JPS6223059A - Image forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To reduce the size of an image writing optical system unit by providing an opening/closing shutter means which is normally shut to the opening part of a writing optical system unit which is freely attachable to and detachable from a main device body, and operating a shutter means associatively with the insertion and extraction of a correcting optical element. CONSTITUTION:While the image writing optical system 16 detachable from the main device body is detached from the main device body, its opening part 27 is closed with shutter plates 29 and 30, so dust, etc., are prevented from entering the unit 16. Engagement rods 41 and 42 are fitted threadably in the shutter plates 29 and 30 of the unit 16 and then a mounted part 28 is fitted in the mount opening 52 of the main device body by engagement. Then, a correcting lens 55 is inserted into a correcting lens mount part 56 and pressed in to push the engagement rod 41 and 42, so that pins 31 and 32 of the shutter plates 29 and 30 are guided in guide grooves 35 and 36 to move them. Simultaneously, the shutter plates 29 and 30 move to open the opening 43. Consequently, the opening part of the unit 16 may be short, so the size is reducible.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Technical Field) The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus, and particularly to an image forming apparatus in which an image writing optical system unit is detachably attached to an apparatus main body.

(Prior Art) Conventionally, one type of image forming apparatus is one in which an image writing input science unit is removably attached to the main body of the apparatus.

In this conventional image forming apparatus, as shown in FIG. That is, the correction optical lens 7 is fixed. Further, a transparent shield member 8 for dust prevention is fixed below the lens. In such an image writing optical unit 5, it is necessary to provide the correction optical lens at a position close to the image forming surface of the image carrier. The position WVc is formed. Furthermore, since a dustproof shield member 8 is provided outside the correction optical lens 7, the opening 6 becomes further projecting. The opening 6 has a shape that projects outward. The image writing optical system unit with the opening 6 projecting outward becomes bulky as a whole, and it is difficult to transport it until it is assembled into the main body 1 of the apparatus.
In order to solve the problem of requiring a bulky packaging container, the image writing unit 5 is divided into a main body part and a protruding part provided with the correction optical lenses 7 and 7 and the shield member 8. It is conceivable to separate the In this case, the unit body can be made smaller, but the unit body is fabricated with the opening open. This causes a new problem in that dust and the like enter through the open opening and adhere to the internal polygon mirror and the like.

In order to solve this problem, it may be possible to provide a removable seal member in the opening, but this has the disadvantage that this seal member must be removed when the unit body is assembled into the device body, making attachment and detachment troublesome. be. In addition, when the unit body is removed from the device body during maintenance or inspection, a sealing member must be installed to prevent dust from entering through the open opening of the removed unit body. There is a problem that it does not.

(Object of the Invention) The present invention provides an image forming apparatus with a removable image writing optical system unit, in which the image writing optical system unit can be made small in size and the optical unit separated from the main body of the apparatus can be dust-proofed. The purpose of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus.

(Structure of the Invention) The present invention provides a shutter means that can be opened and closed and has a closing habit in the opening of a writing optical system unit that can be attached to and detached from the main body of the apparatus, and an optical When the element is inserted into the unit mounting portion, a part of the element is engaged with the shutter means to open the shutter means and open the opening, and the correction optical element and the shutter means are connected to each other. When the engagement is released,
The image forming apparatus closes the shutter means to close the opening.

The present invention will be explained below with reference to illustrated actual cases.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 10 schematically indicates an example of an image forming apparatus according to the present invention, and the apparatus main body 11
There is also a removable image writing unit (hereinafter simply referred to as the unit) 16. The apparatus main body 11 includes a belt-shaped photoreceptor 20 that is wound around a pivot roller 18 and a driven roller 19 and rotated in the direction of the arrow; a charger 21 that charges the photoreceptor to a predetermined polarity;
A developing device 22 that visualizes the static calendar image formed by the exposure of the unit, a transfer charger 26 that transfers visible mounds onto a transfer paper 26, a static elimination lamp 24 that neutralizes static electricity from the photoreceptor after the transfer, and It consists of a cleaning device 25 that cleans the surface of the photoreceptor.

Note that since the operation of such an image forming apparatus is already well known, a description thereof will be omitted.

Further, the unit 16 includes a housing 9, a scanner motor 12, a polygonal mirror 16, an fθ lens 14, and a mirror 15.

An opening 27 is formed in the bottom surface 9A of the housing 9, as shown in Figures 2 and 4. This opening 27 extends along the scanning direction of the laser beam, and has an opening 43 formed therein. Opening 27
is provided with a short protruding mounting portion 28 that surrounds it.

The mounting portion 28 is provided with a shutter means.

The shutter means is 7 Yasota plate 29.30, guide Fj
65.66.37,38. Bin 61.62.56.
It consists of a 64° spring 69.40 and an engagement rod 41.42. The shirt shirt plates 29 and 60 are slidably supported in long holes 28A and 28B formed in the mounting portion 28.

The long holes 28A, 28B and each shirt flap plate 29, 30 are sealed by a sole member S. In addition, the opening 27
The innermost part, that is, the part indicated by reference numeral 27A in FIG. On the bottom surface 9A of the housing 9, inclined guide grooves 35, 66, 67, 68 are formed as shown in FIG. The shutter plate 29.50 is provided with pins 61.32.36.64 loosely fitted into the guide grooves 35.36.67.38vc on its upper surface. The pins 51, 62 have springs 39, 40, one end of which is locked to an immovable part such as the mounted part 28, and the other end of the spring 39, 40, which gives the pins 51, 62 the ability to move in the direction of the arrow. The shirt flap plate 29.30 is given a closing habit by the pin 61.62.53.64, the guide groove 35.36.67%68 and the spring 39.40. Shatta board 29.60
Engagement rods 41 and 42 are screwed into the lower surface of the holder. The engaging rods 41 and 42 are set to a length such that when the unit 16 is mounted on a unit mounting section, which will be described later, the tip thereof will be located at a correction lens mounting section, which will be described later.

The configuration of the unit mounting section 17 to which this unit 16 is mounted will be described below.

In Figure 2 and Figure 4, the unit mounting part 17
is a bracket 50 and a guide member 51 supported by the bracket 50
It is composed of. The bracket 50 is attached to the device main body 1
1 (see Figure 1) is fixed to a suitable immovable member (not shown). At the bottom 50A of this bracket 50,
A window hole 50B is bored. A guide member 51 is fitted inside the bracket 50 . Two upper and lower partition walls 60.61 are formed inside this guide member 51, and this partition wall 60.61K is connected to the unit 1.
6 is installed, a window hole 58 that communicates with the opening 46
．． 59 is drilled. At the top of the guide member 51,
A unit mounting opening 52 into which the mounting portion 28 is inserted is formed. This mounting port 52 has a dust-proof sealing member 5.
7℃ is provided. The partition wall 61 of the guide member 51 and the bottom portion 50A of the bracket 50 form a correction lens mounting portion 56 into which a correction lens is inserted and removed. A correction optical element, such as a correction lens 55, which will be described below, is inserted into and removed from the correction lens mounting portion 56. The correction lens has both a function as a correction lens and a function as a shield member, and is airtightly engaged with the correction lens mounting portion 56.

That is, the correction lens 55 is removably engaged with the correction lens mounting portion 56 so as to isolate the space between the unit 16 and the apparatus main body 11 airtightly enough to prevent toner from entering.

Further, when the correction lens 55 is inserted into the correction lens mounting portion 56, the engagement rods 41 and 42 located at the edge of the window hole I
Its tip engages with.

The operation of an actual winding example will be explained below.

As shown in Figure 2, when the unit 16 is removed from the main body of the apparatus, the shutter plate 29.3o is attached to the bottle 61.3o.
62.36.34. Guide groove 35.36.37.38
and is closed by the action of springs 69 and 40, leaving the opening 43 in a closed state. Therefore,
Intrusion of dirt and the like into the unit 16 is prevented. The engagement rod 41 is attached to the 7-piece plate 29.60 of the unit 16.
．． 42. Then, attach the mounting portion 28 to the mounting port 5.
2 to attach the unit 16 to the main body of the apparatus. At this time, the engaging rods 41, 42 and 56, 59,
It is in a state where it has penetrated 50B. Next, the correction lens 55
into the correction lens insertion part 56 in the direction of the arrow in figure J-4. Then, when the correction lens 55 with which the distal end 55AK engaging rod 41.42 is engaged is further pushed in, the engaging rod 41.42 is pushed and the shutter plate 29.3
Move 0 as shown by the chain line in Figure 5 and open it. That is, the shirt plate 29.60 is attached to the bin 51.62.5.
It is guided by the 6.34° guide grooves 65, 66, 67, and 68, and is opened. Shatta board 29.60
The opening 43 is opened as shown in FIG. 5 by moving to the position indicated by the chain line in FIG. The correction lens 55 inserted into the correction lens insertion part 56 is attached to the unit 1
6 and the apparatus main body 11, and the unit 16 and the apparatus main body 11 are hermetically sealed to the extent that toner, dust, etc. do not enter.

Next, during maintenance inspection, unit 16? When removing the correction lens 55, the correction lens 55 is pulled out from the correction lens insertion part 56. Then, when the correction lens 55 moves from the chain line position shown in FIG. 5 to the solid line position, the engagement rod 41.
The engagement with 42 is released. As a result, the shirt plate 2
9.30 moves as shown by the solid line in FIG. 5 due to the elasticity of the spring 69.400 which biases them toward each other, and closes the opening 46. Therefore, even if the compensator 55, which also serves as a shield member, is removed, the shutter plate closes to prevent toner and the like floating in the apparatus main body 11 from entering the unit 16. Also, before removing the correction lens 55,
When removed from the main body of the device, the correction lens 55 and the engagement rod 4
1.42 and the shirt shirt plate 29.60 moves in the same manner as above, closing the opening 46. After this, the correction lens 55 is removed. That is, even if the unit 16 is removed from the main body 11 with the correction lens 55 attached, the opening 46 of the unit 16 is automatically closed, so there is no need to take the trouble of attaching a 7-hole member to seal the opening. It disappears.

In the illustrated example, the unit mounting portion 17 is attached to the bracket 5.
0 and the guide member 51, the present invention may be configured only with the guide member 51 formed with the correction lens mounting portion. In addition, in the illustrated example, the engagement rod 41.42 is used to move the shirt shirt plate 29.60.
is engaged with the correction lens 55.

This moves it, but in addition to this, there are 7 Yatsuta boards 2
As long as 9.60 can be moved, any appropriate means may be used, such as providing a lever mechanism and engaging the lever mechanism with the correction lens and the shutter plate, respectively.

(Effects of the Invention) According to the present invention, since the aperture is shortened, the bulk of the image writing optical system unit can be reduced. In addition, the shutter automatically closes when the unit is not attached to the device, which prevents dirt and other objects from entering.
The image quality obtained can be maintained at a high level. In addition, since the shutter, which has a closing habit, is opened and closed by inserting and removing the correction lens, if the print button is pressed without the correction lens attached, the aperture will be closed, so the laser beam may not reach the photoreceptor. Since no actual printing operation can be performed, the operator is informed that the correction lens is not attached. Furthermore, when the image writing optical system unit is removed from the main body of the apparatus during maintenance and inspection, the shutter plate automatically closes and closes the opening, thereby saving the trouble of attaching a sealing member each time.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Figure 1 is a schematic longitudinal sectional front view showing an example of an image forming apparatus according to the present invention; Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional front view showing a state in which the image writing optical system unit is separated from the unit mounting portion;
Figure 6 is a longitudinal sectional front view showing the above image writing optical system unit installed in the unit mounting part and the opening is open, and Figure 4 is the image writing optical system unit same as above installed in the unit mounting part. Figure 5 is a perspective view for explaining the opening and closing of the shutter means as above;
FIG. 6 is a front view showing the main parts of a conventional image forming apparatus. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10... Image forming apparatus, 16... Image writing optical system unit, 17... Unit attachment part, 27... Opening part, 29°60,... Shirt plate, 31. 32. 3
3. 64...bin, 35, 36.37.38...
・Guide groove, 39.40... Spring, 41.42... Engagement rod, 55... Correction optical element, 56... Correction lens insertion part

Claims (1)

[Claims] an image writing optical system unit that has an opening that forms a part of the exposure path and is removable from the apparatus main body; a shutter means that is provided in the opening so that it can be opened and closed and has a closing habit; a unit mounting part to which the opening is mounted, and a correction that is removably inserted into the unit mounting part and airtightly isolates the unit from the apparatus main body when the unit is mounted in the mounting part. an optical element;
When the correction optical element is inserted into the unit mounting portion, a part of the correction optical element is engaged with the shutter means to open the shutter means to open the opening, and the correction optical element is inserted into the unit mounting portion. An image forming apparatus characterized in that when disengaged from the shutter means, the shutter means closes by its closing habit, thereby closing the opening.