JPH0540370A - Electrophotographic device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent the temperature of a fixation unit from extending to a photosensitive body with simple constitution without any increase in cost. CONSTITUTION:The device main body 10 of the electrophotographic device consists of a lower structure 10b and an upper structure body 10a which can be opened and closed from and to the lower structure, and a partition plate 30 is provided between the photosensitive body 12 and fixation unit 17 by being fitted to the upper structure 10a. Then the photosensitive body 21 and fixation unit 17 are partitioned from each other.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention is based on an electrophotographic system (a system for transferring an image formed on a photoconductor to a sheet for recording) using a laser, such as a printer, a copying machine and a facsimile. The present invention relates to an electrophotographic apparatus that records on a sheet.
Among them, in particular, the main body of the apparatus is composed of a lower structure and an upper structure which can be opened and closed with respect to the lower structure, while the image on the photoreceptor is shielded.
The present invention relates to an electrophotographic apparatus that transfers a sheet to a sheet, guides the sheet to a fixing device through a conveying path, and fixes the transferred image of the sheet by the fixing device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a laser printer, for example, as shown in FIG. 3, an apparatus main body 1 is composed of a lower structure 1b and an upper structure 1a which can be opened and closed with respect to the lower structure 1b. The latent image on 2 is visualized, the image is transferred to a sheet, the sheet is guided to a fixing device 3 through a conveyance path, and a heating roller 3a and a pressure roller of the fixing device 3 are applied. Heat and pressure are applied to the sheet 3b to fix the transferred image on the sheet. However, since the photoconductor 2 and the toner are easily influenced by the temperature, and the heat of the fixing device 3 may cause the photoconductor 2 to deteriorate or the toner may cause a blocking phenomenon, the fixing device is conventionally used. The cover 3c of 3 has a double structure,
The fixing device 3 is covered with a heat insulating material, or the cover 3c of the fixing device 3 is flocked so that the heat of the fixing device 3 does not reach the photoconductor 2 or the like.

[0003]

However, when the fixing device is processed in various ways as described above, there is a problem in that the cost of the fixing device is high and the cost of the electrophotographic apparatus as a whole is increased.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Therefore, an object of the present invention is to prevent the temperature of the fixing device from reaching the photoconductor or the like with a simple structure and without increasing the cost.

[0005]

Therefore, according to the present invention as set forth in claim 1, for example, as shown in the following embodiments, the device body 10 is provided with a lower structure 10b and an upper structure 10a which can be opened and closed. On the other hand, the image on the photoconductor 12 is transferred to a sheet, the sheet is guided to a fixing device 17 through a conveying path 23, and the fixing device 17 fixes the transferred image of the sheet. In the electrophotographic apparatus, the upper structure 10
A partition plate 30 is provided between the photoconductor 12 and the fixing device 17 attached to a.

Further, according to a second aspect of the present invention, as in the following illustrated embodiment, for example, in the invention of the first aspect, the partition plate 30 is provided across the conveying path 23, and the partition is provided. It is characterized in that an opening 30a for passing the sheet after the transfer is provided at the position of the transport path 23 of the plate 30.

Furthermore, the present invention according to claim 3 is
In the invention of claim 2, two rollers 17a and 17b for sandwiching the sheet and fixing the image on the sheet are provided in the fixing device 17, and the upper structure 10a is opened. When these two rollers 17a ・ 17
It is characterized in that an interlocking mechanism for separating b is provided.

[0008]

According to the first aspect of the invention, the photoreceptor 12 and the fixing device 17 are separated by the partition plate 30 attached to the upper structure 10a. According to the second aspect of the invention, the sheet on which the image on the photoconductor 12 is transferred is separated by the partition plate 30.
It is led to the fixing device 17 through the opening 30a. Furthermore,
According to the invention of claim 3, when the upper structure 10a is opened, the two rollers 1 of the fixing device 17 are interlocked by the interlocking mechanism.
Separate 7a and 17b.

[0009]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a laser printer according to the present invention. Reference numeral 10 in the figure denotes the apparatus main body. The apparatus body 10 is composed of an upper structure 10a and a lower structure 10b, and the upper structure 10a is attached to the lower structure 10b by a shaft 11 so as to be openable and closable. A belt-shaped photosensitive member 12 is provided in the main body 10 of the apparatus at substantially the center thereof. Around the photoconductor 12, a charging device 13, a developing device 14, a transfer device 15, and a cleaning device 16 are sequentially arranged in the rotation direction indicated by arrow A. An optical writing device 18 is arranged below the charging device 13 and the cleaning device 16, and a sheet feeding cassette 19 accommodating a sheet is arranged obliquely above the developing device 14.

Then, the sheet fed from the paper feeding cassette 19 by the paper feeding roller 20 is registered by the registration roller pair 2.
1 is conveyed to the upper side of the photoconductor 12 at a timing. When the photoconductor 12 is rotationally driven, the surface of the photoconductor 12 is uniformly charged by the charger 13, and the laser beam L from the optical writing device 18 is irradiated to form an electrostatic latent image on the photoconductor 12. This latent image is visualized by toner as it passes through the developing device 14. Then, this visible image is transferred by the transfer device 15 to the lower surface of the sheet conveyed to the upper side of the photoconductor 12. The transferred sheet is guided through the conveying path 23 between the two rollers 17a and 17b for fixing and pressing by the fixing device 17, as shown by the arrow B, and the fixing device 17 fixes the visible image. Then, the sheet discharged from the fixing device 17 is further conveyed to the sheet discharge section 25 by the sheet discharge rollers 24, and the sheet discharge guide 2
It guides at 6 and stacks on the discharge tray 27.

By the way, the upper structure 10a is provided with a partition plate 30 having a heat insulating property which extends downwardly across the conveying path 23 to partition the photoconductor 12 from the fixing device 17.
Then, an opening 30a is formed in the partition plate 30 at the position of the transport path 23 so as to pass through the sheet. Although not shown, when the upper structure 10a is opened between the upper structure 10a and the fixing device 17 as shown in FIG.
With the hook attached to, the upper fixing cover 17c of the fixing device 17 is lifted up with some delay, and one roller 17b is also lifted together with the fixing cover 17c and separated from the other roller 17a. It is equipped with a mechanism.

The sheet onto which the visible image is transferred on the photoconductor 12 passes through the opening 30a of the partition plate 30 and the fixing device 1
It is conveyed to 7 and fixed there. The partition plate 30 is the photoreceptor 1.
The partition between the second fixing unit 17 and the fixing unit 17 prevents the heat of the fixing unit 17 from affecting the photoconductor 12 and the like.

When the upper structure 10a is opened when a jam occurs, the upper fixing cover 17c of the fixing device 17 is lifted by the interlocking mechanism and one of the rollers 17b is lifted.
Can also be lifted. Therefore, the two rollers 17a and 17b sandwiching the sheet of the fixing device 17 are separated from each other and the pressure is released. When the upper structure 10a is opened, the partition plate 30 is simultaneously lifted by the upper structure 10a. Therefore, the sheet passing through the opening 30a of the partition plate 30 and inside the transport path 23 is lifted together with the partition plate 30, and the jammed paper a can be easily taken out. Even if the upper structure 10a is opened as in this embodiment, if the partition plate 30 has a length that shields the fixing device 17, the hand touches the fixing device 17 when the jammed paper a is taken out. There is no fear.

[0015]

Therefore, the present invention has a simple structure in which the partition plate is provided on the upper structure of the main body of the apparatus, and prevents the heat of the fixing device from affecting the photoconductor or the like without increasing the cost. You can In addition, in the invention according to claim 2, since the sheet is passed through the opening of the partition plate, when the jam occurs, the partition plate is lifted when the upper structure is opened, and the jammed paper is also lifted. Can be done easily. Further, in the third aspect of the invention, the two rollers of the fixing device are separated from each other in conjunction with opening the upper structure during the jam processing, so that the jammed paper can be easily taken out.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a laser printer which is an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a state in which an upper structure is opened.

FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram of a conventional example of a laser printer.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10 Device Main Body 10a Upper Structure 10b Lower Structure 12 Photoreceptor 17 Fixing Device 17a Roller 17b Roller 23 Conveying Path 30 Partition Plate 30a Opening

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[Procedure amendment]

[Submission date] November 14, 1991

[Procedure Amendment 1]

[Document name to be corrected] Drawing

[Correction target item name] All drawings

[Correction method] Change

[Correction content]

[Figure 1]

[Fig. 2]

[Figure 3]

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. An apparatus main body is composed of a lower structural body and an upper structural body which can be opened and closed with respect to the lower structural body, while the image on the photoconductor is shielded.
In the electrophotographic apparatus in which the sheet is transferred to a fixing unit through a conveying path and the transfer image of the sheet is fixed by the fixing unit, the sheet is attached to the upper structure and the photoreceptor and An electrophotographic device having a partition plate provided between the fixing device and the fixing device. 2. The electrophotographic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the partition plate is provided across the transport path, and an opening is formed at a position of the partition plate in the transport path to pass through the sheet after transfer. .. 3. The fixing device is provided with two rollers for fixing the image on the sheet by sandwiching the sheet, and these two rollers are interlocked with the upper structure when the upper structure is opened. The electrophotographic apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising an interlocking mechanism for separating the la.