JPH0612468B2 - Electrostatic recording device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an electrostatic recording device, and more specifically, to maintenance and inspection,
The present invention relates to an electrostatic recording apparatus improved so that a transfer paper can be easily jammed.

[Conventional technology]

In an electrostatic recording device used for copying, data printing, etc., an electrostatic latent image is formed on an image bearing member (hereinafter referred to as an intermediate image bearing member) made of a photoconductor or a dielectric material and developed with toner. Then, it is visualized and then transferred onto a transfer material such as paper to obtain a required recorded matter.

Further, various image forming devices such as a laser writing device combining an optical modulation element and a laser beam, or an image charging device using a pin electrode are incorporated in the device as a means for forming an electrostatic image on an intermediate image carrier. In general, the image forming apparatus section is arranged on the upper part of the machine body, and the intermediate image carrier part is placed on the lower part of the image forming apparatus section to form the main body of the electrostatic recording apparatus.

It is necessary to inspect the inside of the electrostatic recording device at any time for maintenance and repairs during its usage period, and open the machine even when a paper jam (so-called jam) occurs in the transfer paper path. It is necessary to remove it on a daily basis. For this reason, it is an important requirement in the design of the electrostatic recording apparatus to have a structure capable of easily opening and inspecting the inside of the machine body, especially the transfer path of the transfer paper.

The structure to open the inside of the electrostatic recording device is as follows: (1) The image forming device is fixed and the front door of the device main body is opened. (2) The image forming device part and the intermediate image carrier part are attached to the device main body. It is divided into an upper fuselage including and a lower fuselage consisting of other parts,
There is a type in which an upper body, a lower body, and a machine body are pivotally fixed on one side thereof so that the upper machine body is pivotally opened with the shaft as a fulcrum.

Also, in order to facilitate maintenance work and downsize the device, each part of the electrostatic recording device, especially the intermediate image carrier and its associated electrodes, developing device, cleaning device, etc. are combined into an integrated unit that can be attached and removed as it is. The one configured in is also generalized.

[Problems to be solved by the invention]

As described above, the structure for inspecting the inside of the electrostatic recording device is roughly divided into two types: one that opens the front of the machine body, and one that divides the machine body into upper and lower parts and rotates the upper part to open. However, since the transfer path of the transfer paper cannot be opened with the front-opening type, it is difficult to perform inspections and jam processing, and it is necessary to make space in the machine to perform these operations. There was a drawback that it was difficult to downsize. In the case of rotating the upper fuselage, when the upper fuselage is opened, the load of the upper fuselage concentrates on the fulcrum, so that bending occurs at the fulcrum part of the body frame, or the force of the spring for making it easier to open the upper fuselage Even when is closed, there is a problem that a warp occurs in the center of the upper airframe because it always hangs in the direction to push up the upper airframe.
An optical system is usually built in the upper body, and deformation and deflection of the body are major obstacles. For this reason, the structure of the machine body frame and the like must be reinforced to prevent the folds, and there has been a demand for improvement with problems such as an increase in the weight of the machine body and an increase in price.

[Means for solving problems]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, an electrostatic latent image is formed on the image carrier by the image signal modulated laser beam,
In an electrostatic recording apparatus in which a toner image is formed on the electrostatic latent image portion by toner developing means, the toner image is transferred onto a transfer paper by a transfer means, and then the toner image on the recording paper is fixed, At least a charging electrode, a transfer electrode, and
A separation electrode and a cleaning device are provided, and a collection toner storage container is built in each, and an intermediate image carrier unit detachably attached to the device body, a laser tube on a rail provided on the top of the device body, Optical modulator, mirror,
An image forming unit that includes a rotating polygon mirror and can move in the horizontal direction, a conveying roller that conveys the transfer paper, a fixing roller that fixes the toner image transferred to the transfer paper, and an upper part of the mounting body. A discharge tray for discharging the transferred transfer paper,
A lock member for fixing the image forming unit to the apparatus main body is provided, the paper discharge tray is rotated and opened from a support shaft portion of the apparatus main body, and the lock member is released to release the image forming unit. Is moved in the horizontal direction to open the upper part of the intermediate image carrier unit so that the intermediate image carrier unit can be attached to and detached from the apparatus main body.

That is, in the electrostatic recording apparatus of the present invention, the image forming unit arranged on the upper part of the machine is moved laterally from the use position, and the intermediate image carrier part and its associated part or the transfer paper conveying part located below the image forming unit are moved. It is designed so that it can be inspected, repaired and replaced from the top of the main unit.

The image forming unit may be configured such that a laser tube of a recording device, an acousto-optic modulator, a laser writing device such as a rotating polygon mirror, or an electrostatic image forming means such as a pin electrode is movable. .

Further, the image forming unit may be attached to the upper part of the electrostatic recording device so as to be able to move substantially horizontally from the use position to the internal open position, and a rail, slider, roller, etc. may be attached to the main body side or the unit side to facilitate movement. It is desirable to provide it. Further, when the image forming unit is placed in the use position, it is desirable to provide a fastener or the like for accurately regulating and fixing the position.

Also, the intermediate image carrier is a drum having an electrostatic latent image forming layer such as a photoconductor or a dielectric, and an electrode, a cleaning device, etc. attached to the periphery of the drum are integrated to form an intermediate image carrier unit. It is preferable that the main body can be attached to and detached from the main body.

〔Example〕

Hereinafter, the present invention will be specifically described with reference to an example of an electrostatic recording type laser printer, but the present invention is not limited to only the laser printer, and the device aspect such as the configuration of each unit and the arrangement of members is also embodied in this embodiment. It is not limited to the example.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a state when the laser printer according to the present invention is used.

A portion surrounded by a chain line A is an intermediate image carrier unit, which includes an intermediate image carrier drum 1 having a photoconductive photosensitive layer, a charging electrode 2, a transfer electrode 3, a separation electrode 4, a cleaning device 5, and a charge eliminating optical path 6. , A collected toner storage container 7 and the like, and a second portion is provided at a lower portion of the intermediate image carrier unit A side.
As shown in the drawing, the projections 1A and 1B are provided, and the receiving portions 1C and 1D into which the projections 1A and 1B are inserted and fixed on the apparatus body side.
It is attached detachably from above by providing.

A portion surrounded by a chain line B is an image forming unit, and as shown in FIG. 3, a laser tube, an acousto-optic modulator, a rotating polygon mirror, and f
A laser writing device such as a θ lens is housed, and the laser beam modulated by the input signal is projected onto the intermediate image bearing drum 1 via the mirror M. The image forming unit B can move on the rail 8 on the main body of the recording apparatus in the direction of the white arrow in the figure. Locking members 14 and 15 are respectively provided on the main body side of the image forming unit B side, and the tip of the member 14 engages with the hole of the member 15 to lock the image forming unit B.

FIG. 3 is a schematic view of the inside of the image forming unit B, in which a laser tube 31 and an acousto-optic modulator 3 are provided on a substrate 30 of the unit.
2, rotary polygonal mirror 33, θ lens 34, cylindrical lenses SL ₁ , SL ₂ , slit S, mirror m ₁ to.
m ₄ , M, and a rotation control device 35 for the rotating polygon mirror are mounted. Electric power required by these devices is supplied from the main body side by a flexible cord (not shown). The laser beam from the laser tube 31 is the acousto-optic modulator 3
The image signal is modulated by 2 and horizontally deflected by the rotary polygon mirror 33, and is projected on the intermediate image holding drum 1 on the recording apparatus main body side by the mirror M.

During image recording, the intermediate image bearing drum 1 rotates in the direction of the arrow, is entirely charged by the charging electrode 2 and is exposed by the laser beam projected from the image forming unit to form an electrostatic latent image on its surface.

The electrostatic latent image is developed by the developing device 9 into a toner image, which is transferred onto the transfer paper P sent by the carrying roller 10. The transfer paper on which the toner image is transferred is the fixing roller 11
Then, the recording medium is fixed, further conveyed, and discharged as a completed recorded matter on a sheet discharge tray 12 rotatably provided on the support shaft 12A.

The intermediate image bearing drum 1 that has completed the transfer is further rotated to remove the residual toner by a cleaning device, and is reused after being neutralized by the light from the neutralization light source 13.

When inspecting the inside of the printer, the knob 16 attached to the lock member 14 is pushed to release the engagement with the member 15, and the image forming unit B is slidably moved on the rail 8 by pushing it toward the white arrow side. The upper surface of the intermediate image carrier unit A including the image carrier drum 1 and the like appears. Then, as shown in FIG. 2, the protrusions 1A and 1B of the intermediate image carrier unit A are removed from the receiving portions 1C and 1D, and are pulled upward to remove the transfer in the intermediate image carrier unit A. Since the paper conveyance path is opened, it is possible to extremely easily perform jam clearance, inspection of the inside of the main body, repair, and the like. Next, after the completion of the jam processing or the maintenance work, the protrusions 1A and 1B of the intermediate image carrier unit A are reattached to the receiving portions 1C and 1D, and the image forming unit B is returned to its original position and locked, so that the image forming unit B can be used immediately. It can be restarted.

〔The invention's effect〕

In the electrostatic recording apparatus of the present invention, the image forming unit can be moved to inspect and replace the inside of the apparatus from the upper surface of the apparatus main body easily and in a short time. Also, since the image forming unit moves horizontally on a support such as a rail, an unreasonable force for deforming the unit is not applied and the optical system is not deformed, and the unit has an excessive reinforcement structure. Since it is not necessary to make it possible to make a small and lightweight device, the present invention can also take out the charging electrode, the transfer electrode and the separation electrode together with the unit at the same time and clean them, so that the cleaning work can be performed quickly. You can Further, since the image forming unit is locked to the apparatus main body by the lock member, the positioning with respect to the apparatus main body is accurate,
Therefore, there is an effect that a latent image can be accurately formed on the image carrier drum and a high quality image can be obtained.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a laser printer according to the present invention, FIG.
FIG. 3 is a view showing a state where the main body of the printer is opened, and FIG. 3 is a schematic view of the inside of the image forming unit. A: intermediate image carrier unit, B: image forming unit,
1 ... Intermediate image bearing drum, 2 ... Charging electrode, 3 ... Transfer electrode, 4 ... Separation electrode, 5 ... Cleaning device, 8 ...
… Rails, 14, 15… Locking members, 31… Laser tubes,
32 ... Acousto-optic modulator, 33 ... Rotating polygon mirror, 34
…… fθ lens, M …… mirror

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Yoshimitsu Nakamura Inventor Yoshimitsu, 2970 Ishikawa-cho, Hachioji-shi, Tokyo Konishi Rokusha Shin Kogyo Co., Ltd. Toshiyasu Kimura (56) References JP-A-56-162776 (JP, A) JP 61-94065 (JP, A)

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An electrostatic latent image is formed on an image bearing member by a laser beam subjected to image signal modulation, a toner image is formed on the electrostatic latent image portion by a developing means using toner, and the toner image is transferred. In an electrostatic recording device for fixing the toner image on the recording paper after transferring to the transfer paper by means, at least a charging electrode, a transfer electrode, and
A separation electrode and a cleaning device are provided, and a collection toner storage container is built in each, and an intermediate image carrier unit detachably attached to the device body, a laser tube on a rail provided on the top of the device body, Optical modulator, mirror,
An image forming unit that includes a rotating polygon mirror and is movable in the horizontal direction, a conveying roller that conveys the transfer paper, a fixing roller that fixes the toner image transferred to the transfer paper, and an upper portion of the mounting body. A discharge tray for discharging the transferred transfer paper,
A lock member for fixing the image forming unit to the apparatus main body is provided, the paper discharge tray is rotated and opened from a support shaft portion of the apparatus main body, and the lock member is released to release the image forming unit. Is moved horizontally to open the upper part of the intermediate image carrier unit so that the intermediate image carrier unit can be attached to and detached from the apparatus main body.