JPH0211155B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a process kit that integrally includes a photosensitive drum as an image carrier and process means arranged around the drum, and is configured to be detachable from a main unit. It is.

Taking a copying machine that uses electrophotography as an example, if the machine is used for a long time, the photoreceptor must be replaced.
Replenishment and replacement of developer, cleaning of charging wires, and other adjustments and replacements are required, and such maintenance work is performed by specialized service personnel. However, in order to keep this copying apparatus operating in good condition at all times, a method has been proposed in which maintenance work is performed without relying on service personnel with the above-mentioned specialized knowledge. One example is a method in which a plurality of process means such as a discharger, a developer, and a photosensitive drum included in the apparatus are combined into a kit, and the kit is simply replaced with a new one. If the configuration is such that the process kit can be replaced, multiple kits can be prepared depending on the purpose of use, and the kit suitable for the purpose can be loaded into the main unit. The same main body can be used for multiple functions.

As described above, when a user who owns a copying machine handles the kit, maintenance and usage purposes are expanded, but problems may arise in handling the kit. In other words, when the kit is removed from the main body, if the drive connection part on the kit side that connects to the main body is damaged by hitting a desk, wall, pillar, floor, etc., the normal power transmission to the photosensitive drum inside the kit may become impossible. This makes it impossible to maintain copy quality.

An object of the present invention is to solve the problem when a process kit is removed from the main body, and specifically, to protect the drive transmission member of the photosensitive drum provided on the kit side.

That is, the present invention achieves the above object by integrating an image carrier, a process means disposed around the image carrier and acting on the image carrier, and an image carrier and the process means. a casing supported by the casing; a driving force receiving means exposed from the casing and receiving driving force from the main device when attached to the main device;
a protrusion provided on the casing around the driving force receiving means, and the driving force receiving means abuts the protrusion and an edge of the casing on the side where the driving force receiving means is provided. The present invention provides a process kit characterized in that the process kit is located inside the surface.

The protrusion provided around the drive receiving means may be constructed by purposely forming the connector (terminal) for the process means higher than the wall of the kit. Alternatively, a positioning pin for the main body of the process kit or a rotation prevention pin during loading may be used as the protrusion.

Hereinafter, details of the present invention will be explained with reference to examples and drawings.

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of the main parts of an electrophotographic copying apparatus to which an embodiment of the present invention is applied.

Device 1 in the figure is a copying device using electrophotography.
A photosensitive drum 2 having a photoconductive layer provided on a conductive drum base is supported rotatably in the direction of the arrow. A corona discharger 3, a short focus optical element array 4, a developing device 5, a transfer corona discharger 6, and a cleaning device 7 are arranged around the drum 2 in accordance with the rotational direction of the drum. In this apparatus 1, a photosensitive drum 2, a discharger 3, a developing device 5, and a cleaning device 7 are integrally supported by a housing 8 as a process kit 20. This casing 8 is guided and supported by guide rails 9 fixed to the main body, and is attached to and removed from the main body.

In the copying apparatus described above, the surface of the photosensitive drum 2 is uniformly charged with a predetermined polarity by the corona discharger 3, and then the document on the document table 10 that moves back and forth at the top of the apparatus main body is illuminated by the lamp 11, and the reflected light is transmitted to the element array. 4
A latent image is formed on the drum 2 by exposing the drum 2 to light.
The formed latent image is developed by a developing device 5, and the developed image is transferred by a transfer corona discharger 6.
The transfer material is supplied to the transfer material supply tray 12 by an operator's manual operation, and is conveyed to the transfer section via the conveyance roller 13 and the timing roller 14. The transfer material that has completed the transfer is separated by the separating means 15, sent to the fixing device 17 via the moving path 16 and fixed thereon, and further transferred to the paper output tray 19 via the output roller 18.
sent upwards.

Figure 2 shows the main body of the device and the process kit 20.
The process kit containing the photosensitive drum is shown in the front door 21 of the main body.
This is done by opening the casing 8 and manually pulling out the casing 8. An arrow 22 in the figure indicates the direction of movement of the housing as the process kit is attached or removed.

FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of the kit 20, with the front side being the rear side when loaded. A positioning pin 23 is provided on the wall of the rear housing 8a for correcting the position of the kit loaded in the main unit.
The connector 24 for supplying a high voltage to the charger 3 and the connector 26 for applying a bias voltage to the developing device 5 constitute a convex portion as a protrusion for driving the photosensitive drum 2. It is arranged so as to surround a drive coupling member 25 serving as a drive force receiving means. By the way, the connecting member 25 of this embodiment
The concave and convex portions of the photosensitive drum 2 and the concave and convex portions of the main body side fit together to determine the position, and at the same time, the driving force of the main body is transmitted to the photosensitive drum 2.

In this embodiment, the pin 23 and the connectors 24 and 26 are all higher than the drive connection member 25, so when the process kit is removed from the main body, the case 8a in which the drive connection member 25 of the process kit is arranged is removed. If the connecting member 25 is placed or dropped on a flat surface 28 such as a desk with the wall surface facing down, the connecting member 25
As shown in the figure, the connector enters the space between the convex portion 24 and the edge 27 of the housing 8. Therefore, this connecting portion 25 does not come into direct contact with a surface 28 such as a desk or floor. If we take the envelope line created by applying the convex portion on the casing surface 8a and the edge of this casing surface 8a to the surface 28, we will get the surface 29 in FIG. 5. It will be appreciated that by housing the drive coupling member 25 inside this surface 29, the drive coupling member 25 will not impinge on the surface 28 no matter what direction the kit is placed.

Therefore, it is possible to prevent the drive connecting member 25 from being damaged due to contact with a desk, floor, etc., or from causing eccentricity of the photosensitive drum due to deviation of the rotation center of the connecting member.

In the present invention, the process means disposed around the photosensitive drum are not limited to the combinations of the embodiments.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional view of the copying machine when the process kit is installed, Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing the attachment/detachment relationship between the copying machine and the process kit, Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the process kit, and Fig. 4 is the process kit. FIG. 5 is a side view of the table when it is upright, and FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the surface that makes contact with the desk. In the figure, 1 is a copying device, 2 is a photosensitive drum,
20 is a process kit, 23 is a positioning pin, 2
4 is a connector, 25 is a drive coupling portion, 26 is a connector, 27 is an edge of the housing 8a, 28 is a plane, and 29 is an envelope surface of the contact surface.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. An image carrier, a process means disposed around the image carrier and acting on the image carrier, and a casing that integrally supports the image carrier and the process means. and a driving force receiving means that is exposed from the casing and receives a driving force from the main body device when attached to the main body device, and a protrusion provided on the casing around the driving force receiving means, A process kit characterized in that the force receiving means is located inside a surface that abuts the edge of the housing on the side where the driving force receiving means is provided and the protrusion. 2. The process kit according to claim 1, wherein the protrusion is a positioning member for positioning the process kit on the main body device. 3. The process kit according to claim 1, wherein the protrusion is a connector that receives power supply from the main unit to the process kit.