JPH0296195A - Cleaning unit - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To improve detachment/attachment of the title cleaning unit and to surely carry out a detecting action by detecting whether toner recoving tank is full or not under a condition where a magnet provided on the tip of a detecting filler is not brought into contact with a lead switch provided on a machine main body. CONSTITUTION:The magnet 114 is arranged at the tip of the overflow detecting filler 111 of recovered toner 112. When the magnet 114 approaches the lead switch 115 disposed on the machine main body side, the lead switch 115 starts action and the filling of the recovered toner in the toner collecting tank is detected. That is, when the magnet 114 of the tip of the detecting filler 111 is pushed up the recovered toner 102, it operates due to electromagnetic action, not in contact with the switch 115 provided on the machine main body side. Thus, a cleaning unit which is detachable/attachable can surely detect that toner is full and can maintain accuracy with respect to a photosensitive body.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Field of Industrial Application) The present invention relates to a cleaning unit in a copying machine or a laser printer using an electrophotographic method, and in particular to detection of a full state of recovered toner in a toner recovery tank. be.

(Prior Art) The functions of each part of printers and copying machines using electrophotography are almost the same except for the optical system. The toner needs to be replenished, and it has units such as a photoreceptor, developer, cleaning, and charger that need to be replaced.

Nowadays, not only toner replenishment but also photoconductor unit,
Machines have been commercialized in which even the cleaning unit can be replaced by the user. Particularly in the case of printers, there is a strong demand for user maintenance, and it is becoming a necessary condition that each replaceable unit can be easily replaced by the user.

In an example of a conventional device of this type, a plurality of image forming units such as a photoconductor unit, a developing unit, and a cleaning unit are integrated, and after a certain period of time, these integrated units are replaced when replaced. I try to replace them as a whole. The lifespan and wear and tear of each unit vary depending on its characteristics and usage conditions, so even if a certain unit reaches the end of its lifespan and needs to be replaced, other units may still be fully usable. However, in such an integrated device, since the unit must be replaced at the same time as the unit that needs to be replaced sooner, the cost of parts for each replacement is high, and running costs are inevitably high. The disadvantage was that it imposed a heavy burden on

In addition, in order to eliminate the drawbacks of integrated units, some machines are designed to have separate replacement cycles for each unit, such as the cleaning unit, developing unit, and photoconductor unit, and to replace each unit individually. has been made into

The methods of exchange can be roughly divided into two types.

One method is to pull out each unit individually from the machine body and replace it. This method requires a mechanism for pulling out each unit, and the positions between each unit must be precisely positioned. Not only is it difficult to replace the unit because it is located in a narrow space, but when you take out the unit to be replaced, you may damage other units that are not due for replacement, or you may spill toner and stain the inside. The drawback was that it was easy.

Another method is to construct each unit as a working unit so that the entire unit can be pulled out of the machine body, and replace each unit from the pulled out unit. With this method, each unit is positioned with the precision necessary for operation inside the main body, and then pulled out as is, making it difficult to remove the unit yet, and preventing toner from spilling or damaging the photoreceptor. There were drawbacks.

FIG. 15 shows a cross-sectional view of a conventional laser printer, in which photoreceptors 1. Transfer charger 2,
Charger 3, static elimination lamp 4, developing unit 5, cleaning unit 6, toner cartridge 7, optical scanning device 8, paper feed section 9, fixing section 10, paper ejection switching section 11, paper reversing device 12, paper ejection transport path 13 , paper feed cassette 14a,
14b, paper discharge trays 15a, 15b, etc.

In the event of a paper ejection failure or the like, the paper ejection conveyance path 13 rotates in the direction of arrow (A) so that the fault can be dealt with.

In conventional laser printers, etc., the above-mentioned parts are arranged with priority given to functions.

At present, the structure does not take much consideration in terms of manufacturing, assembly, disassembly, or removal work such as parts replacement.

FIG. 16 shows an example of the cleaning unit 6 in which each unit is pulled out and replaced individually from the machine body described above, and this unit has a stay A with a rail function on the top surface, and the machine body frame 100. The entire cleaning unit 6 can be taken in and out in the direction of the arrows (A)-(A') by being placed on a rail 100A provided at.

In this case, positioning of the cleaning unit 6 with respect to the photoreceptor 1 is performed by inserting the positioning pin 6C of this unit into the face plate 6.
Fit into the pin hole 68C of B, and at the same time align the axis IA of the photoreceptor 1.
into the pin hole 6BA of the face plate 6B, and also fit the positioning pin of the developing unit 5 (not shown) into the pin hole 68B.
The face plate 6B is attached to the main body frame 100 with screws 6D.

Because of this structure, it is necessary to carefully attach and detach the cleaning unit 6 to and from the main body frame 100 so as not to damage the photoreceptor 1 (drum).
Furthermore, since the unit 1- must be put in and taken out on the rail 100A of the main body, it is difficult for the user to replace it, and in reality this is done by experienced service personnel, and toner often spills. This has the disadvantage of staining other parts, paper, etc.

FIG. 17 shows a unit (developing unit) involved in image formation as described above.

(photoreceptor, cleaning, charger, etc.) are integrated,
An example of an image forming case 23 that is completely pulled out of the machine body is shown. Rails 23A are provided on both sides of the upper part of the image forming case 23.
This rail 23A is placed on the guide rail 26 provided on the machine body frame 100 and moved in the direction of the arrow (A) -
(A') Insert and remove the image forming case 23. The position of the imaging case 23 on the machine body frame 100 is determined by fitting the machine body frame positioning pin 100B into the pin hole 23B of the imaging case 23, and
G is fitted into a pin hole in the machine body frame (not shown) and is held solid.

This is convenient for users to exchange, but
As mentioned above, it is necessary to replace all the units in each imaging case, which have different lifespans, which is not economical.

Furthermore, in the case of the optical scanning device 8, if the positional relationship with the photoreceptor 1 is not accurate, recording will be affected, so conventionally the optical scanning device 8 has a structure that cannot be easily detached from the laser printer main body.

FIG. 18 shows a perspective external view of a conventional optical scanning device 8, showing the mounting structure to the main body and the parts arranged in the optical box 80.

The optical box 80 is fixed by at least four mounting screws 81 in a direction perpendicular to the optical scanning plane (main scanning direction) of the laser beam. Therefore, since it is necessary to remove the optical box in the height direction CB) of the optical box, a space greater than the height of the optical box is required. However, there are paper ejection trays 15a, 15b and other members in the height direction of the optical box, and because these are assembled from various directions, it is currently impossible to easily remove them.

In addition, the flat area occupied by the laser printer body is much larger than the lateral area, and attaching and detaching the optical box in the height direction is not a desirable method considering its arrangement with other components. .

In addition, in FIG. 18, 4
An optical box 80 is attached with book mounting screws 81, and inside the box there is a rotating polygon mirror 83, a plurality of imaging lenses 84 arranged on the optical axis of the laser beam, a horizontal synchronization signal detection mirror 85, and a It includes an optical connector 87 connected to an optical fiber for extracting a reflected beam, a semiconductor laser 86, a lead connector 88 for the rotating polygon mirror 83, a dustproof glass 89, and the like. The optical connector 87, the connector 86c of the semiconductor laser 86, the lead connector 88 of the rotating polygon mirror, etc. are led out from the side wall of the optical box 80 in various directions. Although not shown in the drawings, the lid is fixed to the optical box with mounting screws to prevent external laser light from leaking from the inside and to prevent dust and the like from entering from the outside into the inside.

In addition, as a conventional means for detecting the amount of collected toner in a toner collection tank, for example, as shown in FIG. The detection filler 111 is disposed, and as the toner 112 is collected, it swells up, and the detection filler rotates from the solid line position to the dashed-dotted line position about the rotating shaft 111A as a fulcrum.

By blocking the optical path of the detection sensor (photointerrupter) 113 disposed at a predetermined position on the machine body, the control section of the machine body detects that the cleaning case is full of toner. Display on the display panel.

Further, FIG. 19 (2) shows an exploded view of parts to explain the mounting structure of the above-mentioned detection fin. A rubber sheet 111G is placed on the rectangular pedestal surface 1118P of the holder 111■, and the stopper 1118 is pushed in from above. Fix the sheet.

Then, the rotating shaft 111A of the detection fish 111 is connected to the bearing 11.
1B and fix it to the cleaning case 110 as shown in FIG. 19(1). Here, the rubber sheet 111
G is for preventing the toner 102 from leaking into the operating space of the detection fin 111 (inside the cleaning case).

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) As described above, a method in which various image forming units are individually taken out from the machine body and replaced, or a method in which the entire image forming case containing the image forming units is taken out from the machine main body and the entire image forming case is replaced. We have listed the advantages and disadvantages of each.

In other words, among the image forming units 1 to 1 housed in the image forming case, replacing and positioning the cleaning unit in particular has not been easy or reliable in the past, and it has been difficult to replace and position the cleaning unit, and it has also been difficult to replace and position the cleaning unit with respect to the photoreceptor. Up until now, it could not be said that sufficient consideration had been given to preventing damage.

In addition, in a type of copier or laser printer in which each unit is set in an image forming case and each unit can be replaced by pulling out the image forming case from the main body of the machine, the first
The overflow detection filler for collected toner in the cleaning unit shown in Figure 9 and its detection sensor (photo interrupter) installed on the main body of the machine work without contact so as not to cause any interference, and to prevent malfunction of detection even if toner is scattered. It is necessary for the detection fin and the detection sensor to operate within a certain operating range, but if the configuration is as shown in Figure 19, the photo interrupter will cause an obstacle to pulling out the imaging case from the machine body. In some cases, the photointerrupter may become dirty due to toner scattering and may not operate.

The present invention solves these conventional problems and, in particular, provides a cleaning unit that is removable, can reliably detect when the toner is full, and can maintain accuracy with respect to the photoreceptor. This is the purpose.

(Structure and operation) In order to achieve the above object, the present invention includes a toner collection roller,
In a cleaning unit that has a cleaning blade, a toner collection tank, etc. inside the unit, a magnet is placed at the tip of a collected toner overflow detection filler, and when the magnet approaches a reed switch installed on the machine body side, the lead is removed. The present invention is characterized in that a switch is operated to detect whether the toner collection tank is full of collected toner.

According to the present invention, the magnet at the tip of the detection fin pushes up the collected toner and is operated by electromagnetic action without contacting the reed switch provided on the machine body. When pulling out the imaging case, it can be placed in a position where it does not become an obstacle. Since the reed switch is housed in the case, it is shielded from toner scattering. Furthermore, since toner is a non-magnetic material, it does not adhere to magnets and does not interfere with operation.

Further, in the present invention, a cleaning unit equipped with a brush or blade for removing residual toner on the photoreceptor, a case for accumulating collected toner, etc. has a plurality of positioning pin members installed on the front and rear sides of the case. , on the other hand, a lever member is provided on the front and rear side surfaces of the imaging case to engage and slide the positioning pin member to position it with the photoreceptor, and to set the positioning pin member of the cleaning unit on the guide member; and a locking member that holds the lever member and the positioning pin member in place.

The positioning member of the cleaning unit slides on the guide member by the lever member, and the lever member is fixed and held in a predetermined positional relationship with the photoreceptor by the locking member, thereby cleaning the image forming case. The unit is accurately and reliably positioned and held relative to the photoreceptor unit.

Also, by releasing the locking member, the lever member can be operated, and by operating the lever member in the opposite direction to the previous setting operation, the positioning pin member is released from the guide member, and the cleaning unit can be imaged. It can be taken out from the case.

In this way, the cleaning unit can be easily set and reset in the image forming case by operating the lever member, so there is no need to worry about toner spilling or damaging other parts.

(Embodiment) Fig. 1 shows an embodiment of the present invention, in which Fig. 1 (1) shows a perspective external view of the detection fin 111, and Fig. 1 (2) shows a sectional structural view of the main part at the upper end of the cleaning case 110. .

As shown in the figure, when fixing the magnet hl14 to the protruding tip of the detection fin 111 and pulling out the imaging case of the machine body,
The reed switch is arranged at a position where it does not cause any interference and operates by electromagnetic action without contacting the reed switch 115, which is a detection sensor installed on the machine body side, as shown in Figure (2). .

The detection device 111 detects the toner 11 as shown in FIG.
As the collection of toner 2 progresses and reaches its climax, when the rotating shaft 111 rotates from the solid line position to the dashed-dotted line position, the reed switch 115 is activated by the action of the magnet 114, and a full toner is sent to the control section of the machine body. Sends a detection signal.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a cleaning unit implemented in the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a side view thereof. In the figure, 23 is an image forming case, and the handle direction (A)-(A') is not shown.
It has a structure that allows it to be taken in and out of the machine body, and its details are shown in Figure 8.

Reference numeral 6 denotes a cleaning unit set in the image forming case 23, and a plurality of positioning pins 6C are implanted on the front and rear sides thereof. 23A is a guide plate for sliding the positioning pin 6C and fixing it in a predetermined position;
installed on the floor.

This guide plate 23A has a sliding groove 23B for guiding the positioning pin 6C, and maintains the positional relationship with the photoreceptor 1 at the inner end of the groove. 6D is the rotation of lever 6E (arrow a or b)
), the side surface 6J of the cleaning unit is pressed as shown in FIG. 2 by a leaf spring 6F attached to the transfer shaft 6D, and the positioning pin 6C is inserted into the sliding groove 23B. Insert and slide. Note that this movement speed axis 6D is located in front of the image forming case 23 as shown in the figure.

It is pivoted on the rear side. 6G is a locking metal fitting for the lever 6E, which locks the lever and prevents it from returning when the positioning pin 6C is positioned at the position shown in FIG. This lock fitting 6G is held in tension between a stopper (not shown) by a spring 6H to prevent the lever from being unlocked.

With this configuration, when the cleaning unit 6 is set in the image forming case 23, the transfer shaft 6D is rotated by rotating the lever 6E (arrow a), and the leaf spring 6F pushes the side surface 6J and slides. Push the positioning pin 6C into the moving groove 23B. The transfer stops when the pin 6C reaches the inner end of the groove, so by locking the lever 6E to the lock fitting 6G, it is held fixed by the elasticity of the spring 6H.
The position with respect to the photoreceptor 1 is maintained accurately as shown in FIG.

In addition, when resetting the cleaning unit from the image forming case 23, remove the lock fitting 6G from the lever 6E against the elasticity of the spring 6H, and rotate the lever in the opposite direction (b
arrow), the leaf spring 6F separates from the side surface 6J, and the cleaning unit 1-6 can be easily taken out by pulling out the positioning pin 6C along the sliding groove 23B. Therefore, it can be easily set and reset without touching other parts, and there is no need to worry about scratching or spilling toner.

Next, consideration has been given to the attachment of the optical scanning device 89 to the image forming case 23 and its positioning, which will be described below.

FIG. 4 is a perspective external view showing an example of the optical scanning device 8,
In the figure, (1) is the laser printer main body side, and (2) is the optical box 80 of the optical scanning device 8. The same numbers and symbols as in FIGS. 15 and 18 are functionally the same, but as will be described later. The arrangement relationship etc. will be different.

On the main body (1) side, a main body guide rail 17 is provided on the inner surface of the main body side plate 16 arranged at the width interval of the optical box 80. At each end of this guide rail, forward and backward studs 18.1 are placed slightly higher than the level of the rail.
9, the front is used for positioning in the height direction, and the rear is used for positioning in the height and longitudinal directions (slide direction (D)-(D')). Also, the main body stay 2 is placed between the two main body side plates 16.
0 is stretched, and at least one hole 20a for lateral positioning is provided. Furthermore, a screw hole plate 21 for the mounting screw 22 is provided on the inner surface of the main body side plate 16 behind the rear stud 19, that is, near the outside of the laser printer main body, and its setting position is slightly on the inner surface of the front side plate 80g of the optical box 80. It has a gap g□ (see Fig. 7).

Next, the optical box (2) is formed into a substantially rectangular shape for modularization, and has sliding ribs 80b on both side plates 80a that slide and are guided by the main body guide rail 17, and a front side on the main body side. It includes front and rear fitting grooves 80c and 80d that fit with the rear studs 18 and 19. Further, the tip side plate 80e is provided with a protrusion 80f that fits into the hole 20a of the main body stay 20, and the front side plate 80g has an insertion hole 80h for the mounting screw 22 that is screwed into the screw hole plate 21 of the main body. There is. Further, a spring 22A is wound around the mounting screw 22, and its detailed structure will be described later with reference to FIG. 7(3).

Also, the connector 86c of the semiconductor laser 86, the horizontal synchronization signal detection optical connector 87, and the lead connector 8 of the rotating polygon mirror.
The corresponding connectors 86'c, 87', and 8B' are arranged on the front side plate 80g side and recessed from the plate surface, and when the connectors 86c, 87, and 88 are connected to these, the housing of the connector 80g of the front side plate.

In the drawing, there are connectors 86'c and 87 on the front side plate 80g side.
'.

88' is provided, but it may also be provided on the distal end side plate 80e.

The above-mentioned members for positioning the main body side and the optical box include:
A member as shown in FIG. 5 can also satisfy the same function. FIG. 1 (1) shows a case where the main body guide rail 17 and the front and rear studs 18 and 19 are integrated and provided on the inner surface of the main body side plate 16. In the same figure (2), a flange 80d' is attached to the rear fitting groove 80d provided in the side plate 80a of the optical box 80 to facilitate engagement with the stand on the main body side, and to increase the holding area and stabilize it. It is intended to be fixed. Note that the front fitting groove 80c is also formed in the same manner. Next, in the same figure (3), there is a rear fitting groove 80 on the front side plate 80g of the optical box.
d is integrally formed and fixed to the rear stud 19 on the main body side by the elasticity of the spring 22A compressed by tightening the mounting screw 22, and the screw hole plate 21 on the main body side is omitted. In each of the above embodiments, an example of a scale whose design has been changed to enable positioning in three-dimensional directions has been described.

Next, FIG. 6 shows an example of the arrangement of internal parts of the optical box 80, which is optimal for modularization. The housing is formed into a substantially rectangular shape, and the rotating polygon mirror 83 is arranged in the center near the front side plate 80g, and in the horizontal scanning optical axis direction of the rotating polygon mirror 83,
A first mirror 84 is placed at a predetermined distance from the tip side plate 80e.
a, a second mirror 84b, a third mirror 84c, and an Fθ lens 84d are sequentially arranged toward the front side. Further, a fourth mirror 85 for horizontal synchronization signal detection is disposed on one side plate 80a between the first mirror 84a and the second mirror 84b, and an optical fiber 87a is disposed on the reflection optical axis of the fourth mirror 85. , and are connected to the optical connector 87'. Further, the semiconductor laser 86 is disposed to face the rotating polygon mirror 83 in an oblique direction, and a first cylindrical lens 86a is provided on the laser optical axis so that the laser beam is focused on the rotating polygon mirror 83. Further, a drive board 83a of the rotating polygon mirror 83 is disposed at a corner surrounded by the side plate 80a and the front side plate 80g. Furthermore, in order to prevent the laser beam from traveling straight and leaking out of the box when guiding it from the optical fiber 87a to the optical connector 87', a barrier 87b is provided to prevent the laser beam from traveling straight.

Next, the attachment and detachment of the optical box of the optical scanning device to the printer body will be explained using FIG. (1) is a partial sectional view showing the state before the optical box is attached to the printer body, and (2) is a partially sectional view showing the state after the optical box is attached. Slide rib 80b of optical box 8o
When slid along the guide rail 17 of the printer main body (in the direction of the arrow), the front and rear fitting grooves 80
c and 80d fit into the front and rear studs 18 and 19 of the printer body, respectively. In this case, there is a gap g in the sliding direction between the front stud 18 and the front fitting groove 80c.
2. The front fitting groove 80c is arranged so as to have the same shape as the front fitting groove 80c.

This makes it easy to fit and bond the rear stud 19 for positioning in the sliding direction (arrow D: vertical direction) and the rear fitting groove 80d. Also, in the height direction (arrow B)
is determined by the stud diameter and the width of the fitting groove when the fitting grooves 80c and 80d are fitted into the front and rear studs 18 and 19, respectively. Further, in the lateral direction (perpendicular to the drawing: arrow E in FIG. 4(1)), the protrusion 80f at the tip fits into the hole 20a of the main body stay 20 and is positioned. That is, when the optical box 80 is attached to the printer main body, the three-dimensional directions of the vertical direction, the horizontal direction, and the height direction are automatically positioned by each member of the printer main body and the optical box. In this state, the surface of the screw hole plate 21 of the printer main body and the inner surface of the front side plate 80g on the printer main body side have a gap g□ as described above. Therefore, since the mounting screw 22 is screwed into the screw hole of the hole plate 21 and is brought into close contact with the elasticity due to the compression of the spring 22A, the positioning state in the sliding direction is not affected by shocks such as drops and vibrations. It can be fixed without any problem.

FIG. 7 (3) shows an enlarged detailed view of the mounting screw 22 that is screwed into the screw hole plate 21 of FIG. 7 (2). The washer 22B is inserted into the other end of the mounting screw. This prevents the mounting screw from falling due to external vibrations, etc., and when it is screwed into the screw hole plate 21, it can be firmly fixed by the elasticity of the spring 22A.

Next, when removing the optical box from the printer body, loosen the mounting screw 22 in the opposite direction to the case when installing it, and slide the sliding rib of the optical box in the opposite direction (arrow D') along the guide rail of the printer body. If so, it will be in the state shown in FIG. 7(1) and can be taken out from the printer body. Although the explanation will be given later, in FIG. 15, the discharge paper transport path 13 is rotated in the direction of the arrow (A), and the pull-out direction (D') of the optical scanning device 8 (optical box 80) is opened. , can be moved horizontally from the side of the printer.

Figure 8 shows the above-mentioned optical scanning device placed in the lower stage, and the direction of attachment and detachment from the printer main body is perpendicular to that of the optical scanning device ((
A perspective view of the image forming case 23 set at G')-(G)) is shown. This drawing shows only the mechanical parts necessary for attaching and detaching the image forming case 23. The printer main body has a front side plate 24 and a rear side plate 25, and the image forming case 23 is vertically (sliding direction: (G) - ( G')) are arranged at length intervals. The front side plate 24 and the rear side plate 25 have studs 24a, 24b and 25a, 25 for positioning the image forming case 23.
b is provided at a position that exactly corresponds to the photoreceptor 1 and the horizontal scanning surface of the optical scanning device. Further, the front side plate 24a has an opening 24c through which the image forming case 23 can enter and exit. A drum drive shaft 25c for driving the photoreceptor (drum in this case) of the image forming case 23 is disposed on the rear side plate 25. Further, an image forming case 23 is provided between the front side plate 24a and the rear side plate 25.
It has a guide rail 26 for attaching and detaching support. The image forming case 23 has the studs 24a, 24b and 25a.
, 25b in the height direction (arrow (B)) and the lateral direction (
3 in the arrow (E)) and vertical direction (arrows (G) (G'))
Holes 23a, 23b and 23a' for dimensional positioning
, 23b'. Further, both sides of the image forming case 23 have ribs 23c that engage with the support guide rails 26 of the printer body, and the front side plate is provided with a handle 23d for putting in and taking out a drawer.

When attaching the image forming case described above to the printer body,
When the handle 23d is pushed in the sliding direction (G), the rib 23c along the support guide rail 26 of the main body slides.
Positioning holes 23a' and 23b' are fitted into the studs 25a and 25b of the rear side plate 25, and positioning holes 23a and 23b are fitted into the studs 24a and 25b of the front side plate 24, so that three-dimensional positioning is achieved. At this time, the drum drive shaft 25c is fitted into the hole 1a of the photoreceptor 1 of the image forming case, and the photoreceptor is connected to the drive source. In this way, when the handle 23d is held and pushed into the printer body, the image forming case is automatically positioned and the drive source for the photoreceptor is connected. Next, it can be easily taken out from the printer body by performing the opposite operation to the above.

Next, additional comments will be made regarding the optical scanning device, image forming case 23 (hereinafter referred to as drawer), etc. housed in the laser printer body described above.

FIG. 9 shows a perspective view of the laser printer shown in FIG. 15, and FIG. 10 shows a partial sectional view of the drawer.

As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the laser printer of this example has a drawer 23 slidably attached to one side of its main body by support guide rails 26, 26'.

The drawer 23 includes a photoreceptor unit 1, a developing unit 5,
Image forming units such as a cleaning unit 6 and a toner cartridge 7 are removably housed. When the drawer 23 is pushed into the main body, these units are installed in an appropriate positional relationship with each other so that the electrophotographic recording operation can be performed correctly, and the transfer charger 2 provided on the main body side is attached. , the electrification charger 3, the static elimination lamp 4, the optical system unit 1-8, the registration roller 27, etc., are also positioned so as to maintain appropriate positional relationships.

By pulling the drawer 23 out of the main body, the developing unit 5 and toner cartridge 7 are automatically pulled away from the photoconductor unit 1 to the right in FIG. 10, and the cleaning unit 6 is automatically pulled away to the left. . By separating the units from each other in this way, when it comes time for replacement of any unit and it is removed, there is some space between it and the adjacent units, making the work easier and preventing damage to the adjacent units.

There is a handle 23 on the front of the drawer 23 for pulling out the drawer.
d is attached. Further, the developing unit 5, the cleaning unit 6, and the toner cartridge 7 are each provided with a handle. However, the handle is omitted and not shown in FIG. 9.

In addition to the drawer 23 equipped with the above-mentioned image forming unit, the optical system unit 8 that optically scans the photoreceptor, and other components, the main body includes a first paper feed cassette 14a that supplies recording paper, and a first paper feed cassette 14a that supplies recording paper. It includes a two-sheet feeding cassette 14b, a fixing unit 1-10 that fixes the toner image developed by the image forming unit on the recording paper by heating and pressurizing, a conveyance section 28, and the like. Further, at the top of the printer body, a first paper discharge tray 15a and a second stray paper tray 15b are provided, which receive recorded recording paper discharged through the conveyance path 13.

The printer main body also includes a separate mass-feeding unit 29 that is used as an option as needed, and a unit for turning over the recording paper recorded on one side after leaving the fixing unit 10 and supplying it again to the image forming unit. reversing unit 1
2 (FIG. 15).

By raising the cover plate 23e and covering the drawer 23 with the drawer 23 housed in the main body, it is possible to prevent dust from entering and improve the appearance.

11 and 12 show an example of a mechanism different from that shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 for separating the cleaning unit 6 from the photoreceptor unit 1 by pulling out the drawer 23. FIG.

Slide hole 31, cleaning unit holding notch 3
2. A pair of sliders 35 and 35' consisting of a spring support protrusion (pin) 33 and a cam contact part 34 are moved to the drawer 23.
The drawer 23 is disposed at the front and rear of the drawing direction, and is slidably fixed to the drawer 23 by a guide pin 36. A spring 39 is inserted between the spring support protrusion 33 of the slider 35 and the spring support protrusion 38 fixed to the bottom of the drawer 23.
Stretch it.

Further, the shaft rod 40 is passed between the front and rear side plates of the drawer 23, the cam 41 is fixed at a location corresponding to the position of the cam contact portion 34 of the slider 35, and the shaft rod 40 is attached so as to rotate in the axial direction. Attach the spring 37. Although such a cam and spring are not shown in FIG. 11, they are of course provided to the slider 35'. A pin 42 is provided at the rear end of the shaft rod 40 so as to engage with a cam 43 provided on the main body side.

The cleaning unit 6 has four pins provided at both its front and rear ends, of which two pins 44°44' are the 12th pin.
As shown in the figure, the two pins 45 and 45' are fitted into the notches 32 and 32' of the slider 35 and held by the slider 35, and as shown in FIG. It is held by bearings 46, 46'. As shown in FIG. 14, the pin support portion 46, 46' has a pin slide elongated hole 47 for slidably supporting the pin in the sliding direction, and has a notch 48 above which serves as a pin insertion hole. have.

In the drawer 23 holding the image forming unit configured as described above, in the operating position where it is housed in the main body, the pin 42 at the end of the shaft 40 touches the back of the main body side cam 43. The spring 37 prevents the cam 41 from rotating. Therefore, only the elastic force of the spring 39 effectively acts on the slider 35.35'', and the cleaning unit 6 supported by the slider 35.35' is positioned close to the photoconductor unit 1, which is the original operating position. That is, the cleaning unit 6 is pulled to the right in FIG. 11 by the spring 39 (reference position).
shall be placed in the specified state.

On the other hand, when the drawer 23 is pulled out, the pin 42 at the end of the shaft 40 extending from the front and back of the drawer 23 is
The cam 41 is removed from the cam 43 on the main body side, receives the rotational force of the spring 37, and pushes the abutting portion 34 of the slider 35, 35'. Since the spring force used is stronger in the spring 37 than in the spring 39, the slider 35 moves to the left in the figure, and as a result, the cleaning unit 6 is moved by pulling the pin 44, 44' of the cleaning unit 6. is away from the photoreceptor unit 1.

Although only the cleaning unit 6 has been described above, the developing unit 5 can also be separated from the photoreceptor unit 4 by a similar mechanism when the drawer 23 is pulled out.

In the above example, when the drawer 23 is pulled out from the main body,
In order to automatically separate the units set in the drawer 23, the position of the drawer 23 is detected and a predetermined unit slides according to the detection using a combination of a plurality of cam mechanisms. The present invention is not limited to such a cam mechanism, but can be realized by other means, such as a combination of electrical detection of the drawer position and an electromagnetic mechanism driven thereby.

(Effects of the Invention) As explained above, the present invention detects the fullness of the toner collection tank in the cleaning unit in a non-contact manner using a magnet provided at the tip of the detection holder and a reed switch provided on the machine body. As a result, the reed switch (detection sensor) can be placed at a position where it will not interfere with pulling out the imaging case from the machine body. Moreover, since the reed switch is housed in a case, toner is prevented from adhering due to scattering, and since toner is a non-magnetic material, it does not adhere to the magnet, so that the detection operation can be performed reliably. Moreover, since the mechanism is simple, it is advantageous in terms of cost.

In addition, when attaching or removing the cleaning unit to be set or reset in the imaging case, simply operate the lever, and the positioning pin of the cleaning unit moves along the guide plate of the imaging case, making it easy to accurately position the unit relative to the photoreceptor. is retained. Additionally, the lever is locked and does not move while the machine is in operation, so there is no problem. Then, by unlocking the lever and rotating it in the opposite direction, the positioning pin will easily come off the guide plate and the cleaning unit can be removed and replaced. Therefore, the cleaning unit is easy to attach and detach, and there is no need to worry about toner spilling or damaging the photoreceptor.

The optical scanning device is also equipped with a fixing member for three-dimensional positioning and a fitting member that fits with the fixing member to accurately position the optical scanning device with the main body. It is fixed and firmly positioned and attached by the elasticity of the elastic member. The washer fitted into one end of the mounting screw fixes the mounting screw at the rear end, and there is no fear that it will come off due to external vibrations or the like.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a perspective external view (1) showing the relationship between a detection fin and a detection sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention, and a sectional view of main parts;
Figure 2 is a perspective view of the cleaning unit, Figure 3 is a perspective view of the cleaning unit.
4 is a perspective external view of the optical scanning device, FIG. 5 is a perspective external view showing each side of the positioning paper member, and FIG. 6 is an example of the arrangement of internal components of the optical box of the optical scanning device. 7 is an explanatory diagram of the positioning operation between the laser printer main body and the optical box shown in FIG. 4, FIG. 8 is an example of a mechanism for attaching and detaching the imaging case to the laser printer main body, and FIG. 9 is a perspective external view of the laser printer.
10 is a partial sectional view of the drawer shown in FIG. 9, FIGS. 11 and 12 are views of an example of a mechanism for separating the cleaning unit 6 from the photoreceptor unit 1 by pulling out the drawer 23, and FIG. 13 is a partial cross-sectional view of the drawer shown in FIG. A mechanical diagram of how the cleaning unit 6 is supported by the drawer 23, FIG. 14 is a diagram showing the support part of the pin 45, 45', FIG. 15 is a sectional view of the laser printer of FIG. 9, and FIG. 16 is a conventional cleaning unit. FIG. 17 is a perspective view showing an example of a mechanism of a conventional image forming case. FIG. 18 is a perspective view showing an example of an optical box attached to a printer body in a conventional optical scanning device. FIG. 19, an external perspective view, is an example of a conventional mechanism for detecting the amount of collected toner. 110...Cleaning case, 111...Detection fish, 111H...Holder, 111G...Rubber sheet, 111S...Stopper, 111A...Rotating shaft, 1
11B... Bearing, 112... Toner 113...
Interrupter, 114... Magnet, 115...
· Reed switch.

Claims (1)

[Claims] In a cleaning unit that includes a toner collection roller, cleaning blade, toner collection tank, etc., a magnet is placed at the tip of a collected toner overflow detection filler, and the magnet approaches a reed switch installed on the machine body side. The cleaning unit is characterized in that the reed switch is operated to detect whether the toner collection tank is full of collected toner.