JPH11231756A - Image forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To effectively utilize a free space by constituting the free space obtained by removing at least one or more color developing means so that maintenance articles or consumables for an image forming device can be housed in the image forming device obtained by removing at least one or more color developing means from the multicolor image forming device. SOLUTION: A black-and-white image forming device is easily obtained by removing a red developing device and a red image exposure part including a filter or the like for taking out an image corresponding to a red developing part from an original from the two-color image forming device. The free space 130 obtained by removing the red developing device is surrounded by a sheet metal and made as a housing space. Toner and the spare of an illumination lamp etc., being the consumables and maintenance tools used by a user or a serviceman such as cleaning tools for respective parts are put and kept in the space 130. Therefore, a pocket and a shelf for housing them need not to be installed outside the image forming device and the free space is effectively utilized.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to an electrophotographic image forming apparatus such as a copying machine or a printer.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As a printer as an electrophotographic copying machine or an output device of an electronic computer, black and red or black or black is used to color-code a graph, partially mark a document, and copy and print a multicolor original. And green, black and blue, etc.
Color image forming apparatuses have been developed and used.

[0003] Further, it has a developing unit for three or more colors,
An image forming apparatus that reproduces a so-called business color image of several colors or more by combining the image formation, and a multi-color image formation that can reproduce a so-called full-color image of 10 million colors or more with higher definition and higher image quality. The device has been developed and is widely used.

However, the required copy and print output is such that the ratio of monochrome black-and-white images is large in the ordinary office field, and the main costs and running costs of the two-color / multicolor image output device are relatively high. However, there is still a large demand for monochrome image forming apparatuses.

[0005] Therefore, it is necessary to develop and manufacture an image forming apparatus for both monochrome monochrome and two-color or multicolor.

However, if the required maximum size of the image output paper, the size of the machine main body, the size of the readable document, and the number of lifespans of the main body are substantially the same, the color development of the two-color or multi-color image forming apparatus is performed. By removing the unit and the corresponding latent image forming unit, it is possible to relatively easily obtain an image forming apparatus for monochrome images such as monochrome images.

Conventionally, a black-and-white image forming apparatus has been manufactured and sold based on, for example, a two-color image forming apparatus of black and red, from which a red developing unit and a corresponding latent image forming unit have been removed. It's being used.

In this manner, the paper feeding portion, the latent image carrier, the cleaning member for the latent image carrier, the fixing device, the frame of the image forming apparatus main body, and the like are commonly used, or a part of the frame is used. Changes can be dealt with, and it is possible to reduce the cost of the device, shorten the development period, increase the development and manufacturing efficiency, and the like.

[0009]

However, in the above-mentioned prior art, the front surface of the apparatus where the red developing unit is removed is usually covered with a cover such as a sheet metal or a resin plate to prevent danger to the user. In fact, it is a dead space.

On the other hand, a pocket is provided on a side portion of the image forming apparatus or a part of the apparatus base is used as a storage for maintenance tools and toner and other consumables for each part of the image forming apparatus. Due to the size of the image forming apparatus itself or occupying a part of the table, other paper,
There is a problem that a space for storing consumables such as toner is reduced.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus based on a multi-color image forming apparatus, wherein the developing means for at least one color is removed from the multi-color image forming apparatus.
An object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus in which at least maintenance supplies or consumables of the image forming apparatus can be stored in an empty space from which the developing unit has been removed.

[0012]

The above object is achieved by an image forming apparatus according to the present invention. In summary, the present invention provides:
A latent image carrier, a charging unit for uniformly charging the latent image carrier, a latent image forming unit for forming an electrostatic latent image by irradiating the latent image carrier with light, Based on a multicolor image forming apparatus of at least two colors including a plurality of developing means for supplying a developer of a different color to the electrostatic latent image to visualize the image, In the image forming apparatus from which the developing means for at least one color has been removed, the empty space from which the developing means for at least one color has been removed is configured so that at least maintenance supplies or consumables of the image forming apparatus can be stored. The image forming apparatus is a feature.

It is preferable that the empty space is configured to suppress the temperature rise by a heat insulating material or an air flow.
It is preferable to provide a door in the empty space. Preferably, a key is provided on the door of the empty space.

[0014]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, an image forming apparatus according to the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the drawings.

Embodiment 1 A first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 2 shows a commonly used two-color image forming apparatus. This two-color image forming apparatus is a basis to which the present invention is applied, and its configuration and operation will first be schematically described below.

In FIG. 2, a photosensitive drum 1 as an electrostatic latent image carrier is uniformly charged by a primary charger 2 as charging means. After that, first, an image exposure 3 corresponding to a black portion of the original (not shown) is irradiated on the photoconductor to form an electrostatic latent image.

For example, if the image forming apparatus is a two-color image forming apparatus for black and red, the black developing device 4 and the red developing device 5
, Respectively. When an electrostatic latent image corresponding to the black portion of the document is formed, the black developing device 4 contacts the photosensitive drum 1 to develop the electrostatic latent image with black toner to form a visible image. Thereafter, when the visible image passes through the red developing section, the red developing device 5 is separated from the photosensitive drum 1. The black image is transferred to the transfer paper 7 fed at a predetermined timing by the action of an electric field by the transfer charger 8, and then subjected to a neutralizing electric field by the separation charger 9 to expose the transfer paper 7 without disturbing the image. Separate from drum 7. Thereafter, the toner passes through the fixing roller pair 10 and is fixed to the transfer paper 7 by the force of heat and pressure.

Thereafter, the transfer paper 7 is sent again to the transfer section through a paper transport path (not shown). Meanwhile, the photosensitive drum 1
The transfer residual toner of the black image on the upper side is cleaned by the cleaning device 11, and the photosensitive drum 1 receives uniformly strong light by the pre-exposure lamp 12 to lower its surface potential, and then forms the next red image. to go into.

After the photosensitive drum 1 is similarly charged uniformly, the photosensitive drum 1 is irradiated with an image exposure 3 corresponding to the red portion of the original, thereby forming an electrostatic latent image. In the subsequent developing process, the black developing device 4 is separated from the photosensitive drum 1, and the red developing device 5 is in contact with the photosensitive drum 1. Here, the red toner is developed to form a red visible image, and the red image is transferred to the transfer paper 7 fed again at a predetermined timing.

Thereafter, the red image is fixed by passing through the fixing roller pair 10, so that a two-color image of black and red is obtained.

The above is the operation of the so-called two-pass two-color image forming apparatus.

As described above in the section of "Conventional Technology", there is still a demand for a monochrome monochrome image forming apparatus. Therefore, the black-and-white image forming apparatus is removed from the two-color image forming apparatus shown in FIG. 2 by removing the red developing unit 5 and a red image exposing unit (not shown) including a filter for extracting an image corresponding to the red developing unit from the original. Can be easily obtained.

FIG. 1 shows a black-and-white image forming apparatus in which an empty space 130 from which a red developing unit has been removed is enclosed by a sheet metal and is used as a storage space.

The image forming process is the same as the black image forming process of the two-color image forming apparatus.

In the storage space 130 in the apparatus, spare parts such as toner and illumination lamps, which are consumables, and maintenance tools for users and servicemen such as cleaning tools for various parts can be put and stored.

Therefore, there is no need to provide a pocket or a shelf for accommodating these outside the image forming apparatus, and the empty space can be effectively utilized.

Embodiment 2 Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 3 shows a so-called one-pass two-color image forming apparatus of digital exposure. The basic image forming process is similar to the two-pass two-color image forming apparatus shown in FIG.
In the case of a one-pass two-color image forming apparatus, two
A color image, for example, a black / red image is created and transferred to a transfer paper at a time. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 3, the two-color image forming apparatus of the present embodiment includes, in addition to the components of the two-color image forming apparatus shown in FIG. Recharger 14 and recharger 1
An image exposing section 15 for exposing the surface of the photosensitive drum 1 after recharging by 4 and a pre-transfer charger 6 downstream of the red developing device 5 are provided.

The outline of the image forming process is shown in FIGS.
This will be described with reference to FIG.

First, after the surface of the photosensitive drum 1 is charged to a constant potential Vs (for example, -70 V) by the primary charger 2 (FIG. 4A), the photosensitive drum 1 is exposed to light 3 corresponding to the black character portion of the original and statically exposed. An electrostatic latent image is obtained (FIG. 4B).

Next, the electrostatic latent image is developed by the black developing device 4 to become a visible image (FIG. 4C). Then, the recharger 13, which is a so-called scorotron with a grid, is again charged to a substantially uniform potential (FIG. 4D).

Next, the exposure 14 corresponding to the red original
Then, an electrostatic latent image is formed (FIG. 4E), and is developed by the red developing device 5 (FIG. 4F). Then, black and red are collectively transferred to the transfer paper 7 by the transfer charger 8.

Therefore, in this case, the image forming speed can be obtained without change in the monochrome monochrome mode or the red / black two-color mode.

Based on the one-pass two-color image forming apparatus described above, a red developing unit 5, an image exposing unit 15, and a recharging unit 14
Is removed, a monochrome monochrome image forming apparatus is obtained, and the empty space can be used as the storage section 130 as shown in FIG.

In such an image forming apparatus, the same effects as in the first embodiment can be obtained.

Embodiment 3 Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 6 shows a multicolor image forming apparatus, and an outline of this image forming process will be described below.

The developing units 104, 105, 114, and 115 are for magenta M, cyan C, yellow Y, and black Bk, respectively, and include four rollers 115, 116, 117,
The photosensitive belt 101 as an image carrier wound around 118 is configured to be able to contact and separate from the photosensitive belt 101. Similarly, the cleaner 11 of the photosensitive belt 101 also
1 can be approached and separated.

The original placed on the original reader is scanned four times to read green G, blue B, and red R color separation video signals and a common black Bk signal.

After that, M,
The density signals of C, Y, and Bk are obtained. During this time, after the toner images corresponding to these density signals are sequentially developed on the photosensitive belt 1, the toner images are transferred to the transfer paper 7 fed at a predetermined timing.

When the three developing units and the corresponding image exposing units and color separation units are removed from the multicolor image forming apparatus, a monochrome monochrome image forming apparatus is obtained. When a maintenance tool for a user or a serviceman such as a spare such as a toner or an illumination lamp and a cleaning tool for each part can be stored, the image forming apparatus shown in FIG. 7 is obtained.

As described above, also in this embodiment, the same effects as those of the first and second embodiments can be obtained for the storage section 130.

Embodiment 4 The storage unit 130 constituted by the empty space of each of the image forming apparatuses shown in FIGS. 1, 5 and 7 described above is covered with a heat insulating material, or cooled by an air flow, that is, an air flow. When the temperature rise of 130 is suppressed,
Spare consumables such as toner that easily blocks and deteriorates can be stored without any trouble.

By taking measures to raise the temperature, it is possible to obtain an effect of preventing the heat from the fixing device and the electric circuit, and the heat from the drum heater for preventing the flow of the drum image at the time of high humidity from being transmitted to the inside of the storage section 130. .

Fifth Embodiment In addition to storing expendables used by a user, the storage unit 130 of each image forming apparatus described above is used for maintenance tools and cleaning tools used by a service person or an administrator who is familiar with the image forming apparatus. It is also possible to store replacement parts such as appliances and lighting lamps. However, in this case, if a user who is not familiar with the device touches them, there is a possibility of injury or breakage of parts. Therefore, the above problem can be avoided by attaching a door that can be opened and closed to the storage unit 130 so that the storage unit 130 is not easily touched.

Embodiment 6 A key is attached to the openable and closable door provided in the fifth embodiment so that only an administrator or service person familiar with the image forming apparatus can open and close the door. The problem described in the example can be completely eliminated.

As the items to be put in the empty space, replacement parts such as the above-mentioned maintenance tools, cleaning tools, and illumination lamps, consumables, or a history table in which the operation status and maintenance status of the apparatus are recorded can be input.

[0046]

As is apparent from the above description, according to the image forming apparatus of the present invention, the latent image carrier, the charging means for uniformly charging the latent image carrier, and the latent image carrier A latent image forming means for forming an electrostatic latent image by irradiating light on the carrier, and a plurality of developing means for supplying a developer of a different color to the electrostatic latent image to visualize the image; An image forming apparatus in which at least one color or more of developing means is removed from the multicolor image forming apparatus based on at least two or more colors of the multicolor image forming apparatus, wherein the developing means of at least one color or more is removed. Since the removed empty space is configured to accommodate at least maintenance supplies or consumables of the image forming apparatus, the empty space can be effectively used.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a monochrome image forming apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram illustrating a two-pass two-color image forming apparatus that is a basis of the single-color image forming apparatus of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a schematic configuration diagram illustrating a one-pass two-color image forming apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating a change in a photosensitive drum surface potential in the one-pass two-color image forming apparatus of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a schematic configuration diagram illustrating a single-color image forming apparatus configured based on the one-pass two-color image forming apparatus of FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a schematic configuration diagram of a multicolor image forming apparatus according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

7 is a schematic configuration diagram of a single-color image forming apparatus configured based on the multi-color image forming apparatus of FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 photosensitive drum (latent image carrier) 3 latent image forming means 4, 5 developing device (developing device) 12 primary charger (charging device) 101 photosensitive belt (latent image carrier) 104, 105 developing device (developing device) 114 , 115 Developing unit (developing means) 130 Storage unit (empty space)

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A latent image carrier, a charging unit for uniformly charging the latent image carrier, and a latent image forming device for irradiating the latent image carrier with light to form an electrostatic latent image And a plurality of developing means for supplying a developer of a different color to the electrostatic latent image to visualize the electrostatic latent image. In the image forming apparatus in which at least one color developing unit is removed from the color image forming apparatus, an empty space from which the at least one color developing unit is removed can accommodate at least maintenance supplies or consumables of the image forming apparatus. An image forming apparatus comprising: 2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the temperature of the empty space is suppressed by a heat insulating material or an air flow. 3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a door is provided in the empty space. 4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 3, wherein a key is provided on the door of the empty space.