JPS58190961A - Image forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To avoid the dropping of toner and at the same time to open large upper and lower frames, by changing a housing from its slanting position to an approximately horizontal position when the housing is drawn out after opening the upper frame. CONSTITUTION:A kit housing 15 containing a photosensitive drum 3, a charger 4, a developer 5 and a cleaner 9 has hooking part 15a and 15b hooked onto guide rail members 20 and 19 of an upper frame 17 and can slide forward freely to the frame 17 and along the members 19 and 20. When a lock catch 21 is released, the frame 17 is separated from a lower frame 18 and moves upward to be kept open large. When the housing 15 is drawn out, a cross arm plate 23 hooked to a pin 2 is moved down to set the housing 15 horizontally. Then the housing 15 is horizontally drawn out.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus such as an electronic copying machine or a recording machine.

In particular, in order to facilitate maintenance, inspection, cleaning, and repair work, the structure can be divided into upper and lower halves.

In an image forming apparatus having a process kit in which part or all of the photoconductor and the image forming means disposed around it are integrally attached to and detached from the apparatus body, the process kit is attached to and detached from the apparatus body. It concerns safety equipment.

A description will be given below using an electronic copying machine as an example.

For example, in an electronic copying machine as a conventional image forming apparatus,
It is necessary to replace the photoreceptor as an image carrier, replenish developer, dispose of waste toner, clean charging wires, and maintain the developing device, and most of these tasks are carried out by specialized service personnel. I was doing it.

However, as electronic copying machines are small and designed for personal use, the number of machines installed is larger than in the past.

As the variation in copy volume among users increases, it becomes difficult for specialized service personnel to perform maintenance and the like.

Therefore, for example, a photosensitive drum, charger, incubator, cleaner, etc. are integrated into a process kit.

A copying machine structure has been proposed that facilitates maintenance by making the copying machine removable from the main body of the apparatus.

Similarly, in order to facilitate maintenance, inspection, cleaning, and repair work of the copying machine, a copying machine configuration in which the six main bodies can be divided into upper and lower halves is also being considered.

This includes the exposure mechanism, charger, photoreceptor, and
An upper frame equipped with a developing device, a cleaner, etc. is pivotably mounted on one end of the frame as a fulcrum. When performing maintenance, inspection, repair, etc. inside the main body, the upper frame is opened wide upward relative to the lower frame. That is, the maintenance work is performed while the drum provided on the upper frame is separated from a member adjacent to the drum, such as a transfer charger, etc. provided on the lower frame. However, the drum proximal member provided on the lower frame of the correspondence may be separated from the drum provided on the upper frame.

The former can be said to be superior in terms of compatibility (commonality) with the loading capacity for dealing with the occurrence of a paper jam, which will be described later, and the ability to increase costs accordingly. In particular, work related to paper jams in copying machines, or other maintenance inspections,
During repair, the upper frame needs to be opened wide relative to the lower frame (horizontally), so the former is better for this reason as well.

However, the main body of the device is divided into upper and lower halves like this.

In a copying machine in which a process kit is configured to be detachably attached to the main body of the apparatus, maintenance is relatively easy.

However, during the above-mentioned maintenance, the upper frame of the equipment main body is in a state of being tilted significantly with respect to the horizontal lower frame (horizontal), and therefore the process kit installed in the upper frame is also greatly tilted with respect to the lower frame. It will be in a diagonally tilted posture. When the process kit is removed from the main body of the device with the upper frame tilted greatly relative to the lower frame like this, when disposing of the waste toner inside the cleaner, the cleaner is tilted greatly. Toner may spill from the waste toner container, or when replenishing developing agent to the developing device, the developer container is tilted significantly, making it impossible to replenish the amount of developing agent to fill the container sufficiently. Furthermore, since it is highly slanted, the operability becomes very poor when performing the above-mentioned operation.

Performing the above maintenance while the upper frame or process kit is tilted significantly relative to the lower frame is not easy to operate, and it also reduces the functionality of the copying device, so improvements are required. It's a place.

In view of the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, the present invention has a structure that can be divided into upper and lower halves, and is a process in which part or all of the photoreceptor and the scratch forming means disposed around it can be attached to and detached from the main body of the apparatus. In image forming apparatuses using kits, maintenance and repair of paper rolls, etc., or maintenance of process kits, such as replacing photoreceptors, replenishing developer, etc.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a copying device that does not cause any trouble in operation even during maintenance and inspection such as disposal of waste toner and cleaning of charging wires. More specifically, when the above-mentioned copying device processes one paper pack, when the upper and lower frames are split open, the process kit is held in the upper frame while the transfer paper conveyance path is left wide open, and the process kit is held in the upper frame. The present invention is characterized in that the process kit held on the upper frame as described above is inserted into and taken out of the apparatus main body when it is supported in a substantially horizontal state during maintenance of the kit.

By configuring as above, maintenance, inspection and repair are possible.

Furthermore, it is possible to obtain a practical device that does not impair workability such as paper jams and solves problems such as toner spillage during toner replenishment.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of a copying apparatus according to the present invention will be described below with reference to one drawing. FIG. 1 shows a sectional view of an image forming apparatus to which the present invention is directed. Reference numeral 1 denotes a document mounting table made of a transparent member, which moves back and forth in the direction of the arrow. Reference numeral 2 denotes a short and small diameter imaging element array, and the original image placed on the original table 1 is slit-exposed to a rotating photosensitive drum. A four charger is used to uniformly charge the photosensitive drum 6. The uniformly charged drum 6 is subjected to both electrostatic discharge by the element array 2 to form electrostatic charges. The electrostatic image is then visualized by the presentation device 5. On the other hand, the transfer paper P is fed between the drum roll and the transfer charger 8 by a paper feed roller 6 and a registration roller 7 that rotates at a timing such that it registers with the image on the photosensitive drum 3, and is transferred and charged. The toner image on the photosensitive drum 3 is transferred onto the transfer paper P by the device 8.

The transfer paper P that has undergone the Jung 4 semi-scene defect transfer is then transferred to the drum 6.
The sheet is separated from the paper and guided by a guide 11 to a fixing device 12, where the image is fixed, and then is discharged as a copy to a tray 14 outside the machine by a paper discharge roller 13.

On the other hand, after passing through the transfer section, the surface of the photosensitive drum 3 is cleaned to remove residual transfer toner particles by a rubber blade 10 of a cleaning device 9, and is repeatedly used for copying.

Reference numeral 15 denotes a process kit housing, and the photosensitive drum 3, charger 4, developing unit 5, and cleaner 9 are assembled and held in this housing as a process kit.

The main body of the copying machine has two parts, an upper frame 17 and a lower frame 18.
The upper frame 17 is divided into parts and can be opened and closed freely with respect to the lower frame 18 around the axis 16. For copying, the upper frame 17 is fully closed with respect to the lower frame 18 as shown in FIG. This is done by engaging the lock claw 21 with the corresponding engagement member on the lower frame side to bring it into a completely closed state.

The process kit housing 15 has a pair of parallel guide rail members 2 arranged in the front and back direction on the left and right sides in the upper frame 17.
Engagement hook portions 15a and 15b provided on the left and right ends of the process kit housing 15 are engaged and supported on the upper frame 17 along the guide members 19 and 20, respectively. It can be freely inserted and removed by sliding to the front side of the device (perpendicular to the paper plane of the figure).

When the upper frame 17 is unlocked by the lock claw 21, the upper frame 17 opens wide around the shaft 16 by the pushing force of the damper 22, as shown in the second figure, and the inside of the device becomes open.

When closing again, when the upper frame 17 is sufficiently pushed down against the force of the damper 22, the lock claw 21 engages with the corresponding engagement member on the lower frame 18 side, and the closed state is maintained.

In the closed state of the device shown in FIG. 1, the process kit housing 15
must be at defined positions for the upper and lower frames 17 and 18, respectively. Positioning of the process kit housing 15 according to this embodiment is ensured by guide members 19 and 20. That is, a guide member 19 is engaged with the right end of the process kit housing 15, and a guide member 20 is engaged with the left end of the process kit housing 15, so that the positional relationship between the photosensitive drum 3 and the charger 8 within the process kit housing 15 ( interval) is guaranteed.

When opening the upper frame 17 relative to the lower frame 18 in order to clear a gold paper jam, etc., the above-mentioned lock claw 21 of the E part frame 17 is operated to release the locked state with respect to the lower frame 18.

The upper frame 17 is raised by the damper 22 described above, and the transfer paper conveyance path is wide open (the second
Figure) 1 Paper jams can be easily cleared. However, in this state, the guide member 19
- If you try to pull it out along the line 20, a number of problems and unreasonable problems will occur due to the large inclination of the upper frame 17 and process kit housing 15 as described above.

The feature of the present invention is that the process kit housing 15 in this tilted state (FIG. 2) is re-supported in a horizontal state with respect to the tilted upper frame 17 as shown in FIG. 3 before being pulled out. It is in.

Figures 6 and 4 show the configuration of one embodiment. That is, among the left and right guide members 20 and 19 that support the process kit housing 15 within the upper frame 17, the guide member 19 on the right side in the drawing is attached to and supported by the upper frame 17 as a stationary member.

As shown in FIG. 4, the left guide member 20 has its base fixed to the bins 24 fixedly protruding from the outside of the rear and front plates of the upper frame 17 (the front plates are omitted in the figure). The tip hook portions 25, 1 of the cylindrical metal 25 provided in this manner are hung on the cylindrical pin 24 via the cylindrical metal 25, and the aforementioned cylindrical metals 25, 1 are attached to both ends of the core guide member 20, respectively. (T! Ic1 tube metal) The second one with the longer length
One end side of the cylindrical metal plate 23 is connected freely to rotate, and the first cylindrical metal plate 23 is connected to the elongated hole 23' formed longitudinally on the surface of the second cylindrical metal plate 26.
The arm hook is secured by inserting a pin 24.

Usually, the guide member 20 is suspended and supported by the pin 24 via the first cylindrical metal 25 by hooking the tip hook portion 25a of the first cylindrical metal 25 onto the pin 24. A process killer (12) 15 is supported between the upper frame 17 and the guide member 19 arranged with a constant current on the right side in a parallel relationship with the upper frame 17 via hook portions 15a and 15b.

Therefore, in this case, if the upper frame 17 is opened from the lower frame 1 as shown in the second figure, the 15 process kit cases attached to the upper frame 17 will be lifted and the second
It is supported in an inclined state as shown in the figure.

In this process killer) IliF body 15 body side 5 state, the housing 15 is moved along the guide members 19 and 2o to the upper frame 1.
Even if I try to pull it out from inside 7 towards the front.

A protrusion 27 formed on a part of the upper edge of the rear plate of the process kit housing 15 toward the outside of the rear plate of the upper frame 17 interferes with the lower edge of the rear plate of the upper frame 17 (see FIGS. 2 and 4). (Fig.), the extraction of the multibody 15 is prevented.

To remove the casing 15, use the V-bar 26 whose base is fixed to the casing support guide member 20 on the left side to move the guide member 20 to the first position.
When the hook portion 25a of the cross arm 25 is rotated in the direction in which it comes off from the pin 24 and the hook portion 25a is released from the pin 24, the process killer) is removed from the right guide member 1 of the body 15.
Focusing on 9.

The upper end of the long hole 23' of the second cylindrical metal plate 23 is connected to the pin 24.
Rotate downward υ as shown in the 6th M until it is received by the 6th M.

As a result, the process kit housing 15 is transformed into a substantially horizontal position with respect to the upper frame 17 which is in a tilted position.
It will be held prominently. Also, due to the downward rotation of this housing 17, the
25 is released from interference with the lower edge of the upper frame.

Therefore, in this case, it becomes possible to pull out the housing 17 along the guide members 19 and 20. Then, the housing 17 is pulled out in a substantially horizontal position.

As described above, the present invention is configured such that, when opening the upper frame 17 and pulling out the process killer (FT) body 15 attached thereto, the kernel bamboo body 15 in the #4 inclined state is supported in a substantially horizontal QK state and then pulled out. Because of this, there are no problems such as toner spillage, and when cleaning paper jams, you only need to hold the process kit housing on the upper frame, that is, with the upper and lower frames wide open, and the work is very easy. Easy.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Figure 1 is a vertical cross-sectional front view of an example of an image forming apparatus with a built-in process kit that can be opened and closed into upper and lower halves, in a closed state, Figure 2 is the same view as above in an open state, and Figure 3 is a process kit mounted on the upper frame in an open state. ) The same figure shows the state in which the IIF body is converted to a horizontal state and is supported, and FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the main part of the support mechanism of the process kit case. 1 is a document placement table, and 15 is a process kit housing. 17 is the upper frame, 18 is the lower frame, 19.20
1;j Process kit case support guide member, 25 is a first cylindrical metal plate, and 23 is a second cylindrical metal plate. Patent Applicant: Canon Co., Ltd. 1: Agent: Daiichi Fukuda

Claims (1)

[Claims] (1) An image forming apparatus that has a structure that can be divided into upper and lower halves, and has a process kit in which part or all of the photoreceptor and the image forming means disposed around it are integrated and detachable from the loading body. A means for holding the process kit on the upper frame when the apparatus is opened in the upper and lower parts, a means for supporting the process kit substantially horizontally when the apparatus is opened in the upper and lower parts, and a state in which the process kit is held in the upper 7 frames. and a retaining member that is engaged with the upper frame when the process kit is supported substantially horizontally, and disengaged from the upper frame when the process kit is supported substantially horizontally. An image forming device characterized by being detachable from a main body.