JP5029552B2 - Protective member and image forming apparatus using the same - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a protection member that is detachably attached to an image forming apparatus main body, for example, a detachable unit such as a charging unit, and an image forming apparatus using the same.

JP-A-8-292706 JP 2007-240661 A

  Conventionally, in an image forming apparatus using an electrophotographic method or an electrostatic recording method, it is necessary to replace components such as a photosensitive drum, a charger, or a cleaning body that contribute to image forming processing over time. 2. Description of the Related Art There is known an image forming apparatus in which a device is configured to be detachable so as to be replaceable with respect to an image forming apparatus main body (for example, see Patent Documents 1 and 2).

  Here, Patent Document 1 discloses a cover member that protects / guides a process cartridge when a so-called process cartridge, in which a photosensitive member and peripheral devices are integrated and replaceable, is mounted on the main body of the image forming apparatus. The invention is disclosed.

  Further, in Patent Document 2, when a process cartridge housed in a cover member is mounted on the image forming apparatus main body, the engagement between the cover member and the process cartridge is released along with the mounting operation of the process cartridge. The invention is disclosed.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a protective member that can be used both when the protected member is attached to and removed from the image forming apparatus main body.

  In order to achieve the above object, a protection member described in claim 1 includes a protection unit that accommodates and protects a protected member that is detachably formed with respect to the image forming apparatus main body, and a protection member. A push-in portion that pushes in the protected member accommodated in the protection portion as the mounting direction moves, and the operation portion overlaps with the protected member in the mounting direction in a state where the operation portion is positioned at the end in the mounting direction. Is moved to a position overlapping with the member to be protected in the mounting direction as the operation unit moves in a direction opposite to the mounting direction, and is received in the protection unit. And an operating member that is operated when moving the member to be protected.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a protective member that accommodates and protects a protected member that is detachably formed on the image forming apparatus main body, and positions the protective housing relative to the image forming apparatus main body. In this state, an operation member that moves the protected member in the protective housing in the attaching / detaching direction both when the attaching / detaching unit is attached to the image forming apparatus main body and when the attaching / detaching unit is detached from the image forming apparatus main body. It is characterized by having.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the configuration according to the first aspect, in the state in which the member to be protected is accommodated with respect to the protective member, the drawing-in part moves the member to be protected in the attachment / detachment direction. It is characterized by restricting to do.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the protective member according to the first or third aspect, wherein the drawing-in portion is positioned in the state where the protective housing is positioned with respect to the image forming apparatus main body, and the protected member forms an image. When the contact is made from the side where the apparatus is arranged, the member to be protected is retracted, and when the protected member comes in contact from the side where the image forming apparatus is not arranged, the protection member is retracted. It is characterized in that no deformation is performed.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the protective member according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, wherein the protected member is fixed by a fixing member when inserted into the image forming apparatus main body. The protective housing is provided with a fixing release member that releases the fixation of the protected member by the fixing member.

  The image forming apparatus according to claim 6 is provided separately from the image forming apparatus main body, a protected member formed detachably with respect to the image forming apparatus main body, and the image forming apparatus main body. Or a protective member according to any one of claims 5 to 5, wherein the protected member is positioned with respect to the image forming apparatus body in a state where the protected member is mounted on the image forming apparatus body. The protective member is pushed out toward the protective member.

  According to the first and second aspects of the present invention, the protection member can be used both when the member to be protected is attached to the main body of the image forming apparatus and when the member is removed.

  According to invention of Claim 3, a movement of a to-be-protected member can be controlled in the state which accommodated the to-be-protected member in the protecting member.

  According to invention of Claim 4, it can contribute to the further improvement of workability | operativity and operativity at the time of removing a to-be-protected member.

  According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, it is possible to improve the operability when removing the detachable unit from the image forming apparatus.

  According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, the detachable unit protection device according to the present invention can be suitably applied to an image forming apparatus.

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

  First, an embodiment of an image forming apparatus to which the present invention is applicable will be described with reference to FIG. Here, FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a tandem color image forming apparatus to which the present invention is applicable.

  The copying machine, which is an example of the image forming apparatus according to the present embodiment, has an image information input for inputting image information to a copying machine such as an image information of a document read by a document reading device or a personal computer (not shown). Image information or the like sent from the apparatus is input, and image processing is performed on the input image information.

  In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a main body of an electrophotographic tandem type digital color copying machine, and automatic document transport for automatically transporting documents 2 one by one on the top of the body 1. An apparatus 3 and a document reading device 4 that reads an image of the document 2 conveyed by the automatic document conveying device 3 are provided. The document reading device 4 scans a document 2 on a platen glass 5 with a light source 6, and converts a reflected light image from the document 2 into a reduction optical system including a full rate mirror 7, half rate mirrors 8 and 9, and an imaging lens 10. The image reading element 11 made of a CCD or the like is exposed to light, and the reflected light image of the document 2 is read by the image reading element 11 at a predetermined dot density (for example, 16 dots / mm). Yes.

  The color material reflected light image of the document 2 read by the document reading device 4 is, for example, an image processing device as document reflectance data of three colors of red (R), green (G), and blue (B) (8 bits each). In this image processing apparatus 12, image processing such as shading correction, position shift correction, brightness / color space conversion, gamma correction, frame deletion, color / moving editing, etc. is performed on the reflectance data of the document 2. Is given. The image processing apparatus 12 also performs image processing on image data sent from a personal computer or the like.

  The image data subjected to the image processing by the image processing device 12 as described above is similarly processed by the image processing device 12 to yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C), black (K) (each 8 bits). ), And as described below, image forming units 13Y, 13M, 13C, and 13K for each color of yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C), and black (K). In the scanning optical system 14, which is an exposure means, image exposure with the laser beam LB is performed in accordance with the gradation data corresponding to the color image forming units 13Y, 13M, 13C, and 13K.

  In the image forming apparatus according to the present embodiment, a plurality of image forming units 13Y, 13M, 13C, and 13K that form toner images of different colors are arranged in parallel, and the plurality of image forming units 13Y, 13Y, A belt-like intermediate transfer body 25 to which the toner images of the respective colors formed by the plurality of image forming units 13Y, 13M, 13C, and 13K are transferred is disposed over the upper portions of 13M, 13C, and 13K, and further, a plurality of image formation is performed. Below the units 13Y, 13M, 13C, 13K, image writing means 14Y, 14M, 14C for writing images to the image carriers 15Y, 15M, 15C, 15K of the image forming units 13Y, 13M, 13C, 13K. 14K is arranged.

  The four image forming units 13Y, 13M, 13C, and 13K corresponding to each color of yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C), and black (K) are endlessly stretched by a plurality of stretching rolls. Are arranged in parallel in the horizontal direction along the traveling direction of the intermediate transfer belt 25, and the yellow, magenta, cyan, and black toner images are sequentially arranged at predetermined timings, respectively. It is comprised so that it may be formed. In the image forming units 13Y, 13M, 13C, and 13K, the reference numerals of the constituent devices are hereinafter collectively referred to as generic names (for example, the photosensitive drum 15). For example, black is used more frequently than others. For example, the photosensitive drum 15K may be enlarged, and it does not indicate that they are exactly the same.

  The image forming units 13Y, 13M, 13C, and 13K are roughly divided into a photosensitive drum 15 as an image holding member that is rotationally driven at a predetermined speed (for example, 200 mm / sec), and a surface of the photosensitive drum 15. As a charging unit 16 including a corona wire and a grid as a charging means for uniformly charging, and an exposure means for forming an electrostatic latent image by exposing an image corresponding to each photosensitive drum 15 on the surface of the photosensitive drum 15. The scanning optical system 14, the developing device 17 as developing means for developing the electrostatic latent image formed on the photosensitive drum 15 with toner of a color corresponding to each photosensitive drum 15, and the surface of the photosensitive drum 15 are cleaned. It comprises a drum cleaning device 18 as a cleaning means. In the present embodiment, the charging unit 16 is an example of a member to be protected. By applying a predetermined voltage in a state where the corona wires and the grid and the photosensitive drum 15 are not in contact with each other, the photosensitive drum 15 is applied. The image forming apparatus 1 is configured such that a corona wire and a grid are detachably attached to the photosensitive drum 15 independently of the image forming apparatus 1 and can be individually replaced from the copying machine main body 1.

  In the present embodiment, the scanning optical system 14 is configured in common to the four image forming units 13Y, 13M, 13C, and 13K, and modulates four semiconductor lasers (not shown) according to the gradation data of each color. These semiconductor lasers are configured to emit laser beams LB-Y, LB-M, LB-C, and LB-K in accordance with gradation data. The scanning optical system 14 may be individually configured for each of a plurality of image forming units. The laser beams LB-Y, LB-M, LB-C, and LB-K emitted from the semiconductor laser are irradiated to the polygon mirror 19 through an f-θ lens (not shown), and are deflected and scanned by the polygon mirror 19. The The laser beams LB-Y, LB-M, LB-C, and LB-K deflected and scanned by the polygon mirror 19 pass through an imaging lens (not shown) and a plurality of mirrors to an exposure point on the photosensitive drum 15. Then, scanning exposure is performed obliquely from below.

  In the present embodiment, the scanning optical system 14 is hermetically sealed by a rectangular parallelepiped frame 20, and four laser beams LB-Y, LB-M, and LB are provided above the frame 20. In order to expose -C and LB-K onto the photosensitive drums 15 of the image forming units 13Y, 13M, 13C, and 13K, transparent glass windows 21Y, 21M, 21C, and 21K are provided as shield members. Yes.

  From the image processing device 12, a scanning optical system provided in common for the image forming units 13Y, 13M, 13C, and 13K for each color of yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C), and black (K). 14, the image data of each color is sequentially output, and the laser beams LB-Y, LB-M, LB-C, and LB-K emitted from the scanning optical system 14 in accordance with the image data correspond to the corresponding photosensitive drums 15. The surface is exposed to scanning to form an electrostatic latent image. The electrostatic latent image formed on the photosensitive drum 15 is developed (visible) as a toner image of each color of yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C), and black (K) by the developing device 17. Imaged).

  The yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C), and black (K) toner images sequentially formed on the photosensitive drums 15 of the image forming units 13Y, 13M, 13C, and 13K are as follows. On the intermediate transfer belt (belt-shaped intermediate transfer member) 25 of the transfer unit 22 disposed over the image forming units 13Y, 13M, 13C, and 13K, the images are sequentially multiplexed by the four primary transfer rolls 26Y, 26M, 26C, and 26K. Is transcribed. These primary transfer rolls 26Y, 26M, 26C, and 26K are disposed on the back side of the intermediate transfer belt 25 corresponding to the photosensitive drums 15 of the image forming units 13Y, 13M, 13C, and 13K. Here, each primary transfer roll 26Y, 26M, 26C, and 26K is adjusted to a desired volume resistance value, and a transfer bias power source (not shown) is connected to these primary transfer rolls 26Y, 26M, 26C, and 26K. Thus, a transfer bias having a polarity opposite to the toner polarity (positive polarity in the present embodiment) is applied at a predetermined timing.

  The intermediate transfer belt 25 is wound around the drive roll 27, the tension roll 24, and the backup roll 28 with a constant tension, and is rotated by a dedicated drive motor with excellent constant speed (not shown). The drive roll 27 is driven so as to circulate in the direction of the arrow. As the intermediate transfer belt 25, for example, a belt whose resistance is adjusted with a belt material (rubber or resin) that does not cause charge-up is used.

  The yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C), and black (K) toner images transferred onto the intermediate transfer belt 25 in multiple layers are backed up on the side of the intermediate transfer belt 25. The recording paper P, which is secondarily transferred onto the recording paper P as a recording medium by the secondary transfer roll 29 in pressure contact with the roll 28 and onto which the toner images of these colors are transferred, is directed upward. It is conveyed to the fixing device 30 located. The secondary transfer roll 29 is in pressure contact with the side of the backup roll 28, and secondarily transfers the toner images of the respective colors onto the recording paper P that is conveyed upward from below in the vertical direction. .

  The recording paper P is separated one by one from a paper feed cassette 34 disposed inside the apparatus main body 1 by a nudger roll 35 and a feed roll 36 for paper separation and conveyance to a paper conveyance path 37. It is once conveyed to the provided registration roll 38 and stopped. The recording paper P supplied from the paper feed cassette 34 is sent to the secondary transfer position of the intermediate transfer belt 25 by a registration roll 38 that is rotationally driven at a timing corresponding to the formed image.

  The registration roll 38 is provided with a blade 38a for removing paper dust that is generated when the recording paper P comes into contact with the registration roller pair 3 and removes paper dust attached to the surface of the registration roll 38. The blade 38a is configured to be detachable from the apparatus main body together with a paper dust collecting container 38b for collecting the paper dust scraped off from the surface of the registration roller 38 by the blade 38a.

  In the digital color image forming apparatus according to the present embodiment, when double-sided copying such as full color is performed, the recording paper P with the image fixed on one side is directly discharged onto the discharge tray 33 by the discharge roll 32. Instead, the conveyance direction is switched by a switching gate (not shown), and the sheet is conveyed to the duplex conveyance unit 40 via the sheet conveyance roller pair 39. In the double-sided conveyance unit 40, the recording paper P is conveyed again to the registration roll 38 with the pair of conveyance rollers (not shown) provided along the conveyance path 41 turned upside down. Then, after the image is transferred and fixed on the back surface of the recording paper P, it is discharged onto the discharge tray 33. In the figure, 44Y, 44M, 44C, and 44K are toners that supply toners of corresponding colors to the developing devices 17 of the respective colors of yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C), and black (K). Each cartridge is shown.

  In the present embodiment, the image forming units 13Y, 13M, 13C, and 13K for the respective colors include the photosensitive drums 15 as described above, and the surfaces of these photosensitive drums 15 are uniformly charged by the scorotron 16. Is done. Thereafter, the surface of the photosensitive drum 15 is scanned and exposed to an image forming laser beam LB emitted from the scanning optical system 14 according to the image data, and an electrostatic latent image corresponding to each color is formed. The laser beam LB that is scanned and exposed on the photosensitive drum 15 is set so as to be exposed from an obliquely lower side slightly to the right side from directly below the photosensitive drum 15. The electrostatic latent image formed on the photosensitive drum 15 is made up of yellow, magenta, cyan, and black toners by the developing rolls of the developing devices 17 of the image forming units 13Y, 13M, 13C, and 13K. The toner images are developed into visible toner images, and these visible toner images are sequentially transferred in multiple onto the intermediate transfer belt 25 by the charging of the primary transfer roll 26.

  In addition, the toner remaining on the surface of the photosensitive drum 15 after the toner image transfer step is removed by the drum cleaning device 18 is prepared for the next image forming process. The drum cleaning device 18 is configured to remove residual toner and the like on the photosensitive drum 15 with a cleaning blade (not shown). Further, after the toner image transfer process is completed, the surface of the intermediate transfer belt 25 is freed of residual toner, paper dust, and the like by a belt cleaning device 43 including a cleaning brush 43a and a cleaning blade 43b, and the next image formation. Prepare for the process.

  In the image forming apparatus 1 equipped with such an intermediate transfer belt 25 or the like, the toner image on the photosensitive drum 15 is electrostatically primarily transferred to the intermediate transfer belt 25 at the primary transfer position. At this time, in the case of forming a single color image, the toner image primarily transferred to the intermediate transfer belt 25 is secondarily electrostatically transferred onto the recording paper P immediately at the secondary transfer position. On the other hand, when forming a color image, a plurality of color toner images are sequentially primary-transferred and superimposed on the intermediate transfer belt 25, and then secondary-transferred collectively onto the recording paper P at the secondary transfer position. The

  Then, the recording paper P on which the toner images of the respective colors are secondarily transferred from the intermediate transfer belt 25 is separated from the intermediate transfer belt 25 and then to the fixing device 30 disposed on the downstream side of the secondary transfer unit. The toner image is conveyed and fixed on the recording paper P by heat and pressure by the fixing device 30. The recording sheet P after fixing is discharged onto the discharge tray 33 via the discharge roll 32. A monochromatic image or a color image is formed through such a series of image forming processes.

  Next, a configuration of the charging cover 100 of the charging unit 16 that is an example of the protection member according to the present embodiment will be described below with reference to FIGS. Here, FIG. 2 is a perspective view seen from above the apparatus for explaining the configuration of the charging cover 100 according to the present embodiment, and FIGS. 3 and 4 are diagrams for explaining the configuration of the charging cover 100. It is the perspective view seen from the apparatus downward (bottom part side). 5 and 6 are schematic enlarged views for explaining the configuration of the protective housing fixing member, and FIGS. 7 to 10 are schematic enlarged views for explaining the attaching / detaching operation by the operation lever 103. FIG. It is.

  For convenience, in the following description, the charging unit 16 will be described as an example of a member to be protected that can be replaced. Here, the charging unit 16 in the present embodiment has a flange portion 16T at one end in the longitudinal direction (a portion protruding from the positioning chassis 200 when the charging unit 16 is mounted on the copying machine main body 1). A copying machine having a resin end cover 16C having a substantially T-shaped cross section (see FIGS. 7 to 10) and pushing the charging unit 16 in the mounting direction, the details of which will be described later. The engagement member provided in the main body 1 is elastically engaged and fixed.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the charging cover 100 of the charging unit 16 according to the present embodiment is provided separately from the copying machine main body 1, and includes a side wall 101s, an upper wall 101u, and a bottom wall 101b, which are examples of protective walls. Are formed in a box shape (hollow and substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape), and a protective case 101 which is an example of a protective member that houses and protects the charging unit 16 therein, and a longitudinally upper portion of the side wall 101s of the protective case 101 A slit 102 provided across the direction, and an operation lever that is slidably mounted along the slit 102 and is an example of an operation unit that is operated when the charging unit 16 is moved along the longitudinal direction (detachment direction). 103, provided on the front end side (image forming apparatus 1 side) of the protective casing 101 and below the operation lever 103, so that the protective casing 101 can be fixed to the image forming apparatus 1. A fixing claw 105 serving as a protective casing fixing member and a charging unit 16 provided in the front end side (image forming apparatus 1 side) of the upper wall 101u of the protective casing 101 and protruding from the front end side. An example of a blocking member 109L, which is an example of a first regulating member that regulates the position so as to block the image, and a guide unit that guides the charging unit 16 along the mounting direction when the charging unit 16 is mounted on the copying machine main body 1. A guide rail 101g (see FIG. 3) and the like are provided.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the protective casing 101 has one end side in the longitudinal direction (image forming apparatus 1 side) as an open end 101 f and the other end side as a closed end 101 e. . A fixing claw 105 for fixing the charging cover 100 to the copying machine main body 1 is provided at the opening end 101 f of the protective housing 101 below the movement locus of the operation lever 103. The fixed claw 105 is a lever member having a substantially rectangular cross section. The fixed claw 105 has a lock claw 105t biased inward in the width direction (direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction) at the distal end thereof, and is locked on the proximal end side. It has a lock release part 105b that releases the fixed state by the claw 105t, and by moving the lock release part 105b inward in the width direction (in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 5), the lock claw 105t at the tip resists the urging force. It opens to the outside.

5 and 6, a plurality of protruding pieces 101p _{1 to} 101p ₃ are formed at the opening end 101f of the protective housing 101 so as to protrude toward the image forming apparatus 1 for positioning. The protrusions 101p _{1 to} 101p ₃ are provided and inserted into corresponding positioning holes 200h _{1 to} 200h ₃ provided in the positioning chassis 200 of the image forming apparatus 1, thereby positioning the protective casing 101. In addition, when the leading edge of the protective housing 101 abuts against the positioning chassis 200 of the image forming apparatus 1, the locking claw 105t at the distal end of the fixed claw 105 is provided with a locking hole 200h ₄ provided on the positioning chassis 200 side. (See FIG. 5), so that the protective casing 101 is fixed to the image forming apparatus 1. Further, by moving the lock release portion 105b in the direction of the arrow (inward in the width direction), the fixed state by the lock claw 105t is released (see FIG. 6), and the protective housing 101 is easily pulled out from the image forming apparatus 1 ( Can be removed).

  Here, the number of installations, installation positions, shapes, and the like of the positioning protrusions 101p described above and the corresponding positioning holes 200h can be arbitrarily set as appropriate.

  Further, as best shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, a plate-like fixing as an example of a second releasing member that releases the fixing state of the charging unit 16 with respect to the image forming apparatus 1 is provided at the bottom of the protective housing 101. The release member 107 is attached so as to be rotatable with respect to the bottom wall 101 b of the protective housing 101.

  The fixing release member 107 has a fixing release portion 107t having a substantially U-shaped cross section at the tip, is formed to be rotatable around a rotation fulcrum 107r, and is formed on the bottom wall 101b side by an elastic member (not shown). And can be set to either a storage state as shown in FIG. 3 or a fixed release state as shown in FIG.

  In the storage state shown in FIG. 3, the protective housing 101 is housed in the bottom space of the protective housing 101 along the bottom wall 101b so that the protective housing 101 can be attached to and detached from the copying machine main body 1. In the unlocked state shown in FIG. 4, the unlocking portion 107 t at the tip protrudes from the tip of the protective housing 101 along the bottom wall 101 b of the protective housing 101. The details of the operation and function of the fixing release member 107 will be described later.

  In the present embodiment, the slit 102 that allows the operation lever 103 to move is formed in a straight line along the attaching / detaching direction over the upper portion of the side wall 101s of the protective housing 101, as best shown in FIG. The track portion 102g that enables a smooth sliding operation of the operation lever 103 and the tip of the track portion 102g (the end portion on the image forming apparatus 1 side) are formed wider than the track portion 102g. And a substantially rectangular notch 102s.

  The operation lever 103 covers the handle portion 103g protruding in the direction orthogonal to the surface of the slit 102 and the notch portion 102s of the slit 102 on the outside (the portion exposed from the outer surface of the protective housing 101). And a cover portion 103c formed on the surface.

On the other hand, inside the operation lever 103 (inside the protective housing 101), as shown in FIGS. 7 to 10, an extrusion portion having a facing surface 103b ₁ facing the end surface of the end cover 16C of the charging unit 16 is provided. a is block-shaped extrusion block 103b example is formed integrally with the grip portion 103 g, furthermore, the slit 102 side end portion of the upper surface 103b ₀ tip of the extrusion block 103b, forming horizontal cross section in a substantially L shape The hook member 103 </ b> L is rotatably attached to a position (height) corresponding to the slit 102. In the present embodiment, the opposing surface 103b ₁ of the extrusion block 103b is further provided with a spherical protrusion 103p on the surface, so that even when the operation lever 103 is tilted, Stable contact with the end cover 16C of the charging unit 16 is possible.

In this embodiment, the hook member 103L has its one end portion is rotatably formed is connected to the rotating fulcrum 103r provided on the slit 102 side tip portion of the upper surface 103b ₀ extrusion block 103b, other end forms a pawl portion 103L ₀ which is bent so as to face the flange portion 16T of the charging unit 16, by a spring (not shown) or the like, so as to rotate outward (slit 102 side) in a steady state It is energized. Further, the thickness of the hook member 103L is set wider than the width (gap) of the track portion 102g and narrower than the width of the notch portion 102s.

According to the operation lever 103 configured as described above, for example, as shown in FIG. 7, the operator moves the handle portion 103g protruding outside in the mounting direction (the direction of the arrow A), so that the push lever 103b is interposed. The charging unit 16 accommodated in the protective housing 101 can be pushed (moved) in the mounting direction along the guide rail 101g. At this time, while the operation lever 103 is moving on the track portion 102g, the hook member 103L is in contact with the inner surface of the slit 102, and the hook member 103L cannot protrude outside the slit 102 (FIG. 7 refer), so the claw portions 103L ₀ of the tip of the charging unit 16 plays the function of the stop for the movement of the detachable direction of the charging unit 16 is held so as not to be detached from the apparatus body. Further, the operation lever 103 in the present embodiment also has a function of regulating the position of the charging unit 16 when the charging unit 16 moves in the attaching / detaching direction. When the operating lever 103 is further slid in the mounting direction (the direction of arrow A), when the hook member 103L reaches the notch 102s of the slit 102, the hook member 103L protrudes to the outside of the slit 102 by the biasing force. Rotate to stop and come into contact with the inner surface of the cover portion 103c to stop and maintain this state (see FIG. 8). As a result, the stopper function for the charging unit 16 is released, and the charging unit 16 can be smoothly mounted in the image forming apparatus 1 by further moving the operation lever 103 in the mounting direction.

  The operation lever 103 also functions to be pulled into the charging cover 100. As shown in FIG. 9, the operation lever 103 is released (the hook member 103L protrudes from the notch 102s of the slit 102 and comes into contact with the cover 103c. 10), the hook member 103L is drawn into the protective housing 101 as the operation lever 103 is moved, as shown in FIG. It becomes a withdrawal state. Thereafter, the operation lever 103 is further moved in the removal direction (arrow B direction), so that the charging unit 16 is further moved in the arrow B direction in a state where the operation lever 103 and the flange portion 16T of the charging unit 16 are engaged (contacted). The charging unit 16 can be easily removed from the image forming apparatus 1 (withdrawn) and accommodated in the protective housing 101.

  Next, a series of operations for attaching and detaching the charging unit 16 using the charging cover 100 configured as described above will be collectively described with reference to FIGS. 11 to 14 are schematic diagrams for explaining the mounting operation of the charging unit, and FIGS. 15 to 18 are schematic diagrams for explaining the detaching operation of the charging unit 16.

Here, in the image forming apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment, for example, as shown in FIG. 11, a fixing chassis 300 for fixing the charging unit 16 is further provided inside the positioning chassis 200. The fixing chassis 300 is formed with a positioning hole 300h for guiding the positioning of the charging unit 16, and is a chassis that is an example of a second restricting member formed so that the charging unit 16 fits the unit side claw portion 16L. The side claw portion 300L is attached to the outer surface. On the other hand, the charging unit 16 has a positioning pin 16p protruding from the bottom of the end cover 16C so as to correspond to the positioning hole 300h of the fixing chassis 300, and engages with the chassis side claw 300L. In the drawing, a unit side claw portion 16L formed so as to be elastically deformable in a substantially vertical direction is provided. In addition, a tapered surface 300L ₁ that guides the elastic deformation of the unit side claw portion 16L when it contacts the unit side claw portion 16L is formed on the upper portion of the chassis side claw portion 300L. On the other hand, the unit side claw portion 16L is formed with a mounting taper surface 16L ₁ that guides its own elastic deformation when the charging unit is mounted so as to face the taper surface 300L ₁ of the chassis side claw portion 300L. On the opposite side, a tapered surface 16L ₂ that guides its own elastic deformation when the charging unit is detached is provided so as to face the fixing release portion 107t of the fixing release member 107 described above.

  First, when the charging unit 16 is attached to the image forming apparatus 1, the fixing release member 107 provided at the bottom of the protective casing 101 is set in the storage state (see FIG. 3), and is provided in the protective casing 101. The protruding piece 101p is inserted into a positioning hole 200h provided on the positioning chassis 200 side of the copying machine main body 1, and the protective housing 101 in which the charging unit 16 is accommodated is positioned. In this state, the protective casing 101 is further pushed horizontally until the leading edge of the protective casing 101 comes into contact with the positioning chassis 200, so that the protective casing 101 is held by the lock claw 105 t provided on the fixing lever 105 of the protective casing 101. It is fixed to the image forming apparatus main body 1.

  Next, the charging unit 16 is inserted into the image forming apparatus 1 by sliding the operation lever 103 in the mounting direction (direction of the copying machine body 1) with the protective casing 101 fixed to the copying machine body 1 ( FIG. 11 to FIG. 14).

At this time, as the charging unit 16 moves in the mounting direction, the positioning pin 16p of the charging unit 16 is inserted into the positioning hole 300h of the fixing chassis 300 to position the charging unit 16 (see FIG. 11). The mounting tapered surface 16L ₁ of the unit side engaging portion 16L of the charging unit 16 and the tapered surface 300L ₁ of the chassis side engaging portion 300L of the fixing chassis 300 contact each other (see FIG. 12), and the chassis side engaging portion 300L. guided in the tapered surface 300L ₁ in unit-side engagement portion 16L of the charging unit 16 is elastically deformed upward (see FIG. 13). When inserted into the charging unit 16 a predetermined stroke by the image forming apparatus 1, the unit-side engagement portion 16L of the charging unit 16, rides over the tapered surface 300L ₁ of the chassis-side engaging portion 300L, unit side The engaging portion 16L and the chassis side engaging portion 300L are engaged, and the charging unit 16 is mounted and fixed to the fixing chassis 300 of the image forming apparatus 1 (see FIG. 14).

  On the other hand, when removing the charging unit 16 from the image forming apparatus 1, the fixing release member 107 provided at the bottom of the protective housing 101 is set to the fixed release state (see FIG. 4), and the operation lever 103 is protected in advance. The housing 101 is moved to the opening end 101f side. Then, the protruding piece 101p provided on the protective casing 101 is inserted into a positioning hole 200h provided on the positioning chassis 200 side of the image forming apparatus main body 1 to position the protective casing 101. Further, the protective casing 101 is pushed in horizontally until the leading edge of the protective casing 101 comes into contact with the positioning chassis 200, so that the protective casing 101 is held by the lock claw 105 t provided on the fixing lever 105 of the protective casing 101. Fix to 1.

When the protective casing 101 is fixed to the image forming apparatus main body 1, the fixing release member 107 is set in the unlocked state, so that the fixing release portion 107 t protrudes from the tip of the protective casing 101. With the mounting operation of the protective housing 101 (in this example, the operation of pushing in the horizontal direction), the fixing release portion 107t sinks below the unit side engaging portion 16L of the charging unit 16 (see FIG. 15). From this state, when pushed further protective enclosure 101 in the mounting direction, the leading end of the unlocking portion 107t is in contact with the tapered surface 16L ₂ unit-side engagement portion 16L (see FIG. 16), the unit-side engagement portion 16L It is elastically deformed upward (see FIG. 17). When the protective casing 101 is attached and fixed to the image forming apparatus main body 1 by the lock claw 105t, the front end of the fixing release portion 107t protruding from the protective casing 101 is the chassis provided in the image forming apparatus main body 1. The unit-side engagement portion 16L is sufficiently elastically deformed to abut against the side engagement portion 300L, and the engagement between the unit-side engagement portion 16L and the chassis-side engagement portion 300L is released, and this state is maintained. (See FIG. 18). That is, when the fixing release member 107 is set in the unlocked state and the protective housing 101 is attached and fixed to the image forming apparatus main body 1, the engagement and fixing between the charging unit 16 and the image forming apparatus main body 1 is released. It becomes.

  In the present embodiment, the image forming apparatus main body 1 is provided with an unillustrated elastic member (for example, a spring member) for pushing the charging unit 16 outward, and the image forming apparatus main body of the charging unit 16 is provided. When the fixed state with respect to 1 is released, the charging unit 16 is pushed out.

  Further, when the operation lever 103 moves inward by being pushed out, the charging unit 16 is disposed at a position where the operation lever 103 can be pulled in, and as the operation lever 103 moves in the removal direction, the charging unit 16 is moved. Can be removed from the image forming apparatus main body 1 and retracted into the protective housing 101 for storage.

  In the present embodiment, the positioning means that the charging unit 16 is mounted on the image forming apparatus main body 1.

Next, by moving the operation lever 103 in the removal direction, the charging unit 16 is locked by the claw portion 103L ₀ which is an example of the drawing-in portion provided in the operation lever 103 described above, and the removal direction of the operation lever 103 With the movement to, the charging unit 16 is detached from the copying machine main body 1 and pulled into the protective housing 101 to be accommodated.

  As described above, according to the protection device 100 according to the present embodiment, both when the charging unit 16 is attached to the image forming apparatus 1 and when the charging unit 16 is detached from the image forming apparatus 1. Since the charging unit 16 protruding from 1 can be protected by a protective member, when the charging unit 16 is attached / detached, damage such as fouling on the outer surface of the charging unit 16 or unexpected damage is caused. Generation can be reduced.

In the embodiment described above, in order to form the site for draws the charging unit 16 at the tip of the hook member 103L which is integrally formed with the operating lever 103 as pawl portion 103L _0, when removing the charging unit 16 However, the operation member 103 according to the present invention is not limited to the above-described form. For example, as a configuration of the claw portion, the operation lever 103 needs to be moved to the opening end 101f side end portion. When the charging unit 16 comes into contact with the claw portion 103L ₂ from the side where the copying machine main body 1 is disposed, it is deformed so as to avoid the charging unit 16, and when the charging unit 16 comes in contact from the opposite side, the deformation is limited. Thus, the movable claw portion 103L ₂ having a joint structure that allows the charging unit 16 to be pulled in may be used. Modification examples of such an operation member will be described below with reference to FIGS.

The operation lever 103 ′ according to the present modification is compared with the operation lever 103 described above when its claw portion comes into contact with the claw portion 103 </ _b > L ₂ from the side where the copying machine main body 1 is disposed. Only the structure of the hook member 103L is bent so that the charging unit 16 can be deformed so that it can be retracted. A detailed description is omitted.

As shown in FIGS. 19 and 20, the hook member 103 </ b> L ′ according to the present modification has a base portion 103 </ b> L ₁ attached so that one end thereof can rotate around the first rotation fulcrum 103 r _1, and the base And a movable claw portion 103L ₂ rotatably attached around a second rotation fulcrum 103r ₂ provided at the other end (tip) of the portion 103L ₁ . Stopper surfaces 103L ₁ s and 103L ₂ s are respectively formed at the ends of the base portion 103L ₁ and the movable claw portion 103L ₂ on the second rotation fulcrum 103r ₂ side, and the movable claw portion 103L ₂ is not shown. Is biased so as to rotate in a predetermined direction (the arrow direction in FIG. 19). Here, the stopper surfaces 103L ₁ s and 103L ₂ s have a posture (hereinafter, also referred to as a locking posture) in which the movable claw portion 103L ₂ is substantially orthogonal to the base portion 103L ₁ as shown in FIG. when becomes, thereby maintaining are formed to engage one another, in the steady state (state not subjected to any external force to the movable claw portion 103L _2), such locking position. On the other hand, when an external force F is applied to the movable claw portion 103L ₂ in the locked posture, as shown in FIG. 20, the movable claw portion 103L ₂ moves in a predetermined direction (in this example, in the figure). , Only in the counterclockwise direction). In other words, the movable claw portion 103L _{2 according} to this modification maintains a locking posture in a steady state and when the external force is applied, the charging unit 16 is connected to the copying machine main body 1 with respect to the claw portion 103L ₂ . The charging unit 16 can be deformed so as to be retracted only when contacted from the side where it is disposed.

Thus the operation of the locking portion 103L ₀ configuration the operating lever 103 'with reference to FIGS. 21 to 23 will be further described. The basic operation of the operating lever 103 '(in particular, the operation at the time of mounting the charging unit 16 to the image forming apparatus main body 1) is the same as the operation lever 103 already described, the movable claw portions 103L ₂ The operation will be mainly described.

As shown in FIG. 21, when the charging unit 16 is attached / detached by the operation lever 103 with the protective housing 101 fixed to the image forming apparatus main body 1 (for example, the charging unit 16 is removed from the image forming apparatus main body 1). When the operation lever 103 ′ is in a position (see FIG. 21) where the hook portion 16T of the charging unit 16 cannot be locked by the locking portion 103L ₂ when the operation lever 103 ′ is operated. by moving to 101f side, in contact with the flange portion 16T of the movable claw portions 103L ₂ and the charging unit 16, the movable claw portions 103L ₂ bent to rotate in the counterclockwise direction (see FIG. 22), the operation by further moving the lever 103 ', when the contact between the movable claw portion 103L ₂ and the flange portion 16T is released, restored to the locking posture movable claw portions 103L ₂ by the biasing force Return (see FIG. 23). Thus, with respect to the reverse direction of the operation of the subsequent operating lever 103 ', it is possible to lock the charging unit 16 by the movable claw portions 103L _2.

That is, when the movable claw portion 103L ₂ has a joint structure that can be deformed so as to avoid the charging unit 16 when the charging unit 16 contacts the claw portion 103L ₂ from the side where the copying machine main body 1 is disposed. Although the structure is complicated as compared with the previous embodiment, when the charging unit 16 is removed, the operation lever 103 ′ is attached and detached without moving the operation lever 103 to the opening end 101 f side end in advance. Therefore, it is possible to further contribute to the improvement of operability and workability.

  In the above-described embodiment, the charging unit 16 is illustrated as an example of a protected member to which the present invention is applied. However, the charging cover 100 according to the present invention is not limited to such a charging unit 16. However, the present invention can be applied to a part that is detachably attached to the image forming apparatus 1. For example, the present invention may be applied to a cleaning unit for cleaning the photosensitive drum 15, or a so-called process cartridge in which the photosensitive drum 15 and peripheral devices (for example, a charger, a cleaning blade, and a developing device) are integrated. In addition, the present invention may be applied to all attachment / detachment units formed integrally and detachably with respect to the apparatus main body. In the above-described embodiment, the electrophotographic copying machine 1 is exemplified as the image forming apparatus. However, the image forming apparatus may be applied to an ink jet printer or a plate printer. When considering application to an ink jet printer, it is necessary to protect the nozzle surface of the head when the head is removed from the device body. can do. Further, when considering application to the entire image forming apparatus, it may be applied to a paper dust removing member that removes paper dust generated on the recording paper P conveyed like the blade 38a. In the above-described embodiment, the blade 38a that removes the paper dust attached to the resist roll 38 is exemplified. However, as the paper dust removing member, a member that removes the paper dust attached to another roll that transports the recording paper P. Alternatively, it can be applied to a member that directly contacts the recording paper P being conveyed and removes paper dust.

  Further, in the above-described embodiment, as an example of the protective member, the box-shaped housing 101 that can be accommodated therein and whose one end side in the longitudinal direction is opened is exemplified, but there is a concern about damage due to contact. It is also conceivable that only the site to be protected is protected. For example, if the charging unit is used, the corona wires and the grid are protected and the shield is not protected. If the process cartridge is used, the photosensitive layer of the photosensitive drum 15 is protected, and a cleaning device and a developing device arranged around the protective unit. The portion of the resin may not be protected.

1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing an embodiment of an image forming apparatus according to the present invention. It is the perspective view seen from the upper part for explaining the composition of the protection device of one embodiment concerning the present invention. It is the perspective view seen from the lower part for demonstrating the structure of the image development apparatus of one Embodiment which concerns on this invention. It is the perspective view seen from the lower part for demonstrating the structure of the image development apparatus of one Embodiment which concerns on this invention. It is a typical enlarged view for demonstrating the structure of the protection housing | casing fixing member of one Embodiment which concerns on this invention. It is a typical enlarged view for demonstrating the structure of the protection housing | casing fixing member of one Embodiment which concerns on this invention. It is a typical enlarged view for demonstrating operation | movement of the latching | locking part at the time of moving the operation lever of the protection apparatus of one Embodiment which concerns on this invention to a mounting direction. It is a typical enlarged view for demonstrating operation | movement of the latching | locking part at the time of moving the operation lever of the protection apparatus of one Embodiment which concerns on this invention to a mounting direction. It is a typical enlarged view for demonstrating operation | movement of a latching | locking part at the time of moving the operation lever of the protection apparatus of one Embodiment which concerns on this invention to a removal direction. It is a typical enlarged view for demonstrating operation | movement of a latching | locking part at the time of moving the operation lever of the protection apparatus of one Embodiment which concerns on this invention to a removal direction. It is a typical enlarged view for demonstrating mounting | wearing operation | movement of the charging unit of one Embodiment which concerns on this invention. It is a typical enlarged view for demonstrating mounting | wearing operation | movement of the charging unit of one Embodiment which concerns on this invention. It is a typical enlarged view for demonstrating mounting | wearing operation | movement of the charging unit of one Embodiment which concerns on this invention. It is a typical enlarged view for demonstrating mounting | wearing operation | movement of the charging unit of one Embodiment which concerns on this invention. It is a typical enlarged view for demonstrating the removal operation | movement of the charging unit of one Embodiment which concerns on this invention. It is a typical enlarged view for demonstrating the removal operation | movement of the charging unit of one Embodiment which concerns on this invention. It is a typical enlarged view for demonstrating the removal operation | movement of the charging unit of one Embodiment which concerns on this invention. It is a typical enlarged view for demonstrating the removal operation | movement of the charging unit of one Embodiment which concerns on this invention. It is a typical enlarged view for explaining the composition of the movable claw part of one embodiment concerning the present invention. It is a typical enlarged view for explaining the composition of the movable claw part of one embodiment concerning the present invention. It is a typical enlarged view for demonstrating operation | movement of the movable nail | claw part of one Embodiment which concerns on this invention. It is a typical enlarged view for demonstrating operation | movement of the movable nail | claw part of one Embodiment which concerns on this invention. It is a typical enlarged view for demonstrating operation | movement of the movable nail | claw part of one Embodiment which concerns on this invention.

Explanation of symbols

1: image forming apparatus main body, 13Y, 13M, 13C, 13K: image forming unit, 14: ROS, 15Y, 15M, 15C, 15K: photosensitive drum, 16Y, 16M, 16C, 16K: charging unit, 16C: end cover , 16L: unit side engaging portion, 16L ₁ : mounting tapered surface, 16L ₂ : tapered surface, 16T: collar portion, 16p: positioning pin, 17Y, 17M, 17C, 17K: developing device, 18Y, 18M, 18C, 18K : Drum cleaning device, 25: intermediate transfer belt, 26Y, 26M, 26C, 26K: primary transfer roll, 29: secondary transfer roll, 30: fixing device, 34: paper feed cassette, 38: registration roll, 43: belt cleaning Device, 100: protective device, 101: protective housing, 101b: bottom surface, 101e: closed end, 101f: open end 101p: projecting piece, 101s: side, 102: slit, 102 g: track unit, 102s: notches, 103: operation lever, 103L: hook member, 103L _0: locking portion, 103L _1: base portion, 103L _2: Movable claw part, 103L ₁ s, 103L ₂ s: stopper surface, 103b: pressing part, 103c: cover part, 103g: handle part, 103r, 103r ₁ , 103r ₂ : rotation fulcrum, 105: fixed lever, 105b: unlocking Part, 105t: lock claw, 107: fixing release member, 107r: rotation fulcrum, 107t: fixing release part, 200: positioning chassis, 200h: positioning hole, 300: fixing chassis, 300L: chassis side engaging part, 300L ₁ : Tapered surface, P: Recording paper

Claims (6)

A protected member formed detachably with respect to the image forming apparatus main body can be accommodated therein, and is protected when the protected member is attached to the image forming apparatus main body and when the protected member is removed from the image forming apparatus main body. A protective housing for protecting the member ;
An operation unit operated when moving the protected member;
A push-in portion that pushes the protected member accommodated in the protective housing into the image forming apparatus main body when the operation member is mounted in the mounting direction when the protected member is mounted on the image forming apparatus main body ;
When removing the protected member from the main body of the image forming apparatus, the operation unit is positioned at a position that does not overlap the protected member in the mounting direction when the operation unit is positioned at the end in the mounting direction, and the operation unit the move to a position that overlaps with the protected member at the mounting direction with the movement in the opposite direction with respect to the mounting direction, put pull the protected member is attached to the image forming apparatus main body in the protective enclosure pulling-in And a protective member. The operation unit is positioned when the protected member is attached to the image forming apparatus main body and the protected member is removed from the image forming apparatus main body with the protective housing positioned with respect to the image forming apparatus main body. protection member according to claim 1, also characterized in that a movable front Symbol protected members in the removable direction. 3. The protective member according to claim 1, wherein, in a state where the protected member is accommodated in the protective housing, the drawing-in portion restricts the protected member from moving in the attaching / detaching direction. . The lead-in portion is deformed so as to retract the protected member when the protected member comes in contact with the image forming apparatus from the side where the protective casing is positioned with respect to the image forming apparatus main body. protective member according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the protected element is not performed deformed so as to retract the protected member when contacted from the side of the image forming apparatus is not disposed .   The protected member is fixed by a fixing member when inserted into the image forming apparatus main body, and a fixing release member for releasing the fixing of the protected member by the fixing member is provided in the protective housing. The protective member according to claim 1, wherein the protective member is provided. An image forming apparatus main body;
A protected member detachably formed on the image forming apparatus main body;
The protective member according to claim 1 provided separately from the image forming apparatus main body,
The protected member is pushed out toward the protective member when the protected member is positioned with respect to the image forming apparatus main body while the protected member is mounted on the main body of the image forming apparatus. Image forming apparatus.

Images