JPH08240945A - Led printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To provide a compact LED printer having high operability. CONSTITUTION: This device has an operation part in its front, and a paper supply cassette 26 is attachably/detachably attached to a device main body 1 so as to be inserted to the device main body 1 from the front side in a paper supply direction in a state where a downstream side end is arranged on this side. After reversing recording paper fed from the cassette 26 and transferring a toner image thereon, the recording paper is reversed again so that the toner image formed surface may turn downward, and ejected to a recording paper placing part 52 equipped with an inclined surface rising toward the front from the paper ejection port 51 of a paper ejection path provided at the back (back surface side) of a photoreceptor drum 2 and at the upper part of the device main body 1.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an LED (light emitting diode) printer, and more particularly to an operation for feeding and ejecting paper from the front of the main body of the apparatus.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Among conventional printers and electronic copying machines,
The loading direction of the paper cassette and the paper ejection direction are opposite,
Paper discharged to the paper cassette side (for example,
No. 80462). There is also a paper feed direction in which the paper feed direction in the manual paper feed path is opposite to that in the paper discharge path, and the paper is discharged to the manual paper feed port side (for example, see Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 57-24968). .

[0003] In the former, a paper feed cassette is mounted on the apparatus main body such that an upstream end is located on the near side in the sheet feeding direction, and the upstream end protrudes forward from the apparatus main body. ing.

In the latter case, the paper feed cassette is mounted on the side opposite to the manual paper feed side, and it is not possible to carry out all operations relating to paper feeding and discharging from one side surface side.

[0005]

As described above, in the prior art, all operations related to paper supply and discharge cannot be performed from one side, or even if the operations can be performed, the operation is performed upstream of the paper feed cassette. The side end protruded to the near side, and the operability was poor.

On the other hand, in recent years, so-called office automation devices have been developed, and accordingly, printers are frequently used, and high operability is being demanded. Therefore, there is a long-awaited need for an apparatus that can perform all operations related to paper supply and discharge on one side of the apparatus main body and that does not project the paper supply cassette to the front side.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems of the prior art, and an object thereof is to provide a small LED printer having high operability.

[0008]

According to the present invention, there is provided an operation portion having an operation switch arranged on the front surface thereof, and extending around a photosensitive drum in a direction parallel to the charging means and the rotation axis of the photosensitive drum. The LED disposed above the photoconductor drum
A plurality of recording sheets are stored in a stacked state in a main body of the apparatus in which an array, a developing unit arranged on the front side of the photosensitive drum, and a transfer unit arranged below the photosensitive drum are arranged. The apparatus is arranged from the front side in a state where the paper cassette faces the sheet feeding unit for selectively feeding the recording sheets one by one, and the downstream side end is arranged on the front side along the sheet feeding direction so as not to contact the sheet feeding unit. An LED printer, which is detachably attached to a main body, wherein the apparatus main body reverses a recording paper sent from the paper supply cassette and guides the recording paper to a transfer portion by a transfer unit. A recording sheet on which the toner image has been transferred by the transfer means is reversed so that the toner image forming surface faces downward, and the recording sheet is discharged toward the front side; and an upper portion of the apparatus main body. , Behind the photoconductor drum The recording sheet is provided with a sheet discharge port of the sheet discharge path and an inclined surface that rises from the end portion at a position lower than the sheet discharge port toward the front, the charging unit, the LED array, and the toner image forming surface. A recording paper placement section that is placed above the developing means is provided.

[0009]

1 is a perspective view showing a state in which a right side cover is opened, FIG. 2 is a sectional view showing an internal structure, and FIG. 3 is an LED printer as an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a main part configuration diagram showing a state where the paper feed cassette is slightly pulled out from the apparatus main body, and FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a downstream side edge portion of the paper feed cassette.

The apparatus main body (1) includes a photosensitive drum (2)
Is rotatably furnished. The photoconductor drum (2) is formed by coating a polyvinylcarbazole photoconductor, which is a positively-charged (positive type) organic photoconductive material, on the outer peripheral surface of an aluminum cylinder. On the top of the photosensitive drum (2), a monolithic LED array (4) extending in a direction parallel to the axis of rotation (3) (perpendicular to the plane of the paper) and the monolithic LED array (4) are formed. A short focus lens array (5) extending parallel to the monolithic LED array (4) is provided for projecting the formed light image on the peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum (2).

A charging corotron (6) for uniformly and positively charging the photosensitive drum (2) (about 600 V) is fixed upstream of the short focus lens array (5). I have.

On the downstream side of the short focus lens array (5),
To develop the electrostatic latent image formed on the photoconductor drum (2) by the charging corotron (6), the monolithic LED array (4), the short focus lens array (5) and the like with toner. A developing device (8) is provided. The developing device (8) includes a magnet roller (9) for transporting a developer composed of a mixture of a toner and a carrier toward the surface of the photosensitive drum (2), and a screw for mixing the toner and the carrier. (10) (10) is rotatably built in. Reference numeral (11) denotes a toner hopper integrally fixed on the upper portion of the developing device (8). At the bottom of the toner hopper (11), the toner contained therein is supplied to the developing device (8) little by little. For this purpose, a toner supply roller (12) is provided.

The developing device (8) has guide pieces (13) and (14) projecting in the lower left and upper right directions, respectively, and extending in a direction parallel to the rotation axis (3) of the photosensitive drum (2). The free ends of the guide pieces (13) and (14) are slidably mounted on guide rails (15) and (16) having a U-shaped cross section fixed to the apparatus body (1). Have been. A spring (17) is provided below the developing device (8) to press and hold the developing device upward.

Below the developing device (8), there are a first guide (18) and a second guide (1) as manual paper feed passages.
9) The third guides (20) are arranged side by side in series,
A manual paper feed roller pair (21) (21) is provided between the guide (18) and the second guide (19), and a register roller is provided between the second guide (19) and the third guide (20). A pair (22) (23) is provided. The manual feed port (2) is located upstream (left side) of the first guide (18).
4) has been established. This manual feed slot (24)
As shown in FIG. 2, the recording paper, which is provided in a substantially tangential direction of the lowermost end which is a transfer portion of the photosensitive drum (2) and is fed from the manual paper feed port (24), is transferred. The manual paper feed roller pair (21) (21) is configured to be conveyed substantially horizontally with respect to the portion, and the recording paper can be directly fed to the paper feed opening (24). ,
The paper can be fed by positioning it substantially horizontally. As a result, the manually fed recording paper is conveyed to the transfer site without skewing.

The second guide (19) comprises a horizontal portion and a vertical portion, and the vertical portion forms an automatic paper feed passage. Therefore, the manual paper feed passage and the automatic paper feed passage merge and communicate with each other on the second guide (19). A transport roller (25) for transporting the recording paper on the automatic paper feed path is provided near the lower end of the second guide (19).

(26) is on the inner bottom of the device body (1),
The paper feed cassette is detachably mounted in the same direction as the manual paper feed direction (rightward), and a grip portion (27) is formed on the downstream side along the paper feed direction. An idler (28) is rotatably mounted on the grip portion (27) of the paper feed cassette (26), and when the paper feed cassette (26) is mounted on the main body (1) of the device, the idler (28) is moved by the transport roller. The rotary shaft (29) is held by the leaf spring (30) so as to be pressed against the (25). A frustum-shaped coil spring (31) is mounted on the downstream end of the inner bottom of the paper feed cassette (26). Above the coil spring (31), a downstream of a support plate (32) on which recording paper is loaded. The vicinity of the side end is placed. The upstream edge of the support plate (32) is swingably held by a fixed portion of the sheet cassette (26). Further, a pair of corner separators (33) (33) for separating the recording sheets one by one is provided at the downstream corner of the sheet feeding cassette (26). A rubber feed roller (35) having a cutout (34) partially cut out above the vicinity of the downstream end of the paper feed cassette (26) for feeding recording paper one by one. Is provided.
The reference numeral (36) is a low material such as plastic for preventing the notch (34) from contacting the recording paper when the notch (34) of the feeding roller (35) faces the recording paper. An idler made of friction material is rotatably loosely fitted to the support shaft (37) of the feeding roller (35).

The notch (34) provided on a part of the periphery of the feeding roller (35) is provided in the sheet feeding cassette (26).
When the paper cassette (26) is attached or detached as shown in FIG. 3, the movement is not hindered.

Since the manual paper feed path and the automatic paper feed path are configured as described above, the manually fed paper is fed linearly from left to right, and the automatically fed paper is fed. Is reversed (U-turn) after moving forward from right to left once
And will be fed to the right.

A transfer corotron (38) for transferring a toner image developed by the developing device (8) to recording paper is provided below the photosensitive drum (2). The transfer corotron (38) is removably inserted in a direction parallel to the rotation axis (3) line of the photosensitive drum (2).
Further, a separating claw (39) for separating the recording paper from the photosensitive drum (2) is provided adjacent to the downstream side of the transfer corotron (38). This peeling claw (39) has 1
Of the pair of conveyance rollers (40) and (41), it is rotatably mounted on a support shaft of an upper roller (40), and its tip is rotationally biased toward the photosensitive drum (2). .

A heat roller (43) having a halogen lamp (42) of about 800 W inserted therein and a heat roller (43) downstream of the peeling claw (39).
And a pressure roller (44) pressed against the fixing device. The heat roller (4
A felt (45) in which the heat roller (43) is impregnated with silicone oil is pressed on the upper part of (3).

On the downstream side of the fixing device, there is provided a paper discharge guide (46) for forming a paper discharge path for reversing (U-turn) and discharging the fixed recording paper. A pair of transport rollers (47), (48), (49) and (50) are provided at the center of the paper discharge guide (46) and at the discharge port. Since the paper discharge passage is curved as described above, the paper discharge passage is configured to permit paper discharge in a direction substantially opposite to the mounting direction of the paper feed cassette (26).

At the downstream end of the paper discharge passage, a paper discharge port (51) facing the front operator side (left side in the figure) is provided on the back side beyond the photosensitive drum (2). A discharge unit (52) as a placement unit for placing recording paper downstream of the discharge port (51) rises from the end at a position lower than the discharge port (51) toward the front. It is formed so as to include an inclined surface. That is, as is apparent from FIG. 2, an LED array (4) extending in a direction parallel to the rotation axis of the drum (2) is provided above the photosensitive drum (2), and the LED array (4) is provided. A charging corotron (6) is provided on the upstream side of (1), and a paper discharge section (52) having an inclined surface is formed by effectively utilizing this layout.
A developing device (8) is provided on the front side of the photosensitive drum (2).

As a result, when viewed from the front, the paper discharge section (52) occupies the area occupied by the developing device (8), the LED array (4), the charging corotron (6), and the components essential to the LED printer. Since the cover is provided, a sufficient mounting area is ensured even for a small-sized printer device, and even if a plurality of sheets are mounted, the configuration does not adversely affect the discharge operation of the subsequent recording sheet. .

On the downstream side (upper side in the figure) of the peeling claw (39) along the direction of rotation of the photosensitive drum (2),
A cleaning device (53) is provided on the photoconductor drum (2) for removing the residual toner, which cannot be completely transferred to the recording paper. The cleaning device (53) includes a rubber blade (54) for scraping off the residual toner on the photosensitive drum (2) and a screw for discharging the toner scraped off by the blade (54). A conveyor (55) is built in. In addition, the blade (5)
4) is provided with a spring (56) for urging the same in a counterclockwise direction, that is, in the direction of the leading edge toward the photosensitive drum (2). An erase lamp (57) for removing all residual charges on the photosensitive drum (2) is provided on the downstream side (upper side in the figure) of the cleaning device (54).

On the front side of the apparatus main body (1), an operation section provided with various operation switches (58) ... Is formed, and the operator installs this operation section as a front surface, It is possible to perform an operation on the apparatus and an operation related to paper feeding / discharging from the same side.

The photosensitive drum (2) and the cleaning device (53) are mounted on the same chassis (59), and they are integrally mounted on the main body (1) of the apparatus in a detachable manner. (See Figure 1).

An electrostatic latent image is formed on the surface of the photosensitive drum (2) uniformly charged by the charging corotron (6) by the LED array (4) and the short focus lens array (5). The electrostatic latent image is developed with toner by the developing device (8). On the other hand, in synchronization with the formation of the electrostatic latent image, a feeding roller (35) for automatic sheet feeding, a conveying roller (25) and an idler (28) forming a conveying roller pair, and a register roller pair (22) (23). ) Respectively, the recording paper is reversed through the automatic paper feed path and is fed between the photoconductor drum (2) and the transfer corotron (38). Then, the toner image on the photosensitive drum (2) is transferred to the recording paper by the transfer corotron (38), and the recording paper on which the toner image has been transferred is fixed by a fixing device, and then passes through a paper discharge passage. The sheet is inverted again and discharged onto the sheet discharge section.

Therefore, the recording paper is sequentially stacked on the paper discharge section (52) with the recording surface facing down (face down). If the bundle of recording paper is reversed, the first page Is located at the top, and so-called page alignment does not need to be performed.

[0029]

According to the present invention, it is possible to perform all operations relating to paper feeding and discharging from the direction of the operation unit side of the printer main body without the paper feed cassette protruding toward the operation unit side. The operation unit can be installed as the front. Then, the recording paper is ejected from a paper ejection opening opened on the rear side of the apparatus main body beyond the photoconductor when viewed from the front of the operation section to a mounting section formed covering the constituent elements of the printer toward the front. Since the paper is printed, not only a small device can secure a sufficient mounting area, but the above-mentioned mounting part has an inclined surface inclined from the end position lower than the paper discharge port toward the front. Since the LED array has a layout in combination with the layout of the LED array, it is possible to permit the ejection of the succeeding recording sheets without adversely affecting the ejection operation with a plurality of recording sheets placed on the placing section.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an LED printer of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing an internal configuration of the LED printer of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a main part showing a state in which the sheet cassette is slightly pulled out from the apparatus main body in the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a downstream edge portion of a sheet cassette used in the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1: Device main body 2: Photosensitive drum 4: LED array 6: Charging corotron 8: Developing device 18: First guide 19: Second guide 20: Third guide 24: Manual feed port 26: Paper feed cassette 38: Corotron for transfer 46: Paper ejection guide 51: Paper ejection port 52: Paper ejection unit (recording paper placement unit)

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An operation unit having an operation switch arranged on a front surface thereof, which extends in a direction parallel to a charging unit and a rotation axis of the photosensitive drum with the photosensitive drum as a center and above the photosensitive drum. A plurality of recording papers are laminated on the main body of the apparatus in which the LED array arranged in the above, the developing unit arranged in front of the photosensitive drum, and the transfer unit arranged below the photosensitive drum are arranged. The paper cassette to be stored in the state is
From the front side with respect to the apparatus main body in a state where the downstream side end portion is arranged in the front side along the sheet feeding direction so as not to contact the sheet feeding means for selectively feeding the recording sheets one by one An LED printer detachably mounted so as to be submerged, wherein the apparatus body includes a reversing sheet feeding path for reversing a recording sheet sent from the sheet feeding cassette and guiding it to a transfer portion by a transfer unit, and a transfer unit. The recording paper on which the toner image is transferred by means of the paper discharge path for reversing the toner image forming surface downward and discharging the recording paper toward the front side, and the upper part of the apparatus main body, A recording sheet is provided with a sheet discharge port provided on the rear side of the drum and an inclined surface that rises from the end portion at a position lower than the sheet discharge port toward the front, with the toner image forming surface facing downward. Mounted above the LED array and developing means An LED printer, comprising: a recording paper placement unit for placement.