JPH0496074A - Color image forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To facilitate and assure attaching / detaching by making a processing cartridge extractable to an opposite side as a transfer part and forming a part of an exterior wall of a cleaning part in handle shape. CONSTITUTION:The process cartridge 30 is positioned by abutting on a guide member 32 of an end part 31A of a rail 31 and is fixed by having a top part 33A of a restraining plate 33 on a main body side engaged to a chamfer 31B of the rail 31, and each integrated processing material is set to each position where image formation can be carried out. The cartridge 30 deforms a part of the exterior wall of the cleaning device and makes it project to form the handle 30A for insertion and detachment of the cartridge 30. The restraining plate 33 has a part of it pulled down as a release lever 33B and is evaded downwards against the energy of a draft spring 34, and is easily extracted from the device by pulling out the handle 30A to the opposite side as the image transfer part.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to an electrophotographic color image forming apparatus for forming an image on a transfer material such as a copying machine or a printer.

[Background of the invention]

In image forming devices such as monochrome analog copying machines using electrophotography and copying machines and printers using semiconductor laser and LED scanning systems, various photoreceptors, developer carriers, cleaning members, and developer toners that have a long service life are used. A part of the image forming means is made into a cartridge for replenishment and replacement when it is exhausted, and the member that integrates the main parts of the image forming means is taken out of the device for maintenance or replacement. is proposed. Furthermore, various configurations have been proposed in which the conveyance path of the transfer material on which an image is formed by the image forming means is opened to make it easier to take out the transfer material when clearing a jam.

A typical configuration of these is as disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 58-54392, in which the photoreceptor drum, developer, cleaner, etc. are integrally attached to a support member, and can be pulled out from the main body of the apparatus, and each unit is Proposals have been made to make replacement and repair easier, and the next step was to integrate the main parts of these image forming means and make them disposable in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 57-15.
4255, and Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 147366/1989 discloses a printer configuration that uses a similar disposable cartridge and forms a latent image on a photoreceptor drum by dot exposure and scanning writing using a semiconductor laser. has been done.

Furthermore, these publications disclose a configuration in which the upper housing of the split structure is opened to close the transfer material conveyance path and take out the transfer material in the event of a jam. , a structure is adopted in which a disposable process cartridge is replaceably disposed in an upper housing having a two-part structure, and attempts are made to improve the workability of cartridge replacement and ease of jam removal. In addition, with emphasis on ease of replacement of process cartridges, mainly replenishment toner cartridges and lining cartridges for recovered toner, the structure is divided into two parts. Unexamined Japanese Patent Publication No. 5
It is disclosed in the publication No. 8-1161.

In addition, the above structure is made vertical, and JP-A-63-2
No. 44058, No. 63-244059, No. 63-24
No. 4064, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 1-179168, etc., have been proposed, and these are aimed at improving the same direction operation and jam handling.

[Problem that the invention seeks to solve]

However, when attaching and detaching the process cartridge from the main body of the apparatus, as mentioned above, the apparatus is divided into two parts so that the cartridge insertion/ejection opening can be opened and closed, and at the same time, the gears of the drive system connected to the photoreceptor and developer must be opened and closed. It is necessary to be able to engage and disengage easily and reliably,
As a result, the structure of the main body became complicated and handling operations were not convenient.

The present invention solves this problem and improves it, and aims to provide an image forming apparatus in which a process cartridge can be easily and reliably attached and detached without having to open the lid of the apparatus in a two-part structure. be.

[Failure to solve the problem]

The above object is to provide a color image forming apparatus in which a process cartridge including at least an image carrier and a cleaning section is removably installed, in which the process cartridge can be taken out on the side opposite to the transfer section, and the outer wall of the cleaning section can be removed. A part of this is achieved by a color image forming apparatus characterized by being shaped like a handle.

〔Example〕

An embodiment of the color image forming apparatus of the present invention is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a flexible photoreceptor belt which is a belt-like image carrier, and the photoreceptor belt L is installed between rotating rollers 2 and 3, and is driven clockwise by the rotating roller 2. transported to.

Reference numeral 4 denotes a support member or guide member fixed to the main body of the apparatus so as to be inscribed in the photoreceptor belt l, and the photoreceptor belt l is brought into a tensioned state by the outward biasing action of the rotary roller 3. The inner peripheral surface of the guide member 4
Let it rub.

Therefore, the photoreceptor on the outer circumferential surface of the photoreceptor bell l-1 is always maintained at a constant position relative to the surface of the guide member 4 even during transportation, making it possible to form a stable image forming surface.

Reference numeral 6 denotes a scorotron charger as a charging means, 7 a laser writing system unit as an image exposure means, and 8 to 11 a plurality of developing means, that is, developing devices, each containing a developer of a specific color. The means is disposed facing the outer peripheral surface of the photoreceptor belt 1 with the guide member 4 on the back side.

The laser writing system unit 7 is housed in a holding casing 7o having a slit-shaped exposure opening 70A on its upper surface, and is incorporated into the main body of the apparatus.

In addition to the optical system shown in the drawings, the laser writing system unit 7 may also include an optical system that integrates a light emitting section and a convergent light transmission body.

Each of the developing units 8,9,10,11 accommodates, for example, yellow magenta 9, cyan, and black developers, respectively, and is provided with each developing sleeve that maintains a predetermined gap with the photoreceptor belt 1. It has a function of making the latent image on 1 visible using a non-contact development method. Unlike contact development, this non-contact development has the advantage of not interfering with the movement of the photoreceptor belt.

12 is a transfer device, 12A is a static elimination bar, 13 is a cleaning device, and the blade 13A and toner conveying roller 13B of the cleaning device 13 are kept at a position apart from the surface of the photoreceptor belt 1 during image formation, and are cleaned after image transfer. Only when the photoreceptor belt 1 is pressed against the surface of the photoreceptor belt 1 as shown in the figure.

The process of forming a color image by the color image forming apparatus is performed as follows.

First, the formation of a multicolor image according to this embodiment is performed according to the following image forming system. That is, data obtained by a color image data input section in which an image sensor scans an original image is processed by an image data processing section to create image data, which is stored in a star image memory. The image memory is then taken out during recording and input to a recording section, for example, the color image forming apparatus shown in the embodiment of FIG.

That is, when a color signal output from an image reading device separate from the printer is input to the laser writing system unit 7, the laser writing system unit 7 outputs a laser beam generated by a semiconductor laser (not shown). is rotated and scanned by a polygon mirror 7B rotated by a drive motor 7A, and passes through an fθ lens 7C to mirrors 7D and 7E.
, 7F, the optical path is bent, and the light is projected onto the circumferential surface of the photoreceptor belt 1, which has been charged in advance by the charger 6, which is a charging means, to form a bright line.

On the other hand, when scanning is started, the beam is detected by the index sensor, modulation of the beam by the first color signal is started, and the modulated beam scans the circumferential surface of the photoreceptor belt l. Therefore, the main scanning by the laser beam and the sub-scanning by the conveyance of the photoconductor belt 1 cause the photoconductor belt to move.
A latent image corresponding to the first color is formed on the circumferential surface of l. This latent image is developed by a developing device 8 loaded with yellow (Y) toner (developing medium) of the developing means, and a toner image is formed on the drum surface. The obtained toner image, while being held on the drum surface, passes under a cleaning device 13, which is a cleaning means, which is separated from the surface of the photoreceptor belt 1, and enters the next copy cycle.

That is, the photoreceptor bell l-1 is charged again by the charger 6, and then the second color signal output from the signal processing section is input to the writing system unit 7, and the first color signal described above is input to the writing system unit 7. In this case, writing is similarly performed on the drum surface to form a latent image. The latent image is developed by a developer 9 loaded with magenta (M) toner as a second color.

This magenta (CM) toner image is formed in the presence of the previously formed yellow (Y) toner image.

IO is a developing device having cyan (C) toner, which forms a cyan (C) toner image on the drum surface based on a control signal generated by a signal processing section.

Furthermore, 11 is a developing device having black toner, and forms a black toner image superimposed on the belt surface by the same process. These developing units each have 8.9゜lO and 11
A direct current or even alternating current bias is applied to each sleeve, and jumping development is performed using a two-component developer, which is a developing means, and development is performed without contact on the photoreceptor belt l whose base is grounded. It has become. Incidentally, as the development, non-contact development using a -component developer can also be used.

The color toner image thus formed on the circumferential surface of the photoreceptor belt 1 is transferred to a transfer material fed from the paper feed cassette 14 via the paper feed guide 15 at the transfer section.

That is, the top layer of the transfer material stored in the paper feed cassette 14 is carried out by the rotation of the paper feed roller 16, and transferred to the transfer device 12 via the timing roller 17 in synchronization with the image formation on the photoreceptor belt 1. supplied to.

Receive image transfer and static electricity removal! =The transfer material was reliably separated from the photoreceptor belt 1, which suddenly changes direction along the rotating roller 2, and headed upward via the suction type conveyor belt 17A, and the image was fused by the fixing roller 18. Thereafter, the paper is discharged onto a tray formed on the upper lid 20 via a paper discharge roller 19.

On the other hand, the photoreceptor belt l that has completed the transfer to the transfer material continues to be conveyed to the blade 13A and the toner conveying roller 13B.
The remaining toner was removed in the cleaning device 13 which was brought into pressure contact with the blade 13A, and after the cleaning was finished, the blade 13A was separated again, and a little later, the toner conveying roller 13B leveled the toner accumulated on the tip of the blade 13A. Afterwards, the toner conveying roller 13B is separated and a new image forming process begins.

The photoreceptor belt 1, the charger 6, each developing device, and the cleaning device 13 are integrated into an independent process cartridge 30.
After being assembled and integrated into the device, it is inserted and installed into the device by sliding from the direction indicated by the dashed line.

That is, the process cartridge 30 has a rail member 3 having a convex cross-sectional shape on both sides thereof, as shown in FIG.
1, and is attached to the device by being inserted into and engaged with a guide member 32 having a concave cross-sectional shape built inside the device.

The position of the process cartridge 30 is determined by the contact of the end portion 31A of the rail member 31 with the guide member 32, and at the same time, the top portion 33A of the locking plate 33 provided on the main body side is engaged with the notch portion 31B of the rail member 31. This fixes the internal process materials in positions that enable image formation.

The process cartridge 30 has a handle 3OA for inserting and removing the process cartridge 3o by deforming and protruding a part of the outer wall forming the cleaning device 13.

Therefore, the process cartridge 3o can be easily attached to and removed from the main body of the apparatus without additionally installing a separate handle or the like, and since it can be stored compactly, there is an additional external side cover 35 on the front side. It is also possible to install the .

The locking plate 33 has a part thereof as a release lever 33B that protrudes to the side of the cartridge, and the release lever 33B
By pushing down the locking plate 33, the tension spring 34
can be evacuated downward against the urging force.

Therefore, when the process cartridge 30 is opened, the cover 35 is opened and the release lever 33B is pressed down.
It can be easily taken out from the apparatus by pulling it out to the side opposite to the image transfer section using the handle.

Note that once the process cartridge 30 is removed, the transfer material conveyance path and the upper part of the apparatus are both opened by simply opening the relatively small upper cover 20, making it easy to perform jam removal and other tasks. .

Furthermore, replenishing toner in the toner replenishing section 21 can be done by simply opening the small top cover 22, making the task extremely simple.

〔Effect of the invention〕

The present invention makes it possible to easily attach and detach the floss cartridge while extremely simplifying the structure of the device.As a result, operations such as maintenance of process materials and removal of jams in transfer materials are simple and quick. As a result, a color image forming apparatus that is easy to handle and can consistently produce high-quality images has been provided.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional configuration diagram of a color image forming apparatus according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the main parts thereof. l... Photoreceptor belt 6... Charger 7... Writing system units 8 to 11... Developing device 12... Transfer device 13...
・Cleaning device 20...Top lid 21...Toner replenishment hopper 30...Process force 30A...Handle 31A...End 32...Guide member 33A...Top 35...Side cover tris. 31.・Rail member 31B ・Notch 33 ・Latching plate 33B ・Release lever

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] A color image forming apparatus in which a process cartridge including at least an image carrier and a cleaning section is removably provided, wherein the process cartridge can be taken out on the side opposite to the transfer section, and the cleaning section A color image forming device characterized in that a part of the outer wall is shaped like a handle.