JPH048422Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] This invention relates to a recording apparatus such as a copying machine, a printer, and a facsimile machine using a recording medium.

Conventionally, in this type of recording apparatus, such as a copying apparatus, there is one in which a photoreceptor and a developing device are integrated into a unit to form a photoreceptor unit, and the entire unit can be freely inserted into and removed from a main unit. This results in
When replacing the photoreceptor or replenishing toner, the photoreceptor unit must be pulled out of the machine. However, since the photoreceptor unit is configured to be simply inserted and removed, there is a risk that the photoreceptor unit may accidentally fall off from the main unit when the recording apparatus is moved or transported. If the photoreceptor unit falls off, it not only damages the photoreceptor but also causes problems such as toner scattering.

Further, although toner is frequently replenished, the photoreceptor unit must be pulled out of the machine each time toner is replenished, which makes toner replenishment work difficult.

This idea was created in view of these points, and it prevents the risk of the recording unit, which can be freely inserted and removed from the main device, accidentally falling out of the main device, and also makes it easy to replenish toner. The purpose of the present invention is to provide a recording device that can perform the following operations.

In order to achieve this purpose, this invention forms the engaging portion of the recording unit that engages with the locking member provided on the main device at an intermediate position where the developing portion is located outside the main device. This makes it possible to easily replenish toner, and the engagement between the engaging portion and the locking member allows movement of the recording unit in the insertion direction and locks the recording unit in the withdrawal direction to prevent it from coming off. Therefore, it is easy to attach the recording unit, and it is possible to prevent the recording unit from accidentally falling off from the main unit.

An embodiment of this invention will be described based on the drawings. First, a photosensitive belt 3 stretched between a driving roller 1 and a driven roller 2 is used as a recording medium. The recording device uses a charger 4 to uniformly charge the surface of the photoreceptor belt 3 rotating in the direction of the arrow to a predetermined polarity, and then an exposure device 5 to irradiate light containing information of the image to be recorded. to form an electrostatic latent image. Next, toner is supplied from the developing device 6 to this electrostatic latent image to make it visible, and this toner image is transferred from the recording paper cassette 7 to the feed roller 8 and the registration roller in synchronization with the formation of the latent image on the photoreceptor belt 3. The recording paper 10 fed by the recording paper 9 is superimposed on the recording paper 10 at the position of the transfer charger 11, and is transferred onto the recording paper 10 by the action of the transfer charger 11. Thereafter, the recording paper 10 is separated from the photoreceptor belt 3 and sent to a fixing device 12, where it is fixed, and then discharged onto a tray 14 by a paper discharge roller 13. on the other hand,
The residual potential on the photoreceptor belt 3 is erased by a static eliminating lamp 15, and the residual toner is removed by a cleaning device 16.

Thus, the photoreceptor belt 3 and the developing device 6 are combined into a recording unit 17. That is, the recording unit 17 includes the photoreceptor belt 3,
Along with the drive roller 1, the driven roller 2, and the support plate 18 that rotatably supports both ends of the rollers 1 and 2,
The support plate 18 is formed integrally with a toner tank 19 as a developer storage section, a developing roller 20, and the like. Such a recording unit 17 is attached to the main unit so that it can be inserted into and pulled out from the main unit. That is, as shown in FIG. 2, a guide plate 21 for guiding the upper part of the recording unit 17 and a guide plate 23 for guiding the bottom plate 22 at the lower part are attached to the main unit. 17 is inserted into the main body device along these lines. A hole 24 is formed in a predetermined position of the guide plate 23, and a lever 26 as a locking member is biased upwardly through the hole 24 by a spring 25. Release lever 2
7 is fixed. Then, recording unit 1
A hole 28 as an engaging portion is also formed at a predetermined position in the bottom plate 22, which is a part of the bottom plate 7. Here, FIG. 2a shows an image forming state (inserted state) in which the recording unit 17 is inserted and set at a predetermined position of the main unit,
FIG. 2b shows the recording unit 17 in a pulled out state in which the toner tank 19 is exposed outside the machine and toner can be replenished. Stable in the drawn position. Then, by releasing the lever 26 from the hole 28 using the release lever 27, the entire recording unit 17 can be pulled out of the machine. That is, by operating the release lever 27 with the operator's intention of pulling out the entire recording unit 17 out of the main unit, the recording unit 1
7 withdrawals are possible. Therefore, for example, transportation
When moving, even if the recording unit 17 accidentally tries to slip out of the main unit due to vibration or the like, it will be prevented from falling out at the intermediate pull-out position where the lever 26 is locked in the hole 28, and it will not fall out of the main unit. Never. In addition, even when considering toner replenishment, which may occur more frequently than photoconductor replacement, the toner tank 19
Since the toner is exposed outside the machine and stabilized in a replenishable state, there is no need to consider the possibility of the recording unit 17 falling off, etc., and there is no need to operate the release lever 27, making toner replenishment work easier.

By the way, the transfer charger 11 disposed close to the recording photoreceptor belt 3 will be considered as one image forming unit, and the cleaning device 16 mainly composed of the cleaning roller 29 in contact with the photoreceptor belt 3 will be considered as another image forming unit. As shown in FIG.
Openings 30 and 31 are formed to allow insertion and removal in a direction perpendicular to the insertion and removal direction of 7, and guide pieces 32 and 33 are provided. Here, the transfer charger 11 is composed of a frame 34 and the like as shown in FIG. 4, and both end blocks 35 have protrusions 36 facing toward the photoreceptor belt 3 outside the area of the photoreceptor belt 3. is formed. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 5, the cleaning device 16 includes a cleaning roller 29, a frame 37,
It consists of an end plate 38 and the like, and a protrusion 39 is formed at the lower end of the end plate 38 toward the photoreceptor belt 3 side outside the photoreceptor belt 3 area. These projections 36,3
9 protrudes so as to be engaged with the support plate 18 of the recording unit 17 inserted and set at a predetermined position.

6 is a plan view, arrow A indicates the recording unit 17, arrow B indicates the transfer charger 11, and arrow C indicates the direction in which the cleaning device 16 is pulled out. Further, 40 is a main body side plate, and 41 is a guide member.

In such a configuration, FIGS. 1, 2a,
In FIGS. 3a and 6, the recording unit 17 is inserted into a predetermined position of the main unit, and the transfer charger 11, cleaning device 16, etc. are also connected to the photoreceptor belt 3.
The positional relationship is maintained optimal for the image forming process.
In this state, for example, the transfer charger 11
Even if an attempt is made to pull out the transfer charger 11 from the main unit for maintenance, the protrusion 36 formed on a part of the transfer charger 11 will stop at the regulating portion 18a of the support plate 18 located at the set position, as shown in FIG. 3a.
This transfer charger 11
cannot be extracted from the main unit. The same applies to the cleaning device 17, and its withdrawal is prohibited due to the engagement between the protrusion 39 and the restriction portion 18b of the support plate 18. When the photoreceptor belt 3 is positioned at a predetermined position in this way, the transfer charger 11
Since the photoreceptor belt 3 cannot be damaged or the cleaning device 16 cannot be pulled out, the photoreceptor belt 3 will not be damaged.

Then, as shown in FIG. 3b, when the recording unit 17 is pulled out from the main unit, the transfer charger 1
1 and the support plate 1 in the direction in which the cleaning device 16 is pulled out.
8 does not exist, and the protrusions 36 and 39 support this support plate 18.
Therefore, the transfer charger 11 and the cleaning device 16 can be pulled out in this state. At this time, the photoreceptor belt 3
There is no problem because there is no nearby. Also, when pulling out the recording unit 17, the photoreceptor belt 3
Although the cleaning roller 29 and the cleaning roller 29 are in contact with each other, the contact direction is the same as that during image formation, and the photoreceptor belt 3 is not damaged.

Furthermore, even when inserted after maintenance, if the recording unit 17 is inserted first, the protrusions 36 and 39 located at the back will be locked to the support plate 18, and the transfer charger 11 and cleaning device 16 cannot be inserted. After all, these transfer charger 11 and cleaning device 16 must be inserted and set first, and the photoreceptor belt 3 will not be damaged during insertion.

As described above, this invention includes a locking member that allows movement in the insertion direction but prevents the recording unit from coming off in the withdrawal direction, and a locking member that locks the engaging portion of the recording unit that can be freely inserted into and removed from the main unit. Since a release member for releasing the retaining lock is provided, the recording unit cannot come out of the main apparatus unless the release member is operated intentionally to release the lock by the lock member. This prevents the recording unit from accidentally falling out of the machine when transporting or moving the device, and also prevents the recording unit from falling when the engaging part and the locking member are engaged. Since the developing section of the printer is exposed from the main unit, toner can be easily replenished, and in this case, the recording unit is locked by a locking member so that it does not move in the pull-out direction. It has effects such as safety.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

The drawing shows one embodiment of this invention.
The figure is a schematic side view, FIG. 2a is a side view of the recording unit in the inserted state, FIG. 2b is a side view of the recording unit in the pulled out state, FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the transfer charger, FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the cleaning device, and FIG. 6 is a plan view. 3... Recording body, 6... Developing device, 17... Recording body unit, 19... Developer storage section, 26... Lock member, 27... Release member, 28... Engaging portion.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] A recording body unit, in which a developing device including a developer storage portion and a recording body are integrated into a unit, is provided in a manner that can be freely inserted into and removed from the main unit, and an engaging portion is formed in a part of the recording body unit, and this engaging portion is formed in a part of the recording body unit. a locking member is provided on the main body device to allow movement of the recording unit in the insertion direction with respect to the joint portion and to prevent the recording unit from coming off in the withdrawal direction;
A release member is provided for releasing the locked state of the lock member from the engaging portion, and the engaging portion is engaged with the lock member at an intermediate position where the recording unit exposes the developing device to the outside of the main unit. A recording device characterized in that it is positioned so as to