JP2009031575A - Image forming apparatus and color image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a filter replacement means which efficiently collects a VOC and an odor component which are generated mainly in an image fixing process, until the end of the service life of an apparatus body, without increasing the size of an apparatus, facilitates the periodical replacement of a filter by a user and prevents the user from failing to replace the filter and to provide an image forming apparatus using the filter replacement means. <P>SOLUTION: A retractable arm is provided in a consumable replacement part such as a process cartridge and a harmful material removing filter is provided in the top end portion of the arm. The consumable replacement part is attached to the apparatus body, while the arm is extended and the harmful material removing filter is integrated with an exhaust means in the apparatus, when used. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus used in combination with a consumable replacement part that can be attached to and detached from the main body and requires replacement work by a user at least before the life of the main body, in particular, a process cartridge having a developing device, a photosensitive drum, and an image on a recording material. The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus such as an electrophotographic printer, a copier, a facsimile, or a composite device including a fixing device for fixing.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, various image forming apparatuses are apparatuses for forming an image on a sheet-like recording material such as plain paper, postcard, cardboard, sealed letter, OHP plastic thin plate, etc. In apparatuses such as printers, copiers, and facsimile machines that use this method, a toner image is formed on a recording material by electrostatic image forming means using toner as a developer, and then the recording material is heated and heated by fixing means. The toner image is melted and fixed under pressure to form an image.

  In recent years, these electrophotographic systems have been improved, and at least the developer container part containing the toner is replaced so that it can be easily replenished while preventing toner contamination that tends to occur when replenishing toner, which is a consumable item. The cartridge replacement method is becoming common except for large-sized copying machines, and the method of batch replacement using a cartridge called a process cartridge integrated with peripheral members having a relatively short life is mainly used. .

  FIG. 3 shows a basic configuration of a printer that employs an electrophotographic system as a specific example of these.

  3A is a side view of the main part of a conventional printer. In the printer, the surface of the photosensitive drum 2 is uniformly charged to a predetermined polarity by the charging roller 1 and then exposed to a laser or the like. Only the area where the photosensitive drum 2 is exposed by the means 3 is neutralized to form a latent image on the photosensitive drum 2. The latent image is developed by the toner 5 of the developing device 4 to be visualized as a toner image. That is, the toner 5 of the developing device 4 is frictionally charged with the same polarity as the charging surface of the photosensitive drum 2 between the developing blade 4a and the developing sleeve 4b, and DC and AC are developed in the developing gap portion where the photosensitive drum 2 and the developing sleeve 4b face each other. A bias is applied in a superimposed manner, and the toner 5 is selectively attached to the latent image forming portion of the photosensitive drum 2 while floating and oscillating by the action of an electric field, and then the toner 5 is transferred by the transfer roller 6 and the photosensitive drum 2. The photosensitive drum 2 is conveyed to the nip portion by rotation.

  On the other hand, a recording material 7 such as paper on which an image is recorded is fed from the recording material storage box 7a ′ to the vertical conveying roller pair 7d by the paper feeding roller pair 7c (the lower roller may be a pad). The pair of vertical transport rollers 7d is transported to either the pre-transfer transport roller 7d 'or the manual feed tray 7b is transported to the pre-transfer transport roller 7d' by the paper feed roller pair 7c. Further, the pre-transfer conveying roller 7d ′ is conveyed to the transfer nip portion at a predetermined approach angle between the upper transfer guide plate 9 and the lower transfer guide plate 9 ′. Until the recording material 7 is conveyed from the pre-transfer conveying roller 7d ′ to the transfer nip portion, the recording material 7 is rubbed with various members that are in contact before the recording material 7 is conveyed to this region. Since there is a possibility that the surface of the material 7 is charged, the back surface of the recording material 7 being transported by the neutralizing brush 8 for removing such unnecessary charging that causes an image disturbance when performing electrostatic recording is provided. It is provided in contact with the side and is grounded.

  In order to electrostatically attract the toner 5 on the photosensitive drum 2 and move it to the recording material 7 side in the transfer portion, a high voltage having a polarity opposite to that of the toner 5 is applied to the transfer roller 6 on the back surface of the recording material 7. The toner 5 is electrostatically attracted to the back surface of the toner and the toner image is transferred to the recording material 7, and the back surface of the recording material 7 is charged with a polarity opposite to that of the toner 5, so that the transferred toner 5 is continuously held. The transfer charge is applied to the back surface of the recording material 7.

  Finally, the recording material 7 onto which the toner image has been transferred is conveyed to a fixing device 12 composed of a heating rotator 13 and a pressure roller 14 that forms a nip portion, and a fixing temperature preset in the nip portion is set. The toner image is fixed by being heated and pressurized while being controlled by a heater provided on the heating rotator 13 side so as to be held.

  In addition, since the deposits such as toners having different polarities remain slightly on the surface of the photosensitive drum 2 after the toner image transfer, the surface of the photosensitive drum 2 after passing through the transfer nip portion is the surface of the photosensitive drum 2 by the cleaning container 10. After the adhering matter is scraped off and cleaned by the cleaning blade 10a that is in contact with the counter, the apparatus waits for the next image formation.

  In addition to the above, an exhaust means 16 composed of an exhaust fan and a motor is provided in the vicinity of the electrical part as a measure for raising the temperature of the electrical part 15, and depending on the apparatus, a rubber roller, toner, paper, etc. In an apparatus that removes chemical substances discharged by fixing and heating and generates ozone in the charging section, various filters 17 such as an ozone filter for adsorbing ozone are incorporated in this exhaust means as shown in FIG. In some cases, a filter-equipped device as shown in FIG. 3 (C), in which the filter-equipped exhaust means 16 ′ is formed, is formed.

  In each of the above-described configurations, the charging roller, the photosensitive drum, the developing container, and the cleaning container have relatively short replacement cycles as described above, and thus can be replaced in units of the process cartridge 11 in which these are integrated. Widely used as a cartridge exchange type device.

  On the other hand, the spread of color image forming apparatuses using a plurality of color toners has been progressing along with the price reduction in recent years, and a rotary that uses one photosensitive drum and a plurality of four-color color developing devices by switching them by a rotating motion. There are development systems and four-drum systems that use four photosensitive drums and a four-color color developer. Furthermore, the four-drum system is an intermediate transfer system that transfers images onto an intermediate transfer belt and then transfers them onto a recording material at once. In addition, there is a direct transfer method in which multiple transfer is performed directly on a recording material while the recording material itself is held and conveyed by an electrostatic transfer belt.

1. Rotary Development System FIG. 4A shows a sectional view of the rotary development system. The system of this system incorporates a photosensitive drum 2 having a slightly larger diameter than the monochrome apparatus, cleaning means, and charging means. A rotary drum 11 containing a drum cartridge 11'b and four color developing cartridges Y (yellow), M (magenta), C (cyan), and Bk (black) that are individually replaceable on the right side thereof 'Is provided for each.

  The rotary drum 11 ′ is rotatably disposed in the vicinity of the image carrier 2, and each developing device that stores therein yellow toner, magenta toner, cyan toner, and black toner is the rotary drum 11 ′. Is rotated to develop at a development site close to the image carrier 2.

  An intermediate transfer drum 6 ′ is provided below the photosensitive drum 2, and a transfer roller 6 having a not-shown separation mechanism capable of contacting / separating from the intermediate transfer drum is provided below the photosensitive drum 2.

  This intermediate transfer drum is composed of a medium-resistance elastic body similar to the transfer roller, and forms a toner image on the photosensitive drum by selecting one developer of the rotary drum while being separated from the transfer roller. While the primary transfer is performed at the nip with the intermediate transfer drum to form an image of one color, the rotary drum is rotated to switch to the next color developer, and the same process is repeated to obtain a four-color toner image. Is formed on the intermediate transfer drum, the transfer roller is brought into contact with the recording material, and the recording material is conveyed to the nip portion. Then, secondary transfer is performed to transfer the four color toner images onto the recording material. Finally, a color image is permanently fixed by a fixing device. In this example, a drum shape is used. However, depending on the product, a belt that has been replaced with an intermediate transfer belt mainly for the purpose of downsizing may be used. is there.

  In addition to the above configuration, the intermediate transfer drum is actually provided with a cleaning means 6'a for cleaning the transfer residual toner and a waste toner container 6'b below the cleaning means 6'a. It is possible to replace it.

Even in the rotary development system as described above, removal of chemical substances discharged by fixing and heating from rubber rollers, toner, paper, etc. of the fixing device, ozone filters for adsorbing ozone in devices that generate ozone in the charging unit, etc. In some cases, an exhaust unit 16 ′ with a filter in which various filters 17 are incorporated is provided around the electrical unit and the fixing unit. (Especially, non-magnetic color toner is likely to scatter inside the apparatus, so providing a filter in the exhaust means is also effective in preventing the scattering toner from flowing out)
2. Direct transfer type 4 drum development system Fig. 4 (B) shows a cross-sectional view of the apparatus of the 4 drum development system. In particular, here, four color toner images are held while holding the recording material on the electrostatic transfer belt. The structure of the direct transfer system for direct transfer is shown. (Intermediate transfer system in which an intermediate transfer belt is used instead of an electrostatic transfer belt to primarily transfer four color toner images onto the belt and then secondary transfer onto paper is basically similar to the present invention. Will be omitted)
In the color image forming apparatus shown in FIG. 4B, an electrostatic transfer belt 6 ″ that runs while being suspended by two belt conveyance rollers 6 ″ a is mainly configured, and the inside and the periphery of the electrostatic transfer belt. Are provided with four transfer blades 6 ″ b (which may be rollers) as transfer chargers. Although omitted here, the recording material is actually placed on the belt in addition to the above. An adsorption charger and an adsorption roller for electroadsorption are provided, while a separation charger and a separation device for peeling the recording material from the belt are provided.

  In addition, four laser beams 3 ′ (four LED exposure devices may be used) that are photosensitive drums, primary chargers, and image signal applying means for forming an electrostatic latent image are exposed so as to face the electrostatic transfer belt. Four color process cartridges 11 ", each of which integrates an exposure window, a developing device for storing toner, a cleaning means, a waste toner container, and the like for introduction into the drum, are arranged for each color and face the photosensitive drum with a belt interposed therebetween. A transfer blade is disposed at a position where the transfer is performed.

  An adsorption charger inside the electrostatic transfer belt and an adsorption roller serving as a counter electrode electrostatically adsorb the recording material 7 supplied by the paper feed roller 7c onto the electrostatic transfer belt prior to image formation. Each image forming unit sequentially overlaps a yellow toner image, a magenta toner image, a cyan toner image, and a black toner image at predetermined positions on the recording material as the electrostatically adsorbing recording material travels on the electrostatic transfer belt. In this manner, image formation is performed at the same timing, and toner images are sequentially superimposed and transferred.

  Thus, the recording material to which the toner image has been transferred is separated from the electrostatic transfer belt by the separation charger and separation device and reaches the fixing device 12, where the toner image is melted and mixed by being heated and pressurized. As a result, a color image is formed, and the color image is fixed on the recording material. The recording material that has been fixed on the color image is discharged outside the apparatus. The toner and paper dust remaining on the electrostatic transfer belt are removed by cleaning means 6'a using a cleaning brush or the like that is in contact with the electrostatic transfer belt in the same configuration as the rotary system. Accumulated in the lower replaceable waste toner container 6′b, the electrostatic transfer belt is discharged by the inner charger and the outer charger, and is prepared for the next image formation.

In each of the above image forming apparatuses, as described above, in an apparatus that conventionally uses such an electrophotographic process,
-Fine powder of resin is used as toner, and it is heated and melted at high temperature during fixing.

  -Coated paper in which a resin layer is coated on paper is also used as a recording material.

  In the fixing device, silicon rubber is used as a heat-resistant elastic body for forming a pressure nip.

-In order to improve releasability from the fixing unit, a method of applying silicone oil to a roller or adding it to the toner is used.
Because there is a process to heat resin materials such as odors, odors and trace amounts of volatile organic compounds (hereinafter referred to as VOC) are generated from heated silicone rubber, silicone oil, toner, coated paper, etc. It is known that there is. For this reason, in a large apparatus with a relatively large amount of generation, there are cases where the atmosphere of the fixing portion is collected by a suction fan and passed through a duct provided with an adsorption filter for adsorbing VOC such as activated carbon.

As a method for removing a compound with a filter in this way, it has been proposed to remove ozone by providing a suction air ozone filter at a suction air exhaust port (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
JP 2001-350375 A

  By the way, since the VOC adsorbed by the adsorption filter of the VOC removal device is accumulated in the adsorption unit, it is necessary to periodically replace it with a new adsorption filter in order to maintain the effect of the adsorption filter. Such replacement work is possible for large copiers, etc. that are regularly maintained by man, but instead of such maintenance contracts for printers and small copiers, By adopting a process cartridge that integrates consumable parts, or switching the charger that uses corona discharge, which was a conventional ozone generation source, to the contact charging method that uses a medium-resistance elastic roller, the generation of ozone is suppressed. We have dealt with it by making contrivances such as eliminating the need for a filter. User to a position of easy evacuation means also provided on the rear side of the apparatus in the exchange is difficult to perform the replacement operation by accessing, replacement of such filters has not been targeted.

  However, in recent years, the idea of stricter regulations on the environment in which such products are used every day as well as raising awareness about environmental problems has been spreading mainly in Europe and other countries. Comfort is gaining more and more attention, and electronic devices used indoors should consider the emission of volatile chemicals such as specific odors and VOCs generated by individual electronic devices in order to maintain a good environment. In the future, there is an increasing need for providing such a filter even in such a small device.

For this reason, for products that cannot be replaced by a maintenance service with a relatively small device,
-The user must access the inside of the device periodically to change the filter.

  • If the user forgets to replace the filter, there is a risk that it will not actually work.

・ The larger the filter, the larger the adsorption capacity and the longer the replacement cycle. However, there is a size restriction for small products, and it is not possible to enlarge only the filter part.
Depending on how much VOC is generated from actual individual products and what kind of regulations are enforced, at least as it is, it is not possible to deal with such a flow of environmental regulations. It has become difficult, and a means for drastically solving the above problems is desired.

  The present invention has been made in order to solve the above-described problems of the prior art, and the object of the present invention is to reduce the VOC and odor components generated mainly in the image fixing process without increasing the size of the apparatus. An object of the present invention is to provide a filter replacement means that can efficiently collect the life of the main body, facilitate the periodic replacement of the filter by the user, and prevent the user from forgetting to replace it, and an image forming apparatus using the same. .

  To achieve the above object, according to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image for forming an image on a recording material by mounting a consumable replacement part that requires a plurality of replacement operations by a user at least before the life of the main body of the apparatus. In the forming apparatus, the consumable replacement part has a telescopic arm and a filter for removing harmful substances at the tip of the arm, and the consumable replacement part is attached to the apparatus main body in a state where the arm is extended, It is characterized in that the removal filter can be used integrally with the exhaust means in the apparatus.

  The retractable arm has a folding storage means that can be folded along a hinge along the exterior surface of the consumable replacement part when not in use and can be extended by extending the arm around the hinge when in use. And having the arm extended and mounted on the apparatus, the filter for removing harmful substances is mounted at an exhaust means position suitable for hazardous substances in the apparatus and waste heat of the electrical equipment section. .

  The arm is housed through a rotating shaft along the exterior surface of the consumable replacement part when not in use, and has a rotating housing means that can be extended by rotating the arm around the rotating shaft when in use. And, by extending the arm and mounting it on the apparatus, the filter for removing harmful substances is mounted at an exhaust means position suitable for harmful substances in the apparatus and waste heat of the electrical parts.

  The arm is stored in a plurality of stages of rods along the exterior surface of the consumable replacement part when not in use, and has rod-like storage means that can be extended by pulling out the rod-like arm when in use. By extending the arm and attaching to the apparatus, the harmful substance removing filter part is attached to an exhaust means position suitable for the harmful substance in the apparatus and the waste heat of the electrical part.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, the main body has automatic arm retracting means, and the various arms are automatically pulled out by the apparatus when set in the apparatus main body, and the harmful substance removing filter portion is provided in the apparatus. It is characterized in that it is mounted at an exhaust means position suitable for toxic substances and waste heat of the electrical equipment.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a detachable process cartridge provided with a developing device containing at least a resinous toner, and after the toner image is formed on the recording material, the recording material is heated and pressurized. In the image forming apparatus for fixing the toner image on the recording material by passing the means, the process cartridge has a telescopic arm and a filter for removing harmful substances at the tip of the arm, and the process cartridge is attached to the arm. The harmful substance removing filter can be integrated with the exhaust means in the apparatus and can be used by mounting the apparatus on the apparatus body in a stretched state.

  In addition, the harmful substance removal life of the filter for removing harmful substances is at least substantially the same as the predetermined life of the process cartridge, and the volume of the filter for removing harmful substances is 1/2 of the volume of the process cartridge. The maximum width in the vertical and horizontal directions of the filter for removing harmful substances and the arm when not in use, which is stored in close contact with one side surface of the process cartridge, is the vertical and horizontal width of the process cartridge in the storage direction. It is characterized by not being larger than each maximum width in the direction.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a color image forming apparatus in which a plurality of detachable color process cartridges including a developing device containing a plurality of resinous toners of at least two colors are replaced and used during the life of the main body. At least one of the color process cartridges has a telescopic arm and a filter for removing harmful substances at the end of the arm, and the process cartridge is attached to the apparatus main body with the arm extended. The harmful substance removing filter can be integrated with an exhaust means in the apparatus.

  Further, among the color process cartridges, a black cartridge is used as a process cartridge having a telescopic arm and a harmful substance removing filter at the tip of the arm.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, a plurality of detachable color developing cartridges including a developing device containing a plurality of resinous toners of at least two colors and at least one image carrier cartridge are included in the life of the main body. In the color image forming apparatus used for replacement, the image carrier cartridge has a telescopic arm and a filter for removing harmful substances at the end of the arm, and the process cartridge is extended to the apparatus main body with the arm extended. By mounting, the filter for removing harmful substances can be used integrally with the exhaust means in the apparatus.

  A sixth invention according to the present invention is characterized in that a frame of the filter for removing harmful substances is used as the arm.

  According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, there is provided a process cartridge having the harmful substance removal filter or a process cartridge in which the harmful substance removal filter is housed on a mounting insertion path of an apparatus main body to which the image carrier is mounted. A filter housing state cartridge entry restricting member for preventing entry is provided.

  According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a developing device containing a plurality of resinous toners of at least two colors, waste toner collecting means for collecting waste toner remaining in the device, and the collected waste toner as a main body. In a color image forming apparatus using a waste toner container that is exchanged during the life, the waste toner container has a telescopic arm and a filter for removing harmful substances at the tip of the arm, and the waste toner container is attached to the arm. By attaching to the apparatus main body in the stretched state, the filter for removing harmful substances can be used integrally with the exhaust means in the apparatus.

As described above, according to the first aspect of the present invention, in an image forming apparatus having a consumable replacement part that requires replacement work by a user at least before the life of the main body of the apparatus, the consumable replacement part is extendable. An toxic substance removing filter is provided at the arm and the tip of the arm, and the consumable replacement part is attached to the apparatus main body in a state where the arm is extended, so that the toxic substance removing filter is connected to the exhaust means in the apparatus. Because it can be used as a unit,
-The user can replace the filter inside the main body simultaneously and easily by performing consumable replacement parts.

  -Since it is replaced at the same time as the replacement of consumable parts that are essential to the device, it is possible to prevent the user from forgetting to replace the filter and prevent the surrounding environment from deteriorating.

  -Since the arm is telescopic, consumable parts when not in use do not take up extra space and can be transported and stored in a small space.

  ・ Because the arm is extendable and retractable, the filter can be attached to the exhaust unit provided in the back of a narrow device that cannot be reached by the user by extending the filter part. The degree of freedom can also be increased.

  -Since the adsorption capacity of the filter required during the life of the device body can be reduced to 1 / consumable part replacement, the size of each filter can be reduced, and as a result, the exhaust means of the device body can be prevented from becoming enormous.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, the main body has automatic arm retracting means, and the arm is automatically pulled out by the apparatus when set in the apparatus main body, and the harmful substance removing filter section Is installed at an exhaust means position suitable for harmful substances in the apparatus and waste heat of the electrical component, so that the user can easily replace the filter without being aware of the filter replacement operation.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a detachable process cartridge having a developing device containing at least a resinous toner, and after the toner image is formed on the recording material, the recording material is In the image forming apparatus in which the toner image is fixed on the recording material by passing through a fixing means for heating and pressurizing, the process cartridge has a telescopic arm and a filter for removing harmful substances at the tip of the arm, and the process By attaching the cartridge to the apparatus main body with the arm extended, the harmful substance removing filter can be used in an integrated manner with the exhaust means in the apparatus. In addition, the harmful substance removal life of the harmful substance removal filter is average. Since it is set so as to be longer than the life of the process cartridge determined by the toner consumption amount in the usage situation and to be within the minimum volume, it is possible to prevent the filter effect from being lost before the toner runs out and more than necessary. A large filter can be used to prevent the apparatus body size from becoming excessively large.

  According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, a plurality of detachable color process cartridges provided with a developing device containing a plurality of resinous toners of at least two colors or more are replaced and used during the life of the main body. In the image forming apparatus, at least one of the color process cartridges has an extendable arm and a filter for removing harmful substances at the end of the arm, and the process cartridge is extended to the apparatus main body with the arm extended. By mounting, the filter for removing harmful substances can be used in an integrated manner with the exhaust means in the apparatus, so that the above effect can be obtained even in an apparatus having a plurality of process cartridges. A telescopic arm in the cartridge and a filter for removing harmful substances at the tip of the arm As a process cartridge having, and higher filter replacement frequency by using the most commonly used black cartridge in normal use, it can be prevented sooner the risk of environmental degradation.

  According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, a plurality of detachable color developing cartridges including a developing device containing a plurality of resinous toners of at least two colors and at least one image carrier are provided. In the color image forming apparatus which is used after being exchanged during the life of the main body, the image carrier has a telescopic arm and a filter for removing harmful substances at the tip of the arm, and the image carrier is extended with the arm extended. By attaching it to the main body of the apparatus, the filter for removing harmful substances can be integrated with the exhaust means in the apparatus, so that the developing device and the photosensitive drum are replaced separately as replacement parts, and the developing device rotates. Even in an operating apparatus, the above-described effect can be obtained by providing the arm and the filter on the photosensitive drum side.

  According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, by using the frame of the harmful substance removing filter as the arm, the dedicated arm member can be omitted and the number of parts can be reduced.

  According to the seventh invention of the present invention, the process cartridge in which the filter for removing harmful substances is housed in the process cartridge insertion path of the apparatus main body to which the process cartridge having the filter for removing harmful substances is mounted. By providing the filter housing state cartridge entry restricting member that prevents the entry of the cartridge, it is possible to prevent the surrounding environment from being deteriorated when the user forgets to attach the filter and replaces the cartridge.

  According to the eighth aspect of the present invention, the developing device containing a plurality of resinous toners of at least two colors or more, the waste toner collecting means for collecting the waste toner remaining in the device, and the collected In a color image forming apparatus using a waste toner container that is used by replacing waste toner during the life of the main body, the waste toner container has a telescopic arm and a filter for removing harmful substances at the tip of the arm, and the waste toner container Is attached to the main body of the apparatus with the arm extended, so that the harmful substance removing filter can be used integrally with the exhaust means in the apparatus, thereby improving the durability of other cartridges. Even if it is difficult to adjust the replacement life of the filter for removing harmful substances, it is possible to replace the filter for removing harmful substances at a desired replacement cycle by adjusting the waste toner capacity. .

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

  1A and 1B are respectively a top view and a side view before use of a filter and an arm-equipped process cartridge according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention, and a top view and a side view at the time of use. FIGS. 2A and 2B are side views showing an intermediate form when the process cartridge is attached to the apparatus main body and a form after the attachment. In FIG. 2, the same elements as those shown in FIG.

In this embodiment, when the process cartridge is not used, as shown in FIG. 1A, the filter 17 and the arm 18 are folded on the front surface of the cartridge around the hinge 19 provided on the side surface of the process cartridge. The process cartridge 20 with a foldable filter that is in close contact and can be pulled out to the side surface together with the arm around the hinge portion by the user is used. (In each of the above states, the hinge is held in a folded state and a stretched state by a stopper mechanism (not shown) in each state)
In this embodiment, the printer is a monochrome printer that uses only black toner, the printing performance of the main unit is 60 sheets per minute, the main unit life is 500,000 sheets, and the process cartridge life is 10,000 sheets. A 50 mm × 50 mm square type air filter having a thickness of 10 mm is used, which is made of a nonwoven fabric containing activated carbon and processed into a bellows fold.

  2 (A) and 2 (B) are side views showing the respective states of the process cartridge with a foldable filter being inserted into the apparatus main body and after being mounted, and are folded as shown in FIG. 2 (A). After the filter is pulled out in advance, when it is made to enter the apparatus main body by a method similar to the normal cartridge mounting process, the filter section is arranged along a guide groove provided inside the apparatus (not shown) with a predetermined exhaust means inside the apparatus. The insertion path is set so that the filter and the fan are integrated at the same time when the cartridge is completely set.

With the above configuration, if the user pulls out the filter unit immediately before cartridge replacement, it is possible to perform filter replacement at a position that goes deep inside the device by performing almost the same operation as normal cartridge replacement. ,
-The user can easily and periodically replace the filter inside the apparatus.

  -Since the filter is replaced at the same time when the user needs to replace consumables such as running out of toner, it is possible to prevent the user from forgetting to replace the filter and to prevent inadvertent deterioration of the environment.

-Since the filter is replaced with the replacement period of consumables that has a much shorter life than the device body life, the adsorption capacity of the filter can be reduced, and the size can be easily reduced, so that the device body can be prevented from becoming enormous.
It is possible to obtain a great merit such as.

  In the above configuration example, the filter is bent to the front part of the cartridge in the insertion direction, but there is no particular restriction on the way to bend, and in this way you do not want to provide protrusions for the thickness of the filter on the front part of the cartridge when not in use. Needless to say, the filter section may be folded to the side.

  The filter configuration is an example for a specific product, and the filter performance needs to be changed depending on the basic performance of the main body, particularly the printing speed. This is basically because the higher the speed, the higher the need for fixing temperature, and the higher the temperature, the more VOC emissions and types of emissions tend to increase. Filter performance is proportional to the speed. Need to be higher. However, for example, if the main body speed is increased, it is necessary to increase the filter capacity in the conventional configuration, and as a result, the filter must be thickened. However, by using this configuration, the capacity of the process cartridge according to the VOC discharge amount of the main body If the filter is adjusted, the filter replacement time can also be adjusted, so that it is possible to cope with it without causing a significant increase in the thickness of the filter.

  FIGS. 5 (A) and 5 (B) are side views of the process cartridge with a filter and an arm showing the second embodiment of the present invention before and during use, and when the process cartridge is mounted on the apparatus main body. It is a side view which shows the form in the middle and the form after mounting | wearing. In FIG. 5, the same elements as those shown in FIG.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5 (A), when not in use, the filter 17 and the rotary arm 22 are substantially on the side surface of the cartridge on the right side of the cartridge side surface about the rotation shaft 21 provided on the side surface portion of the process cartridge. The process cartridge 23 with a rotary storage type filter used by the user by rotating the filter with the arm in the direction of the arrow around the rotation axis and popping out to the left hand side of the cartridge when used is used. Used. (In each of the above states, the rotating shaft portion holds each state by a stopper mechanism (not shown) in each of the retracted state and the protruding state)
In this embodiment as well, the main body of the apparatus is a monochrome printer that uses only black toner as in the first embodiment. The printing performance of the main body is 60 sheets per minute, the main body life is 500,000 sheets, and the life of the process cartridge is 1. The filter is a 50 mm × 50 mm square type air filter with a thickness of 10 mm, which is made of nonwoven fabric containing activated carbon and processed into a bellows fold.

  FIG. 5 (B) is a side view showing the state of the process cartridge with a rotary storage type filter being inserted into the apparatus main body and after being mounted. After rotating the stored filter in the left direction, a normal cartridge is shown. When entering the apparatus main body by a method similar to the mounting process, the filter section is guided inside a predetermined exhaust means 16 inside the apparatus along a guide groove provided inside the apparatus (not shown), and the cartridge is completely The insertion trajectory is set so that the filter and the fan are integrated at the same time when set.

  With the above configuration, the same effect as in the first embodiment can be obtained.

  FIGS. 6A and 6B are side views of the process cartridge with the filter and the arm, respectively, showing the third embodiment of the present invention before and during use, and when the process cartridge is mounted on the apparatus main body. It is a side view which shows the form in the middle and the form after mounting | wearing. In FIG. 6, the same elements as those shown in FIG.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6A, when not in use, a filter 17 is provided at the tip of a slide-type telescopic arm 25 held by an arm holder 24 provided on the side surface of the process cartridge. At the time of use, a process cartridge 26 with a slide-type stowable filter that is used by the user extending the filter toward the front side in the cartridge insertion direction is used. (In each of the above states, the slide-type telescopic arm portion is configured to hold each state by a stopper mechanism (not shown) in each of the retracted state and the protruding state.)
In this embodiment as well, the main body of the apparatus is a monochrome printer that uses only black toner as in the first embodiment. The printing performance of the main body is 60 sheets per minute, the main body life is 500,000 sheets, and the life of the process cartridge is 1. The filter is a 50 mm × 50 mm square type air filter with a thickness of 10 mm, which is made of nonwoven fabric containing activated carbon and processed into a bellows fold.

  FIG. 6 (B) is a side view showing the state of the process cartridge with a slide-type stowable filter being inserted into the main body of the apparatus and after being mounted. After the stored filter is pulled out to the left, the normal cartridge is mounted. When entering the apparatus main body by a method similar to the process, the filter section is guided inside a predetermined exhaust means 16 inside the apparatus along a guide groove provided inside the apparatus (not shown), and the cartridge is completely set. At the same time, the insertion locus is set so that the filter and the fan are also integrated.

  With the above configuration, the same effect as in the first embodiment can be obtained.

  7 (A), 7 (B), and 7 (C) show the process of mounting the process cartridge with the filter and the arm according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention on the apparatus main body, before mounting, during mounting, and mounting, respectively. It is a side view of each subsequent stage. In FIG. 7, the same elements as those shown in FIG.

  In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7A, the process cartridge in the stage before use is not directly connected to the side surface of the first arm rotating shaft 27 connected to the side surface of the process cartridge but only to the arm. The two first arm 28 and the second arm 28 'are connected and held by the connected second arm rotating shaft 27', and the filter 17 is provided at the tip thereof, and the overall components are almost the same as the side surface area of the cartridge. It is stored in the range. In the above configuration, the first arm rotation shaft and the second arm rotation shaft are provided with a pressurizing means (not shown) using a torsion coil spring and a stopper member for restricting the rotation range. Thus, the unused state is set so that the filter and the second rotation shaft are always held in this state.

  Further, in this embodiment, a filter automatic mounting projection 30 is provided on the entry path of the lower end of the cartridge first arm on the apparatus main body side, and the filter entrance direction is set on the inner wall of the apparatus around the filter entry path. A filter guide member 17 ′ for restricting in a predetermined direction is provided, and by using these configurations, the user can save the trouble of pulling out the arm before setting the cartridge and making the filter portion settable. It is characterized by using a filter automatic drawing type process cartridge 29 in which a filter is automatically drawn into the apparatus simply by performing a cartridge mounting operation.

  In this embodiment as well, the main body of the apparatus is a monochrome printer that uses only black toner as in the first embodiment. The printing performance of the main body is 60 sheets per minute, the main body life is 500,000 sheets, and the life of the process cartridge is 1. The filter is a 50 mm × 50 mm square type air filter with a thickness of 10 mm, which is made of nonwoven fabric containing activated carbon and processed into a bellows fold.

  The process of attaching the filter using each of the above configurations is as follows. First, as shown in FIG. 7B, when the cartridge is advanced in the direction of the arrow, the lower end portion of the first arm first collides with the projection 30 for automatically attaching the filter on the main body side, and further continues to push the cartridge in the direction of the arrow. As a result, the first arm rotates counterclockwise around the first arm rotation axis, and the second arm and the filter unit start to rotate in the left direction in conjunction with this, but the filter tip is a guide provided on the inner wall of the apparatus. Since the movement direction is restricted by the member, the guide member enters the left direction guided by the time when the angle of the second arm is changed around the second arm rotation axis. Finally, as shown in FIG. 7C, when the filter reaches a predetermined position, the cartridge is also set at the same time, and the user can replace the filter by performing almost the same operation as a normal cartridge mounting operation. it can.

  By using the configuration of the present embodiment described above, the same effects as those of the first embodiment can be obtained, and further, the user can save the trouble of pulling out the stored filter portion from the cartridge before mounting the cartridge.

  FIGS. 8A and 8B each show a process of mounting a filter and an arm-equipped process cartridge in the apparatus main body in a state where the filter is housed in the apparatus main body according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention. 8 (C) and FIG. 8 (D) each show the mounting process of the filter cartridge and the process cartridge with the arm to the apparatus main body showing the fifth embodiment of the present invention, and the side surface of each stage during and after mounting. FIG. In FIG. 8, the same elements as those shown in FIG.

  In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 8A, the process cartridge 26 in the stage before use uses the process cartridge 26 with the slide-type storage type filter of the third embodiment. This is characterized in that a storage filter entry preventing projection 30 'is newly provided on the entry path.

  In this embodiment as well, the main body of the apparatus is a monochrome printer that uses only black toner as in the first embodiment. The printing performance of the main body is 60 sheets per minute, the main body life is 500,000 sheets, and the life of the process cartridge is 1. The filter is a 50 mm × 50 mm square type air filter with a thickness of 10 mm, which is made of nonwoven fabric containing activated carbon and processed into a bellows fold.

  By using the main body configuration, the filter mounting process is as follows. First, when the cartridge with the filter portion stored therein is advanced in the direction of the arrow as shown in FIG. 7 (A), the filter is stored in the storage filter entry prevention protrusion 30 ′ as shown in FIG. 7 (B). The height and position of the protrusion are set so that the rear end of the slide arm that protrudes to the public information in the state collides and the cartridge cannot enter any further.

  On the other hand, when the cartridge with the filter part pulled out is advanced in the direction of the arrow, as shown in FIG. 7C, the member that collides with the protrusion 30 'for preventing the storage filter entry disappears, so that the cartridge can enter as it is. Finally, as shown in FIG. 7D, when the filter reaches a predetermined position, the setting of the cartridge is completed at the same time.

  By using the configuration of the present embodiment as described above, the same effects as those of the first embodiment can be obtained, and if the user forgets to pull out the stored filter portion from the cartridge before mounting the cartridge, the cartridge Since it is impossible to attach the filter itself, it is possible to prevent the filter from functioning and only to replace the cartridge, and to prevent the user's carelessness from deteriorating.

  Although the slide type filter storage means is used in the above configuration, the same function works for other filter storage means except for the fourth embodiment by changing the arrangement of the storage filter intrusion prevention protrusion 30 '. Needless to say, it can be designed as such.

  9 (A) and 9 (B) respectively show a pre-mounting process in a state where the filter is housed in the rotary type color image forming apparatus main body having the filter and the photosensitive drum cartridge with an arm according to the sixth embodiment of the present invention, It is a side view which shows each after-mounting state of a filter pull-out state. In FIG. 9, the same elements as those shown in FIG.

  This embodiment is characterized in that a VOC countermeasure air filter is mounted on a rotary color image forming apparatus. As shown in FIG. 9A, a photosensitive drum cartridge is provided with a rotation shaft similar to that in the second embodiment. A drum cartridge 31 with a rotating filter is used.

  In this embodiment, the apparatus main body is intended for a rotary color image forming apparatus, the printing performance of the apparatus main body is 16 sheets per minute for monochrome images, 4 sheets per minute for color images, the life of the main body is 300,000 sheets, Each developer cartridge has a lifetime of 6000 sheets, and the drum cartridge has a lifetime of 20,000 sheets. As a filter, a 50 mm x 50 mm square filter made of nonwoven fabric containing activated carbon and processed into a bellows fold and a 10 mm thick air filter are used. ing.

  By using the main body configuration, the filter mounting process is as follows. First, this type of product differs from the monochrome device described above in that there are many types and types of cartridges that need to be replaced. An exterior door (not shown) that can be used is provided, and when replacing various cartridges, this door is opened to expose the side surface inside the device, and the replacement method is to insert and remove each replacement cartridge in the direction perpendicular to the paper surface of the figure. In many cases, the drum cartridge is pulled out in the direction of the vertical surface of the paper surface and is set in the back surface direction.

  FIG. 9A shows a state immediately after the exterior door (not shown) is opened and a used drum cartridge is pulled out in the vertical surface direction of the paper, and a new drum cartridge with a filter is inserted in the vertical back surface direction of the paper. At this time, as shown in the drawing, the filter portion is kept in close contact with the side surface of the cartridge. Next, when the insertion of the drum cartridge is completed, a rotary filter provided on the side surface is rotated in the direction of the arrow in FIG. A filter is inserted and set at a predetermined position.

  In the rotary type color image forming apparatus in which the color developing cartridge used for toner replacement is rotated by using the configuration of the above-described embodiment, a drum cartridge can be obtained by attaching a filter and an arm to the drum cartridge side. The filter can be replaced simultaneously with the replacement, and the same effect as in the first embodiment can be obtained.

  In this configuration, since the filter unit is set after the drum cartridge has been set once as a work flow, the risk of forgetting to set the filter at the end tends to increase. For this reason, in this embodiment, the inner wall of the exterior door (not shown) has been processed in advance to have a concave / convex shape that matches the concave / convex shape of the inner surface of the device in the filter set state. When closing the exterior door, it is designed that the unevenness of the inner side of the device and the unevenness of the inner wall of the exterior door do not match, so the door can not be closed, so only replace the cartridge without the filter functioning It is possible to prevent the use environment from deteriorating due to the carelessness of the user.

  In the above configuration, the exhaust means provided on the front side of the filter rotation plane is provided on the inner side surface side of the apparatus, so that the filter is rotated after the cartridge is set once. It is also possible to install it inside the door. In that case, the filter means can be rotated first and set at a predetermined position, and after inserting the entire cartridge, the exterior door is closed and the filter is attached to the exhaust means. Is possible.

  Although the rotary filter storage means is used in the above configuration, it goes without saying that other filter storage means as in the above embodiments can be used.

  10 (A) and 10 (B) show a pre-mounting process of the filter and arm-equipped process cartridge according to the seventh embodiment of the present invention in the state where the filter is stored in the main body of the four-drum color image forming apparatus, and the filter. It is a side view which shows the state after the mounting | wearing of the drawer state, respectively. In FIG. 10, the same elements as those shown in FIG.

  This embodiment is characterized in that a VOC countermeasure air filter is mounted on a four-drum type color image forming apparatus, and as shown in FIG. 10A, a direct transfer type four-drum type having a plurality of color process cartridges. Of the four cartridges of the color image forming apparatus, the color process cartridge 32 with a foldable filter similar to that of the first embodiment is used for the black toner process cartridge that is most frequently used and is close to the fixing unit.

  In this embodiment, the main body of the apparatus is a direct transfer type four-drum color image forming apparatus, the printing performance of the main body is 30 sheets per minute, the main body life is 400,000 sheets, and the life of each process cartridge is 6000 sheets. In addition, as the filter, a 50 mm × 50 mm square type air filter having a thickness of 10 mm, which is made of a nonwoven fabric containing activated carbon and processed into a bellows fold, is used.

  By using the main body configuration, the filter mounting process is as follows. In addition, in the four-drum type color image forming apparatus as in this embodiment, the process cartridge of each color is perpendicular to the electrostatic adsorption belt (intermediate transfer belt in the intermediate transfer method) (upward if the belt is horizontal) In many cases, the belt is accessed from the front (when the belt is vertical) and individually exchanged. In this configuration, the electrostatic adsorption belt is conveyed in the horizontal direction as shown in FIG. In this case, the color process cartridge 32 with a foldable filter is dropped from above as shown by the arrows in FIG.

At this time, any of the four color cartridges may be used as the cartridge with the filter,
-Cartridges that are relatively frequently used and are likely to be replaced frequently-In terms of arrangement, choosing a cartridge that is relatively close to the fixing unit and the electrical unit makes it possible to reduce the arm size and increase the margin for environmental degradation by early replacement. In this embodiment, a black cartridge that matches this condition is selected and a filter is attached.

  By using the above-described configuration of the present embodiment, the same effect as that of the first embodiment can be obtained for the four-drum type color image forming apparatus. In particular, four types of toner are fixed at a time as in the present configuration. In addition, in products that print at high speed with a 4-drum type, the fixing temperature is higher than that of the monochrome high-speed machine described above, and depending on the fixing method, it may be in standby other than during fixing, such as a heat roller method. This is a product that needs to continue to be heated, so it is a device that tends to increase the VOC emission amount. In the configuration with a normal filter, the adsorption capacity required for the filter is enormous, and the size is as it is There is a high possibility that it will be practically impossible to make a product because it is too large, and when using an appropriate size filter, it is necessary to change the filter frequently. The configuration is most suitable.

  In the above configuration, the foldable filter storage means similar to that of the first embodiment is used, but it goes without saying that the filter storage means of other embodiments can be used.

  FIGS. 11A and 11B are a top view and a side view before and a top view and a side view, respectively, of the filter and the process cartridge with an arm according to the eighth embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 11, the same elements as those shown in FIG.

In the present embodiment, the arm portion used in the first embodiment is abolished, and as shown in FIG. 11A, the filter 17 is provided at the front portion in the cartridge insertion direction centering on the hinge portion 19 provided on the side surface portion of the process cartridge. The filter frame is a process with a foldable filter that allows the user to pull out the filter to the side with the hinge at the center when in use. A cartridge 20 'is used. (In each of the above states, the hinge is held in a folded state and a stretched state by a stopper mechanism (not shown) in each state)
Note that this embodiment is intended for a monochrome printer using only black toner, and should be suitably used for a relatively small apparatus having a short distance between transfer and fixing. 30 sheets, main body life is 100,000 sheets, process cartridge life is 8000 sheets, and a 50mm x 50mm square filter with 5mm thickness is used as a filter. ing.

  Hereinafter, the method of inserting the process cartridge with a filter having the configuration of the present embodiment into the apparatus main body and the configuration of the peripheral member on the main body side are basically the same as those of the first embodiment.

  With the above configuration, the user can obtain the same great merit as in the first embodiment, and the number of parts can be reduced by eliminating the arm portion, thereby further reducing the size and cost. .

  In the above configuration example, the filter is bent to the front part of the cartridge in the insertion direction, but there is no particular restriction on the way to bend, and in this way you do not want to provide protrusions for the thickness of the filter on the front part of the cartridge when not in use. Needless to say, the filter section may be folded to the side.

Further, although the folding type is used in this embodiment, it goes without saying that the method of the other embodiment described above may be used.
-Connect the filter frame frame directly to the rotary axis of rotation-Attach the filter frame frame directly to the slide type arm holder part-Provide a rotary axis with the filter frame frame directly attached to one end of one arm, Any method can be applied, such as causing the filter automatic mounting protrusion on the main body side to collide with the tip of the other arm when the cartridge is inserted, and automatically mounting the filter when the cartridge is mounted.

  12 (A) and 12 (B) respectively show a pre-mounting process in a state where the filter is stored in the rotary color image forming apparatus main body having the filter and the waste toner container with the arm according to the ninth embodiment of the present invention; It is a side view which shows each after-mounting state of a filter pull-out state. In FIG. 12, the same elements as those shown in FIG.

  This embodiment is characterized in that a VOC countermeasure air filter is mounted on a rotary color image forming apparatus. As shown in FIG. 12A, a rotation shaft similar to that of the second embodiment is formed on the side surface of the waste toner container. A waste toner container 33 with a rotary filter provided with the above is used.

  In this embodiment, the apparatus main body is intended for a rotary color image forming apparatus, the printing performance of the apparatus main body is 16 sheets per minute for monochrome images, 4 sheets per minute for color images, the life of the main body is 300,000 sheets, Each developer cartridge has a life of 10,000 sheets, a drum cartridge has a life of 50,000 sheets, and the waste toner container is set to be replaced every 5000 sheets. As the filter, a 50 mm × 50 mm square type air filter having a thickness of 10 mm, which is made of nonwoven fabric containing activated carbon and processed into a bellows fold, is used.

  By using the main body configuration, the filter mounting process is as follows. First, an exterior door (not shown) is provided to expose the side of the inside of the apparatus, and the old waste toner container with a rotary filter filled with waste toner is extracted in the direction of the vertical surface (front side) of the paper, and then a new Insert the waste toner container with a rotary filter in the reverse direction and set. FIG. 12A shows a state immediately after this, and at this time, as shown in the figure, the filter portion is kept in close contact with the front side surface of the waste toner container. Next, when the insertion of the drum cartridge is completed, the rotary filter provided on the side surface is rotated in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 12B, and there is an exhaust means provided in front of the filter rotation plane. A filter is inserted and set at a predetermined position.

  The configuration of this embodiment is such that the durability of various members is improved by technical development in a rotary color image forming apparatus, or a highly durable and expensive member is used in a product that performs relatively high-speed printing. When the durability of the battery is improved and the replacement cycle is longer, the replacement cycle is relatively short when the VOC emissions increase or the imbalance occurs when the environmental regulations become more severe. This problem is solved by providing a filter with a configuration that can be extended to the position of the exhaust means to a waste toner container that allows easy adjustment of the cycle setting, and prompting the filter replacement at the same time as replacing the waste toner container. Similar effects can be obtained.

  Although the rotary filter storage means is used in the above configuration, it goes without saying that other filter storage means as in the above embodiments can be used.

  In each of the above embodiments, each apparatus is assumed to have one exhaust means and a filter for convenience. However, in an actual apparatus, a plurality of exhaust means may be provided as necessary. Can be dealt with by using a necessary number of filters and providing a plurality of arms reaching the required location.

(A) is the upper surface and side view before use of the process cartridge which concerns on Example 1 of this invention. FIG. 4B is a top view and a side view when the process cartridge according to the first embodiment of the present invention is used. FIG. 3A is a side view of a process cartridge mounting process according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4B is a side view of the process cartridge after mounting according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2A is a side view of a conventional electrophotographic image forming apparatus. (B) is a view showing a filter attached to the exhaust means. FIG. 4C is a side view of a conventional electrophotographic image forming apparatus having a filter. It is. FIG. 4A is a side view of a rotary color image forming apparatus having a conventional configuration. FIG. 5B is a side view of a direct transfer type four-drum color image forming apparatus having a conventional configuration. (A) is a side view of the process cartridge according to the second embodiment of the present invention before and after use. FIG. 6B is a side view of the process cartridge mounting process according to the second embodiment of the present invention. (A) is a side view of the process cartridge according to the third embodiment of the present invention before and after use. FIG. 6B is a side view of the process cartridge mounting process according to the third embodiment of the present invention. (A) is a side view before mounting a process cartridge according to Embodiment 4 of the present invention. (B) is a side view of the process cartridge mounting halfway according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention. (C) is a side view after the process cartridge is mounted according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention. (A) is the side view before filter accommodation state process cartridge mounting which concerns on Example 5 of this invention. (B) is a side view of the filter storage state process cartridge according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention mounted. (C) is a side view of the filter drawer state process cartridge according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention before mounting. (D) is a side view after the filter cartridge is mounted in the process cartridge according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention. (A) is a side view of a rotary color image forming apparatus according to Embodiment 6 of the present invention. (B) is a side view of a rotary color image forming apparatus after filter setting according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention. (A) is a side view of a direct transfer type four-drum color image forming apparatus according to Embodiment 7 of the present invention. (B) is a side view of a direct transfer type four-drum color image forming apparatus after filter setting according to a seventh embodiment of the present invention. (A) is the upper surface and side view before using the process cartridge which concerns on Example 8 of this invention. (B) is the upper surface and side view at the time of use of the process cartridge which concerns on Example 8 of this invention. (A) is a side view of the rotary color image forming apparatus main body having the filter and the waste toner container with arm according to the ninth embodiment of the present invention before being mounted in the filter storage state. (B) is a side view showing a state after the filter is pulled out to the rotary color image forming apparatus main body having the filter and the waste toner container with arm according to the ninth embodiment of the present invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Charging roller 2 Photosensitive drum 3 Exposure means 4 Developer 5 Toner 7 Recording material 10 Transfer roller 12 Fixing device 15 Electrical component 16 Exhaust means 16 'Exhaust means with filter 17 Filter 18 Folding arm 19 Hinge 20 Process cartridge 20 with folding filter 'Process cartridge with filter frame folding type filter 21 Rotating shaft 22 Rotating arm 23 Process cartridge with Rotating filter 24 Arm holder 25 Slide arm 26 Process cartridge with slide arm type filter 27 First arm rotating shaft 27' Second arm rotating shaft 28 First arm 28 'Second arm 29 Filter automatic retractable process cartridge 30 Filter automatic mounting protrusion 30' Storage filter entry prevention protrusion 31 rotating with filter drum cartridge 32 foldable filter collar process cartridge 33 rotary filter with a waste toner container

Claims (13)

  In an image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording material by mounting a consumable replacement part that requires a plurality of replacement operations by a user at least before the life of the main body of the apparatus, the consumable replacement part includes an extendable arm and the arm It has a filter for removing harmful substances at the tip, and this consumable replacement part is attached to the main body of the previous period with the arm extended, and the filter for removing harmful substances can be integrated with the exhaust means in the apparatus. An image forming apparatus.   The retractable arm has a folding storage means that can be folded along a hinge along the exterior surface of the consumable replacement part when not in use and can be extended by extending the arm around the hinge when in use. The flammable substance removing filter section is mounted at an exhaust means position suitable for toxic substances in the apparatus and waste heat of the electrical equipment section by extending the arm and mounting the apparatus on the apparatus. The image forming apparatus according to 1.   The arm is housed through a rotating shaft along the exterior surface of the consumable replacement part when not in use, and has a rotating housing means that can be extended by rotating the arm around the rotating shaft when in use, 2. The toxic substance removing filter section is mounted at an exhaust means position suitable for toxic substances in the apparatus and waste heat of the electrical equipment section by extending the arm and mounting the apparatus on the apparatus. The image forming apparatus described in 1.   The arm is stored in a plurality of stages of rods along the exterior surface of the consumable replacement part when not in use, and has rod-shaped storage means that can be extended by pulling out the rod-shaped arm when in use. 2. The toxic substance removing filter part is attached to an exhaust means position suitable for the toxic substance in the apparatus and the waste heat of the electrical component part by being extended and attached to the apparatus. Image forming apparatus.   The main body has an automatic arm pulling means, and the various arms are automatically pulled out by the apparatus when set in the apparatus main body, and the harmful substance removing filter section is used for the harmful substances in the apparatus and the waste heat of the electrical equipment section. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the image forming apparatus is mounted at a suitable exhaust unit position.   And a removable process cartridge having a developing device containing at least a resinous toner. After a toner image is formed on a recording material, the toner image is passed through fixing means for heating and pressing the recording material. In the image forming apparatus to be fixed on the recording material, the process cartridge has a telescopic arm and a filter for removing harmful substances at the tip of the arm, and the process cartridge is attached to the apparatus main body with the arm extended. Thus, the harmful substance removing filter can be used integrally with the exhaust means in the apparatus.   The hazardous substance removal life of the filter for removing harmful substances is at least equal to, but not shorter than, the predetermined life of the process cartridge, and the volume of the filter for removing harmful substances is 1/2 or less of the volume of the process cartridge, In addition, the maximum width in the vertical and horizontal directions of the filter for removing harmful substances and the arm when not in use, which is stored in close contact with one side surface of the process cartridge, is the vertical and horizontal direction of the process cartridge in the storage direction. The image forming apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the image forming apparatus is not larger than each maximum width.   In a color image forming apparatus in which a plurality of detachable color process cartridges including a developing device containing a plurality of resinous toners of at least two colors or more are exchanged during the life of the main body, at least one of the color process cartridges One cartridge has a retractable arm and a filter for removing harmful substances at the tip of the arm. By attaching the process cartridge to the main body of the apparatus with the arm extended, the filter for removing harmful substances is installed in the apparatus. A color image forming apparatus that can be used integrally with the exhaust means.   9. The color image forming apparatus according to claim 8, wherein a black cartridge is used as a process cartridge having a retractable arm and a filter for removing harmful substances at a tip of the arm among the color process cartridge.   In a color image forming apparatus in which a plurality of detachable color developing cartridges having a developing device containing a plurality of resinous toners of at least two colors or more and at least one image carrier cartridge are exchanged during the life of the main body The image carrier cartridge has a telescopic arm and a filter for removing harmful substances at the tip of the arm, and the process cartridge is attached to the apparatus main body with the arm extended to remove the harmful substances. A color image forming apparatus, wherein a filter is integrated with an exhaust means in the apparatus and can be used.   The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a frame of the harmful substance removing filter is used as the arm.   Filter housing state cartridge entry restriction for preventing entry of the process cartridge in the housed state of the process material cartridge on the mounting insertion path of the apparatus main body to which the process cartridge having the filter for removing the harmful substance or the image carrier is mounted The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a member.   A developing device containing a plurality of resinous toners of at least two colors, waste toner collecting means for collecting waste toner remaining in the device, and a waste toner container for exchanging the collected waste toner during the life of the main body The waste toner container has a telescopic arm and a filter for removing harmful substances at the end of the arm, and the waste toner container is attached to the apparatus main body with the arm extended. Therefore, the filter for removing harmful substances can be used integrally with the exhaust means in the apparatus.

Images