JPH02232679A - Device for attaching and detaching photosensitive body - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To easily attach and detach a photosensitive body while protecting the surface thereof by providing a flange which is smaller than the outside diameter of the photosensitive body on one end of the photosensitive body and a flange bearing part which bears the flange of the photosensitive body detached from a photosensitive body driving part in an image producing drawer. CONSTITUTION:The flange 28 which is smaller than the outside diameter of the photosensitive body 11 is provided on one end of the photosensitive body 11 and the flange bearing part 35 for bearing the flange 28 of the photosensitive body 11 detached from the photosensitive body driving parts 36-38 is provided in the image producing drawer 23. When the photosensitive body 11 is detached from the photosensitive body driving parts 36-38 of an image forming device, the flange 28 of the photosensitive body 11 is supported by the flange bearing part 35 provided in the image producing drawer 23. By drawing out the image producing drawer 23 and dismounting the shaft part 25 of the photosensitive body 11 from a bearing 30 provided in the image producing drawer 23 thereafter, the photosensitive body 11 is taken out. Thus, the photosensitive body is easily attached and detached while protecting the surface thereof.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an attachment/detachment device for attaching and detaching a photoreceptor in an electrophotographic image forming apparatus such as a laser printer or a copying machine. With conventional and recent image forming devices of this type, it is desired that regular replacement parts, which used to be done by service personnel, can be easily replaced by users. but,
It is especially troublesome to replace the photoreceptor drum because other units involved in image formation are located nearby. Conventionally, the structure for removably supporting the photoreceptor drum is to support the photoreceptor drive shaft in a cantilevered manner on the main body of the image forming apparatus.
There was one in which the photoreceptor drum was detachably attached to the photoreceptor drive shaft, and the other end of the photoreceptor drum was held in the frame of the W image forming apparatus with a stopper plate that was screwed to the frame of the main body of the W image forming apparatus. ．． However, this method was unstable because it was a cantilever type, and had disadvantages such as the drive unit for rotating the photoconductor drive shaft and its support unit becoming large, and the time required to attach and detach the photoconductor drum. ．． Therefore, as a solution to this drawback, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 55-1
As described in Japanese Patent Application No. 05275, the image forming equipment is strategically supported by a drum shaft that can be inserted into and removed from the photosensitive drum, and a semi-cylindrical drum support member can be pulled out from the machine frame. It has been proposed that the photoreceptor drum is mounted, the drum shaft is pulled out from the photoreceptor drum, the photoreceptor drum is dropped onto a drum receiving member, and the drum receiving member is then pulled out from the machine frame to take out the photoreceptor drum. However, according to this method, the surface of the photoreceptor drum on which the image is formed collides with the drum receiving member, causing scratches, dents, etc. on the surface, resulting in serious problems in image quality. Furthermore, the lower part of the photoreceptor drum serves as a transfer section and a paper path in a normal image forming apparatus, and there are problems such as the inability to arrange the drum receiving member as described above. The object of the present invention is to make it possible to easily attach and detach a photoreceptor while protecting its surface. In the present invention, a saddle portion at one end of the photoreceptor is removably supported on a bearing provided in an image forming drawer, and the other end of the photoreceptor is removably mounted on a photoreceptor drive unit in the main body of an image forming apparatus. In a photoreceptor attachment/detachment device that freely connects and supports. A flange smaller than the outer diameter of the photoreceptor is provided at the other end of the photoreceptor, and a flange receiving portion is provided in the image forming drawer to receive the flange of the photoreceptor removed from the photoreceptor drive unit. It is characterized by ■11■ When the photoreceptor is removed from the photoreceptor drive section of the image forming apparatus, the flange of the photoreceptor is supported by the flange receiving part provided on the image forming drawer8.After this, the image forming drawer is pulled out and the photoreceptor is removed. The photoreceptor can be removed by removing the shaft from the bearing installed in the image drawer. Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of an example of a laser printer equipped with a photoreceptor attachment device according to the present invention. Printer main body 10
Inside, a charger 12, an optical unit 13. A developing unit 14, a transfer charger 15, and a cleaning unit 16 are arranged, and the photosensitive drum 11 repeats a cycle of charging, exposure, development, transfer, and cleaning. On the other hand, the paper 19 fed from the paper feed tray 17 to the photoreceptor drum 11 via the registration roller 18 transfers the toner image on the photoreceptor drum 11 between the photoreceptor drum 11 and the transfer charger 15. After that, the sheet is conveyed by the conveyor belt 20 to the fixing unit 21 to have the toner image fixed thereon, and then discharged by the wandering paper device 22. As shown in Figure 7, the photoreceptor. The drum 11, the developing unit 14, the transfer charger 15, and the cleaning unit l6 are removably loaded into the image forming drawer 23. The image forming drawer 23 is connected to the Accuride 24 with respect to the printer main body 10.
It is attached so that it can be pulled out. FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a photoconductor attachment/detachment device according to the present invention. The photosensitive drum 11 has a shaft 25 integrally projecting from one closed end thereof, and a cover plate 26 fitted into the opening at the other end. This lid plate 26 is integrally provided with a boss 27 and a truncated conical flange 28 which is larger than the boss 27 and smaller than the outer diameter of the photosensitive drum 1l. A tapered serration 29 is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the flange 28, and a stepped portion 28a is formed on the outer peripheral surface. on the other hand,
A cylindrical bearing 30 is attached to the pivot 31 of the image forming drawer 23.
It is attached so that it can swing freely. Photosensitive drum 11
The shaft portion 25 is removably and rotatably supported by the bearing 30 via a pusher 32. A pusher 34 is mounted inside the bearing 30 and is urged outward by a spring 33. The photoreceptor closing ram 11, which has the shaft portion 25 supported by the bearing 30, is urged toward the cover plate 26 side opposite to the shaft portion 25. Further, the image forming drawer 23 is provided with a U-shaped flange receiving portion 35 for receiving the flange 28 of the photoreceptor drum 11 on the side opposite to the bearing 30. A drive shaft 36 is provided, and a drive gear 38 having a tapered serration ring 37 on its outer peripheral surface is fixed to the drive shaft 36. As shown in FIG. 1, the photosensitive drum 1l has its shaft portion 25.
is fitted into the bearing 30, the drive shaft 36 is inserted into the boss 27, and the serrations 29 of the flange 28 and the drive gear 38
It is supported by engaging the serrations 37 of the At this time, the outer circumferential surface of the flange 28 does not come into contact with the inner circumferential surface of the flange receiving part 35, but is slightly (about 2 mm) above it. The rotation of the drive shaft 36 is transmitted to the photosensitive drum 11. Pull out the image forming drawer 23 from the printer main body 10, and
When the photosensitive drum 11 is moved together with the photosensitive drum 3 in the direction of the arrow in FIGS. 2 and 3, the drive shaft 36 is pulled out from the boss 27 and the drive gear 3B and the flange 28 are disengaged. This flange 28 falls onto the flange receiving part 35 and is supported by the flange receiving part 35 as shown in FIG. Since the drop at that time is small as mentioned above, the impact is minimal. Since the photosensitive drum 11 is biased by the spring 33, the stepped portion 28a of the flange 28 is pressed against the peripheral edge of the flange receiving portion 35. The photosensitive drum 11 is thus held in a stable state by the image forming drawer 23 and is pulled out together with the image forming drawer 23. Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 4, while putting a finger on the flange 28 and pushing the photosensitive drum 11 against the spring 33, the bearing 30 is rotated as shown in FIG. By lifting it up and removing it from the flange receiving portion 35 and removing the shaft portion 32 from the bearing 30, the photosensitive drum 11 can be easily removed from the image forming drawer 23 outside the printer main body 10. According to the present invention, there are the following effects. ■ The shaft of the photoreceptor is supported by the bearing provided on the image forming drawer, and the flange of the photoreceptor is placed on the flange receiver provided on the image forming drawer and the image forming drawer can be pulled out. It can be protected. ■ The photoreceptor can be pulled out together with the image forming drawer, making it easy to remove the photoreceptor outside the image forming apparatus.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a photoreceptor attachment/detachment device according to the present invention, and FIG.
The figure is a cross-sectional view of the photosensitive drum removed from the drive unit of the printer main body, Figure 3 is a perspective view of the same, Figure 4 is a perspective view of the photosensitive drum removed from the image forming drawer, and Figure 5 is the same perspective view. FIG. 6 is a schematic configuration diagram of a laser printer equipped with a photoreceptor attachment/detachment device according to the present invention, and FIG. 7 is an external perspective view of the laser printer with the image forming drawer pulled out. 1
0...Printer main body 11...Photosensitive drum 23...Image forming drawer 25...Shaft part 28...Flange 30...Bearing 35...Flange receiving part 36...
... Drive shaft 38 ... Drive gear Fig. 1

Claims (1)

[Claims] A photoreceptor in which one end of the photoreceptor's shaft is removably supported by a bearing provided in an image forming drawer, and the other end of the photoreceptor is removably connected to and supported by a photoreceptor drive unit in the main body of an image forming apparatus. In the body attachment/detachment device, a flange smaller than an outer diameter of the photoreceptor is provided at the other end of the photoreceptor, and the image forming drawer includes:
A photoconductor attaching/detaching device, characterized in that a flange receiving portion is provided for receiving the flange of the photoconductor removed from the photoconductor drive unit.