JP2008310013A - Imaging unit and image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a connector prevented from being worn and damaged even if it is tried to be attached to a wrong insertion part very often, and also to provide an imaging unit. <P>SOLUTION: The imaging unit is equipped with at least an image carrier and a developing means in a frame body and has the connector for connecting the imaging unit to an image forming apparatus main body, wherein a reinforcing member such as a metallic pin or a metallic plate is attached to the connector. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a detachable image forming unit used for image formation by an electrostatic copying process such as a copying machine, a facsimile machine, and a printer, and to an image forming apparatus using the image forming unit.

Japanese Patent No. 3312821 JP 2006-139146 A

  In an image forming apparatus using an electrophotographic process, in order to facilitate maintenance and the like, specific equipment among all process equipment for performing image formation, such as a photosensitive drum, a developing device, and a cleaning device, which are image carriers. Are integrated into a cartridge container to form a unit that is detachable from the main body of the image forming apparatus (process cartridge). And as an electrical connection means between the unit which can be attached to and detached from the apparatus main body and the apparatus main body, a connector is provided on each unit and the apparatus main body (Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2).

  The electrical connection can be realized by the configuration in which each unit and the apparatus main body are provided with a connector, and even if the integrated connector has a plurality of connection parts, the connection part can be reduced in size and the cost of the apparatus can be reduced.

  In order to cope with recent colorization and productivity improvement (increase in the number of output sheets), a so-called tandem type in which a plurality of color image forming units (hereinafter referred to as image forming units) are arranged in parallel as shown in FIG. The number of image forming apparatuses is increasing. In general, a color image is often obtained by superimposing four colors of black, magenta, cyan, and yellow, and the image forming units are arranged in parallel for these four colors.

  Here, from the viewpoint of cost, it is desirable that the image forming units for the four colors have completely the same form. However, it is possible to increase the life of a black image forming unit that is used frequently, for example, depending on the toner used. There are factors that cannot be shared, such as reducing the running cost of the equipment. If it is not common, in order to prevent erroneous setting when attaching or detaching the image forming unit for device maintenance, etc., a joint and connector with a different shape for each image forming unit should be provided at each joint between the image forming unit and the device body. Is effective.

  As an example, FIGS. 5 and 6 which are the premise of the present invention show the shapes of image forming units and main body connectors of different colors. FIG. 5 is a main body connector at a joint portion with respect to the black image forming unit 200Bk of FIG. 4, and FIG. 6 is a connector for the image forming units of other colors (one of magenta, cyan, and yellow). The connectors of FIGS. 5 and 6 have different shapes. This “irregular shape” is a concept including a difference in size in addition to a difference in shape. Due to such an irregular shape, the black image forming unit 200k cannot be inserted into the magenta, cyan, and yellow portions of the apparatus main body, and the image forming units 200M, 200C, and 200Y of other colors are also inserted into the black portion of the apparatus main body. I can't.

  By the way, the image forming unit may adopt a maintenance form that can be used continuously by exchanging a part of the unit. Will also be used detachably. In addition, it is desired to reuse reusable parts as much as possible in order to maintain the global environment in recent years, and the cost can be reduced. For example, the connector can be used even if it is attached and detached multiple times as long as electrical connection is ensured.

  However, the abnormally shaped part of the connector described above may be worn or damaged if it is repeatedly installed in the wrong insertion part, and if it is damaged, it will be inserted into the wrong insertion part. May interfere with the normal operation of the system.

  It is an object of the present invention to provide a connector and an image forming unit that do not have the above-described problems.

  According to the present invention, there is provided an image forming unit including at least an image carrier and a developing unit in a frame and having a connector for connecting to a main body of an image forming apparatus, wherein a reinforcing member is attached to the connector. It will be solved. If the reinforcing member is a plate made of a material having higher rigidity than the connector or a plate covering the outer shape of the connector, it is more effective. For attaching the reinforcing member to the connector, an adhesive may be used or it may be welded, and other well-known fixing methods can be used.

  An image forming apparatus having at least an image carrier and developing means in a frame, and having at least two image forming units having connectors for connecting to the image forming apparatus main body detachably mounted on the apparatus main body, In the image forming apparatus in which one connector of the image forming unit has a different shape from the connector of the other image forming unit, a reinforcing member is attached to each of the different shape portions of the connector of each image forming unit. Thus, the above problem is solved in the image forming apparatus. The reinforcing member attached to the connector of each image forming unit is preferably a pin made of a material having a rigidity higher than that of the connector or a plate covering the outer shape of the connector. It may be a pin or a plate for each reinforcing member.

  According to the present invention, the rigidity of the connector portion is increased, and when the image forming unit is attached to the main body of the image forming apparatus, it is possible to prevent the connector from being damaged even if the connector is inserted into the wrong insertion portion. However, the connector can be surely inserted into the correct insertion portion.

  The best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. The following description is the best mode of the present invention, and does not limit the scope of the claims.

  FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an example of an image forming apparatus that forms a full-color image. The image forming apparatus 100 shown here includes a reading unit 110, an image forming unit main body 120, and a paper feeding unit 130 from the top. The image forming unit main body 120 is an image forming unit that is four process cartridges arranged in parallel in the main unit. Units 200Bk, 200M, 200C, and 200Y, an endless intermediate transfer belt 62, a secondary transfer roller 65, and a toner bottle 59 for each color that supplies toner to the image forming unit are provided. As shown in FIG. 2, the image forming unit 200 includes a process cartridge frame 210, a photoconductor 10 as an image carrier, a cleaning module 20 as a cleaning means (a cleaning blade 22 is attached to the tip), A charging module 30 as charging means, a developing module 50 as developing means, and the like are provided. When referred to as an image forming unit, it means that at least the photosensitive member and the developing means are integrated into a cartridge so that it can be attached to and detached from the main body of the image forming apparatus. As in this example, the cleaning means, the charging means, etc. Additional provisions are possible.

  The intermediate transfer belt 62 is positioned above the four photoconductors 10 in the image forming unit main body 120, and the lower running side of the intermediate transfer belt 62 is in contact with the circumferential surface of each photoconductor 10. The intermediate transfer belt 62 constitutes an example of a transfer material onto which toner images of different colors formed on the surface of each photoconductor 10 are transferred in a superimposed manner.

  The configuration in which a toner image is formed on the photoreceptor 10 and the toner image is transferred to the intermediate transfer belt 62 is substantially the same except that the color of the toner image is different for each image forming unit. In the description of one image forming unit, the photoconductor 10 is driven to rotate clockwise as viewed in FIG. 2, and at this time, the photoconductor 10 is charged to a predetermined polarity by a charging module 30 to which a charging voltage is applied. The charged photoconductor 10 is irradiated with a light-modulated laser beam L emitted from the optical writing device 40 shown in FIG. 1, whereby an electrostatic latent image is formed on the photoconductor 10. This electrostatic latent image is visualized as a toner image of a predetermined color by the developing module 50.

  A primary transfer roller 61 is disposed on the opposite side of the photoconductor 10 with the intermediate transfer belt 62 interposed therebetween. When a transfer voltage is applied to the primary transfer roller 61, the toner image on the photoconductor 10 is rotated in the middle. Transfer is performed on the transfer belt 62 (primary transfer). The residual transfer toner adhering to the photoconductor 10 after the transfer of the toner image is removed by the cleaning module 20. A lubricant application device 70 is provided on the downstream side of the photoconductor rotation of the cleaning module to apply a lubricant on the photoconductor 10 to reduce wear on the surface of the photoconductor 10 and improve the cleaning performance.

  In the lower part of the image forming apparatus 100 shown in FIG. 1, a paper feeding device 130 having a paper feeding cassette containing transfer paper as a recording medium is disposed. The paper is fed between the opposed secondary transfer roller 65. At this time, a predetermined transfer voltage is applied to the secondary transfer roller 65 from a power source (not shown), whereby the composite toner image on the intermediate transfer belt 62 is transferred to the transfer paper (secondary transfer).

  The transfer paper onto which the synthesized toner image has been transferred is further conveyed upward and passes through the fixing device 90. At this time, the toner image on the transfer paper is fixed by the action of heat and pressure. The transfer paper that has passed through the fixing device 90 is discharged to a paper discharge unit on the upper surface of the casing of the image forming apparatus 100 by a paper discharge roller pair 91.

  In this embodiment, each process unit such as a cleaning unit, a charging unit, and a developing unit is modularized, and each process module can be replaced in a module unit in a state where the image forming unit (process cartridge) is detached from the image forming apparatus main body. It has become. Since the structure thereof is well-known, it will not be described in detail here. However, by modularizing in this way, it is possible to prevent the waste of resources by discarding the process means that can still be used with the life of the imaging unit. By incorporating each modularized process means into the image forming unit in a replaceable manner and making the image forming unit detachable from the image forming apparatus body, the user or serviceman can also replace the image forming unit by process module. Can be exchanged and is very convenient.

  3 and 4 show the external appearance of a black image forming unit 200Bk as an example of a process cartridge as viewed from different directions, and FIG. 5 shows a conventionally known connector 1 of the black image forming unit and a corresponding main body connector. 2 is shown. On the other hand, FIG. 6 shows a conventionally known connector 3 and main body connector 4 of an image forming unit as an example of a magenta, cyan, and yellow process cartridge. Since the connector 1 and the connector 3 have different shapes, and the main body connectors 2 and 4 have shapes corresponding thereto, it is possible to prevent the image forming unit from being erroneously inserted into different places.

  In the present invention, as shown in FIG. 7, the connector 5 is provided with the metal pins 6 at the above-described irregularly shaped portions. For this reason, the rigidity of the irregularly shaped portion is increased, and the connector is prevented from being damaged even when it is repeatedly inserted into the wrong insertion portion. The effect does not change whether the cross-sectional shape of the metal pin is round or rectangular. In the example shown in FIG. 8, the connector 7 is covered with a thin metal plate 8 at a portion having a different shape. For this reason, the rigidity increases like the connector 5 of FIG. 7, and the connector is not damaged. In the example shown in FIG. 9, the metal plate 9 is bonded to the irregularly shaped portion of the connector, the rigidity is increased, and the connector is prevented from being damaged.

1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an image forming apparatus. It is a schematic block diagram of a process cartridge. It is a perspective view of a process cartridge. It is a perspective view of another angle of a process cartridge. It is a figure which shows a black unit and a main-body connector. It is a figure which shows a yellow unit and a main body connector. It is a figure which shows the connector which attached the metal pin to the unusual shape part. It is a figure which shows the connector which covered the unusual shape part with the metal thin plate. It is a figure which shows the connector which adhere | attached the metal plate on the unusual shape part.

Explanation of symbols

1, 3, 5, 7 Process cartridge side connector 2, 4 Main unit connector 6 Metal pin 8 Metal thin plate 9 Metal plate

Claims (4)

  An image forming unit comprising at least an image carrier and developing means in a frame and having a connector for connecting to a main body of an image forming apparatus, wherein a reinforcing member is attached to the connector.   2. The image forming unit according to claim 1, wherein the reinforcing member is a plate made of a material having rigidity higher than that of the connector or a plate covering the outer shape of the connector.   An image forming apparatus having at least an image carrier and developing means in a frame, and having at least two image forming units having connectors for connecting to the image forming apparatus main body detachably mounted on the apparatus main body, In the image forming apparatus in which one connector of the image forming unit has a portion having a different shape from the connector of the other image forming unit, a reinforcing member is attached to each of the different shape portions of the connector of each image forming unit. An image forming apparatus.   4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the reinforcing member attached to the connector of each image forming unit is a pin made of a material having rigidity higher than that of the connector or a plate covering the outer shape of the connector.

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