JPS627582A - Image-forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To enable maiantenance treatments or the like to be easily carried out, by a construction wherein an upper machine body and a lower machne body can be split from each other at a boundary between an image carrier and a printing means. CONSTITUTION:The upper machine body 2 is provided with a paper-discharging part 2a to which a transfer paper with an image formed thereon is discharged, while the lowemachine body 3 is provided with a paper-supplying cassette 3a. The upper machine body 2 is so provided that it can be opened and closed in the direction of arrows with a support shaft 4 as a center, and when it is opened, it is fixed at the broken-line position 2b. When the upper machine body 2 is opened, the surface of a lens 6c is set at a slantedly upper position, resulting in that theexposed surface of the lens 6c can be easily cleaned. When a transfer paper is jammed on a feeding passage 13 during an image-forming proces, the upper machine body 2 is opened, and a copying kit 12 is removed, whereby the feeding passage 13 can be exposed, and the jammed transfer paper can be easily removed.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Technical Field of the Invention] The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus having a printing means such as a liquid crystal optical shutter or a multi-needle electrode.

[Prior art]

Optical writing or discharge writing is performed on the image carrier using a printing means such as a liquid crystal optical shutter or multi-needle electrode, the electrostatic latent image formed on the image carrier is developed, and the image is printed on transfer paper conveyed on a 1llt conveying path. 2. Description of the Related Art Image forming apparatuses that create images according to data input to a device are known. Such an image forming apparatus converts digital data inputted into a printing means into opening/closing driving of a shutter or turning on/off a discharge, and writes on an image carrier through a lens or a multi-needle electrode.

Therefore, when the lens surface or the multi-needle electrode surface becomes dirty with scattered toner generated during development or the like or paper dust from transfer paper, the light transmittance and discharge efficiency decrease. For this reason, in conventional image forming apparatuses, it is necessary to clean the printing surfaces of lenses, multi-needle electrodes, and the like. For this purpose, the image carrier and its peripheral equipment are made into a kit, and this kit is placed on a rail and has a structure that can be pulled out from the main body of the apparatus. With this structure, the kit can be moved or pulled out periodically to clean toner and paper powder adhering to the printing surface.

In addition, the above-mentioned transfer paper may cause a paper jam on the conveyance path, so as a countermeasure to this, the device can be divided into an upper body and a lower body, and when one body is divided, the conveyance path is on the upper surface of the lower body. The structure is located in a central location. With this structure, if the transfer paper becomes jammed on the conveyance path, the upper body can be opened upward and the jammed transfer paper on the conveyance path can be easily removed.

[Problems with conventional technology]

However, in the image forming apparatus as described above.

A rail must be provided in order to move the image carrier and its peripheral equipment, which has become a cylindrical structure, and this increases the cost of the apparatus itself.

Further, even when one image forming apparatus is structured to be divided into an upper body and a lower body, the structure must be such that the 1ull feed path is located on the upper surface of the lower body. Therefore, heavy members such as an image carrier and a developing device, which are disposed above the conveyance path, must be disposed in the upper body. For this reason, a large urging force is required when the upper body is opened upward, and a mechanism for preventing the upper body and the body from falling must be strong while the upper body is being opened.

[Purpose of the invention]

In view of the above-mentioned conventional fire point, the present invention provides a device that does not increase the cost, does not require a large urging force when opening the upper body upward, and has a simple structure for the fall prevention mechanism of the upper body. To provide an image forming apparatus capable of easily disposing of jammed transfer paper, and capable of cleaning a printing surface by simply opening an upper mechanism.

[Key points of the invention]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention includes an image carrier and a printing means for printing on the image carrier.

The image forming apparatus is characterized in that the image forming apparatus is divisible into an upper body and a lower body, and the two bodies are divisible with a boundary between the image carrier and the printing means.

[Embodiments of the invention]

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

FIG. 2 is an external perspective view of the image forming apparatus of the present invention. In the figure, an image forming apparatus 1 according to the present invention is composed of an upper body 2 and a lower body 3. The upper body 2 is provided with a paper discharge section 2a from which a transfer paper on which an image has been formed is discharged, and the lower body is 3 is provided with a paper feeding capacity 3a for storing the transfer paper fed into the apparatus. Further, the upper body 2 is provided so as to be freely openable and closable in the directions of the arrows around a support shaft 4, and when the upper body 2 is opened, it is fixed at a position 2b shown by a dotted line.

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of an image forming apparatus having such an external configuration.

Inside the upper body 2, there is a liquid crystal head 6 for optically writing on the photosensitive drum 5, which will be described later, a light source device 7 for inputting light to the liquid crystal head 6, and a remaining photosensitive surface 5a of the photosensitive drum 5. A static elimination lamp 8 for removing electric charges, and a pair of paper discharge rolls 9a, 9 for discharging transfer paper to a paper discharge section 2a, which will be described later.
One of the paper discharge rolls 9a of the paper rolls 9a and 9a of the paper rolls 9b and 9b are disposed. Inside the liquid crystal head 6 are a liquid crystal light shutter 6a and a liquid crystal light shutter 6.
A drive circuit 6b, a lens 6c, etc. are provided to drive the opening/closing of the liquid crystal optical shutter 7a.
By irradiating the light source device 7 with light, the drive circuit 6b
Information according to the data controlled by is optically written (exposed) onto the photosensitive surface 5a via the lens 6C. These upper fuselage 2
Each member disposed in the device does not include a photoreceptor drum or the like, so it is lighter than conventional devices.

On the other hand, inside the lower body 3 is a photosensitive drum 5. Charger 10a
, a developer 10b, and a cleaner 10c, a paper feed roller 14° and standby rolls 15a and 15b disposed on the transfer paper conveyance path 13 for conveying the transfer paper.
, separation 1 general feed rolls 16a, 16b, auxiliary roll 17a
, 17b, and a paper discharge roll 9b are provided, and furthermore, the conveyance path 1
3 has a transfer device 18. Fixing devices 19a and 19b are provided.

The copy kit 12 has a structure as shown in FIG. 3, and is provided with a handle for taking out the copy kit 12 from the lower body 3 at a location not shown. Therefore, upper fuselage 2
Release the upper gI! When the machine body is placed in position 2b and the copy kit 12 is taken out, the transfer paper conveyance path 13 is exposed on the upper surface of the lower body 3. Also,
When the copy kit 12 is not removed from the lower body 3 (or may be taken out) and the upper body 2 is placed in position 2b, the LCD 6 moves together with the upper body 2 in the direction of the above-mentioned arrow, and the lens 6C is located diagonally upward.

Here, the image forming operation of the image forming apparatus configured as described above will be briefly described.

As described above, the liquid crystal head 6 exposes the photoreceptor drum 5 to light including image information of data controlled by the drive circuit 6b. A uniform charge is applied.

Therefore, an electrostatic latent image is formed on the photosensitive surface 5a by the exposure of the liquid crystal head 6.

The electrostatic latent image formed on the photosensitive surface 5a is visualized by the developing device 10b and becomes a toner image. Further, in the transfer device 18, the paper is fed from the paper feed roller 14 from the paper feed cassette 3a in synchronization with the toner image. The toner image is transferred onto the transfer paper sent via standby rolls 15a and 15b. The transferred toner image on the transfer paper is thermally fixed by the fixing devices 19a and 19b, and then the transfer paper is transferred to the paper discharge section 2 by the paper discharge rolls 9a and 9b.
It is discharged to a. On the other hand, the residual toner on the photosensitive surface 5a that has not been completely transferred by the transfer device 18 is removed by the cleaner 10c, and after the residual charge on the photosensitive surface 5a is removed by the static eliminating lamp 8, it is exposed to light in preparation for the next exposure. A uniform charge is applied to the surface 5a by a charger 10a.

When several copies are made during the image forming process as described above, scattered toner is generated from the developing device 10b and the cleaner 10c. Additionally, paper dust from the transfer paper is scattered within the apparatus during conveyance of the transfer paper. These scattered toner and paper dust adhere to various members within the apparatus. In particular, since the lens 6C through which light passes is exposed inside the device, scattered toner and paper dust are likely to adhere thereto. but.

In the image forming apparatus of the present invention, by opening the upper body 2, the surface of the lens 6C is set diagonally upward. Therefore, the exposed surface of the lens 6C can be easily cleaned.

On the other hand, if the transfer paper gets jammed on the conveyance path 13 during the second image forming process, the conveyance path 13 can be exposed by opening the lightweight upper body 2 and taking out the copy kit 12. Transfer paper can be easily removed.

In this embodiment, the copy kit 12 includes the charger 10a, but if a multi-needle electrode is used as the print head, the copy kit 12 may not include the charger 10a.

In this case as well, the transport path 13 can be exposed by taking out the copy kit 12 from the lower body 3, and the jammed transfer paper can be easily removed. Further, even if the copy kit 12 is made of other members, the same implementation is possible as long as the conveying path 13 is exposed when the copy kit 12 is taken out.

Although the liquid crystal head 6 is used as a printing means in this embodiment, other printing means 1 such as a multi-needle electrode, an LED (light emitting diode) array, a laser scanning mechanism, etc. are used in addition to the liquid crystal head 6. Of course, it is okay to do so.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained in detail above, according to the present invention, the upper body is made up of only a few parts such as the print head, so simply opening the lightweight upper body and placing the upper body in a predetermined position allows the lens to be It is possible to clean the printed surface of multi-needle electrodes, etc.

In addition, the copy kit can be easily taken out by opening the upper body, so there is no need to use a rail that increases the cost of conventional devices, and jammed transfer paper can be easily removed. .

Furthermore, since the upper body is lightweight, the upper body has good operability even when performing other processes within the equipment, such as other maintenance, making it easy to perform maintenance processes, etc., and allowing the upper body to fall. The prevention mechanism can also be easily constructed.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of an image forming apparatus according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the image forming apparatus of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a sectional view of a copy kit provided in the image forming apparatus of the present invention. l...Picture 1 image forming device. 2... Upper fuselage. 3...Lower fuselage. 4...Spindle. 5...Photosensitive drum. 6...Liquid crystal head. 7...Light source device. 8... Static elimination lamp. 9a, 9b... Paper discharge rolls. 10a... Charger. 10b...Developer. 10C...Cleaner. 12...Copy kit. 13... Conveyance path. 18...Transfer device. Patent Applicant Casio Computer Co., Ltd. Same as above
Casio Electronics Industries Co., Ltd.'ia 1 Figure

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) In an image forming apparatus that includes an image carrier and a printing means for printing on the image carrier, and is separable into an upper body and a lower body, both bodies include the image carrier and the printing means. An image forming apparatus characterized in that it can be divided by using a boundary between the two. (2) The first aspect of the present invention is characterized in that the image carrier and at least one of the image forming means arranged around the image carrier are integrally attached to and detachable from the image forming apparatus. The image forming apparatus described in .