JPS63220279A - Image forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To accurately load a developing device to a prescribed position in a developing device storage device by providing the developing device storage device with a guide member interlocking with opening/closing of an opening and closing door and projecting the guide member in accordance with opening of the door and drawing back the guide member in accordance with closing of the door. CONSTITUTION:Since a guide member 8 is projected to function as a stopper in accordance with opening of an opening and closing door 5 of a developing device storage device B, a developing device 4 is brought into contact with a projecting part 8b of the guide member 8 at the time of loading the developing device 4 and is positioned, and the developing device 4 is accurately loaded to a prescribed position in the developing device storage device B. When the door 5 is closed, the guide member 8 is drawn back and the developing device storage device B can be carried. Thus, the developing device is accurately loaded to the prescribed position in the developing device storage device, and the developing device is smoothly transported.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Field of Industrial Application) The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus including a developing device storage device that stores a plurality of developing devices.

(Technical Background) In order to meet the demand for color image forming devices such as copying machines that utilize electrostatic transfer processes.

A developing device storage device for storing a plurality of developing devices is provided outside the device main body, and a developing device having a desired color of developer is selected from the developing device storage device and transported to an image forming position within the device main body. A package has been proposed in which the image is transported and subjected to development.

(Problem to be Solved by the Invention) By the way, in the above-mentioned apparatus, when loading the developing device into the developing device storage device, the developing device must be accurately loaded at a predetermined position in the developing device storage device. 1. For example, if the developer is loaded obliquely to the direction of conveyance toward its main body,
Problems arise in that the developing device cannot be transported smoothly, and the developing device cannot be maintained in a correct posture at the lj image forming position within the main body, making it difficult to obtain high-quality images.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to accurately load a developing device into a predetermined position in a developing device storage device, thereby facilitating smooth transfer of the developing device. As well as being able to.

Image format *12 that allows you to obtain high-quality images! It is to provide l.

(Means for Solving the Problems) In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a developer storage device with an opening/closing door and a guide member that is linked to the opening/closing operation of the opening/closing door. The guide member is characterized in that the guide member protrudes and is retracted by the closing operation of the opening/closing door.

(Function) When the opening/closing door of the developing device storage device is opened, the guide member protrudes in conjunction with this and functions as a stopper, so when loading the developing device, the developing device is pressed against the protruding portion of the guide member. When they are brought into contact with each other, the developing device is positioned and the developing device is accurately loaded at a predetermined position within the developing device storage device. Then, when the opening/closing door is closed, the guide member is retracted in conjunction with this, allowing the developing device housing to be transported.

(Example) An example of the present invention will be described below based on the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 181 is a longitudinal sectional side view of the main parts of the copying apparatus, and FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line -n in FIG.

The main body A is provided with a photosensitive drum 1, which is driven to rotate in the direction of the arrow in the figure, and electrostatic latent images corresponding to the original image are successively formed on its surface. Also, main body A
A developing device loading port 2 is open on one side, and a horizontal transfer path 3 that continues to the photosensitive tram 1 is formed at the far side of the developing device loading port 2.

On the other hand, the developing device storage device ff1B is driven vertically by a driving means (not shown), and inside thereof, a plurality of developing devices (for convenience, only one developing device 4 is shown in FIG. 1) are vertically moved. It is stored. The developing device storage device B is provided with an opening/closing door 5 which is operated to open and close when loading and unloading the developing device 4, and one end thereof is rotatably mounted on a shaft 6. One end edge constitutes an arcuate engaging portion 5a.

Further, a guide member 8 is provided below the partition 7 in which the developing device 4 is placed in the developing device storage device B, with one end of the guide member 8 being pivotably mounted on a shaft 9 so as to be movable up and down. One end of the guide member 8 constitutes an arcuate engaging portion 8a that curves downward, and the other end constitutes a stopper portion 8 that stands up at right angles upward.
b. The guide member 8 is formed with a guide portion 8C that is continuous with the stopper portion 8b, and the guide portion 8c includes a parallel portion 8 cm 1 having the same width as the developing device 4, as shown in FIG. It is composed of the parallel part 8cm1 and a continuous tapered part 8cm2. Note that the guide member 8 is always urged in one direction (clockwise) by a spring IO.

When the door 5 is closed as shown by the chain line in FIG. 1, the engaging portion 5a of the door 5 and the guide member 8
It is spaced apart from the retaining part 8a and the two do not engage with each other.
Therefore, the guide member 8 is retracted by being buried under the partition 6 by the spring 10, as shown by the chain line in FIG. 1, regardless of the opening/closing door 5.

When loading the developing device 4 into the developing device storage compartment B, the opening/closing door 5 is rotated about the shaft 6 in the direction of arrow a in FIG. 1 and opened as shown by the solid line. The engaging portion 5a of the opening/closing door 5 engages with the engaging portion 8a of the guide member 8, and the guide member 8 is moved around the axis 9 as shown by the solid line in FIG. 1 against the elastic force of the spring IO. Rotate it in the direction of arrow C as shown. As a result, the guide member 8 has its stopper portion 8
b protrudes above the partition 7. Therefore, if the developing device 4 is sent in the direction of the arrow d shown in the figure from the side of the opening/closing door 5 in the open state, the developing device 4 is guided and loaded by the guide portion 8c of the guide member 8, and in particular, the parallel portion 8 cm1 of the developing device 4 is loaded. The direction is made to match the direction of conveyance toward the main body A side. Then, the developing device 4 is moved so that its four tip portions 4a are at the stopper portion 8 of the guide member 8.
If the developing device 4 is pushed in until it comes into contact with b, the developing device 4 is correctly loaded in a predetermined position.

Thereafter, when the door 5 is rotated about the shaft 6 in the direction indicated by the arrow in FIG. 1 and closed as shown by the chain line, the engaging portion 5a of the door 5 and the guide member 8 are engaged. The engagement with the portion 8a is released, and the guide member 8 is retracted to the position 8 shown by the chain line by the spring lO, and the guide member 8
The stopper portion 8b is buried below the partition 7 and the developing device 4
movement is allowed.

In this way, either the loading of the developing device 4 into the developing device storage device B is completed or, at this point, the developing device 4 is accurately set at the predetermined position as described above, so the developing device 4 is selected. In this case, the developing device 4 is transferred to the main body A by a transport means (not shown).
It is very smoothly transported along the transport path 3 to the image forming position near the photosensitive tram l. Further, since the developing device 4 maintains an accurate positional relationship with respect to the photosensitive tram 1 at the image forming position, good development is performed and a high quality image is obtained.

In the above embodiment, the developing device 4 is loaded from the front side (left side in FIG. 1) of the developing device storage device B, or from the front side (direction perpendicular to the paper surface of FIG. 1). Even if it is loaded from the beginning, the same configuration as above can be adopted. In addition to the configurations shown in the above embodiments, any other mechanical configuration may be adopted by combining an opening/closing door and a guide member that appears and retracts in conjunction with the opening/closing operation of the opening/closing door.

(Effects of the Invention) As is clear from the above description, according to the present invention, the developing unit storage device is provided with an opening/closing door and a guide member that is linked to the opening/closing operation of the opening/closing door, and the guide member protrudes when the opening/closing door is opened. Since the guide member is retracted by the closing operation of the opening/closing door, the developing device can be accurately loaded in a predetermined position in the developing device storage device, and the developing device can be smoothly transferred to the main body side. In addition to being able to do a lot of things, it also has the effect of being able to obtain high-quality images.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional side view of the main parts of the copying apparatus, and FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line 1--n in FIG. A...Device main body, B...Developer storage device, 4...
Developing device, 5... Opening/closing door, 8... Guide member.

Claims (1)

[Claims] An image forming apparatus is provided with a developer storage device outside the main body for storing a plurality of developing devices, the developer storage device is provided with an opening/closing door and a guide member interlocked with the opening/closing operation of the opening/closing door,
An image forming apparatus characterized in that a guide member is configured to protrude when an opening/closing door is opened and retracted when the opening/closing door is closed.