JPH0361964A - Electrophotographic color image forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent the image formation of wrong color and to easily and surely check and clean the device by constituting such that each developing unit of each resolution color can be housed only at the prescribed place of one cartridge and attachably and detachably providing the device in the prescribed position of the device. CONSTITUTION:The device is provided with developing units 611A - 611D containing the developers of yellow, magenta, cyan and black, and serving as a developing means. Each of the developing units 611A - 611D is provided with a developing roller 612 having magnetic poles fixed inside the periphery of a photosensitive drum 10 at prescribed intervals and a pair of stirring rollers 614 and 615 having carrying power in opposite directions to each other. Then, the color development cartridge constituted so as to house the developing units 611A - 611D only at their respective prescribed places of the cartridge is attachably and detachably provided in the prescribed position of the image forming device when it is in a normal condition. Thus, the developing units 611A - 611D of different resolution colors are prevented from being erroneously attached, and the device is easily checked and cleaned.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to an electrophotographic color image forming apparatus with an improved loading means for color developer cartridges.

[Conventional technology]

Conventionally, in an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, a photoreceptor drum and a developing device are configured as one removable unit, or one unit including a photoreceptor and one unit including a developing device are each removable separately. There were some that were structured as units. Although it was intended that internal inspection and cleaning of the electrophotographic image forming apparatus could be performed reliably and easily, it was not sufficient.

In a color electrophotographic image forming apparatus, a plurality of developing units are required to accommodate the developer of each separated color, and each of these developing units forms a unit and is removably attached to the image forming apparatus. This ensures that the maintenance, inspection and cleaning of each developing unit itself and the image forming apparatus are facilitated.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

In the case of color image formation, if a system is adopted in which the developing devices for each color separation can be installed and removed separately, the developing devices for each color separation may be installed in the wrong order. Even when printing in full color or using a multicolor printing method, if the order of color separation is incorrect, the image forming device will provide an image with a completely different color composition than the user intended. It turns out. Mistakes like this should be avoided. An object of the present invention is to provide a color image forming apparatus that eliminates such concerns and is easy to inspect and clean.

[Means to solve the problem]

The purpose of this is to develop a color developing device in an electrophotographic image forming apparatus capable of forming color images, in which each developing device filled with developer of each separated color cannot be stored in a cartridge other than at its designated location. This is achieved by an electrophotographic color image forming apparatus characterized in that a car 1-IJ is removably provided at a predetermined position of the image forming apparatus when the image forming apparatus is in a predetermined state.

〔Example〕

An embodiment of the invention is shown in FIGS. 1-4.

1 and 2 are side sectional views showing the structure of the electrophotographic image forming apparatus of the present invention, and FIG. 1 is also a cross-sectional view taken along line xx' in FIG. It also represents a diagram.

In the drawings, reference numeral 10 denotes a drum-shaped image carrier, ie, a photosensitive drum, which is rotated clockwise in FIG. 2 and counterclockwise in FIG. Reference numeral 20 represents a charging electrode that applies an electric charge to the photoreceptor on the circumferential surface of the photoreceptor drum 10, and 30 represents a laser writing system unit that is an exposure optical system.

When a laser writing signal is input to the laser writing system unit 30, in the laser writing system unit 30, a laser beam generated by a semiconductor laser (not shown) is applied to a polygon mirror 3 rotated by a drive motor 31.
2, the optical path is bent by three mirrors 34A, 34B, and 34G through an fθ lens 33,
The light is projected onto the circumferential surface of the photoreceptor drum IO to which a charge has been previously applied by the charging electrode 20.

On the other hand, when scanning is started, the laser beam is detected by the index sensor, modulation of the laser beam by the first color signal is started, and the modulated laser beam scans the circumferential surface of the photoreceptor drum 10. Therefore, a latent image of the first color is formed on the circumferential surface of the photosensitive drum 10 by the main scanning by the laser beam and the sub-scanning by the rotation of the photosensitive drum 10. This latent image is developed by a developing means containing a developer of, for example, yellow as a first color, and a yellow toner image is formed on the circumferential surface of the photosensitive drum 10. The obtained toner image, while being held on the surface of the photoreceptor drum 10, passes under a cleaning means that is separated from the circumferential surface of the photoreceptor drum 10, and enters the next copy cycle.

That is, the photosensitive drum 10 is charged again by the charging electrode 20, and then the second
The color fg number is input to the writing system unit 30, and is written to the photosensitive drum 1 in the same manner as the first color signal described above.
Writing is performed on the zero circumferential surface using the second color signal to form a latent image. The latent image is developed by a developing means containing developer of a second color, for example magenta.

This magenta toner image is formed over the previously formed yellow toner image.

The toner image thus obtained passes under the cleaning means which is separated from the surface of the photoreceptor drum 10 while being held on the circumferential surface of the photoreceptor drum 10, and enters the next copy cycle.

Similarly, writing is performed on the photosensitive drum 10 using the third color signal to form a latent image. This latent image is developed by a developing means containing a developer of a third color, for example cyan. This cyan toner image is formed superimposed on the yellow magenta toner image described above.

As described above, a color toner image is formed on the photoreceptor drum 10 using the three color toners, but a high quality color image can be obtained by further overlapping a black toner image in the same manner.

Reference numerals 611A, 611B, 611C, and 6110 are developing devices that carry out the above-mentioned development and contain respective developers of yellow, magenta, cyan, and black.

As shown in the example of the developing device 611A, each of the developing devices includes a developing roller (developing sleeve) 612 having a magnetic pole fixed on the inside facing the circumferential surface of the photoreceptor drum IO with a predetermined gap therebetween. It is equipped with a pair of stirring rollers 614 and 615 having conveying force in opposite directions, and the stirring roller 614
The developer is supplied to the circumferential surface of the rotating developing roller (developing sleeve) 612 after the components of the toner and carrier are made uniform by the mixing action of the toner and the carrier.

A direct current or even alternating current bias is applied to the developing roller (developing sleeve) of each developing device that carries developer.
Non-contact reversal development is performed using a two-component developer.

Charging by the charging electrode 20 provided on the photoconductor drum IO and its periphery, exposure by the laser writing system unit 30 for each color, and developing units 611A, 611B, 6
The development processing by 11C and 611D is performed four times for each color, so that color toner images are formed on the circumferential surface of the photoreceptor drum 10 by overlapping.

Reference numerals 61 and 62 are a first paper feed roller and a second paper feed roller, respectively, which are in a constantly rotating state, and 71 and 72 are paper feed guides having an arc shape and a linear shape, respectively.

The recording paper is carried out one by one from the paper feed cassette, and is sent along the paper feed guide 71 by the first paper feed roller 61 to the U.
After turning, that is, turning upside down, the paper contacts the rising portion of the paper feed shutter S that quickly cuts the conveyance path of the paper feed guide 72 and temporarily stops. In this case, the second paper feed roller 62 continues to rotate by slipping the stopped recording paper over its surface.

When the paper feed shutter S retracts downward in synchronization with the rotation of the photoreceptor drum IO carrying the toner image, the recording paper is synchronized with the circumferential speed of the photoreceptor drum IO by the frictional force of the second paper feed roller 62. and is fed to the transfer section.

Reference numeral 80 denotes a rotatable transfer roller, which is charged with a voltage applied thereto, and has a transfer section that transfers the toner image to the recording paper side via the conveyor belt 80B at the point of contact with the circumferential surface of the photoreceptor drum 10. Configure. A conveyor belt 80B is stretched between the transfer roller 80 and a driving roller 80A which rotates counterclockwise, and the recording paper is transferred while being conveyed by the conveyor belt 80B. Note that 80C is a cleaning means for cleaning the surface of the conveyor belt 80B.

Reference numeral 90 denotes a front charging electrode which is located upstream of the cleaning device R100 and is charged to a state where it is easy to remove the residual toner on the circumferential surface of the photosensitive drum 10 from which the toner image has been transferred to the recording paper.

100 is a cleaning device; 110 and 120 are a conductive bristle brush and a conductive collecting roller which are cleaning means of the cleaning device 100; and 130 is a waste toner collecting section that stores the toner collected by the cleaning means.

The photosensitive drum 10 that has passed the front charging electrode 90 is brought into sliding contact with the conductive bristle brush 1 by a signal from the control section.
10, the residual toner adhering to the conductive brush 110 is adsorbed by the conductive collection roller 120, and then transferred to the waste toner collection section 13.
Sent to 0.

The waste toner collecting section 130 is provided with a waste toner sending rod 131 and a deformable toner collecting bag 132, and the residual toner, that is, waste toner sent by the collecting roller 120 is sent through the waste toner sending rod 131. Bag member 1
It is housed in 32.

The photosensitive drum 10 whose circumferential surface has been cleaned in this way
is again charged by the strip IL device 20 and starts forming a new image, and at the same time the conductive bristle brush 110 is released from the rubbing state.

On the other hand, the recording paper to which the toner image has been transferred in the transfer section is separated from the circumferential surface of the photoreceptor drum 10 and transferred to the fixing device 60.
will be sent to. Reference numeral 63 denotes a pair of heat rollers for fixing, and numeral 64 denotes a pair of paper ejecting rollers. The recording paper on which the toner is melted and fixed by the pair of heat rollers 63 is ejected from the fixing device by the pair of paper ejecting rollers 64.

Reference numerals 73 and 74 are paper ejection guides for guiding the recording paper ejected by the pair of paper ejection rollers 64 to the upper part of the main body of the apparatus. The sheets are discharged and stacked on the tray 75 with the surface facing downward.

Next, the configuration of the developing device 600 will be explained.

As described above, the device 600 includes a developing device 611A containing Y (yellow) developer, a developing device 611B containing M (magenta) developer, a developing device 611C containing C (cyan) developer, and a developing device 611C containing C (cyan) developer. It consists of a developing device 611D that accommodates a BL (black) developer. And said Y,
The M and C developing units are housed in a single cartridge frame 602 to form a color developing unit, and are connected to a guide rail 713.
A, the base part 8 of the image forming apparatus l is guided by 713B.
The clamshell opening/closing part 700 formed on the top of the clamshell opening/closing part 700 is set so as to be removable from the entrance/exit window 713 provided in the frame 701. On the other hand, the black developer storage developing device 611D is located along the guide rail 713C through the entrance/exit window 71.
3, it is set in the opening/closing part 700 so that it can be attached and detached independently.

Since the configuration of each of the four developing units is the same, the configuration of 611A will be explained. The aforementioned developing roller (developing sleeve) 612 and stirring rollers 614 and 615 are housed inside the container 603 of the developing device, and at both ends of the developing roller 612 there are outer diameter portions 61 that are a certain amount larger than the outer diameter of the roller 612.
3 are provided in the same manner. Further, a gear train 630 for transmitting drive to each of the rollers is provided on the right side of the container 603, and a toner receiving port 621 is provided on the left side of the container 603.
is open.

Then, a spring 618 is applied along a rail 619 provided in the container 603 so as to close the receiving port 621.
A mouth opening/closing member 618 is provided which is biased by a guide bin 616.

The container is connected to the developing unit 611 by a spring 625 (this may be a plate spring or a helical spring).
A is the outer diameter portion 613 at both ends of the developing roller 612 and the photoreceptor lO
It should be pressed against the drawing. This allows the gap between the developing roller 612 and the photoreceptor drum 10 to maintain an optimum gap for forming a magnetic brush.

Next, the toner replenishment tank 200 and toner replenishment device 250
I will explain about.

As shown in FIG. 2 and FIG.
, M, C, BL, and tanks 201A, 201B, 201C, and 201D, which are containers of the same shape, are arranged in a row. Then, the drive motor 205j and hence the gear 205A.

Each of the toner containers 2 via 206.207.208A
The stirring shafts and spiral shafts 208 of 01A, 201B, 201G, and 201D are rotatable. spiral shaft 2
08 is provided near the outlet 209 of the tank 200,
272A at the outlet 209.

One end of each hose represented by 272B, 272G, and 272D is connected, and a flexible spiral member 271 connected to the spiral shaft 208 is provided in the hose, and when the spiral shaft 208 rotates, the member 271 Rotation is freely transmitted in the rotational direction of the shaft, and the toner is transported.

The other end of each of the hoses is connected to an introduction vibe 259 into a distribution container 251 for each color toner of the toner replenishing device 250. The container 251 is provided with a toner supply port 257. The container 251 is provided with a rail 254 and an opening/closing member 258 that slides on the rail 254. The opening/closing member 2 is provided with a bottle 252 and a spring 255 provided on an extension 251A at the bottom of the container 251.
58 is always biased to the right. The supply port 257 is normally closed and blocked by the port opening/closing member 258.

The bottom extension portion 251A of each distribution container 251 of this toner replenishing device is fitted with bottles 266, 267 and 264 that fit into elongated holes 708, 709 provided in the frame 701 of the Talam shell opening/closing portion 700, and It is fixed by being combined with a bent portion 262 of a plate 261 that is slidable in the direction of the elongated hole.

On the other hand, the frame 701 of the Taramsiel opening/closing part 700 is connected to the bearing part 802 provided on the frame 801 of the base part 800.
The opening/closing operation is made possible by the rotating support shaft 702 that fits into the opening/closing operation.

In addition, bottle fitting grooves 703A, 703B, 703C, 70
The cam lever 703 with 30
Bins 704 and 705 fixed to the frame 701 of 00, the bin 266 fixed to the plate 261, and the base part 80
It is fitted with a bin 805 fixed to a frame 801 of 0.

When the Talam shell opening/closing part 700 is opened from the side view shown in FIG. 1 to the perspective view shown in FIG. The long holes 708 and 709 are moved, and the plate 261 on which those bottles are planted moves to the left.

In this way, the dispensing container 252 of the toner replenishing section, which is fixed to the bent portion 262 of the plate 261 by the bottom extension 252A, can also be moved to the left. As a result, the container 252 is separated from the container 603 of the developing device, and the mouth opening/closing member 258 closes the supply hole 257 by the biasing force of the spring 255, thereby preventing toner from spilling from the distribution container 25+. .

On the other hand, the toner receiving port 621 of the container 603 of the developing device 600 is also closed by the opening/closing member 618 sliding on the rail 619 by the biasing force of the spring 617. And the developing device 60
The toner in the container 603 of No. 0 is also prevented from spilling.

In this way, when the taram shell opening/closing section 700 is open, the toner supply section 250 moves backward and closes the toner supply port 257, and the toner receiving port 621 of the container 603 of the developing device 600 is also closed, so that toner spillage is automatically prevented. completely prevented.

When the Talam shell opening/closing section 700 is open in this way, the cartridge consisting of three color developing devices of Y, M, and C is combined into one cartridge, and each of the developing devices is located at a position corresponding to a specific location of the cartridge. It cannot be stored anywhere else, and can be easily attached and detached as a unit by being guided by the guide rails 713A and 713B from the entrance/exit window 713 of the Talamusiel. Therefore, the dimensions of each developing device are different from each other.

Further, the developing device 611D for black toner can be easily attached and detached as one cartridge by being guided by the guide rail 713G of the old entry/exit window 713 of the 7th frame 7 of the Talam shell opening/closing section.

Also, Cleaner 100. Charger 20. Front charge electrode 90. The photosensitive drum cartridge 500 including the toner collecting section 130 and the like also opens along the guide rail introduction section 712A and the guide rail 712 when the clamshell opening/closing section is opened as shown in the perspective view of FIG. , the cartridge 500 is guided and slid by guide parts 510A and 510B on both sides to facilitate attachment and detachment, and the drum center pin 11 is guided by guide parts 510A and 510B on both sides to facilitate attachment and detachment.
It can be set so that it fits in a predetermined position along 1.

Further, the leg portions 503 and 504 of the cartridge are provided to facilitate inspection and cleaning when the cartridge 500 is pulled out from the clamshell opening/closing portion 700 and placed on an arbitrary table, making it easy to handle.

In this way, each cartridge can be easily installed and removed while the Talam shell opening/closing section is open for maintenance inspection, and it can also be easily replaced with a new one. Furthermore, by dividing the cartridge into three parts, it is no longer possible to load toner of each color in the wrong order. This is a particularly useful function not only for full-color images but also for multi-color images. Furthermore,
By attaching and detaching the drum cartridge containing the photoreceptor drum and the developer cartridge so as to be orthogonal to each other, the loading and assembling operation is safer and more reliable than parallel loading. In particular, the structure is simpler if the photoreceptor cartridge is attached and detached before the developer cartridge is attached and detached than if it is done the other way around. This is because if the process is carried out in the reverse order, it is necessary to construct a configuration in which the developing roller and the like are removed so that the surface of the photoreceptor is not scratched during attachment and detachment of the developing device. Although this does not make the structure that complicated, it is preferable to have a method that does not require such measures.

Although each color developing device is placed in one cartridge and the black cartridge is placed in another cartridge, it is possible to consider the replacement period depending on the frequency of use. However, when used as a multicolor image forming apparatus, Depending on the user's usage, a certain color may be used more frequently,
In this case, it is also possible to configure a child cartridge among the cartridges so that the developer of that color can be replaced particularly quickly.

〔Effect of the invention〕

In the present invention, each separated color (Y, M, C or B, G).

Each developing device containing the developer of R) is housed in the frame of one cartridge and is constructed integrally, and if the image forming apparatus is of the Talamusiel type, the Talamusiel opening/closing part is opened. The cartridge is configured to be removable. As a result, the cartridge can be removed from the seven frames of the Tallamshell opening/closing part and inspected and cleaned outside, and the interior of the remaining clamshell opening/closing part and the base part other than the cartridge can be observed from every corner, making inspection and cleaning easy and sure. Further, it is also possible to remove the developing device for each separated color from the removed cartridge to facilitate inspection and cleaning. In addition, each developing device has different dimensions and can only be stored in a specific position in the cartridge, which prevents misplacement and storage in the cartridge, which can lead to mistakes in forming images with different colors. It also disappears. As described above, according to the present invention, inspection and cleaning of the entire image forming apparatus becomes easy and reliable, and there is no need to worry about forming an image with the wrong color.

Incidentally, the developing device for black developer may be housed in the one cartridge mentioned above, or it may be housed in one independent cartridge, but in this embodiment, the latter method is adopted. Ta.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

1 and 2 are a left side sectional view and a right side sectional view of one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a top view of one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the present invention when the taram shell is opened. 10... Photosensitive drum 11... Drum center bin 20... Charging device 30... Laser writing system unit 60... Fixing device 80... Transfer roller 90... Front charger 100 ... Cleaning device 130 ... Toner collection section 200 ... Toner supply tank 201A,
201B, 201C, 201D...tank 205...
・Drive motor 205A, 206, 207.208A...gear 208
...Spiral shaft 250...Toner supply device 25
1... Distribution container 251A... Extension part 252.
264,266.267...bin 255.617.6
25... Spring 254... Rail 257... Toner supply port 258.618... Port opening/closing member 259... Introductory pipe 261... Plate 262... Bending portion 271... Spiral member 272A , 272B, 272C, 272D...Hose 500...Photosensitive drum cartridge 503.
504...Legs 510A, 510B...Guiding parts 600...Developing device 602...Frame body 603
...Container 611A...Y toner developer storage developing device 611B...
・M toner developer storage developing device 611C...C toner developer storage developing device 611D...Black toner developer storage developing device 612...Developing roller (developing sleeve) 613...
・Outer diameter part 614.615... Stirring roller 6
16...Guide bin 621...Toner receiving lower 00...Taram shell opening/closing part 701.801...Frame 702...Rotation shaft 703...Cam lever 703A, 703B, 703G, 7030...Bin Fitting groove 704.705...Bin 708.709
... Long holes 712, 713A, 713B, 713C...
・Guide rail 712A...Guide rail introduction part 713...Entrance/exit window 800...Base part 802
・・・Bearing part

Claims (1)

[Claims] In an electrophotographic image forming apparatus capable of forming a color image, a color developing cartridge is configured such that each developing device filled with developer of each separated color cannot be stored in a predetermined location of each cartridge. An electrophotographic color image forming apparatus, characterized in that the image forming apparatus is detachably provided at a predetermined position of the apparatus when the apparatus is in a predetermined state.