JP2011048047A - Image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image forming apparatus to which a process cartridge can be detachably attached, and in which the process cartridge can be accurately positioned with respect to an apparatus body by improving operability for attaching/detaching the process cartridge. <P>SOLUTION: In the electrophotographic image forming apparatus in which the process cartridge is attachably/detachably supported on a tray 35 movable in the apparatus body of the electrophotographic image forming apparatus, a tray holding member 34 is constituted to be movable in the apparatus body. The image forming apparatus is provided with a pressing member 42 pressing the process cartridge in a state where the tray 35 to which the process cartridge is attached exists at an image forming position in the apparatus body. The pressing member 42 presses the process cartridge toward a rotary shaft of a photoreceptor 1 to press the process cartridge to a first positioning part formed in the apparatus body, and then presses the process cartridge to a second positioning part provided in the apparatus body. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an electrophotographic image forming apparatus.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a configuration in which a process cartridge is detachable from an apparatus main body of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus is known. In such an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, a configuration for positioning a process cartridge at a predetermined position with respect to the apparatus main body is known.

  In a conventional electrophotographic image forming apparatus, the process cartridge is positioned with respect to the apparatus main body during image formation. Referring to FIG. 14 of Patent Document 1, a pressure spring 53 is disposed along the guide surface 51c on the apparatus main body side, and this pressure spring 53 is a process (not shown) with a fulcrum 53b as a center. A pressing force is applied to a dowel provided on the cartridge. With this configuration, it is possible to restrict the movement of the process cartridge when the process cartridge receives a rotational driving force from the apparatus main body, and to accurately position the process cartridge on the apparatus main body during image formation.

JP 2000-132069 A

  In recent years, an electrophotographic image forming apparatus has been proposed in which a plurality of process cartridges are held by a movable member that is movable with respect to the apparatus main body. According to this configuration, a plurality of process cartridges can be simultaneously inserted into the apparatus main body by inserting the moving member into the apparatus main body along the guide member provided in the apparatus main body.

  However, in the electrophotographic image forming apparatus, if a plurality of process cartridges are not accurately positioned, image defects such as color misregistration occur. For this reason, from the viewpoint of increasing the positioning accuracy of the process cartridge, the shape of the guide member is determined so as to achieve the purpose, and the attitude of the process cartridge when inserted into the apparatus main body is limited. become. As a result, the operability when the process cartridge is inserted into the apparatus main body together with the moving member is impaired.

  On the other hand, in order to improve the operability when inserting the process cartridge into the apparatus main body, it is necessary to make the shape of the guide member somewhat rough, and the process cartridge is roughly positioned with respect to the apparatus main body. Become. As a result, the positioning of the process cartridge with respect to the apparatus main body varies and an image defect occurs.

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, the present invention provides an image forming apparatus in which a process cartridge can be attached / detached, the operability when attaching / detaching the process cartridge is improved, and the process cartridge can be accurately positioned with respect to the apparatus main body. The purpose is to do.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides:
An electronic device in which a process cartridge having an electrophotographic photosensitive member and a process means for forming a toner image on the electrophotographic photosensitive member is detachably supported by a movable member movable with respect to the main body of the electrophotographic image forming apparatus. In the photographic image forming apparatus, the moving member is a position pulled out from the apparatus main body where the process cartridge can be attached and detached, a mounting position positioned in the apparatus main body, and a position in the apparatus main body. The image forming position is movable between the image forming position and the process cartridge is pressed against the apparatus main body in a state where the moving member mounted with the process cartridge is at the image forming position. A pressing member that moves the moving member from the mounting position to the image forming position. In conjunction with this, the process cartridge is pressed in the direction of the rotation axis of the photoconductor to press the process cartridge against the first positioning portion provided in the apparatus main body, and then the second is provided in the apparatus main body. The process cartridge is pressed against the two positioning portions.

  According to the present invention, in an image forming apparatus in which a process cartridge is detachable, the operability when the process cartridge is attached / detached is improved, and the image forming apparatus capable of accurately positioning the process cartridge with respect to the apparatus main body is provided. It becomes possible to provide.

1 is an external perspective view of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram of a process cartridge according to the embodiment. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram illustrating a frame configuration of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment. 1 is an external perspective view of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment. 1 is an external perspective view of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment. The schematic block diagram of the apparatus main body opening / closing door in embodiment. The figure which shows the attachment or detachment of a tray, and the electric power feeding structure in embodiment. The figure which shows the attachment or detachment of a tray, and the electric power feeding structure in embodiment. The figure which shows the engagement state of the apparatus main body and tray holding member in embodiment. The figure which shows the engagement state of the apparatus main body and tray holding member in embodiment, and the schematic perspective view of a tray. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment. The figure which shows the mode of the press state and press release state in embodiment. The figure which shows the mode of the press release state in embodiment. The figure which shows the mode of the press state in embodiment. The figure which shows the mode of the press state in embodiment. The figure which shows the mode of the press state and press release state in embodiment. The figure which shows the engagement state of the press member and tray holding member in embodiment. The figure which shows the mode of the press release state in embodiment. The figure which shows the mode of the press state and press release state in embodiment. The figure which shows the mode of the press state and press release state in embodiment. The figure which shows the electric power feeding structure of the apparatus main body and cartridge in embodiment.

  DETAILED DESCRIPTION Exemplary embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. However, the dimensions, materials, shapes, relative arrangements, and the like of the components described in the following embodiments are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention only to those unless otherwise specified. Absent.

[Embodiment]
<1: Schematic configuration of image forming apparatus>
An electrophotographic image forming apparatus (hereinafter referred to as an image forming apparatus) according to an embodiment to which the present invention can be applied will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of an image forming apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment, and FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view. This image forming apparatus is a four-color full-color laser printer that employs an electrophotographic system, and records on the basis of an electrical image signal input from an external host device (not shown) such as a personal computer, an image reader, or a counterpart facsimile machine. An image is formed on a sheet material as a medium.

  In the following description, regarding the image forming apparatus 100, “front side (front side)” refers to the side on which the apparatus opening / closing door 31 (opening / closing member) is disposed. On the other hand, “rear side” refers to the opposite side of “front side”. The “front-rear direction” refers to both the direction from the rear side of the apparatus main body to the front side (front direction) and the opposite direction (rear direction). The “left-right direction” refers to both a direction from left to right (left direction) and the opposite direction (right direction). The “apparatus main body” refers to a state in which the process cartridge is removed from the image forming apparatus 100.

  In the image forming apparatus, first to fourth process cartridges PY, PM, PC, and PK are arranged in a substantially horizontal direction from the rear side to the front side (in-line configuration, tandem type). Each process cartridge is different only in the color of the toner (developer) contained therein, and there is no difference in configuration. In the following description, the process cartridge is simply referred to as “cartridge”.

  As shown in FIG. 2, each cartridge has an electrophotographic photosensitive drum 1 as an image carrier and process means (charging roller 2, developing device 3, cleaning device 4) acting on the photosensitive drum 1. (FIGS. 3A and 3B) are assembled integrally. The developing device 3 has a developing roller 3a, and toner is accommodated in the toner container. The cleaning device 4 for cleaning the surface of the photosensitive drum 1 is a blade type.

  The first cartridge PY contains yellow (Y) toner in the developing unit 3 and forms a yellow toner image on the surface of the photosensitive drum 1. In the second cartridge PM, magenta (M) toner is accommodated in the developing device 3, and a magenta toner image is formed on the surface of the photosensitive drum 1. In the third cartridge PC, cyan (C) toner is accommodated in the developing device 3, and a cyan toner image is formed on the surface of the photosensitive drum 1. The fourth cartridge PK contains black (K) toner in the developing device 3 and forms a black toner image on the surface of the photosensitive drum 1.

  A laser scanner unit 11 is disposed above the cartridges PY, PM, PC, and PK. The scanner unit 11 outputs laser light L modulated in accordance with image information of each color input from an external host device, and exposes an exposure window 6 (FIG. 3A) provided on the upper surface of the cartridge frame 5. The surface of the photosensitive drum 1 in each cartridge is scanned and exposed through FIG.

  An intermediate transfer belt unit 12 is disposed below the cartridges PY, PM, PC, and PK. The intermediate transfer belt unit 12 includes a flexible endless belt 13, and a driving roller 14, a turn roller 15, and a tension roller 16 that stretch and circulate the endless belt 13. The driving roller 14 and the tension roller 16 are disposed rearward in the image forming apparatus, and the turn roller 15 is disposed on the front side in the image forming apparatus.

  The endless belt 13 and each photosensitive drum 1 are in direct contact with each other, and four primary transfer rollers 17 are in contact with the inner side of the endless belt 13 from the side opposite to the photosensitive drum 1. A transfer voltage can be applied to the primary transfer roller 17 from a power source (not shown).

  Further, on the downstream side in the moving direction of the endless belt 13 with respect to the nip portion (primary transfer nip portion) between the primary transfer roller 17 and each photosensitive drum 1, the endless belt 13 is secondary from the side opposite to the driving roller 14. The transfer roller 22 is in contact. A transfer voltage can be applied to the secondary transfer roller 22 from a power source (not shown).

  A feeding unit 18 capable of stacking a plurality of sheet materials is disposed below the intermediate transfer belt unit 12. The feeding unit 18 includes a feeding tray 19, a feeding roller 20, and a separation pad 21. The feeding tray 19 is configured to be freely inserted and removed from the front side of the image forming apparatus (front loading).

  In the image forming apparatus, a fixing device 23 and a discharge roller pair 24 are disposed on the upper rear side. A discharge tray 25 is formed on the upper surface of the image forming apparatus. The fixing device 23 includes a fixing film assembly 23a and a pressure roller 23b. Further, the discharge roller pair 24 includes a discharge roller 24a and a discharge roller 24b.

  Each cartridge is positioned at an “image forming position” where a latent image can be formed by laser light on the surface of the photosensitive drum 1 of each cartridge at least during image formation. At the image forming position, the photosensitive drum 1 and the endless belt 13 of each cartridge are in contact with each other, and a toner image can be transferred onto the endless belt 13. A process for positioning each cartridge with respect to the apparatus main body will be described later.

  In the present embodiment, the apparatus main body is provided with pressing members 42L and 42R (FIG. 14) for reliably positioning the cartridge at the image forming position, and is pressed (biased) by the pressing members 42L and 42R. Thus, the cartridge is positioned. More specifically, the cartridge can be fixed at the image forming position by pressing the cartridge against stay members 81L and 81R (FIG. 4) constituting the frame of the apparatus main body.

<2: Frame configuration of image forming apparatus>
With reference to FIG. 4, the frame member forming the skeleton of the apparatus main body will be described. FIG. 4 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a frame configuration of the apparatus main body. The left frame 80L (not shown) and the right frame 80R, which are main frames, are fastened by stay members 130F, 130R, 131, and 132. On the stay members 131 and 132, stay members 81L and 81R for holding the cartridge and the intermediate transfer belt unit 12 are arranged.

  The stay members 81L and 81R are each provided with four positioning portions 41 (41Y, 41M, 41C, and 41K) corresponding to the cartridges. The positioning portion 41 has an upward shallow V-shape, and the positioning portions 41 have bearings 151 and 152 for the cartridges PY, PM, PC, and PK (FIGS. 3A and 3B). The cartridge can be positioned at the positioning portion by fitting.

In the present embodiment, four positioning portions 41 are provided as positioning reference surfaces in the vertical direction of the cartridge (a direction orthogonal to the rotation axis direction of the photosensitive drum 1) in this way. Further, a reference surface (positioning portion) for positioning the cartridge in the direction of the rotation axis of the photosensitive drum 1 is also provided (details will be described later). That is, the cartridge is positioned at the “image forming position” by the positioning portions provided in the two directions, and the positioning portion provided in the rotation axis direction of the photosensitive drum 1 is referred to as the “first positioning portion”. The positioning unit 41 is referred to as a “second positioning unit”. As will be described later, the “first positioning portion” is provided on the left frame 80 or the left stay member 81L.

  Further, in the present embodiment, in the positioning portion 41, the cartridge is pressed downward by a pressing member 42 to be described later, so that the cartridge can be more reliably positioned on the positioning portion 41. Further, since the positioning portion 41 has a shallow V shape, when removing the cartridge, the cartridge can be pulled out in a horizontal direction without interfering with the stay members 81L and 81R by slightly lifting the cartridge. .

  In the present embodiment, in conjunction with the opening / closing operation of the apparatus opening / closing door 31 (FIG. 6), the tray 35 supporting the cartridge is lifted, whereby the cartridge is lifted upward from the image forming position, and the cartridge and the stay member 81L. -Interference with 81R is avoided. Hereinafter, a position where the cartridge and the tray 35 are located above the image forming position and stored in the apparatus main body is referred to as a “mounting position”.

  When the cartridge and the tray 35 are in the “image forming position”, the drive output unit on the apparatus main body side is coupled to the drive input unit of the cartridge, and the electrical contact of the cartridge and the power supply system on the apparatus main body side are electrically connected. is doing. On the other hand, when it is not in the “image forming position”, the connection between the drive input unit of the cartridge and the drive output unit on the apparatus main body side is released, and the electrical continuity between them is released.

<3: Image forming process>
With reference to FIG. 2, a process of forming an image on a sheet material as a recording medium with the above-described configuration will be described.

  First, the photosensitive drums 1 of the first to fourth cartridges PY, PM, PC, and PK are rotationally driven in a counterclockwise direction indicated by an arrow at a predetermined control speed. Further, the endless belt 13 is rotationally driven at a speed corresponding to the speed of the photosensitive drum 1 in the clockwise direction of the arrow (forward direction with respect to the drum rotation), and the scanner unit 11 also starts to drive.

  When the scanner unit 11 starts driving, the charging roller 2 uniformly charges the surface of the photosensitive drum 1 to a predetermined polarity and potential in each cartridge at a predetermined control timing in synchronization with this timing. Thereafter, the scanner unit 11 scans and exposes the surface of the photosensitive drum 1 with a laser beam L modulated in accordance with the image signal of each color, whereby the surface of each photosensitive drum 1 corresponds to the image signal of the corresponding color. An electrostatic latent image is formed. When the electrostatic latent image is formed, the electrostatic latent image is developed as a toner image by supplying toner from the developing device 3.

  Through the above process, a toner image corresponding to the yellow component of the full-color image is formed on the photosensitive drum 1 of the first cartridge PY, and a voltage is applied to the primary transfer roller 17 so that the yellow toner image is converted into an endless belt. 13 is first transferred onto the image. Further, a toner image corresponding to the magenta component of the full-color image is formed on the photosensitive drum 1 of the second cartridge PM, and the toner image is superimposed on the yellow toner image already transferred onto the endless belt 13. The primary transfer. Similarly, the toner image corresponding to the cyan component of the full-color image and the toner image corresponding to black are primarily transferred onto the endless belt 13 in an overlapping manner. In this manner, a four-color full-color unfixed toner image of Y color + M color + C color + K color is formed on the endless belt 13. In each cartridge, residual toner remaining on the surface of the photosensitive drum 1 after the primary transfer is removed by the cleaning device 4.

  On the other hand, when the feeding roller 20 is driven at a predetermined control timing, the sheet materials P stacked on the feeding tray 19 are one by one in cooperation with the feeding roller 20 and the separation pad 21. Separately fed. The fed sheet material P is introduced into a nip portion (secondary transfer nip portion) between the secondary transfer roller 22 and the endless belt 13. As a result, the four color toner images on the endless belt 13 are sequentially transferred onto the surface of the sheet material P in a batch as the sheet material P is nipped and conveyed through the secondary transfer nip portion.

  The sheet material P to which the color toner image has been transferred is separated from the surface of the endless belt 13 and introduced into the fixing device 23, where the toner image is fixed on the sheet material P at the fixing nip portion. Thereafter, the sheet material P is discharged from the fixing device 23, is nipped and conveyed by the discharge roller pair 24 as a full-color image formed product, and is discharged onto the discharge tray 25. The secondary transfer residual toner remaining on the surface of the endless belt 13 electrostatically adheres to the surface of the photosensitive drum 1 in the primary transfer portion of the first process cartridge PY and is removed by the cleaning device 4.

<4: About cartridge replacement>
Each of the first to fourth cartridges PY, PM, PC, and PK consumes toner as it is used for image formation, and when the toner is consumed to such an extent that a satisfactory quality image cannot be formed. The product value as a cartridge is lost.

  In this embodiment, a means (not shown) for detecting the remaining amount of toner of each cartridge is provided, and a threshold for the cartridge life warning or life warning preset in the control unit is compared with the detected remaining amount value. To do. For a cartridge whose remaining detection value is less than the threshold value, a life warning or a life warning for the cartridge is displayed on the display unit. This prompts the user to prepare a cartridge for replacement, or prompts the user to replace the cartridge to maintain the quality of the output image.

  Therefore, in this embodiment, the cartridge is configured to be detachable from the apparatus main body so that the user can easily replenish toner and perform other maintenance. Furthermore, four cartridges can be attached to and detached from the apparatus body at the same time, and the operability at the time of attachment and detachment is enhanced to further improve usability.

  The method for mounting / removing the cartridge to / from the apparatus main body will be described in detail below. In this embodiment, the cartridge is supported by the tray 35, and the cartridge is removed from the front of the apparatus main body together with the tray 35. That is, an opening 30 as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 is provided on the front side of the image forming apparatus in order to insert a cartridge into the apparatus main body or to remove the cartridge from the apparatus main body. The apparatus main body can be opened and closed between a closed position (the state shown in FIGS. 1 and 2) where the opening 30 is closed and an open position (the state shown in FIGS. 5 and 6) where the opening 30 is opened. A door 31 is provided.

  When the apparatus main body opening / closing door 31 is opened, the tray 35 can be sufficiently pulled out from the opening 30 to a predetermined “drawing position” outside the apparatus main body, as shown in FIGS. All of the first to fourth cartridges PY, PM, PC, and PK held on the tray 35 pass through the opening 30 and are exposed to the outside of the apparatus main body, and the upper surfaces of all the cartridges are opened. Here, in a state where the tray 35 is pulled out sufficiently, the movement of the tray 35 is prevented by a stopper portion (not shown) so that the tray 35 is not further pulled out.

Further, on the apparatus main body side, tray holding members 34L and 34R are provided as guide members that hold the tray 35 and guide the pull-out direction of the tray 35 (FIGS. 7, 8, and 9).
. By pulling out and inserting the tray 35 along the tray holding members 34L and 34R, the tray 35 and the cartridge can be mounted and pulled out while the posture of the cartridge is stabilized. A position where the user can attach and detach each cartridge from the tray 35 on the outside of the apparatus main body is hereinafter referred to as a “drawing position”.

  When the cartridge is replaced, the used cartridge to be replaced is lifted upward from the tray 35 and removed at the “drawing position” as shown in FIG. Then, a new cartridge is inserted into the tray 35 from above, and the cartridge is replaced. The tray 35 in which the new cartridge is inserted is returned to the “mounting position” again, and the door 31 is closed, so that each new cartridge is fixed at the “image forming position” in conjunction with the closing operation of the door 31. The image can be formed again.

<5: About the tray>
With reference to FIG.13 (b), the tray 35 in this embodiment is demonstrated. The tray 35 has a rectangular large frame portion, and the inside of the large frame portion is divided into four substantially equally in the front-rear direction by three partition plates 35f. Thereby, the 1st-4th horizontally long small frame part 35 (1)-35 (4) is formed in order from the rear frame 35c side to the front frame 35b side. In each of the small frame portions 35 (1) to 35 (4) formed in this way, the first to fourth four cartridges PY, PM, PC, and PK are held.

  In addition, a hole 35g through which a developing drive coupling 40 described later enters and exits is formed in the right frame 35e of each of the small frame portions 35 (1) to 35 (4). On the right side of the apparatus main body, there is a drum drive cup as a drive output unit connected to the drive input units 153 and 154 (FIG. 3A) on the cartridge side in order to transmit drive force to the photosensitive drum 1 and the developing roller 3a. A ring 39 and a development drive coupling 40 are provided. When the developing drive coupling 40 enters through the hole 35g and is connected to the developing roller 3a, the driving force can be transmitted to the developing roller 3a.

  Further, the tray 35 has intermediate electrical contact springs 72a to 72d (shaded portions in FIG. 10) that are electrically connected to the electrical contacts 155 (FIG. 3B) of the cartridge. This intermediate electrical contact can be electrically connected to body side electrical contacts 75a to 75d (FIGS. 10 and 11) provided in the apparatus body.

<6: About cartridge>
With reference to FIGS. 3A and 3B, the cartridge according to the present embodiment will be described. 3A is a perspective view of the cartridge as viewed from the driving side, and FIG. 3B is a perspective view of the cartridge as viewed from the non-driving side.

  The cartridge is a horizontally long box type assembly in which the rotation axis direction of the photosensitive drum 1 is the left-right direction and the left-right direction is the longitudinal direction. The photosensitive drum 1 is rotatably supported between bearings 151 and 152 disposed on the right side and the left side of the cartridge frame 5. The right bearing portion 151 is provided with a coupling fitting portion 153 as a drum drive input portion. Further, a coupling fitting portion 154 as a developing drive input portion for driving the developing roller 3a is provided on the right side surface portion.

  A cartridge electrical contact 155 is provided on the left side surface portion. Further, on the left side surface portion and the right side surface portion, a flange portion 156 is formed by extending the ceiling plate portion of the cartridge frame 5 in the left-right direction and projecting it. In such a cartridge, the right side surface where the coupling fitting portions 153 and 154 are formed is the driving side, and the left side surface portion on the opposite side is the non-driving side.

  Here, in the case of a cartridge having an openable drum cover (not shown) that protects the lower surface of the photosensitive drum 1, the cover is manually closed after the cartridge is removed from the tray 35. Also, before the new cartridge is placed on the tray 35, the cover is manually opened. Alternatively, the cover is automatically closed in the process of lifting the cartridge from the tray 35 and removing it. Conversely, the cover is automatically opened in the process of being fitted onto the tray 35 from above.

  Each cartridge is inserted into the corresponding small frame portion of the tray 35 from above, and the lower surfaces of the left and right flange portions 156 are received on the upper surfaces of the left and right frames 35d and 35e of the tray 35, thereby being supported on the tray 35. The That is, the tray 35 supports each cartridge so that it can be taken out right above. Thus, in this embodiment, when a cartridge is mounted on the tray 35, the cartridge can be mounted roughly.

<7: Configuration for enabling the cartridge to be attached to and detached from the apparatus body>
A description will be given of a configuration in which the cartridge held in the tray 35 can be attached to and detached from the apparatus main body between “image forming position” and “drawing position”.

  First, the configuration of the apparatus main body opening / closing door 31 (hereinafter referred to as “door 31”) will be described with reference to FIGS. The door 31 can be opened and closed with respect to the apparatus main body about a horizontal axis (hinge axis) 32 on the lower side of the door. That is, when the door 31 is rotated, the opening 30 of the apparatus main body can be opened or closed. In addition, in order to easily open and close the door 31, the door 31 is provided with an opening / closing finger hook 31a.

  Next, a configuration for guiding the insertion and withdrawal of the tray 35 will be described. A pair of left and right tray holding members 34L and 34R having a longitudinal direction in the front-rear direction are arranged on the inner side of the left frame 80L (FIG. 10) and the inner side of the right frame 80R (FIG. 11) of the main frame which is the skeleton of the apparatus body. Is arranged. The tray holding members 34L and 34R are each provided with two pin shafts 34c with a space therebetween in the front-rear direction. By engaging the pin shaft 34c with the guide holes 36 formed in the left and right frames 80L and 80R of the main frame of the apparatus main body (FIGS. 12 and 13 (a)), the tray holding member 34L is formed by the apparatus main body.・ 34R can be held.

  On the other hand, when the tray 35 is attached to the apparatus main body, the left and right frames 35d and 35e (FIG. 13B) of the tray 35 are provided inside the left and right tray holding members 34L and 34R in the front-rear direction guide groove. It fits in and is engaged with 34a (FIG. 8, FIG. 9, FIG. 10). Accordingly, the tray 35 is held between the left and right tray holding members 34L and 34R, and can slide horizontally in the front-rear direction with respect to the tray holding member 34 by sliding along the guide groove 34a.

  FIG. 12 shows an engaged state between the two pin shafts 34c in the left tray holding member 34L and a guide hole 36 provided on the apparatus main body side. Although the right side tray holding member 34R is not shown, it has the same configuration as that of the left side tray holding member 34L, and the description thereof will be omitted. As shown in the drawing, the guide hole 36 provided on the apparatus main body side has a shape extending in the front-rear direction of the apparatus main body (the direction in which the tray 35 is attached / detached). That is, the tray holding member 34 has a degree of freedom to move in the front-rear direction of the apparatus main body while the left and right sides of the tray holding member 34 are locked in the guide holes 36 on the apparatus main body side.

FIG. 13A shows an enlarged view of the engagement state between the guide holes 36 of the left and right frames 80L and 80R of the apparatus main body and the pin shaft 34c of the tray holding member 34. FIG. The guide hole 36 includes a first guide region 36a that is horizontal in the front-rear direction and a second guide region 36b that is inclined upward and connected to the first guide region 36a. Moreover, it has the 3rd guide area | region 36c connected to the top part of the 2nd guide area | region 36b, and receiving the pin axis | shaft 34c and hold | maintaining stably. By moving the pin shafts 34c of the tray holding members 34R and 34L in the guide holes 36, the tray holding member 34 can be moved in the apparatus main body.

  From the above, it has been described that the tray 35 is slidably held with respect to the tray holding member 34, and the tray holding member 34 is movably held by the guide holes 36 of the left and right frames 80L and 80R of the apparatus main body. In addition to this configuration, the present embodiment is characterized in that the opening / closing operation of the door 31 and the moving operation of the tray holding member 34 can be interlocked. Hereinafter, with reference to FIG. 9, an interlocking mechanism between the opening / closing operation of the door 31 and the tray holding member 34 will be described.

<8: About the connecting arm>
The hinge portions 32L and 32R of the door 31 are provided horizontally in the left-right direction with respect to the apparatus main body, and both left and right ends thereof are rotatably supported between bearing members (not shown) provided on the left and right of the apparatus main body. Is retained. The bearing member on the apparatus main body side may be formed integrally with the left and right frames 80L and 80R.

  Also, as shown in FIG. 12, near the left and right ends of the door 31, connecting arms (first interlocking means) 37L and 37R are provided on the left and right, respectively. The connection arms 37L and 37R are for connecting the door 31 and the tray holding member 34. The hinge portions 120L and 120R of the connecting arms 37L and 37R are provided horizontally in the left-right direction with respect to the apparatus main body, and are rotatably held with respect to bearing members (not shown) provided on the left and right of the apparatus main body. ing. This bearing member may be formed integrally with the left and right frames 80L and 80R.

  The connecting arms 37L and 37R are respectively provided with lateral shafts 37a and 37b. The horizontal shaft 37a of the left connecting arm 37L is fitted into a vertically long hole 34A formed in the front lower portion of the left tray holding member 34L, and the horizontal shaft 37b is fitted into a groove 31B provided on the left side surface portion of the door 31. is doing. Further, the lateral shaft 37a of the right connecting arm 37R is fitted into a vertically long hole 34A formed in the lower front portion of the right tray holding member 34R, and the lateral shaft 37b is inserted into a groove 31B provided on the right side surface portion of the door 31. It is inserted.

  As described above, the door 31 and the tray holding members 34L and 34R are coupled to each other via the lateral shafts 37a and 37b of the coupling arms 37L and 37R, the vertically long hole 34A, and the groove 31B. Thereby, when the door 31 is opened and closed, a moving force in the front-rear direction acts on the left and right tray holding members 34L and 34R.

  The hinge portions 120L and 120R of the connecting arms 37L and 37R may be coaxial with the hinge portions 32L and 32R of the door 31. Furthermore, even if the connecting arms 37L and 37R are integrally formed with the door 31, and the connecting arms 37L and 37R rotate in the same phase as the door 31, the door 31 and the tray holding members 34L and 34R are interlocked. It is possible.

<9: About pressing member>
In this embodiment, pressing members 42L and 42R are provided in the apparatus main body in order to fit the cartridge into the positioning portion 41 and fix the cartridge inserted to the image forming position. By providing the pressing members 42L and 42R in this way, the cartridge can be reliably positioned at the image forming position even if the cartridge is mounted on the tray 35 to some extent at the drawing position. The pressing members 42L and 42R used here press the left and right upper surfaces of the cartridge, respectively, and utilize the elastic action of the pressing springs 43L and 43R (FIG. 14).

  A pressing member 42R shown in FIG. 14A is provided on the right side of the apparatus main body, and is responsible for pressing each process cartridge downward in the apparatus main body. On the other hand, the pressing member 42L shown in FIG. 14B is provided on the left side of the apparatus main body, and in addition to the lower direction of the apparatus main body, each process cartridge is arranged in the left direction of the apparatus main body (the rotation axis direction of the photosensitive drum 1). It is responsible for the operation of pressing against the reference surface on the apparatus main body side. This reference plane corresponds to the “first positioning portion”.

  That is, each cartridge is first pressed leftward from the mounting position by the pressing member 42L, and the position in the left-right direction of the apparatus main body is fixed. Thereafter, each cartridge is abutted against the positioning portion 41 at the image forming position by the pressing members 42L and 42R, and is fixed at the image forming position. In other words, after the cartridge is positioned at the “first positioning portion”, it is positioned at the “second positioning portion” so that each cartridge is reliably positioned with high accuracy with respect to the “image forming position”. Hereinafter, the pressing members 42L and 42R will be described in more detail.

  14 and 15 are schematic configuration diagrams when the apparatus main body is viewed from the upper left direction, and FIG. 14B is a schematic configuration diagram when the apparatus main body is viewed from the upper right direction of the apparatus main body. FIG. 16A is an enlarged view of the pressing member 42R, the drum driving coupling 39, and the development driving coupling 40 in the pressing state shown in FIG. FIG. 16B is an enlarged view of the pressing member 42R, the drum driving coupling 39, and the development driving coupling 40 in a state where the pressing shown in FIG. 15 is released.

  First, a configuration in which the upper surface of the right end portion of the cartridge is pressed by the pressing member 42R will be described. As shown in FIG. 16A, the pressing member 42R is provided in the apparatus main body so as to be rotatable around a fulcrum 44, and the upper surface of the right end of the cartridge is elastically applied by the pressing spring 43R (biasing means). Can be pressed by the contact portion 45R.

  16B, the abutting portion 45R is pushed up against the elastic force by the pushing member pushing-up portion 46 provided on the tray holding member 34R interlocked with the rotational movement of the door 31, and the cartridge is loaded into the cartridge. In this configuration, the pressing is released.

  Next, a configuration in which the upper surface of the left end portion of the cartridge is pressed by the pressing member 42L will be described. The present embodiment is characterized in that the cartridge is pressed in the left direction of the apparatus main body and the lower direction of the apparatus main body by the pressing member 42L.

  17 to 19 are cross-sectional views of the pressing member 42L and the cartridge along the left-right direction of the main body, and show the pressing release state and the pressing state of the pressing member 42L and the middle thereof (the pressing state with respect to the longitudinal direction of the cartridge). It is a figure. FIG. 23 is a view showing the operation of the door 31, the tray holding member 34L, the tray 35, and the pressing member 42L on the right side surface of the apparatus main body.

  As shown in FIG. 17, the pressing member 42L is provided with a base (not shown) that receives the pressing spring 43L at its upper end. When the contact portion 45L is pressed to the left by the pressing spring 43L, the cartridge moves to the left and hits the first positioning portion provided on the left frame 80L or the left stay 81L (FIG. 4). (See FIGS. 18 and 19). As a result, the cartridge is accurately positioned in the direction of the rotation axis of the photosensitive drum. The “first positioning portion” may be formed integrally with the left frame 80L or may be formed by a separate member.

  The pressing member 42L is configured to move only in the vertical direction by engaging the guide pin 42La with a first guide hole (not shown) provided in the left frame 80L. Furthermore, hooks 42Lb provided at at least two locations engage with a second guide hole (not shown) formed in the left frame 80L so that the pressing member 42L does not move in the right direction of the apparatus main body.

  In the pressed release state of FIG. 17, the pressing member 42 </ b> L moves in the upward direction of the apparatus body in conjunction with the tray holding member 34 </ b> L that is interlocked with the rotational movement of the door 31, and the pressing on the cartridge is released. On the other hand, in the pressed state of FIG. 19, each cartridge PY / PM / PC / PK held on the tray 35 has its upper surface portion on the left side pressed by the pressing member 42L. The body is pressed downward.

  As described above, when the door 31 is opened and closed, the tray holding members 34R and 34L interlocked with the door 31 are moved, whereby the pressing members 42L and 42R move up and down to press the cartridge. In addition, the drive means (couplings 39 and 40) provided on the apparatus main body side can be connected to and separated from the cartridge.

  In this embodiment, the pressing springs 43R and 43L are used as the means for pressing the cartridge. However, the pressing means is not limited to this, and the pressing members 42R and 42L are formed of a flexible material. It may be the case. In that case, the pressing springs 43R and 43L can be omitted.

  In the present embodiment, the pressing members 42R and 42L are provided on the left and right sides of the apparatus main body, respectively, but they may be integrated. However, in that case, a means for abutting the cartridge against the “first positioning portion” in the longitudinal direction (rotating axis direction) of the photosensitive drum 1 (for example, as will be described later, a taper surface is provided on the pressing member 42L to draw the cartridge. Means).

<10: Removal operation of cartridge from main body>
The operation of the cartridge when the door 31 is opened from the closed state will be described in detail.

  FIGS. 12A, 20A, and 23A show a state in which the door 31 is closed with respect to the apparatus main body. In this state, the left and right tray holding members 34L and 34R are moved rearward in the apparatus main body through the hinge shaft 32, the connecting arms 37L and 37R, the lateral shaft 37a, and the vertically long hole 34A. Further, the pin shaft 34c provided on the tray holding member 34 is located at the rear end portion of the first guide region 36a of the guide hole 36 on the apparatus main body side (FIG. 13A).

  Therefore, the left and right tray holding members 34L and 34R are held at predetermined lowered positions with respect to the left frame 80L and the right frame 80R, respectively. Accordingly, the tray 35 held by the tray holding members 34L and 34R is also held at a predetermined lowered position (image forming position).

Next, as shown in FIGS. 23A to 23C, the door 31 and the tray holding member 34 are connected in conjunction with the operation of opening the door 31 (operation 1 in FIG. 20). The connecting arm 37 is rotated (operation 2 in FIG. 20). By this operation, the tray holding member 34 moves in the front direction of the apparatus main body. 12 (a) to 12 (b) or 13 (a), the pin shaft 34c provided in the tray holding member 34 is a first guide of the guide hole 36 on the apparatus main body side. It moves from the region 36a by a distance a1 in the horizontal direction (right direction in FIGS. 12 and 13).

  FIGS. 12B, 20B, and 23B show a state in which the door 31 is partially opened. In the course of movement of the tray holding members 34L and 34R by the distance a1, the drum drive coupling and the development drive coupling for each cartridge are released (state shown in FIG. 16B).

  When the door 31 is continuously opened (operations 1 and 2 in FIG. 20), the tray holding members 34L and 34R are further pulled forward in the apparatus main body in conjunction with the opening. As a result, the pin holding shaft 34c is guided by the second guide region 36b of the guide hole 36 and the tray holding members 34L and 34R move obliquely upward (distance a2 in the horizontal direction and distance b in the vertical direction). That is, the tray holding members 34L and 34R move obliquely upward with respect to the apparatus main body (operation 3 in FIG. 20B).

  In the process of moving the tray holding members 34L and 34R obliquely upward of the pin shaft 34c, the electrical connection between the electrical contact 155 of each cartridge and the apparatus main body is released. Further, the positioning and fixing of the tray 35 is released.

  20A to 20B, when the tray 35 is raised, the lower surface of the left and right flanges 156 of the cartridge is received by the upper surfaces of the left and right frames 35d and 35e of the tray 35. (Operations 4 and 5 in FIG. 20B).

  The pressing member 42L can move freely with respect to the left frame 80L in the vertical direction of the apparatus main body by a predetermined movement amount. The pressing member 42L is provided with a guide pin 42La for engaging with the pressing member lifting groove 110 provided in the tray holding member 34L (the pressing member lifting groove 110 and the guide pin 42La are connected to the second member). Called interlocking means).

  When the door 31 is opened in FIG. 20B, the tray holding member 34L moves, so that the pressing member push-up groove 110 also moves in the forward direction of the apparatus main body. That is, in FIG. 21A, the relative positional relationship between the pressing member push-up groove 110 and the guide pin 42La is d1 in the horizontal direction, and the guide pin 42La moves to the right. Further, when the operation of opening the door 31 (the operation 1 in FIG. 20) continues, the guide pin 42La in FIG. 21A further moves relatively by d2 in the horizontal direction and e in the vertical direction. By this movement, the abutting portion 45L of the pressing member 42L is pushed up, so that the pressing member 42L moves away from the tray 35 in the upward direction of the apparatus main body, and the pressure on the cartridge is released. Then, the engagement between the protrusion 157 of the cartridge and the abutting portion 45L of the pressing member 42L is released.

  FIGS. 21B and 22 are cross-sectional views of the pressing member 42R and the cartridge along the left-right direction of the apparatus main body, and are enlarged views of the pressing member 42R, the tray holding member 34, the tray 35, and the upper portion of the cartridge. Note that the notation of the pressing spring 43R that presses the pressing member 42R is omitted in FIG. 21B and FIG. FIG. 23 is a diagram illustrating operations of the door 31, the tray holding member 34R, the tray 35, and the pressing member 42R on the left side surface of the apparatus main body.

  Similarly to the pressing member 42L, the pressing member 42R has a relative relationship between the pressing member push-up groove 110 and the guide pin 42Ra by engagement between the guide pin 42Ra of the pressing member 42R and the pressing member push-up groove 110 (second interlocking means). The positional relationship is d1 in the horizontal direction. Further, when the opening of the door 31 continues, in FIG. 21A, the door 31 further moves by d2 in the horizontal direction and e in the vertical direction.

  Due to this movement (operation 3 in FIG. 20B), the tray holding member 34R moves upward in the apparatus main body, whereby the pressing member 42R is rotated counterclockwise in FIG. Then, the pressure on each cartridge shifts from the pressed state (the state shown in FIG. 21B) to the released state (the state shown in FIG. 22).

  Further, as shown in FIG. 16, the release lever pin 47 is provided with a release lever 48 (drive cutting means for cutting the drive of the cartridge) provided at the center of the coupling in order to move the drum drive coupling 39 backward (to the right of the apparatus main body). ). Then, in conjunction with the movement of the tray holding member 34R, the release lever pin 47 moves from the position of FIG. 16 (a) to the position of FIG. 16 (b). The operation of the release lever 48 causes the drum drive coupling 39 and the development drive coupling 40 to move backward to the position (b). That is, the drum drive coupling 39 and the development drive coupling 40 for each cartridge are released.

  Thus, the state shown in FIG. 15, that is, the drum drive coupling 39, the development drive coupling 40, and the pressing members 42L and 42R are released in conjunction with the movement of the tray holding members 34L and 34R. Thus, the cartridge is released from the fixing of the stay members 81L and 81R from the positioning portion 41.

  FIG.12 (c) and FIG.20 (c) have shown the state by which the door 31 was opened. In this state, the pin shaft 34c of the tray holding members 34L and 34R finishes the oblique upward movement by the second guide region 36b, and the pin shaft 34c is positioned in the horizontal third guide region 36c. That is, the tray holding members 34L and 34R move in the horizontal direction after moving obliquely upward (operations (3) in FIGS. 20B and 20C).

  Thereafter, when the tray 35 is pulled out of the tray holding members 34L and 34R and the cartridge is replaced, the moving portion stabilizes the position of the cartridge and the tray holding member in the height direction, and the tray holding members 34L and 34R This is to prevent the movement to return.

  At this time, the tray holding member 34R continues to move in the forward direction of the apparatus main body (operation 3 in FIG. 20C), so that the pressing member push-up portion 46 provided on the tray holding member 34R makes contact with the tray holding member 34R. The part 45R is pushed up. As a result, the pressing member 45 is further rotated counterclockwise in FIG. 16, and the pressing of the cartridge against the tray 35 is released (the state of FIG. 22 and the state of FIG. 23 (c)).

  Note that the pressing member push-up portion 46 is configured such that the pressing member 42R is in a pressed release state until the tray holding member 34R moves from d2 to d3 forward of the apparatus main body.

  In summary, the left and right tray holding members 34L and 34R, which are guide members, are guided by the first guide region 36a in a direction intersecting the direction in which the photosensitive drum 1 of the cartridge and the belt 13 are in contact with each other. Move (first movement).

  At this time, the tray holding members 34L and 34R cut the drive of the cartridge in the first movement, and the tray 35 follows the movement in accordance with the movement of the direction component in which the photosensitive drum 1 and the belt 13 contact each other. .

Thereafter, the tray holding members 34L and 34R are guided to the first guide region 36a, and have two directional components: a direction in which the photosensitive drum 1 and the endless belt 13 are in contact with each other, and a direction that intersects the direction in which the contact is made. Move diagonally. At the same time, the tray 35 and the pressing member 42L move following the tray holding members 34L and 34R in the direction intersecting with the direction in which the photosensitive drum 1 and the endless belt 13 contact (second movement).

  Then, the tray holding members 34L and 34R move in a direction intersecting with the direction in which the photosensitive drum 1 and the endless belt 13 are in contact (third movement). Further, the pressing member 42L moves away from the tray 35, and the pressing member 42R releases the pressing (fourth movement).

  According to these operations, in the state of FIG. 15, that is, in the state where the drum drive coupling 39, the development drive coupling 40, and the pressing members 42L and 42R are released in conjunction with the movement of the tray holding member 34, The tray 35 can be freely slid. Therefore, the user can insert / draw the tray 35 into / from the apparatus main body with the tray 35 loaded with cartridges.

<11: Mounting operation of cartridge to main body>
When the cartridge is mounted on the apparatus main body, a new cartridge is inserted into the tray 35 as shown by a two-dot chain line in FIG. As described above, the tray 35 is provided with a plurality of small frame portions, and cartridges are inserted into the corresponding small frame portions from above, and these cartridges are roughly held on the tray 35. Therefore, when the user mounts each cartridge on the tray 35, the cartridge can be mounted without worrying about a slight inclination or a positional deviation during the mounting operation or after the mounting.

  In the present embodiment, the upper surface of the left and right frames 35d and 35e of the tray 35 receives the lower surface of the flange portion 156 that extends and extends the ceiling plate portions of the cartridge frame 5 described above in the left and right direction, so that the cartridge Can be held on the tray 35. Therefore, since there is no poor insertion such as half-insertion, which is a concern with conventional abutting members when the cartridge is mounted, the user can easily mount the cartridge without worrying about poor insertion. .

  Next, operations after the cartridge is mounted on the tray 35, the tray 35 is moved from the drawing position to the mounting position, the door 31 is closed, and the cartridge reaches the image forming position will be described. This operation is the reverse of the operation of opening the door 31 described in “10: About the operation of taking out the cartridge from the apparatus main body” described above.

  FIG. 24 is a diagram illustrating a state from the state where the door 31 is opened (the state where the tray 35 is in the mounting position) to the state where the door 31 is closed.

  FIG. 24A shows a state where the door 31 is opened with respect to the apparatus main body. In this state, the left and right tray holding members 34L and 34R are moved forward in the apparatus main body through the hinge shaft 32, the connecting arms 37L and 37R, the lateral shaft 37a, and the vertically long hole 34A (FIG. 12 ( c)). That is, the pin shaft 34c provided on the tray holding member 34 is located at the front end of the apparatus main body in the second guide region 36c of the guide hole 36 on the apparatus main body side. Accordingly, the left and right tray holding members 34L and 34R and the tray 35 held by the left and right tray holding members 34L and 34R are held at the mounting position.

  As shown in FIGS. 24A to 24C, the connecting arm 37 </ b> L that connects the door 31 and the tray holding members 34 </ b> L and 34 </ b> R in conjunction with the operation of closing the door 31 (operation 1 in FIG. 24). 37R rotates (operation 2 in the figure). By the second operation, the left and right tray holding members 34L and 34R shown in FIGS. 12B, 12C, and 13A move backward in the apparatus main body. That is, the tray holding member 34 is moved by a distance a3 in the horizontal direction (leftward in FIG. 13A) by the third guide region 36c provided in the frames 80L and 80R.

  When the door 31 is further closed, the relative position between the pressing member push-up groove 110 provided on the tray holding member 34L side shown in FIG. 21A and the guide pin 42La of the pressing member 42L changes. That is, the pressing member push-up groove 110 moves rearward of the apparatus main body (the guide pin 42La is moved leftward in FIG. 21A). Then, due to the engagement between the guide pin 42La of the pressing member 42L and the pressing member push-up groove 110, the guide pin 42La relatively moves by d3 to d2 in the horizontal direction and e in the vertical direction.

  By this movement, the contact portion 45L of the pressing member 42L is pushed down via the pressing spring 43L, and the cartridge is urged downward in the apparatus main body (downward direction in FIG. 17). Then, the protrusion 157 and the contact portion 45L of the cartridge come into contact with each other (the state shown in FIG. 18). In addition, since high accuracy is required for positioning of the bearing portions 151 and 152 of each cartridge, the positioning portion 41 is mainly composed of a sheet metal that easily obtains high accuracy. For this reason, after the bearings 151 and 152 of the cartridge come into contact with the positioning portion 41, it is often difficult to move the cartridge in the left-right direction of the apparatus main body because the sliding resistance increases. That is, it becomes difficult to correct the lateral displacement of the cartridge main body.

  Therefore, in this embodiment, after the cartridge is abutted to the “first positioning portion” in the left direction of the apparatus main body (the rotation axis direction of the photosensitive drum 1) at the image forming position, the cartridge is urged downward in the apparatus main body. The cartridge is reliably positioned at the image forming position.

  That is, the pressing spring 43L is inclined by a predetermined angle with respect to the vertical direction of the apparatus main body so that it can be pressed not only in the downward direction of the apparatus main body but also in one of the horizontal directions of the apparatus main body (in this embodiment, the left direction of the apparatus main body). (FIG. 17). In this embodiment, the urging direction of the pressing spring 43L is inclined by 48 ° with respect to the vertical direction of the apparatus main body, but the inclination angle of the urging direction of the pressing spring 43L is not limited to this.

  As shown in FIG. 17, the pressing spring 43L is configured such that the calling portion height la of the contact portion 45L is smaller than the contact allowance lb until the contact portion 45L comes into contact with the upper surface of the cartridge. Yes. If the calling portion height la of the contact portion 45L is larger than the contact allowance lb until the contact portion 45L comes into contact with the upper surface of the cartridge, the cartridge only moves to the left in FIG. By not being able to move in the direction. Further, by providing a tapered surface at the tip of the notch portion of the contact portion 45L as the calling portion, the device body is first pressed in the left direction (the state of FIG. 18), and then the device body is moved downward. Pressing can be performed (state shown in FIG. 19).

  As described above, in this embodiment, when the cartridge is on the right side of the image forming position in the left-right direction of the apparatus main body, the contact portion 45L of the left pressing member 42L moves the cartridge in the left direction of the apparatus main body, and then the cartridge Can be pressed downward in the apparatus main body. By providing such position correcting means, when the cartridge is mounted on the tray 35, the user can mount the cartridge on the tray 35 in a relatively rough state.

  Similarly, on the right side of the apparatus main body, the cartridge is pressed downward by the right pressing member 42R. That is, due to the engagement between the guide pin 42Ra and the pressing member lifting groove 110 (second interlocking means), the relative positional relationship between the pressing member lifting groove 110 and the guide pin 42Ra is d3 to d2 in the horizontal direction, and the vertical direction. Move by e.

By this movement, the tray holding member 34R moves in the rearward direction of the apparatus main body, so that the pressing member push-up portion 46 that pushes up the contact portion 45R of the pressing member 42R is separated from the contact portion 45R. As a result, the pressing member 42R is rotated in the clockwise direction in FIG. 16 by the action of the pressing spring 43R, and the cartridge is pressed (from the state shown in FIG. 16B to the state shown in FIG. 16A). At this time, in the vertical direction of the apparatus main body, the cartridge is received by the upper surfaces of the left and right frames 35d and 35e of the tray 35.

  The cartridges are pressed downward by the pressing members 42L and 42R, and the left and right tray holding members 34L and 34R are obliquely lowered along the second guide region 36b of FIG. (It moves to the distance a2 in the horizontal direction and the distance b in the vertical direction. With this operation, the tray holding members 34L and 34R and the tray 35 and the pressing member 42L connected to the tray holding members 34L and 34R are distanced downward with respect to the apparatus main body. 24 (operations 4 and 5 in Fig. 24) By this movement, each cartridge temporarily held by the tray 35 is abutted against the positioning portion 41 (second positioning portion) of the stay member 81.

  As described above, since the positioning portion 41 has a shallow upward V-shape, the cartridges PY, PM, PC, and PK are surely positioned at the image forming positions by pressing the pressing members 42L and 42R below the apparatus main body. can do. That is, the plurality of cartridges are held at the image forming position, and the lower surface of the photosensitive drum 1 of each cartridge comes into contact with the endless belt 13 at a predetermined position. At this time, the tray 35 is positioned below each cartridge (state shown in FIG. 24C). Further, in the process of moving the tray holding members 34L and 34R obliquely downward of the pin shaft 34c, electrical connection between the electrical contact 155 of each cartridge and the power supply system on the apparatus main body side is ensured.

  When the door 31 is further closed from the above state, the tray holding members 34L and 34R further move backward in the apparatus main body. Therefore, the relative positional relationship between the pressing member push-up groove 110 and the guide pins 42La and 42Ra moves in the horizontal direction (left direction in FIG. 21A) by d1. At the same time, the positional relationship of the tray holding members 34L and 34R with respect to the apparatus main body, that is, the positional relationship between the guide regions 36 provided on the frames 80L and 80R and the pin shaft 34c is determined by the first guide region in the rear direction of the apparatus main body (FIG. The region 36a in (a) is moved to the left).

  During this time, the release lever pin 47 shown in FIG. 16 moves from the position shown in FIG. 16B to the position shown in FIG. 16A in conjunction with the movement of the tray holding member 34R. By the operation of the release lever 48, the drum drive coupling 39 and the development drive coupling 40 move forward to the position shown in FIG. That is, the drum drive coupling 39 and the development drive coupling 40 for each cartridge are connected. Then, the front of the apparatus main body is closed by the door 31.

  As described above, after placing each cartridge on the tray 35 in the drawer position, the tray 35 is placed in the mounting position. By closing the door 31, the lower surface portions (positioned portions) of the driving-side bearing portion 151 and the non-driving-side bearing portion 152 become the positioning portion provided on the stay member (inner plate) of the apparatus main body. On the other hand, it is fixed in all directions of up / down / front / back / left / right of the apparatus main body. Each cartridge is in a predetermined position with respect to the apparatus main body.

  In this state, the lower surface of the photosensitive drum 1 of each cartridge is in a stable contact with the upper surface of the upstream belt portion of the belt unit 12 at a predetermined position.

As described above, the left and right tray holding members 34R and 34L are interlocked with the opening / closing operation of the door 31, but in order to reduce the opening / closing force of the door 31, the pressing of the pressing member and the engagement of the drive coupling are performed. It is preferable to set the release timings for each combination slightly different. That is, the drum drive coupling 39, the development drive coupling, and the pressing members 42L and 42
The release timing of R is made slightly different. Specifically, the positions of the release lever pin 47, the pressing member push-up portion 46, and the pressing member push-up groove 110 are moved to drive and press release timings, and further, the respective drive and press release timings between the cartridges. Make them different little by little. Thereby, the load which acts on the door 31 can be disperse | distributed, the force which acts on a door is reduced in the peak time at the time of opening and closing of the door 31, and the operation force at the time of a user operating the door 31 is reduced. It becomes possible.

  As described above, since the user mounts each cartridge on the tray 35 as a rough guide, the user can easily perform the mounting operation without being aware of the abutting direction and the posture at the time of cartridge insertion. It can be carried out. At the same time, even if the mounting state of each cartridge varies, the mounting position is uniquely determined when the cartridge is mounted on the apparatus main body. Therefore, the lower surface of the drum of each cartridge can be reliably brought into contact with the upper surface of the upstream belt portion of the belt unit 12, and a suitable image formation can be realized.

  Further, a conventional abutting member, particularly an abutting member (urging member) in the longitudinal direction (rotating axis direction) of the photosensitive drum of the cartridge is provided for the rough guide as in this embodiment. Inadequate insertion such as half insertion can be prevented.

  In this embodiment, the cartridge can be positioned with high accuracy by determining the position in the left-right direction of the apparatus main body before the bearing portions 151 and 152 of the cartridge come into contact with the positioning portion 41. Therefore, it is possible to stably form a high quality image.

<12: About power supply configuration>
A configuration in which power is supplied to the cartridge from the apparatus body side when the cartridge is mounted on the apparatus body will be described.

  FIG. 25 is a diagram illustrating a method of supplying power to each cartridge from the apparatus main body. Hereinafter, with reference to FIG. 14, FIG. 15, and FIG. 25, the power supply configuration in the present embodiment will be described.

  14 and 15 show a state where the door 31 is opened and the tray 35 is pulled out from the apparatus main body. The tray 35 is provided with a plurality of intermediate electrical contact springs 72a to 72d arranged in the horizontal direction in the apparatus main body and at the same position in the vertical direction, one end of which is an electrical contact 155 on the cartridge side (FIG. b)) and electrically connected. Here, the intermediate electrical contact springs 72a to 72d are configured to urge the electrical contact 155 on the left side surface portion of the cartridge to the right side when viewed from the apparatus main body (FIG. 25). This urging force has a magnitude that does not hinder the pressing member 42L from abutting the cartridge against the “first positioning portion” in the left direction of the apparatus main body.

  On the main frame of the apparatus main body, main body electric contact springs 75a to 75d electrically connected to the main body side power feeding portion 74 provided outside the left frame 80L are provided along the horizontal direction of the apparatus main body and in the vertical direction. A plurality are arranged side by side at the position (FIG. 11). The main body electrical contact springs 75a to 75d protrude to the tray 35 side through holes formed in the left frame 80L and the left tray holding member 34L (FIG. 10). FIG. 10 shows a state where the pressing member 42L is removed.

FIG. 25A and FIG. 25B show the state of electrical connection and disconnection between the intermediate electrical contact spring 72 and the body electrical contact spring 75 provided on the tray 35. Here, the tray 35, the intermediate electric contact spring 72, the left tray holding member 34L, the left frame 80L, the main body electric contact spring 75, the main body electric contact spring holder 76, and the main body side power feeding portion 74 are shown. FIG. 25A shows a state where the tray holding member 34L and the tray 35 are in the lowered mounting position with the door 31 closed. At this time, the main body electrical contact spring 75 and the intermediate electrical contact spring 72 are electrically connected. FIG. 25B shows a state in which the left tray holding member 34L and the tray 35 are in a position raised from the mounting position with the door 31 opened.

  At this time, the main body electrical contact spring 75 and the intermediate electrical contact spring 72 are electrically disconnected. Further, the tray 35 has a groove 77 extending in the front-rear direction of the apparatus main body so as not to come into contact with the portion of the main body electrical contact spring 75 protruding from the left tray holding member 34L toward the tray 35 side. Thus, the tray 35 can be pulled out without contacting the main body electrical contact spring 75.

  That is, the apparatus main body has main body electrical contacts 75 a to 75 d at positions away from the movement path of the intermediate electrical contact springs 72 a to 72 d of the tray 35. The intermediate electrical contact and the electrical contact of the apparatus main body are disconnected by moving (raising) the tray 35 upward from the mounting position by the tray holding members 34L and 34R, and moved downward toward the mounting position. Electrical connection is made by lowering.

  As described above, in FIGS. 14, 15, and 25, power is supplied to one power-supplied portion of each cartridge using one main body electrical contact spring and one intermediate electrical contact spring. However, there may be a case where each cartridge has a plurality of power supplied parts. Further, even when the heights of the plurality of power supplied parts in the vertical direction of the apparatus main body are different, a plurality of main body electric contact springs are arranged at different heights, and a plurality of positions are set at positions corresponding to the height of the main body electric contact spring of the tray. By opening the groove, it is possible to energize both.

  Further, when the same voltage is applied to a plurality of cartridges, a conductor serving as one intermediate electric contact that can be electrically connected to and disconnected from one main body electric contact spring is provided in the tray 35. A plurality of intermediate contact springs are provided in the tray 35 such that one end thereof is electrically connected to the conductor and the other end is electrically connected to and disconnected from the power-supplied portions of the plurality of cartridges. According to this configuration, it is possible to reduce the number of connection points between the intermediate contact spring and the main body electrical contact spring. Further, the shapes of the main body electrical contact spring and the intermediate contact spring and the direction of the contact pressure at each electrical connection portion are not limited to those shown in FIGS. 14, 15, and 25.

  In addition, the tray 35 has a conductor for distributing electrical connection, and the number of electrical connection points between the intermediate electrical contact and the cartridge electrical contact is greater than the electrical connection location between the intermediate electrical contact and the main body electrical contact. Good. Thereby, in the case where the same potential is used for each color, the number of components can be reduced, and the cost can be reduced.

  As described above, in this embodiment, a plurality of cartridges are placed on the tray 35 as a moving member, the cartridges are replaced by front access, and intermediate electrical contacts are provided on the tray. The apparatus main body and the cartridge are electrically connected as the tray 35 moves up and down.

  As a result, when the user replaces the cartridge, the insertion failure such as half-insertion can be prevented without worrying about the orientation of the cartridge insertion, and the replaced cartridge can be mounted at a stable image forming position. In other words, according to the present embodiment, in an image forming apparatus in which a cartridge can be attached and detached, the operability at the time of attaching and detaching the cartridge is improved, and an image forming apparatus capable of accurately positioning the cartridge with respect to the apparatus main body is provided. It becomes possible to do.

  30: Opening 31: Apparatus main body opening / closing door 34: Tray holding member 35: Tray 42: Pressing member

Claims (3)

An electronic device in which a process cartridge having an electrophotographic photosensitive member and a process means for forming a toner image on the electrophotographic photosensitive member is detachably supported by a movable member movable with respect to the main body of the electrophotographic image forming apparatus. In a photographic image forming apparatus,
The moving member is
A pull-out position where the process cartridge can be attached and detached, a position pulled out from the apparatus main body, a mounting position located in the apparatus main body, an image forming position where image formation is performed in the apparatus main body, and Can move between
In the device body,
A pressing member for pressing the process cartridge is provided in a state where the moving member mounted with the process cartridge is at the image forming position;
The pressing member is
In conjunction with the movement of the moving member from the mounting position to the image forming position, the process cartridge is pressed in the direction of the rotation axis of the photosensitive member, and the process is placed in a first positioning portion provided in the apparatus main body. An electrophotographic image forming apparatus characterized in that after positioning a cartridge, the process cartridge is pressed in a direction orthogonal to the rotation axis direction to position the process cartridge in a second positioning portion provided in the apparatus main body. . The electrophotographic image forming apparatus has a guide member,
The moving member is movable along the guide member;
The guide member is configured to be movable in the apparatus body in conjunction with an opening / closing operation of an opening / closing member that is formed on a front surface of the apparatus body and opens and closes an opening through which the moving member passes.
2. The moving member can be moved from the mounting position to the image forming position together with the guiding member by moving the guiding member in conjunction with an operation of closing the opening / closing member. The electrophotographic image forming apparatus described in 1. When the guide member moves in conjunction with the opening and closing operation of the opening / closing member, the moving member is configured to be movable from the image forming position to the mounting position together with the guide member.
In conjunction with the movement of the guide member when the moving member moves from the image forming position to the mounting position, the pressing state of the pressing member against the process cartridge is released. The electrophotographic image forming apparatus according to claim 2.

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