JPH0792758A - Image forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To reduce dust and to enhance the recycling rate of process cartridges by folding and reserving a process cartridge storage compartment for use in transporting the process cartridge in a part of a device main body. CONSTITUTION:A storage portion C for reserving a process cartridge storage compartment 15 for use in transporting a process cartridge is provided in a part of the armour of an image forming device A. A portion of one side of the armour of the main body A is recessed to serve as the storage portion C, and the process cartridge storage compartment 15 compactly folded is removably fitted into this recessed portion. When the cartridge is in use, the cartridge storage compartment 15 is folded and reserved together with the main body A, and after the cartridge has been used, the compartment is taken out of the storage portion C and assembled into its original shape to accommodate the used process cartridge. A label indicating the address to which the cartridge is to be transported is affixed to the cartridge storage compartment 15, so that the user can easily return the used process cartridge back.

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 in which a process cartridge having an image bearing member and process means acting on the image bearing member can be attached and detached. Here, the image forming apparatus includes, for example, an electrophotographic copying machine, a laser beam printer, an LED printer, a facsimile machine, or the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art An image forming apparatus such as a copying machine forms a latent image by selectively exposing a uniformly charged image carrier to form a latent image, and the latent image is visualized with toner. An image is recorded by transferring the toner image onto a recording medium. In such an apparatus, the toner must be replenished each time it is used up, but this toner replenishment work is not only troublesome, but it may be contaminated. Further, maintenance of each member can be performed only by a specialized service person, and this is often inconvenient for the user.

Therefore, the image carrier, the charging device, the developing device,
By integrating the cleaning device, etc. into an integrated structure into a cartridge, the user can load the cartridge into the main body of the apparatus and replace the parts such as the image carrier and the replenished toner and the life of the device, which facilitates maintenance. The one that has been put into practical use has been put into practical use.

[0004]

However, since the cartridges are packaged one by one in a cardboard box, the cardboard box becomes unnecessary every time the user replaces the cartridge and is discarded as garbage. become. This is because, in recent years, because the protection of the global environment is increasing, the parts are being recycled and reused for the purpose of resource saving, energy saving, and reduction of dust. Absent.

In addition, although the used process cartridge is also discharged as dust, the process cartridge uses various members such as mold, metal, and toner, and its disposal means is complicated when it is disposed of as dust. Therefore, there is a problem that the waste cannot be sufficiently treated.

Recently, from the viewpoint of protecting the global environment, the manufacturer of the used process cartridge collects the recycled process cartridge, and the recycled process cartridge is reused. There has been a problem that the work for collecting the cartridge is not performed sufficiently and the cartridge cannot be recycled sufficiently.

Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and it is an object of the present invention to reduce dust and improve the collection rate of cartridges.

[0008]

A typical structure of the present invention for achieving the above object is a process used for transporting and transporting the process cartridge in an image forming apparatus in which the process cartridge is removable. The cartridge storage box is characterized by having a storage section for folding and storing it in a part of the main body of the apparatus.In addition, the process cartridge storage box has an item for collection for collecting process cartridges. There is.

[0009]

In the above structure, since the process cartridge storage box used for transporting / transporting the process cartridge is folded and stored in a part of the main body of the image forming apparatus, the storage box is not treated as dust. Can be prevented. In addition, by describing the item for collection for collecting the process cartridge in the process cartridge storage box, the user can easily send the used process cartridge back to the collection destination using the storage box, It is possible to improve the recovery rate of the cartridge.

[0010]

【Example】

[First Embodiment] Next, a first embodiment of the image forming apparatus according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. 1 is an external perspective view of an image forming apparatus to which a process cartridge storage box is attached, FIG. 2 is a state explanatory view of the process cartridge storage box, FIG. 3 is a side sectional view of the process cartridge, and FIG. 4 is an image in which the process cartridge is mounted. It is a sectional side view of a forming device.

As shown in FIG. 4, the process cartridge B constituting the image forming portion is detachably attached to the cartridge attaching portion in the image forming apparatus main body A. As shown in FIG. 3, the process cartridge B includes a photosensitive drum 1 as an image carrier that rotates in the direction of the arrow in the figure, and a surface of the photosensitive drum 1 as a process unit that acts on the photosensitive drum 1. Charging means 2 for uniformly charging
And a latent image formed on the photoconductor drum 1 by a light image from an optical system in the apparatus main body described later as a visible image (toner image).
To develop the toner image on the recording medium P.
And a cleaning means 4 for removing the toner remaining on the photosensitive drum 1 after being transferred onto the photosensitive drum 1, and a resin-made toner frame 5 constituting a frame 5 as a housing.
a and the cleaning frame 5b are housed in a cartridge.

As shown in FIG. 4, an optical system 6 for irradiating a light image on the photosensitive drum 1 based on image information is arranged above the process cartridge B in the main body A of the image forming apparatus. Further, below the process cartridge B, a feeding cassette 7 for stacking and storing recording media P in order from the right side of FIG. 4, a feeding roller 8 for separating and feeding the recording media P in the cassette 7 one by one from the top, A pair of registration rollers 9 that conveys the recording medium P to the image transfer portion in synchronization with the image forming operation, and a transfer unit 10 that transfers the toner image formed on the photosensitive drum 1 at the image transfer portion onto the recording medium P. A transport guide 11 for guiding the recording medium P after transfer,
A fixing unit 12 for fixing the toner image on the recording medium P and a discharge roller pair 13 for discharging the fixed recording medium P to a discharge unit 14 formed on the upper portion of the apparatus are arranged.

Further, as shown in FIG. 1, a part of the exterior of the image forming apparatus main body A is a process cartridge storage box 15 used for carrying and transporting the process cartridge.
A storage portion C for storing the is provided. In this embodiment, a recess is provided on one side of the exterior of the image forming apparatus main body A as the storage C, and a process cartridge storage box 15 compactly folded as will be described later is detachably fitted into the recess. .

Incidentally, the process cartridge storage box 15
Is made of a material having strength such as cardboard and plastic, and is stored in the storage section C in a compactly folded state as shown in FIG.

Further, the process cartridge storage box 15
Describes a collection item for collecting the process cartridge. More specifically, in this embodiment, a label 15a indicating the address of the collection destination is attached.

With the above structure, the cartridge storage box 15
Is stored together with the image forming apparatus main body A in a compactly folded state when the cartridge is used. After the cartridge is used, the cartridge is taken out from the storage section C and reassembled into the original shape, and a used process cartridge is put into the cartridge recovery destination. Since it can be sent back, it can be prevented from becoming dust. Further, since the label 15a indicating the address of the collection destination is attached to the cartridge storage box 15, the user can easily return the used process cartridge to the collection destination, and the collection rate of the cartridge is improved. To do.

Further, in consideration of the labor required for the user to return the used process cartridge, the manufacturer, the agent, or the like returns the used process cartridge such as transportation fee and labor fee to the user, so that the cartridge of the used process cartridge is returned. It goes without saying that the recovery rate is improved.

[0018]

As described above, the process cartridge storage box used for transporting / transporting the process cartridge is folded and stored in a part of the main body of the image forming apparatus. It is possible to prevent it from becoming garbage, and in addition, by describing the collection item for collecting the process cartridge in the storage box, the storage box can be used by the user to easily use the used process cartridge. Can be sent back to the collection destination,
The recovery rate of the cartridge is improved.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of an image forming apparatus to which a process cartridge storage box is attached.

FIG. 2 is a state explanatory view of a process cartridge storage box.

FIG. 3 is a side sectional view of a process cartridge.

FIG. 4 is a side sectional view of an image forming apparatus in which a process cartridge is mounted.

[Explanation of sign]

 A ... Image forming apparatus main body B ... Process cartridge C ... Storage section 1 ... Photosensitive drum 2 ... Charging means 3 ... Developing means 4 ... Cleaning means 5 ... Frame 5a ... Toner frame 5b ... Cleaning frame 6 ... Optical system 7 ... Feeding cassette 8 ... Feeding roller 9 ... Registration roller pair 10 ... Transfer means 11 ... Conveying guide 12 ... Fixing means 13 ... Discharging roller pair 14 ... Discharging section 15 ... Process cartridge storage box 15a ... Label

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continued front page (72) Inventor Minoru Matsukuma 3-30-2 Shimomaruko, Ota-ku, Tokyo Canon Inc. (72) Inventor Hiroaki Sakai 3-30-2 Shimomaruko, Ota-ku, Tokyo Canon Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Norio Hashimoto 3-30-2 Shimomaruko, Ota-ku, Tokyo Canon Inc. (72) Inventor Takayasu Yunomo 3-30-2 Shimomaruko, Ota-ku, Tokyo Canon Inc.

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. An image forming apparatus in which a process cartridge is attachable / detachable, and an accommodating portion is provided for folding a process cartridge accommodating box used for transporting / transporting the process cartridge and storing it in a part of an apparatus main body. An image forming apparatus characterized by the above. 2. The process cartridge storage box includes:
The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a collection item for collecting the process cartridge.