JP2014041179A - Cartridge - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To improve operability of removal operation of a plurality of units that are coupled by lock means to form an integral cartridge, which is attached and detached to/from an image forming apparatus body.SOLUTION: Coupling and removal operations of a plurality of units are performed by lock means configured as follows: (1) a direction of lock release operation of the lock means is the same as a direction to remove the units; (2) the lock release operation is performed to remove one of the units from the other; (3) an operation part of the lock means is positioned at different positions between a lock state and a non-lock state; and (4) the units are positioned at a coupling position to be locked and coupled by the lock means.

Description

  The present invention relates to a cartridge that is detachably attached to a main body of an image forming apparatus that forms an image on a recording medium. In particular, the present invention relates to a cartridge in which a plurality of units can be connected and detached.

  The image forming apparatus includes a transfer type or direct type copying machine, a printer (for example, a laser beam printer, an LED printer, etc.), a facsimile machine, a multi-function machine thereof, a word processor, and the like.

  A transfer type image forming apparatus is an apparatus that directly transfers an image formed on an image carrier to a recording material, or transfers the image to a recording material via an intermediate transfer body and outputs an image formed product. The image carrier after the image is transferred to the recording material or the intermediate transfer member is cleaned by a cleaning unit and repeatedly used for image formation.

  As an image carrier, an electrophotographic photosensitive member in an electrophotographic image forming process, an electrostatic recording dielectric in an electrostatic recording image forming process, a magnetic recording magnetic material in a magnetic recording image forming process, and other various image forming principles and methods And a member capable of forming an image.

  The direct type image forming apparatus directly forms an image on a recording material such as photosensitive paper (electrofax paper), electrostatic recording paper, glossy paper, plain paper, etc. according to various image forming principles and methods. It is an apparatus that outputs as a formed product.

  The image forming apparatus includes an image display device (display device, electronic blackboard device, electronic white board device, etc.) that displays an image formed on an image carrier or an image transferred to an intermediate transfer member on a display unit. In the image display device, the image formed on the image carrier or intermediate transfer member and displayed on the display unit is removed from the image carrier or intermediate transfer member by the cleaning means, and the image carrier or intermediate transfer member is repeated. It is used for image formation. If necessary, the image formed on the image carrier or intermediate transfer member and displayed on the display unit is transferred to the recording material. Then, the recording material on which the image is fixed as a fixed image is output as an image formed product.

  In the above, the image carrier, the intermediate transfer member, and the recording material are collectively referred to as a recording medium on which an image is formed by an image forming process.

  The cartridge is, for example, a process cartridge or a developing cartridge, and is detachably attached to the apparatus main body of the image forming apparatus, and contributes to an image forming process for forming an image on a recording medium.

  The process cartridge is an image forming process means in which at least one of a charging means, a developing means, and a cleaning means and an image carrier are integrally formed as a cartridge and detachably attached to the main body of the image forming apparatus. is there. Therefore, the process cartridge includes a cartridge in which the developing means as the process means and the image carrier are integrated into a cartridge and detachably attached to the apparatus main body. The process cartridge includes a cartridge in which a charging unit, a developing unit or a cleaning unit and an image carrier as process units are integrated into a cartridge and detachably mounted on the apparatus main body.

  A process cartridge having an image carrier and developing means integrally is called a so-called integral type. A process cartridge integrally including an image carrier and process means other than developing means is referred to as a so-called separation type.

  The process cartridge can be attached to and detached from the apparatus main body by the user himself. Therefore, maintenance of the apparatus main body can be easily performed. The image forming process means acts on the image carrier.

  The developing cartridge includes a developing member that applies developer (toner) to the image carrier, and stores the developer used to develop the latent image formed on the image carrier by the developing member. It is detachably attached to the apparatus main body.

  In the case of a developing cartridge, the image carrier is attached to the apparatus main body or a cartridge support member. Alternatively, the image carrier is provided in a so-called separation type process cartridge (in this case, the process cartridge has no developing means). The developing cartridge can also be attached to and detached from the apparatus main body by the user himself. Therefore, maintenance of the apparatus main body can be easily performed.

  Therefore, the cartridge includes the so-called integral type or the so-called separation type process cartridge. The cartridge includes a case where a so-called separation type process cartridge and a developing cartridge are used as a pair. The cartridge includes a case where the image carrier is fixedly attached to the apparatus main body or the cartridge support member, and the developing cartridge is detachably used so as to act on the image carrier.

  As cartridges that can be attached to and detached from the electrophotographic image forming apparatus, a cartridge in which the cartridges are divided into a plurality of units so that parts having different lifetimes can be individually replaced, and the units can be coupled and detached has been put into practical use.

  Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H10-228561 discloses a toner storage unit configured as a separate unit that is detachable from the main unit of the process cartridge. In Patent Document 2, a process cartridge is divided into a drum unit having a photosensitive drum as an image carrier, a charging unit, a cleaning unit, and a developing unit having a developing unit, a toner storage unit, and the like. A configuration is disclosed in which the developing unit is detachable from the drum unit.

JP 2004-333929 A JP 2000-250310 A

  In cartridges configured to couple and remove units as described in Patent Documents 1 and 2, it is necessary to fix the units at a predetermined coupling position when coupling the units, and they are fixed by a locking means. The construction to be used is put into practical use.

  In such a locking means, when removing the unit, the unlocking must be performed, so that the unit has a high operability that allows the unit to be attached and detached including the unlocking operation as easily as possible. Desired.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems. The object is to provide a cartridge that is improved in operability in the detaching operation between the units.

  In order to achieve the above object, a representative configuration of a cartridge according to the present invention is a cartridge that is detachably attached to an apparatus main body of an image forming apparatus that forms an image on a recording medium. A first unit removably mounted on the first unit, a second unit removably mounted on the first unit, and the second unit coupled to the first unit A locking means for maintaining the locked state, and the locking means has an operation portion for releasing the lock, and the operation is performed in a direction in which the second unit is removed from the first unit. The lock of the lock means is released by moving the part.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to improve the operability of the operation of removing the unit.

1 is a perspective view of an image forming apparatus according to a first embodiment, showing a state where a door is closed. FIG. 2 is a transverse right side view (schematic diagram) of the image forming apparatus. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the image forming apparatus when the door is open. (A) is a perspective view of the cartridge (process cartridge) in the image forming apparatus as seen from the front, top, and left side, and (b) is a perspective view of the front, top, and right side as seen. It is a disassembled perspective view of the main unit (1st unit) and subunit (2nd unit) of a cartridge. It is a perspective view of a subunit. It is a perspective view of a locking means. It is explanatory drawing of the assembly structure of a lock lever and a lever axis | shaft. It is behavior explanatory drawing (the 1) of a locking means. It is behavior explanatory drawing (the 2) of a locking means. It is behavior explanatory drawing (the 3) of a locking means. It is behavior explanatory drawing (the 4) of a locking means. It is explanatory drawing of the confirmation means of a lock | rock. It is a state diagram of the locking means when the lock is not applied. It is a perspective view showing the unit structure of the cartridge which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. It is a perspective view of a locking means. FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of the behavior of the lock unit when the toner storage unit is not attached. It is sectional drawing explaining the structure of the press part of a locking means. It is behavior explanatory drawing (the 1) of a locking means. It is behavior explanatory drawing (the 2) of a locking means. It is behavior explanatory drawing (the 3) of a locking means. It is behavior explanatory drawing (the 4) of a locking means. FIG. 10 is a behavior explanatory diagram (No. 1) of the lock unit when the lock is not applied; FIG. 11 is a behavior explanatory diagram (No. 2) of the locking means when the lock is not applied. FIG. 10 is a transverse right side view (schematic diagram) of an image forming apparatus according to a third embodiment. (A) is a transverse right side view (schematic diagram) of the cartridge according to the third embodiment, and (b) is a transverse right side view showing attachment and detachment of the developing unit with respect to the drum unit constituting the cartridge. It is a perspective view showing attachment / detachment similarly. It is a perspective view of a developing unit. It is the perspective view of the cartridge which looked at the side which provided the confirmation means of the lock | rock. It is an enlarged view of the part which provided the confirmation means of the lock | rock.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, the dimensions, materials, shapes, relative arrangements, and the like of the components described in this embodiment are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention only to those unless otherwise specified. .

[First Embodiment]
(Overall schematic configuration of image forming apparatus example)
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 configuration diagram (transverse right side view).

  Here, in the following description, the front side of the image forming apparatus 100 is a side on which a door 16 as an opening / closing member for opening the inside of the apparatus is disposed. The front side and the front side are also synonymous with the front side. The back side is the side opposite to the front side. The back side and the back side are also synonymous with the back side. Left and right are left or right when the device is viewed from the front. Up and down are up or down in the direction of gravity.

  Further, the front direction is a direction from the back side to the front side, and the rear direction is the opposite direction. The left direction is the direction from the right side to the left side, and the right direction is the opposite direction. The upward direction is the direction from the bottom upward, and the downward direction is the opposite direction. The apparatus main body 101 is an apparatus portion obtained by removing the cartridge 9 from the image forming apparatus 100.

  The image forming apparatus 100 of this example is a single color laser printer using a transfer type electrophotographic process. That is, an image on a sheet-like recording material (final recording medium) S based on an electrical image signal input from a host device (not shown) such as a personal computer, an image reader, or a counterpart facsimile machine to a control circuit unit (not shown). Perform formation.

  As shown in FIG. 2, a so-called integrated process cartridge (hereinafter referred to as a cartridge) 9 is mounted on a predetermined mounting portion inside the apparatus main body 101 of the image forming apparatus 100. The cartridge 9 in this example includes a rotating drum type electrophotographic photosensitive member (hereinafter referred to as a drum) 1 as an image carrier and an image formation that acts on the drum 1 inside a cartridge frame (container, frame) 10. Process means are incorporated in a predetermined arrangement. In this example, the image forming process means are a charging means 2, a developing means 4, and a cleaning means 6.

  The charging means 2 is a device that uniformly charges the drum 1 to a predetermined polarity and potential, and in this example, is a charging roller as a contact charging member.

  The developing means 4 is a device that develops the electrostatic latent image (latent image) formed on the drum 1 with toner (developer) T. The developing unit 4 of this example includes a rotatable developing roller 4a as a developer carrying member (developing member) that carries the toner T and is applied to the drum 1, a developer conveying unit 4b, a developing blade 4c, a toner storage unit ( Developer storage unit) 4e and the like. The developer conveying means 4b agitates the toner T in the developing container 4d and supplies it to the developing roller 4a. The developing blade 4c regulates the toner supplied to the developing roller 4a to prepare a predetermined thin layer.

  The toner storage unit 4e is a toner supply unit that stores a predetermined amount of toner T in advance and supplies toner to the developing container 4d. In this example, the toner storage portion 4e is configured as a toner storage unit (sub unit, second unit) 8 that is detachable with respect to the main unit (first unit) 7 of the cartridge 9, as will be described later. Has been.

  The cleaning unit 6 is a device that removes transfer residual toner from the surface of the drum 1. The cleaning means 6 of this example is a blade cleaner, and includes a cleaning blade 61 that is in counter contact with the drum surface and a cleaner container 62 that stores the collected toner.

  The cartridge 9 can be attached to and detached from a predetermined mounting portion inside the apparatus main body 101 in the manner described later. That is, the cartridge 9 is detachably attached to the apparatus main body 101.

  When an image formation start signal is input, a control circuit unit (not shown) drives a main motor (not shown). As a result, the drum 1 is rotationally driven in the clockwise direction indicated by the arrow r in FIG. 2 at a predetermined speed. A predetermined charging bias is applied to the charging roller 2 from a power source (not shown), and the surface of the rotating drum 1 is uniformly charged to a predetermined polarity and potential. Next, a laser beam L modulated according to the component image signal of the image is output from the laser scanner unit 3, and the drum surface is scanned and exposed.

  The laser beam L enters the cartridge 9 from the exposure slit opening 10e provided on the upper surface of the cartridge frame 10 from the unit 3, and performs the main scanning exposure on the surface of the drum 1. Thereby, an electrostatic latent image corresponding to the monochrome component image is formed on the drum surface. The electrostatic latent image is developed as a monochrome image (developer image: toner image) by the developing roller 4a whose development operation is controlled.

  On the other hand, the feeding roller 18 of the feeding unit is driven at a predetermined control timing, and the recording material S is separated and fed from the feeding cassette 17 in which the sheet-like recording material S is stacked and accommodated. . The feeding cassette 17 can be inserted into and removed from the apparatus main body 101 in the forward direction of the arrow X1 and the backward direction of the arrow X2 (front loading type). The fed recording material S is introduced into a transfer nip portion which is a contact portion between the transfer roller 5 and the drum 1 by a registration roller pair 19 at a predetermined control timing.

  A transfer bias having a predetermined potential is applied to the transfer roller 5 from a power source (not shown) having a polarity opposite to the charging polarity of the developer (toner) T. As a result, the toner image on the drum 1 is transferred onto the surface of the recording material S while the recording material S is nipped and conveyed through the transfer nip portion.

  Thereafter, the recording material S is separated from the surface of the drum 1 and introduced into the fixing unit 20. The fixing unit 20 fixes the toner image transferred to the recording material S. A heating roller 21b that rotates and a pressure roller 21a that applies heat and pressure to the recording material S in pressure contact therewith are provided. That is, the recording material S to which the toner image on the drum 1 has been transferred is nipped and conveyed by the pair of fixing rollers 21b and 21a when passing through the fixing unit 20. Heat and pressure are applied by the fixing roller pair 21b and 21a. As a result, the toner image is fixed on the surface of the recording material S.

  Then, the recording material S exits the fixing unit 20 and is discharged as an image formed product from the discharge unit 24 to the discharge tray 101a on the upper surface side of the apparatus main body 101 by the discharge roller pair 23. On the other hand, the toner T that has not been transferred to the recording material S remains on the drum 1 after the toner image is transferred. The remaining toner T is removed by the cleaning blade 61 and collected in the cleaner container 62 in the cartridge 9. Thus, the surface of the drum 1 is cleaned, and a new image can be formed.

(Removal of cartridge)
As described above, the cartridge 9 is configured to be detachable from the apparatus main body 101. In the image forming apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment, the cartridge 9 is attached / detached by front access in order to improve usability. This will be described in detail below.

  3 is a perspective view of the image forming apparatus 100 in a state in which the door 16 as an opening / closing member on the front side of the apparatus is opened from the closed state in FIG. An opening 103 for allowing the cartridge 9 to pass therethrough is disposed on the front side of the apparatus main body 101 in order to attach and detach the cartridge 9. And the door 16 as an opening-and-closing member which can move between the closed position which closes this opening part 103, and the open position which opens the opening part 103 is arrange | positioned. In the present embodiment, the door 16 can be opened and closed with respect to the apparatus main body 101 about a horizontal axis (hinge axis) 16b (FIG. 2) on the door lower side.

  That is, the door 16 is sufficiently raised up and rotated around the horizontal shaft 16b, so that the door 16 is locked and held in the closed position where the opening 103 is closed as shown in FIGS. Further, the door 16 is unlocked and is pivoted by being almost horizontally tilted toward the front side about the horizontal shaft 16b, so that the door 16 hits the stopper at the open position where the opening 103 is opened widely as shown in FIG. Retained. Reference numeral 16a denotes a finger hook for opening and closing the door 16. When the door 16 is open, the electrical switch of the control circuit is turned off and the image forming apparatus 100 is configured not to operate.

  As shown in FIG. 3, cartridge attachment / detachment guide portions 25L and 25R for attaching and detaching the cartridge 9 are disposed on the inner wall surfaces of the left frame 105L and the right frame 105R of the apparatus main body 101 so as to face the left and right mirror surfaces. ing. The guide portions 25L and 25R in this example are a pair of convex ribs that are long in the front-rear direction and are close to each other in the vertical direction, and a guide groove portion that is long in the front-rear directions X1 and X2 is formed between the upper and lower convex ribs.

  In the following description of the cartridge 9, the front side is the side on which a handle 10 d that is a gripping member for gripping and operating the cartridge 9 is disposed. The front side and the front side are also synonymous with the front side. The back side is the side opposite to the front side. The back side and the back side are also synonymous with the back side. Left and right are left or right when the cartridge 9 is viewed from the front side. Up and down are up or down in the direction of gravity. Further, the front direction is a direction from the back side to the front side, and the rear direction is the opposite direction. The left direction is the direction from the right side to the left side, and the right direction is the opposite direction. The upward direction is the direction from the bottom upward, and the downward direction is the opposite direction.

  4A is a perspective view of the cartridge 9 as viewed from the front, top, and left side, and FIG. 4B is a perspective view of the cartridge 9 as viewed from the front, top, and right side.

  In FIG. 4A, the direction of the arrow X1 and the opposite X2 direction are directions in which the cartridge 9 can be taken in and out of the apparatus main body 101, and are the attaching / detaching directions of the cartridge 9. The X2 direction is the rear direction with respect to the apparatus main body 101 and is the direction in which the cartridge 9 is mounted. The X1 direction is the front direction with respect to the apparatus main body 101, and is the direction in which the cartridge 9 is removed.

  The arrow Z1 direction and the opposite Z2 direction are the vertical direction when the cartridge 9 is mounted on the apparatus main body 101, and are the vertical direction of the cartridge 9. The direction of arrow V1 and the opposite direction V2 are directions orthogonal to both the attaching / detaching directions X1 and X2 of the cartridge 9 and the vertical directions Z1 and Z2. These directions V1 and V2 are the longitudinal direction of the cartridge 9. The direction of the arrow V1 is the right side (right direction), and the direction of the arrow V2 is the left side (left direction).

  The cartridge frame 10 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape whose longitudinal direction is the left-right direction, and the drum 1 is disposed in the frame 10 with the axial direction being the left-right direction. An opening is formed along the length on the back side of the frame 10, and a part of the peripheral surface of the drum 1 is exposed to the outside along the drum length from the opening.

  Guided portions 10 </ b> L and 10 </ b> R are disposed symmetrically on the left side surface portion and the right side surface portion of the frame 10, respectively. In this example, the guided portions 10L and 10R are horizontally flat plate-like portions that project outward.

  Further, a handle 10 d that is a gripping member for gripping and operating the cartridge 9 is provided integrally with the frame 10 at the front portion of the frame 10. In this example, the handle 10 d is a horizontally flat plate-like portion that protrudes toward the front side at the longitudinal center of the front portion of the frame 10.

  The cartridge 9 is attached to the apparatus main body 101 in the following manner. The door 16 of the apparatus main body 101 is opened as shown in FIG. 3, and the opening 103 of the apparatus main body 101 is greatly opened. The cartridge 10 is grasped by grasping the handle 10 d and inserted into the opening 103 with the back side of the cartridge (the drum exposure side) first. The left and right guided portions 10L and 10R are engaged with each other so as to correspond to the guide groove portions of the left and right guide portions 25L and 25R on the apparatus main body 101 side. Thus, the cartridge 9 is supported by the guide portions 25L and 25R on the apparatus main body 101 side via the guided portions 10L and 10R.

  In this state, the cartridge 9 is pushed and moved in the backward direction X2 with respect to the inside of the apparatus main body. Thus, the cartridge 9 slides in the mounting direction X2 along the substantially horizontal guide portions 25R and 25L. When the cartridge 9 is sufficiently pushed in the mounting direction X2, the cartridge 9 is finally prevented from being pushed further by a stopper (not shown). At this time, the cartridge 9 is located at a predetermined mounting position in the apparatus main body 101.

  Next, the door 16 is closed. By the operation of a cartridge fixing mechanism (not shown) interlocked with the closing operation of the door 16, the cartridge 9 positioned at the mounting position is fixed and held with respect to the positioning portion of the apparatus main body 101. In addition, a drive output unit (not shown) and a bias output unit (not shown) on the apparatus main body 101 side are respectively provided for a drive input unit (not shown) and a bias input unit (not shown) on the cartridge 9 side. Join. Further, the drum exposure surface on the back side of the cartridge and the transfer roller 5 are brought into contact with each other with a predetermined pressing force, thereby forming a transfer nip portion. In this state, the image forming apparatus 100 can perform an image forming operation.

  The cartridge 9 is removed from the apparatus main body 101 in the following manner. The door 16 closed as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is sufficiently opened as shown in FIG. 3 to open the opening 103. The positioning and fixing of the cartridge 9 with respect to the apparatus main body 101 is released by the reverse operation of the cartridge fixing mechanism interlocked with the opening operation of the door 16. In addition, the coupling between the drive output unit and the bias output unit on the apparatus main body 101 side with respect to the drive input unit and the bias input unit on the cartridge 9 side is released.

  Then, a hand is put into the apparatus main body 101 through the opening 103, the handle 10d of the cartridge 9 is gripped, and the cartridge 9 is pulled in the forward direction X1. The cartridge 9 slides in the take-out direction X1 within the apparatus main body 101 along the substantially horizontal guide portions 25R and 25L. By fully pulling and moving the cartridge 9, the guided portions 10L and 10R are disengaged from the guide portions 25L and 25R, and the cartridge 9 is taken out from the apparatus main body 101.

  As described above, the cartridge 9 is moved in the attaching / detaching direction (X1, X2 direction) in the engaged state between the guided portions 10L and 10R on the cartridge 9 side and the guide portions 25L and 25R on the apparatus main body 101 side. 9 is attached to and detached from the apparatus main body 101.

(Configuration of cartridge)
In the cartridge 9 in this example, the cartridge unit excluding the toner storage portion (toner supply unit) 4e of the developing unit 4 is a main unit (first unit) 7. The main unit 7 is detachably attached to the apparatus main body 101. The toner storage unit (second unit) 8 is removably mounted on the main unit 7 with the toner storage 4e as a subunit. A predetermined amount of toner T is stored in the toner storage unit 8 in advance.

  FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the attachment / detachment relationship of the toner storage unit 8 as a subunit with respect to the main unit 7. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the toner storage unit 8. That is, the cartridge 9 is configured such that the toner storage unit 8 is detachably attached to the main unit 7.

  In this way, in the cartridge 9, the toner storage unit 8 can be replaced when the toner T in the toner storage unit 8 is used up, and the main unit 7 having a relatively long life with respect to toner consumption is effective. Can be used up.

  In the cartridge 9 of this example, the main unit 7 is attached to and detached from the apparatus main body 101 in the directions of arrows X1 and X2. The handle 10d is on the main unit 7 side. The direction in which the toner storage unit 8 is attached to and detached from the main unit 7 is the longitudinal direction (arrow V1, V2 direction) of the cartridge 9 (main unit 7), and is different from the direction in which the cartridge 9 is attached (arrow X1, X2 direction). .

  The main unit 7 is provided with an opening 10a for mounting the toner storage unit 8 on the right side (arrow V1 side) end (right side of the frame 10) in the longitudinal direction. A guide recess member 10b for guiding the toner storage unit 8 in the directions of arrows V1 and V2 is provided.

  On the other hand, the toner storage unit 8 is provided with a guided portion 8b along the length, and the guided portion 8b engages with the guide concave shape 10b of the main unit 7 so that the toner storage unit 8 becomes the main unit 7. Are attached and detached in the directions of arrows V1 and V2.

In a state where the toner storage unit 8 is sufficiently inserted into the main unit 7 and is mounted at the coupling position, the toner supply opening (not shown) on the toner storage unit 8 side is developed in the developing means 4 on the unit 7 side. It matches the toner receiving portion (not shown) of the container 4d. In this state, toner can be supplied from the toner storage unit 8 side to the developing container 4d. That is, the first unit 7 of the cartridge 9 of the present example has the developing means 4, and the second unit 8 has the toner replenishing means (toner storage portion) 4e for replenishing the developing means 4 with toner T (locking means). R)
The cartridge 9 has a locking means R for coupling the toner storage unit 8 to the coupling position with respect to the main unit 7. The locking means R includes an engaged portion 71 provided in the main unit 7 and an engaging portion (lock mechanism) 80 provided in the toner storage unit 8. The locking means R will be described.

  In the main unit 7, a locking protrusion as an engaged portion for locking the toner storage unit 8 that is sufficiently inserted into the main unit 7 and mounted at the coupling position is provided at a lower portion near the entrance of the opening 10 a. A portion 71 is provided. Here, the locking protrusion 71 includes a lock portion 71a that is a hook-shaped portion and a linear contact portion 71b.

  Further, an engaging portion storage container 8a is continuously provided at the lower portion on the right end side of the toner storage unit 8 by extending the exterior frame of the unit 8 downward. By engaging the lock projection 71 on the main unit 7 side inside the container 8a, a lock mechanism 80 as an engaging portion for locking the toner storage unit 8 to the main unit 7 at the mounting position. Is arranged. And the operation part (operation part for unlocking) 81e of the locking means R is exposed outside from the opening part 8c long in the left-right direction of the front side of the container 8a.

  In other words, the operation portion 81e is provided in the toner storage unit 8 and is configured to be able to operate the lock mechanism 80 that is an engaging portion of the lock means R.

  On the right end side of the front surface of the frame 10 of the main unit 7, there is provided an opening 10 f that is long in the left-right direction so that the operation unit 81 e on the toner storage unit 8 side mounted on the main unit 7 is located and faces the outside. It has been. The right side surface of the opening 10f is opened as an entrance / exit of the operation portion 81e. The user can access the operation unit 81e at the opening 10f.

  Next, the configuration of the locking means R will be described with reference to FIGS. 7 is a perspective view of the lock means R, FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view showing attachment of a lock lever 81 and a lever shaft 82, which will be described later, and FIG. 9 is a view of the lock means R as viewed from above.

  In the locking means R, the locking mechanism 80 as an engaging portion in the container 8a has a lock lever 81, a lever shaft 82, a tension spring 83, and a spring shaft 84. The lock lever 81 includes a lock part 81a, an extension part 81b, a spring stopper part 81c, a rotation hole 81d, and an operation part 81e.

  The lever shaft 82 and the spring shaft 84 are stationary shafts fixed to the stationary part of the container 8a. The lock lever 81 has a rotation hole 81d engaged with the lever shaft 82, and can be rotated about its axis. The upper end of the lever shaft 82 is fixed to the stationary part of the container 8a. The lower end portion of the lever shaft 82 is a small diameter shaft portion 82a as shown in FIG. 8A, and a female screw hole 82c is formed in the small diameter shaft portion 82a. In the lock lever 81, a step hole into which a lower end including the small diameter shaft portion 82a of the lever shaft 82 is fitted is formed as a rotation hole 81d. Further, the lower portion of the rotating hole 81d is also a step hole into which the countersunk screw 82b is fitted.

  Then, as shown in FIG. 8B, the rotation hole 81d of the lock lever 81 is engaged with the lower end portion of the lever shaft 82, and the countersunk screw is inserted into the female screw hole 82c of the small diameter shaft portion 82a from the lower side of the lock lever 81. Screw in 82b. Thereby, the lock lever 81 is rotatably supported on the lower end portion of the lever shaft 82. The lever shaft 82 and the countersunk screw 82 b do not protrude from the lower surface side of the lock lever 81. Further, the lock lever 81 does not move in the height direction with respect to the lever shaft 82.

  The spring stopper 81 c is provided on the lower surface side of the lock lever 81, and a tension spring 83 is stretched between the spring stopper 81 c and the spring shaft 84. As described above, the lever shaft 82 and the countersunk screw 82b do not project to the lower surface side of the lock lever 81, that is, the tension spring 83 side, and do not interfere with the tension spring 83.

  The operation portion 81e of the lock lever 81 is exposed to the outside from the opening 8c on the front side of the container 8a as shown in FIGS. The tension spring 83 is provided between the spring stopper 81 c of the lock lever 81 and the spring shaft 84. These members 81 to 84 of the lock mechanism 80 are arranged as shown in FIG. 9 when viewed from above (in the direction of arrow Q in FIG. 7).

  Therefore, when the spring stop portion 81c of the lock lever 81 is on the right side of the extension line M of the line connecting the centers of the lever shaft 82 and the spring shaft 84, the lock lever 81 is moved in the direction of the arrow Y1 by the tension spring 83. It can be rotated. Then, the lock lever 81 stops at a position where it comes into contact with the right wall 8d of the opening 8c.

  On the other hand, when the spring stopper 81 c of the lock lever 81 is on the left side of the lever shaft 82 or the spring shaft 84, the lock lever 81 is rotated in the direction of the arrow Y 2 by the tension spring 83. Then, the lock lever 81 stops at a position where it comes into contact with the left wall 8e of the opening 8c.

  Next, the behavior of the lock means R when the toner storage unit 8 is attached to and detached from the main unit 7 will be described with reference to FIGS. 10 to 12 are diagrams for explaining the behavior of the locking means R. FIG.

  First, the guided portion 8b of the toner storage unit 8 is engaged with the guide shape 10b of the main unit 7 with the left end of the toner storage unit 8 corresponding to the opening 10a on the right side surface of the main unit 7. Then, the toner storage unit 8 cannot move with respect to the main unit 7 in directions other than the directions of the arrows V1 and V2 which are the attachment / detachment directions.

  In this state, the toner storage unit 8 is inserted into the main unit 7 in the direction of the arrow V2. Then, the lock protrusion 71 as the engaged portion on the main unit 7 side passes through the left opening 85 into the container 8a in which the lock mechanism 80 as the engaging portion on the toner storage unit 8 side is disposed. Invade. At this time, the positional relationship between the locking projection 71 and the locking mechanism 80 is as shown in FIG.

  When the toner storage unit 8 is further pushed into the main unit 7 as it is, the contact portion 71 b of the lock protrusion 71 contacts the extension portion 81 b of the lock lever 81, and the lock lever 81 resists the spring force of the tension spring 83. It is rotated in the direction of arrow Y2.

  When the toner storage unit 8 is further pushed into the main unit 7, the spring stopper 81 c of the lock lever 81 exceeds the position (dead center position) in FIG. 10 and connects the center of the lever shaft 82 and the spring shaft 84. It is located on the left side of the extension line M of the ellipse. Then, the tension spring 83 rotates the lock lever 81 in the opposite direction, that is, in the direction of the arrow Y2. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 11, in the lock lever 81, the lock portion 81a is hooked on the lock protrusion 71a. As a result, the toner storage unit 8 is fixed (locked) to the main unit 7.

  In the state where the toner storage unit 8 is attached to the main unit 7 in the connecting position as described above, the operation unit 81e of the lock mechanism 80 on the toner storage unit 8 side is on the main unit 7 side as shown in FIG. It is located in the opening 10f and faces the outside. That is, the operation unit 81e can be operated (accessed).

  Here, a case where the lock lever 81 of the toner storage unit 8 is in the locked position from the beginning as shown in FIG. Even when the toner storage unit 8 is attached to the main unit 7, the extended portion 81b of the lock lever 81 does not contact the contact portion 71b as shown in FIG. 81a1 contacts the inclined surface 71a1 of the lock projection 71a. When the toner storage unit 8 is pushed in as it is, the lock portion 81 gets over the inclined surface 71a1 of the lock protrusion 71a and is locked (FIG. 11).

  In this manner, regardless of the initial position of the lock lever 81, the toner storage unit 8 is pushed into the main unit 7 to the mounting position, so that the toner storage unit 8 is locked to the main unit 7 at the mounting position. (71.80). That is, when the toner storage unit 8 is coupled to the main unit 7, the toner storage unit 8 is moved to the coupling position so that the lock is applied by the locking means R and the coupling is performed.

  Next, confirmation that the lock is applied will be described with reference to FIGS. 13 and 14. FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram of marks to be described later provided for lock confirmation, and FIG. 14 is a diagram showing a state where the lock is not applied.

  As described above, the operation portion 81e of the lock means R is configured to take different positions with the rotation of the lock lever 81 when the lock is performed and when the lock is not performed. In this example, there is provided means for confirming a difference in position of the operation portion 81e of the lock means R when the lock is made and when the lock is not made.

  Specifically, in this example, when the toner storage unit 8 is mounted on the main unit 7 and locked to the frame 10 of the main unit 7 as shown in FIG. A mark 10c is provided at a site where 81e is located. If the mark 10c is not exactly aligned with the operation portion 81e, the lock is not performed. That is, the mark 10c is a mark indicating the reference position of the operation unit 81c.

  For example, when the lock is not properly applied and the lock lever 81 is in the state shown in FIGS. 14A and 1B, the operation unit 81e and the mark 10c are misaligned. By confirming the site, it can be seen that the lock is not applied.

  As described above, after the toner storage unit 8 is mounted, it is possible to confirm whether or not the lock is applied by checking this portion, and the lock can be surely performed.

  Next, the behavior of the locking means R when the toner storage unit 8 is removed from the main unit 7 will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6 and FIGS.

  When the operation portion 81e of the lock lever 81 is moved in the direction of the arrow Y1 from the locked state of FIG. 11, the lock portion 81a escapes from the lock protrusion 71a and is unlocked. If the lock lever 81 continues to move in the V1 direction, the extension 81b of the lock lever 81 abuts against the abutment 71b of the lock projection 71, and the abutment is brought about by the extension 81b of the lock lever 81 as shown in FIG. 71b is pushed. For this reason, the toner storage unit 8 starts to move from the mounting position of the main unit 7 in the removal direction, that is, in the direction of the arrow V1.

  Here, as soon as the toner storage unit 8 starts to move in the V1 direction with respect to the main unit 7, the spring stop portion 81c of the lock lever 81 is an extension line M () of the line connecting the lever shaft 82 and the center of the spring shaft 84. It will be located on the right side of the dead center). Then, the spring force of the tension spring 83 starts to rotate the lock lever 81 in the direction of the arrow Y1.

  Therefore, until the positional relationship shown in FIG. 9 is reached, the toner storage unit 8 is moved in the direction V1 to be removed from the main unit 7 by the spring force of the tension spring 83. That is, at the initial stage of removal of the toner storage unit 8, the toner storage unit 8 is popped up by the spring force of the lock mechanism 80 of the lock means R.

  Here, the spring force of the tension spring 83 is adjusted so that the pop-up is appropriately performed by the subunit 8 to be attached and detached. For example, it is weak when the toner capacity of the toner storage unit 8 is small, and strong when it is large. This is because the pop-up can be optimized by the configuration of the present invention, that is, the configuration in which the lock mechanism 80 as the engaging portion is provided on the subunit 8 side.

  Thereafter, when a force is further applied to the operation portion 81e of the lock lever 81 in the direction of the arrow Y1, the toner storage unit 8 is moved away from the mounting position of the main unit 7 in the direction of the arrow V1. Then, the guided portion 8 b is removed from the guide shape 7 b of the main unit 7, and the toner storage unit 8 is removed from the main unit 7.

  That is, in this example, when the subunit 8 is removed from the main unit 7, the lock unit R is unlocked in the direction V <b> 1 to be removed from the coupling position by performing the unlocking operation of the lock unit R. The mechanism 80 is configured to apply a force. The strength of the force applied to the subunit 8 by the lock mechanism 80 of the lock means R can be adjusted by the configuration of the lock mechanism 80 of the lock means R.

  As described above, the operation portion 81e of the lock means R is provided on the toner storage unit 8 side. Then, when removing the toner storage unit 8 from the main unit 7, the direction Y1 of moving the operation portion 81e to release the lock by the lock means R becomes the direction (direction) V1 of taking out the toner storage unit 8 from the main unit 7. It is configured as follows.

  Therefore, a series of operations of unlocking and removing the toner storage unit 8 as a sub unit from the main unit 7 by continuously applying a force to the lock lever 81 in the unlocking direction (the direction of the arrow Y1). Can be done in action. Further, at the initial stage of removal, the subunit 8 can be moved in the removal direction, that is, popped up by the spring force of the tension spring 83 in the lock mechanism 80 of the lock means R. Therefore, the operation of removing the subunit 8 from the main unit 7 can be easily performed.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, in the cartridge having the structure in which the subunit 8 is attached to and detached from the main unit 7, the subunit 8 can be moved to the main unit by an easy operation of only being pushed into the attachment position at the time of attachment. 7 can be attached. In addition, since the lock can be confirmed by confirming the mark 10c and the operation portion 81e of the lock means R, the mounting position can be reliably locked. Further, at the time of removal, the unlocking and removal operations can be easily performed by a series of operations. That is, it is possible to provide a cartridge with improved operability in coupling and detaching operations between units.

[Second Embodiment]
Next, a second embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. The same parts as those in the first embodiment will be denoted by the same reference numerals and the description thereof will be omitted. This embodiment is different from the first embodiment only in the configuration of the locking means R that locks the toner storage unit 8 to the main unit 7. Therefore, the configurations of the image forming apparatus main body and the cartridge 9 are the same as those in the first embodiment.

  First, the attachment / detachment configuration of the toner storage unit 8 with respect to the main unit 7 and the locking means R will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 15 is a perspective view illustrating a mounting configuration of the main unit 7 and the toner storage unit 8. FIG. 16 is a perspective view showing the lock unit R, and FIG. 17 is a diagram for explaining the behavior of the lock mechanism 80 in the lock unit R when the toner storage unit 8 is not attached to the main unit 7. FIG. 18 is a sectional view of an urging means described later.

  As in the first embodiment, the main unit 7 is provided with an opening 10a for mounting the toner storage unit 8 as shown in FIG. 15, and the lower portion near the entrance of the opening 10a is engaged. A locking projection 71 as a portion is provided. The lock projection 71 of the present embodiment includes a lock portion 71a that is a hook-like portion and a linear contact portion 71b, and an urging portion (biasing means) in a lock mechanism 80 as an engagement portion described later. ) 86 is provided.

  Further, as in the first embodiment, a guide concave shape 10b for guiding the toner storage unit 8 and an opening 10f where the operation portion 81e is located and facing the outside are provided.

  On the other hand, as in the first embodiment, the toner storage unit 8 is provided with a guided portion 8b as shown in FIG. 15, and this guided portion 8b is related to the guide concave shape 10b of the main unit 7. It is attached and detached. Further, the toner storage unit 8 has a lock mechanism 80 as an engaging portion inside the container 8a, as in the first embodiment.

  The locking means R includes an engaged portion 71 provided in the main unit 7 and an engaging portion 80 provided in the toner storage unit 8.

  The locking mechanism 80 as the engaging portion on the toner storage unit 8 side is provided with an urging portion 86 in addition to the lock lever 81, the lever shaft 82, the tension spring 83, and the spring shaft 84, as in the first embodiment. It has been.

  As shown in FIG. 18, the urging portion 86 includes a base 86a, a pressing portion 86b, and a compression spring 86c provided inside. The base 86a is fixedly disposed on the stationary part of the container 8a. The compression spring 86c presses the pressing portion 86b to a position where it can be stopped by the stopper of the base 86a. That is, the pressing portion 86b is urged to move in a predetermined direction from the base 86a by the spring force of the compression spring 86c.

  Further, the lock lever 81 is provided with an urging receiving portion 81f in addition to the lock portion 81a, the extension portion 81b, the spring stop portion 81c, the rotation hole 81d, and the operation portion 81e as in the first embodiment. ing.

  Here, the urging portion 86 and the urging receiving portion 81f are arranged as shown in FIG. For this reason, the urging portion 86 is configured to be pushed in the direction of the arrow P1 with respect to the urging receiving portion 81f. At this time, the spring force is set so that the pressing force of the urging portion 86 can push the lock lever 81 with a force stronger than the spring force of the tension spring 83. For this reason, the lock lever 81 is pushed to the position shown in FIG. 17B, that is, the position where the spring stopper 81 c of the lock lever 81 is on the right side of the lever shaft 82 and the spring shaft 84.

  Therefore, the lock lever 81 is rotated in the direction of the arrow Y1 by the tension spring 83, and stops at a position where it comes into contact with the right wall 8d of the opening 8c. That is, when the toner storage unit 8 is not attached to the main unit 7, the lock lever is always in the position shown in FIG.

  Next, the behavior of the lock means R when the toner storage unit 8 is attached to and detached from the main unit 7 will be described with reference to FIGS. 15 and 19 to 24. 19 to 22 are diagrams for explaining the movement of the locking means R at the time of the attaching / detaching operation, and FIGS. 23 and 24 are views showing the state of the locking means R when the attachment is insufficient and the lock is not applied. is there.

  As in the first embodiment, the left end of the toner storage unit 8 is made to correspond to the opening 10a on the right side of the main unit 7. Then, the guided portion 8b of the toner storage unit 8 is engaged with the guide concave shape 10b of the main unit 7 and inserted in the direction of the arrow V2 in FIG. Then, the lock protrusion 71 as the engaged portion on the main unit 7 side passes through the left opening 85 into the container 8a in which the lock mechanism 80 as the engaging portion on the toner storage unit 8 side is disposed. Invade. At this time, the positional relationship between the locking projection 71 and the locking mechanism is as shown in FIG.

  When the toner storage unit 8 is pushed in as it is, as shown in FIG. 20, first, the urging restriction portion 71 c of the lock protrusion portion 71 of the main unit 7 becomes the restriction protrusion provided on the pressing portion 86 b of the urging portion 86. It abuts on 86b1. The biasing portion 86b is moved against the spring force in the direction of the arrow P2 by the inclined surface 71c1 of the biasing restriction portion 71c.

  At the same time, the contact portion 71b of the lock protrusion 71 contacts the extension portion 81b of the lock lever 81, and the lock lever 81 rotates in the direction of the arrow Y2 against the spring force of the tension spring 83.

  When the toner storage unit 8 is further pushed in, as shown in FIG. 21, the pressing portion 86b of the urging portion is further moved by the inclined surface 71c1 of the urging restricting portion and does not contact the urging receiving portion 81f of the lock lever. On the other hand, the lock lever 81 is rotated by the contact portion until the spring stop portion 81c is located on the left side of the extension line M of the line connecting the centers of the lever shaft 82 and the spring shaft 84. Thereafter, the lock lever 81 is rotated by the tension spring 83. It can be rotated. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 22, in the lock lever 81, the lock portion 81a is hooked on the lock protrusion 71a.

  As a result, the toner storage unit 8 is fixed to the main unit 7. That is, also in this embodiment, the toner storage unit 8 can be locked by being locked at the mounting position by pushing the toner storage unit 8 into the main unit 7 to the mounting position.

  Here, the case where the lock is not properly applied and the lock lever 81 is in the state shown in FIG. 23 will be described.

  In this case, the lock lever 81 is rotated in the direction of the arrow Y2 by the spring force of the tension spring 83 of the lock mechanism, whereby the slope 81a1 of the lock portion 81a of the lock lever 81 and the slope 71a1 of the lock portion of the lock projection 71a. Abut. By this, and by the urging force of the urging portion 86, the restriction projection 86b1 provided on the pressing portion 86b of the urging portion 86 abuts on the inclined surface 71c1 of the urging restriction portion 71c, whereby the toner storage unit 8 is removed ( (Direction of arrow V1).

  24, the urging portion 86 positions the lock lever 81 on the right side of the extension line M of the line connecting the lever shaft 82 and the center of the spring shaft 84. Become. Therefore, the toner storage unit 8 is moved to the position shown in FIG. 20 by the tension spring 83, and stops at the position where the lock lever 81 contacts the right wall 8d of the opening 8c. That is, the operation portion 81e is positioned at the right end portion of the opening 8c. In this way, the urging portion 86 functions as a means for moving the operation portion 81e to a position different from the position when the lock is made when the lock means R is not locked.

  In the present embodiment, when the lock is not applied, the lock lever 81 is in the state shown in FIG. 20, and the operation portion 81e is positioned at the right end of the opening 8c. For this reason, it can be clearly recognized that the lock is not applied without confirming the mark. Therefore, in this embodiment, there is no need to provide a mark for confirming the locked state. As described above, after the toner storage unit 8 is mounted, the locked state can be more easily confirmed, and the locking can be surely performed.

  Next, when the toner storage unit 8 is removed from the main unit 7, the behavior of the lock means R when the toner storage unit 8 is removed is almost the same as in the first embodiment.

  The difference is that the lock lever 81 is moved as it is after the lock is released by moving the operation portion 81e of the lock lever 81 in the direction of the arrow Y1 from the locked state of FIG. Accordingly, when the toner storage unit 8 starts to move in the direction of the arrow V1, not only the tension spring 83 in the lock mechanism 80 of the lock means R but also the biasing force of the biasing portion 86 is applied, so that the toner storage unit 8 is shown in FIG. It can be moved to a position.

  That is, when the toner storage unit starts to move in the direction of the arrow V1 from the position of FIG. 21, the restricting projection 86b1 of the urging portion 86 is applied to the inclined surface 71c1 of the urging restricting portion 71c. To move in the direction of arrow V1.

  For this reason, the spring force of the tension spring 83 and the spring force of the spring 86c provided in the urging unit 86 are set such that the spring force is combined and the toner storage unit 8 is appropriately popped up.

  As described above, at the initial stage of removal of the toner storage unit 8, the toner storage unit 8 is removed in the direction of removal by the spring force of the tension spring 83 and the biasing force of the biasing portion 86 in the lock mechanism 80 of the lock means R. Can move. Therefore, the operation of removing the toner storage unit 8 from the main unit 7 can be easily performed.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, in addition to the operation of the first embodiment, when the lock is not applied, the operation portion 81e of the lock lever 81 is positioned on the opposite side with respect to the lock time. Can be made. Therefore, the state of the lock can be recognized more reliably and easily.

[Third Embodiment]
Next, a third embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. Portions that are the same as those in the first or second embodiment will be given the same reference numerals and description thereof will be omitted. In the present embodiment, the configuration of the cartridge is different. Other configurations of the apparatus body and the locking means R between the units are the same as those in the first embodiment. Of course, the locking means R may have the same configuration as that of the second embodiment.

  First, the configuration of the cartridge (process cartridge) 109 in the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 25 is a schematic cross-sectional configuration diagram (transverse right side view) of the image forming apparatus according to the present embodiment. 26A is a transverse right side view of the cartridge 109, and FIG. 26B is a transverse right side view showing attachment and detachment of the developing unit with respect to the drum unit constituting the cartridge 109. FIG. 27 is a perspective view similarly showing attachment and detachment. FIG. 28 is a perspective view of the developing unit.

  25, the configuration of the image forming apparatus 100 is the same as that of the apparatus 100 of FIGS. 1 to 3 in the first embodiment. In this example, the cartridge 109 has a configuration in which a drum unit (first unit) 107 and a developing unit (second unit) 108 as a separation type process cartridge are paired. The developing unit 108 is detachably attached to the drum unit 107.

  In this example, the drum unit 107 includes a drum 1 (rotary drum type electrophotographic photosensitive member) as an image carrier, a charging roller 2 as a charging unit, and a blade cleaner 6 as a cleaning unit. Built in arrangement. In the developing unit 108, a developing roller 4a, a developer conveying unit 4b, a developing blade 4c, a developing container 4d, and a toner storage unit 4e as the developing unit 4 are incorporated in a predetermined arrangement.

  The frame 10 of the drum unit 107 is provided with a cover portion 10g for inserting and mounting the developing unit 108. A locking projection as an engaged portion for locking the developing unit 108 is provided at the lower portion near the entrance. A portion 171 is provided. Here, as in the first embodiment, the locking projection 171 includes a lock portion 171a that is a hook-shaped portion and a linear contact portion 171b. The cover portion 10g is provided with a guide concave shape 10h for inserting and removing the developing unit 108.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 27, the developing unit 108 is provided with a guided portion 108b. The guided portion 108b engages with the guide concave shape 10h on the drum unit 107 side, and the developing unit 108 becomes the drum unit. It is attached to and detached from 107.

  Further, the developing unit 108 is engaged with a locking protrusion 171 as an engaged portion on the drum unit 107 side, thereby being an engaging portion for locking the developing unit 108 to the drum unit 107 at the mounting position. The locking mechanism 180 is provided.

  The lock protrusion R 171 and the lock mechanism 180 constitute a lock means R for coupling the developing unit 108 to the drum unit 107. In FIG. 28, the operation portion 181e in the lock mechanism 180 of the lock means R is exposed to the outside.

  The developing unit 108 includes a developing roller 4a constituting the developing unit 4, a developer conveying unit 4b, a developing blade 4c, a developing container 4d, a developing main unit 111 having a toner storage portion 4e, and a developing lock having a locking unit. A unit 112 is included. The developing main unit 111 is attached to the developing lock unit 112 with a certain degree of freedom in the directions of arrows N1 and N2 by engaging means (not shown). An elastic member 110 is provided at the contact portion.

  Next, attachment / detachment of the developing unit 108 with respect to the drum unit 107 will be described. The guided portion 108 b of the developing unit 108 is engaged with the guide shape 10 h of the drum unit 107. Then, the developing unit 108 cannot move with respect to the drum unit 107 except in the directions of arrows N1 and N2, which are the attaching / detaching directions.

  When the developing unit 108 is further pushed in, the lock is applied by the locking means R and the mounting is completed. The configuration and behavior of the locking means R are the same as those of the locking means R of the first embodiment.

  When mounted, the state shown in FIG. 26A is obtained, and the developing main unit 111 is urged by the elastic member 110 in the direction of the arrow N2. By this urging, the developing roller 4a provided in the developing unit 108 is positioned at a predetermined position with respect to the drum 1 provided in the drum unit 107, and maintains a good positional relationship between the two.

  Finally, confirmation that the lock is applied will be described with reference to FIGS. 29 and 30. FIG. 29 and 30 are explanatory diagrams of marks provided for lock confirmation.

  As shown in FIGS. 29 and 30, the drum unit 107 is provided with an operation opening 10 f so that the lock operation unit 181 e can be accessed. Similarly to the first embodiment, when the developing unit 108 is locked to the drum unit 107, a mark 10c is provided at a portion where the operation portion 181e of the lock lever 181 is located. If the mark 10c is not exactly aligned with the operation unit 181e, the lock is not performed. Thereby, after the developing unit 108 is mounted, it can be confirmed that the lock is applied by checking this portion, and the lock can be surely performed.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, the same locking means can be applied even to cartridges having different unit configurations, and the operability of coupling and detaching operations between units is improved by the locking means. Can be provided.

[Other matters]
(1) In the present invention, the cartridge that is detachably attached to the apparatus main body is not limited to the process cartridge as in the first to third embodiments. Other various types of integrated or separated process cartridges, developing cartridges, and developer cartridges are included. In addition, a cartridge (unit) that is detachably attached to the apparatus main body of the image forming apparatus and contributes to an image forming process for forming an image on a recording medium is included.

  (2) Needless to say, the first unit of the cartridge and the second unit attached to and detached from the first unit are not limited to the units shown in the embodiments.

  100..Image forming apparatus, 101..Device main body, 9..Cartridge, 7..First unit, 8..Second unit, 80..Lock means, 81e..Operating section, Y1..Lock Direction to move the control unit to release the V1, ··· direction of removal of the second unit from the first unit

Claims (10)

A cartridge that is detachably attached to an apparatus body of an image forming apparatus that forms an image on a recording medium,
A first unit that is detachably attached to the apparatus body;
A second unit detachably mounted on the first unit;
Locking means for keeping the second unit coupled to the first unit;
Have
The locking means has an operation part for releasing the lock,
The cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the lock unit is unlocked by moving the operation unit in a direction in which the second unit is removed from the first unit.   The locking means includes an engaged portion provided in the first unit and an engaging portion provided in the second unit, and the operation portion is provided in the second unit, The cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the engaging portion is configured to be operable.   When removing the second unit from the first unit, by performing an unlocking operation, a force is applied to the second unit in the direction in which the second unit is removed from the coupling position by the engaging portion of the locking means. The cartridge according to claim 2, wherein the cartridge is configured to be added.   The cartridge according to claim 3, wherein the strength of the force applied to the second unit by the engaging portion can be adjusted by the configuration of the engaging portion.   The cartridge according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the operation unit of the lock means is configured to take different positions when the lock is locked and when the lock is not locked. .   6. The cartridge according to claim 5, further comprising means for confirming a difference in position of the operation portion of the lock means when the lock is locked and when the lock is not locked.   When the second unit is coupled to the first unit, the second unit is moved to a coupling position so that the lock is applied and the coupling is performed. The cartridge according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein:   8. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising means for moving the operation unit of the lock unit to a position different from a position when the lock unit is locked when the lock unit is not locked. The cartridge according to one item.   The first unit has at least developing means for developing the latent image formed on the image carrier with toner, and the second unit has toner supplying means for supplying toner to the developing means. The cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the cartridge is a cartridge.   The first unit includes at least an image carrier on which a latent image is formed, and the second unit includes a developing unit that develops the latent image formed on the image carrier with toner. The cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the cartridge is a cartridge.