JPH0350269B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a holding device for an image forming unit that can be inserted into and removed from a recording apparatus.

The recording medium is generally rotatably supported by a stationary member of the recording device. This recording medium becomes fatigued and deteriorates due to repeated use, so it is necessary to replace it with a new one. Conventionally, to replace a recording medium, a method has been adopted in which the top surface of the recording apparatus is opened and the entire recording body is taken out from the main body of the recording apparatus.
In this case, the positional relationship between the replaced recording medium and other image forming means provided in the recording apparatus main body cannot be set accurately, and it is often time-consuming. may damage the surface of the recording medium.

In addition, although there are other consumables to be replaced and replenished in addition to the recording medium, each of them must be inserted and removed separately for replacement and replenishment, making the work complicated.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a recording medium holding device which solves the above-mentioned conventional problems and is configured such that the recording medium can be easily attached to and removed from the main body of the apparatus.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a recording medium holding device that eliminates the need for positional adjustment between the recording medium and other members and devices within the recording apparatus, ensures positional accuracy, and has good operability.

The objects and features of the invention will become clear from the following description with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows an example of a recording apparatus to which the present invention is applied. The endless belt-like recording medium 11 used is an electrophotographic photoreceptor in which an inorganic or organic photoconductor is provided on a base film.
It is spread between two rollers 12 and 13. Roller 12 is a driven roller and roller 13 is a driving roller. Photoreceptor belt 1
Various equipment and devices are arranged around 1. To explain them along the clockwise rotation direction of the photoreceptor belt 11, reference numeral 14 is a charger, 15 is an exposure device, 16 is a developing device, and 17 is a charger.
is the feed roller, 18 is the registration roller,
19 is a transfer charger, 20 is a fixing device, 21 is a static elimination charger, and 22 is a cleaning device.

To explain the operation of this device, first, the surface of the photoreceptor belt 11 is uniformly charged to a predetermined polarity by the charging charger 14, and then light containing information of the image to be recorded is irradiated from the exposure device 15. Ru. As a result, the charges on the photoreceptor belt 11 are selectively dissipated, and an electrostatic latent image corresponding to the image to be recorded is formed thereon. This electrostatic latent image is then visualized by being supplied with colored fine particles called toner from the developing device 16, and a toner image appears there.
This toner image is superimposed at the transfer charger 19 on the recording paper 24 that is fed from the recording paper cassette 23 by the feed roller 17 and registration roller 18 in synchronization with the image formation on the photoreceptor belt 11. , is transferred onto the recording paper 24 by being charged by the transfer charger 19. The recording paper 24 then enters the fixing device 20 separated from the photoreceptor belt 11, where the transferred toner image is fixed, and the recording paper 24 is transferred to the tray 26 by the paper ejection roller 25.
is discharged. On the other hand, after the potential remaining on the surface of the photoreceptor belt 11 is erased by the static eliminating charger 21, the adhering toner remaining after transfer is removed by the cleaning device 22.

A characteristic feature of this invention is that the photoreceptor belt 11 and the developing device 16 are each formed into a unit and assembled into one piece. That is, as shown in FIG. 2, the photoreceptor unit 31 includes a photoreceptor belt 11, rollers 12 and 13 that support and drive the photoreceptor belt 11, and a support plate 32 that rotatably supports both ends of both rollers. It is made up of The roller 12 is pressed outward by a spring 33 provided on the support plate 32 to apply tension to the photoreceptor belt 11 . The support plate 32 has a top portion 34 at the top and supports the upper and lower surfaces of the photoreceptor belt 11 . Two protrusions 35 and 36 are provided at the lower part of the support plate 32 so as to protrude from the lower surface of the photoreceptor belt 11. The developing unit 37 includes a container 39 with a lid containing a developing toner 38, and a developing sleeve 40 rotatably supported at the lower part of the container 39.
The side plates and bottom plate of the developing container 39 extend perpendicularly from the portion supporting the developing sleeve 40 to form a receiving portion 41 that supports the photoreceptor unit 31. A groove 43 is formed perpendicularly to the longitudinal direction of the receiving portion near the developing sleeve 40 on both side plates 42 of the receiving portion 41, and a shaft 44 of the photoreceptor belt driving roller 13 of the photoreceptor unit 31 is inserted into this groove 43. The photoreceptor belt 11 is positioned with respect to the developing sleeve 40. Since the photoreceptor unit 31 is simply placed on the bottom plate 45 of the receiving portion 41 of the developer unit 37, and the roller shaft 44 is simply inserted into the groove 43, the movement in the left and right direction is restricted, but the movement in the upward direction is restricted. is becoming free. When the photoreceptor unit 31 is placed on the bottom plate 45 of the receiving portion 41, only the lower protrusions 35 and 36 of the support plate 32 of the photoreceptor unit 31 come into contact with the bottom plate 45, so that the photoreceptor belt 11 is not damaged. Further, a groove 46 is provided at the tip of the receiving portion 41 in parallel thereto, and this serves for positioning when the developing unit 37 is attached to the main body of the apparatus.

FIG. 3 shows the photoreceptor unit 31 assembled into the developer unit 37, that is, the entire image forming unit. In this figure, a bearing 47 is attached to the rotating shaft 44 of the photoreceptor drive roller 13, and this bearing 47 is engaged with the groove 43 of the receiving part of the developing device unit 37, but the use of such a bearing is , in light of known technology,
Of course, it can be applied to other places as well. Also,
As is clear from this figure, the photoreceptor unit 31
Spacers 48 and 4 are provided between both supporting plates 32 of the developer unit 37 and both side plates 42 of the receiving portion 41 of the developing unit 37
9 are arranged to position the photoreceptor unit 31 with respect to the developer unit 37 in the width direction of the photoreceptor belt 11.

A developing unit 37 holding such a photoreceptor unit 31 is attached to the main unit so that it can be inserted into and pulled out from the main unit. As shown in Figure 4,
A guide plate 50 for guiding the upper part of the container 39 of the developer unit 37 and a guide plate 51 for guiding the lower bottom plate 45 are attached to the main unit. and then inserted into the main unit. The main unit is also provided with guide plates 52 for guiding both sides of the developing unit 37, as shown in FIG. positioning is performed. The main unit is further provided with a pin 53 projecting from a side plate 54 of the main unit for positioning the developing unit 37 in the insertion direction, and this pin 53 engages with the groove 46 at the tip of the developing unit. Developer unit 37
is positioned in the insertion direction. Further, brackets 56 and 57 are provided on the side plate 54 of the main unit to support the rotating shaft 44 of the belt drive roller 13 and the rotating shaft 55 of the driven roller 12 in the photoreceptor unit when these are inserted. located at the location. This bracket is for vertically positioning the photoreceptor belt 11 via each roller. As a result, the rollers 12 and 13 and the developing sleeve 40 are aligned substantially in a straight line parallel to the insertion direction.

Since the holding device according to the present invention is provided with such various positioning means, simply by inserting the developing device unit 37 into the main device to a predetermined position, mutual interaction with other members in the device main body and the device can be established. Positional relationships are reliably and easily secured. Also,
By pulling out the developer unit 37 from the main body of the apparatus as necessary, it is extremely easy to replenish toner in the developer container 39 and replace the photoreceptor belt 11.

FIG. 6 shows a drive system in the holding device of the present invention. Rollers 12 and 13 that support and drive the photoreceptor belt 11 and a developing sleeve 40
are arranged substantially in a straight line parallel to the insertion/drawing direction of the developing device unit 37, and a power transmission gear 61 connected to a drive source of the main body of the apparatus is disposed in a direction substantially perpendicular to this, and a drive roller is connected to this. A drive gear 62 fixed to the rotating shaft of No. 13 meshes with the rotating shaft. Although the illustrated power transmission gear 61 meshes with the upper portion of the drive gear 62, it may mesh with the lower portion of the drive gear 62. The drive gear 62 is a driven gear 6 fixed to the rotating shaft 58 of the developing sleeve 40.
3 are in mesh with each other, so power from the drive source of the device main body is transmitted from gear 61 to gears 62 and 63. FIG. 7 shows this state in a perspective view. By configuring the drive system in this way,
The developing device unit 37 can be easily inserted and withdrawn, and power transmission when inserted is ensured. Note that the power transmission in this drive system can also be performed using a friction wheel or the like instead of using gears.

As described above, according to the present invention, since the recording medium and the developing device are each assembled as a unit, there is provided a recording medium holding device that can be easily attached to and removed from the main unit and that can reliably regulate the position. Ru. The gaps between the recording medium, the developing sleeve, each charger, etc. must be maintained very strictly, but according to the present invention, even though the recording medium and the developing device are removable from the main unit, these gaps are maintained very strictly. Since positioning can be performed easily and accurately using multiple positioning means, it is easy to accurately position the recording medium and the developing device, and to easily position the recording medium and other image forming means in the recording apparatus. Furthermore, the recording medium can be replaced, developer can be replenished, etc. using only a simple guide means. Furthermore, since the recording medium and developing device are integrated into a unit, the configuration is small and simple, and the entire recording medium can be easily replaced. It will not get contaminated with chemicals. Furthermore, since the recording medium is made into a unit that can be separated from the developing device, the recording medium can be removed after the recording medium and developing device have been removed from the main body of the apparatus, and maintenance of the recording medium and developer storage means can be simplified. It can be done easily.

Although the present invention has been described above based on the specific embodiment shown in the drawings, the present invention is also applicable to electrostatic latent image recording bodies in electrostatic recording devices, magnetic latent image recording bodies in magnetic recording devices, etc. All possible modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the claims are intended to be embraced therein.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a recording apparatus to which the present invention is applied, FIG. 2 is an exploded front view showing a photoreceptor unit and a developing device unit in an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. FIG. 4 is an assembled perspective view showing a photoreceptor unit and a developing unit in an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 5 is a schematic front view of the main unit side in an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a schematic front view showing a drive system in an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 7 is a schematic partial perspective view showing a drive system in an embodiment of the present invention. It is a diagram. 11... Photoreceptor belt, 12, 13... Belt support roller, 31... Photoreceptor unit, 32...
...Roller support plate, 37...Developer unit, 3
9...Developing container, 40...Developing sleeve, 41...
...Photoconductor unit receiving part.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A developer unit having a developer storage means, a recording body unit having a recording body and separable from the developer unit, and the developer unit and the recording body unit being combined. When the recording device main body mounted as a developer unit and the recording body unit provided in the developer unit are combined, the recording body is engaged with the shaft of the recording body and positions the recording body with respect to the developer unit only in the lateral direction. a first engaging means provided in the same developer unit and engaged with a restraining member provided on the recording apparatus main body when the combined two units are mounted on the recording apparatus main body; a second engaging means for positioning both the combined units with respect to the recording apparatus main body; A recording medium holding device comprising a third engaging means that engages with the shaft and performs vertical positioning.