CN105988349B - Mounting device and image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention provides a mounting device and an image forming apparatus, which can mount a toner supply container (200) as a mounting body protruding to the outside of an apparatus body in a detachable manner, and when a front cover member (40) as a cover member is closed, even when the toner supply container (200) is mounted, an interlock switch (310) as a closed state detection mechanism for detecting the closed state can be used with a simple structure. A relay mechanism (400) is provided between the front cover member (40) and the interlock switch (310). The approach action of the front cover member (40) to the toner replenishing container (200) is transmitted to the interlock switch (310) by means of the relay mechanism (400), and the switch (310) is actuated thereby.

Description

Mounting apparatus and image forming apparatus

technical field

The present invention relates to a mounting apparatus and an image forming apparatus.

Background technique

Conventionally, in the image forming apparatus, inspection and replacement of the developing device, the processing unit, and the like in the apparatus main body are performed by opening the front cover member or the like of the apparatus main body. In order to prevent a dangerous operation state for the operator during the inspection and replacement, a mechanism called an interlock is generally provided. The interlock mechanism employs, for example, an interlock switch or the like interlocked with a switch of a front cover member or the like of the device body to switch the DC power supply voltage of a load drive circuit device such as a motor. Thereby, even if the main power supply of the apparatus body is in the activated state, as long as the front cover member and the like are open, since the driving voltage of the load is not applied, the load will not fluctuate, so that there is no danger to the operator. action state.

However, for users who print a lot, it is desirable to prolong the replacement cycle of the toner cartridge by increasing the storage capacity of the toner. Then, there has been proposed a technique in which a toner supply container such as a large-scale additional toner hopper having an increased toner storage capacity can be connected to a developing device by opening the front cover member.

However, since the inside of the image forming apparatus is compacted and has little free space, when a large toner replenishing container is installed, the front cover member cannot be brought into a normal closed state but is only in a "half-open state". In this half-open state, the image forming apparatus cannot be operated due to the interlock.

In order to operate the image forming apparatus even in the "half-open state", it is necessary to separately provide a mechanism for releasing the interlock of the apparatus body. If such an interlock release mechanism is separately provided outside the apparatus main body, the apparatus becomes complicated and the cost increases. In addition, since the interlock release mechanism provided separately protrudes to the outside of the apparatus body, a general user who does not need a large-scale toner supply container is restricted by the installation space of the image forming apparatus.

In Patent Document 1 (Japanese Patent No. 3032249 ) or Patent Document 2 (Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2-228678 ), there is disclosed a relay member for releasing an interlock switch into a developing device or a processing unit. invention. The relay member is configured to release the interlock switch after interlocking with the front cover member. The invention described above is for preventing the situation where the developing device or the processing unit is not installed in the main body of the device because the interlock is released due to the closing of the front cover member, and the white paper is not printed needlessly. The above-mentioned problems caused by the installation of the toner supply container.

[Patent Document 1] (Japanese) Patent No. 3032249

[Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2-228678

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a mounting device capable of detachably mounting a mounting body as a mounting body protruding to the outside of the device body, and when the mounting position is closed by a cover member, even if the mounting body is At the time of installation, the closed state detection mechanism that detects the closed state can also be used with a simple configuration.

In order to solve the aforementioned problems, the technical solution of the present invention provides a mounting device, which can detachably mount a mounting body protruding outside the device body to a mounting position provided in the device body, and is characterized by comprising: a cover a member that is movably arranged in the device body and that can open and close the installation position; and a closed state detection mechanism that is arranged in the device body and is The closed state when the cover member is closed is detected; a relay mechanism is arranged between the cover member and the closed state detection mechanism, and the cover member is installed in the installation position. The approaching action of the mounting body is transmitted to the closed state detection mechanism, and the closed state detection mechanism is actuated, and when the mounting position is closed by the cover member, the closed state detection mechanism passes through the closed state detection mechanism. The cover member is actuated by the closing operation of the cover member, and in the state where the mounting body is mounted in the mounting position, the approaching action of the cover member to the mounting body is transmitted to the mounting body via the relay mechanism. in the closed state detection mechanism, and make the closed state detection mechanism act.

Since the present invention has a relay mechanism that transmits the movement of the cover member approaching the mounting body mounted in the device body to the closed state detection mechanism on the main body side, even when the mounting body is used, the relay mechanism can be used. A mechanism is used to transmit the approaching motion of the cover member to the closed state detection mechanism and then actuate the closed state detection mechanism. Therefore, even when the mounting body is used, by adding the relay mechanism, the closed state detection mechanism can be operated by the cover member, so that the cost of the device can be reduced.

Description of drawings

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the image forming apparatus.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the image forming apparatus when the cover member is opened.

FIG. 4a is a side view of the image forming apparatus when the cover member is opened.

FIG. 4b is a side view of the image forming apparatus when the cover member is closed.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the image forming apparatus when the toner replenishing container is mounted.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the image forming apparatus when the toner replenishing container is mounted.

7a is a perspective view of the image forming apparatus when an additional cover member is attached to the toner supply container.

Fig. 7b is a perspective view of the additional cover member.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing the image forming apparatus when the front cover member is closed toward the toner supply container to which the additional cover member is attached.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the relay mechanism composed of two members.

10a is a cross-sectional view of the image forming apparatus when the toner replenishing container having the relay mechanism having two members is installed and the front cover member is opened.

10b is a cross-sectional view of the image forming apparatus when the toner replenishing container having the relay mechanism having two members is installed and the front cover member is closed.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the relay mechanism composed of one member.

12a is a cross-sectional view of the image forming apparatus when the toner supply container having the one-member relay mechanism is installed and the front cover member is opened.

12b is a cross-sectional view of the image forming apparatus when the toner replenishing container having the one-member relay mechanism is installed and the front cover member is closed.

13 is a cross-sectional view of a toner replenishing container having an optical relay mechanism.

FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view of a toner replenishing container having an electrical relay mechanism.

15a is a side view of an image forming apparatus using a wire interlocking with a rocking support shaft of a front cover member as a relay mechanism.

15b is a side view of the image forming apparatus when the wire is pressed by the wire pressing portion formed on the additional cover member.

Detailed ways

Hereinafter, an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The image forming apparatus can be used in, for example, copiers, facsimile machines, laser printers, full-color laser printers, and the like. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an image forming apparatus 1000, and FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view thereof. Although the image forming apparatus 1000 is a monochrome image forming apparatus, it goes without saying that the present invention can also be applied to a color image forming apparatus.

The image forming apparatus 1000 is detachably mounted with the processing unit 100 . The processing unit 100 constitutes the first mounting body of the present invention, and integrates the photoreceptor 110 , the developing unit 120 , the charging roller 130 , the cleaning device 140 , the waste toner storage unit 150 , and the like. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 , the processing unit 100 can be centered on the rocking support point 38 so that the front cover member 40 is in a state of being slightly opened on the front side, and can be freely attached and detached as a second mounting body. The toner supply container 200 or the additional cover member 60 are connected to each other. In addition, the front cover member 40 is configured to be interlocked with the apparatus body as described later, and when the front cover member 40 is opened, no load is applied even if the main power supply of the apparatus body is activated. Therefore, the image forming apparatus cannot be operated due to the driving voltage.

<Configuration of Image Forming Apparatus>

The drum-shaped photoreceptor 110 of the processing unit 100 is located substantially in the center of the main body of the image forming apparatus 1000 . The photoreceptor 110 rotates in the direction of the arrow in the figure. In addition, the photoreceptor 110 is not limited to a drum shape, and may be a belt shape.

The charging roller 130 and the transfer roller 10 are arranged above and below the photoreceptor 110 . In addition, the developing roller 121 of the developing unit 120 is arranged on the right side of the photoreceptor 110, and the cleaning device 140 is arranged on the left side. The charging roller 130 is applied with a predetermined bias voltage by a high-voltage power supply, and is brought into contact with the surface of the photoreceptor 110 so that the surface of the photoreceptor 110 is uniformly charged to a predetermined potential.

The writing device 11 is arranged above the charging roller 130 . The writing device 11 can perform exposure on the surface of the photoreceptor 110 using a laser or an LED according to image data. Then, an electrostatic latent image pattern is formed on the surface of the photoreceptor 110 uniformly charged by the charging roller 130 by exposure from the writing device 11 .

The developing unit 120 of the processing unit 100 includes a toner accommodating portion 123 , and a developing roller 121 and a supplying roller 122 arranged in the toner accommodating portion 123 . The developing roller 121 mounts the developer, and applies a predetermined developing bias with a high-voltage power supply. The toner carried on the developing roller 121 adheres to the electrostatic latent image pattern on the surface of the photoreceptor 110 by the electric field formed between the photoreceptor 110 and the developing roller 121, and thereby makes the electrostatic latent image It is developed as a toner image. The supplying roller 122 has a sponge-like surface layer impregnated with toner, and is in contact with the developing roller 121 to simultaneously supply the desired toner and remove the unnecessary toner to the developing roller 121 .

The transfer roller 10 is applied with a transfer bias by a high-voltage power supply, and the toner image developed on the surface of the photoreceptor 110 is transferred to the transfer roller 10 and the photoreceptor supplied to the transfer roller 10 by the transfer bias. between the bodies 110 on the surface of the paper. The paper on which the toner image has been transferred is conveyed to the fixing device 12 , where the toner image is fixed on the paper. The paper on which the toner image has been fixed is further conveyed and then discharged by the discharge rollers 13 to the discharge paper stacker 19 on the upper surface of the main body. The surface of the photoreceptor 110 after the toner image is transferred to the paper is removed by the cleaning device 140 to remove the transfer residual toner, and the transfer residual toner is stored in the waste toner of the cleaning device 140 . 150 miles from the storage unit.

A drawer-type paper feed tray 14 is arranged below the transfer roller 10 , and a paper feed roller 15 is arranged above the front side of the paper feed tray 14 . In addition, a relay roller 16 and a timing roller 17 are arranged above the paper feed roller 15 . The paper P in the paper feeding tray 14 is fed from the paper feeding roller 15 to the relay roller 16, and further from the relay roller 16 to the timing roller 17, where the position of the leading end of the paper P is defined and restricted . Then, in synchronization with the toner image formed on the photoreceptor 110 , the paper P is fed out from the timing roller 17 , and the photoreceptor 110 is transferred at the transfer nip between the photoreceptor 110 and the transfer roller 10 . The toner image thereon is transferred to the paper P.

<Operation of Image Forming Apparatus>

When the image forming apparatus 1000 receives a print instruction by operation of an operation panel or the like, the paper P is conveyed one by one from the uppermost layer of the stack of sheet bundles in the paper feed tray 14 by the paper feed roller 15 . And, the leading end of the paper P reaches the timing roller 17 after passing through the relay roller 16 . After that, further rotation of the relay roller 16 is continued to correct the skew of the paper at the nip portion of the roller 17 .

On the other hand, an electrostatic latent image is written on the surface of the photoreceptor 110 charged by the charging roller 130 by the writing device 11 in response to a print instruction generated by the operation of the operation panel or the like. This electrostatic latent image is developed by the toner T supplied on the surface of the photoreceptor 110 by the supplying roller 122 and the developing roller 121 . The developed toner image is transferred onto the paper P that is successively discharged from the timing roller 17 toward the transfer roller 10 in synchronization with the formation of the toner image.

Here, as shown in FIG. 2 , the photoreceptor 110 and the charging roller 130 and the like arranged around it are constituted as an integrated cartridge unit (hereinafter referred to as “AIO (All In One)”). This AIO also includes a developing roller 121, a supply roller 122, a case that covers and supports them from the outside, a toner accommodating portion 123 that accommodates the toner T, and a toner that passes through cleaning of the surface of the photoreceptor The waste toner accommodating portion 150 for accommodating the discharged waste toner.

After the toner image is transferred to the paper P, the paper P is conveyed to the fixing roller 12a and the pressure roller 12b, and the toner is toned by the pressure roller 12b facing the fixing roller 12a. The image formation is completed after the agent image is heated and fixed. Then, the paper P is sequentially discharged onto the paper discharge stacker 19 by the paper discharge rollers 18, and the printing operation is completed.

＜Interlocking mechanism＞

The image forming apparatus 1000 has a switch detection mechanism for activating and releasing the interlocked front cover member 40 of the apparatus body. Inspection and replacement of the processing unit 100 and the like are performed after opening the front cover member 40 to the front and downward as shown in FIG. 3 , and a plurality of devices using a high-voltage power supply are arranged in the apparatus body. Therefore, in order to prevent the occurrence of an operating state that is dangerous for the operator, a mechanism called an interlock is provided in the main body of the image forming apparatus 1000 in conjunction with the switch detection mechanism of the front cover member 40 . . With this interlock mechanism, when the front cover member 40 is opened, the interlock switch 310 of FIG. 4a is turned off (start-off OFF), thereby cutting off the power supply system including the high-voltage power supply, and the device body enters the non-starting state.

In addition, when the front cover member 40 is closed from the open state of the cover member in FIG. 4a to the original state shown in FIG. 4b, the striker ( The striker) 41 pushes the interlock switch 310. As a result, after the interlock switch 310 is turned ON, the interlock is released, and the device body can operate.

As shown in FIG. 3 , a first insertion hole 54 into which the striker 41 of the front cover member 40 is inserted is formed on the side surface of the device body. As shown in FIG. 4b , when the front cover member 40 is closed, the striker 41 is inserted into the first insertion hole 54 to activate the interlock switch 310 and then release the interlock.

A pair of left and right locking holes 52a and 52b are formed on the side surface of the device body as shown in FIG. 3 . The closed state of the front cover member 40 is maintained by inserting and locking the locking claws 42a and 42b provided in the front cover member 40 as a pair on the left and right into the locking holes 52a and 52b. By maintaining the closed state, the striker 41 of the front cover member 40 continues to push the interlock switch 310, and the interlock is maintained in the released state.

The operation and release of the interlock switch 310 are not limited to a configuration that is mechanically performed by the striker 41 as shown in FIGS. 4 a and 4 b . In FIGS. 13 and 14 , as will be described later, the optical sensor receiving portion 221 or the interlock switch 310 that also serves as an interlock switch may be optically or electrically turned on and off.

<Toner supply container>

As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 , the image forming apparatus 1000 can be equipped with a large-sized toner supply container 200 in which a toner hopper or the like is added. By providing such a large-sized toner supply container 200 , the toner storage capacity of the toner storage portion 123 of the processing unit 100 can be substantially increased. Therefore, the replacement cycle of the AIO can be extended, and the inventory of the AIO can be reduced even for users with a large amount of printing. In addition, the abnormal operation time of the image forming apparatus 1000 accompanying the replacement of the AIO can also be shortened.

The installation position of the toner supply container 200 to the image forming apparatus 1000 is the same as the installation position of the processing unit 100 shown in FIGS. When the toner replenishment container 200 is mounted, the replenishment port at the lower end thereof is connected to the toner accommodating portion 123 of the process unit 100 .

As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 , the toner replenishing container 200 has a large protruding shape on the outside of the apparatus main body. Therefore, since the conventional front cover member 40 cannot cover the toner supply container 200, it is necessary to replace it with a large-sized cover member. However, the use of such a large-sized cover member leads to an increase in cost, and also requires a storage space for the large-sized cover member when the toner replenishing container 200 is not used.

In addition, it is necessary to arrange the striker 41 as shown in FIGS. 4a and 4b in the large cover member, and it is not always easy to set the movement trajectory of the striker that can activate the interlock switch 310 on the main body side. If it is impossible or difficult to provide a striker on the cover side corresponding to the position of the interlock switch 310 on the main body side, it is necessary to additionally provide an interlock switch on the main body side so as to correspond to the position of the striker provided on the large cover member side . As a result, two interlock switches are required in the device body, which inevitably leads to a significant change in the design of the device body or a significant increase in cost.

Therefore, in the embodiment of the present invention, even when the toner replenishment container 200 is attached, the conventional front cover member 40 can be used to cover a part of the toner replenishment container 200 as it is, In addition, only the portion that cannot be covered by the front cover member 40 is covered by an additional cover member 60 to be described later. In this way, a large cost increase due to a large cover member is avoided, and since the additional cover member 60 is a smaller size, only a small cost increase is required. In addition, when the toner replenishing container 200 is not used, since the additional cover member 60 is small, a limited storage space is required.

However, the posture of the front cover member 40 covering a part of the toner supply container 200 is a so-called "half-open state". Therefore, the interlock release operation cannot be performed as it is. Therefore, in the embodiment of the present invention, a relay mechanism, which will be described later, is provided between the striker 41 serving as the working portion of the front cover member 40 and the interlock switch 310 serving as the closed state detection mechanism on the main body side. This relay mechanism transmits the predetermined position and posture state of the front cover member 40 in the "half-open state" to the interlock switch 310 to perform an interlock release operation.

In this interlock release state, the front cover member 40 covers the inclined lower surface side of the toner supply container 200, and the pair of left and right locking claws 42a and 42b of the front cover member 40 are engaged with the main body side locking claws 42a and 42b. The stop holes 52a and 52b are locked. By maintaining the locked state of the front cover member 40, the interlock release operation of the interlock switch 310 is maintained, and the device body can be operated.

<Additional cover member>

Next, the additional cover member 60 covering the upper portion of the toner replenishing container 200 will be described with reference to FIGS. 7 a , 7 b and 8 . The additional cover member 60 includes a horizontal upper plate portion 61 approximately equal to the height of the upper surface of the device body, and a pair of left and right triangular plate portions 62 extending at right angles downward from the left and right side edges of the upper plate portion. and the inclined plate portion 63 folded back inward from the front edge of the upper plate portion 61 . The inclined plate portion 63 is connected to the distal end sides of the pair of left and right triangular plate portions 62, and thereby, the additional cover member 60 is configured to have a predetermined strength as a whole.

As shown in FIG. 7b, the additional cover member 60 is provided with four locking claws 64a, 64b for detachably attaching the additional cover member 60 to the device body on the bottom end side facing the device body. , 64c, 64d. On the other hand, on the main body side of the image forming apparatus 1000 , as shown in FIG. 7 a , locking holes 53 a , 53 b , 53 c , and 53 d are provided corresponding to the locking claws 64 a to 64 d (the locking holes 53 d are hidden from view).

Then, the four locking claws 64a to 64d of the additional cover member 60 can be detachably locked in the four locking holes 53a to 53d on the main body side. As a result, the additional cover member 60 can be removed when the toner replenishing container 200 is not in use, and the front cover member 40 can be closed as shown in FIG. Just increase the size of the machine.

In the inclined plate portion 63 of the additional cover member 60, as shown in FIG. 42b is stuck. In addition, a second insertion hole 69 is formed in one end of the inclined plate portion 63 , and the striker 41 of the front cover member 40 can pass through the second insertion hole 69 to press the mechanical relay mechanism 400 described later. The end portion 401c of the first moving member 401. In addition, as shown in FIG. 7b , on the bottom end side of the triangular plate portion 62, an insertion hole 62d through which the pressing end portion 402b of the second moving member 402 of the mechanical relay mechanism 400 is inserted is formed.

The additional cover member 60 may be formed integrally with the toner supply container 200 in addition to being formed separately from the toner supply container 200 . That is, the additional cover member 60 can be constituted by a part of the outer casing of the toner supply container 200 . However, many of the toner replenishment containers 200 are disposable, and if the casing of the toner replenishment container 200 itself is used as an additional cover member, the running cost will increase. Therefore, in order to reduce the cost, the additional cover member 60 and the toner replenishing container 200 are preferably constituted separately and independently.

＜Relay organization＞

The relay mechanism may be any relay mechanism such as a mechanical relay mechanism, an optical relay mechanism, or an electrical relay mechanism. First, an embodiment of the mechanical relay mechanism 400 will be described. As shown in FIG. 9 , the mechanical relay mechanism 400 includes a first moving member 401 and a second moving member 402 having a predetermined length. A first guided pin 401 a and a second guided pin 401 b that extend a short distance in a right-angle direction with respect to the longitudinal direction are disposed at both ends of the first moving member 401 . The first moving member 401 and the second moving member 402 are connected to each other so as to be able to bend each other using the second guided pin 401b as a hinge pin.

The protruding portions of the first guided pin 401a and the second guided pin 401b are slidably fitted to the triangular plate portion 62 (Fig. 7b) formed on the side of the additional cover member 60 as shown in Figs. 10a and 10b. Inside the long hole-shaped first rail portion 62a and the second rail portion 62b on the inner surface of the right triangular plate portion 62). The first guide rail portion 62 a is disposed in an inner position of the second insertion hole 69 of the inclined plate portion 63 so as to be inclined at right angles to the inclined plate portion 63 , and the second rail portion 62 b is disposed on the upper plate portion 61 . The bottom of the is configured to be horizontal.

In addition, the second moving member 402 is disposed so as to be movable left and right between the horizontal guide portions 66 and 67 formed on the inner surface of the triangular plate portion 62 of the additional cover member 60 . Then, the lower surface 402a of one end portion of the second moving member 402 is slidably placed on the lower horizontal guide portion 67 . In addition, the opposite end of the second moving member 402 is a pressing end 402b capable of pressing the interlock switch 310, and the pressing end 402b is inserted into the insertion hole 62d of the additional cover member 60.

A vertically erected stepped portion 68 is formed at the end portion of the horizontal guide portion 67 , and one end of the compression coil spring 70 as an urging mechanism is supported in the stepped portion 68 . The other end of the compression coil spring 70 is in contact with the second moving member 402 and exerts a constant force toward the right in FIGS. direction.

Accordingly, when the front cover member 40 is opened, the mechanical relay mechanism 400 is surely moved to a position where the interlock switch 310 does not act, so that the opening and closing of the front cover member 40 can be reliably detected. That is, even if the front cover member 40 is in the open state, it is possible to reliably prevent a situation in which it is erroneously detected that the front cover member 40 is in the closed state. In addition, in the open state of the front cover member 40, the urging force of the compression coil spring 70 can reliably return the first moving member 401 to the standby position shown in FIG. 10a.

As shown in FIG. 10 a , in the open state of the front cover member 40 , the striker 41 provided in the front cover member 40 does not abut against the first moving member 401 . Therefore, the mechanical relay mechanism 400 is moved to the right by the biasing force of the compression coil spring 70 , and the pressing end 402 b of the second moving member 402 is separated from the interlock switch 310 . Thereby, the control system of the image forming apparatus 1000 can confirm the open state of the front cover member 40 by the closed state of the interlock switch 310 .

Next, when the front cover member 40 approaches the side of the toner supply container 200 and enters a closed state as shown in FIG. 10 b , the striker 41 of the front cover member 40 passes through the second penetration of the additional cover member 60 . The hole 69 pushes the end of the first moving member 401 in the direction of arrow A in Fig. 10b. By the pressing action of the striker 41 , the mechanical relay mechanism 400 moves to the left in FIG. 10 b against the urging force of the compression coil spring 70 . At this time, after the guided pins 401a and 401b at both ends of the first moving member 401 are guided by the first guide rail portion 62a and the second guide rail portion 62b of the additional cover member 60, the inclination of the first moving member 401 is changed while changing the inclination of the first moving member 401. to effectively transmit the pressing force of the striker 41 to the second moving member 402 .

Through the transmission of the pressing force, the second moving member 402 moves in the direction of the arrow B in FIG. 10 b , and the pressing end 402 b of the second moving member 402 penetrates through the first portion provided on the side surface of the image forming apparatus 1000 . The interlock switch 310 is inserted through the hole 54 to actuate the switch. Thereby, the closed state of the front cover member 40 is detected, and the disconnected state of the power supply system including the high-voltage power supply is released by the release operation of the interlock, and the device body can operate.

In addition, when the toner replenishing container 200 is not used, the additional cover member 60 of FIG. 7b is removed from the apparatus main body as shown in FIGS. 4a and 4b. In this state, when the front cover member 40 is closed as shown in FIG. 4B , since the striker 41 of the front cover member 40 directly acts (abuts against) the interlock switch 310 through the first insertion hole 54 , the The closed state of the front cover member 40 is detected.

As described above, without changing the shape of the striker 41 of the front cover member 40 or the position of the interlock switch 310 , the interlock mechanism (cover) of the image forming apparatus 1000 in which the toner supply container 200 can be detachably mounted can be constructed. Component switch detection mechanism). Therefore, in order to realize the interlock mechanism, it is not necessary to separately manufacture the apparatus main body with and without the toner supply container 200, so that the cost can be reduced. In addition, in the case where the toner replenishing container 200 is not provided, the size of the apparatus body does not become unnecessarily large.

In addition to being assembled in the additional cover member 60 as shown in FIGS. 10 a and 10 b , the mechanical relay mechanism 400 may be separately arranged separately from the additional cover member 60 . However, in this case, since it is necessary to install the additional cover member 60 and the mechanical relay mechanism 400 separately, the installation work increases and the mechanical relay mechanism 400 may be forgotten to be installed. Therefore, the mechanical relay mechanism 400 is preferably assembled in the additional cover member 60 as shown in Figs. 10a and 10b.

<Variation of relay mechanism>

Next, a modification of the mechanical relay mechanism 400 will be described. The aforementioned mechanical relay mechanism 400 is composed of two moving members 401 and 402 . In this case, in addition to the number of parts being two, assembly man-hours for connecting the two moving members 401 and 402 are required. Then, the moving member 410 shown in FIG. 11 is formed separately to reduce the number of parts and man-hours.

The moving member 410 is constituted by an integral plate-like member, and one end side of the moving member 410 is elongated to form a pressing end portion 411 that abuts against the interlock switch 310 . In addition, the width of the opposite side of the moving member 410 is large, and an inclined portion 412 serving as a sliding surface against which the striker 41 of the front cover member 40 abuts is formed at the end portion thereof. In addition, the upper and lower side edges of the moving member 410 are guided portions 413 and 414 extending linearly in the horizontal direction, and a guided pin 415 is protrudingly provided in a portion close to the guided portion 413 .

As shown in FIGS. 12 a and 12 b , the moving member 410 is disposed so as to be movable left and right between the horizontal guide portions 66 and 67 formed on the inner surface of the triangular plate portion 62 of the additional cover member 60 . In the horizontal guide portions 66 and 67, rotating members 65a, 65b, 65c such as rollers are arranged so as to face up and down, and the upper and lower guided portions 413, 414 of the moving member 410 are sandwiched by these rotating members 65a to 65c. The form inside is oriented horizontally.

Accordingly, by reducing the sliding movement load of the moving member 410 and reducing the operating force when the front cover member 40 is closed, the operability of the front cover member 40 can be improved, and the activation and operation of the interlock switch 310 can be reliably performed. Close the action. The rotating members 65 a to 65 c may be arranged on the upper and lower guided portions 413 and 414 of the moving member 410 instead of the horizontal guide portions 66 and 67 .

In addition, a horizontally long hole-shaped third rail portion 62c is formed on the inner surface of the triangular plate portion 62, and the guided pin 415 of the moving member 410 is slidably inserted into the third rail portion 62c. A vertical stepped portion 68 is formed at the end of the horizontal guide portion 67 , and a compression coil spring 70 is arranged between the stepped portion 68 and the moving member 410 . The moving member 410 applies a force in a direction away from the interlock switch 310 to the mechanical relay mechanism 400 by the compression coil spring 70 continuously toward the right in FIGS. 12 a and 12 b .

When the integral moving member 410 is used, as shown in FIG. 12b, when the striker 41 abuts in the arrow direction C with respect to the inclined surface 412 of the moving member 410, the contact portion of the striker 41 and the moving member 410 come into contact with each other. The inclined portions 412 of the slidable portions 412 will slide and move each other in the direction D perpendicular to the direction C of the arrow. Therefore, by configuring at least one of the contact portion of the striker 41 and the inclined portion 412 as a low-friction sliding member, the sliding resistance of the striker 41 and the moving member 410 can be reduced.

Thereby, the moving member 410 can be moved without the contact portion of the striker 41 being hooked on the inclined portion 412 , and the operating force of the front cover member 40 at the time of opening and closing can be reduced, thereby improving the operability. Further, the sliding member may be formed of a low frictional resistance sheet such as Teflon (registered trademark) tape which can be adhered to the contact portion of the striker 41 or the inclined portion 412 .

<Optical relay mechanism>

FIG. 13 shows an embodiment when the front cover member 40 when the optical relay mechanism is used as the relay mechanism is closed. A photosensor emitting portion 220 is attached to the inside of the front end portion of the front cover member 40 , and a photosensor receiving portion 221 serving as an interlock switch is arranged on the device body side. After the light emitted from the photosensor emitting portion 220 is received by the photosensor receiving portion 221 through the insertion hole 62d of the additional cover member 60 and the first insertion hole 54 on the main body side, the detection of the front cover member 40 Disabled.

When the optical path from the photosensor emitting portion 220 to the photosensor receiving portion 221 interferes with the toner supply container 200 and the like, a reflector 222 is provided for detouring the optical path. By providing the reflecting plate 222, even if the toner replenishing container 200 is increased in size, the optical path is not blocked by the container, and the optical relay mechanism can be reliably operated.

<Electrical relay mechanism>

FIG. 14 shows an embodiment when an electrical relay mechanism is used as the relay mechanism. The second interlock switch 320 is arranged at the portion (inside the inclined plate portion 63 ) of the front cover member 40 where the abutting portion of the striker 41 touches, and is connected by the lead wire 320 and the conductive terminals 340 a and 340 b. The second interlock switch 320 and the main body side interlock switch 310 are connected in parallel. The conductive terminals 340a and 340b are arranged on the mounting surfaces of the additional cover member 60 member and the main body facing each other.

By this electrical relay mechanism, when the additional cover member 60 is attached, as shown in FIG. The striker 41 is used to activate the second interlock switch 320. As a result, the interlock switch 310 on the device main body side is brought into the same circuit state as the start-up operation. Therefore, the interlock of the apparatus main body is released, and the apparatus main body can operate in a state in which the toner replenishing container 200 is attached. In addition, in the case of this electrical relay mechanism, the insertion hole 62d may be used as the insertion lead 330 .

＜Relay mechanism for steel wire＞

Next, as a modified embodiment of the mechanical relay mechanism, an embodiment in which a steel wire is used as the relay mechanism will be described with reference to FIGS. 15 a and 15 b . In this embodiment, the pressing member 500 for actuating the switch 310 is disposed in the vicinity of the interlock switch 310 . The switch pressing member 500 is a driving member that operates the interlock switch 310 as a closed state detection mechanism. The switch pressing member 500 is arranged so as to be slidable in the left-right direction, and is urged leftward by an urging mechanism.

On the other hand, a winding shaft 38 a is arranged coaxially with the rocking support point 38 of the front cover member 40 . Then, the winding shaft 38a and the switch pressing member 500 are connected by a wire 510 as a relay mechanism. The wire 510 may be arranged in any route, but as will be described later, at least a part of the wire 510 is arranged on the side surface close to the main body of the apparatus in order to abut against the pressing portion 60a of the additional cover member 60. in location. Here, an example of the wire 510 is a cord-shaped body, but a belt or a rope may be used instead of the wire 510 .

In this way, when the wire 510 is used as the relay mechanism, as shown in FIG. 15a, by closing the front cover member 40 in the direction of the arrow with the rocking support point 38 as the center, the wire 510 is connected with the application of the switch pressing member 500. The force means are reeled up against the reeling shaft 38a. In this way, the switch pressing member 500 moves in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 15a to activate the interlock switch 310, thereby releasing the interlock of the device body and enabling the device body to operate. On the contrary, when the front cover member 40 is opened, the switch pressing member 500 is moved to the left due to the urging mechanism, and the interlock switch 310 is closed, thereby causing the interlock hook to be hooked into the device body, and the device body Can't move.

15b is a view showing a state in which the additional cover member 60 and the toner replenishing container 200 are attached to the side surface of the apparatus main body as the second attachment body. In the additional cover member 60, a wire pressing portion 60a protruding to the apparatus main body side is formed. Therefore, when the additional cover member 60 is attached to the main body of the apparatus as shown in FIG. 15b, the wire 510 is bent to the left by the pressing of the wire pressing portion 60a of the additional cover member 60, and the wire 510 is bent to the left. The actual length will shorten the length of this bend.

Therefore, when the front cover member 40 is moved from the open position of FIG. 15b toward the additional cover member 60 to the slanted dash-dotted position, the interlock switch 310 is activated by the switch pressing member 500 . Thereby, the interlock of the apparatus main body is released, and the apparatus main body can operate in a state of being attached to the toner replenishing container 200 .

That is, in the above modified embodiment, the addition of the wire pressing portion 60a of the cover member 60 enables the operation of the wire 510 as the relay mechanism to be effective. In addition, instead of the additional cover member 60 , a protruding portion having the same function as the wire pressing portion 60 a may be provided on the toner replenishing container 200 .

＜Summary＞

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and it goes without saying that various modifications can be made within the scope of the technical idea described in the claims. Then, the present invention has at least the configuration described below.

(Constitution 1)

A mounting device capable of detachably mounting a mounting body (200) protruding outside of a device body into a mounting position provided in the device body, characterized by comprising: a cover member (40) capable of moving a closed state detection mechanism (310), which is arranged in the device body and is covered by the cover for the installation position. The closed state when the member (40) is closed is detected; a relay mechanism (400), which is arranged between the cover member (40) and the closed state detection mechanism (310), connects the cover The approaching action of the member (40) to the mounting body (200) installed in the mounting position is transmitted to the closed state detection mechanism (310), and the closed state detection mechanism (310) is actuated, and, When the mounting position is closed by the cover member (40), the closed state detection mechanism (310) is actuated by the closing operation of the cover member (40), and is mounted on the mounting body (200). In the state in the installation position, the approaching action of the cover member (40) to the installation body (200) is transmitted to the closed state detection mechanism (310) via the relay mechanism (400). ), and make the closed state detection mechanism (310) act. According to the configuration 1, since the relay mechanism (400) transmits the action of the cover member (40) approaching the mounting body (200) mounted in the device body to the closed state detection mechanism (310) on the body side, even the In the case of using the mounting body (200), it is also possible to transmit the approaching action of the cover member (40) to the closed state detection mechanism (310) by means of the relay mechanism (400), and then make the closed state detection mechanism (310). 310) Action. Therefore, even when the mounting body (200) is used, by adding the relay mechanism (400), the closed state detection mechanism (310) can be operated by the cover member (40), so that the cost of the device can be reduced.

(Constitution 2)

The device according to configuration 1, wherein a part of the mounting body (200) mounted in the mounting position can be covered by the cover member (40), and at the same time, the mounting body The other part of (200) can be covered by adding a cover member (60). According to the configuration 2, since the mounting body (200) can be protected by both the cover member (40) and the additional cover member (60), or the cover member (40) will not become useless, cost reduction can be achieved. . The additional cover member (60) does not necessarily need to be separate and independent from the mounting body (200). The outer casing of the mounting body (200) itself may also be used as the additional cover member (60).

(Composition 3)

The apparatus according to the configuration 2, wherein the relay mechanism (400) is arranged in the additional cover member (60). According to the configuration 3, since it is not necessary to attach the relay mechanism (400) and the additional cover member (60) to the main body separately, the installation workability is improved, and forgetting to attach the relay mechanism (400) can be prevented.

(Composition 4)

An installation device capable of respectively installing a first installation body (100) that does not protrude to the outside of the device body and a second installation body (200) that protrudes to the outside of the device body into installation positions provided in the device body , which is characterized by comprising: a cover member (40), which is movably arranged in the device body, and can switch the installation position; a closed state detection mechanism (310), which is arranged in the inside the device body, and detect the closed state when the installation position is closed by the cover member (40); a relay mechanism (400) is arranged on the cover member (40) and the cover member (40) Between the closed state detection mechanism (310), the approaching action of the cover member (40) to the second mounting body (200) mounted in the mounting position is transmitted to the closed state detection mechanism ( 310), and actuate the closed state detection mechanism (310), and in the state where the mounting body (200) is mounted in the mounting position, when the mounting position is replaced by the cover member ( 40) When closing, the closed state detection mechanism (310) is actuated by the closing action of the cover member (40), and in a state where the second mounting body (200) is mounted in the mounting position, The approaching action of the cover member (40) to the second mounting body (200) is transmitted to the closed state detection mechanism (310) by means of the relay mechanism (400), and the closed state is made The detection mechanism (310) operates.

According to the configuration 4, since the relay mechanism (400) transmits the motion of the cover member (40) approaching the second mounting body (200) mounted in the device body to the closed state detection mechanism (310) on the body side, Even in the case of using the second mounting body (200), the closing action of the cover member (40) can be transmitted to the closed state detection mechanism (310) by means of the relay mechanism (400) and then closed The state detection mechanism (310) operates. Therefore, even when the second mounting body (200) is used, the closed state detection mechanism (310) can be operated by the cover member (40) by adding the relay mechanism (400). It is not necessary to change the structure of the device body when the device body and the second mounting body (200) are installed, thereby reducing the cost of the device. In addition, by approaching the second mounting body (200) by the cover member (40), the protrusion of the cover member (40) can be eliminated, and the closed state detection mechanism (310) can be activated in a state where the appearance of the device is compact.

(Constitution 5)

The device according to configuration 4, characterized in that a part of the second mounting body (200) mounted in the mounting position can be covered by the cover member (40), and at the same time, the The other part of the second mounting body (200) can be covered by adding a cover member (60). According to the configuration 5, since the mounting body can be protected by both the cover member (40) and the additional cover member (60), or the cover member (40) will not become useless, cost reduction can be achieved.

(Constitution 6)

The apparatus according to configuration 5, characterized in that at least a part of the relay mechanism (400) is disposed in the additional cover member (60). According to the configuration 6, since it is not necessary to attach the relay mechanism (400) and the additional cover member (60) to the main body separately, the installation workability is improved, and it is possible to prevent forgetting to attach the relay mechanism (400).

(Constitution 7)

The device according to any one of the configurations 4 to 6, wherein the additional cover member (60) is fixedly arranged on the side surface of the device body, and includes a A horizontal plate portion (61) extending in the horizontal direction, and a pair of triangular plate portions (62) connecting both end edges of the horizontal plate portion (61) and the side surfaces of the device body, are connected through the cover member ( 40) Close the space between the triangular plate parts (62) to accommodate the second mounting body (200) inside the additional cover member (60). According to the configuration 7, a triangular cover body that easily secures the strength required for the cover member (40) and the additional cover member (60) can be constructed, and an internal space can be sufficiently ensured, even for a large second mounting body ( 200), can also be easily accommodated.

(Composition 8)

The device according to any one of constitutions 4 to 7, characterized in that the relay mechanism (400) is capable of moving between the cover member (40) and the closed state detection mechanism (310). The moving members (401, 402, 410) are moved through the contact between the action portion (41) formed in the cover member (40) and one end of the moving member so that the moving member is moved. The closed state detection mechanism (310) operates. According to the configuration 8, since the moving members (401, 402, 410) of the mechanical relay mechanism (400) are used as the relay mechanism, it is possible to simplify the structure of the relay mechanism, reduce the number of parts, reduce malfunction, and improve the reliability.

(Constitution 9)

The device according to configuration 8, wherein the moving members (401, 402, 410) are moved by the urging mechanism (70) in contact with the acting portion of the cover member (40). Forced in the opposite direction. According to the configuration 9, the urging mechanism (70) can prevent rattling of the moving member to perform stable operation, and also can reliably detect the opening and closing of the cover member (40), prevent malfunction, and improve reliability. As the biasing mechanism (70), elastic members such as rubber or the like can be used in addition to springs such as compression springs and tension springs, and various springs such as coil springs and leaf springs can be used as the springs.

(composition 10)

The device according to constitution claim 8 or 9, characterized in that: the moving member (400) at least comprises a first moving member (401) and a second moving member (402) that can move in different directions, and the The first moving member (401) is capable of abutting against the acting portion (41) of the cover member (40), and the second moving member (402) is capable of abutting the closed state detection mechanism (310). catch. According to the configuration 10, by having at least the first moving member (401) and the second moving member (402) movable in different directions, the movement of the cover member (40) can be performed by the moving members (401, 402) to be effectively transmitted to the closed state detection mechanism (310), so that the operational performance of the closed state detection mechanism (310) can be improved.

(Composition 11)

The device according to configuration 8 or 9, characterized in that a sliding surface (412) for sliding movement of the action portion (41) of the cover member (40) is formed at the end of the moving member (410). ). According to the configuration 11, the movement of the cover member (40) can be efficiently transmitted to the closed state detection mechanism (310) via the moving member (410) through the sliding surface (412), so that the closed state detection mechanism (310) can be improved. 310) action performance.

(composition 12)

The apparatus according to any one of constitutions 8 to 11, wherein the moving member (410) is guided by roller members (65a-65c). According to the configuration 12, by guiding the moving member (410) by the roller members (65a to 65c), the movement of the cover member (40) can be efficiently transmitted to the closed state detection mechanism (410) via the moving member (410). 310), the operation performance of the closed state detection mechanism (310) can be improved.

(composition 13)

The device according to the configuration 4 or 5, characterized in that the relay mechanism has a photosensor transmitter (220) and a photosensor receiver (221), and the photosensor transmitter (220) is disposed on a In the cover member (40), at the same time, the light sensor receiving portion (221) is arranged in the device body, and the light sensor receiving portion (221) receives the light sensor from the light sensor emitting portion by receiving (220) light to actuate the closed state detection mechanism (310). According to the configuration 13, space saving can be achieved by optically configuring the relay mechanism by the photosensor transmitting unit (220) and the photosensor receiving unit (221).

(composition 14)

The device according to the configuration 4 or 5, characterized in that the closed state detection mechanism is constituted by a first switch (310), and the relay mechanism includes a switch (310) connected in parallel with the first switch (310). A second switch (320) activated by the action portion of the cover member (40). According to the configuration 14, space saving can be achieved by electrically configuring the relay mechanism by the second switch (320).

(composition 15)

The apparatus according to configuration 4 or 5, wherein the relay mechanism includes a cord-shaped body that moves by a closing action of the cover member, and a cord-shaped body that passes through the cover after being connected to the cord-shaped body The closing action of the member causes the actuating member to actuate the closed state detection mechanism. According to the configuration 15, by configuring the relay mechanism with the cord-shaped body (510), the arrangement thereof can be facilitated, and space saving can be achieved. (Configuration 16) The device according to any one of configurations 1 to 15, wherein the closed state detection mechanism has an interlock switch (310) that passes the closed state detection mechanism The closed state detection of the connection enables the device to operate. According to the configuration 16, since the closed state detection mechanism has the interlock switch (310), the safety of the device can be improved.

(composition 17)

An image forming apparatus (1000) having a photoreceptor (110) and a developing portion (120), and capable of protruding a processing unit (100) that does not protrude outside the apparatus body and capable of being connected to the processing unit (100) The toner supply containers (200) to the outside of the apparatus body are respectively mounted in mounting positions provided in the apparatus body of the image forming apparatus (1000), and are characterized by comprising: a cover member (40) capable of an interlock switch (310), which is movably arranged in the device body and capable of opening and closing the installation position; an interlock switch (310) is arranged in the device body and is covered by the cover for the installation position The closed state of the member (40) when it is closed is detected; the relay mechanism (400), which is arranged between the cover member (40) and the interlock switch (310), connects the cover member (40) An approaching action of the toner supply container (200) mounted in the mounting position is transmitted to the interlock switch, and the interlock switch (310) is released, and when When the mounting position is closed by the cover member (40), the interlock switch (310) is released by the closing operation of the cover member (40), and the toner replenishing container (200) ) is connected to the processing unit (100) at the installation position, the approaching action of the cover member (40) to the toner supply container (200) is via the relay mechanism (400) is transmitted to the interlock switch (310), and the interlock switch (310) is released. According to the configuration 17, even when the toner replenishing container (200) is used, the approaching operation of the cover member (40) can be transmitted to the interlock switch (310) via the relay mechanism (400) and Activate the interlock switch (310). Therefore, even when the toner supply container (200) is used, by adding the relay mechanism (400), the interlock switch (310) can be actuated by the cover member (40), so that even when the toner supply container (200) is used Also in the case of the toner replenishing container (200), it is not necessary to change the configuration of the apparatus body, and thus, the apparatus cost can be reduced. In addition, by approaching the toner supply container (200) by the cover member (40), the protrusion of the cover member (40) can be eliminated, and the interlock switch (310) can be actuated in a state in which the appearance of the apparatus is compact.

As mentioned above, although the present invention has been specifically described based on the embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and it goes without saying that various modifications can be made within the scope of the technical idea described in the claims. For example, in the aforementioned embodiment, the toner replenishing container 200 is exemplified as the attachment body, but the attachment body is not limited to the toner replenishing container 200 .

In addition, the mounting body and the toner supply container are not limited to one, and two or more mounting bodies and the toner supply container may be connected and mounted in series or in parallel. As an example of the mounting body, for example, a large-scale processing unit integrally provided with a standard-type processing unit 100 and a toner replenishing container 200 is selectively used separately according to the application. In addition, the arrangement position of the cover member is not limited to the front surface of the apparatus main body like the front cover member 40 . The present invention can be applied even if the cover member is arranged on the side surface or the upper surface of the apparatus main body. In addition, the cover member can be slid in addition to being rockable.

In addition, the cover member is not limited to actuate the interlock switch 310 only when the front cover member 40 is completely closed (the state closest to the toner replenishing container 200 ) as shown in FIG. 10b . The interlock switch 310 may be actuated immediately when the front cover member 40 moves slightly in the closing direction from the state shown in FIG. 10a. At this time, the front cover member 40 does not necessarily need to be brought into the fully closed state as shown in FIG. 10b.

In addition, the relay mechanism may have various configurations, and in addition to the above, for example, a flexible shaft or the like may be used in a mechanical relay mechanism, or an electromagnetic wave may be used in an electrical relay mechanism.

Claims (16)

1. A mounting device capable of detachably mounting a mounting body protruding to the outside of a device body to a mounting position provided in the device body, comprising:

a cover member movably disposed in the apparatus main body and capable of opening and closing the attachment position;

a closed state detection mechanism that is disposed in the device body and detects a closed state when the attachment position is closed by the cover member;

a relay mechanism which is disposed between the cover member and the closed state detection mechanism, transmits an approaching operation of the cover member to the mounting body mounted in the mounting position to the closed state detection mechanism, and operates the closed state detection mechanism,

the closed state detection mechanism is operated by a closing action of the cover member when the mounting position is closed by the cover member, and an approaching action of the cover member to the mounting body in a state where the mounting body is mounted in the mounting position is transmitted to the closed state detection mechanism via the relay mechanism and causes the closed state detection mechanism to operate,

a part of the mounting body mounted in the mounting position can be covered by the cover member, while the other part of the mounting body can be covered by an additional cover member; the additional cover member is fixedly arranged on the side surface of the device body and comprises a horizontal plate part extending from the device body in the horizontal direction and a pair of triangular plate parts connecting the two end edges of the horizontal plate part and the side surface of the device body; and the mounting body is housed inside the additional cover member by the cover member closing the space between the triangular plate portions.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the relay mechanism is disposed in the additional cover member.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 or 2, wherein:

the closed state detection means has an interlock switch that enables the device to operate when connected by closed state detection by the closed state detection means.

4. A mounting device capable of mounting a first mounting body that does not protrude outside a device body and a second mounting body that protrudes outside the device body, respectively, in mounting positions provided in the device body, characterized by comprising:

a cover member movably disposed in the apparatus main body and capable of opening and closing the attachment position;

a closed state detection mechanism that is disposed in the device body and detects a closed state when the attachment position is closed by the cover member;

a relay mechanism that is disposed between the cover member and the closed state detection mechanism, transmits an approaching operation of the cover member to the second attachment body attached to the attachment position to the closed state detection mechanism, and operates the closed state detection mechanism,

the closed state detection mechanism is operated by a closing action of the cover member when the mounting position is closed by the cover member in a state where the first mounting body is mounted in the mounting position, and an approaching action of the cover member to the second mounting body is transmitted to the closed state detection mechanism via the relay mechanism in a state where the second mounting body is mounted in the mounting position and the closed state detection mechanism is operated,

a part of the second mounting body mounted in the mounting position can be covered by the cover member, while the other part of the second mounting body can be covered by an additional cover member; the additional cover member is fixedly arranged on the side surface of the device body and comprises a horizontal plate part extending from the device body in the horizontal direction and a pair of triangular plate parts connecting the two end edges of the horizontal plate part and the side surface of the device body; and the second attachment body is housed inside the additional cover member by the cover member closing the space between the triangular plate portions.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein:

at least a part of the relay mechanism is disposed in the additional cover member.

6. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein:

the relay mechanism has a moving member that is movable between the cover member and the closed state detection mechanism, and operates the closed state detection mechanism after moving the moving member by abutment of an action portion formed in the cover member with one end of the moving member.

7. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein:

the relay mechanism has a moving member that is movable between the cover member and the closed state detection mechanism, and operates the closed state detection mechanism after moving the moving member by abutment of an action portion formed in the cover member with one end of the moving member.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein:

the moving member is biased by a biasing mechanism in a direction opposite to a direction in which the moving member moves in abutment with the acting portion of the cover member.

9. The apparatus according to any one of claims 6-8, wherein:

the moving member includes at least a first moving member and a second moving member that are movable in different directions, and the first moving member is abuttable with the acting portion of the cover member, and the second moving member is abuttable with the closed state detecting mechanism.

10. The apparatus according to any one of claims 6 to 8, wherein:

a sliding surface on which the action portion of the cover member slides is formed at an end of the moving member.

11. The apparatus according to any one of claims 6 to 8, wherein:

the moving member is guided by a roller member.

12. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein:

the relay mechanism has a light sensor emitting portion and a light sensor receiving portion, the light sensor emitting portion is disposed in the cover member, the light sensor receiving portion is disposed in the apparatus main body, and the light sensor receiving portion activates the closed state detection mechanism by receiving light from the light sensor emitting portion.

13. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein:

the closed state detection means is constituted by a first switch, and the relay means includes a second switch connected in parallel with the first switch and activated by an action portion of the cover member.

14. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein:

the relay mechanism includes a cable body that moves by the closing operation of the cover member, and an activation member that is coupled to the cable body and activates the closed state detection mechanism by the closing operation of the cover member.

15. The apparatus according to any one of claims 4 to 8, 12 to 14, wherein:

the closed state detection means has an interlock switch that enables the device to operate when connected by closed state detection by the closed state detection means.

16. An image forming apparatus having a photoreceptor and a developing unit, and capable of mounting a process unit not protruding outside an apparatus main body and a toner replenishment container capable of protruding outside the apparatus main body in connection with the process unit, respectively, in a mounting position provided in the apparatus main body, the image forming apparatus comprising:

a cover member movably disposed in the apparatus main body and capable of opening and closing the attachment position;

an interlock switch disposed in the apparatus main body and detecting a closed state when the attachment position is closed by the cover member;

a relay mechanism disposed between the cover member and the interlock switch, transmitting an approaching operation of the cover member to the toner replenishing container attached to the attachment position to the interlock switch, and releasing the interlock switch,

when the mounting position is closed by the cover member, the interlock switch is released by the closing operation of the cover member, and the closing operation of the cover member to the toner replenishment container is transmitted to the interlock switch via the relay mechanism and the interlock switch is released in a state where the toner replenishment container is connected to the process unit at the mounting position,

a part of the toner replenishment container mounted in the mounting position can be covered by the covering member, and the other part of the toner replenishment container can be covered by an additional covering member; the additional cover member is fixedly arranged on the side surface of the device body and comprises a horizontal plate part extending from the device body in the horizontal direction and a pair of triangular plate parts connecting the two end edges of the horizontal plate part and the side surface of the device body; and the cover member closes the space between the triangular plate portions to accommodate the toner replenishment container inside the additional cover member.

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