JPS63216065A - Image forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent a toner from falling by closing the opening part of a cleaning unit with a kit constituent member other than the cleaning unit while a process kit is separated from an image carrier. CONSTITUTION:While a photosensitive drum 1 is extracted from the process kit 13, development unit 4 which is positioned as shown by a chain line is able to rotate around a shaft 14 to a position shown by a solid line. In this state, the outer peripheral surface of the housing 15 of the development unit 4 which abuts on the opening part of the cleaning unit 6 is formed to nearly the same curvature with the photosensitive drum 1 and the opening is closed completely with the housing 15 of the development unit. Consequently, when the process kit is attached to or detached from a main body or when the photosensitive drum 1 is attached or detached, no recovery; toner is prevented completely from falling from the cleaning unit 6 even if the process kit 13 is applied with a shock or slants.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus in which a group of image forming process units are arranged surrounding a photoreceptor drum.

BACKGROUND ART With the spread of electrostatic recording devices such as electrophotographic copying machines, laser printers, and facsimile machines, recording devices have recently appeared in which not only toner replenishment but also photoconductor cleaning units can be replaced manually by the user. It's starting. Therefore,
The photoconductor drum and image forming process units such as the developing device and cleaning unit placed around it are integrated into one unit, and either a preset period elapses, one of the parts breaks down, or the developer runs out. Another known method is to remove the entire integrated unit and replace it with a new one when the cleaning unit becomes full of collected toner.

However, in this method, since the photoreceptor drum has a longer lifespan than other image forming process units, it is wasteful to dispose of the photoreceptor drum as a whole, resulting in high costs.

From this point of view, an image forming apparatus has been proposed in which the main process units other than the photoreceptor are separated from the photoreceptor as one kit and can be removed from the apparatus main body, so that they can be replaced separately.

However, in this case, when the opening of the toner storage section provided opposite to the photoreceptor of the cleaning unit is separated from the photoreceptor, the collected toner stored in the cleaning unit may spill out and contaminate the inside of the device. A problem arises.

Purpose The present invention solves the above-mentioned problems of an image forming apparatus in which the photoreceptor and other process unit kits can be separately removed from the apparatus, and the process kit and photoreceptor are separated. An object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus in which an opening of a cleaning unit is closed and toner is prevented from spilling.

Structure In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides an image forming apparatus in which a process kit including at least a cleaning unit is separated from an image carrier and can be removed from the apparatus main body. in a separated state,
The present invention is characterized in that kit constituent members other than the cleaning unit are movable relative to the cleaning unit so as to close the opening of the cleaning unit.

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

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a photoreceptor and its surroundings in an operable state according to an embodiment of the present invention. A charger 2, an exposure system 3, a developing unit 4, a transfer charger 5, and a cleaning unit 6 are arranged around the photosensitive drum 1 in the order of the rotational direction indicated by an arrow. The developing unit 4 is a one-component developing device, and the toner in the developing device is made into a thin layer by a toner thinning blade 8 and conveyed to the photoreceptor drum 1 by a developing roller 9. The image is developed into a toner image. This toner image is transferred to a transfer paper by a transfer charger 5, but the toner remaining on the window photo drum 1 after transfer is removed by a cleaning blade 10 of a cleaning unit B and stored in a toner storage section 11. The toner accommodating portion 11 of the cleaning unit B is provided with an opening at a portion facing the photoreceptor drum 1, and seal members 12 are provided at both ends in the rotation direction of the photoreceptor drum.
The cleaning blade 10 is completely sealed by slidingly contacting the photoreceptor drum 1, thereby preventing collected toner from leaking and spilling into the machine.

The main body of the copying machine of this embodiment can be divided into upper and lower halves, and the photosensitive drum 1 is removably supported by a lower unit 20, and is composed of a cleaning unit 6, a charger 2, and a developing unit 4. The process kit 16 is detachably attached to an upper unit 21 shown hatched in FIG. The upper and lower units 20 and 21 are pivotally connected to each other at the left end of the figure, and the right end can be opened wide as shown in FIG.

The developing unit 4, which is a constituent unit of the process kit 13, has an axis 14 parallel to the axis of the photoreceptor drum 1.
It is pivoted on.

Therefore, when replacing the photosensitive drum 1 or the process kit 14, as shown in FIG.
When the upper and lower units are opened by rotating the upper and lower units around the pivot shaft, the photoconductor beam 1 remains in the lower unit 20, and the process kit 13 rises together with the upper unit 21. As a result, the process kit 15 is It is separated from the body drum 1.

With the photosensitive drum 1 removed from the process kit 13, the developing unit 4, which was located at the position indicated by the chain line in FIG. 2, can now rotate about the shaft 14 to the position indicated by the solid line. . In this state, the outer peripheral surface of the housing 15 of the developing unit 4 that comes into contact with the opening of the cleaning unit 6 has approximately the same curvature as the photoreceptor drum 1, and the opening is completely closed by the housing 15 of the developing unit. The cleaning unit 6 may
The collected toner contained therein is completely prevented from spilling. Furthermore, the process kit is compact in shape and easy to handle.

FIGS. 3 and 4 are diagrams showing other embodiments of the present invention. In this apparatus as well, a charger 102 and an exposure optical system 1 are arranged around the photoreceptor drum 101 in the order of the rotation direction indicated by the arrow.
05, a developing unit 104, a transfer charger 105, and a cleaning unit 106 are provided. In the apparatus of this embodiment, the developing unit 104 uses magnetic toner, and the toner is made into a thin layer by a blade 108 and is conveyed to the photosensitive drum 101 by a multipolar magnetized roller 109. In addition, in the process kit 113 that includes the developing unit 104, the cleaning unit 106, and the charger 102, the charger 1 is installed as shown in FIG.
02 and the cleaning unit 106 are integrally constructed, and the developing unit 104 contacts the cleaning unit 106 along the guide rail 114 fixed to the guide rail 114.
It is considered possible. The developing unit 104 is biased by a spring in the direction of contacting the cleaning unit 106, and the developing unit 104 is pushed into contact with the cleaning unit 106.
06, the developing roller 109 of the developing unit 104 comes into contact with the opening of the cleaning unit 106.

When the process kit 116 is pulled upward to replace the process kit, the unit consisting of the charger 102 and the cleaning unit 106 is drawn to the developing unit 104, as shown in FIG. The opening of the charger 102 is closed, and the opening of the cleaning unit 106 is closed by the developing roller 109.

The toner used in this device is magnetic toner,
Since the developing roller 109 is a magnetic roller, its sealability is very good, and even when the developing unit 104 is separated from the cleaning unit 106 as shown in FIG. Since the toner near 110 is attracted to the developing roller 109 and carried away, toner spillage hardly occurs. Furthermore, since the opening of the cleaning unit 106 is sealed by the developing roller and a portion of its lower cover, complete toner sealing is possible in the state shown in FIG. 4. In this case, the relationship between the diameter of the developing roller and the diameter of the photoreceptor drum is approximately equal.
The former is preferably smaller and the curvature of the outer periphery of the developing roller cover is approximately equal to the curvature of the photoreceptor drum in terms of sealing performance.

Although the above two embodiments are examples in which the present invention is applied to an electrophotographic copying machine, the present invention is of course applicable to other image forming apparatuses using an electrostatic recording method such as printers and facsimiles.

Effects As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to prevent toner from spilling when a process kit including a cleaning unit is separated from a photosensitive drum.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is a side sectional view showing an embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 2 is a side sectional view explaining its operation, Fig. 3 is a side sectional view of another embodiment of the invention, and Fig. 4 is its side sectional view. It is a side sectional view explaining an effect. 1, 101...Photosensitive drum (image carrier) 4.104
...Developing unit 6.106...Cleaning unit 9.1[]9.
...Developing roller 10.110...Cleaning blade 13.115
...Process Kit Figure 3 Figure 4 Procedure Amendment (JIYA) May 25, 1986

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] A cleaning unit having an opening for a collected toner accommodating portion facing the image carrier in a predetermined mounted state and other image forming process units are provided around the image carrier, and at least the cleaning unit described above is provided. In an image forming apparatus in which a process kit consisting of a process unit including a cleaning unit is separated from an image carrier and can be removed from the main body of the apparatus, the process kit is separated from the image carrier and a kit other than the cleaning unit is configured. An image forming apparatus characterized in that the component is movable relative to the cleaning unit so as to close the opening of the cleaning unit with the member.