JP2024033927A - Image forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

An object of the present invention is to prevent a cartridge from being caught by an adjacent cartridge already installed in the main body casing when the cartridge is mounted in the main body casing. An image forming apparatus includes a first cartridge PC1 and a second cartridge PC2. The second cartridge PC2 is aligned with the first cartridge PC1 in a second direction intersecting the first direction when installed in the main body case. The first cartridge PC1 has a first inclined surface 110. The second cartridge PC2 is located at the end of the second frame in the first direction and has a protrusion 150T that protrudes in the second direction. The first inclined surface 110 can come into contact with the protrusion 150T during the process of attaching the first cartridge PC1 to the main body case. When the first inclined surface 110 comes into contact with the protrusion 150T during the process of attaching the first cartridge PC1 to the main body case, the first cartridge PC1 moves in the first direction. [Selection diagram] Figure 13

Description

The present disclosure relates to an image forming apparatus in which a plurality of cartridges can be attached to a main body housing.

2. Description of the Related Art An image forming apparatus in which a plurality of cartridges can be attached to a main body casing is known (see Patent Document 1). The image forming apparatus includes a main body housing having an opening and a cover that covers the opening. The plurality of cartridges are installed through the opening of the main body case with the cover open. This image forming apparatus is equipped with four cartridges. The four cartridges are placed next to each other.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-173482

However, in an image forming apparatus in which multiple cartridges are arranged next to each other, when a cartridge is installed in the main body casing and another cartridge is installed, the adjacent cartridge that is already installed in the main body casing is The problem was that it was easy to get caught.

Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to prevent a cartridge from being caught by an adjacent cartridge that has already been installed in the main body casing when the cartridge is installed in the main body casing.

In order to solve the above problems, an image forming apparatus according to a first aspect of the present invention includes a main body housing, a first cartridge, and a second cartridge.
The first cartridge is removable from the main body housing. The first cartridge includes a first photoreceptor drum that is rotatable about a first axis extending in a first direction, and a first frame that rotatably holds the first photoreceptor drum.
The second cartridge is removable from the main body housing. The second cartridge includes a second photoreceptor drum that is rotatable about a second axis extending in the first direction when attached to the main body housing, and a second frame that rotatably holds the second photoreceptor drum. have The second cartridge is aligned with the first cartridge in a second direction intersecting the first direction when installed in the main body housing.
The first frame has a first inclined surface inclined with respect to the first direction.
The second frame is a protrusion located at an end of the second frame in the first direction, and has a protrusion that protrudes in the second direction.
The first inclined surface can come into contact with the protrusion in the process of installing the first cartridge in the main body case while the second cartridge is installed in the main body case.
When the first inclined surface comes into contact with the protrusion while the second cartridge is attached to the main body casing and the first cartridge is in the process of being attached to the main body casing, the first cartridge is moved in the first direction. Moving.

According to the image forming apparatus of the first aspect, when the protrusion and the first inclined surface come into contact with each other during the process of installing the first cartridge in the main body housing, the first inclined surface causes the first cartridge to move in the first direction. Moving. Therefore, when a cartridge is installed in the main body casing, it is possible to prevent the cartridge from getting caught by an adjacent cartridge that is already installed in the main body casing.

Further, in the image forming apparatus of the second aspect, in the image forming apparatus of the first aspect, the first cartridge is a first drum cartridge having a first photoreceptor drum and a first developing cartridge having a first developing roller. The first developer cartridge can be detachably attached to the first drum cartridge. The second cartridge is a second drum cartridge having a second photoreceptor drum, and a second developing cartridge having a second developing roller, the second developing cartridge being removably attachable to the second drum cartridge, and the second developing roller. The photoreceptor may include a pressure spring for pressing the photoreceptor toward the second photoreceptor drum, and a housing portion that accommodates the pressure spring. The protruding portion may be configured to constitute a part of the accommodating portion.

Further, in the image forming apparatus of the third aspect, in the image forming apparatus of the second aspect, the first frame may further include a second inclined surface extending along the first direction from the first inclined surface. The second inclined surface may be able to come into contact with the protrusion in the process of attaching the first cartridge to the main body housing while the second cartridge is attached to the main body housing. If the second cartridge comes into contact with the outer surface of the protruding part of the second frame during the process of being installed into the main body case while the second cartridge is attached to the main body case, the first cartridge is removed from the second cartridge. The first cartridge can be moved away.

According to the image forming apparatus of the third aspect, even if the first cartridge approaches the second cartridge during the process of installing the first cartridge into the main body housing, the second inclined surface separates the first cartridge from the second cartridge. The first cartridge can be moved as follows.

Further, in an image forming apparatus according to a fourth aspect, in the image forming apparatus according to any one of the first to third aspects, the first cartridge is a charging wire for charging the photoreceptor drum, and the first cartridge is a charging wire for charging the photoreceptor drum. The charging device may further include an extending charging wire, a spring that pulls the charging wire, and a cover that partially covers the spring. The cover may have a third inclined surface that is inclined with respect to the first direction and that is arranged in line with the first inclined surface.

Further, in the image forming apparatus of the fifth aspect, in the image forming apparatus of the fourth aspect, the third inclined surface is arranged such that the first cartridge is attached to the main body casing while the second cartridge is attached to the main body casing. The protrusion may be able to be contacted during the process. If the first cartridge comes into contact with the protrusion while the second cartridge is attached to the main body casing, the first cartridge will not move in the first direction. good.

According to the image forming apparatus of the fifth aspect, when the protrusion and the third inclined surface come into contact with each other during the process of installing the first cartridge in the main body housing, the third inclined surface causes the first cartridge to move in the first direction. Moving. Therefore, when a cartridge is installed in the main body casing, it is possible to prevent the cartridge from getting caught by an adjacent cartridge that is already installed in the main body casing.

Further, the image forming apparatus of the sixth aspect may be configured such that the second direction is orthogonal to the first direction in the image forming apparatus of the first aspect.

According to the present disclosure, when a cartridge is installed in the main body casing, it is possible to suppress the cartridge from being caught by an adjacent cartridge that is already installed in the main body casing.

1 is a diagram showing the configuration of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the configuration of the image forming apparatus with the cover open. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the process cartridge with the developer cartridge removed from the drum cartridge. It is a perspective view of a drum cartridge. It is a figure explaining the position of the scattering prevention film provided in the drum frame. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a photoreceptor drum. 5 is a perspective view of the drum cartridge seen from a different direction from FIG. 4, and is a diagram illustrating the shape of a protruding portion of a spring accommodating portion. FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the drum cartridge seen from a different direction from FIG. 4. FIG. 9 is an enlarged view of a part of FIG. 8, and is a diagram illustrating a first slope, a second slope, and a third slope. FIG. 10 is a diagram corresponding to FIG. 9 with the charging cap removed. FIG. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating the process of installing the first cartridge in the apparatus main body, and is a diagram showing a state in which the protrusion begins to come into contact with the second inclined surface. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a process of installing the first cartridge in the apparatus main body, and is a diagram showing a state in which the protrusion is guided by the second inclined surface. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a process of installing the first cartridge in the apparatus main body, and is a diagram showing a state in which the protrusion is guided by the first inclined surface.

An embodiment of the image forming apparatus 1 will be described in detail with reference to the drawings as appropriate.

As shown in FIG. 1, the image forming apparatus 1 includes a main body housing 10, an upper cover 11, a sheet supply section 20, and an image forming section 30. The image forming apparatus 1 is, for example, a color printer.

In the following description, the axial direction of the photoreceptor drum 53 will be referred to as a first direction. Further, a direction that intersects with the first direction and in which the plurality of process cartridges PCs are lined up is referred to as a second direction. In this embodiment, the second direction is a direction perpendicular to the first direction. Further, a direction perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction is referred to as a third direction. Further, arrows indicating each direction in the drawings indicate "one side" in each direction.

The main body case 10 has an opening 10A. The opening 10A is located on the top surface of the main body casing 10.

The upper cover 11 is located at the top of the main body casing 10. The upper cover 11 is movable between a closed position shown in FIG. 1 and an open position shown in FIG. 2. The upper cover 11 is rotatable about a cover shaft 11X extending in the first direction.

The sheet supply unit 20 is located at the lower part of the main body housing 10. The sheet supply section 20 includes a supply tray 21 and a sheet supply roller 22. The supply tray 21 accommodates the sheets S. The sheet supply rollers 22 are a plurality of rollers that supply the sheets S from the supply tray 21 to the image forming section 30. The sheets S in the supply tray 21 are separated one by one by a sheet supply roller 22 and supplied toward the image forming section 30 along the conveyance path.

The image forming section 30 includes four LED heads 40, four process cartridges PC, a transfer unit 70, and a fixing unit 80.

Each LED head 40 is movable between the exposure position shown in FIG. 1 and the retracted position shown in FIG. 2 as the upper cover 11 moves. The exposure position is a position where the photoreceptor drum 53 is exposed. The retracted position is a position farther from the photoreceptor drum 53 than the exposure position. Each LED head 40 exposes the surface of the photoreceptor drum 53 corresponding to each LED head 40 while being located at the exposure position.

The four process cartridges PC are located between the upper cover 11 and the supply tray 21. Each process cartridge PC is arranged side by side in the second direction. As shown in FIG. 2, each process cartridge PC is removable from the main body casing 10 through the opening 10A in the first direction when the upper cover 11 is in the open position.

Each process cartridge PC has a different color of toner stored in a toner storage chamber of a developing cartridge 60, which will be described later. In this embodiment, yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C), and black (K) toners are stored. In the following description, when necessary, Y, M, C, and K are attached to the symbols corresponding to each color to distinguish each member. Note that the configurations of the process cartridges PCY, PCM, PCC, and PCK are the same except for the color of the toner contained in the toner storage chamber. In FIG. 1, the internal structure of only the process cartridge PCY corresponding to yellow is schematically shown in a sectional view.

Further, regarding two adjacent process cartridges PC, one may be called a first cartridge PC1 and the other may be called a second cartridge PC2. In this embodiment, of two adjacent process cartridges PC, the other side in the second direction is referred to as a first cartridge PC1, and the one side in the second direction is referred to as a second cartridge PC1. In this case, in the first cartridge PC1, the frame is the first frame, the photosensitive drum is the first photosensitive drum, the drum cartridge is the first drum cartridge, and the developing roller is the first developing roller. The developer cartridge is a first developer cartridge. In the second cartridge PC2, the frame is connected to the second frame, the photoreceptor drum is connected to the second photoreceptor drum, the drum cartridge is connected to the second drum cartridge, the developing roller is connected to the second developing roller, and the developing cartridge is connected to the second cartridge. , a second developer cartridge.

As shown in FIG. 3, each process cartridge PC includes a drum cartridge 50 and a developer cartridge 60. The drum cartridge 50 includes a drum frame 52, a photosensitive drum 53, a cleaning roller 54, a charger 55, and a lock lever 56.

The drum frame 52 is a frame that rotatably holds the photosensitive drum 53 and the cleaning roller 54 and also holds the developer cartridge 60 in a removable manner. Specifically, the drum frame 52 rotatably holds the photosensitive drum 53 and the cleaning roller 54 via a bearing (not shown).

The photosensitive drum 53 has a cylindrical shape. The surface of the photosensitive drum 53 is covered with a photosensitive material. The photosensitive drum 53 is rotatable about the drum shaft 53X. The photosensitive drum 53 is held by the drum frame 52 with the process cartridge PC attached to the main body housing 10 .

The charger 55 is fixed to the drum frame 52. The charger 55 is a scorotron type charger that can charge the surface of the photoreceptor drum 53. As shown in FIG. 5, the charger 55 includes a charging wire 57 and a grid 552. The charging wire 57 extends in the first direction. The grid 552 has a U-shape and extends in the first direction. The grid 552 includes a first plate 552A, a second plate 552B, and a third plate 552C. The first plate 552A is a flat plate located between the photoreceptor drum 51 and the charging wire 57. The first plate 552A faces the photoreceptor drum 51. The first plate 552A has a plurality of grid holes 552H. The second plate 552B is a flat plate extending in a direction away from the photoreceptor drum 51 from one end of the first plate 552A. The third plate 552C is a flat plate extending in a direction away from the photoreceptor drum 51 from the other end of the first plate 552A.

Returning to FIG. 1, the cleaning roller 54 is a roller that cleans toner, paper dust, etc. from the surface of the photoreceptor drum 53. The cleaning roller 54 is in contact with the surface of the photosensitive drum 53. The cleaning roller 54 is rotatably held by the drum frame 52.

The developer cartridge 60 includes a toner storage section 61 , an agitator 62 , a supply roller 63 , and a developer roller 64 . The toner storage section 61 stores toner. The agitator 62 stirs the toner in the toner storage section 61 . The supply roller 63 supplies the toner in the toner storage section 61 to the developing roller 64 . The developing roller 64 supplies toner to the photosensitive drum 53. As shown in FIG. 3, the developer cartridge 60 is removably attached to the drum frame 52.

The lock lever 56 is a member that locks the developer cartridge 60 to the drum frame 52. As shown in FIG. 3, the lock lever 56 is located at the end of the drum frame 52 in the first direction.

Returning to FIG. 1, the transfer unit 70 is located between the supply tray 21 and the process cartridge PC. The transfer unit 70 includes a drive roller 71, a driven roller 72, a conveyor belt 73, and four transfer rollers 74. The conveyance belt 73 is an endless belt that covers the drive roller 71 and the driven roller 72. The outer peripheral surface of the conveyor belt 73 contacts each photoreceptor drum 53. The inner peripheral surface of the conveyor belt 73 contacts each transfer roller 74 . Therefore, each photosensitive drum 53 and each transfer roller 74 sandwich the conveyor belt 73 between them.

The fixing unit 80 is located on one side of the image forming section 30 in the second direction. The fixing unit 80 includes a heating roller 81 and a pressure roller 82 . Pressure roller 82 is located opposite heating roller 81 . Pressure roller 82 presses heating roller 81 .

In such an image forming section 30, the surface of the photoreceptor drum 53 is charged by the charger 55, and then the surface of the photoreceptor drum 53 is exposed to light by the LED head 40. Therefore, an electrostatic latent image is formed on the surface of the photoreceptor drum 53 based on the image data. Then, by supplying toner from the developer cartridge 60 to the surface of the photoreceptor drum 53, the electrostatic latent image is visualized and a toner image is formed on the photoreceptor drum 53.

The toner images formed on each photoreceptor drum 53 are sequentially superimposed and transferred onto the sheet S conveyed on the conveyor belt 73 by a transfer roller 74 . The sheet S to which the toner image has been transferred is conveyed between a heating roller 81 and a pressure roller 82, so that the toner image is thermally fixed. Thereafter, the sheet S is discharged from the inside of the main body casing 10 to the outside of the main body casing 10 by the conveyance roller 91, and is located on the discharge tray 11B on the upper surface of the upper cover 11.

As shown in FIG. 4, each drum cartridge 50 has a scattering prevention film 100. The anti-scattering film 100 is a resin film for preventing toner floating in the charger 55 from scattering. The anti-scattering film 100 has a rectangular shape extending in the first direction. The anti-scattering film 100 is adhered to the drum frame 52. As shown in FIG. 5, the anti-scattering film 100 has one end in the second direction adhered to the drum frame 52, and the other end in the second direction in contact with the LED head 40.

Returning to FIG. 4, the anti-scattering film 100 has a recess 101 located at the center in the first direction. The recess 101 is formed so as to avoid interference with the gate mark GM when the drum frame 52 is injection molded. The recess 101 is not bonded to the drum frame 52.

As shown in FIG. 6, the photosensitive drum 53 includes a drum portion 53A, a first flange 53B, and a second flange 53C. The first flange 53B and the second flange 53C are members that rotate together with the photosensitive drum 53. The first flange 53B and the second flange 53C are rotatably held by a bearing (not shown).

The first flange 53B is located on one side of the photoreceptor drum 53 in the first direction. The second flange 53C is located on the other side of the photosensitive drum 53 in the first direction. The diameter D2 of the portion of the shaft where the second flange 53C is held by the bearing member is smaller than the diameter D1 of the portion of the shaft where the first flange 53B is pivotally supported by the bearing member.

As shown in FIG. 7, the drum cartridge 50 includes a pressure spring SP and a housing section 150. The pressing spring SP is a spring for pressing the developing roller 64 toward the photosensitive drum 53 when the developing cartridge 60 is attached to the drum cartridge 50. The accommodating portion 150 is a portion that accommodates the pressure spring SP. Specifically, the housing section 150 holds a spring holder SPH to which a pressure spring SP is fixed so as to be slidable relative to the drum frame 52.

The accommodating portion 150 has a protrusion 150T that protrudes to the other side in the second direction. The protrusion 150T is located at one end of the drum frame 52 in the first direction. The protruding portion 150T constitutes a part of the accommodating portion 150. The protrusion 150T has a corner PP. The corner portion PP is a portion that is likely to come into contact with the adjacent drum cartridge 50 during the process of mounting the adjacent drum cartridge 50 located on one side in the second direction.

As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the drum frame 52 of each drum cartridge 50 has a cleaning electrode 54A, a first slope 110, a second slope 120, and a third slope 130. The cleaning electrode 54A, the first inclined surface 110, the second inclined surface 120, and the third inclined surface 130 are located on one side of the drum frame 52 in the first direction. Further, the cleaning electrode 54A, the first inclined surface 110, the second inclined surface 120, and the third inclined surface 130 are located on one side of the drum frame 52 in the second direction. The cleaning electrode 54A is an electrode for applying a bias to the cleaning roller 54.

In the process of installing the process cartridge PC (first cartridge PC1), the first slope 110, the second slope 120, and the third slope 130 are connected to the adjacent process located on one side in the second direction that has already been installed. This is a portion that easily comes into contact with the corner PP of the protruding portion 150T of the cartridge PC (second cartridge PC2).

The first inclined surface 110 is located adjacent to the cleaning electrode 54A, and is located on one side of the cleaning electrode 54A in the third direction. The first inclined surface 110 is an inclined surface inclined with respect to the first direction. Specifically, the first inclined surface 110 is an inclined surface that is inclined with respect to the charging wire 57. More specifically, the first inclined surface 110 is an inclined surface that is inclined with respect to the charging wire 57 so that as it advances toward one side in the first direction, it advances toward the other side in the second direction. That is, the first inclined surface 110 is inclined so that when the process cartridge PC comes into contact with another member during the process of mounting the process cartridge PC into the main body housing 10, the entire process cartridge PC is moved to the other side in the first direction. are doing.

For example, in the process of installing the first cartridge PC1 into the main body casing 10, the first inclined surface 110 is connected to an adjacent process cartridge PC (a second process cartridge PC) located on one side in the second direction that is already installed in the main body casing 10. It is possible to contact the protrusion 150T of the second cartridge PC2). The first inclined surface 110 is inclined so that when the inclined surface 110 of the first cartridge PC1 comes into contact with the protrusion 150T of the second cartridge PC2, the first cartridge PC1 moves in the first direction.

The second inclined surface 120 is located adjacent to the cleaning electrode 54A, and is located on the other side of the cleaning electrode 54A in the first direction. The second slope 120 extends from the first slope 110 in the first direction. Specifically, the second inclined surface 120 is an inclined surface inclined with respect to the first plate 552A of the grid 522. More specifically, the second inclined surface 120 is an inclined surface that is inclined relative to the first plate 552A so that as it advances toward one side in the second direction, it advances toward one side in the third direction. That is, the second inclined surface 120 is inclined so that when the process cartridge PC comes into contact with another member during the process of mounting the process cartridge PC in the main body housing 10, the entire process cartridge PC is moved to the other side in the second direction. are doing.

For example, in the process of installing the first cartridge PC1 into the main body casing 10, the second inclined surface 120 is connected to the adjacent process cartridge PC (the first cartridge PC) located on the other side in the second direction that is already installed in the main body casing 10. It is possible to contact the protruding portion 150T of the second cartridge PC2). When the second inclined surface 120 contacts the outer surface of the protruding portion 150T of the second cartridge PC2, the second inclined surface 120 moves the first cartridge toward the other side in the second direction so that the first cartridge PC1 is separated from the second cartridge PC2. It is tilted to move PC1.

The third inclined surface 130 is located on one side of the first inclined surface 110 in the third direction. The third inclined surface 130, like the first inclined surface 110, is a surface inclined with respect to the first direction. Specifically, the third inclined surface 130 is an inclined surface inclined with respect to the charging wire 57. More specifically, the third inclined surface 130 is an inclined surface that is inclined with respect to the charging wire 57 so that as it advances toward one side in the first direction, it advances toward the other side in the second direction. That is, the third inclined surface 130 is inclined so that when the process cartridge PC comes into contact with another member during the process of mounting the process cartridge PC into the main body housing 10, the entire process cartridge PC is moved to the other side in the first direction. are doing.

For example, in the process of installing the first cartridge PC1 into the main body casing 10, the third inclined surface 130 is connected to the process cartridge PC (second cartridge It is possible to contact the protrusion 150T of PC2). The third inclined surface 130 is inclined so that the first cartridge PC1 moves in the first direction when it comes into contact with the protrusion 150T of the second cartridge PC2.

Here, as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the drum cartridge 50 further includes a charging wire 57, a spring 58, and a cover 59. Note that FIG. 10 shows a state with the cover 59 removed. The charging wire 57 is a charging wire for charging the photoreceptor drum 53.
The charging wire 57 extends in the first direction. The spring 58 is a torsion spring that pulls the charging wire 57. The cover 59 covers the spring 58 and a portion of the charging wire 57. Since the cover 59 covers the spring 58 and the charging wire 57, it becomes difficult for the user to touch the spring 58 and the charging wire 57.

Next, with reference to FIGS. 11 to 13, the process of mounting the process cartridge PC (first cartridge PC1) to the mounting position (see FIG. 1) of the main body casing 10 will be described.

As shown in FIG. 11, in the process of installing the first cartridge PC1 with the second cartridge PC2 installed in the main body casing 10, the second inclined surface 120 of the first cartridge PC1 is attached to the second cartridge PC2. It contacts the protrusion 150T. Specifically, the corner PP shown in FIG. 7 contacts the point P1 of the second inclined surface 120 shown in FIG. 9 .

Then, as shown in FIG. 12, when the first cartridge PC1 further moves toward the mounting position, the second inclined surface 120 of the first cartridge PC1 comes into contact with the protrusion 150T of the second cartridge PC2, and the first cartridge PC1 PC1 moves away from second cartridge PC2. Specifically, as the corner PP shown in FIG. 7 is guided from point P1 to point P2 of the second inclined surface 120 shown in FIG. 9, the first cartridge PC1 moves away from the second cartridge PC2. do. At this time, for example, as the corner PP is guided along the second inclined surface 120, the cleaning electrode 54A moves away from the spring housing section 150 (see FIGS. 11 and 12).

Then, as shown in FIG. 13, when the first cartridge PC1 is further moved toward the mounting position, the first inclined surface 110 of the first cartridge PC1 comes into contact with the protrusion 150T of the second cartridge PC2, and the first cartridge PC1 The entire cartridge PC1 is moved to the other side in the first direction. Specifically, when the corner PP shown in FIG. 7 comes into contact with a point P3 of the first inclined surface 110 shown in FIG. 9, the entire first cartridge PC1 moves to the other side in the first direction.

In this way, the first cartridge PC1 is mounted at the mounting position without being caught by the second cartridge PC2.

According to the above, the following effects can be obtained in this embodiment.
As shown in FIG. 1, the four process cartridges PCY, PCM, PCC, and PCK are arranged adjacent to each other in order to downsize the entire device. However, according to the image forming apparatus 1, when the protrusion 150T of the second cartridge PC2 and the first inclined surface 110 of the first cartridge PC1 come into contact with each other during the process of installing the first cartridge PC1 into the main body housing 10, , the first cartridge PC1 is moved in the first direction by the first inclined surface 110. Therefore, when a cartridge is installed in the main body casing 10, it is possible to prevent the cartridge from being caught by an adjacent cartridge that is already installed in the main body casing. Further, by moving the first cartridge PC1 in the first direction by the first inclined surface 110, the first cartridge PC1 is guided to the correct mounting position and positioned in the first direction.

Furthermore, even if the first cartridge PC1 approaches the second cartridge PC2 during the process of attaching the first cartridge PC1 to the main body housing 10, the second inclined surface 120 of the first cartridge PC1 will cause the second cartridge PC2 to The first cartridge PC1 can be moved away from the first cartridge PC1.

Further, when the protruding portion 150T of the second cartridge PC2 and the third inclined surface 130 of the first cartridge PC1 come into contact with each other during the process of attaching the first cartridge PC1 to the main body case 10, the third inclined surface 130 1 cartridge PC1 moves in the first direction. Therefore, when the first cartridge PC1 is installed in the main body casing 10, it is possible to prevent the first cartridge PC1 from getting caught by an adjacent cartridge that is already installed in the main body casing.

The anti-scattering film 100 has one end in the second direction adhered to the drum frame 52, and the other end in the second direction in contact with the LED head 40 (see FIG. 5). Thereby, it is possible to suppress air from flowing into the gap between the charger 55 and the LED head 40. As a result, the anti-scattering film 100 can prevent the toner floating in the charger 55 from scattering, thereby suppressing dirt on the LED head 40. Furthermore, since the recess 101 is formed in the anti-scattering film 100, interference with the gate mark GM when injection molding the drum frame 52 can be avoided.

Although one embodiment of the image forming apparatus has been described above, the specific configuration can be modified as appropriate.

In the embodiment described above, the second direction is a direction perpendicular to the first direction, but the second direction is not limited to this, and may simply be a direction intersecting the first direction.

In the embodiment described above, the number of process cartridges PCs installed in the main body casing 10 of the image forming apparatus 1 is four, but the number is not limited to this. For example, the number of process cartridges PCs installed in the main body casing of the image forming apparatus 1 may be three, or five or more.

In the embodiment described above, the image forming apparatus 1 is exemplified as a color printer, but it may also be a copying machine, a multifunction device, or the like.

The elements described in the above-described embodiments and modifications may be implemented in any combination.

1 Image forming apparatus 10 Main body housing 50 Drum cartridge 52 Drum frame 53 Photosensitive drum 57 Charging wire 58 Spring 59 Cover 60 Developer cartridge 110 First inclined surface 120 Second inclined surface 130 Third inclined surface 150 Housing portion 150T Projection portion F1 1st frame F2 2nd frame PC Process cartridge PC1 1st cartridge PC2 2nd cartridge

Claims (6)

The main body casing;
A first photosensitive drum that is detachable from the main body housing and rotatable about a first axis extending in a first direction; and a first frame that rotatably holds the first photosensitive drum. a first cartridge;
a second photoreceptor drum that is removable from the main body case and rotatable about a second axis extending in the first direction when attached to the main body case; and a second photoreceptor drum that rotates the second photoreceptor drum. a second frame capable of holding the second cartridge, the second cartridge having a second frame that is aligned with the first cartridge in a second direction intersecting the first direction when installed in the main body housing; Equipped with
The first frame has a first inclined surface inclined with respect to the first direction,
The second frame is a protrusion located at an end of the second frame in the first direction, and has a protrusion that protrudes in the second direction,
The first inclined surface is
The first cartridge is capable of contacting the protrusion in the process of being installed in the main body casing while the second cartridge is installed in the main body casing,
When the first cartridge comes into contact with the protrusion in the process of being attached to the main body case while the second cartridge is attached to the main body case, the first cartridge is moved in the first direction. An image forming apparatus characterized in that the image forming apparatus moves to. The first cartridge includes a first drum cartridge having the first photoreceptor drum, and a first developing cartridge having a first developing roller, the first developing cartridge being removably attachable to the first drum cartridge. have,
The second cartridge includes a second drum cartridge having the second photoreceptor drum, a second developer cartridge having a second developing roller, and the second developer cartridge is removably attachable to the second drum cartridge; a pressing spring for pressing the second developing roller toward the second photoreceptor drum; and a housing section that houses the pressing spring;
The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the protruding portion constitutes a part of the accommodating portion. The first frame further includes a second slope extending from the first slope in the first direction,
The second inclined surface is
The first cartridge is capable of contacting the protrusion in the process of being installed in the main body casing while the second cartridge is installed in the main body casing,
When the first cartridge comes into contact with the outer surface of the protrusion of the second frame in the process of being attached to the main body case while the second cartridge is attached to the main body case, the second cartridge is attached to the main body case. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the first cartridge is moved so that one cartridge is separated from the second cartridge. The first cartridge is
a charging wire for charging the photoreceptor drum, the charging wire extending in the first direction;
a spring that pulls the charging wire;
further comprising a cover that covers a portion of the spring,
Claims 1 to 3, wherein the cover has a third inclined surface inclined with respect to the first direction, the third inclined surface being arranged in parallel with the first inclined surface. The image forming apparatus according to any one of the above. The third inclined surface is
The first cartridge is capable of contacting the protrusion in the process of being installed in the main body casing while the second cartridge is installed in the main body casing,
When the first cartridge comes into contact with the protrusion in the process of being attached to the main body case while the second cartridge is attached to the main body case, the first cartridge is moved in the first direction. 5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the image forming apparatus moves to . The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second direction is perpendicular to the first direction.

Images