JPH06186791A - Image forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide an image forming device capable of attaching/detaching a process cartridge to/from a device main body from two directions of the front and the rear or the left and the right. CONSTITUTION:The image forming device having an image carrier and the process cartridge 10 capable of being attached/detached to/from the device main body incorporating an image forming means for acting on the image carrier and forming an image is provided with attaching/detaching ports for the process cartridge 10 provided on the front and rear or left and right of the device main body and guiding means 11 and 12 engaged with the process cartridge 10 inserted from each attaching/detaching port and holding the cartridge 10.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus having a detachable process cartridge in an apparatus main body having an image bearing member and an image forming means for acting on the image bearing member to form an image.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in an image forming apparatus adopting an electrophotographic system, an image forming unit including a photosensitive drum, a developing device, a cleaner, a primary charging device, etc. is integrated for the purpose of downsizing the device body and maintenance-free. Used process cartridges. However, the mounting and demounting direction of this process cartridge with respect to the apparatus main body is usually only one direction in one apparatus, and for example, it is known that the process cartridge is mounted and demounted from the front surface of the apparatus main body.

[0003]

However, in the above-mentioned prior art, since the mounting and demounting direction of the process cartridge with respect to the apparatus main body is only one direction in one apparatus, there are the following problems. In recent years, the needs of users are diverse, and it is convenient for the recording material discharge unit to be on the left side or the right side of the apparatus main body depending on the individual habits and the installation location of the apparatus. There is. For this reason, there is a demand for a device that can be installed in either the left or right side of the apparatus main body on the feeding side and the discharging side.

Therefore, the installation direction of the process cartridge can be limited to only one direction, and the installation location of the apparatus can be restricted.
In some cases, there is a drawback that the device must be moved when the process cartridge is replaced.

An object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems of the prior art and to provide an image forming apparatus in which the process cartridge can be attached to and detached from the apparatus main body from two directions, front and rear or left and right.

[0006]

The structure of a typical image forming apparatus of the present invention which achieves the above-mentioned objects and is applied to the embodiments described below is constructed by operating an image carrier and the image carrier. In an image forming apparatus having a detachable process cartridge in an apparatus main body having an image forming unit for forming an image, the process cartridge attachment / detachment openings provided in the front / rear or left / right of the apparatus main body and the respective attachment / detachment openings Guide means for engaging and holding the inserted process cartridge.

[0007]

According to the above-mentioned means, the process cartridge is inserted through any one of the attachment / detachment ports provided on the front and rear sides or the right and left sides of the apparatus main body, and the process cartridge is engaged and held by the guide means. Further, the process cartridge mounted on the apparatus main body can be taken out from any one of the attachment / detachment ports.

[0008]

【Example】

[First Embodiment] Next, an image forming apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In this embodiment, a copying machine is used as an image forming apparatus.
FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a positioning mechanism of a process cartridge, FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an attaching / detaching operation of a process cartridge, and FIG. 3 is a sectional explanatory diagram showing a schematic configuration of a copying machine.

First, the schematic construction of the copying machine will be described with reference to FIG. In FIG. 3, reference numeral 1 is a first frame body, 2 is a second frame body, and the second frame body 2 is hinged to the first frame body 1.
The alligator structure is attached so that it can be opened and closed via. Reference numeral 4 denotes an original reading unit, and the original placed on the original placing table 5 includes a light source 6 and movable reflecting mirrors 7a, 7b,
By scanning 7c, the original is irradiated with light and the reflected light is imaged on the process cartridge 10 through the lens 8 and the reflection mirrors 9a, 9b, 9c. The process cartridge 10 includes guide rails 11a and 12 of left and right guide members 11 and 12 which are provided at predetermined lower portions of the second frame 2 so as to project therefrom.
It is configured to be attachable / detachable by sliding from the front side to the back side or from the back side to the front side in the direction perpendicular to the drawing along a.

Reference numeral 13 is a cassette in which a plurality of sheets, which are recording media, are stacked and housed, and the uppermost sheet of the cassette 13 is fed by a pickup roller 14. Further, reference numeral 15 is a manual feed tray, and the sheet manually fed from the manual feed tray 15 is fed by a feeding roller 16. Sheets fed from the cassette 13 or the manual feed tray 15 are temporarily stopped by the registration rollers.
The skew is corrected by 17 and the sheet is conveyed in synchronization with the toner image formed in the process cartridge 10.

The process cartridge 10 has a photosensitive drum 18 as an image carrier and a primary charger, a developing device, a cleaner (not shown), which are image forming means, integrally built in the inside thereof. There is. A latent image is formed by exposing the light image read by the document reading unit 4 to the photosensitive drum 18 that has been uniformly charged by a primary charging device in advance, and a toner image corresponding to the latent image is formed by the developing device. To visualize the image. Then, after the toner image is transferred to the sheet by a transfer roller (not shown) provided so as to face the photosensitive drum 18, the toner remaining on the photosensitive drum 18 is removed by a cleaner. Positioning pins 19 are provided on both side surfaces of the process cartridge 10 so as to be fitted and positioned by a supporting member 20 provided on the first frame 1 side.

Reference numeral 21 is a conveying device for conveying the sheet after the image transfer, and 22 is a fixing device for fixing the transferred image. The fixing device 22 is a fixing belt with a built-in heater.
22a and a pressure roller 22b that is in pressure contact with this are provided. 23a and 23b are a pair of discharge rollers for conveying the sheet after the image fixing to the outside of the apparatus.
The sheet conveyed by 23b is discharged onto a discharge tray 24 provided outside the apparatus. Reference numeral 25 is a fan for exhausting air and heat inside the device to the outside of the device.

Further, the document reading section 4, the process cartridge 10, the guide members 11 and 12, the fixing belt 22a, the discharge roller 23a, the fan 25, etc. are attached to the second frame 2 side, and other than these. Is attached to the first frame 1 side.

Next, the attaching / detaching operation of the process cartridge 10 will be described with reference to FIGS. As shown in FIG. 2, the process cartridge 10 includes a second frame 2
It is held by the left and right guide members 11 and 12 provided on the. The process cartridge 10 is configured so as to be attachable / detachable in both directions A and B.

A positioning mechanism for the process cartridge 10 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 1A shows a state before the process cartridge 10 is mounted on the second frame body 2, and FIG. 1B shows the process cartridge 10 on the second frame body 2.
It shows the state after mounting. In FIG. 1A, guide rails 11a and 12a for holding the process cartridge 10 are provided below the guide members 11 and 12, and the cartridge 10 is provided along the guide rails 11a and 12a.
Is inserted in the directions of arrows A and B. Positioning levers 26, 27 are provided near the insertion openings of the guide members 11, 12.
Is rotatably attached to the shafts 26a and 27a, and the tips of the levers 26 and 27 are hung down to the cartridge insertion portion side between the guide members 11 and 12. The positioning levers 26 and 27 are provided with stoppers 26b and 27b, respectively, and the second frame 2 is provided with stoppers 28 and 29, respectively. A torsion coil spring 30 is attached to the shafts 26a and 27a,
31 is attached, and this torsion coil spring 30,
The end of 31 is restricted by stoppers 26b and 27b and stoppers 28 and 29, and always urges the positioning levers 26 and 27 in the directions of arrows D and F. The positioning levers 26 and 27 are configured to rotate in the directions of arrows C and E against the elastic force of the torsion coil springs 30 and 31 to be rotatable up to the groove portions G and H.

In the above structure, the process cartridge
When the process cartridge 10 is inserted when the 10 is attached to the second frame 2 in the direction of arrow A, the positioning lever 27 rotates in the direction of arrow E as shown in FIG.
Rotate to the position shown in. When the process cartridge 10 is inserted all the way along the guide rails 11a and 12a, the rear end of the cartridge 10 abuts the positioning lever 26 and is positioned. In addition, the positioning lever 27
Is urged in the arrow F direction by the elastic force of the torsion coil spring 31, so that the process cartridge 10 is positioned so as to press the process cartridge 10 from above. Further, when the process cartridge 10 is taken out in the direction of arrow B, the positioning lever 27 returns to the original position by rotating in the direction of arrow F. The same process can be performed when the process cartridge 10 is mounted on the second frame 2 in the direction of arrow B.

According to the above structure, the process cartridge
The 10 can be attached to and detached from the second frame body 2 in any of the directions of the arrows A and B, and the operability at the time of cartridge replacement can be improved regardless of the installation space and installation location of the device. .

As shown in FIG. 4A, the user can arrange the process cartridge 10 by changing the heights of the guide rails 11a and 12a for guiding the mounting of the process cartridge 10 to the second frame 2. It is possible to prevent you from trying to put it on the back and back, and getting stuck in putting on and taking off.

Further, as shown in FIG. 4B, when the process cartridge 10 is taken out from either direction of arrow A or B by providing handles 32a and 32b for attaching and detaching the process cartridge 10 at both ends of the cartridge. Also, it is easy to operate.

Further, as shown in FIG. 4C, before using the process cartridge 10,
Sealing member 33 for sealing between the toner container and the developing container 10
Is used as an endless film, and ring-shaped knobs 34a and 34b are connected to both end sides of the cartridge 10 of the seal member 33. Accordingly, with the process cartridge 10 mounted on the second frame 2, the cartridge 10 is mounted in either direction of arrow A or B by pulling out the seal member 33 by pinching either of the knobs 34a and 34b. Also, the seal member 33 can be pulled out, and the operability of the cartridge 10 is improved.

Second Embodiment Next, another example of the positioning structure of the process cartridge will be described with reference to FIG. Since the schematic configuration of the entire apparatus is the same as that of the first embodiment, the same members are designated by the same reference numerals and the description thereof will be omitted.
As shown in FIG. 5, a stopper 35 having a hemispherical tip is provided at the cartridge insertion portion of the second frame body 2 and is provided with a compression spring.
It is urged by 36 to hang it down to the cartridge insertion part side. A groove 37 is formed at a position corresponding to the stopper 35 of the process cartridge 10.

As shown in FIG. 5 (a), when the process cartridge 10 is inserted into the second frame 2 in the direction of arrow A, the process cartridge 10 is guided by the guide rails 11a and 12a.
It is guided into the second frame body 2 along a. When the stopper 35 hanging down from the cartridge insertion portion of the second frame 2 hits the tip of the cartridge, it is pushed up against the elastic force of the compression spring 36, and the process cartridge 10 is attached to the second frame 2. It At this time, as shown in FIG.
The groove 37 formed in the cartridge 10 is the stopper.
Since the stopper 35 is arranged at a position corresponding to 35, the stopper 35 is pushed down by the elastic force of the compression spring 36, and the tip end is fitted into the groove 37 to position the cartridge.
The same process can be performed when the process cartridge 10 is mounted on the second frame 2 in the direction of arrow B.

According to the above configuration, the process cartridge
It is possible to attach / detach the 10 to / from the second frame body 2 from both the directions of arrows A and B. Also process cartridge 10
Can be attached from the direction of arrow A and taken out from the direction of arrow B, and conversely, can be attached from the direction of arrow B and taken out from the direction of arrow A. Even when the apparatus is moved, the attaching and detaching direction of the process cartridge 10 Because you don't have to think about
Operability is improved.

[Third Embodiment] Next, another example of the positioning structure of the process cartridge will be described with reference to FIG. Since the schematic configuration of the entire apparatus is the same as that of the first embodiment, the same members are designated by the same reference numerals and the description thereof will be omitted.
As shown in FIG. 6, a stopper pin 38 is provided at a predetermined position of the cartridge insertion portion of the second frame body 2, and the stopper pin 38 is provided in the long groove 39 formed in the second frame body 2 in the process cartridge. It is mounted so that it can be moved in 10 attachment / detachment directions. A protrusion 40 is formed at a position corresponding to the stopper pin 38 of the process cartridge 10.

As shown in FIG. 6A, when the process cartridge 10 is inserted into the second frame body 2 in the direction of arrow A, the process cartridge 10 is guided by the guide rails 11a and 12a.
It is guided into the second frame body 2 along a. And FIG.
As shown in (b), when the protrusion 40 of the process cartridge 10 hits the stopper pin 38 of the second frame body 2, the stopper pin 38 remains locked to the protrusion 40 and moves in the long groove 39 by J in the direction of arrow A. It moves and stops at the position where the stopper pin 38 hits the groove wall. The mounting of the process cartridge 10 on the second frame 2 is completed at this position. As shown in FIG. 6C, the stopper pin 38 is configured so that the movement distance J can be positioned at the same position even when the process cartridge 10 is inserted in the direction of the arrow B.
It is possible to attach / detach the 10 to / from the second frame body 2 from both the directions of arrows A and B.

In the first to third embodiments, the case where the process cartridge is attached to and detached from the apparatus main body in the front-rear direction has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the apparatus cartridge is attached and detached in the left-right direction. May be Further, although the copying machine is exemplified as the image forming apparatus in the first to third embodiments, the present invention is not limited to this, and another apparatus (for example, a laser beam printer) may be used.

[0027]

As described above, in the image forming apparatus according to the present invention, the process cartridge is inserted from any one of the attachment / detachment ports provided at the front and rear or the right and left of the apparatus main body, and the process cartridge is engaged and held by the guide means. In addition, the process cartridge can be taken out from any of the attachment / detachment ports. As a result, the image forming apparatus can be installed regardless of the attaching / detaching direction of the process cartridge or the installation location, and the operability at the time of exchanging the cartridge can be improved.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a positioning mechanism for a process cartridge according to a first embodiment.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an attaching / detaching operation of a process cartridge.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional explanatory view showing a schematic configuration of a copying machine.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a configuration of a process cartridge.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory view showing a positioning mechanism of the process cartridge according to the second embodiment.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory view showing a positioning mechanism of the process cartridge according to the third embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... 1st frame 2 ... 2nd frame 3 ... Hinge 4 ... Original reading part 5 ... Original mounting table 6 ... Light source 7a, 7b, 7c ... Moving reflection mirror 8 ... Lens 9a, 9b, 9c ... Reflection mirror 10 ... Process cartridge 11, 12 ... Guide member 11a, 12a ... Guide rail 13 ... Cassette 14 ... Pickup roller 15 ... Manual feed tray 16 ... Feed roller 17 ... Registration roller 18 ... Photosensitive drum 19 ... Positioning pin 20 ... Supporting member 21 ... Conveyor device 22 ... Fixer 22a ... Fixing belt 22b ... Pressure rollers 23a, 23b ... Ejection roller pair 24 ... Ejection tray 25 ... Fan 26, 27 ... Positioning levers 26a, 27a ... Shafts 26b, 27b, 28, 29, 35 ... Stopper 30 , 31 ... Torsion coil spring 32a, 32b ... Handle 33 ... Seal member 34a, 34b ... Knob 36 ... Compression spring 37 ... Groove 38 ... Stopper pin 39 ... Long groove 40 ... Protrusion

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An image forming apparatus having an image carrier and an attachable / detachable process cartridge in an apparatus main body having an image forming means for acting on the image carrier to form an image, the front and rear sides of the apparatus main body. Alternatively, the image forming apparatus includes: the attachment / detachment ports of the process cartridges provided on the left and right sides; and a guide unit for engaging and holding the process cartridges inserted through the respective attachment / detachment ports.