JP2518979Y2 - Image forming device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Industrial application] The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus equipped with a laser exposure device.

[Prior Art] In an image forming apparatus such as a laser printer, as described in, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 63-70262, an upper main body having a laser exposure device has a structure in which the device main body is divided into upper and lower parts. A configuration is known in which a lower main body provided with a photoconductor can be opened and closed to easily clear a paper jam inside the apparatus and facilitate maintenance. Usually, it is considered that such opening and closing can be performed with a comparatively small force by additionally providing spring means having a considerably strong force.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] Incidentally, in the above-mentioned device, some vibration is generated during the opening / closing operation, particularly when the upper body is closed and locked against the action of the spring means. It is unavoidable, and in some cases this vibration adversely affects the precisely adjusted positioning of the laser exposure device.

[Means for Solving the Problems] The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an upper body including a laser exposure device is pivotally attached to a lower body so as to be vertically openable and closable, and the opening operation is performed when the upper body is opened. In the image forming apparatus in which the upper body is pushed down against the action of the spring means when it is closed, and the upper exposure body is locked in the closed state. Is provided so as to be pivotable in the same direction as the opening and closing of the upper body around a shaft provided in the vicinity of the It acts so as to pivot, and this pivot is blocked at a predetermined position by contact with a stopper, which causes a shock to the laser exposure device when opening and closing the upper body. Buffer of
It is characterized in that the laser exposure device is positioned at a predetermined position.

[Embodiment] An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

1 and 2 show an example of an image forming apparatus according to the present invention, which is roughly composed of an upper main body 1 and a lower main body 2. The upper body 1 is pivotally attached to the lower body 2 on the rear side by a pivot 3, and the front side is fixedly held to each other by a lock mechanism 4. The lock mechanism is released by pushing up the lever 5 on the front side of the device, and as shown in FIG. 2, pushes up the compression spring 6 whose one end is fixed to the fixed portion of the upper main body 1 and the fixed portion of the lower main body 2. With the help of the action, it can be pivoted upward about the pivot 3 and lifted.

The upper main body 1 has a laser exposure apparatus 10 configured in a unit shape that can operate integrally, and the laser exposure apparatus 10 includes a pair of shafts 11 and 11 projecting from a side plate of the upper main body of the apparatus 10. Shafts 11 and 11 by bearings in the holes in the side plates
Is supported so as to be pivotable with respect to the upper main body 1. The lower surface of the front part of the device 10 and the fixing plate 12 of the upper main body 1
The compression spring 13 with one end fixed to the
(Or an elastic body such as rubber having a cushioning action) is provided, and the spring 13 acts so as to rotate the device 10 upward. This rotation functions as an appropriate stopper, and is regulated by, for example, contact of the device 10 with a stopper pin 9 provided on the upper body 1 to position the device 10. The spring 13 is the shaft 11
In combination with the pivotable structure of the device (10), a cushioning mechanism for the device (10) is configured to protect the device (10) from external vibration.

The laser exposure apparatus 10 has a semiconductor laser oscillator 14, a polygon mirror 15, an fθ lens 16, a cylindrical lens 17 and a mirror 18, as shown in FIG. 3 in particular, and is based on an image signal from a controller (not shown). Oscillator 14
Emits a laser beam, which is split into left and right by the polygon mirror 15, passes through lenses 16 and 17, and is scanned by the mirror 18 through the opening of the fixing plate 12 of the upper main body onto the photosensitive surface of the photosensitive drum 20. It By this scanning, dot lines based on the image signal are formed on the surface of the photoconductor.

The photosensitive drum 20 is rotatably provided on the upper main body 1 and is rotated in the direction of arrow A by a driving device (not shown) during operation. Around the photosensitive drum 20, a corona charger for charging the surface of the photosensitive member to a predetermined polarity, 21 a developing device 21 that uses the electrostatic latent image formed by image scanning from the laser exposure device as a toner image, and transfers the toner image A transfer corona discharger 23 for transferring onto the material, a separation corona discharger 24 for separating the transfer material from the drum, and a cleaner 25 for cleaning the residual toner on the drum are operatively arranged. In this example, the charging device 21 and the cleaner 25 are arranged in the upper main body 1 and the other devices are arranged in the lower main body 2, but the present invention is not limited to this.

In addition to the above-mentioned device, the lower body has a transfer corona discharger 23
Has a transfer material supply device 30 and a transfer device 31 for supplying the transfer material to the transfer portion, and the transferred transfer material is separated from the drum after the toner image is transferred from the photosensitive drum, and is fixed by the transfer belt by the transfer belt. After the toner image is conveyed and fixed on the toner image, it is discharged to the outside of the apparatus by the discharge roller 33.

[Advantages of the Invention] As described above, according to the present invention, the function of the cushioning member allows the maintenance and the like to be easily performed without adversely affecting the exposure apparatus even when the upper main body is opened and closed.

[Brief description of drawings]

1 is a side sectional view of an image forming apparatus according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a side sectional view showing another state of the apparatus of FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a side sectional view of a part of the apparatus of FIG. is there. 1 ... Upper body, 2 ... Lower body, 3, 11 ... Shaft, 10 ... Laser exposure device, 13 ... Compression spring.

Claims (1)

(57) [Scope of utility model registration request] 1. An upper main body including a laser exposure device is pivotally attached to a lower main body so that the upper main body can be opened and closed vertically. When the upper main body is opened, the opening operation is assisted by the action of spring means, and when the upper main body is closed, the spring means. In the image forming apparatus that pushes down the upper main body against the action of, and locks in the closed state, opening and closing of the upper main body around the shaft provided near the pivotal position of the laser exposure device with respect to the upper main body. The cushioning member is provided so as to be pivotable in the same direction and located at a position apart from the pivotally attached position so that the cushioning member made of a spring or an elastic body acts so as to pivot in the upward direction, and this pivoting acts as a stopper. The contact prevents the laser exposure apparatus from being shocked at a predetermined position, thereby shocking the laser exposure apparatus when the upper body is opened and closed, and positioning the laser exposure apparatus at a predetermined position. An image forming apparatus characterized in that to perform.