JP2019209591A - Image formation device - Google Patents

Abstract

To inhibit vibration of a support frame of an exposure member.SOLUTION: An image formation device 1 includes: a device body 10; a rotary photoreceptor 51; and an exposure member 40. The exposure member 40 has: multiple light emitting parts 41 arranged in a rotation axis direction of the photoreceptor 51; an optical member 42 which extends in the rotation axis direction and causes the photoreceptor 51 to create an image from light of the light emitting parts 41; a resin support frame 100 supporting the light emitting parts 41 and the optical member 42; and a metal plate 200. The support frame 100 has a plate-like part 125A located between both ends of the optical member 42 in the rotation axis direction. The metal plate 200 is attached to the plate-like part 125A and has a thickness T1 larger than or equal to a thickness T2 of the plate-like part 125A.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

  The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus including an exposure member that exposes a photoreceptor.

  Conventionally, an image forming apparatus including an exposure member that exposes a photosensitive member is known (see Patent Document 1). The exposure member includes a plurality of light emitting units and a support frame that supports the plurality of light emitting units. The plurality of light emitting portions are opposed to the photoconductor and expose the photoconductor.

JP 2009-157142 A

  However, in the related art, when the support frame of the exposure member vibrates, the light emitting portion also vibrates and the image quality may be deteriorated.

  Therefore, an object of the present invention is to suppress the vibration of the support frame of the exposure member.

  In order to solve the above-described problems, an image forming apparatus according to the present invention includes an apparatus main body, a rotatable photosensitive member, and an exposure member. The exposure member supports a plurality of light emitting units arranged in the rotation axis direction of the photosensitive member, an optical member that extends in the rotation axis direction and forms an image of light from the light emitting unit on the photosensitive member, and the light emitting unit and the optical member. A resin-made support frame and a metal plate. The support frame has a plate-like portion positioned between both ends of the optical member in the rotation axis direction. The metal plate is attached to the plate-like portion and has a thickness equal to or greater than the thickness of the plate-like portion.

  According to the image forming apparatus configured as described above, since the metal plate functions as a weight of the support frame by attaching the metal plate to the support frame, it is possible to suppress vibration of the support frame of the exposure member. . Thereby, the vibration of the light emitting unit is also suppressed, and it is possible to suppress the deterioration of the image quality.

  In the image forming apparatus described above, the support frame may further include a first contact portion that protrudes from the plate-like portion and contacts the metal plate.

  According to this, even when the flatness of the metal plate and the plate-like portion is different because the metal plate is in contact with the first contact portion and not in contact with the plate-like portion, the metal plate can be stably attached. Can do.

  In the above-described image forming apparatus, the support frame may have a rib protruding from the periphery of the plate-like portion, and the protruding amount of the rib may be larger than the thickness of the metal plate.

  According to this, it can suppress that the end surface of a metal plate is exposed.

  In the above-described image forming apparatus, the support frame includes a first frame that supports the light emitting unit and the optical member, and a second frame that supports both ends of the first frame in the rotation axis direction. It is good also as a structure attached to the 2nd frame.

  In the above-described image forming apparatus, the second frame is disposed on the opposite side of the photoconductor across the first frame in the optical axis direction of the light emitting unit, and the first surface facing the first frame in the optical axis direction; And a second surface located on the opposite side of the first surface in the axial direction, and the distance from the metal plate to the first surface may be smaller than the distance from the metal plate to the second surface.

  According to this, since the metal plate which works as a weight of the second frame is closer to the first frame side, the center of gravity of the entire second frame is closer to the light emitting part side. For this reason, since the vibration of the side close | similar to the 1st frame holding a light emission part and an optical member among 2nd frames can be suppressed, the vibration of a light emission part can be suppressed.

  In the image forming apparatus described above, the metal plate may have a configuration in which the dimension in the rotation axis direction is larger than the dimension in the optical axis direction of the light emitting unit.

  According to this, since the metal plate is long in the direction of the rotation axis, the metal plate is less likely to get in the way even when attached to the frame.

  In the image forming apparatus described above, the exposure member may include a conductive member that conducts between the metal plate and the ground potential portion of the apparatus main body.

  According to this, it can suppress that a metal plate charges. For this reason, it can suppress that radiation noise generate | occur | produces from a metal plate.

In the above-described image forming apparatus, the image forming apparatus further includes a third frame that supports the photoreceptor.
In the sub-scanning direction orthogonal to the rotation axis direction and the optical axis direction of the light emitting unit, the support frame may have a second contact portion that contacts the third frame.

  The image forming apparatus described above may further include a rotation support member that rotatably supports the photosensitive member, and the support frame may include a third contact portion that contacts the rotation support member in the optical axis direction of the light emitting portion. .

In the image forming apparatus described above, a moving frame that supports the exposure member and is movable between a proximity position where the exposure member and the photosensitive member are close to each other, and a separation position where the exposure member and the photosensitive member are separated from each other;
And a connecting part that connects the support frame and the moving frame, the connecting part having a first connecting part and a second connecting part that are positioned apart from each other in the rotational axis direction and that are connected to the supporting frame. The metal plate may be positioned between the first connecting portion and the second connecting portion.

  According to this, since the metal plate is located between the first connecting part and the second connecting part that connect the support frame and the moving frame, it is possible to suppress the weight balance from being biased in the rotation axis direction. For this reason, it can suppress efficiently that a support frame vibrates.

  In the above-described image forming apparatus, the support frame may have a through-hole aligned in the optical axis direction of the metal plate and the light emitting unit.

  According to this, the through-hole becomes an air flow channel, and it can be suppressed that the exposure member blocks the air flow.

  In the above-described image forming apparatus, the distance from the metal plate to the light emitting unit may be smaller than the distance from the through hole to the light emitting unit.

  Since the metal plate serving as the weight of the second frame is closer to the light emitting part than the through hole, the center of gravity of the entire second frame is closer to the light emitting part. For this reason, the vibration of the light emitting unit and the optical member can be efficiently suppressed.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to suppress vibration of the support frame of the exposure member in the image forming apparatus. Thereby, it can suppress that an image quality falls.

1 is a diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a diagram illustrating an image forming apparatus with a cover opened. FIG. It is a figure which shows the exposure member and photoreceptor which are located in a retracted position. It is a figure which shows the exposure member and photoconductor which are located in an exposure position. It is a disassembled perspective view of an exposure member. It is sectional drawing which looked at the attaching part of the 2nd frame from the up-down direction. It is the figure which looked at the exposure member from the opposite side to FIG. It is a figure which shows the relationship between an exposure member and a 3rd frame. It is a figure which shows the relationship between an exposure member and a rotation support member.

Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings as appropriate.
As shown in FIG. 1, an image forming apparatus 1 such as a color printer includes an apparatus main body 10, a cover 11 as an example of a moving frame, a connecting member 12, a sheet supply unit 20, and an image forming unit 30. Mainly prepared.

  The cover 11 constitutes the exterior of the upper part of the apparatus main body 10 and is provided so as to be rotatable with respect to the apparatus main body 10 about a rear rotation shaft 11A. The cover 11 opens and closes an opening 10 </ b> A formed in the upper part of the apparatus body 10. Specifically, the cover 11 is movable between a closed position (the position in FIG. 1) for closing the opening 10A and an open position (the position in FIG. 2) for opening the opening 10A.

  The cover 11 rotatably supports a connecting member 12 connected to an exposure member 40 described later. The connecting member 12 connects the cover 11 and the exposure member 40.

  The sheet supply unit 20 is provided at a lower portion in the apparatus main body 10, and is provided at a sheet tray 21 that accommodates the recording sheet S and a front portion in the apparatus main body 10. The sheet supply mechanism 22 is mainly provided. The recording sheets S in the sheet tray 21 are separated one by one by the sheet supply mechanism 22 and supplied to the image forming unit 30.

  The image forming unit 30 mainly includes four exposure members 40, four process cartridges 50, a transfer unit 70, and a fixing unit 80.

  The exposure member 40 is supported by the cover 11 via the connecting member 12. The exposure member 40 is held by the connecting member 12 so as to be suspended from the cover 11. As shown in FIG. 3, the connecting member 12 includes a first connecting portion 13 and a second connecting portion 14 that are connected to the exposure member 40. The 2nd connection part 14 and the 1st connection part 13 are located away from each other in the rotation axis direction. The first connecting portion 13 and the second connecting portion 14 are configured such that the tips formed in a hook shape engage with the exposure member 40.

  The exposure member 40 is disposed so as to face the upper side of the photoreceptor 51 described later in a state where the cover 11 is closed (closed position). Specifically, when the cover 11 is opened and closed, the proximity position where the exposure member 40 and the photoconductor 51 are close (position in FIG. 1) and the separation position where the exposure member 40 and the photoconductor 51 are separated (position in FIG. 2). It is possible to move between.

  The exposure member 40 has a plurality of light emitting portions 41 near its tip. The exposure member 40 exposes the surface of the photosensitive member 51 by the plurality of light emitting units 41 flickering based on the image data at the proximity position. The structure of the exposure member 40 will be described in detail later.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the process cartridges 50 are arranged in parallel along the front-rear direction between the cover 11 and the sheet tray 21. Each process cartridge 50 is detachable through the opening 10A of the apparatus main body 10 when the cover 11 is opened (open position) (see FIG. 2).

  Each process cartridge 50 mainly includes a photoreceptor 51, a charger 52, a developing device 53, and a cleaning roller 54. The photoconductor 51 is a photoconductor drum having a cylindrical shape. The developing device 53 includes a toner accommodating portion 56 that accommodates toner, and a developing roller 57 that supplies toner to the photoconductor 51. The cleaning roller 54 is a roller that removes foreign matters such as toner remaining on the photoreceptor 51.

  The transfer unit 70 is provided between the sheet tray 21 and the process cartridge 50. The transfer unit 70 mainly includes a driving roller 71, a driven roller 72, an endless conveyance belt 73 stretched between the driving roller 71 and the driven roller 72, and four transfer rollers 74. The outer surface of the conveyance belt 73 is in contact with each photoconductor 51, and each transfer roller 74 is disposed inside the conveyance belt 73 so as to sandwich the conveyance belt 73 with each photoconductor 51.

  The fixing unit 80 is provided behind the process cartridge 50 and the transfer unit 70, and mainly includes a heating roller 81 and a pressure roller 82 that is disposed to face the heating roller 81 and presses the heating roller 81.

  In such an image forming unit 30, the surface of the photoreceptor 51 is uniformly charged by the charger 52 and then exposed by the exposure member 40, so that the electrostatic latent image based on the image data is formed on the photoreceptor 51. An image is formed. Then, the toner is supplied from the developing roller 57 to the photoconductor 51, whereby the electrostatic latent image is visualized and a toner image is formed on the photoconductor 51.

  The toner images formed on the respective photoconductors 51 are sequentially superimposed and transferred onto the recording sheet S conveyed on the conveying belt 73 by the transfer roller 74. The recording sheet S to which the toner image has been transferred is conveyed between the heating roller 81 and the pressure roller 82, whereby the toner image is thermally fixed. Thereafter, the recording sheet S is discharged from the inside of the apparatus main body 10 to the outside by the transport roller 91, and is placed on a paper discharge tray 11 </ b> B formed on the upper surface of the cover 11.

Next, the structure around the photoreceptor 51 and the structure of the exposure member 40 will be described in detail.
As shown in FIG. 3, in this embodiment, the rotation axis X1 of the photoconductor 51 extends in the left-right direction. The left-right direction is the width direction of the recording sheet S, that is, the direction perpendicular to the conveying direction on the surface of the recording sheet S. In the following description, the direction in which the rotation axis X1 extends, that is, the left-right direction is also simply referred to as “rotation axis direction”.

  Each end of the photosensitive body 51 in the rotation axis direction is supported by the rotation support member 500 so as to be rotatable with respect to the apparatus main body 10. In other words, the rotation support member 500 supports the photoreceptor 51 in a rotatable manner. Each rotation support member 500 disposed on one end side and the other end side of the photoconductor 51 is supported by the photoconductor frame 55. The photoreceptor frame 55 is a part of the process cartridge 50 and is supported by the apparatus main body 10 when the process cartridge 50 is mounted.

  The photoreceptor 51 includes a cylindrical element tube 51A and two fitting members 400 that are fitted to the inner peripheral surface of the element tube 51A.

  The fitting member 400 is made of resin, and is provided on one end side and the other end side of the raw pipe 51A in the rotation axis direction. The fitting member 400 can be rotated together with the raw pipe 51A by fitting into the inner peripheral surface of the raw pipe 51A.

  The rotation support member 500 is a member that rotatably supports the outer peripheral surface of the fitting member 400. The rotation support member 500 is configured as a sliding bearing made of resin. Each rotation support member 500 is located on the outer side in the rotation axis direction than the raw tube 51A.

  The rotation support member 500 has a contact surface 500 </ b> A that contacts the exposure member 40. The contact surface 500A is located on the radially outer side than the surface of the raw tube 51A. Specifically, the contact surface 500 </ b> A protrudes radially outward from the outer peripheral surface of the fitting member 400 toward the exposure member 40.

  The exposure member 40 includes an optical member 42, a compression spring 43, a conduction member 44, a support frame 100, and a metal plate 200 in addition to the plurality of light emitting units 41 described above.

  The plurality of light emitting units 41 are LED elements arranged in the rotation axis direction. The plurality of light emitting units 41 scan and expose the photoconductor 51 by sequentially lighting. In the following description, a direction in which the photoconductor 51 is scanned in the rotation axis direction by the plurality of light emitting units 41 arranged in the rotation axis direction is also referred to as a main scanning direction. In addition, the optical axis direction of the light emitted from the light emitting unit 41 is simply referred to as “optical axis direction”. Furthermore, a direction orthogonal to the optical axis direction and the main scanning direction (rotation axis direction) is referred to as a sub-scanning direction. In the present embodiment, the sub-scanning direction substantially coincides with the front-rear direction, and the optical axis direction substantially coincides with the vertical direction.

  The optical member 42 is a lens array in which refractive index distribution type cylindrical lenses are integrated, and extends in the direction of the rotation axis as a whole. The optical member 42 forms the light from the light emitting unit 41 on the photoconductor 51 as an erecting equal-magnification image. The lower surface of the optical member 42 is an emission surface that emits light, and faces the rotation axis X1 side.

  The compression spring 43 is disposed near both ends of the exposure member 40 in the rotation axis direction. Specifically, the compression spring 43 is disposed outside the first connection portion 13 and the second connection portion 14 in the rotation axis direction. The compression spring 43 has one end in contact with the connecting member 12 and the other end engaged with the exposure member 40. The compression spring 43 biases the exposure member 40 toward the photoconductor 51. The compression spring 43 has electrical conductivity and is electrically connected to the ground potential portion of the apparatus main body 10.

  The conducting member 44 is a metallic wire. The conducting member 44 is disposed along the rotational axis direction from one end side to the other end side of the support frame 100. Both ends of the conductive member 44 are connected to the compression springs 43 and are electrically connected to the ground potential portion of the apparatus main body 10.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the support frame 100 includes a first frame 110 and a second frame 120. In FIG. 5, the first frame 110 and the second frame 120 are shown in an exploded state.

  The first frame 110 supports the light emitting unit 41 and the optical member 42. The first frame 110 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape that is long in the left-right direction. The first frame 110 is made of resin. The first frame 110 has a supported portion 110 </ b> A that protrudes from both left and right end portions and is supported by the second frame 120.

  The second frame 120 is disposed on the opposite side of the photoconductor 51 across the first frame 110 in the optical axis direction of the light emitting unit 41. The second frame 120 supports supported portions 110A at both ends of the first frame 110 in the rotation axis direction.

  The second frame 120 extends long in the left-right direction. The second frame 120 is made of resin. The second frame 120 includes a base part 121, a support part 122, an engagement part 123, a recess 124, an attachment part 125, a rib 126, a through-hole 127, a second contact part 128, and a third contact part 129. And have.

  The second frame 120 has a first surface 120A that faces the first frame 110 in the optical axis direction, and a second surface 120B that is located on the opposite side of the first surface 120A in the optical axis direction. The second surface 120B faces the connecting member 12.

  The base 121 has a rectangular plate shape that is long in the left-right direction. The support portions 122 are disposed at both left and right end portions of the base portion 121 and project from the base portion 121 to the photoconductor 51 side. Each support part 122 supports the supported part 110 </ b> A of the first frame 110 and positions the first frame 110 and the second frame 120.

  Two engaging portions 123 are arranged corresponding to the first connecting portion 13 and the second connecting portion 14. The engaging portion 123 is a portion on the upper side of the through hole formed in the base portion 121, and the tips of the first connecting portion 13 and the second connecting portion 14 are engaged with each other. Thereby, the connecting member 12 connects the support frame 100 and the cover 11.

  The recesses 124 are formed on the outer sides of the respective engaging portions 123 in the rotation axis direction. The recess 124 is open toward the connecting member 12 side. A compression spring 43 is inserted between the bottom surface of the recess 124 and the connecting member 12.

  The attachment part 125 is a part to which the metal plate 200 is attached. The attachment portion 125 is disposed at the center of the base portion 121 in the rotation axis direction and on the first frame 110 side. The attachment part 125 is located between the two engagement parts 123. That is, when the metal plate 200 is attached to the attachment portion 125, the metal plate 200 is located between the first connection portion 13 and the second connection portion 14.

  The attachment part 125 has a plate-like part 125A, two holes 125B, and a first contact part 125C. The plate-like portion 125 </ b> A is a planar portion that is a range located between the left and right ends of the optical member 42 in the second frame 120.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the plate-like portion 125 </ b> A is parallel to the metal plate 200 when the metal plate 200 is attached. In the present embodiment, the plate-like portion 125A is not in contact with the metal plate 200 when the metal plate 200 is attached. That is, a gap G <b> 1 with a constant interval is formed between the plate-like portion 125 </ b> A and the metal plate 200. The plate-like portion 125A extends in the rotation axis direction with a constant thickness T2. The thickness T1 of the metal plate 200 is equal to or greater than the thickness T2 of the plate-like portion 125A. The thickness T2 of the plate-like portion 125A is preferably 1 to 3 mm, and is 2 mm in this embodiment. In the present embodiment, the thickness T2 of the plate-like portion 125A is equal to the thickness of the base portion 121.

  The two holes 125B are disposed near both ends of the plate-like portion 125A in the rotation axis direction.

  The first contact portion 125 </ b> C is a boss that protrudes from the plate-like portion 125 </ b> A and contacts the metal plate 200. Specifically, the first contact portion 125C protrudes from the edge of the hole 125B. The protrusion amount T3 of the first contact portion 125C is smaller than the thickness T1 of the metal plate 200. The protrusion amount T3 of the first contact portion 125C is preferably 0.2 to 1 mm, and is 0.3 mm in this embodiment. Thereby, the gap G1 between the plate-like portion 125A and the metal plate 200 becomes 0.3 mm.

  The rib 126 protrudes from the periphery of the plate-like portion 125A. The rib 126 protrudes from the base portion 121 around the attachment portion 125 in a direction intersecting with the plate-like portion 125A (see FIG. 5). The rib 126 is arranged so as to surround the periphery of the plate-like portion 125A. The rib 126 surrounds the metal plate 200 when the metal plate 200 is attached. The protruding amount T4 of the rib 126 is larger than the thickness T1 of the metal plate 200. Further, the protrusion amount T4 of the rib 126 is larger than the sum of the thickness T1 of the metal plate 200 and the protrusion amount T3 of the first contact portion 125C, and is 5 mm in this embodiment. That is, the rib 126 protrudes after the metal plate 200. The rib 126 protrudes in a direction orthogonal to the plate-like portion 125 </ b> A, and the inner surface 126 </ b> A of the rib 126 faces the end surface of the metal plate 200. A gap G2 is formed so as not to contact between the inner surface 126A of the rib 126 and the metal plate 200. In the present embodiment, the gap G2 is 0.3 mm.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the through holes 127 have a rectangular shape, and a plurality of the through holes 127 are arranged side by side in the rotation axis direction. Specifically, it is disposed between the first connecting portion 13 and the recess 124 and between the first connecting portion 13 and the second connecting portion 14. Among these, the through-hole 127 arrange | positioned between the 1st connection part 13 and the 2nd connection part 14 is located in a line with the metal plate 200 in the optical axis direction. A distance D1 from the metal plate 200 to the light emitting unit 41 is smaller than a distance D2 from the through hole 127 to the light emitting unit 41.

  In the present embodiment, two through holes 127 are arranged between the first connecting part 13 and the recess 124 and four between the first connecting part 13 and the second connecting part 14.

  The second contact portions 128 are disposed at both ends of the second frame 120 in the rotation axis direction. As shown in FIG. 8, when the exposure member 40 is in the proximity position, the second contact portion 128 of the support frame 100 contacts the third frame 300 in the sub-scanning direction. The third frame 300 constitutes a side frame of the apparatus main body 10 and supports the photoconductor 51 via the photoconductor frame 55.

  The third frame 300 positions the exposure member 40 by making contact with the left and right second contact portions 128, respectively. In the present embodiment, the third frame 300 has protrusions 300 </ b> A that extend from the left and right third frames 300 inward in the rotation axis direction. The exposure member 40 is positioned such that the second contact portions 128 at both ends are sandwiched between the left and right projections 300A and the contact members 310 disposed to face the projections 300A. It has become.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the third contact portion 129 is disposed near both ends of the second frame 120 in the rotation axis direction. Each third contact portion 129 is disposed between the recess 124 and the second contact portion 128 in the rotation axis direction. As shown in FIG. 9, the third contact portion 129 has a triangular shape when viewed from the rotation axis direction. The third contact portion 129 contacts the rotation support member 500 in the optical axis direction.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the metal plate 200 is a rectangular plate and is made by sheet metal processing. The metal plate 200 has a dimension L2 in the rotation axis direction larger than a dimension L1 in the optical axis direction. The dimension L1 of the metal plate 200 in the optical axis direction is larger than 1/3 of the dimension L3 of the second frame 120 in the optical axis direction. The dimension L2 of the metal plate 200 in the rotation axis direction is larger than 1/3 of the dimension L4 of the second frame 120 in the rotation axis direction. The specific gravity of the metal plate 200 is larger than the specific gravity of the support frame 100. In this embodiment, the material of the metal plate 200 is iron, and the material of the support frame 100 (the first frame 110 and the second frame 120) is a resin mainly composed of polycarbonate and containing a filler such as glass fiber. The thickness T1 of the metal plate 200 is equal to or greater than the thickness of the plate-like portion 125A. The thickness T1 of the metal plate 200 is desirably 2 to 5 mm, and is 2.3 mm in the present embodiment (see FIG. 6).

  The metal plate 200 has three screw holes 201, 202, 203 and three notches 204, 205, 206. Three screw holes 201, 202, and 203 are arranged side by side in the center and near both ends of the metal plate 200 in the rotation axis direction. The three notches 204, 205, and 206 can be used for positioning the metal plate 200 with respect to the mounting portion 125, positioning during assembly, and the like.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the metal plate 200 is attached to the attachment portion 125 of the support frame 100. The metal plate 200 is fixed to the attachment portion 125 by the screws N being fastened to the screw holes 201 and 203 of the metal plate 200. At this time, the head of the screw N that fixes the metal plate 200 faces the front side. The metal plate 200 is attached to the second frame 120. The metal plate 200 is located between both ends of the optical member 42 in the rotation axis direction. Further, the center in the left-right direction of the metal plate 200 coincides with the center in the left-right direction of the optical member 42. For this reason, the weight of the metal plate 200 is not biased in the left-right direction, and the optical member 42 can be satisfactorily suppressed from vibrating. In the second frame 120, the metal plate 200 can increase the rigidity of the central portion where the through hole 127 is provided.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the metal plate 200 is attached to the rear side of the second frame 120. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 7, when the cover 11 is opened (see FIG. 2), the user cannot see the metal plate 200. FIG. 7 is a view as seen from the opposite side, that is, the front side of FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the distance D3 from the metal plate 200 to the first surface 120A is smaller than the distance D4 from the metal plate 200 to the second surface 120B. That is, the metal plate 200 is disposed so as to be closer to the first surface 120A than to the second surface 120B. In the present embodiment, since the first surface 120A is located below the second surface 120B, the metal plate 200 is disposed below the second frame 120 in the vertical direction.

  A connection plate 45 that connects the metal plate 200 and the conducting member 44 is disposed near the center of the metal plate 200 in the rotation axis direction. The connecting plate 45 has a main body part 45A having a hole through which the screw N passes and an extending part 45B extending from the main body part 45A (see FIG. 5). The screw N is fastened to the screw hole 202 of the metal plate 200 through the hole of the main body 45 </ b> A, so that the connecting plate 45 is fixed to the metal plate 200. At this time, the head of the screw N that fixes the connecting plate 45 faces the rear side. The main body portion 45A is in contact with the metal plate 200, and the extending portion 45B is in contact with the conducting member 44 to electrically connect the metal plate 200 and the conducting member 44. For this reason, the conducting member 44 conducts the metal plate 200 and the ground potential portion of the apparatus main body 10.

  According to the above, the following effects can be obtained in the present embodiment.

  According to the image forming apparatus 1, since the metal plate 200 is attached to the support frame 100 of the exposure member 40, the support frame 100 becomes heavier than that without the metal plate 200, and the support frame 100 of the exposure member 40 is Vibration can be suppressed. Since the vibration of the support frame 100 is suppressed, the vibration of the light emitting unit 41 supported by the support frame 100 is also suppressed, so that the image quality can be prevented from being deteriorated.

  Further, the support frame 100 has a first contact portion 125 </ b> C that protrudes from the plate-like portion 125 </ b> A and contacts the metal plate 200. For this reason, the metal plate 200 is in contact with the first contact portion 125C and is not in contact with the plate-like portion 125A. Therefore, even when the flatness of the metal plate 200 and the plate-like portion 125A is different, the metal plate is stable. 200 can be attached.

  Further, the support frame 100 has a rib 126 protruding in the direction orthogonal to the rotation axis direction around the attachment portion 125, and the protruding amount T3 of the rib 126 is larger than the thickness T1 of the metal plate 200, so that the metal Exposure of the end surface of the plate 200 can be suppressed.

  Further, since the distance D3 from the metal plate 200 to the first surface 120A of the second frame 120 is smaller than the distance D4 from the metal plate 200 to the second surface 120B, the metal plate 200 acting as a weight of the second frame 120 is the first. Close to 1 frame 110 side. For this reason, it is possible to suppress the vibration of the second frame 120 closer to the first frame 110. As a result, it is possible to suppress the vibration of the light emitting unit 41 and the optical member 42 of the first frame 110.

  Further, since the metal plate 200 has a dimension L2 in the rotation axis direction larger than the dimension L1 in the optical axis direction, the metal plate 200 is less likely to get in the way even when attached to the support frame 100.

  Moreover, since the exposure member 40 has the conducting member 44, the metal plate 200 can be prevented from being charged. For this reason, generation | occurrence | production of radiation noise from the metal plate 200 can be suppressed.

  In addition, since the metal plate 200 is located between the first connecting portion 13 and the second connecting portion 14 that connect the support frame 100 and the cover 11, it is possible to prevent the weight balance of the metal plate 200 from being biased in the rotation axis direction. it can. For this reason, it can suppress efficiently that support frame 100 vibrates.

  In addition, since the support frame 100 has the through-hole 127, the through-hole 127 serves as an air flow channel, and the exposure member 40 can be prevented from blocking the air flow in the apparatus main body 10.

  In addition, since the distance D1 from the metal plate 200 to the light emitting unit 41 is smaller than the distance D2 from the through hole 127 to the light emitting unit 41, the metal plate 200 is closer to the light emitting unit 41 than the through port 127. For this reason, the side close | similar to the light emission part 41 among the support frames 100 becomes heavy, and can suppress a vibration efficiently.

  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 moving frame is a cover that opens and closes the opening. However, the moving frame may not be a cover that opens and closes the opening. For example, the moving frame that supports the exposure member and the cover may be configured separately. In this case, it is preferable that the user retracts the exposure member by moving the moving frame separately from the cover after opening the cover.

  In the embodiment, the first frame and the second frame are made of resin, but the first frame may be made of metal or the like. The first frame and the second frame do not need to be the same resin, and may be selected as appropriate. In particular, the first frame may be made of a resin or metal having higher rigidity than the second frame.

  In the above-described embodiment, the support frame 100 is configured by the two frames 110 and 120. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, the support frame may be configured by one frame. You may be comprised with the above frame.

  In the said embodiment, the material of each components, such as a fitting member and a rotation support member, is not limited to the said embodiment, A various material can be selected and used. Further, the rotation support member may be a rolling bearing instead of a sliding bearing.

  In the above embodiment, the third frame 300 is a frame constituting the apparatus main body 10, but the present invention is not limited to this, and may be a frame that supports the process cartridge and can be pulled out from the apparatus main body.

  In the said embodiment, although the metal plate was a rectangle, it is not limited to a rectangle. Two or more metal plates may be arranged.

  In the embodiment, the through hole formed in the exposure member has a rectangular shape, but is not limited to a rectangular shape. Further, the number of through holes is not particularly limited.

  In the above embodiment, the present invention is applied to the image forming apparatus 1 such as a color printer. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the present invention is applied to a monochrome printer and other image forming apparatuses such as a copying machine and a multifunction machine. You may apply.

  Moreover, you may implement combining each element demonstrated by above-described embodiment and modification arbitrarily.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Image forming apparatus 10 Apparatus main body 40 Exposure member 41 Light emission part 42 Optical member 51 Photoconductor 100 Support frame 110 1st frame 120 2nd frame 125A Plate-shaped part 125C 1st contact part 200 Metal plate

Claims (12)

The device body;
A rotatable photoreceptor,
A plurality of light emitting units arranged in the rotation axis direction of the photoconductor, an optical member extending in the rotation axis direction and forming an image of light from the light emitting unit on the photoconductor, and the light emitting unit and the optical member. An exposure member having a support frame made of a resin to support and a metal plate,
The support frame has a plate-like portion located between both ends of the optical member in the rotation axis direction,
The image forming apparatus, wherein the metal plate is attached to the plate-like portion and has a thickness equal to or greater than a thickness of the plate-like portion.   The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the support frame further includes a first contact portion that protrudes from the plate-like portion and contacts the metal plate. The support frame has ribs protruding from the periphery of the plate-like portion,
The image forming apparatus according to claim 2, wherein a protruding amount of the rib is larger than a thickness of the metal plate. The support frame includes a first frame that supports the light emitting unit and the optical member, and a second frame that supports both end portions of the first frame in the rotation axis direction.
The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the metal plate is attached to the second frame. The second frame is
Arranged on the opposite side of the photoconductor across the first frame in the optical axis direction of the light emitting unit,
A first surface facing the first frame in the optical axis direction, and a second surface located on the opposite side of the first surface in the optical axis direction,
The image forming apparatus according to claim 4, wherein a distance from the metal plate to the first surface is smaller than a distance from the metal plate to the second surface.   The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the metal plate has a dimension in the rotation axis direction larger than a dimension in the optical axis direction of the light emitting unit.   The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the exposure member includes a conductive member that conducts the metal plate and a ground potential portion of the apparatus main body. A third frame for supporting the photoconductor;
The said support frame has a 2nd contact part which contacts the said 3rd frame in the sub-scanning direction orthogonal to the said rotating shaft direction and the optical axis direction of the said light emission part, The Claim 1 to Claim 7 characterized by the above-mentioned. The image forming apparatus according to any one of the above. A rotation support member that rotatably supports the photoconductor;
The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the support frame includes a third contact portion that contacts the rotation support member in an optical axis direction of the light emitting portion. A movable frame that supports the exposure member and is movable between a proximity position where the exposure member and the photoconductor are close to each other, and a separation position where the exposure member and the photoconductor are separated from each other;
A connecting member that connects the support frame and the moving frame; and
The connecting member has a first connecting part and a second connecting part that are located apart from each other in the rotational axis direction and connected to the support frame;
10. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the metal plate is positioned between the first connecting portion and the second connecting portion. 11.   11. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the support frame includes a through-hole arranged in the optical axis direction of the metal plate and the light emitting unit.   The image forming apparatus according to claim 11, wherein a distance from the metal plate to the light emitting unit is smaller than a distance from the through hole to the light emitting unit.

Images