JPH103216A - Developing device provided with handle - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent a handle provided so as to take out a developing device from obstructing at the time of attaching the developing device. SOLUTION: A developing tank 3 is provided so that it can be pulled out from an aperture 4 provided on the front side of a copying machine main body through a guiding member 6 in the direction of the center shaft of a photoreceptor 2. A lifting-up handle 8 so as to easily take out the developing tank 3 and a locking means 7 regulating the further pull-out of the developing tank 3 are connected by a connecting means 9 at the upper part of the developing tank 3. The handle 8 is flexible and is formed of an elastic body, and is provided so as to make at least one end part movable in the attaching/detaching direction of the developing tank 3 by a long hole 23 and a pin 22 guiding the movement of the long hole 23, so that attaching operation is prevented from being disturbed by the handle 8 due to the action of force recovering to original housing posture (posture of solid line) even though the handle 8 is at floating use posture (posture of broken line) and although the developing tank 3 is attached at a copying machine main body.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a handle for taking out a developing device provided in an image forming apparatus such as an electrostatic transfer type copying machine or a laser pudding as required and for facilitating mounting. And a developing device provided with the developing device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in a developing device in which toner is adhered to a photoreceptor to visualize an electrostatic latent image on the photoreceptor, when a developing tank for mono-color copying or the like is exchanged, or stored in the developing tank. When replacing the developer consisting of toner and carrier,
The developing tank is taken out of the copier body. In order to prevent the developing tank from being completely extracted and dropped when the developing tank is taken out, a lock means for restricting the drawing of the developing tank during drawing is usually provided.

The lock means is configured to lock the developing tank by a lock spring and then release the lock by another operation, or a lock release lever is provided on a handle above the developing tank. There is a configuration in which the lock is released by operating the lever with a finger.

For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Sho 59-198476 discloses that a developing device is provided so as to be able to be pulled out from a copying machine as an image forming apparatus, and a lock means for restricting the drawer at the time of drawing is provided. The lock is released by the lock means in conjunction with the operation of the handle to lift. Therefore, the lock is released by the operation of pulling out and lifting the developing device, and after this release, the developing device is pulled out and taken out of the copying machine.

[0005]

As described above, in order to take out the developing device from the main body of the image forming apparatus, the developing device is provided with a lifting handle so that it can be easily taken out. In Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. Sho 59-198476, the handle is provided so as to be movable in the vertical direction in order to raise the use posture for lifting. However, if the handle described in the publication is mounted on the image forming apparatus main body in a use posture in order to lift it when the developing device is mounted, the handle becomes obstructive and the mounting operation is disturbed. Further, it is conceivable that the handle is damaged or a member in the image forming apparatus main body is damaged.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In view of the above-mentioned problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a structure in which a handle does not disturb a mounting operation of a developing device to an image forming apparatus with a simple configuration.

[0007]

According to the present invention, there is provided a developing device having a handle for achieving the above object, the developing device being detachably provided to an image forming apparatus main body and having a lifting handle. Wherein the handle is flexible and made of an elastic body, at least one end of the handle is movably locked to the developing device, and the handle is lifted up from the storage position for lifting. Characterized in that it is provided so as to be movable.

In this configuration, since the handle is formed of a flexible and elastic body, even if the handle is in a use posture, that is, a state in which the handle is raised above the developing device, the force for returning the handle itself. With this, it is possible to return to the original storage position.

In view of the above, the handle of the developing device having the above-mentioned structure has a long hole formed at one end thereof so as to move, and a pin which fits into the long hole and guides the movement of the handle is provided in the developing tank. By being movable to the storage position and the use position, if the handle is lifted up the developing device, that is, it is flexible and elastic even when attached to the image forming apparatus in a floating state, the image The original storage position can be easily restored by contacting a part of the forming device or the like. Therefore, the handle is not damaged and the members inside the image forming apparatus are not damaged.

[0010]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows a developing device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a developing device including a detachable device which allows the developing device to be attached to an image forming apparatus. FIG. 3 is a plan view showing a configuration example of a handle constituting the detachable device according to one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a side view of the handle shown in FIG. FIG. 4 is a schematic front view showing the entire copying machine as an image forming apparatus.

As shown in the figure, the developing device according to the present invention is detachable from the main body of the image forming apparatus, and the demounting device is a developing unit disposed in proximity to the photosensitive member 2 of the main body 1 of the copying machine which is the image forming apparatus. In an attaching / detaching device for attaching / detaching the developing tank 3 constituting the apparatus, the opening / closing opening 4 formed in the copying machine main body 1 and the developing tank 3 moves in and out of the center of the photosensitive member 2 in the axial direction. A guide member 6 for guiding the lock; and a lock means 7 that can be switched between a lock position for restricting the complete removal of the developing tank 3 during the withdrawal of the developing tank 3 and a releasing position for permitting the removal from the navigation copier main body 1. A lifting handle 8 arranged at the upper part of the developing tank 3 so as to be switchable between a use position and a storage position, and the lock unit 7 is switched from the lock position when the handle 8 is switched from the storage position to the use position. Switch to release position Cormorant and a interlocking means 9 for connecting the 担手 8 and the locking means 7.

As shown in FIG. 4, the developing tank 3 has a developing roller 10 therein, and a toner hopper 11 for supplying toner to the developing tank 3 is integrally mounted. The photoreceptor 2 is in the form of a drum, and the axial direction of the central axis 5 is the front-rear direction. The opening 4 is formed in the front frame 12 of the copying machine main body 1 and has a substantially rectangular shape through which the developing tank 3 for integrally fixing the toner hopper 11 can enter and exit.

The guide member 6 is arranged on the lower wall of the opening 4 and is located inside the copying machine main body 1 along the axial direction of the photosensitive member 2, and its front end is located at the frame 12 of the copying machine main body 1. It is more prominent.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the locking means 7 has a central bent portion pivotally supported by a vertical axis 14 on the rear side of the developing tank 3, that is, on the upper part on the back side where the developing tank 3 is pulled out. L
The lock lever 15 includes a lock lever 15 having a U-shaped plate shape, and a lock claw 16 formed at one end of the lock lever 15 so as to protrude upward. The locking means 7 is formed so as to protrude from the upper part of the left side wall of the opening 4 toward the developing tank 3, and the locking claw 16 is formed in a rectangular shape located at the opening 4 of the frame 12 on the copying machine main body side. The projection 17 is provided so as to be freely detachable.

As shown in FIG. 2, the lock claw 16 constituting the lock means 7 is provided with the protruding piece 1 just before the developing tank 3 is inserted.
7 on the tip so that you can get over
6a are formed, and are formed in a triangular shape as a whole.

The lifting handle 8 is formed of a flexible elastic band plate, the front end of which is fixed to the upper part of the developing tank 3 by a pin 18, and the other end of which is movable in the axial direction of the photosensitive member 2. Is done. That is, the lifting handle 8 is switched between a storage position arranged in parallel with the upper surface of the developing tank 3 and a use position in which the central portion is lifted from the developing container 3. Covers 20 and 21 for preventing the handle 8 from being lifted are formed in the developing tank 3 at each end of the handle 8.

Reference numeral 22 in the figure denotes a pin for fitting in a long hole 23 formed on the other end of the handle 8 to guide the handle 8 in the axial direction of the photosensitive member 2. It is fixed to. Reference numerals 24 and 25 denote the pins 18 and 22 respectively.
The boss part.

As shown in FIG. 2, the interlocking means 9 comprises a connecting pin 9a for connecting the other end of the lock lever 15 and the other end of the handle 8 constituting the locking means 7, and the connecting pin 9a is The hand 8 is connected so that the movement of the photoconductor 2 in the axial direction of the hand 8 and the rotation of the lock lever 15 around the longitudinal axis 14 are allowed. Therefore, the connecting means 9 uses one end of the handle 8 to connect the one end to the lock lever 15, and has a very simple configuration.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 27 denotes a developing tank 3
Is a toner closing opening formed on the side facing the photosensitive member 2. Reference numeral 28 denotes a handle for pulling out the developing tank 3.

In the above-described configuration, when the developer and the carrier in the developing tank 3 are exchanged, and when the developing tank 3 is exchanged during monocolor copying, the pulling handle 28 of the developing tank 3 is held in the axial direction of the photosensitive member 2. Withdraw. At this time, the lifting handle 8
Since the lock claw 16 is the storage position, the lock claw 16 as the lock means 7 is in the state of the solid line in FIG. The locked posture is obtained.

When the flexible handle 8 is lifted upward and switched from the storage position to the use position, the other end of the handle 8 moves in the forward direction, that is, the direction in which the developing tank 3 is pulled out (removed).
As shown in FIG. 3, it rises from the upper part of the developing tank 3 and at the same time,
The lock lever 16 of the lock means 7 connected to the handle 8 via the interlocking means 9 has a longitudinal axis 14 as shown by a chain line in FIG.
It turns around and comes off the projection 17 of the opening 4. Therefore, the lock means 7 is in the release position, and if it is lifted in this state, the developing tank 3 can be taken out. At this time, since the lock means 7 is provided at the back side of the developing tank 3 as described above, if the locked state is released, the developing tank 3 can be taken out by lifting it up.

When the developing tank 3 is mounted, the developing tank 3 is placed on the guide member 6 protruding from the front frame 12 of the copying machine body 1, and then the developing tank 3 is pushed rearward to be flexible and elastic. Even if the handle 8 returns to the storage position, the inclined surface 1 of the lock claw 16
6a can be mounted on the copying machine main body 1 if it gets over the projecting piece 17 of the opening 4 and pushes it backward. Further, even if the lifting handle 8 is attached to the copying machine 1 in the raised position shown in FIG. 3, the handle 8 is flexible and elastic, so that it returns to the original storage position. In particular, the handle 8 has a slot 23
Can move in the attaching / detaching direction (in the direction of the center axis of the photosensitive member 2), so that the mounting state of the developing tank 3 is not hindered, and the abutment of the frame 12 with the opening 4 of the copying machine 1 makes it flexible and elastic. The force acting to return to the original storage position is applied by using.

As described above, the developing tank 3 can be easily released from the locked state by the simple operation of taking out the developing tank 3 from the copying machine main body 1 and hanging it with the handle 8, and also using a complicated locking means as in the prior art. It is not necessary, and the operability for taking out the developing tank can be improved simultaneously with the downsizing of the developing device. Moreover, the handle 8 returns to the storage position by the action of the flexibility and elastic force without disturbing the mounting during the mounting operation.

Note that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and it goes without saying that many modifications and changes of the above-described embodiment can be made within the scope of the present invention.

For example, the removal of the developing device is not limited to the one in which the developing tank 3 and the toner hopper 11 are integrated as in the above embodiment, but the developing tank 3 may be configured to be detachable alone.

Further, the interlocking means 9 may use a wire or the like, and the locking means 7 is not limited to the configuration of the above embodiment.

[0028]

As is apparent from the above description, according to the present invention, even when the developing device is taken out and attached to the image forming apparatus main body in the state of use in which the handle is lifted, the handle is flexible. Because of the elasticity, the operation of returning to the original posture works, and the grip does not disturb the mounting operation, so that the mounting operation is not disturbed.

Further, since the handle moves in the attaching / detaching direction of the developing device, it is possible to reliably return the handle to the storage position and eliminate the risk of breakage.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 illustrates one embodiment of the present invention, and is a perspective view illustrating an appearance of a developing device provided with a handle constituting an attachment device in a state where the developing device is detached from an image forming apparatus main body.

FIG. 2 is a plan view showing details of the structure of a handle constituting the attaching / detaching device shown in FIG. 1;

3 is a side view of the handle shown in FIG. 2 as viewed from the side.

FIG. 4 is a front view showing the overall schematic structure of a copying machine which is an image forming apparatus having a developing device provided with a handle of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Copier main body (image forming apparatus main body) 2 Photoreceptor 3 Developing tank 4 Opening 5 Center shaft 6 Guide member 7 Locking means 8 Handle 15 Lock lever 16 Lock claw 18 Pins for fixing 20, 21 Lifting prevention cover 22 Move Bottles 23 Slots 24, 25 Boss

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A developing device provided detachably with respect to a main body of an image forming apparatus and provided with a handle for lifting, wherein the handle is made of a flexible and elastic body, and at least one end thereof. Wherein the handle is movably locked to the developing device, and the handle is movably provided from a storage position to a use position that is raised for lifting. The handle has a long hole for movement at one end thereof, and a pin is provided in the developing device to be fitted into the long hole and guide the movement of the handle. The developing device according to claim 1, wherein the handle is switchable.