 is positioned on the spacer 16 attached to the frame 12. The position of the shaft 3a is raised upward by the amount of the spacer 16. As a result, the irradiation position of the light beam L on the photosensitive drum 3 moves to the left in FIG. 4B. In other words, it rotates counterclockwise around the photosensitive drum 3 in the drawing.

  In this way, a predetermined inclination can be obtained by adjusting the height of the spacers 16 inserted at both ends of the photosensitive drum 3 in accordance with the inclination of the light beam L that is a scanning line. This is because the light beam L is irradiated at a predetermined angle with respect to the vertical movement of the photosensitive drum 3, but the incidence of the light beam L with respect to the adjustment direction of the position of the photosensitive drum 3. If the angle is too large, the movement amount with respect to the adjustment amount becomes too large. If the angle is in the range of 3 to 15 °, an adjustment of about 10 μm to 80 μm is possible by adjusting the height of 0.2 mm. As described above, by finely adjusting the height of the shaft 3a of the photosensitive drum 3, the inclination can be easily adjusted.

  Next, a fourth embodiment will be described. FIG. 5 is a side view showing Embodiment 4 of the present invention. Although not shown in the figure, a helical gear is used as a gear for rotationally driving the photosensitive drum 3, and when driven, the shaft 3 a of the photosensitive drum 3 is biased so as to press against the side surface of the frame 12 ( For example, in the direction of arrow A in FIG. 5), a predetermined amount of inclined surface 12 a is provided so that both ends of the frame 12 that supports the shaft 3 a of the photosensitive drum 3 in the vertical direction are lowered inward in the direction of the shaft 3 a of the photosensitive drum 3. When the helical gear that forms and drives the photosensitive drum 3 is driven, the shaft 3a of the photosensitive drum 3 moves along the inclined surface 12a of the frame 12, and the end of the shaft 3a of the photosensitive drum 3 is the frame. A spacer 17 having an arbitrary thickness is attached to a position in contact with the surface of 12 to change the contact position of the shaft 3a of the photosensitive drum 3 and the inclined surface 12a of the frame 12, and thereby the shaft 3a of the photosensitive drum 3 is changed. of The height of the straight direction configured to arbitrarily and variably be, and can be adjusted to tilt by changing the height of the spacer 17 pasted on the side surface of the frame 12 by this. In this example, since the inclined surface 12a of the frame 12 is used, the adjustment amount is adjusted according to the performance of the image forming apparatus main body (the amount of inclination necessary for adjustment) by adjusting the inclination of the inclined surface 12a. Will be able to be set.

  Next, a fifth embodiment will be described. FIG. 6 is a side view showing Embodiment 5 of the present invention. Also in this embodiment, by using the inclined surface 12a of the frame 12, the adjustment amount is set to an adjustment amount that matches the performance of the image forming apparatus main body (the amount of inclination necessary for adjustment) by adjusting the inclination of the inclined surface 12a. However, instead of attaching a spacer to the contact portion between the end surface of the shaft 3a of the photosensitive drum 3 and the frame 12, the adjusting drum 18 provided on the frame 12 is rotated to rotate the photosensitive drum. 3, the contact position between the shaft 3 a and the adjusting screw 18 is changed, whereby the contact position between the shaft 3 a and the inclined surface 12 a of the frame 12 is changed, and the vertical height of the shaft 3 a of the photosensitive drum 3 is arbitrarily changed. It is configured so that the tilt can be adjusted more easily.

  That is, in each of the above-described embodiments, skew correction can be performed by changing the axial height of the photosensitive member, and inexpensive and stable skew correction can be performed. In mirror adjustment and the like, there is a possibility that the mirror position may be moved by vibration. However, if the height is changed by attaching a spacer or the like, the structure can be made resistant to changes due to vibration. Further, by using an inexpensive spacer, the space required for height adjustment can be minimized and the cost can be suppressed.

Sectional drawing of an example of the color image forming apparatus used as the implementation object of this invention The principal part expanded sectional view which shows Example 1 of this invention The principal part expanded sectional view which shows Example 2 of this invention The principal part expanded sectional view which shows Example 3 of this invention Side view showing Embodiment 4 of the present invention Side view showing Embodiment 5 of the present invention

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Image formation part 2 Intermediate transfer belt 3 Photosensitive drum 3a Photosensitive drum axis | shaft 4 Writing unit 5 Color image forming apparatus main body 6 Fixing unit 7 Paper feed cassette 8 Paper feed roller 9 Transfer belt drive roller 10 Primary transfer roller 11 Color matching Sensor 12 Frame on the apparatus body side 12a Inclined surface of the frame 13 Adjustment screw 14 Positioning member in the horizontal direction of the photosensitive drum 15 Inclined spacer 16 Spacer 17 Spacer 18 Adjustment screw L Light beam

Claims (8)

A plurality of photoconductors, and a scanning device that scans a plurality of light beams on the corresponding photoconductors to form an image of each color on the photoconductor, and is formed on the photoconductor By sequentially transferring the plurality of images so that the plurality of images overlap on the intermediate transfer belt, an image is formed on the intermediate transfer belt, and the image transferred on the intermediate transfer belt is transferred to a recording sheet. In the assembling and adjusting method of the image forming apparatus for forming an image, the image forming apparatus includes a member that supports the photosensitive member axis in a horizontal and vertical direction, and an angle of the light beam incident on the photosensitive member is 3 to 15 degrees with respect to the vertical direction. It is possible to correct the relative inclination of the light beam on the photoconductor by making it incident at an angle and making the vertical height of both ends of the shaft of the photoconductor arbitrarily variable. Special Assembling adjustment method of the color image forming apparatus according to. 2. The method of assembling and adjusting a color image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a height of the shaft of the photosensitive member is set to a vertical height by attaching a spacer having an arbitrary thickness to a frame supporting the shaft. A method for assembling and adjusting a color image forming apparatus, characterized in that the height is variable. 2. A method of assembling and adjusting a color image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a helical gear is used as a gear for driving the photoconductor, and when a driving force is applied to the photoconductor, the shaft of the photoconductor is connected to the image forming apparatus main body. The two sides of the frame that support the photoconductor shaft in the vertical direction are tilted by a predetermined amount so as to be pressed against the side surface of the frame, and the photoconductor is driven by inclining a predetermined amount so as to be lowered inward in the axial direction of the photoconductor. When a driving force is applied to the helical gear, the shaft of the photoconductor is moved along the inclined surface of the frame, and a spacer having an arbitrary thickness is placed at a position where the end of the shaft of the photoconductor contacts the frame. An assembly of a color image forming apparatus, wherein the height in the vertical direction of the axis of the photoconductor is arbitrarily changed by changing the contact position between the axis of the photoconductor and the inclined surface of the frame by pasting Adjustment method. 4. The method of assembling and adjusting a color image forming apparatus according to claim 3, wherein an adjustment screw provided on the frame is rotated without attaching a spacer to an end surface of the shaft of the photoconductor and a contact portion of the frame. A contact position between the body axis and the adjusting screw is changed, a contact position between the photosensitive body axis and the inclined surface of the frame is changed, and a vertical height of the photosensitive body axis is arbitrarily changed. Assembling and adjusting method of color image forming apparatus. A plurality of photoconductors, and a scanning device that scans a plurality of light beams on the corresponding photoconductors to form an image for each color on the photoconductors. The plurality of images are sequentially transferred so that the images on the intermediate transfer belt overlap with each other, thereby forming an image on the intermediate transfer belt, and transferring the image transferred on the intermediate transfer belt onto a recording sheet. In the image forming apparatus to be formed, a support device for supporting the axis of the photoconductor in the horizontal and vertical directions, and an angle of incidence of the light beam on the photoconductor so as to be 3 to 15 ° with respect to the vertical direction. And an angle-of-incident defining device configured as described above, and a position defining device that arbitrarily varies the height in the vertical direction of both ends of the shaft of the photoconductor so that the relative inclination of the light beam on the photoconductor can be corrected. It is characterized by Color image forming apparatus. 6. The color image forming apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the position defining device is configured to vary a left and right height of the shaft by attaching a spacer having an arbitrary thickness to a frame that supports the shaft of the photoconductor. A color image forming apparatus. 6. The color image forming apparatus according to claim 5, wherein a helical gear is used as a gear for driving the photosensitive member, and when the driving force is applied to the photosensitive member, the shaft of the photosensitive member is pressed against the side surface of the frame. And both ends of a frame that supports the shaft of the photosensitive member in the vertical direction are inclined by a predetermined amount so as to be lowered inward in the axial direction of the photosensitive member, and a driving force is applied to a helical gear that drives the photosensitive member. The photosensitive member shaft moves along the inclined surface of the frame, and the photosensitive member is moved by the spacer having an arbitrary thickness pasted at a position where the end portion of the photosensitive member shaft contacts the frame. A color image forming apparatus configured to change the vertical position of the axis of the photosensitive member by changing the contact position of the axis of the frame and the inclined surface of the frame. 8. The image forming apparatus according to claim 7, wherein an adjustment screw is provided on the frame without attaching a spacer to an end surface of the shaft of the photoconductor and a contact portion of the frame, and the photoconductor is rotated by rotating the adjustment screw. The contact position between the shaft of the photoconductor and the adjusting screw is changed, the contact position between the shaft of the photoconductor and the inclined surface of the frame is varied, and the vertical height of the shaft of the photoconductor can be arbitrarily varied. A color image forming apparatus comprising: