JP3036144B2 - Electrophotographic equipment - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an electrophotographic apparatus for forming a color image on a transfer member by superposing a plurality of single-color toner images.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, devices using dry toner occupy the mainstream in electrophotographic apparatuses, and have been practically used as copiers, laser printers and the like, and have made remarkable developments. In recent years, the demand for colorization has increased from the market in addition to monochrome, and many color copying machines have been put on the market.

An electrophotographic apparatus that forms a color image by applying an electrophotographic process technology selectively forms an image by irradiating a light beam corresponding to each color onto a photoreceptor having a photosensitive layer, and forms a plurality of predetermined color components. Develop a plurality of electrostatic latent images respectively corresponding to specific components in each with a predetermined toner,
A method of forming a color image on one transfer material by superimposing the single-color toner images is adopted.

An intermediate transfer material is provided between the photoreceptor and the transfer material transporting path, and toner images of different colors individually formed on the photoreceptor are transferred as needed onto the intermediate transfer member to obtain a composite image. There has been proposed a system in which the combined image is collectively transferred onto one transfer material (see, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,652,115, and JP-A-63-292156).

Hereinafter, a conventional electrophotographic apparatus will be described. As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the storage box 40 of the developing device 6 is horizontally moved in the direction indicated by the arrow Z, and
Developing units 6B, 6Y, 6M for each color
At 6C and 6C, for example, the black developing device 6B is moved in the direction indicated by the arrow X as shown in FIG.

Reference numeral 23 in the figure denotes a transfer material cassette accommodating a transfer material (not shown), and reference numeral 37 denotes a blink when a shortage of toner in the developing unit 6 is detected by a remaining amount sensor (not shown). This is a replacement indicator lamp provided on the operation panel 36 to be operated.

The configuration and operation of the main body of the electrophotographic apparatus are the same as those of the embodiment of the present invention, and will be described later.

[0008]

However, in the above-mentioned conventional configuration, when the developing device separating / contacting means for the photosensitive member is located on the back side of the developing device 6, the developing device 6 is taken out while avoiding the developing device separating / contacting means. Therefore, there is a problem that a space for extracting the developing device 6 is required.

An object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned conventional problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide an electrophotographic apparatus in which a space required for taking out a developing device is reduced and operability at the time of replacement is improved. .

[0010]

In order to achieve the above object, an electrophotographic apparatus according to the present invention comprises a developing device take-out lid provided with a developing device separation / contact means.

[0011]

With this configuration, a state in which the lid for taking out the developing unit is closed is provided.
Developing units are selectively connected to and detached from the photoreceptor
The selection disjunction drive means for opening and closing movement of the developing device is taken out cover
It is removed from the rear side of the developing device according to the operation .

[0012]

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

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 5, a photosensitive member in which a photosensitive layer such as selenium or an organic photoconductor is applied in a thin film form on an outer peripheral surface of a belt base material such as a seamless closed loop resin or the like. 1 is a photoconductor conveying roller 2 or 3
Between the photosensitive member transport rollers 2,
Along the direction 3, the motor is rotated by a drive motor (not shown) in the direction indicated by the arrow A. On the peripheral surface of the belt-shaped photosensitive member 1, in the order of rotation of the photosensitive member 1, a charger 4, an exposure optical system device 5, and developing units 6B, 6Y, 6M and 6C for each color of black, cyan, magenta and yellow, and A transfer unit 7, a photoconductor cleaning device 8, and a static eliminator 9 are provided. The charger 4 includes a charging wire 11 made of tungsten wire or the like, a shield plate 12 made of a metal plate, and a grid plate 13. When a high voltage is applied to the charging line 11, the charging line 11 causes corona discharge and uniformly charges the photoconductor 1 via the grid plate 13. In the case of a laser printer, the exposure light beam 14 of the image data emitted from the exposure optical system device 5 is controlled by a signal from a host computer (not shown) to form a plurality of predetermined colors on the photoreceptor 1. A plurality of electrostatic latent images corresponding to specific components among the components are formed. The toner conveying member 6a of the developing device 6 is made of stainless steel, and has both ends formed of a wire and bent in a rectangular shape rotatably supported at both ends of the developing butt 6b. The toner conveying member 6a rotates in a cylindrical shape indicated by an alternate long and short dash line in a counterclockwise direction indicated by an arrow to prevent blocking of the toner 10 in the developing device 6 and to supply the toner 10 to the supply roller 6
d. The replenishing roller 6d is rotatably supported at both ends by the developing butt 6b, rotates the toner 10 conveyed by the toner conveying member 6a clockwise as indicated by an arrow, and replenishes the surface of the developing roller 6e with stainless steel or the like. A conductive layer such as urethane is formed in a layer on the outer peripheral surface of a metal as a base material. The developing roller 6e is made of a metal such as stainless steel as a base material, and a conductive layer such as silicon or urethane is formed in a layer on the outer peripheral surface. The toner regulating blade 6f formed of a conductive member such as silicon or urethane is currently rotatably supported at both ends of the bat 6b. The regulating blade 6f comes into contact with the charged and thin-layered photoreceptor 1 and causes the toner 10 to adhere to the portion of the photoreceptor 1 where the electrostatic latent image is formed by the supply roller 6d. To form The toner remaining amount sensor 6g detects the presence or absence of the toner 10 in the afterimage device 6, and outputs a replacement signal for the afterimage device 6. Developing rail 6h
Slides on the guide rail 39 provided on the machine body,
It plays the role of guiding installation to the machine body. The developing devices 6 for the respective colors contain toners 10 corresponding to the respective colors. The selection of the color of the toner 10 is performed in such a manner that each end of the cam 1 is rotatably and rotatably supported by the body 1 corresponding to each color.
5, 15B, 15Y, 15B or 15C is rotated in response to a color selection signal from a host computer (not shown), and a selected developing device 6, for example, a black developing device 6B, is brought into contact with the photosensitive member 1. This is done by letting The developing units 6 for the remaining colors that are not selected are separated from the photoconductor 1. Since the developing device detachment cams 15B, 15Y, 15M, and 15C are mounted on the developing device take-out lid 33, the developing device removal cover 33 is rotated in the direction indicated by the arrow H around the fulcrum 34 until the position 35 indicated by the dotted line is reached. Then, the separating / contacting cam 15 which is an obstacle of the developing device insertion port 38 corresponding to the rear side of the developing device 6 is removed. The intermediate transfer body unit 7 includes a seamless loop belt-shaped intermediate transfer body 16 made of a conductive resin or the like, and three intermediate transfer bodies that support the intermediate transfer body 16 and rotate in the direction indicated by the arrow B. Body transport roller 17,1
8 and 19, and an intermediate transfer roller 20 arranged to face the photoconductor 1 with the intermediate transfer body 16 interposed therebetween to transfer the toner image on the photoconductor 1 to the intermediate transfer body 16. I have. An intermediate transfer member reference detection sensor 21 that detects a reference position of the intermediate transfer member 16 detects the reference position with an intermediate transfer member reference mark 16 a such as a slit disposed at one end of the intermediate transfer member 16. The intermediate transfer body cleaning device 22 for scraping off the residual toner on the intermediate transfer body 16 is provided with the intermediate transfer body 16 while the synthetic image is being formed on the intermediate transfer body 16.
And is in contact only when used for cleaning. Transfer material 24 stored in transfer material cassette 23
Is a half-moon-shaped paper feed roller 2 from the transfer material cassette 23.
By 5, the sheets are sent out one by one to the sheet transport path 26.
In order to match the position of the transfer material 24 and the position of the composite image formed on the intermediate transfer body 16, a registration roller 27 for temporarily stopping the transfer material 24 is pressed against a driven roller 28. The transfer roller 29 for transferring the composite image formed on the intermediate transfer member 16 to the transfer material 24 is configured to rotate in contact with the intermediate transfer member 16 only when transferring the composite image to the transfer material 24. . A fixing device 30 including a heat roller 31 having a heat source therein and a pressure roller 32 transfers the composite image transferred onto the transfer material 24 by pressure and heat as the heat roller 31 and the pressure roller 32 rotate. A color image is formed by fixing to the material 24.

The operation of the electrophotographic apparatus configured as described above will be described below.

The photosensitive member 1 and the intermediate transfer member 16 are driven by drive sources (not shown), and are controlled so that their peripheral speeds become the same constant speed. Further, the intermediate transfer body 16 has an image forming area set in advance by an intermediate transfer body reference detection sensor 20 that detects an intermediate transfer body reference mark 16a for determining a reference position.

In this state, first, a high voltage is applied to the charging line 11 in the charger 4 connected to the high voltage power supply to cause corona discharge, thereby uniformly charging the surface of the photoconductor 1 to about -700V to -800V. . Next, the photosensitive member 1 is rotated in the direction indicated by the arrow A, and an exposure light beam 14 such as a laser beam corresponding to a predetermined color in a plurality of color components is applied to the uniformly charged surface of the photosensitive member 1. Irradiate. As an example, a case where the predetermined color is black will be described. The irradiated portion on the photoreceptor 1 loses its charge, and an electrostatic latent image is formed. At this time, the electrostatic latent image is formed at a predetermined position in the image area on the intermediate transfer body 16 by a signal from the intermediate transfer reference detection sensor 21 for detecting the reference position of the intermediate transfer body 16. .
On the other hand, a black developing device 6B containing black toner contributing to development is provided by a host computer (not shown).
Is rotated in the direction indicated by arrow B by the rotation of the black separation / contact cam 15B in response to the color selection signal from the camera, and comes into contact with the photosensitive member 1. With this contact, the toner adheres to the electrostatic latent image portion formed on the photoreceptor 1 to form a toner image, and the development is completed. The black developing device 6B that has completed the development moves from the contact position with the photoconductor 1 to the separation position by rotating the black separation / contact cam 15B by 180 degrees. The toner image formed on the photosensitive member 1 by the black developing device 6B is transferred to the intermediate transfer member 16 by an intermediate transfer roller 20 arranged in contact with the photosensitive member 1 for each color.
Is transferred by applying a high voltage to the substrate. The residual toner that has not been transferred from the photoconductor 1 to the intermediate transfer body 16 is removed by the photoconductor cleaning device 8, and the charge on the photoconductor 1 from which the residual toner has been scraped off by the neutralizer 9 is removed.

Next, for example, when a cyan color is selected, the cyan separation / contact cam 15C rotates, and this time, the cyan developing device 6C
Is pressed in the direction of the photoreceptor 1 and is brought into contact with the photoreceptor 1 to start cyan development. In the case of a copying machine or a printer using four colors, the above-described developing operation is sequentially repeated four times to superimpose the four color toner images on the intermediate transfer body 16 to form a composite image. The composite image formed in this manner is transferred from the transfer material cassette 23 to the cassette paper 23 by the high pressure applied to the paper transfer roller 29 and the high pressure applied to the paper transfer roller 29. The images are collectively transferred onto the transfer material 24 sent along the transport path 26. Subsequently, the transfer material 24 onto which the toner image has been transferred is sent to the fixing device 30, where it is fixed by the heat of the heat roller 31 and the sandwiching pressure of the pressure roller 32, and is output as a color image. The residual toner on the intermediate transfer body 16 that has not been completely transferred onto the transfer material 24 by the paper transfer roller 29 is removed by the intermediate transfer body cleaning device 22. The intermediate transfer body cleaning device 22 is located at a position away from the intermediate transfer body 16 until a loop of the composite image is obtained, and after the composite image is obtained and the composite image is transferred to the transfer material 24 by the paper transfer roller 29. , And the residual toner is removed. With the above operation, the recording of one image is completed.

A method of replacing the developing units 6B, 6Y, 6M and 6C for each color will be described below.

For example, when the remaining amount sensor 6g detects the toner shortage of the magenta developing device 6M, the replacement indicator lamp 37 provided on the operation panel 36 flashes, and the developing device to be replaced is displayed. Next, the developing device take-out lid 33 on which the detaching / attaching cam 15 is mounted is opened around the fulcrum 34 in the direction indicated by the arrow H until the position 35 is reached, and the magenta developing device 6M is opened in the direction indicated by the arrow X. The magenta developing device 6M for replacement is mounted on the main body of the apparatus to complete the replacement.

[0020]

As is apparent from the above description of the embodiment, in the present invention, a plurality of cams arranged on the back side of each of a plurality of developing devices are provided with the developing device removal cover closed.
With the configuration attached to the lid, a plurality of cams that hinder the removal of the developing device from the rear side can be removed from the rear side of the developing device according to the opening / closing operation of the developing device removal cover,
Even a mechanism for detaching the selection択的plurality of developing devices to the photosensitive member is configured for placement on the rear side of the developing device to reduce a space for taking out the developing device, and operability during replacement And an excellent electrophotographic apparatus capable of improving image quality.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic side view showing the concept of the configuration of an electrophotographic apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic side view showing a state in which a developing device is removed from the electrophotographic apparatus.

FIG. 3 is a main part rear view showing a state where a developing device of the electrophotographic apparatus is inserted.

FIG. 4 is a schematic sectional view of a developing device of the electrophotographic apparatus.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a main part of an intermediate transfer member of the electrophotographic apparatus.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a conventional electrophotographic apparatus.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a state in which the electrophotographic apparatus is taken out.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Photoconductor 5 Exposure optical system apparatus 6 Developing device 7 Intermediate transfer member unit 15 Separation / contact cam 20 Intermediate transfer roller 25 Paper feed roller 33 Developing device removal cover 34 Support point

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuation of the front page (56) References JP-A-2-153369 (JP, A) JP-A-2-97974 (JP, A) JP-A-62-1116969 (JP, A) JP-A-1- 200380 (JP, A) JP-A-1-254980 (JP, A) JP-A-5-66649 (JP, A) JP-A-5-45996 (JP, A) JP-A-2-73268 (JP, A) JP-A-4-247475 (JP, A) JP-A-4-155356 (JP, A) JP-A-7-78877 (JP, A) JP-A-62-170989 (JP, A) JP-A-2-220074 (JP, A) JP-A-3-35253 (JP, A) JP-A-3-174560 (JP, A) JP-A-63-266469 (JP, A) JP-A-2-148151 (JP, U) Opened 1-59250 (JP, U) Opened 62-120753 (JP, U) Opened 64-64943 (JP, U) Opened 2-53042 (JP, U) P, U) (58) investigated the field (Int.Cl. ^7, DB name) G03G 15/08 - 15/095 G03G 15/01 G03G 21/16 - 21/18

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] An electrophotographic apparatus comprising an exposure optical system device, a photoreceptor, a plurality of developing devices, a fixing device, and a transfer material conveying device, wherein the plurality of developing devices are provided outside the electrophotographic device. Than
Front to insert directly towards the photoreceptor into the device body
The developing device when the developing device is inserted into the apparatus main body.
A developing device insertion port provided on the back side, a developing unit is taken out cover for opening and closing the developing device insertion port, the mounted on the lid
The back of each of the plurality of developing devices in a state where the lid is closed
And a plurality of cams arranged on the side, wherein the lid is closed
In the state, the developing device is selectively separated from and brought into contact with the photoconductor.
Rotation of the cam by a predetermined angle to
An imager is brought into contact with the photoreceptor, and the cam is further rotated.
The developing device is separated from the photoreceptor by the
With the lid open, the cam is on the rear side of the developing unit.
And the developing device remains in the apparatus main body.
Electrophotographic apparatus, characterized in that that. 2. An electrophotographic apparatus comprising an exposure optical system device, a photoreceptor, a plurality of developing devices, a fixing device, and a transfer material conveying device, wherein the plurality of developing devices are provided outside the electrophotographic device. Than
The developing device is inserted into the main body of the device for direct insertion into the main body of the device.
A developing device insertion opening provided on the rear side of the developing device when the developing device is inserted, a developing device removal lid for opening and closing the developing device insertion opening, and a state in which the lid is attached to the lid and the lid is closed.
A plurality of developing devices arranged on the back side of each of the developing devices.
Having a cam and being selected with the lid closed
Moving the developing unit to form a toner image
The cam rotates the predetermined angle to insert the developing device into the
To move the cam and rotate the cam.
And the developing device is moved to a position before being pressed, and
With the lid open, the cam is on the rear side of the developing unit.
And the developing device remains in the apparatus main body.
Electrophotographic apparatus, characterized in that that.