JPS63121875A - Image forming device with plural developing device storage device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To excellently pass and receive a developing device by providing a step for setting a conveyance path on the downstream side of the other conveyance path at a lower position between a conveyance path for a storage part where a selected developing device is stored and a conveyance path on a main device body side when the selected developing device moves to a specific supply position. CONSTITUTION:Slide guides 22 and 22' of the developing device storage part 15 are at positions a little bit higher than slide guides 5 and 5' of a developing device convey ance path 4 when set at supply attitudes, and a storage case 8 is moved to a base member, so that when a color developing device 9, e.g. a green developing device 19 at the developing operation stand-by position in the device main body X' is returned into the storage case 8 or when a red developing device 17 in the storage case 8 is conveyed to the developing operation stand-by position in the device main body X', those developing devices are passed and received smoothly from the device main body X' to the storage case 8 and from the storage case 8 to the machine main body X' at the passing and receiving part of the connection part between the device main body X' and base member 7. Consequently, the devices are passed and received smooth ly.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention (Industrial Field of Application) The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus such as a laser printer or a copying machine, and particularly to an image forming apparatus having a plurality of developing device storage devices (developing device autochanger) outside the main body of the device. Regarding.

(Technical Background) In order to address the wide range of color needs for image forming apparatuses, the applicant of the present application has previously installed a desired color developing device outside the main body of the image forming apparatus at a developing operation position inside the main body. We are proposing a multiple developing device storage device that can automatically supply multiple developing devices. This multiple developer storage device includes a plurality of storage sections that are removably attached to the outside of the image forming apparatus main body and that hold developing devices having a predetermined color developing function, and a storage section that is selected from one of these storage sections. The image forming apparatus is characterized by having a predetermined supply position for supplying the selected developer to the main body of the image forming apparatus, and a moving mechanism for moving the selected developer to the predetermined supply position.

(Object of the Invention) The present invention provides an image forming apparatus having the above proposed multiple developer storage device outside the apparatus main body, in which the developing devices can be smoothly transferred between the device main body and the multiple developer storage device. The purpose is to provide a structure that is devised to enable this.

(Summary of the Invention) An image forming apparatus equipped with a multiple developing device storage device according to the present invention is provided with a storage section that stores a selected developing device when the selected developing device is moved to a predetermined supply position by a moving mechanism. The device is characterized in that a step is provided between the transfer path on the side of the developing device and the transfer path on the apparatus main body side, so that the transfer path located on the downstream side is lower than the transfer path located on the upstream side in the developing device transfer direction. .

(Example) Hereinafter, one embodiment of the present invention will be described based on the drawings.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of an image forming apparatus (copying machine) equipped with a multiple developing device storage device to which the present invention is applied.

The image forming apparatus X is capable of forming double-sided images in different colors and forming multiple images, and is equipped with a plurality of developing device housing Y outside the apparatus main body X'.

Inside the apparatus main body
A developing device transfer path 4 is formed which connects the developing device guide 2 with the left and right slide guides (developing device guide l<).
5.5' is installed.

The multiple developer storage device Y has a flat base member 7 which has a developer supply port 6 and is removably fixed to the device main body X' by the port 1, etc., and the base member 7 will be described later. The storage case 8 is vertically movable by a case moving means (moving mechanism) Z shown in FIG.

The base member 7 is attached to the apparatus main body X' so that the developing device supply port 6 is aligned with the developing device loading port 2.

Inside the storage case 8, a plurality of developing device storage sections 13 to 16 are formed by partition plates 9 to 12 having slide guides (developing device guides) 22 and 22' on the upper surface. For example, a red developing device 17, a blue developing device 18, a green developing device 19, and a brown developing device 20 are housed in 13 to 16. Further, the front end side of this storage case 8 is in an open state, and serves as a closing lid for the base member 7.

FIG. 6 shows a state in which the green developing device 19 stored in the developing device storage section 15 in the storage case 8 is being fed to the developing operation retreat position in the apparatus main body X'. If the red developing device 17 is selected, first, the green developing device 19 in the apparatus body means (rack 21a and pinion 21'b
) 21', the developer is guided to the slide guides 5, 5' and the slide guides 22, 22', and then returned to the developing device storage section 15. Thereafter, the storage case 8 is moved (in this case, moved downward) by the case moving means Z to be aligned with the developer storage section 13 housing the red developer 17 or the developer supply port 6, and then the red developer The container 17 is the transfer means 21-. 21 to the developing operation retreat position within the apparatus main body X'. After the transfer, when the copy switch 4 is turned on, the red developing device 17 is positioned as shown by the imaginary line in FIG. 1 by the left and right pressure means 23, 23 shown in FIGS. 1 and 3.

The slide guides 5, 5' and the slide guide 22.
Both 22' are U-shaped grooves into which shoes 24 and 24' provided on both sides of the lower surface of the developing device are fitted, as shown in FIG.

Further, the transfer means 21, 21' are both provided on the left and right, and the pinions 21b thereof.

21'b is adapted to be rotationally driven by a forward/reverse pulse motor 25.

Next, the storage case moving means Z shown in FIG. 5 will be explained.

In the same figure, reference numeral 26 denotes a pair of rail members attached to the rear side plate 27 of the apparatus main body X', which are arranged parallel to -F in the downward direction. The storage case 8 is movably connected to the rail member 26 1-1. The storage case 8 is connected to the rail member 26 via kite portions 28 provided at the upper and lower portions of both sides of the front portion thereof. Each guide portion 28 is provided with a roller 29 for reducing displacement resistance, and the roller 29 is arranged so as to roll on the inner surface of the rail member 26. Further, on the rear side plate 27 side, a moving means and a driving pulley 30 and a driven pulley 31 are rotatably attached, and a heald 32 is wound with a predetermined tension between both pulleys 30 and 31. There is. An arm portion 33 provided integrally with the storage case 8 is coupled to a portion of the bells 1 to 32. A forward/reverse pulse motor 34 is directly connected to the rotating shaft of the lower drive pulley 30, and as the motor 34 rotates, the storage case 8 moves in the vertical direction of the device main body X' along the rail member 26. . In this case, a microswitch 35 is provided on the side of the storage case 8, and the
- When the red developing device 17 stored in the shelf is positioned at the developing device loading port 2 of the apparatus main body position).

The operating timing of the storage case moving means Z having such a structure is as described above, when the next color developing device (red developing device 17
) is selected, and the color developing device (green developing device 19) or the pressurizing means 23 located at the developing operation position in the apparatus main body X' is selected.
．． When it is retracted from the developing operation position by the release operation of 23' (
(first operation), and then the developer or transfer means 21゜2
1', the second operation occurs when the developer is returned to the developing device storage section 15. The primary operation is pressurizing means 23.23
The secondary operation is performed based on a signal from a release detection sensor (not shown) previously installed in the developing device accommodating section 15, and the secondary operation is performed based on an identification means (color identification means), not shown, attached to the developing device storage section 15. In this case, the motor 34 is
Control - Starts operation in response to a command from the first stage, and stops after rotating a predetermined number of rotations in a predetermined direction. The rotational direction and rotational speed of the motor 34 during the secondary operation are set depending on where the desired color developing device is currently located with respect to the developing device inlet 2 of the apparatus main body X'.

FIG. 1 shows the state in which the storage case 8 has been moved by the secondary operation of the case moving means Z, and FIG. 1st of
The storage case 8 is shown in the state after being moved by the next operation (returning position cellar 1-).

When the 11th and 11th supply mode cellars 1-' are in the supply mode, the scoop 1-guides 22, 22' of the developing device storage section 15 are positioned slightly higher than the slide guides 5, 5' of the developing device transfer path 4. When in the return position set as shown in FIG.
The slide guides 1 to 22 and 22' of the slide 1 are positioned slightly lower than the slide guides 5 and 5' of the developing device transfer path 4. Therefore, the amount of movement of the case moving means Z during the first operation and the second operation does not satisfy the above-mentioned set state.

By moving and setting the storage case 8 with respect to the base member 7 in this manner, when the color developer (green developer 19) located at the developing operation retracted position in the apparatus main body X' is returned to the storage case 8. , and when the color developing device (red developing device) 17) in the storage case 8 is transferred to the developing operation retreat position in the device main body X', these color developing devices are removed from the device main body X'.
At the transfer portion of the connecting portion of the base member 7, the receiver i-1 is smoothly transferred from the device main body X' side to the storage case 8 side, or from the storage case 8 side to the device main body X' side.

As in the embodiment described in -■-1, the slide guide 22.
Providing a step between the slide guide 5.5' of the developing device transfer path 4 can be said to be the best measure in terms of the delivery performance of the developing device. It is also possible to achieve the intended purpose by providing the above-mentioned step only in the case of , and not providing the step in other cases (that is, providing a parallel relationship).

(Effects of the Invention) As described above, in the image forming apparatus equipped with the multiple developer storage device according to the present invention, when the selected developer is moved to a predetermined supply position by the moving mechanism, the selected developer A step is provided between the transfer path of the storage section for storing the developing device and the transfer path on the apparatus main body side so that the transfer path located downstream is lower than the transfer path located upstream in the developing device transfer direction. In addition, it is possible to attach the multiple developing device storage device to the image forming apparatus main body without requiring high installation (positioning) accuracy, and when the developing devices are returned from the device main body side and transferred to the image forming device main body side. It has the advantage of smooth delivery.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

1 and 2 are respectively longitudinal sectional front views of one embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional plan view of the same, FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along the line IV-IV of FIG. 3, and FIG. 5 is a case. FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a moving means, and a schematic configuration diagram showing an image forming apparatus equipped with a multiple developing device storage device to which the present invention is applied. X...image forming device, X'...apparatus main body, Y...
Multiple developer storage device, 4...Developer transfer path, 5, 5'
...Slide guide, 6...Developer supply port (predetermined supply position), 13-16...Developer storage section, 17-20
...Color developer, 22.22"...Slide guide,
Z... Case moving means (moving mechanism).

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) A plurality of storage sections for holding developing devices having a predetermined color developing function, and a predetermined supply for supplying the developing device selected from any of these storage sections to the main body of the image forming apparatus. An image forming apparatus including, outside an apparatus main body, a multiple developing device storage device having a position and a moving mechanism for moving the selected developing device to the predetermined supply position.
When the selected developing device is moved to the predetermined supply position by the moving mechanism, a developing device transfer path is provided between the transfer path of the storage section that stores the selected developing device and the transfer path on the apparatus main body side. An image forming apparatus equipped with a plurality of developing device storage apparatus, characterized in that a step is provided so that a transfer path located on the downstream side is lower than a transfer path located on the upstream side in the direction. (2) When the selected developer is transferred to the apparatus main body side via the predetermined supply position, the transfer path of the storage section is at a higher position than the transfer path of the apparatus main body, and the developer Claim 1, characterized in that when the food is returned to the storage section via the predetermined supply position, the transfer path of the storage section is set to be at a lower position than the transfer path of the main body of the apparatus. An image forming apparatus comprising the multiple developing device storage device according to 1.