JP2008018685A - Image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To improve the cleaning effect in an image forming apparatus equipped with a cleaning mechanism for an LED head. <P>SOLUTION: A slide member 51 to which the LED head is attached is moved between an adjacent position where the LED head is made adjacent to a photosensitive drum and an isolate position where the LED head is isolated from the photosensitive drum, by a mechanism using a rack 59 and a pinion. A rotating arm 81 is set to freely rotate about an axis parallel to the longitudinal direction of the LED head and to freely move parallel along the axis. The rotating arm 81 is equipped with a brush 85 for cleaning of the LED head, an urging spring 84 which urges the brush 85 towards the LED head at the isolate position, and a contact surface 89 capable of contacting the slide member 51. When the slide member 51 is present at the adjacent position, the contact surface 89 contacts the slide member 51 and resists an urging force of the urging spring 84, thereby preventing contact to the slide member 51 of the brush 85. A top land of the rack 59 is arranged even with a surface of the slide member 51. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a configuration of an image forming apparatus such as a printer, a facsimile, or a copier that forms an image such as characters and graphics on a sheet as a recording medium.

  Patent Document 1 has a photosensitive drum, a process unit provided so as to be able to be inserted into and removed from the apparatus main body, an LED head that exposes the photosensitive drum, a support portion that supports the LED head, and a rack gear. A support member provided to be movable in parallel between a proximity position in which the LED head is close to the photosensitive drum and a separation position in which the LED head is separated from the photosensitive drum; a pinion gear meshing with the rack gear; and the pinion gear And an operation member having an operation unit for rotating the image forming apparatus.

In the configuration of Patent Document 1, a protective member that protects the LED head is swingably provided, and a brush is provided on the protective member. Then, as the support member moves to the retracted position, the toner or the like adhering to the LED head is cleaned by swinging with respect to the LED head when the protection member swings.
JP 2006-56065 A

  However, in the configuration of Patent Document 1 described above, since the brush is formed so as to substantially cover the length of the LED head, the brush may be unevenly contacted with the LED head, resulting in uneven cleaning. It was. Therefore, there remains room for improvement from the viewpoint of more effectively cleaning the LED head.

Means and effects for solving the problems

  The problems to be solved by the present invention are as described above. Next, means for solving the problems and the effects thereof will be described.

  According to an aspect of the present invention, an image forming apparatus having the following configuration is provided. That is, between the LED head that forms an electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive drum, the LED head is attached, and the proximity position where the LED head is close to the photosensitive drum and the separation position where the LED head is separated from the photosensitive drum. A movable slide member, a rack provided on the slide member, a pinion gear meshing with the rack, and rotatable about an axis parallel to the longitudinal direction of the LED head and parallelly movable along the axis. A cleaning arm provided; and an urging member that urges the cleaning arm to approach the LED head at the separated position. The cleaning arm includes a cleaning body for contacting and cleaning the LED head, and a sliding surface capable of sliding while contacting the slide member. When the slide member is in the proximity position, the cleaning member is separated from the slide member against the biasing force of the biasing member by contacting the surface of the slide member and the sliding surface. Configure as follows. The tooth tip surface of the rack is disposed on the same surface as the surface of the slide member or at a position recessed from the surface.

  With this configuration, when the slide member is in the separated position, the LED head can be cleaned very well by moving the cleaning body in the longitudinal direction of the LED head. On the other hand, when the slide member is in the proximity position, the cleaning body can be separated from the slide member by bringing the surface of the slide member into contact with the sliding surface of the cleaning arm. Therefore, even if the cleaning arm is translated in a state where the slide member is in the proximity position, damage or breakage due to rubbing of the cleaning body against the slide member or the like is prevented. Furthermore, since the tooth tip surface of the rack is on the same surface as the surface of the slide member or in a position recessed from the surface, the sliding surface of the cleaning arm can smoothly traverse the rack, and the hook and member during operation Damage is prevented.

  In the image forming apparatus, it is preferable that a tooth tip surface of the rack is disposed on the same plane as the surface of the slide member.

  As a result, the sliding surface of the cleaning arm can smoothly traverse the rack without causing any catch.

  The image forming apparatus is preferably configured as follows. That is, the rack is provided on one end side and the other end side in the sliding direction of the cleaning arm. At the position of the extreme end of the parallel movement stroke of the cleaning arm, the sliding surface of the cleaning arm does not overlap the rack at all.

  In this configuration, since the part that completely traverses the rack can be set as the end of the parallel movement stroke of the cleaning arm, the parallel movement stroke of the cleaning arm can be set large, and the elongated LED head can be cleaned well.

  The image forming apparatus is preferably configured as follows. That is, the rack is provided on one end side and the other end side of the parallel movement stroke of the cleaning arm. Each of the racks is disposed at a position closer to the center than the longitudinal end of the area to be cleaned of the LED head.

  Thereby, while being able to improve the freedom degree of the installation location of a rack, the parallel movement stroke of a cleaning arm can be ensured large for cleaning of an LED head.

  As shown in the external perspective view of FIG. 1, a copy facsimile multifunction peripheral 501 as an image forming apparatus instructs an image reading unit 511 functioning as a flatbed scanner and an auto document feed scanner, the number of copies, a facsimile transmission destination, and the like. An operation panel 512, a main body 513 including an image forming unit that forms an image on a sheet as a recording medium, and a sheet feeding cassette 514 that sequentially supplies the sheet.

  The copy facsimile multifunction peripheral 501 includes a front cover 521 on the front side of the main body 513 (the side on which the operation panel 512 is provided) and a jam access cover 522 on one side surface. The front cover 521 and the jam access cover 522 are provided so as to be openable and closable. For example, when performing maintenance work, the inside of the main body 513 can be accessed by opening the covers 521 and 522.

  The inside of the main body 513 of the copy facsimile multifunction machine 501 is shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 2, a paper feed cassette 514 that supplies paper 100 is provided below the main body 513. This paper feed cassette 514 is configured to be able to be pulled out to the front side of the apparatus (the front side of the paper in FIG. 2). An image forming unit 11 is disposed above the paper feed cassette 514, and a fixing unit 91 and a paper discharge tray 515 are further provided thereon.

  Inside the main body 513, a transport path 531 for transporting the paper 100 from the paper feed cassette 514 to the paper discharge tray 515 is formed. The conveyance path 531 extends upward from one end side of the paper feed cassette 514 to the image forming unit 11, further extends upward, passes through the fixing unit 91, and then curves in the horizontal direction to be discharged in the paper discharge tray 515. It is configured to reach the top. Although not shown in FIG. 2, the image reading unit 511 and the operation panel 512 are disposed above the paper discharge tray 515.

  The paper feed cassette 514 is formed to be open upward, and a plate-like flapper 532 is rotatably provided at the bottom. A plurality of sheets 100 are stacked on the flapper 532. A paper feed roller 21 is disposed above the flapper 532. Then, the paper feed roller 21 is driven while pushing up the flapper 532 upward by a biasing spring (not shown), whereby the uppermost paper 100 is separated and picked up and sent out toward the transport path 531. .

  A separation roller 22 is disposed immediately downstream of the paper feed roller 21 in the transport path 531. The separation roller 22 is driven while the paper 100 is nipped between the rollers arranged opposite to the roller, and separates the paper 100 one by one. A registration roller 23 is disposed on the downstream side of the separation roller 22. The registration roller 23 is driven while the paper 100 is nipped between the registration roller 23 and a roller disposed opposite to the registration roller 23, thereby conveying the paper 100 to the downstream image forming unit 11 while correcting the skew of the paper 100.

  As shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, which is an enlarged view of a main part thereof, the image forming unit 11 includes a charger 13, an LED head 14, a developing device 15, a transfer roller 16, around the photosensitive drum 12. The cleaner 17 is arranged.

  The photosensitive drum 12 is configured such that a photoconductive film made of an organic photoreceptor is formed on the surface and is rotated by an electric motor (not shown). The charger 13 is configured as a non-contact corona charging type so-called scorotron charger, and the surface of the photosensitive drum 12 is uniformly charged, for example, negatively by the charger 13.

  The LED head 14 as an exposure device is disposed downstream of the charger 13 (refers to the downstream side in the rotation direction of the photosensitive drum 12. Hereinafter, the same applies to the description of the developing device 15, the transfer roller 16, and the cleaner 17). In this configuration, a large number of light emitting diodes (LEDs) are arranged in the paper width direction. A lens array in which a large number of gradient index lenses are arranged is disposed on the surface of the LED head 14. The LED head 14 selectively emits light corresponding to the image data of the facsimile original received via the telephone line or the image data read by the image reading unit 511. As a result, the surface of the photosensitive drum 12 is selectively exposed, and the electrostatic energy is formed by losing the charge energy of the exposed portion.

  The developing device 15 is disposed on the downstream side of the LED head 14. The developing device 15 is configured in a two-component developing system that uses toner and carrier as developers. Specifically, the developing device 15 includes a developer container 35 made of synthetic resin, two screw-shaped stirring members 31 and 32 disposed inside the developer container 35, and a slight amount relative to the photosensitive drum 12. A developer carrying member 33 that is disposed close to the developer container 35 while forming a gap, and a regulating blade 34 that is disposed close to the surface of the developer carrying member 33. Yes.

  The agitating members 31 and 32 are driven to rotate, whereby the two-component developer is circulated in the developer container 35 while uniformly mixing the toner and the carrier. Further, the developer carrier 33 is formed of a nonmagnetic material in a cylindrical shape, and is rotatably fitted to the outside of the columnar magnetic body 36. The internal magnetic body 36 attracts the two-component developer to the surface of the developer carrier 33 by the magnetism, and rotates the developer carrier 33 in this state, so that the two-component developer is carried by the developer. It is sent to the photosensitive drum 12 side while being held on the surface of the body 33. Note that the thickness of the two-component developer on the surface of the developer carrier 33 is regulated to be uniform by the regulation blade 34.

  Thereafter, in the vicinity of the photosensitive drum 12 and the developer carrying member 33, the photosensitive drum only in the portion of the two-component developer on the surface of the developer carrying member 33 where the toner corresponds to the exposed portion by the LED head 14. Selectively move to 12 surfaces. As a result, a toner image corresponding to the electrostatic latent image is formed on the surface of the photosensitive drum 12. Of the two-component developer, the remaining toner that has not moved to the carrier and the photosensitive drum 12 is collected in the developer container 35.

  The transfer roller 16 is disposed on the downstream side of the developing device 15 and is disposed on the opposite side of the photosensitive drum 12 with the conveyance path 531 interposed therebetween. A predetermined voltage from a power source is applied to the transfer roller 16. Accordingly, the toner image formed on the surface of the photosensitive drum 12 moves so as to approach the transfer roller 16 side by the rotation of the photosensitive drum 12, and is transferred to the paper 100 by the electric field attraction force.

  The cleaner 17 is disposed on the downstream side of the transfer roller 16 so as to remove the residual toner that has not been transferred to the paper 100 at the transfer roller 16 portion and to scrape and store the toner from the surface of the photosensitive drum 12. It is configured.

  Of the configuration of the image forming unit 11, at least the photosensitive drum 12, the charger 13, the developing unit 15, and the cleaner 17 are housed in a synthetic resin cartridge and configured as a process cartridge (process unit) 5. The The sheet 100 on which the toner image is transferred in the image forming unit 11 is sent to the fixing unit 91 on the downstream side of the conveyance path 531 by the rotation of the photosensitive drum 12.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the fixing unit 91 includes a heat roller 92 that incorporates a heat source (such as a halogen lamp) and is driven to rotate, and a press roller 93 that is disposed to face the heat roller 92. It is equipped with. The press roller 93 is pressed against the heat roller 92 by a biasing spring (not shown). With this configuration, when the paper 100 passes between the heat roller 92 and the press roller 93, the toner of the toner image is melted and fixed to the paper 100 by the heat of the high-temperature heat roller 92 and the pressure by the press roller 93. The fixing unit 91 is provided with a separation claw 94 for preventing the paper 100 from being wrapped around the heat roller 92 while being stuck.

  As shown in FIG. 2, a conveyance roller 95 is provided on the downstream side of the fixing unit 91, and a paper discharge roller 96 is provided on the further downstream side. With this configuration, the sheet 100 sent from the fixing unit 91 is nipped between the transport roller 95 and the driven roller disposed opposite thereto, and is sent downstream. Further, the paper 100 is nipped between the paper discharge roller 96 and a driven roller disposed opposite thereto, and is discharged onto the paper discharge tray 515.

  Next, the frame constituting the main body 513 will be described with reference to the schematic perspective view of FIG. As shown in FIG. 4, the main body 513 includes a front side frame (first frame) 601, a back side frame (second frame) 602, and a side frame (third frame) 603. These three frames 601 to 603 are all arranged upright in the vertical direction. A plurality of reinforcing frames 630 are fixed to the back frame 602, and a driving unit (not shown) for driving the image forming unit 11 and the like is attached.

  A middle frame 605 is disposed horizontally between the front frame 601 and the back frame 602. The middle frame 605 connects a midway portion in the height direction of the front frame 601 and a midway portion in the height direction of the back frame 602. As a result, the front side frame 601, the back side frame 602, and the middle frame 605 form an “H” -shaped frame. As shown in FIG. 2, an accommodation space for the paper feed cassette 514 is formed below the middle frame 605, and power is supplied to the image forming unit 11, the fixing unit 91, and each part of the apparatus above the middle frame 605. An accommodation space for accommodating the power supply unit 18 and the like is formed.

  Here, a configuration for facilitating the assembly of the front frame 601, the rear frame 602, and the middle frame 605 will be described with reference to FIG. The front side frame 601, the back side frame 602, and the middle frame 605 are all made of a metal plate.

  As shown in FIG. 5A, a plate-like first protrusion 571 and a plate-like second protrusion 572 are horizontally oriented at the end of the middle frame 605 as the first chassis arranged horizontally. Are integrally formed to project. The first protrusion 571 and the second protrusion 572 protrude in directions parallel to each other. A horizontal plate shape extends from the tip of the second protrusion 572 in a direction that forms an angle of approximately 90 ° with respect to the protrusion direction of the second protrusion 572 (a direction approaching the tip of the first protrusion 571). The arm 573 is integrally formed.

  Further, a restriction projection 575 is integrally formed at the tip of the plate-like arm 573 so as to protrude in the thickness direction of the plate-like arm 573. The first protrusion 571, the second protrusion 572, the plate-like arm 573, and the restriction protrusion 575 are formed by press punching when the middle frame 605 is manufactured.

  Further, the end portion of the middle frame 605 is bent at an appropriate width to form a vertical portion 576. Further, the sides of the bases of the first protrusion 571 and the second protrusion 572 are formed in a step shape, and a small contact surface 577 is formed in each stepped portion. The contact surface 577 is disposed substantially perpendicular to the protruding direction of the first protrusion 571 and the second protrusion 572. The abutting surface 577 is configured to be able to abut on a portion in the vicinity of a later-described recessed portion 581 of a rear side frame (second chassis) 602 which is a counterpart member.

  On the other hand, a punched recess 581 is formed in the back frame 602 as the second chassis. The recessed portion 581 is formed in an elongated and substantially rectangular shape so that the first protrusion 571, the second protrusion 572, and the plate-like arm 573 of the middle frame 605 can be inserted. The recessed portion 581 is formed by press punching when the back frame 602 is manufactured.

  The recessed portion 581 is formed so as to surround the four sides of the first protrusion 571 and the second protrusion 572, and the inserted first protrusion 571 and second protrusion 572 move in a direction other than the insertion direction. A regulating surface 582 for regulating is configured. In addition, arc-shaped protrusions 583 and 584 are formed on the upper edge of the recessed portion 581 so as to be aligned with the two protrusions 571 and 572, respectively, and the regulation surface 582 is formed at the lower ends of the protrusions 583 and 584. It is configured. Further, a retaining protrusion 585 is formed between the circular protrusions 583 and 584 at the upper edge of the recessed portion 581.

  The restriction protrusion 575 formed on the middle frame 605 side is formed so as to gradually increase the amount of protrusion from the leading side in the direction of insertion into the recessed portion 581 of the back frame 602, and the restriction protrusion 575. A gentle slope is formed on the top surface.

  With this configuration, the first protrusion 571, the second protrusion 572, and the plate-like arm 573 are inserted into the recessed portion 581 in the direction of the thick arrow in FIG. At the upper edge of the recessed portion 581, the restriction surface 582 is (only) formed at the tips of the circular protrusions 583 and 584, so that the friction during insertion is not excessive and the insertion work is smooth. is there.

  In the middle of the above insertion work, the restricting protrusion 575 contacts the retaining protrusion 585. As the plug is further inserted, the retaining protrusion 585 pushes the gentle slope of the restricting protrusion 575 downward, so that the restricting protrusion 575 passes below the retaining protrusion 585 while elastically deforming the plate-like arm 573 downward. To do. Then, almost simultaneously with the contact surface 577 of the middle frame 605 coming into contact with the back frame 602, the restricting projection 575 passes completely through the retaining projection 585, and the plate-like arm 573 returns to its original state by restoring force. The retaining protrusion 585 faces the restricting protrusion 575 in the insertion direction, and is retained.

  Thus, the temporarily assembled state shown in FIG. 5B is realized, and the middle frame 605 can be temporarily connected and temporarily assembled to the back frame 602 without moving or coming off. The middle frame 605 and the front side frame 601 are also provided with the same connection structure as that shown in FIG. 5A, and the front side frame 601 and the rear side frame 601 are connected and temporarily assembled in the same manner. The three of the side frame 602 and the middle frame 605 can be temporarily assembled in an “H” shape. As a result, the rear side frame 602 and the front side frame 601 can be made independent, and it is not necessary for the assembly operator to hold down or use a jig so that the rear side frame 602 and the front side frame 601 do not fall down. Therefore, the assembly efficiency can be improved.

  After such a temporary assembly, as shown in FIG. 5 (b), a tapping screw 590 as a fastening means is screwed into the screw hole 591 so that the back frame 602, the front frame 601 and the middle frame are fixed. The three parties of 605 are securely fastened. At the time of screwing with the tapping screw 590, the middle frame 605 is pushed with a considerable force through the tapping screw 590 to cut the screwing hole 591. The back side frame 602 (front side frame 601) does not come off the middle frame 605 and the back side frame 602 (front side frame 601) does not fall down due to the retaining action by 575. Therefore, the fastening operation with the tapping screw 590 is extremely easy.

  Although the tapping screw 590 is used in the present embodiment, a screw other than the tapping screw can be used, or other fastening means can be employed. Further, not only when the frames are connected in an H shape, but also when the frames are connected in an I shape or a T shape, for example, the configuration for temporary assembly shown in FIG. 5 can be adopted. Furthermore, the shape of the first protrusion 571, the second protrusion 572, the plate-like arm 573, the shape of the recessed portion 581, and the like can be changed as appropriate.

  Returning to FIG. 4, the configuration of the frame will be described. As shown in FIG. 4, a connecting frame (fourth frame) 604 is horizontally disposed between a front frame 601 and a back frame 602 that are connected via a middle frame 605. The connection frame 604 has an elongated shape, and one end in the longitudinal direction is connected to the front frame 601 and the other end is connected to the back frame 602 by unillustrated fixing means such as screws.

  The exhaust duct 621 made of synthetic resin is arranged substantially horizontally so as to connect the side frame 603 and the connection frame 604. The exhaust duct 621 is formed in a shape in which the vertical walls 623 and 623 are vertically raised from both ends of the horizontal wall (lower wall) 622, and is configured to be open upward. Further, the width of the horizontal wall 622 is gradually decreased from one end of the exhaust duct 621 toward the other end, while the vertical walls 623 and 623 are formed to gradually increase the vertical length thereof.

  As shown in FIG. 2 and the like, the one end side of the exhaust duct 621 (the side where the lateral wall 622 is wide) is close to the photosensitive drum 12, the charger 13, the fixing unit 91, and the like. Further, a penetrating flow hole 624 is formed in the lateral wall 622 on the one end side of the exhaust duct 621. An exhaust fan (exhaust means) 631 and an ozone filter 632 are fixed to the other end side of the exhaust duct 621. An introduction hole 637 is formed in the lateral wall 622 on the other end side of the exhaust duct 621 and in the vicinity of the power supply unit 18.

  As a result, a substantially horizontal exhaust passage 635 is formed inside the exhaust duct 621, and includes toner scattered from the photosensitive drum 12, ozone generated by the charger 13, and heat generated by the fixing unit 91. The air can be discharged through the exhaust passage 635 by driving the exhaust fan 631. The air flowing through the exhaust passage 635 is finally discharged to the outside through a resin cover that covers the main body 513 and an exhaust hole 636 formed in the paper discharge tray 515. Further, air including heat around the power supply unit 18 is also introduced into the exhaust duct 621 through the introduction hole 637 and is exhausted by the exhaust fan 631. The ozone generated by the charger 13 is adsorbed by the ozone filter 632 and is not discharged outside the main body 513.

  The paper discharge tray 515 is disposed immediately above the exhaust duct 621, and the exhaust duct 621 is disposed so as to cover the upper open portion of the exhaust duct 621. Accordingly, the upper side of the exhaust passage 635 is covered by the paper discharge tray 515.

  Next, attachment of the exhaust duct 621 to the side frame 603 and the connection frame 604 will be described in detail. As shown in FIG. 6 which is an enlarged view of the main part of FIG. 4, ribs 625 and 626 are formed from the vertical walls 623 and 623 on both sides of the exhaust duct 621 in a portion corresponding to the downstream end of the exhaust flow path 635. Are integrally formed so as to protrude laterally outward. The rib portions 625 and 626 are formed at a position slightly higher than the lateral wall 622. In addition, round bar-like protrusions 627 are formed so as to protrude downward from the lower surfaces of the respective rib portions 625 and 626. Further, a penetrating insertion hole 628 is formed in the lateral wall 622, and a shaft portion of a screw 629 as a fixing means can be inserted into the insertion hole 628.

  On the other hand, the upper end portion of the side frame 603 arranged vertically is bent by a predetermined width to form a horizontal portion 641. The horizontal portion 641 is formed with a penetrating insertion hole 642 in alignment with the protrusions 627. On the other hand, a recess 643 is formed between the two insertion holes 642 and 642 at the upper end of the side frame 603 so that the end of the exhaust duct 621 can be fitted into the recess 643. A screw hole 644 is formed in the recess 643.

  With the above configuration, with the two protrusions 627 inserted into the insertion holes 642 from above, the screws 629 are inserted into the insertion holes 628 from above and screwed into the screw holes 644, respectively. The exhaust duct 621 can be fixed to the side frame 603.

  Note that an insertion hole 651 is formed in the exhaust duct 621 also in the middle part of the exhaust duct 621 (intermediate part in the direction of the exhaust flow path 635). The connection frame 604 has a screw hole 652 at a position corresponding to the insertion hole 651. Therefore, the exhaust duct 621 can be fixed to the connection frame 604 by inserting the screw 653 into the insertion hole 651 from above and screwing it into the screwing hole 652.

  As described above, the side frame 603 and the connecting frame 604 can be connected via the exhaust duct 621. In this way, the exhaust duct 621 made of synthetic resin also serves as a reinforcing member that connects and reinforces the side frame 603 and the connecting frame 604, so that the rigidity of the frame structure can be improved with a simple and lightweight configuration. . Further, since the exhaust duct 621 has a configuration in which the horizontal wall 622 and the vertical wall 623 are integrally formed, even if it is made of a synthetic resin, it can effectively contribute to the improvement of the rigidity of the frame structure. In particular, since the exhaust duct 621 is arranged in a substantially horizontal direction, a frame structure that can withstand a strong external force in the horizontal direction can be realized.

  In the exhaust duct 621, an elongated harness guide portion 661 is formed at the edge portion of the rib portion 625 formed to protrude from the vertical wall 623 on one side. The harness guide portion 661 includes a guide wall 662 and an intermittent wall 663 that are arranged in parallel to each other. The two walls 662 and 663 are integrally formed so as to protrude upward from the end portion of the rib portion 625, and a harness housing space 665 is formed between the guide wall 662 and the intermittent wall 663. The interrupting wall 663 is repeatedly arranged while forming a plurality of gaps in the longitudinal direction. On the other hand, in each gap part of the interrupting wall 663, the stop projection 666 is provided on the side of the interrupting wall 663 from the upper end of the guide wall 662. It protrudes in the direction approaching.

  With this configuration, the harness 633 for supplying power to the exhaust fan 631 is pushed into the harness housing space 665 and set, thereby preventing the harness 633 from being caught on other parts and the like. Can do. Thus, in this embodiment, since the exhaust duct 621 also serves as a guide member for the harness 633, the configuration can be further simplified and the number of parts can be reduced.

  Further, in the present embodiment, an insertion hole 628 and a projection 627 are provided at the end of the exhaust duct 621 on the downstream side of the exhaust flow path 635. On the other hand, the side frame 603 is provided with an insertion hole 642. Then, with the projection 627 of the exhaust duct 621 inserted into the insertion hole 642, a screw 629 is inserted into the insertion hole 628 and screwed to the side frame 603, whereby the exhaust duct 621 and the side frame 603 are connected. Fixed. With this configuration, the side frame 603 can be positioned by the protrusion 627 and the insertion hole 642. In addition, since there are a plurality (two) of the protrusions 627, the exhaust duct 621 and the side frame 603 can be fixed at many locations (a total of three locations), and the deflection of the side frame 603 can be suppressed.

  Further, since the discharge tray 515 is disposed so as to cover the upper side of the exhaust passage 635 (see FIG. 2), the discharge tray 515 also serves as a guide for the exhaust passage 635 together with the exhaust duct 621. . Therefore, the configuration is further simplified.

  Note that three or more protrusions 627 and insertion holes 642 may be provided, or only one may be provided. However, a plurality of side frames 603 are preferably provided from the viewpoint of preventing the side frame 603 from being bent. In addition, a connection configuration using the protrusion 627 and the insertion hole 642 can also be adopted at a connection portion between the exhaust duct 621 and the connection frame 604. Further, the shape of the exhaust duct 621 and the position and shape of the harness guide portion 661 can be appropriately changed according to the necessity in the layout.

  Next, the process cartridge 5 will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 7, which is an external perspective view, the process cartridge 5 includes a synthetic resin housing 201, and the photosensitive drum 12 is rotatably supported therein. As shown in FIG. 3, the housing 201 also serves as a developer container 35 in the developing device 15 and a residual toner storage container in the cleaner 17.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the housing 201 is formed with an elongated opening 202 so that the LED head 14 provided on the main body 513 side can be inserted from the opening 202 (see FIG. 3). A developing device cover 203 is disposed below the opening 202. The developing device cover 203 constitutes a part of the housing 201, and is disposed so as to cover the upper side of the developer container 35 of the developing device 15, as shown in FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the developing device cover 203 extends horizontally to the back side of the opening 202 and then bends in the vicinity of the photosensitive drum 12. Behind the bent portion, the developing device cover 203 forms an inclined surface 204 that rises as it approaches the photosensitive drum 12.

  In the opening 202, ribs 205, 205 that protrude upward are formed at both ends of the inclined surface 204 (both ends in the axial direction of the photosensitive drum 12). The longitudinal direction of the rib 205 is substantially parallel to the inclined surface 204. In addition, positioning hole forming members 206 and 206 are disposed on both ends of the photosensitive drum 12, and a positioning hole 207 is formed in the positioning hole forming member 206. Each positioning hole 207 can be positioned by inserting a positioning pin 46 described later. The positioning hole 207 of one positioning hole forming member 206 is formed in a round hole shape into which the positioning pin 46 fits without a gap, and positioning is performed by a portion (positioning portion) whose axial cross section is uniformly circular. Configured to do. The positioning hole 207 of the other positioning hole forming member 206 is formed in a long hole shape so that positioning by the positioning pin 46 is facilitated.

  The housing 201 of the process cartridge 5 has a shape having a small horizontal protrusion 208 at the axial center of the photosensitive drum 12. In the developing device 15, a density sensor (not shown) for measuring the toner density is disposed near the protrusion 208. A first electrical connector 211 is provided on one side of the protruding portion 208, and the concentration sensor signal can be output from the first electrical connector 211.

  Next, a configuration for mounting the process cartridge 5 on the main body 513 will be described with reference to FIG. In FIG. 8, which is a perspective view of the main part, reference numeral 221 denotes a resin-made inner cover fixed to the front side of the front side frame 601 (FIG. 4). The inner cover 221 is exposed when the front cover 521 shown in FIG. 1 is opened.

  As shown in FIG. 8, the inner cover 221 has a mounting opening 222 for inserting the process cartridge 5. The outline of the mounting opening 222 is substantially coincident with the outline O2 of the process cartridge 5 including the protrusion 208. An insertion space 225 for the process cartridge 5 is formed on the inner side of the main body than the inner cover 221. A second electrical connector 212 that can be electrically connected to the first electrical connector 211 is provided in the insertion space 225.

  An opening / closing door 223 is provided on the main body 513 side so as to partially close the mounting opening 222. The open / close door 223 is pivotally supported so as to be rotatable around a vertical axis 224, and is shown in a closed position shown in FIG. 8 and an open position rotated from the closed position toward the inside of the main body 513 (see FIG. 10). And can be switched between. The opening / closing door 223 is provided with an urging spring (first urging member) 231 that urges the opening / closing door 223 toward the closed position.

  A regulation flapper (regulation member) 241 is provided on the inner side of the main body 513 than the opening / closing door 223 and below the insertion space 225. The regulation flapper 241 is formed in a plate shape, and one end thereof is pivotally supported so as to be rotatable around the horizontal axis 242. As a result, the regulation flapper 241 can be switched between a regulation position shown in FIG. 8 and a release position (see FIG. 9) rotated downward from the regulation position. The regulation flapper 241 is provided with an unillustrated biasing spring (second biasing member) that biases the regulation flapper 241 toward the regulation position.

  A first restriction claw (first protrusion) 251 and a second restriction claw (second protrusion) 252 are formed on the upper surface of the restriction flapper 241 so as to protrude upward. The first restricting claw 251 and the second restricting claw 252 are configured to be in contact with the lower portion of the opening / closing door 223 so as to restrict the rotation of the opening / closing door 223.

  Further, a restriction release cam 253 is formed on the upper surface of the restriction flapper 241 so as to protrude upward. This restriction release cam 253 has a gently sloping surface to be driven. On the other hand, push ribs 215 are formed on the lower surface of the housing 201 of the process cartridge 5 so as to protrude. The push rib 215 is configured to contact the restriction release cam 253 when the process cartridge 5 is inserted into the mounting opening 222. The longitudinal direction of the push rib 215 is configured to be substantially along the insertion direction of the process cartridge 5.

  FIG. 8 shows a state when the process cartridge 5 is mounted on the main body 513 with the above configuration. In the state of FIG. 8, the open / close door 223 is in the closed position, and the restriction flapper 241 is not shown. The upper restricting position is set by an urging spring. As a result, the first restricting claw 251 of the restricting flapper 241 contacts the lower part of the opening / closing door 223 to restrict the opening / closing door 223 from rotating.

  In the state shown in FIG. 8, the process cartridge 5 is inserted into the mounting opening 222 in parallel with the axial direction of the photosensitive drum 12. In the state shown in FIG. 8, a part of the mounting opening 222 is closed by the opening / closing door 223, so that the outline of the mounting opening 222 substantially coincides with the outline O <b> 1 of the leading portion in the insertion direction of the process cartridge 5. ing. Therefore, the user only needs to match the contour O1 of the head portion of the process cartridge 5 with the contour of the mounting opening 222, and can easily insert the process cartridge 5 without being confused by the alignment.

  When the process cartridge 5 is inserted into the insertion space 225, as shown in FIG. 9, the pushing rib 215 contacts the restriction releasing cam 253 of the restriction flapper 241, and the driven surface of the restriction releasing cam 253 is moved. Then, the regulating flapper 241 is pushed downward. As a result, the regulation flapper 241 rotates downward against a biasing spring (not shown) to the regulation release position, so that the contact between the first regulation claw 251 and the open / close door 223 is released. . As a result, the open / close door 223 can be switched to the open position. Since the push rib 215 is formed in an elongated shape, the restriction release state of the restriction flapper 241 is maintained until the process cartridge 5 is inserted to some extent from the state of FIG.

  When the process cartridge 5 is further inserted into the insertion space 225, as shown in FIG. 10, the protrusion 208 of the process cartridge 5 comes into contact with the opening / closing door 223 and is pushed toward the insertion space 225 side. As a result, the projecting portion 208 can pass through the mounting opening 222 while pushing the open / close door 223 to switch to the open position.

  When the process cartridge 5 is further inserted from the state of FIG. 10, the pushing rib 215 passes through the portion of the restriction releasing cam 253, so that the restriction flapper 241 is rotated upward as indicated by an arrow by an unillustrated biasing spring, Return to regulation position. Accordingly, since the second restriction claw 252 contacts the lower part of the opening / closing door 223 in the open position, the opening / closing door 223 is restricted in the open position by the restriction flapper 241, and is opened even after the protruding portion 208 passes through the mounting opening 222. Fixed in position.

  When the process cartridge 5 is further pushed in from the state of FIG. 10, most of the process cartridge 5 enters the insertion space 225, and the mounting of the process cartridge 5 to the main body 513 is completed. At this time, since the first electrical connector 211 of the process cartridge 5 is electrically connected to the second electrical connector 212 on the main body 513 side, a signal indicating the toner density in the developing device 15 of the process cartridge 5 is sent to the copy facsimile multifunction peripheral. It can be recognized by a control unit 501 (not shown).

  As described above, in the present embodiment, the contour O1 of the end portion is attached to the opening O1 although the contour O2 of the middle portion (contour including the protruding portion 208) O2 is larger than the contour O1 of the end portion of the process cartridge 5. The process cartridge 5 can be easily inserted if it matches the contour of 222 (the contour when partially closed by the opening / closing door 223), and the opening / closing door 223 is also pushed open at the large contour O2. Can pass through the mounting opening 222 without any problem. Therefore, the process cartridge 5 can be mounted very easily. In addition, when the process cartridge 5 is completely attached, the opening / closing door 223 is restricted at the open position, so that the opening / closing door 223 does not get in the way when the process cartridge 5 is removed and the protruding portion 208 passes.

  Note that when the process cartridge 5 is removed from the main body 513, the reverse of the above may be considered. That is, when the process cartridge 5 is pulled out from the mounting opening 222, the pushing rib 215 pushes the driven surface of the restriction release cam 253 downward while the protrusion 208 passes through the mounting opening 222. Therefore, the regulation flapper 241 turns downward from the regulation position to the release position. As a result, the restriction by the second restriction claw 252 of the restriction flapper 241 is released, so that the open / close door 223 can be switched to the closed position. Thereafter, the opening / closing door 223 is switched to the closed position by the urging force of the urging spring 231 at the same time as the protrusion 208 completely passes through the mounting opening 222. When the process cartridge 5 is further pulled out, the push rib 215 passes through the restriction release cam 253, so that the restriction flapper 241 is rotated upward by a biasing spring (not shown) to reach the restriction position. As a result, the first restricting claw 251 contacts the lower part of the opening / closing door 223 in the closed position, so that the opening / closing door 223 is restricted in the closed position by the restriction flapper 241.

  Thus, when the process cartridge 5 is removed, the opening / closing door 223 is closed at the same time as the portion of the large outline O2 including the protruding portion 208 passes through the mounting opening 222, and then the opening / closing door 223 is restricted in the closed position. Is done. Therefore, when the process cartridge 5 is mounted again after being removed, the process cartridge 5 can be easily inserted by matching the contour O1 of the end with the contour of the opening 202 (the contour when partly closed by the open / close door 223). Can do.

  The restriction flapper 241 includes a first restriction claw 251 that contacts the opening / closing door 223 in the closed position and a second restriction claw 252 that contacts the opening / closing door 223 in the open position. Therefore, the open / close door 223 can be regulated at each position with a simple configuration.

  The regulation flapper 241 includes a regulation release cam 253 on the surface facing the process cartridge 5 (the surface facing the insertion space 225, ie, the upper surface), and the regulation release cam 253 has a sloped driven surface. ing. Further, a pressing rib 215 for pressing the restriction flapper 241 via the restriction release cam 253 is provided on the surface (lower surface) of the process cartridge 5 facing the restriction flapper 241 side. The longitudinal direction of the moving rib 215 is oriented in the direction along the insertion direction of the process cartridge 5. Therefore, by appropriately determining the length and position of the push rib 215, it is possible to easily set the restriction / releasing timing of the open / close door 223 when the process cartridge 5 is inserted.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the first electrical connector 211 is provided at the protruding portion 208 of the process cartridge 5, while the second electrical connector 212 is provided on the main body 513 side. The first electrical connector 211 and the second electrical connector 212 are electrically connected when the process cartridge 5 is mounted on the main body 513. Accordingly, the electrical wiring can be simplified when the toner concentration sensor is disposed in the vicinity of the protruding portion 208, and the toner concentration can be reliably recognized on the main body side when the process cartridge 5 is attached to the main body 513.

  The open / close door 223 and the regulation flapper 241 can be configured to be movable in parallel, for example, instead of being configured to be rotatable. In addition, the shape of the housing 201, the shape of the protrusion 208, the position and shape of the opening / closing door 223, the shape of the mounting opening 222, the position and shape of the restriction flapper 241, and the position and shape of the restriction claws 251 and 252 are appropriately changed. can do.

  Next, a configuration for causing the LED head 14 to approach and separate from the photosensitive drum 12 will be described in detail. That is, as described above, the photosensitive drum 12, the charger 13, the developing device 15, and the cleaner 17 are integrated together as the process cartridge 5, and as described above, they can be removed from the main body 513 and replaced as necessary. It is like that. However, when performing image formation, as shown in FIG. 3, since the photosensitive drum 12 and the LED head 14 are close to each other, the process cartridge 5 is mounted and removed (FIGS. 8 to 10) in that state. If it does, LED head 14 will be damaged. In view of this point, the copy facsimile multifunction peripheral 501 of the present embodiment includes an LED head support mechanism 41 that can separate the LED head 14 from the photosensitive drum 12 as necessary.

  11 and 12 are perspective views illustrating the appearance of the LED head support mechanism 41 from different directions. FIG. 13 is a front view of the LED head support mechanism 41 when the slide member is in the close position. As shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, the LED head support mechanism 41 includes LED support frames 42 and 43 arranged in parallel to each other. As shown in FIG. 12 and the like, guide rails 44 are provided on the surfaces of the LED support frames 42 and 43 facing each other.

  A slide member 51 is disposed between the two LED support frames 42 and 43, and the LED head 14 is attached to the slide member 51. The slide member 51 has a base side member 52 and a tip side member (head holder) 53, both of which are made of a synthetic resin (acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene resin in this embodiment). The base side member 52 is formed in a slightly elongated substantially rectangular shape, and its longitudinal ends are supported by the LED support frames 42 and 43 via the guide rails 44. As a result, the base side member 52 is slidable along the guide rail 44 in the horizontal direction (first direction D1).

  A front end side member 53 is connected to an end portion of the base side member 52 on the side close to the photosensitive drum 12. The LED head 14 is attached to the distal end portion of the distal end side member 53. As shown in FIG. 13, the LED head 14 is disposed so as to be inclined upward with the tip side slightly lifted from the horizontal direction. Therefore, the direction of irradiating the photosensitive drum 12 with light is also obliquely upward. As shown in FIG. 11, a lens array 45 in which a large number of gradient index lenses are arranged is arranged on the surface of the LED head 14. In the LED head 14, steps (corner portions) 49 are formed near both ends in the longitudinal direction of the lens array 45.

  Positioning pins (positioning bodies) 46 are fixed to both ends of the LED head 14 in the longitudinal direction. The positioning pin 46 is oriented parallel to the direction of the LED head 14 (the light irradiation direction). The positioning pin 46 is fitted into a positioning hole 207 formed in a positioning hole forming member (mating member) 206 of the process cartridge 5 so that the LED head 14 can be accurately positioned with respect to the photosensitive drum 12. It is configured. The positioning pin 46 is formed in a round bar shape having a hemispherical portion at the tip, and is configured to perform positioning by a cylindrical portion (positioning portion) having a circular shape with a uniform cross section in the axial direction.

  As shown in FIG. 13, a guide plane 47 is formed at the distal end portion of the base side member 52. The guide plane 47 is formed in a direction perpendicular to the light irradiation direction of the LED head 14 (a direction perpendicular to the positioning pins 46). On the other hand, a plurality of cylindrical rollers (rolling elements) 48 made of polyacetal resin are rotatably supported on the distal end side member 53, and the cylindrical rollers 48 can roll on the guide plane 47. . As a result, the distal end side member 53 can be displaced with respect to the base side member 52 in the direction along the guide plane 47 and slightly inclined from the vertical direction (second direction D2).

  As shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, a metal operation transmission shaft 55 is rotatably supported between the LED support frames 42 and 43. One end of the operation transmission shaft 55 extends through the LED support frame 42 on one side, and an operation lever (operation member) 56 is fixed to the tip thereof. On the other hand, the other end of the operation transmission shaft 55 extends through the LED support frame 43, and a biasing spring (not shown) is attached to the tip thereof.

  Two pinion gears 57, 57 are fixed at positions near both ends of the operation transmission shaft 55, respectively. The pinion gears 57, 57 have a plurality of teeth 58 arranged in an arc shape. The two pinion gears 57, 57 use exactly the same parts. The operation transmission shaft 55 is formed in a D-shaped cross section, and the two pinion gears 57 and 57 are fixed to the operation transmission shaft 55 in phase with each other.

  A rack 59 that meshes with each of the pinion gears 57 is formed on one surface (upper surface) of the base side member 52 of the slide member 51. A pair of racks 59 are provided and are arranged with their teeth aligned with each other. The tooth tip surface of each rack 59 is configured to be flush with the surface of the base side member 52 (there is no step between them), while the tooth bottom surface is disposed at a position recessed from the surface of the base side member 52. Has been. Further, a linear concave groove 60 is formed in the front end side member 53 of the slide member 51 so as to extend from the end of the rack 59.

  11 to 13 show a state in which the LED head 14 is close to the photosensitive drum 12, and the position of the slide member 51 at this time is referred to as a close position. When the user rotates the operation lever 56 from this state, the operation force is transmitted to the pinion gear 57 via the operation transmission shaft 55, and the slide member 51 moves in the first direction D1 as the pinion gear 57 rotates. And retracts from the photosensitive drum 12. As a result, as shown in FIG. 14, the LED head 14 can be separated from the photosensitive drum 12, and the position of the slide member 51 at this time is referred to as a separation position. As described above, by operating the operation lever 56, the slide member 51 and thus the LED head 14 can be switched between the proximity position and the separation position.

  As shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, a metal support plate 70 is fixed so as to connect the upper ends of the LED support frames 42 and 43 to each other. A circuit board 78 for controlling the LED head 14 is provided on the upper surface of the support plate 70. A cover 79 is provided to cover and protect the circuit board 78. As shown in FIG. 13, the circuit board 78 is located on the opposite side across the slide member 51 and the operation transmission shaft 55.

  A flexible flat cable 80 is pulled out from the circuit board 78. The flexible flat cable 80 is provided to electrically connect the circuit board 78 and the LED head 14.

  A cable guide member 71 is fixed to the support plate 70, and the cable guide member 71 is disposed between the circuit board 78 and the slide member 51. The cable guide member 71 includes two guide portions 72 and 72 for guiding the flexible flat cable 80, and each guide portion 72 is disposed in the vicinity of the operation transmission shaft 55. The cable guide member 71 is made of synthetic resin, which is an insulator, and is integrally formed so as to connect the two guide portions 72 and 72 as shown in FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 13, each guide portion 72 is formed by being bent in a step shape, and is configured to guide the flexible flat cable 80 along a bent path. An end portion (lower end portion) of the guide portion 72 on the slide member 51 side is positioned so as to be closer to the slide member 51 than the operation transmission shaft 55.

  As shown in FIG. 11, a cable housing groove 75 for housing the flexible flat cable 80 is formed in the base side member 52 of the slide member 51. The cable housing groove 75 is recessed in the upper surface of the base side member 52 and is formed so as to open the side close to the cable guide member 71. As shown in FIG. 13, an inclined guide surface (guide surface) 76 is provided at one end of the cable housing groove 75. The flexible flat cable 80 is guided by the inclined guide surface 76 so as to be pulled out from the upper surface of the slide member 51 in an obliquely upward direction (third direction D3) that is away from the photosensitive drum 12 and approaches the circuit board 78. Is done.

  As shown in FIG. 11, a lid cover 77 is installed so as to close the upper open side of the cable housing groove 75. The surface of the lid cover 77 is provided so as to be flush with the surface of the base side member 52.

  With the configuration described above, the flexible flat cable 80 can be guided by the guide portion 72 of the cable guide member 71 so as not to contact the support plate 70 and the operation transmission shaft 55 which are metal bodies. Therefore, it is possible to prevent noise from being mixed into the control signal flowing through the signal line inside the flexible flat cable 80, and to avoid malfunction of the LED head 14. Further, it is possible to avoid the flexible flat cable 80 from being rubbed and damaged by the operation transmission shaft 55.

  Further, the end portion of the cable guide member 71 on the slide member 51 side is disposed at a position closer to the slide member 51 than the operation transmission shaft 55. Therefore, the flexible flat cable 80 is reliably prevented from coming into contact with the operation transmission shaft 55.

  Further, the cable guide member 71 is formed in a bent shape so as not to interfere with the operation transmission shaft 55, and is disposed close to the operation transmission shaft 55. Therefore, the space near the operation transmission shaft 55 can be effectively utilized as a space for arranging the flexible flat cable 80, and the LED head support mechanism 41 can be made compact.

  The end of the cable guide member 71 on the slide member 51 side is located farther from the photosensitive drum 12 than the operation transmission shaft 55. Therefore, even if the flexible flat cable 80 is loosened due to the movement of the slide member 51, it can be reliably prevented from coming into contact with the operation transmission shaft 55.

  When attention is paid to the relationship with the cleaning mechanism 64 of the LED head 14 described later, the end of the cable guide member 71 on the slide member 51 side is closer to the slide member 51 than the cleaning mechanism 64, It is arranged on the side farther than the cleaning mechanism 64 when viewed from the photosensitive drum 12. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the flexible flat cable 80 from coming into contact with the cleaning mechanism 64 and causing signal noise or causing damage to the flexible flat cable 80.

  Further, the slide member 51 is provided with an inclined guide surface 76, and this guide surface is flexible from the slide member 51 in a direction away from the photosensitive drum 12 and in a direction approaching the circuit board 78 (third direction D3). The flexible flat cable 80 is guided so that the flat cable 80 is pulled out. As shown in FIG. 14, when the slide member 51 is in the separated position, the position where the flexible flat cable 80 is pulled out from the slide member 51 is farther from the guide portion 72 of the cable guide member 71 when viewed from the photosensitive drum 12. ing. Therefore, even if the slide member 51 is switched to the separated position, the flexible flat cable 80 is loosened at a position away from the operation transmission shaft 55 as shown in FIG. Can be surely prevented.

  Next, the cleaning mechanism 64 for cleaning the light irradiation surface of the LED head 14 (the surface of the lens array 45) will be described. That is, during image formation, as shown in FIG. 3 and the like, since the LED head 14 is close to the photosensitive drum 12, residual toner or paper dust scattered from the photosensitive drum 12 adheres to the LED head 14 and becomes dirty. Adversely affects exposure. In this embodiment, in view of this point, the LED head support mechanism 41 includes a cleaning mechanism 64 for cleaning the LED head 14.

  The configuration of the cleaning mechanism 64 will be described. As shown in FIG. 11, a cleaning guide rail (guide member) 66 is installed between the two LED support frames 42 and 43. The cleaning guide rail 66 is disposed above the slide member 51 and is directed to be parallel to the longitudinal direction of the LED head 14.

  A slide body 67 is slidably attached along the cleaning guide rail 66. One end of a rod 68 is connected to the slide body 67, and the other end of the rod 68 extends through the LED support frame 42 on one side. A cleaning operation lever (cleaning operation member) is provided at the end of the slide body 67. ) 69 is fixed. Therefore, the slide body 67 can be slid in a direction parallel to the longitudinal direction of the LED head 14 by operating the cleaning operation lever 69 to push in / draw out.

  As shown in FIG. 15 as an enlarged view of the main part of FIG. 11, a rotating arm (cleaning arm) 81 is pivotally supported on the slide body 67. The rotating arm 81 is rotatable about an axis along the longitudinal direction of the guide rail 44 and is movable along with the slide body 67 along the axis.

  An attachment member 82 is attached to the rotating arm 81, and the attachment member 82 includes a brush (cleaning body) 85. A contact arm 83 is provided in the middle of the rotating arm 81. A front end surface (sliding surface) 89 of the contact arm 83 is configured to be slidable in contact with the upper surface of the base side member 52 of the slide member 51. The width w1 of the sliding surface 89 is set to be larger than the width w2 of the rack 59 formed in the base side member 52.

  Further, a biasing spring (biasing member) 84 is interposed between the slide body 67 and the rotating arm 81. The biasing spring 84 biases the rotating arm 81 in the clockwise direction in FIG.

  The attachment member 82 includes a brush (cleaning body) 85 made of, for example, an acrylic moquette, and the brush 85 is configured to clean the surface of the lens array 45 of the LED head 14. As shown in FIG. 15, two mounting pins 97 are formed in a protruding shape at the tip of the rotating arm 81, and mounting holes 98 that can be fitted into the mounting pins 97 are formed in the attachment member 82. It is recessed. The attachment member 82 further includes a snap fit portion (locking portion) 86, and the snap fit portion 86 can be locked in a groove 87 formed in the rotating arm 81. With this configuration, the snap fit portion 86 is locked to the groove 87 while the mounting pin 97 of the rotation arm 81 is inserted into the mounting hole 98 of the attachment member 82, thereby attaching the attachment member 82 to the rotation arm 81. Can be attached to.

  With the above configuration, the base side member 52 of the slide member 51 lifts the rotating arm 81 through the contact arm 83 at the proximity position shown in FIGS. In other words, the sliding surface 89 of the contact arm 83 contacts the slide member 51 and resists the biasing force of the biasing spring 84, so that the brush 85 does not contact the slide member 51. Thus, when the slide member 51 is set to the close position, the brush 85 does not come into contact with other members, so that the brush 85 is not set and the cleaning ability of the LED head 14 is not lowered.

  On the other hand, in the separated position shown in FIG. 14, the lifting of the rotating arm 81 by the slide member 51 is released, so that the rotating arm 81 brings the tip brush 85 close to the LED head 14 by the biasing force of the biasing spring 84. It rotates in the direction to make it. Therefore, as shown by the solid line in FIG. 14, the brush 85 is pressed against the surface of the lens array 45 of the LED head 14. In the state shown in FIG. 14, when the user pushes and pulls the cleaning operation lever 69 shown in FIG. 11 or the like, the rotating arm 81 moves in parallel with the slide body 67, so that the brush 85 of the attachment member 82 is attached to the LED head 14. Move along the longitudinal direction. Therefore, the entire surface of the lens array 45 can be favorably cleaned with the brush 85.

  As shown in FIG. 11 and the like, oblique cams (separating means, cam bodies) that can come into contact with the rotating arm 81 are provided at both ends of the sliding body 67 in the sliding direction (sliding direction of the rotating arm 81). 88, 88 are arranged. The slant cam 88 is formed in a rib shape on the surfaces of the LED support frames 42 and 43 that support both ends of the cleaning guide rail 66 facing each other. The oblique cam 88 is provided so as to protrude toward the center of the slide stroke of the slide body 67 (the parallel movement stroke of the rotating arm 81).

  With this configuration, a state is considered in which the brush 85 is in contact with the LED head 14 as shown by the solid line position in FIG. When the turning arm 81 located near the center of the parallel movement stroke reaches both ends of the stroke, the turning arm 81 contacts the slope of the oblique cam 88. The rotating arm 81 is pushed by the inclined surface of the oblique cam 88 and rotates in a direction against the biasing spring 84 as shown by a chain line, and the brush 85 at the tip of the rotating arm 81 is the LED head 14. Separate from.

  Normally, the cleaning operation lever 69 is pushed into one end of the operation stroke (the back side of the main body 513), and when the LED head 14 is cleaned, the cleaning operation lever 69 is pulled out toward you. The operation of pushing in is performed several times, and finally, it is pushed into the back side of the main body 513 again. Then, in the state where the cleaning operation lever 69 is pushed all the way into the state, as described above, the rotating arm 81 is rotated against the biasing spring 84 by the oblique cam 88, and is in the state of the chain line in FIG. As described above, even when the slide member 51 is in the separated position, the brush 85 is normally separated from the LED head 14 by the oblique cam 88. As a result, it can be avoided that the brush 85 is pressed against the LED head 14 for a long time to cause settling and cause a reduction in cleaning ability.

  In particular, when the brush 85 passes through a step 49 (shown in FIG. 11) at both ends of the lens array 45 of the LED head 14, the oblique cam 88 is arranged so that the brush 85 is separated from the LED head 14. The position of the inclined surface is set. Thereby, it is avoided that the brush 85 comes into contact with the step 49 and the peeling off from the attachment member 82 or the brush 85 is damaged.

  The oblique cam 88 is provided on the LED support frames 42 and 43 that support both ends of the cleaning guide rail 66 so as to protrude in a rib shape. The oblique cam 88 is provided so as to protrude toward the center side of the parallel movement stroke of the rotating arm 81 (the center side of the slide stroke of the slide body 67). Therefore, the structure can be simplified and made compact.

  Further, since the attachment member 82 is detachably attached to the rotating arm 81, when foreign matter such as toner accumulates on the brush 85, it can be easily exchanged together with the attachment member 82, and the maintainability can be improved. . In addition, since the attachment member 82 is detachable via the snap fit portion 86, a mounting screw or the like can be dispensed with, and the above replacement work is further facilitated.

  Note that the brush 85 may be directly provided on the rotating arm 81 instead of the attachment member 82. Further, instead of the brush 85, the LED head 14 may be cleaned with a cloth or the like.

  The cleaning operation lever 69 is operated after the slide member 51 is moved to the separated position (FIG. 14). However, the user erroneously pushes the cleaning operation lever 69 in the proximity position shown in FIG. It can be considered that the drawer operation is performed. However, in this embodiment, since the tooth tip surface of the rack 59 is flush with the surface of the slide member 51, the tip end surface (sliding surface) 89 of the contact arm 83 is caught by the rack 59 portion and The rotating arm 81 can smoothly translate in parallel with the cleaning guide rail 66 while intersecting the rack 59 without damaging the teeth and the rotating arm 81. The cable housing groove 75 of the base side member 52 is also closed by the lid cover 77, and the surface of the lid cover 77 is flush with the surface of the base side member 52. This part can also be smoothly moved across and parallel.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 15, the width w 1 of the sliding surface 89 at the tip of the contact arm 83 provided on the rotating arm 81 is configured to be larger than the width w 2 of the rack 59. Therefore, when the contact arm 83 crosses the rack 59 due to an erroneous operation by the user as described above, even if the sliding surface 89 at the tip of the contact arm 83 faces the tooth bottom of the rack 59, The contact arm 83 does not enter and get caught. Accordingly, the teeth of the rack 59 and the turning arm 81 are prevented from being damaged.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 11 and the like, the sliding surface 89 of the rotating arm 81 is positioned so as not to overlap the rack 59 at the end of the parallel movement stroke of the rotating arm 81. Yes. Even in such a layout, since the parallel movement of the rotating arm 81 is not limited by the rack 59, cleaning can be reliably performed over the entire longitudinal direction of the LED head 14. In particular, in the present embodiment, the brush 85 is placed in the area to be cleaned of the LED head 14 (substantially coincides with the area between the step 49 and the step 49) at the position of the end of the parallel movement stroke of the rotating arm 81. Since the position is out of the width, the entire area to be cleaned can be reliably cleaned.

  In addition, said effect means that the freedom degree of the arrangement position of the rack 59 increases notably. Therefore, as shown in this embodiment, racks 59 are provided in pairs on one end side and the other end side of the parallel movement stroke of the rotating arm 81, and each rack 59 is the area to be cleaned of the LED head 14. The LED head support mechanism 41 can be made compact by effectively utilizing the space.

  Furthermore, in this embodiment, the turning arm 81 is made of polyacetal resin, and is made of a material having higher slidability than the slide member 51 (the base side member 52 and the distal end side member 53). Therefore, even when the slide member 51 is switched between the proximity position and the separation position, or when the cleaning operation lever 69 is erroneously operated when the slide member 51 is in the proximity position, the rotary arm 81 is not moved. Can slide smoothly against. Moreover, material cost can be reduced compared with the case where the surface side of the slide member 51 is comprised with a material with high slidability.

  The rotating arm 81 is integrally formed of the polyacetal resin, including the portion of the shaft support (shaft hole) with respect to the slide body 67. Therefore, smooth rotation of the rotation arm 81 and smooth sliding of the sliding surface 89 with respect to the slide member 51 can be realized, and at the same time, the manufacturing cost can be reduced.

  However, instead of forming the entire rotation arm 81 with polyacetal resin, only the portion of the sliding surface 89 can be formed with polyacetal resin, for example. In addition, other highly slidable resins such as polytetrafluoroethylene resin can be used.

  Note that the tooth tip surface of the rack 59 may be disposed at a position recessed from the surface of the base side member 52. Even in this case, the contact arm 83 of the rotating arm 81 can pass across the rack 59 without damaging the teeth of the rack 59. However, it is preferable that the tooth tip surface of the rack 59 is flush with the surface of the base side member 52 as in the present embodiment because the contact arm 83 can pass through the portion of the rack 59 more smoothly.

  Next, positioning of the LED head 14 with respect to the photosensitive drum 12 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 16 shows a state in which the slide member 51 is being switched from the separated position in FIG. 14 to the close position in FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 16, when the slide member 51 is inserted into the opening 202, the slide member 51 is supported in a cantilevered manner on the side farther from the photosensitive drum 12 (base end side). Therefore, the slide member 51 is tilted so that the LED head 14 side is lowered, the angle of the positioning pin 46 is also tilted, and it is difficult to fit the positioning pin 46 into the positioning hole 207.

  In view of this point, in this embodiment, when the slide member 51 is inserted into the opening 202 and comes in the vicinity of the proximity position, the lower surface of the slide member 51 on the distal end side (the distal end side member 53) is the rib 205, Guided by the upper surface (guide surface) 205. As a result, the distal end side member 53 can be supported by the rib 205 and can be guided so that the positioning pin 46 provided on the LED head 14 is smoothly inserted into the positioning hole 207.

  In the present embodiment, the slide direction (first direction D1) of the slide member 51 is horizontal, while the direction in which light is emitted from the LED head 14 to the photosensitive drum 12 is obliquely upward, and positioning is performed. The direction of the pin 46 is also diagonally upward. Thus, when the slide direction of the slide member 51 and the direction of the positioning pin 46 are different, the positioning pin 46 is not tapered and the positioning hole 207 is not formed in a tapered shape in which the opening end side is widened. Although the pin 46 cannot be inserted into the positioning hole 207, the positioning is not reliably performed, and this causes the rattling of the LED head 14.

  In this regard, in the present embodiment, in the slide member 51, the distal end side member 53 is displaced in the second direction D2 with respect to the base side member 52. The second direction D2 is a direction perpendicular to the light irradiation direction of the LED head 14 and a direction perpendicular to the direction of the positioning pin 46. Therefore, the LED head 14 can be accurately and smoothly positioned with respect to the photosensitive drum 12 without the slide member 51 being bent or the positioning pin 46 being twisted through the positioning hole 207. Thus, the proximity position shown in FIG. 13 is realized.

  Since the cylindrical roller 48 is interposed between the distal end side member 53 and the base side member 52, the configuration can be simplified and the displacement of the distal end side member 53 can be smoothly performed through the rolling of the cylindrical roller 48. Can be done. Further, since the guide plane 47 on which the cylindrical roller 48 rolls is parallel to the second direction D2, which is the direction in which the distal end side member 53 is displaced, a simple configuration can be realized.

  The rib 205 is for guiding the positioning pin 46 so that the positioning pin 46 is smoothly inserted into the positioning hole 207, and at the same time as the spherical portion of the tip of the positioning pin 46 enters the positioning hole 207, The lower surface of the side member 53 and the rib 205 are configured to be separated from each other by a slight distance. As a result, the rib 205 does not prevent positioning by the positioning pin 46.

  In the present embodiment, the upper surface of the rib 205 is configured to contact and guide the distal end side member 53 of the slide member 51, but the rib 205 is configured to directly contact and guide the LED head 14. You may do it.

  Further, a positioning hole forming member may be provided on the LED head 14 side, and a positioning pin may be formed on the photosensitive drum 12 side. In this case, the positioning hole forming member corresponds to the positioning body.

  Next, the assembly of the LED head support mechanism 41 will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 17, when assembling the LED head support mechanism 41, the slide member 51 is inserted in the direction of the thick arrow between the two LED support frames 42, 43, and the side portion of the base side member 52 is guided by the guide rail. 44.

  The rack 59 and the pinion gear 57 are meshed with the insertion work, but the teeth of the rack 59 and the teeth 58 of the pinion gear s57 must be meshed with each other in the correct phase. For example, if the engagement of the rack 59 and the pinion gear 57 is shifted even by one pitch, the position of the LED head 14 in the proximity position shown in FIG. 13 is also shifted by that amount, and the electrostatic latent image is normally written on the photosensitive drum 12. Can not be.

  In view of this point, in the pinion gear 57 of the present embodiment, the inter-tooth pitch (end pitch) between the tooth 58e at the outermost end in the circumferential direction and the tooth 58 positioned next to it is arranged in an arc shape. ) P1 is larger than the inter-tooth pitch (normal pitch) p2 of the other teeth 58 (p1> p2).

  In the present embodiment, the pinion gear 57 is formed of synthetic resin so as to have the above shape. Further, in the distal end side member 53 positioned on the leading side in the insertion direction of the slide member 51 with respect to the base side member 52, a concave groove 60 is formed so as to extend the rack 59. The formation depth of the concave groove 60 is substantially matched with the depth of the tooth bottom surface of the rack 59.

  In this configuration, when the slide member 51 is inserted between the LED support frames 42 and 43, only the outermost tooth 58e of the pinion gear 57 is positioned inside the concave groove 60, and the other teeth 58 are concave grooves. The rotational phase of the operation transmission shaft 55 (the angle of the pinion gear 57) is adjusted so as to be located outside the 60. As described above, in the pinion gear 57, the interdental pitch p1 between the tooth 58e at the end of the arcuately arranged teeth and the adjacent tooth 58 is larger than the other interdental pitch p2. Therefore, it is easy to position only the outermost tooth 58e inside the recessed groove 60.

  When the slide member 51 is inserted in this state, the tooth 58e at the end of the pinion gear 57 contacts the tooth at the end of the rack 59 as shown in FIG. 17, and the pinion gear 57 starts rotating at this time. To do. In other words, the rotational position of the pinion gear 57 is accurately positioned by the abutment of the tooth 58e at the end and the tooth at the end of the rack 59. Immediately after the rotation of the pinion gear 57 starts, the tooth 58 adjacent to the tooth 58e at the end of the pinion gear 57, the next adjacent tooth 58,... Thus, the LED head support mechanism 41 of the present embodiment can easily mesh the rack 59 and the pinion gear 57 at an accurate position during assembly, and is easy to manufacture.

  Furthermore, the end pitch p1 is twice the normal pitch p2 (p1 = p2 × 2). In other words, the pinion gear 57 has a shape such that, after arranging teeth at a pitch equal to the normal pitch p2, only the tooth adjacent to the most end tooth is scraped to form a missing tooth portion. . Thereby, since the shape of the pinion gear 57 is simplified, manufacture is also easy.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the end portion pitch p1 is formed to be twice the normal pitch p2 not only at one end in the circumferential direction of the pinion gear 57 but also at the other end. In other words, the plurality of teeth 58 and 58e of the pinion gear 57 are arranged symmetrically with respect to the center point of the arc. Therefore, even if the front and back of the pinion gear 57 are reversed, the portion where the end pitch p1 larger than the normal pitch p2 is formed faces the rack 59. Therefore, since it lives without considering the mounting direction of the pinion gear 57 at the time of assembly, the handling of parts is convenient and assembly errors are prevented.

  In the above configuration, when there are a pair of racks 59 and a plurality of pinion gears 57 so as to mesh with the respective racks 59 as in the present embodiment, the same parts can be used as the pinion gears 57, and the management man-hours of the parts It is also useful in that it can be reduced. Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the two racks 59 are arranged so that their teeth are aligned with each other, while the two pinion gears 57 are fixed to the operation transmission shaft 55 in phase with each other. It is also easy to simultaneously engage the two racks 59 at the correct position.

  The arrangement of the teeth 58 of the pinion gear 57 may not be symmetrical. Further, the end pitch p1 is not limited to twice the normal pitch p2, and may be larger than 1 (p1> p2). However, it is extremely preferable that the end pitch p1 is an integer multiple of the normal pitch p2.

  Moreover, although the rack 59 and the pinion gear 57 are provided in a pair of two, three or more may be provided, or only one may be provided. Further, when the front end side member 53 is configured not to be displaced with respect to the base side member 52, the rack 59 may be extended to the portion of the base side member 52.

  Note that the configuration of the present invention can be applied to, for example, a printer, a copier, a facsimile machine, and the like, instead of the copy facsimile multifunction machine 501.

1 is an external perspective view of a copy facsimile multifunction peripheral according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a front cross-sectional view showing the inside of the main body of the multifunction machine. The front cross-sectional enlarged view which shows the mode of an image formation part in detail. The model perspective view which shows the structure of the flame | frame of a main body. Fig.5 (a) is a principal part perspective view which shows the structure for connecting two frames and carrying out temporary assembly. FIG.5 (b) is a principal part perspective view which shows a mode that two frames were temporarily assembled. The expansion perspective view which shows a mode that two flame | frames are connected with an exhaust duct. FIG. 2 is an external perspective view showing an overall configuration of a process cartridge. The principal part perspective view which shows a mode that a process cartridge is inserted from opening and it mounts | wears with a main body. The principal part perspective view which shows a mode that the process cartridge was inserted from the state of FIG. 8, and the regulation flapper canceled the regulation of the door. FIG. 10 is a main part perspective view showing a state in which the process cartridge is further inserted from the state of FIG. 9 and the protruding part of the process cartridge passes through the opening while pushing the opening / closing door open. The external appearance perspective view of a LED head support mechanism. The external appearance perspective view which looked at the LED head support mechanism from the direction different from FIG. The front view of an LED head support mechanism when a slide member exists in a proximity position. The front view of an LED head support mechanism when a slide member exists in a separation position. The principal part expansion perspective view which shows the structure of a slide body, a rotation arm, and a brush in detail. The front view of a LED head support mechanism when a slide member exists in the vicinity of a proximity position. The front view which shows a mode that a slide member is attached at the time of the assembly of a LED head support mechanism.

Explanation of symbols

5 Process cartridge (process unit)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 Image formation part 12 Photosensitive drum 13 Charging device 14 LED head (exposure device)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 15 Developing device 16 Transfer roller 17 Cleaner 18 Power supply part 21 Paper feed roller 22 Separation roller 23 Registration roller 31, 32 Stirring member 33 Developer carrying body 34 Control blade 35 Developer container 36 Magnetic body 41 LED head support mechanism 42, 43 LED Support frame 44 Guide rail 45 Lens array 46 Positioning pin (positioning body)
47 Guide plane 48 Cylinder roller (rolling element)
49 Step (corner)
51 Slide member 52 Base side member 53 Front end side member 55 Operation transmission shaft 56 Operation lever (operation member)
57 Pinion Gear 58 Pinion Gear Teeth 58e Pinion Gear Endmost Teeth 59 Rack 60 Groove 64 Cleaning Mechanism 66 Cleaning Guide Rail (Guide Member)
67 Slide body 68 Rod 69 Cleaning operation lever (cleaning operation member)
70 Support Plate 71 Cable Guide Member 72 Guide Portion 75 Cable Housing Groove 76 Inclined Guide Surface (Guide Surface)
77 Lid cover 78 Circuit board 79 Cover 80 Flexible flat cable 81 Rotating arm (cleaning arm)
82 Attaching member 83 Contact arm 84 Biasing spring (Biasing member)
85 Brush (cleaning body)
86 Snap fit part (locking part)
87 groove 88 slant cam (separation means, cam body)
89 Sliding surface of the tip of the contact arm 91 Fixing portion 92 Heat roller 93 Press roller 94 Separating claw 95 Transport roller 96 Paper discharge roller 97 Mounting pin 98 Mounting hole 100 Paper 201 Process cartridge housing 202 Opening 203 Developer cover 204 Inclined surface 205 Rib 206 Positioning Hole Forming Member 207 Positioning Hole 208 Projection 211 First Electrical Connector 212 Second Electrical Connector 215 Pushing Rib 221 Inner Cover 222 Mounting Opening 223 Opening / Closing Door 224 Vertical Shaft 225 Inserting Space 231 Biasing Spring (First Attachment Force member)
241 Regulation flapper (regulation member)
242 Horizontal axis 251 First restriction claw (first protrusion)
252 Second restriction claw (second protrusion)
253 Restriction release cam 501 Copy facsimile multifunction peripheral 511 Image reading unit 512 Operation panel 513 Main body 514 Paper feed cassette 515 Paper discharge tray 521 Front cover 522 Jam access cover 531 Carriage path 532 Flapper 571 First protrusion 572 Second protrusion 573 Plate arm 575 Restriction protrusion 576 Vertical part 577 Abutment surface 581 Recessed part 582 Restriction surface 583, 584 Projection 585 Retaining protrusion 590 Tapping screw 591 Screw hole 601-603 Frame 601 Front side frame (first frame)
602 Rear frame (second frame)
603 Side frame (third frame)
604 Connection frame (fourth frame)
605 Middle frame 621 Exhaust duct 622 Horizontal wall 623 Vertical wall 624 Flow hole 625, 626 Rib part 627 Protrusion 628 Insertion hole 629 Screw 630 Reinforcement frame 631 Exhaust fan (exhaust means)
632 Ozone filter 633 Harness 635 Exhaust flow path 636 Exhaust hole 637 Introduction hole 641 Horizontal part 642 Insertion hole 642 Insertion hole 643 Recess 644 Screw fixing hole 651 Insertion hole 652 Screw fixing hole 653 Screw 661 Harness guide part 662 Guide wall 663 Disconnection Wall 665 Harness accommodating space 666 Stop projection D1 1st direction D2 2nd direction D3 3rd direction O1 Outline of the leading part of the insertion direction of the process cartridge O2 Outline of the middle part of the process cartridge p1 Teeth at the end of the pinion gear Pitch (edge pitch)
p2 Inter-pitch pitch other than the endmost part of the pinion gear (normal pitch)
w1 Width of sliding surface of rotating arm w2 Width of rack

Claims (4)

An LED head for forming an electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive drum;
The LED head is attached, and a slide member movable between a proximity position where the LED head is brought close to the photosensitive drum and a separation position where the LED head is separated from the photosensitive drum,
A rack provided on the slide member;
A pinion gear meshing with this rack,
A cleaning arm provided so as to be rotatable about an axis parallel to the longitudinal direction of the LED head and to be movable along the axis;
A biasing member that biases the cleaning arm so as to be close to the LED head side in the separated position;
With
The cleaning arm is
A cleaning body for contacting and cleaning the LED head;
A sliding surface slidable in contact with the sliding member;
With
When the slide member is in the proximity position, the cleaning member is separated from the slide member against the biasing force of the biasing member by contacting the surface of the slide member and the sliding surface. Configured as
An image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the tooth tip surface of the rack is disposed on the same surface as the surface of the slide member or at a position recessed from the surface. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1,
The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a tooth tip surface of the rack is disposed on the same plane as a surface of the slide member. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein
The racks are respectively provided on one end side and the other end side in the sliding direction of the cleaning arm,
The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sliding surface of the cleaning arm does not overlap the rack at all at a position of an end of a parallel movement stroke of the cleaning arm.
An image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The racks are respectively provided on one end side and the other end side of the parallel movement stroke of the cleaning arm,
Each of the racks is disposed at a position closer to the center than the longitudinal end of the area to be cleaned of the LED head.

Images