JP2012073297A - Image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image forming apparatus with a reduced height dimension that can improve operability of a user and reduce restriction such as limitation of installation location.SOLUTION: An image forming apparatus 10 includes a support member 30 on which a photoreceptor 21 and an LED light source 23 are mounted. The LED light source 23 is supported on the support member 30 so that the LED light source 23 can be apart from the photoreceptor 21. The support member 30 is arranged on an operation side of the image forming apparatus 10 so that the support member 30 can be drawn out. An opening 31 is formed in the support member 30 so that the photoreceptor 21 can be drawn out. The photoreceptor 21 is positioned outside the opening 31 and fixed on a second photoreceptor support member 42. A moving mechanism is provided on the LED light source 23 for keeping the LED light source 23 away from the photoreceptor 21 in the support member 30 according to the drawing out of the support member 30 and removal of the second photoreceptor support member 42.

Description

  The present invention relates to an electrophotographic image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, a printer, and a facsimile, and more particularly to an image forming apparatus including a light source composed of a light emitting element such as an LED arranged close to an image carrier.

  2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, in response to demands for miniaturization, high speed, and energy saving, an image forming apparatus using a light source (hereinafter, referred to as an LED light source) composed of a light emitting element such as an LED as a photoconductor and an exposure light source is provided. Has been. In such an image forming apparatus, the LED light source is disposed in the vicinity of an image carrier that is a photoreceptor. As an image forming apparatus, when exchanging the photoconductor, the photoconductor and the LED light source can be pulled out from the housing as one body, and only the photoconductor can be pulled out in a direction perpendicular to the pulling direction, for example, upward, for replacement. Some have a configuration.

  For example, in Patent Document 1, a plurality of process cartridges having photosensitive drums are detachably supported, and can be moved between a support frame configured to be able to be pulled out from a main body housing, and an exposure position and a retracted position. And a plurality of LED units that expose the photosensitive drum by arranging a plurality of light emitting units, and the support frame has a pair of side frames that face each other in the main direction in which the light emitting units are arranged. Are each formed with a guide groove having a guide portion for guiding the LED unit moving between the exposure position and the retracted position, and the guide groove is positioned in the sub direction perpendicular to the main direction and the exposure direction. A color printer having a positioning portion for performing the above is described.

  Patent Document 2 discloses that four process units having a photoconductor drum and arranged in the front-rear direction are arranged to face each photoconductor drum from above, and the photoconductor drum is exposed to electrostatically. Four LED units that form a latent image, a discharge tray that is provided above the LED unit and discharges the paper P on which the image is formed, and is provided above the discharge tray via a space portion, and an image of the document A color multi-function peripheral equipped with an image reading unit for reading the image unit, wherein the entire or part of the LED unit is moved to the space together with the discharge tray so that the process unit can be pulled out in the front-rear direction. ing.

  Further, in Patent Document 3, even when there are a plurality of image forming units that perform image forming processing including at least development processing, the image forming unit is mounted on the drawer so that it can be easily taken out from the machine body and can be easily maintained. The drawer body is configured to be mounted on the main body of the image forming apparatus, and the drawer body is held on the main body by two slide rails and can be pulled out.

  However, the one disclosed in Patent Document 1 enables replacement of the photosensitive member by retracting the LED light source after the LED light source is pulled out at the same time as the photosensitive unit. However, the opening angle of the arm member is increased. When trying to do so, it is necessary to widen the arrangement pitch of the photoconductors, and if the opening angle of the arm angle is small, it is necessary to remove the photoconductor unit while rotating the photoconductor unit in order to avoid interference with the LED light source. Installation / removal is not easy. Further, since the retracting mechanism requires an arm member or the like, there is a problem in compatibility between operability and space saving.

  Further, in the device described in Patent Document 1, the direction in which the photosensitive unit is pulled out is the front side, and the opening direction of the cover for paper jam removal processing is the back side. If the back side of the paper is installed on the wall, the user needs to move the device to open the jam processing cover on the back side every time the paper is jammed, and there is a problem that the installation location is not flexible.

  Further, although the image forming apparatus described in Patent Document 2 can reduce the height dimension of the image forming apparatus, the cover must be opened in the vertical direction, so that a sufficient space is required above and there is a margin above. The device cannot be used on a shelf that does not exist. In addition, the upper cover rotation trajectory must be set so as to avoid contact with the developer cartridge, and the position of the rotation fulcrum of the upper cover is limited, limiting the layout of each device in the image forming apparatus. There is a problem that there is.

  In Patent Document 3, the drawing direction of the drawer body on which the image forming unit is placed is different from the opening direction of the cover for performing the paper jam processing. Therefore, the image forming apparatus is installed in a place satisfying this condition. There is a problem that the place is limited.

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus capable of reducing the height dimension to reduce the size of the apparatus and improving the user operability to solve the above-described conventional problems. And

  The invention according to claim 1 is equipped with an image carrier, a light source that is arranged close to the image carrier and forms a latent image on the image carrier, and at least the image carrier and the light source, and the light source A support member that is detachably held from the image carrier, and a guide member that is installed in the apparatus main body and guides the support member toward the outside of the apparatus main body along a direction orthogonal to the axial direction of the image carrier. In the image forming apparatus, the image carrier is detachably attached to the support member in a direction perpendicular to the pull-out direction and along the axial direction of the image carrier via the image carrier holding member. In addition, the support member is provided with an opening through which the image carrier can be inserted, and the image carrier holding member is positioned and fixed to the support member outside the opening. The statue A light source that moves the light source in a direction perpendicular to the drawing direction of the support member of the image carrier and perpendicular to the drawing direction of the image carrier before the drawer of the holder from the opening An image forming apparatus including a moving mechanism.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the image forming apparatus according to the first aspect, the light source moving mechanism is configured such that the light source moves in conjunction with a drawing operation of the support member or a drawing operation of the image carrier. It is characterized by that.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the image forming apparatus according to the first or second aspect, a plurality of image carriers are juxtaposed on the support member, and a toner image carried by the plurality of image carriers is transferred. An intermediate transfer body, a recording medium storage section storing a recording medium to which a toner image is transferred from the intermediate transfer body, and a recording medium transport path for transporting the recording medium from the recording medium storage section to the intermediate transfer body The recording medium conveyance path is disposed on the operation unit side of the image forming apparatus, and the support member and the storage medium storage unit are configured to be pulled out to the operation unit side of the image forming apparatus. Features.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the image forming apparatus according to any one of the first to third aspects, the light source moving mechanism is slidably disposed on the support member, and the light source is placed on the image carrier. A slide member that moves in a direction away from the body is provided.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the image forming apparatus according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, a developer accommodating portion that accommodates a developer and a developing device that develops the image carrier are provided on the support member. The developer container and the developing device are mounted and detachable from the support member in a direction perpendicular to the pull-out direction of the support member and perpendicular to the pull-out direction of the image carrier. And an opening through which the developer container and the developing device can pass.

  A sixth aspect of the present invention is the image forming apparatus according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, wherein the support member includes a developer accommodating portion that accommodates a developer and a developing device that develops the image carrier. And the image carrier and the developing device are integrally configured, and are detachable from the support member in the axial direction of the image carrier, and the image carrier formed integrally with the support member and An opening is formed through which the developing device can pass.

  According to the present invention, the height dimension can be reduced, the apparatus can be miniaturized, and the operability such as replacement of consumables can be improved.

1 is a cross-sectional view schematically illustrating a configuration of an image forming apparatus according to a first embodiment. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the internal structure of the image forming apparatus. FIG. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line DD in FIG. 1 showing a state where the photosensitive member is attached to and detached from the support member. The schematic structure of a supporting member is similarly shown, (a) is a perspective view, (b) is sectional drawing which follows the FF line | wire in (a). An example of the rail used as a guide member is shown, (a) is a front view which shows a closed state and an open state, (b) is a cross-sectional view, (c) is a longitudinal cross-sectional view. FIG. 6 is a front view illustrating an attachment state of a photoconductor and a support member of an image forming apparatus according to a second embodiment. It is a perspective view which similarly shows an engaging groove part and a locking piece. It is a figure which similarly shows the attachment state to the support member of a slide member, (a) is a disassembled perspective view, (b) is a top view of a holding member. FIG. 10 is a perspective view illustrating an attachment state of a photoconductor and a support member of an image forming apparatus according to Embodiment 3. It is a perspective view showing an exchange state of an image forming device in a general image forming device. FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram illustrating a replenishment state of a recording medium in a paper tray in an image forming apparatus according to Embodiment 4. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating a state where a sheet is inserted into or refilled into the manual feed device. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating a paper jam process in the same conveyance path. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing a developer cartridge replacement process in the same manner. It is a schematic diagram which similarly shows the exchange process of a developing device. It is a schematic diagram which similarly shows the exchange state of a photoconductor.

  An image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention includes an image carrier as an image forming device, a light source that is disposed in proximity to the image carrier and forms a latent image on the image carrier, and a developer that contains a developer. And a developing unit that develops the image carrier with a developer to form a toner image on the image carrier. The image carrier, the developer container, the developing device, and the light source are mounted on a support member and can move along a guide member in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the image carrier. The light source is held on the support member so as to be separated from the image carrier.

  The image carrier is attached to the support member so as to be detachable in a direction perpendicular to the pulling direction through the image carrier holding member and along the axial direction of the image carrier. The support member has an opening through which the image carrier can be inserted, and the image carrier holding member is configured to be positioned and fixed to the support member outside the opening. Thereby, the image carrier can be pulled out from the opening by an external operation. The light source includes a light source moving mechanism that moves the light source in a direction in which the support member of the image carrier is pulled out and in a direction orthogonal to the direction in which the image carrier is pulled out. With the operation or the pulling-out operation of the image carrier, the image carrier is automatically retracted to a position separated from the image carrier.

<Example 1>
Hereinafter, an image forming apparatus according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention (hereinafter, simply referred to as an embodiment) will be described. In the following, several embodiments of the present invention are shown and described, but it is obvious that the present invention is not limited thereto. The image forming apparatus will be described as a color printer. However, as long as the image forming apparatus is an image forming apparatus, the image forming apparatus can be applied to a copier, a facsimile machine, a multi-function machine having these functions in combination. In addition, many modifications, changes, variations, substitutions, and equivalents will occur to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

  First, a schematic configuration of the image forming apparatus 10 will be described. The image forming apparatus according to this example is a color printer that employs an intermediate transfer method. FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a configuration of an image forming apparatus according to the embodiment, and FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing an internal structure of the image forming apparatus. The image forming apparatus 10 includes four image forming apparatuses 20Y, 20C, 20M, and 20K that generate toner images of four colors of yellow (Y), cyan (C), magenta (M), and black (K). . The image forming apparatuses 20Y, 20C, 20M, and 20K have the same configuration except that the color of the toner to be used is different. Therefore, the image forming device 20C will be described below.

  The image forming device 20C includes a drum-shaped photosensitive member 21 that rotates in the direction of the middle arrow A, a charging device 22 that charges the surface of the photosensitive member 21, and the surface of the charged photosensitive member 21 that is exposed by image information. A light source for forming an electrostatic latent image thereon, an LED light source 23 having an LED array, and development for forming a toner image on the photosensitive member 21 by developing the electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive member 21 with toner of each color. The device 24 is disposed above the developing device 24, and includes a developer cartridge 25 that is a developer accommodating portion.

  The image forming apparatus 10 also transfers the intermediate transfer body 11 onto which the toner images on the photoreceptors 21 of the image forming apparatuses 20Y, 20C, 20M, and 20K are transferred, and the color toner image on the intermediate transfer body 11. The secondary transfer device 12 for transferring to the paper P, the fixing device 13 for fixing the color toner image transferred to the paper P, the paper tray 14 as a recording medium accumulating portion for storing the paper P as a recording medium, and the photoreceptor 21. A cleaner (not shown) for cleaning the surface of the toner, an intermediate transfer cleaner (not shown) for removing the toner on the intermediate transfer body 11, and a paper transport path 15 through which the paper P is transported.

  Next, an image forming operation in the image forming apparatus 10 will be described with reference to FIG. First, an original image signal read from an original by an image reading device (not shown) or an original image signal created by an external computer (not shown) which is a host device is an image processing unit (not shown). And predetermined image processing is executed. When the surface of each photoconductor 21 is irradiated with light from the LED light source 23 based on the signal subjected to the image processing, an electrostatic latent image corresponding to the input image signal is formed on the photoconductor 21.

  The electrostatic latent image formed on each photoconductor 21 is developed with each color toner (developer) by each developing device 24, and a toner image of each color is formed on each photoconductor 21. The toner image formed on each photoconductor 21 is conveyed toward the intermediate transfer body 11 disposed opposite to each photoconductor 21 as the photoconductor 21 rotates in the direction of arrow A.

  On the other hand, the paper P stored in the paper tray 14 passes through the paper conveyance path 15 and is supplied toward the nip portion between the intermediate transfer body 11 and the secondary transfer device 12. The toner image is transferred onto the paper P. The toner image transferred onto the paper P is fixed by the fixing device 13 to obtain a desired image, and the paper P is discharged. Deposits such as residual toner adhering to the surface of the intermediate transfer body 11 where the transfer of the toner image onto the paper P is completed are cleaned, and one image forming operation is completed.

  The photoreceptor 21, the charging device 22, the LED light source 23, the developing device 24, and the developer cartridge 25 of the image forming devices 20 </ b> Y, 20 </ b> C, 20 </ b> M, and 20 </ b> K are mounted on the support member 30. The support member 30 is arranged in the image forming apparatus 10 so that it can be pulled out toward the paper conveyance path 15 (arrow B in FIG. 1). A cover member 17 that opens and closes about a shaft 16 is disposed on the paper conveyance path 15 side of the image forming apparatus 10. The cover member 17 is provided with an opening / closing door (not shown) that is opened when the support member 30 is taken out. The cover member 17 can be opened around the shaft 16 in the direction of arrow C. By opening the cover member 17, the paper transport path 15 can be accessed from the outside, and paper jam processing can be performed.

  In the image forming apparatus 10, the support member 30 is pulled out to the sheet conveyance path 15 side (arrow B in the figure), and at the same time, the LED light source 23 is separated from the photosensitive member 21. The image forming devices 20Y, 20C, 20M, and 20K are arranged in parallel on the support member 30, and the image forming devices 20Y, 20C, 20M, and 20K have substantially the same configuration. Therefore, in the following description, the image forming device 20 will be simply described unless otherwise required.

  FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line DD in FIG. 1 showing a state where the photosensitive member is attached to and detached from the support member in the image forming apparatus according to the first embodiment. 3A shows a state where the support member 30 is attached to the image forming apparatus 10, and FIG. 3B shows a state where the support member 30 is extracted from the image forming apparatus 10. The support member 30 is provided with a photoconductor 21 of the image forming device 20, an LED light source 23 as a light source, a charging device, and a developing device. In FIG. 3, the charging device and the developing device are not shown. The support member 30 forms a box body whose upper side is opened, and can be inserted into and removed from the image forming apparatus 10 in a direction perpendicular to the paper surface in the figure.

  The photoconductor 21 is disposed on the standing wall portion 32 of the support member 30 via a first photoconductor support member 41 and a second photoconductor support 42 provided at both ends of the rotation shaft 21a. The support member 30 is provided with an opening 31 having a size that allows the photoreceptor 21 and the first photoreceptor support member 41 to pass therethrough. The photoreceptor 21 together with the first photoreceptor support member 41 has an opening. It can be replaced by inserting and removing from 31 in the direction of arrow E in the figure.

  The first photoconductor support member 41 is disposed in the support member 30 and rotatably holds the rotation shaft 21 a on the support member 30. The second photoconductor support 42 is positioned and fixed outside the opening 31 formed in the support member 30 while holding the other rotation shaft 21 a rotatably. The second photoreceptor support 42 is attached to the support member 30 outside the opening 31 using a known removable fastening means such as a nut, an attachable / detachable fastener device, and an attachment mechanism.

  The LED light source 23 is attached to the support member 30 by fitting attachment members 23 a protruding from both ends into the support holes 37 formed in the support member 30. The support hole 37 is a long hole that is long in the vertical direction in the figure, and the LED light source 23 is held by the support member 30 so as to be movable in the vertical direction inside the support member 30.

  Further, a light source support member 43 is stretched over and fixed to the support member 30, and the LED light source 23 is urged upward in FIG. 3 between the light source support member 43 and the LED light source 23. A first spring 44 is disposed. Thereby, the LED light source 23 is biased upward.

  Further, light source pressing members 45 attached to the housing 50 of the image forming apparatus via the second springs 46 are in contact with both ends of the attachment member 23a of the LED light source 23 from above. The LED light source 23 is pressed downward by the second spring 46. The second spring 46 presses the attachment member 23 a downward with a stronger force than the first spring 44. For this reason, the photosensitive member 21 is urged downward while the support member 30 is disposed in the image forming apparatus 10.

  Further, a light source positioning member 47 is disposed below both ends of the mounting member 23a of the LED light source 23. The light source positioning member 47 is in contact with the first photosensitive member support member 41 and the second photosensitive member support member 42 to set the distance between the photosensitive member 21 and the photosensitive member 21. Accordingly, the LED light source 23 is pressed downward by the second spring 46 via the light source pressing member 45 in a state where the support member 30 is disposed in the image forming apparatus 10, and the light source positioning member 47 is moved to the first photoreceptor support member. 41 and the second photoconductor support 42 are brought into contact with each other, and the distance from the photoconductor 21 is maintained at a position suitable for exposure.

  In the image forming apparatus according to the first embodiment, when the photosensitive member 21 is replaced, the opening / closing door provided on the cover member 17 is opened, and the support member 30 is pulled out toward the paper conveyance path 15 (arrow B in FIG. 1). Then, as shown in FIG. 3B, the LED light source 23 that has been pressed to the photosensitive member 21 side by the second spring 46 via the light source pressing member 45 is moved and removed. The first spring 44 is separated from the photoreceptor 21 by the urging force of the first spring 44.

  In this state, the second photoreceptor support 42 is removed from the support member 30, and the photoreceptor 21 is pulled out from the opening 31 together with the first photoreceptor support member 41. Then, the first photoreceptor support member 41 and the second photoreceptor support 42 are attached to the new photoreceptor 21 and attached to the support member 30 in the reverse order of removal.

  When the replacement of the photoconductor 21 is completed, the support member 30 is pushed into the image forming apparatus 10. When the support member 30 is disposed at a predetermined position in the image forming apparatus 10, the light source pressing member 45 presses the mounting member 23 a, and the LED light source 23 resists the urging force of the first spring 44 and the LED light source 23 side. The light source positioning member 47 maintains an appropriate distance from the photoreceptor 21.

  Next, an example of the support member 30 will be described. 4A and 4B schematically show the structure of the support member, in which FIG. 4A is a perspective view, FIG. 4B is a cross-sectional view taken along line FF in FIG. 4A, and FIG. 20 and the like are not described, and only the basic structure of the support member 30 is shown. The actual support member 30 is provided with an opening 31 and a support hole 37 and a light source support member 43 and the like.

  The support member 30 includes a standing wall portion 32, a bottom wall 33, and a partition wall 34 to form a box, and a protruding flange 35 is formed on the standing wall portion 32 toward the outside. Further, a stop portion 36 for preventing the fall is formed at the end of the overhanging flange 35, and when the support member 30 is fully pulled out, it comes into contact with an exterior (not shown), a part of the housing 50, etc. The above withdrawal is prohibited. A guide groove 51 is formed in the housing 50 of the image forming apparatus 10 as a guide member. The support member 30 is fitted with the overhanging flange 35 in the guide groove 51, and is guided in a direction (arrow B) orthogonal to the axial direction of the photoconductor 21 and orthogonal to the extraction direction of the photoconductor 21. Such a guide structure is also used for guiding the paper tray 14.

  Moreover, a commercially available drawer rail can be used as the guide member. FIG. 5 shows an example of a rail used as a guide member. FIG. 5A is a front view showing a closed state and an open state, FIG. 5B is a cross-sectional view, and FIG. This pull-out rail 60 is manufactured by Accuride, and a rolling ball 64 is arranged between three pull-out members 61, 62, 63, and is opened and closed in three stages.

  Therefore, according to the image forming apparatus according to the first embodiment, the LED light source 23 is separated from the photoconductor 21 only by taking the support member 30 out of the image forming apparatus 10, so that the LED light source 23 and the photoconductor 21 are damaged. There is nothing to do. In the first embodiment, the LED light source 23 moves by a small amount of movement inside the support member 30, so that the member does not extend above the image forming apparatus 10. For this reason, the imaging device 20 can be reduced in size.

  Further, since the support member 30 is pulled out to the paper conveyance path 15 side, the paper jam processing and the photoconductor 21 replacement operation can be performed on the same side, and the photoconductor 21 replacement and the paper jam processing are performed. Therefore, it is not necessary to move the image forming apparatus 10, and the degree of freedom of installation of the image forming apparatus 10 can be increased.

<Example 2>
Next, Example 2 will be described. 6 is a front view showing a mounting state of the photosensitive member and the support member of the image forming apparatus according to the second embodiment, FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the engagement groove and the locking piece, and FIG. It is a figure which shows the attachment state to a member, (a) is a disassembled perspective view, (b) is a top view of a holding member.

  In the second embodiment, the photosensitive member 21 is taken out from the opening 31 provided in the support member 30, and the LED light source 23 at the exposure position is moved upward along with this operation. . For this reason, in Example 2, the second photosensitive member support 70 disposed outside the supporting member 30 of the two photosensitive member supporting members is rotated (arrow G in the drawing), thereby causing the supporting member 30 to move. The slide member 80 fitted in the slide groove 90 of the support member 30 is driven by this rotation operation, and the LED light source 23 supported by the slide member 80 is moved up and down.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the support member 30 is provided with an opening 31 having a size that is sufficiently large to take out peripheral devices including the photosensitive member 21, the charging device 22, and a cleaner. Around the opening 31, two locking pieces 75 and 76 are erected outward. The locking pieces 75 and 76 include standing portions 75a and 76a and heads 75b and 76b having a diameter larger than the standing portions 75a and 76a provided at the tips of the standing portions 75a and 76a.

  The second photoconductor support 70 is a plate member, covers the opening 31, and holds the photoconductor 21 rotatably on the rotation shaft 21a. Further, the second photoconductor support 70 is fixed to the support member 30 by being rotated by the angle θ from a state where the second photoconductor support 70 is tilted by the angle θ and is in close contact with the support member 30 (shown by a solid line in FIG. 6). (Indicated by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 6).

  In the second photoconductor support 70, engagement groove portions 72 and 73 are formed in which the engagement pieces 75 and 76 formed on the support member 30 are fitted and engaged with a rectangular plate-like support body 71. Further, the support body 71 is provided with a positioning pin 74 that contacts the slide member 80 connected to the LED light source 23 by the above-described rotation, and positions the LED light source 23 on the photosensitive member 21 and separates it from the photosensitive member 21. Prepare.

  As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the locking piece 75 is an outer surface of the standing wall portion 32, and is a cylindrical standing portion having a diameter d <b> 1 formed at a distance R <b> 1 from the center O of the photoreceptor 21. 75a and a disc-shaped head portion 75b formed at the tip of the locking piece 75 and having a diameter d2 larger than the diameter d1 of the standing portion 75a. The dimension h2 from the standing wall part 32 of the standing part 75a to the head part 75b is set slightly larger than the thickness dimension h1 of the second photosensitive member support body 70, and the second photosensitive body support body 70 is made good by the head part 75b. It can be fixed with accuracy. The locking piece 76 has the same configuration as the locking piece 75 except that the locking piece 76 is formed at a different angular position from the locking piece 75 at a distance of O to R2.

  As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the engaging groove 72 includes an arcuate groove 72a, a head passage hole 72b disposed on one end of the groove 72a, and a terminal disposed on the other end of the groove 72a. And an arc portion 72c. The groove 72a has a radius R1 as the width center in the diametric direction, and an angle between the arc that forms from the head passage hole 72b to the terminal arc 72c sandwiches the center O of the photoconductor 21 (the second photoconductor support 70 in FIG. 6). Is an arc-shaped cut.

  The groove part 72a has a width dimension d4 larger than the diameter d1 of the standing part 75a and smaller than the diameter of the head part 75b. On the other hand, the head passage hole 72b is an oval cut formed at one end of the groove 72a and having a diameter d3 larger than the diameter of the head 75b. Further, the terminal arc portion 72c has an arcuate outline having a diameter d5 that is smaller than the diameter d2 of the head portion 75b and slightly larger than the diameter d1 of the standing portion 75a. The terminal arc portion 72c contacts the standing portion 75a and fixes the second photoconductor support 70 with good positional accuracy.

  The other engagement groove 73 includes a groove 73a having a configuration similar to that of the engagement groove 72, a head passage hole 73b, and a terminal arc 73c, in addition to the radius of the groove 73a being R2. Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 6, with the second photoreceptor support 70 tilted by the angle θ, the locking pieces 75 and 76 are inserted into the head passage holes 72b and 73b, and the second photoreceptor support is supported as it is. When the body 70 is rotated by an angle θ so that the body 70 is not tilted, the heads 75 b and 76 b are engaged with the terminal arcs 72 c and 73 c, and the second photoreceptor support 70 is fixed to the support member 30. it can. Conversely, when the second photoconductor support 70 is rotated in the opposite direction with the second photoconductor support 70 attached to the support member 30, the engagement between the second photoconductor support 70 and the support member 30 is performed. The second photoconductor support 70 can be removed from the support member 30 by passing the opening 31 together with the photoconductor 21 after being released.

  The positioning pin 74 is a columnar member erected on the support member 30 side of the second photoreceptor support 70. The positioning pin 74 comes into contact with the upper surface 82 of the slide member 80 slidably attached to the support member 30 when the second photoreceptor support 70 is rotated from the tilted state to the tiltless state. 80 is pushed down, and the developing device 24 attached to the slide member 80 is disposed at the exposure position of the photoreceptor 21.

  As shown in FIG. 8, the slide member 80 is slidably disposed in a slide groove 90 formed in the standing wall portion 32 of the support member 30. The slide member 80 is a member made of a synthetic resin with low sliding resistance, in which upper projecting pieces 83 and 84 and lower projecting pieces 85 and 86 are formed on both sides of a square columnar main body 81. In the slide groove 90, insertion portions 92 and 93 of the lower protruding pieces 85 and 86 are formed at the lower portion of the rectangular slide hole 91, and a convex portion 94 for attaching the coil spring 110 to the lower end portion of the slide hole 91. Is formed. The coil spring 110 biases the slide member 80 upward in the drawing.

  The upper protruding pieces 83 and 84 and the lower protruding pieces 85 and 86 are separated by a dimension (also h2) that is slightly larger than the thickness dimension (h1 in FIG. 8 (2)) of the standing wall portion 32 constituting the slide hole 91. Configured. For this reason, the slide member 80 inserts the lower protruding pieces 85 and 86 from the insertion portions 92 and 93 of the slide groove 90, and the standing wall between the upper protruding pieces 83 and 84 and the lower protruding pieces 85 and 86. It can be installed in the slide groove 90 so as to sandwich the portion 32. Further, an inclined surface portion 87 is formed on the upper protruding piece 83 side of the upper surface 82 of the slide member 80 so that the positioning by the positioning pins 74 can be performed smoothly.

  In Example 2, when the second photoconductor support 70 is attached to the support member 30, as shown in FIG. 6, the groove portions 72 a of the engagement grooves 72 and 73 formed in the second photoconductor support 70. 73a, the heads 75b and 76b of the locking pieces 75 and 76 are locked and positioned at one end of the engaging grooves 72 and 73. At this time, the positioning pin 74 presses the upper surface 82 of the slide member 80 against the coil spring 110, and the LED light source 23 is disposed at an exposure position close to the photoreceptor 21.

  In order to remove the photoreceptor 21 from the support member 30, the second photoreceptor support 70 is rotated counterclockwise in FIG. 6 by an angle θ. Then, the engaging groove portions 72 and 73 rotate, and the head portions 75b and 76b of the locking pieces 75 and 76 move to the groove portions 72a and 73a of the engaging groove portions 72 and 73, respectively. In this state, the heads 75b and 76b can pass through the head passage holes 72b and 73b, so that the second photoreceptor support 70 can be removed from the support member 30.

  Further, when the second photoconductor support 70 is rotated, the positioning pin 74 is moved, and the inclined surface portion 87 of the upper surface 82 of the slide member 80 is slid and removed. As a result, the slide member 80 moves upward in the figure by the urging force of the coil spring 110, and the LED light source 23 is separated from the photoconductor 21. Therefore, the photoconductor 21 and the like can be taken out from the opening 31 without the LED light source 23 coming into contact with the photoconductor 21 and the like.

  In addition, when the photosensitive member 21 is replaced and placed in the support member 30, an operation opposite to the removal operation is performed. That is, the photoconductor 21 and the like are inserted into the support member 30 with the second photoconductor support 70 inclined by the angle θ. When the second photoreceptor support 70 is rotated clockwise by an angle θ with the heads 75b and 76b passing through the head passage holes 72b and 73b, the locking pieces 75 and 76 cause the grooves 72a and 73a to move. By sliding, the head passage holes 72 b and 73 b are positioned in contact with the terminal arcs 72 c of the grooves 72 a and 73 a, and the second photoreceptor support 70 is fixed to the support member 30.

  Further, by this rotation operation, the positioning pin 74 also moves, contacts the inclined surface portion 87 formed on the upper surface 82 of the slide member 80, and pushes down the slide member 80 against the urging force of the coil spring 110. As a result, the LED light source 23 is installed at an exposure position close to the photoreceptor 21.

  According to the second embodiment, when the photosensitive member 21 is attached or detached, the second photosensitive member support 70 is fixed in the axial direction only by rotating the second photosensitive member support 70, so that the photosensitive member 21 can be accurately attached. The support member 30 can be fixed. For this reason, incomplete installation of the photoconductor 21 can be prevented. Further, in the second embodiment, the LED light source 23 moves by a small amount inside the support member 30, so that the member for exchanging the photosensitive member 21 does not extend above the image forming apparatus 10, and the image forming apparatus. 10 can be reduced in size.

<Example 3>
Next, Example 3 will be described. FIG. 9 is a perspective view illustrating a state in which the photosensitive member and the support member of the image forming apparatus according to the third exemplary embodiment are attached. In the third embodiment, the photoreceptor 21 and peripheral devices including the charging device 22 and the cleaner are taken out at the same time. When the photoreceptor 21 is taken out and attached, the LED light source 23 attached to the slide member 130 is automatically used. Move vertically.

  The support member 30 has an opening 31 large enough to take out peripheral devices such as the photosensitive member 21, and the two engagement pins 141 and 142 sandwiching the opening 31. Is formed upright.

  The second photoconductor support 120 is a sufficiently large plate-like member that covers the opening 31, and holds the photoconductor 21 rotatably around the rotation shaft 21a. In addition, the second photoconductor support 120 is provided with engagement holes 122 and 123 into which the engagement pins 141 and 142 are inserted in the plate-like support body 121. The engagement holes 122 and 123 are firmly fitted into the engagement pins 141 and 142, and the attached second photoconductor support 120 is fixed to the support member 30 with high accuracy, and the photoconductor 21 is exposed to a predetermined exposure. Place in position. In addition, an insertion pin 124 having a pointed tip is erected on the support body 121 toward the support member 30. The insertion pin 124 is inserted into the slide member 130 to change the position of the slide member 130.

  The slide member 130 is fitted into a slide groove 140 formed in the support member 30 and guides the LED light source 23 in the vertical direction in the drawing along the vertical direction. The basic configuration of the slide member 130 and the slide groove 140 has substantially the same structure as the slide member 80 and the slide groove 90 shown in the second embodiment (see FIG. 8). Further, the slide groove 140 is provided with a coil spring 110 and urges the slide member 130 upward.

  A positioning hole 132 into which the insertion pin 124 is inserted is formed in the main body 131 of the slide member 130. A guide slope 133 that guides the insertion pin 124 from the surface of the support body 121 of the second photoconductor support 120 toward the positioning hole 132 is formed below the positioning hole 132. The guide slope 133 is a substantially conical curved surface that guides the insertion pin 124 from the surface position of the main body 131 to the positioning hole 132 below the positioning hole 132. When the insertion pin 124 is pressed, the slide member 130 is moved. The insertion pin 124 is guided to the positioning hole 132 while being moved downward.

  For this reason, when the second photoconductor support 120 is brought close to the support member 30 (arrow H in the figure), the engagement pins 141 and 142 of the support member 30 are inserted into the engagement holes 122 and 123 and the insertion pin 124 is inserted. Contacts the guide slope 133 of the slide member 130 and pushes the slide member 130 downward. Then, the slide member 130 stops and is positioned in a state where the insertion pin 124 is inserted into the positioning hole 132. Thereby, the LED light source 23 is arranged at an exposure position close to the photosensitive member 21.

  Conversely, when the second photoreceptor support 120 is removed from the support member 30 by removing the engagement pins 141, 142 of the support member 30 from the engagement holes 122, 123, the insertion pin 124 is removed from the guide slope 133 of the slide member 130. The slide member 130 is pushed up by the coil spring 110 and the LED light source 23 is separated from the photosensitive member 21.

  As described above, according to the third embodiment, the LED light source 23 can be arranged with high positional accuracy by simply attaching the second photoconductor support 120 to the support member 30. When the second photoconductor support 120 is removed from the support member 30, the LED light source 23 is lifted by the coil spring 110 via the slide member 130, and the LED light source 23 is separated from the photoconductor 21. Therefore, the second photoconductor support 120 can be attached to and detached from the support member 30 easily and accurately, and the LED light source 23 can be moved from the exposure position to the separated position in conjunction with this operation.

  Therefore, according to the third embodiment, the LED light source 23 moves by a small amount inside the support member 30, so that the member for exchanging the photoreceptor 21 does not extend above the image forming apparatus 10, and the image forming apparatus 10 can be reduced in size.

<Example 4>
Next, Example 4 will be described. In the image forming apparatus according to the fourth embodiment, paper replacement, paper jam processing, and replacement of consumables for the image forming unit can be performed from the operator side. The fact that the processing of the image forming apparatus can be performed from the operation side in this way is called full front access. First, full front access will be described.

  FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a schematic appearance of a general color tandem intermediate transfer type image forming apparatus. Such an image forming apparatus 150 has a box shape and a hexahedral shape. In the image forming apparatus 150, the operation panel 157, the paper jam handling opening / closing panel 158, and the paper feeding unit 159 are arranged on the front side (operation side), and the drawer body slides to the left from the apparatus main body 151. 152, image forming apparatuses 153, 154, 155, and 156 are arranged. For this reason, the image forming apparatus 150 does not realize full front access because paper replacement and paper jam processing are performed on the operation side and photoconductor replacement on the left side.

Here, the user performs the following tasks.
(1) Replenishment of recording medium (paper) to stacking device (2) Insertion or replenishment of recording medium (paper) into manual feeding device (3) Paper jam processing (jam processing) in the conveyance path of recording medium (paper)
(4) Replacing the developer cartridge (toner cartridge) (5) Replacing the developing device (6) Replacing the photosensitive member Note that the intermediate transfer member and the fixing device have a long life, so the replacement frequency is low. In many cases, it is not necessary.

  For example, if the recording medium conveyance path of the image forming apparatus is on the back side of the image forming apparatus, the image forming apparatus is moved to the user side so that jamming can be performed by opening the back cover whenever a jam occurs. There is a need. Further, when there is no margin in the power cable length, the power cord is unplugged, and the jam processing is performed in a state where workability and visibility are extremely poor.

  Further, an image forming apparatus capable of printing on A3 size or 11 × 17 size paper performs image formation of A4 size or 8.5 × 11 size width from the viewpoint of cost performance, and uses the large size paper. Since the recording medium is passed in the longitudinal direction, the recording medium conveyance path is often left or right in FIG. 10, which requires a cover opening / closing space or a working space for jamming in either the left or right direction. Become.

  In an image forming apparatus that performs color printing, a plurality of photoconductors are arranged, so that the size of the photoconductor is large, and further, a light source, a developing device, and a photoconductor cleaner must be arranged around the photoconductor. Therefore, the size of the apparatus increases in the arrangement direction of the photoconductors. Therefore, the above-mentioned Patent Document 1 cannot suppress the height dimension, and is not suitable for placement in a place where the height dimension is limited, such as a personal computer rack.

  Further, regarding the replacement of the developer cartridge, the user places the image forming apparatus on a desk or the like in the state shown in FIG. Since the user stands on the operation side, the operability is poor, and it is desired that the developer cartridge be pulled out to the operation side and further removed in the vertical direction in order to further improve the operability.

  In the image forming apparatus 10 according to the fourth embodiment, a plurality of image forming devices 20Y, 20C, 20M, and 20K are arranged in parallel on the support member 30, and the image forming devices 20Y, 20C, 20M, and 20K include a photoreceptor 21, A charging device 22, an LED light source 23, a developing device 24, and a developer cartridge 25 are provided. The image forming apparatus 10 includes an operation panel on the front side (operation side). Further, a sheet conveyance path 15 for conveying the recording medium from the sheet tray 14 to the intermediate transfer member 11 is arranged on the operation side of the image forming apparatus 10 and the support member 30 is pulled out to the operation side. In addition, when the paper is manually printed from the paper transport path 15, the paper is replenished and replenished from the operation side.

  Further, the photosensitive member 21 can be extracted along the axial direction of the photosensitive member 21 in a state where the supporting member 30 is pulled out from the image forming apparatus 10 together with the charging device 22 as in the first to third exemplary embodiments. it can. Further, the developing device 24 and the developer cartridge 25 can be removed upward while the support member 30 is pulled out from the image forming apparatus 10. Therefore, the support member 30 is provided with the opening 31 described above on the side and an opening for taking out the developing device 24 and the developer cartridge 25 upward. Specifically, as illustrated in FIG. 4, the support member 30 is configured as a box body having a large opening on the upper side.

  Next, the exchange state of each member is demonstrated based on drawing. 11 to 16 are sectional views conceptually showing the state of replacement and replenishment of each member.

(1) Replenishment of Recording Medium (Paper) to Stacking Device The paper tray 14 can be pulled out to the operation side of the image forming apparatus 10 as shown in FIG. In this state, the paper P can be replenished to the paper tray 14.
(2) Inserting or Replenishing Recording Medium (Paper) into Manual Feeding Device During manual printing, as shown in FIG. 12, paper P is inserted or replenished from the operating side into manual feeding device 18 arranged in paper transport path 15. .
(3) Paper jam processing (jam processing) in the conveyance path of the recording medium (paper)
When a paper jam occurs, as shown in FIG. 13, the cover member 17 is opened on the operation side with the shaft 16 as the center, the paper conveyance path 15 is exposed, and the jammed paper P is removed to eliminate the paper jam.
(4) Replacement of Developer Cartridge (Toner Cartridge) When the developer cartridge 25 is replaced, the support member 30 is pulled out from the image forming apparatus 10 to the operation side as shown in FIG. Then, the developer cartridge 25 is extracted upward from the opening above the support member 30, and a new developer cartridge 25 is inserted in the reverse procedure. Here, the cover member 17 is provided with an openable / closable door (not shown) for taking out the support member 30. In the figure, reference numeral 15a denotes a wall member constituting the paper conveyance path 15 (the same applies hereinafter).
(5) Replacing the developing device When the developing device 24 is replaced, the support member 30 is pulled out from the image forming apparatus 10 to the operation side as shown in FIG. Then, the developer cartridge 25 is extracted upward from the opening above the support member 30, the developing device 24 is further extracted upward, and a new developing device 24 is inserted in the reverse procedure.
(6) Replacing Photoreceptor When exchanging the photoreceptor 21, as shown in FIG. 16, the support member 30 is pulled out from the image forming apparatus 10 to the operation side, and the procedure of the first to third embodiments is performed. The photoconductor 21 is extracted from the opening 31 of the support member 30 in the direction of the rotation axis 21a (arrows e and f in FIG. 16), and a new photoconductor 21 is inserted in the reverse procedure.

  As described above, in the image forming apparatus 10 according to the fourth embodiment, full front access in which all processing is performed on the operation side of the image forming apparatus 10 can be realized, and the image forming apparatus 10 has excellent installability and operability. It can be.

<Example 5>
In the fourth embodiment, the developing device 24 and the developer cartridge 25 are removed from above, but the developing device 24 and the developer cartridge 25 may be removed from the axial direction of the photosensitive member 21. For this reason, in Example 5, the opening formed in the standing wall portion of the support member is sized so that the photosensitive member, the developing device, and the developer cartridge can be taken out. According to the fifth embodiment, the developing device, the developer cartridge, and the photosensitive member can be replaced at a time. Further, the size of the opening can be set such that the developing device and the photosensitive member can be taken out. In this case, although it is necessary to remove the developer cartridge in advance, the developing device and the photosensitive member can be exchanged at a time.

  In each of the above embodiments, the image forming apparatus in which a plurality of photosensitive members are arranged on the support member has been described. However, the present invention can also be applied to an image forming apparatus having a single image carrier.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Image forming device 11 Intermediate transfer body 12 Secondary transfer device 13 Fixing device 14 Paper tray 15 Paper conveyance path 16 Shaft 17 Cover member 18 Device 20 Image forming devices 20Y, 20C, 20M, 20K Image forming device 21 Photosensitive member (image carrier) body)
21a Rotating shaft 22 Charging device 23 LED light source 23a Mounting member 24 Developing device 25 Developer cartridge 30 Support member 31 Opening portion 32 Standing wall portion 33 Bottom wall 34 Partition 35 Overhang flange 36 Stopping portion 37 Support hole 41 First photoconductor support member 42 second photoconductor support 43 light source support member 44 first spring 45 light source pressing member 46 second spring 47 light source positioning member 50 housing 51 guide groove 60 rails 61, 62, 63 drawer member 64 ball 70 second photoconductor support Body 71 Support body 72, 73 Engaging groove 72a, 73a Groove 72b, 73b Head passage hole 72c, 73c End arc 74 Positioning pin 75, 76 Locking piece 75a, 76a Standing portion 75b, 76b Head 80 Slide Member 81 Main body 82 Upper surface 83, 84 Upper protruding piece 85, 86 Lower protruding piece 87 Inclined surface 90 Slide groove 91 Slide hole 92, 93 Insertion part 94 Convex part 110 Coil spring 120 Second photoreceptor support 121 Support body 122, 123 Engagement hole 130 Slide member 131 Main body 132 Positioning hole 133 Guide slope 134 Surface 140 Slide groove 141, 142 engaging pin 150 image forming apparatus 151 apparatus main body 152 drawer body 153, 154, 155, 156 image forming apparatus 157 operation panel 158 opening / closing panel 159 feeding section

JP 2009-175416 A JP 2008-275805 A JP 2004-109886 A

Claims (6)

An image carrier;
A light source that is arranged close to the image carrier and forms a latent image on the image carrier;
A support member that carries at least the image carrier and the light source, and holds the light source so as to be separated from the image carrier;
A guide member that is installed in the apparatus main body and guides the support member toward the outside of the apparatus main body along a direction orthogonal to the axial direction of the image carrier;
In an image forming apparatus comprising:
The image carrier is detachably attached to the support member in a direction perpendicular to the pull-out direction via the image carrier holding member and along the axial direction of the image carrier.
The support member is provided with an opening through which the image carrier can be inserted,
The image carrier holding member is configured to be positioned and fixed to the support member outside the opening,
Prior to pulling out the image carrier from the opening, the light source includes the light source orthogonal to the pull-out direction of the support member of the image carrier and the pull-out direction of the image carrier inside the guide member. With a light source moving mechanism that moves in the orthogonal direction,
An image forming apparatus.   The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the light source moving mechanism is configured such that the light source moves in conjunction with a drawing operation of the support member or a drawing operation of the image carrier. A recording in which a plurality of image carriers are juxtaposed to the support member, an intermediate transfer member that transfers a toner image carried by the plurality of image carriers, and a recording medium on which the toner image is transferred from the intermediate transfer member A medium storage section, a recording medium transport path for transporting the recording medium from the recording medium storage section to the intermediate transfer member,
With
The recording medium conveyance path is disposed on the operation unit side of the image forming apparatus, and
The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the support member and the storage medium accumulating unit are configured to be drawn out to the operation unit side of the image forming apparatus.   4. The light source moving mechanism according to claim 1, further comprising a slide member that is slidably disposed on the support member and that moves the light source in a direction away from the image carrier. The image forming apparatus according to any one of the above. The support member is equipped with a developer accommodating portion for accommodating a developer and a developing device for developing the image carrier,
The developer container and the developing device are detachable from the support member in a direction perpendicular to the pull-out direction of the support member and perpendicular to the pull-out direction of the image carrier,
5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the support member is provided with an opening through which the developer accommodating portion to be attached and detached and a developing device can pass. The support member is equipped with a developer accommodating portion for accommodating a developer and a developing device for developing the image carrier,
The image carrier and the developing device are configured integrally, and are removable from the support member in the axial direction of the image carrier,
5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the support member is provided with an opening through which the integrally formed image carrier and developing device can pass.