JP2012150302A - Photoreceptor cartridge - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a drum cartridge that allows easy operation in packaging a drum cartridge as well as cost reduction at the packaging.SOLUTION: A photoreceptor cartridge (drum cartridge 8) including a photoreceptor (photosensitive drum 81) and an opening 815 that outwardly exposes the photoreceptor is provided with a first frame 810 that forms a part of a cartridge housing unit 82 and a second frame 820 that forms another part of the cartridge housing unit 82. The second frame 820 is configured to be displaced between a first position in which the second frame 820 forms the cartridge housing unit 82 with the first frame 810 and a second position in which the second frame 820 overlaps the first frame 810 to make the opening 815 narrower than that at the first position.

Description

  The present invention relates to a photoreceptor cartridge having a photoreceptor.

  Conventionally, a structure in which a developing cartridge having a developing roller can be attached to and detached from a drum cartridge (photosensitive cartridge) having a photosensitive drum (photosensitive member) is known (see Patent Document 1). Specifically, the frame constituting the drum cartridge is formed with a box-shaped cartridge housing portion for housing the developing cartridge, and an opening for exposing the photosensitive drum to the outside (transfer roller side) is formed. Has been.

JP 2006-184502 A

  By the way, when packing drum cartridges manufactured at the factory, a protective cover separate from the drum cartridge must be attached to the opening to protect the photosensitive drum exposed to the outside from the opening of the drum cartridge. However, there is a problem that the cost increases due to an increase in the number of parts. Further, since the cartridge housing portion formed in the drum cartridge becomes a useless space during packing, there is a problem that the packing box for storing the drum cartridge is enlarged and the cost is increased accordingly.

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a drum cartridge that can easily pack a drum cartridge (photoreceptor cartridge) and can reduce the packaging cost.

  The present invention that solves the above-described problems is a photosensitive member cartridge that includes a cartridge housing portion that is detachable from the developing cartridge and that accommodates the developing cartridge. The photosensitive member forms an electrostatic latent image, and the photosensitive member. A first frame that forms a part of the cartridge housing portion, and a second frame that forms the other portion of the cartridge housing portion, the second frame comprising: The first frame is configured to be displaceable between a first position that forms the cartridge housing portion together with the first frame, and a second position that overlaps the first frame and narrows the opening than at the first position. It is characterized by.

  According to the present invention, when packing the photoconductor cartridge, the photoconductor cartridge can be compactly contracted by displacing the second frame, and accordingly, the packing box can be reduced in size. . In addition, since the opening can be narrowed by the second frame, the photoconductor can be protected by the second frame, and the number of parts can be reduced as compared with a structure in which a separate cover member is provided. Furthermore, since the photosensitive member is protected only by displacing the second frame, the packing operation can be easily performed as compared with the case where a cover member different from the photosensitive member cartridge is attached to the opening.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to easily carry out the packing operation of the photosensitive cartridge, and to reduce the packaging cost.

It is explanatory drawing which shows the laser printer which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a side view which shows the drum cartridge which concerns on embodiment of this invention, The figure (a) which shows a state when a 2nd frame is a 1st position, and the figure (b) which shows a state when it is a 2nd position It is. It is a perspective view which shows the state which looked at the drum cartridge from the top, (a) which shows a state when a 2nd frame is a 1st position, and (b) which shows a state when it is a 2nd position is there. It is a perspective view which shows the state which looked up at the drum cartridge from the bottom, (a) which shows a state when a 2nd frame is a 1st position, and (b) which shows a state when it is a 2nd position is there. It is a figure which shows the state which looked at the drum cartridge from the back, and is a figure (a) which shows a state when a 2nd frame is a 1st position, and a figure (b) which shows a state when it is a 2nd position. . It is a side view which shows a slide-type drum cartridge, and is a figure (a) which shows a state when a 2nd frame is a 1st position, and a figure (b) which shows a state when it is a 2nd position. FIGS. 7A and 7B are perspective views showing a state where the drum cartridge of FIG. 6 is viewed from above, a diagram showing a state when the second frame is in the first position, and a diagram showing a state when being in the second position. b). FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a state in which the drum cartridge of FIG. 6 is looked up from below, and shows a state when the second frame is in the first position and a state when the second frame is in the second position ( b). FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view (a) showing the first frame of FIG. 6 in an exploded manner, and an exploded perspective view (b) showing the second frame in FIG. 6 in an exploded manner. FIGS. 7A and 7B are diagrams illustrating a state of the drum cartridge of FIG. 6 viewed from the rear, a diagram illustrating a state when the second frame is in the first position, and a diagram illustrating a state when being in the second position. ).

<Overall configuration of laser printer>
Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings as appropriate. In the following description, first, the overall configuration of a laser printer as an example of an image forming apparatus will be described, and then the features of the present invention will be described in detail.

  In the following description, the direction will be described with reference to the user when using the laser printer. That is, in FIG. 1, the right side toward the paper surface is “front side”, the left side toward the paper surface is “rear side”, the back side toward the paper surface is “right side”, and the front side toward the paper surface is “left side”. To do. In addition, the vertical direction toward the page is defined as the “vertical direction”.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the laser printer 1 includes a feeder unit 3 for feeding paper P into the apparatus main body 2 and an image forming unit 4 for forming an image on the paper P.

  The feeder unit 3 includes a paper feed tray 31 that is detachably attached to the lower portion of the apparatus main body 2 and a paper feed mechanism 32 that feeds the paper P in the paper feed tray 31 toward the image forming unit 4. Yes.

  The image forming unit 4 includes a scanner unit 5, a process cartridge 6, a transfer roller TR, and a fixing device 7.

  The scanner unit 5 is provided in an upper part in the apparatus main body 2 and includes a laser light emitting unit, a polygon mirror, a lens, a reflecting mirror, and the like (not shown). The scanner unit 5 irradiates a laser beam on a surface of a photosensitive drum 81 as an example of a photosensitive member described later by high-speed scanning.

  The process cartridge 6 is attachable to and detachable from the apparatus main body 2 through an opening 22 that is opened and closed by a front cover 23 that is rotatably provided on the front wall of the apparatus main body 2. The process cartridge 6 includes a drum cartridge 8 as an example of a photosensitive cartridge, and a developing cartridge 9 that can be attached to and detached from the drum cartridge 8.

  The drum cartridge 8 includes a photosensitive drum 81 on which an electrostatic latent image is formed, and a known charger that is not shown. The structure of the drum cartridge 8 will be described later in detail.

  The developing cartridge 9 includes a developing roller 91 that supplies toner (developer) accommodated therein to the photosensitive drum 81, a well-known supply roller (not shown), a layer thickness regulating blade, an agitator, and the like.

  In the process cartridge 6, the surface of the rotating photosensitive drum 81 is uniformly charged by a charger (not shown) and then exposed by high-speed scanning of a laser beam from the scanner unit 5. As a result, the potential of the exposed portion is lowered, and an electrostatic latent image based on the image data is formed on the surface of the photosensitive drum 81.

  Next, the toner in the developing cartridge 9 is supplied to the electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive drum 81 by the rotationally driven developing roller 91, and a toner image is formed on the surface of the photosensitive drum 81. Thereafter, the paper P is conveyed between the photosensitive drum 81 and the transfer roller TR, whereby the toner image carried on the surface of the photosensitive drum 81 is transferred onto the paper P.

  The fixing device 7 includes a heating roller 71 and a pressure roller 72 that is disposed to face the heating roller 71 and presses the heating roller 71. In the fixing device 7 configured as described above, the toner transferred onto the paper P is thermally fixed while the paper P passes between the heating roller 71 and the pressure roller 72.

  The paper P thermally fixed by the fixing device 7 is conveyed to a paper discharge roller R disposed on the downstream side of the fixing device 7, and is sent out from the paper discharge roller R onto the paper discharge tray 21.

<Detailed structure of drum cartridge 8>
As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the drum cartridge 8 is formed in a box shape opened upward so as to have a cartridge housing portion 82 for housing the developing cartridge 9. Specifically, the drum cartridge 8 includes a first frame 810 that forms a part of the cartridge housing portion 82 and a second frame 820 that forms the other portion.

  The first frame 810 connects the left and right side walls 811 that rotatably support both ends of the photosensitive drum 81, the lower wall part 812 that connects the front lower parts of the left and right side walls 811, and the upper part of the left and right side walls 811. A wall portion 813 and a front wall portion 814 extending obliquely downward from the rear end of the upper wall portion 813 are provided. The rear end of the lower wall portion 812 extends to the vicinity of the photosensitive drum 81, and the front end of the front wall portion 814 extends to the vicinity of the photosensitive drum 81.

  Thus, an opening 815 that exposes the photosensitive drum 81 to the outside is formed by the left and right side walls 811, the front wall portion 814, and the lower wall portion 812. A part of the cartridge housing portion 82 is formed by the front side portions of the left and right side walls 811 and the lower wall portion 812.

  As shown in FIG. 4A, the second frame 820 is rotatably supported on the first frame 810 by a pair of left and right hinges 830. As shown in FIG. 4B, the first frame 810 is supported. It rotates so that it may cover the lower side. Specifically, the second frame 820 includes a first position (position shown in FIG. 4A) that forms the cartridge housing portion 82 together with the first frame 810, and a second position that overlaps the first frame 810 and covers the opening 815. (Position of FIG. 4B) is configured to be displaceable.

  In other words, the second frame 820 opens the opening 815 with a predetermined size at the first position shown in FIG. 5A, and opens the opening 815 at the first position shown in FIG. 5B. It can be displaced so as to be narrower than in the case of.

  Specifically, the second frame 820 includes left and right side walls 821, a lower wall portion 822 that connects the lower portions of the left and right side walls 821, and a rear wall portion 823 that connects the rear portions of the left and right side walls 821. ing. The left and right side walls 821, the lower wall part 822, and the rear wall part 823 form the other part of the cartridge housing part 82.

  The lower wall portion 822 is formed in an arc shape in a sectional view along the outer peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum 81, so that the lower wall portion 822 becomes the photosensitive drum 81 when the second frame 820 is folded to the second position. Since it can be made to adjoin, the drum cartridge 8 at the time of packing can be made more compact.

  As shown in FIG. 3A, the upper end surface 823A of the rear wall portion 823 (a surface different from the surface 822A facing the first frame 810 at the second position in the second frame 820) protrudes upward. A handle 824 is provided. The handle 824 is thus provided on the upper end surface of the rear wall portion 823, so that even when the second frame 820 is folded to the second position, the user can grip the handle 824.

According to the above, the following effects can be obtained in the present embodiment.
When packing the drum cartridge 8, the drum cartridge 8 can be compactly contracted by folding the second frame 820, so that the packing box can be reduced in size. Further, since the opening 815 can be narrowed by the second frame 820, the photosensitive drum 81 can be protected by the second frame 820, and the number of parts can be reduced as compared with a structure in which a separate cover member is provided. . Furthermore, since the photosensitive drum 81 is protected only by folding the second frame 820, the packing operation can be performed more easily than when a cover member other than the drum cartridge is attached to the opening.

  Since the handle 824 is provided on a surface (upper end surface 823A) different from the surface 822A facing the first frame 810 in the second position in the second frame 820, the handle 824 is held even after the second frame 820 is folded. The drum cartridge 8 after folding can be easily carried.

In addition, this invention is not limited to the said embodiment, It can utilize with various forms so that it may illustrate below.
In the embodiment, the second frame 820 is rotatably supported by the first frame 810. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, as shown in FIGS. The first frame 910 may be slidably supported.

  Specifically, in this structure, the drum cartridge 900 includes a first frame 910 that forms a part of the cartridge housing portion 901 and a second frame 920 that forms the other part.

  The first frame 910 includes left and right side walls 911, a lower wall portion 912, an upper wall portion 913, and left and right side walls 911, a lower wall portion 812, an upper wall portion 813, and a front wall portion 814 that have substantially the same structure. A front wall portion 914 is provided. Therefore, also in this embodiment, the left and right side walls 911, the front wall portion 914, and the lower wall portion 912 form an opening 915 that exposes the photosensitive drum 81 to the outside (see FIG. 8A). ). A part of the cartridge housing portion 901 is formed by the front side portions of the left and right side walls 911 and the lower wall portion 912.

  As shown in FIG. 6A, support grooves 930 that support the second frame 920 so as to be slidable substantially in the front-rear direction are formed on the outer surfaces of the left and right side walls 911. The support groove 930 extends rearward (photosensitive drum 81 side) from a position on the front end side (second frame 920 side of the photosensitive drum 81) of the side wall 911, and then reaches the position of the photosensitive drum 81 in the front-rear direction. It is formed so as to be lowered one step downward. This prevents a shielding wall 927 (see FIG. 8) having a circular arc shape in a cross-sectional view of the second frame 920, which will be described later, from contacting the photosensitive drum 81.

  Further, the support groove 930 is formed in an arc shape along the outer peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum 81 when it reaches a position substantially the same as the rotational axis of the photosensitive drum 81 in the front-rear direction (a position slightly behind the rotational axis). Yes. As a result, the shielding wall 927 described above moves along the outer peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum 81 to narrow the opening 915.

  A pair of holding protrusions 931 are formed at the rear end of the support groove 930 to engage with an engaging protrusion 924 of the second frame 920 described later and hold the second frame 920 in the second position.

  The second frame 920 includes left and right side walls 921 that form the other part of the cartridge housing portion 901, a lower wall portion 922, and a rear wall portion 923. Further, as shown in FIGS. 9A and 9B, engagement protrusions 924 that are slidably supported in the support grooves 930 of the first frame 910 are formed on the inner sides of the front portions of the left and right side walls 921. Yes.

  In addition, a pair of fitting holes 925 and 926 are formed on the inner surfaces of the left and right side walls 921 of the second frame 920 so as to be separated from each other in the front and rear directions. Two fitting protrusions 940 are formed. Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 6A, in the first position, the fitting protrusion 940 is fitted in the front fitting hole 925 (see FIG. 9A) and is engaged by the support groove 930. By supporting the protrusion 924, the second frame 920 is held in the first position.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 6B, the fitting projection 940 is fitted into the rear fitting hole 926 (see FIG. 9A), and the holding projection 931 of the support groove 930 (FIG. 6A). )), The second frame 920 is held in the second position.

  Further, as shown in FIGS. 8A and 8B, a shield wall 927 having a circular arc shape in cross section is provided at the rear end of the lower wall portion 922 of the second frame 920.

  Even if it is the above structures, as shown to Fig.10 (a), when the 2nd frame 920 is a 1st position, the opening part 915 will be open | released, as shown in FIG.10 (b) When the second frame 920 is in the second position, the opening 915 is narrowed. Therefore, also in this embodiment, the same effect as the above-described embodiment can be obtained.

  In the above-described embodiment, the photosensitive drum 81 is employed as the photosensitive member. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, a belt-shaped photosensitive member may be employed.

8 Drum Cartridge 81 Photosensitive Drum 82 Cartridge Housing 810 First Frame 815 Opening 820 Second Frame

Claims (4)

A developing cartridge is detachable, and is a photosensitive cartridge including a cartridge housing portion for housing the developing cartridge,
A first frame that has a photosensitive member on which an electrostatic latent image is formed, an opening that exposes the photosensitive member to the outside, and forms a part of the cartridge housing;
A second frame forming the other part of the cartridge housing part,
The second frame is
A first position forming the cartridge housing portion together with the first frame;
A photoconductor cartridge configured to be displaceable between a second position that overlaps with the first frame and narrows the opening than at the first position.   2. The photosensitive member cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the second frame is rotatably supported by the first frame.   The photoconductor cartridge according to claim 2, wherein a handle is provided on a surface of the second frame that is different from a surface facing the first frame at the second position. 2. The photosensitive member cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the second frame is slidably supported by the first frame.

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