JP2010049020A - Image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image forming apparatus with high reliability for improving freedom in arrangement of a power source switch and operability of the apparatus as well as preventing power supply from being shut off by having the power source switch operated in error during use by a user. <P>SOLUTION: The power source switch for turning on and off the power supply to the image forming apparatus is provided on an inner side of the apparatus than from an opening and closing door. A transparent section is provided on the opening and closing door so that the power source switch can be seen from the outside when the opening and closing door is closed. At the same time, the power source switch emits light when power is supplied. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, a printer, and a facsimile, and more particularly to an arrangement of a power switch.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, a power switch operated by a user to supply power to the apparatus is provided on any side surface of the apparatus main body. Many of them are provided at positions with poor visibility and poor operability such as the rear side of the apparatus and the lower side so that the user does not operate by mistake. However, as a recent trend of image forming apparatuses, as described in Patent Document 1, a power switch is provided on the front surface of the main body of the image forming apparatus, thereby improving operability and design for the user. It has been planned.
JP 2004-198916 A

  However, when a power switch is provided in a place where the operability and visibility of the image forming apparatus main body are good, when a human is in the vicinity of the apparatus and is waiting for a printout, the user presses the power button accidentally during printing, There is a case where it is pushed unintentionally. As a result, the power button is turned off, the power supply to the image forming apparatus is stopped, and the printout is interrupted. In this case, there is a problem that the user needs to redo the printout process from the beginning, and the usability is remarkably deteriorated.

  An object of the present invention is to improve the degree of freedom of arrangement of the power switch and the operability of the apparatus, and to provide a highly reliable image that can prevent the power supply from being accidentally operated and shutting off the power supply during user use. It is to provide a forming apparatus.

  To achieve the above object, the present invention provides an image forming apparatus comprising: an open / close door that opens and closes the inside of the apparatus main body; and a power switch that turns on / off power supply to the image forming apparatus. Is arranged at a position where it can be exposed and operated when the open / close door is opened.

  According to the present invention, there are the following advantages with respect to the problems of low flexibility of arrangement of the power switch and the problem that the user erroneously turns on / off the power supply, which has been a conventional problem. That is, the power switch can be arranged at a position where the user can easily recognize and operate, and at the same time, it is possible to prevent the user from operating the power switch by mistake and turning on / off the power supply. As a result, it is possible to provide an image forming apparatus with high usability and high reliability.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of an image forming apparatus according to the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the drawings.

[Entire configuration of image forming apparatus]
First, an outline of the overall configuration of the image forming apparatus will be described with reference to FIG. In addition, FIG.
1 is a longitudinal sectional view showing an overall configuration of a color laser printer 100 which is an aspect of an image forming apparatus.

  The color laser printer 100 shown in FIG. 1 includes four photosensitive drums 1 (1a, 1b, 1c, 1d). Around each photosensitive drum 1, a plurality of image forming units as described below are arranged in order according to the rotation direction. The image forming means is constituted by means for executing a series of processes acting on the photosensitive member as follows. First, charging means 2 (2a, 2b, 2c, 2d) for uniformly charging the surface of the photosensitive drum 1, and exposure means for forming an electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive drum 1 by irradiating a laser beam based on image information. 3 is disposed. Next, developing means 4 (4a, 4b, 4c, 4d) is provided for developing the toner image by attaching toner to the electrostatic latent image. Next, transfer means 12 (12a, 12b, 12c, 12d) for transferring the toner image on the photosensitive drum 1 to the intermediate transfer material 12 (intermediate transfer belt) is provided. Further, cleaning means 8 (8a, 8b, 8c, 8d) for removing the post-transfer toner remaining on the surface of the photosensitive drum 1 after the transfer is provided.

  In the present embodiment, the photosensitive drum 1 (1a to 1d), the charging unit 2 (2a to 2d), the developing unit 4 (4a to 4d), and the cleaning unit 8 (8a to 8d) are integrated into a cartridge. It has become. The process cartridge 7 (7a to 7d) can be attached to and detached from the color laser printer 100.

  These four process cartridges 7a, 7b, 7c, and 7d have the same structure, but images of toners of different colors, that is, yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C), and black (Bk) are displayed. It differs in the point to form. The process cartridges 7a, 7b, 7c, 7d are constituted by developing units 4a, 4b, 4c, 4d and cleaner units 5a, 5b, 5c, 5d.

  Among these, the former developing units 4a, 4b, 4c, and 4d include developing rollers 24a, 24b, 24c, and 24d, developer application rollers 25a, 25b, 25c, and 25d, and a toner container.

  On the other hand, the latter cleaner units 5a, 5b, 5c and 5d are photosensitive drums 1a, 1b, 1c and 1d which are image carriers, charging rollers 2a, 2b, 2c and 2d, and drum cleaning blades 8a, 8b, 8c, 8d. A waste toner container (not shown) is also provided.

  Photosensitive drums 1a, 1b, 1c, and 1d as image carriers are formed by applying an organic photoconductive layer (OPC) to the outer peripheral surface of an aluminum cylinder, and both ends thereof can be freely rotated by flanges. It is supported by. By transmitting a driving force from a driving motor (not shown) to one end, it is rotationally driven in the clockwise direction indicated by the arrow in FIG.

  The charging means 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d are conductive rollers formed in a roller shape, and the rollers are brought into contact with the surfaces of the photosensitive drums 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d. At the same time, the surface of the photosensitive drum 1 is uniformly charged by applying a charging bias voltage from a power source (not shown).

  The exposure means 3 is arranged vertically below the process cartridges 7a, 7b, 7c, and 7d, and performs exposure based on the image signal to the photosensitive drums 1a, 1b, 1c, and 1d.

The developing units 4a, 4b, 4c, and 4d are adjacent to the toner storage unit that stores toner of each color of yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C), and black (Bk), and the photoreceptor surface, respectively. It is rotationally driven by the illustrated drive unit. At the same time, the image forming apparatus includes a developing roller that performs development by applying a developing bias voltage from a developing bias power source (not shown).

  With the configuration described above, the photosensitive drums 1a, 1b, 1c, and 1d are charged to a predetermined negative potential by the charging rollers 2a, 2b, 2c, and 2d, and then electrostatic latent images are formed by the scanner unit 3, respectively. Is done. This electrostatic latent image is reversed and developed by the developing units 4a, 4b, 4c, and 4d, and negative toner is attached to form Y, M, C, and Bk toner images, respectively.

  In the intermediate transfer belt unit 12, an intermediate transfer belt 12e is stretched around a drive roller 12f and a tension roller 12g, and the tension roller 12g applies tension in the direction of arrow E. Further, primary transfer rollers 12a, 12b, 12c, and 12d are arranged inside the intermediate transfer belt 12e so as to face the respective photosensitive drums 1a, 1b, 1c, and 1d, and are transferred by a bias applying unit (not shown). The bias is applied.

  In the toner images formed on the photosensitive drums 1a, 1b, 1c, and 1d, each photosensitive drum rotates in the arrow direction, and the intermediate transfer belt 12e rotates in the arrow F direction. Further, by applying a positive bias to the primary transfer rollers 12a, 12b, 12c, and 12d, the toner images on the photosensitive drum 1a are sequentially transferred onto the intermediate transfer belt 12e sequentially. Then, the four color toner images are conveyed to the secondary transfer unit 15 in a state where they overlap.

  The feeding device 13 includes a paper feed roller 9 that feeds the sheet S from within the paper feed cassette 11 that stores the sheet S, and a transport roller pair 10 that transports the fed sheet S.

  The paper feed cassette 11 is configured to be able to be pulled out toward the front side of the main body in FIG. 1, and the user pulls out the paper feed cassette 11 and removes it from the main body of the apparatus. This completes the sheet supply.

The sheets S stored in the paper feed cassette 11 are pressed against the paper feed roller 9, separated one by one by the separation pad 23 (friction piece separation method), and conveyed.
Then, the sheet S conveyed from the feeding device 13 is conveyed to the secondary transfer unit 15 by the registration roller pair 17.
In the secondary transfer unit 15, a four-color toner image on the intermediate transfer belt 12 e is secondarily transferred onto the conveyed sheet S by applying a positive bias to the secondary transfer roller 16.

The fixing unit 14 as a fixing unit applies heat and pressure to the image formed on the transfer material and fixes the image.
A cylindrical fixing belt 14a is guided by a belt guide member 14c to which heat generating means such as a heater is bonded. An elastic pressure roller 14b sandwiches the fixing belt 14a and forms a fixing nip portion N having a predetermined width with a predetermined pressure contact force with the belt guide member 14c.

The pressure roller 14b is rotationally driven by a driving unit (not shown), and the cylindrical fixing belt 14a rotates accordingly, and the fixing belt 14a is heated by an internal heater (not shown).
In a state where the fixing nip N rises to a predetermined temperature and is temperature-controlled, the sheet S on which the unfixed toner image conveyed from the image forming unit is formed is fixed to the fixing belt 14a and the pressure roller 14b of the fixing nip N. Sent between. The sheet S is introduced with the image surface facing upward, that is, facing the fixing belt surface, and in the fixing nip portion N, the image surface is in close contact with the outer surface of the fixing belt 14a so as to sandwich and convey the fixing nip portion N together with the fixing belt 14a. It will be done.

  In the process in which the sheet S is nipped and conveyed together with the fixing belt 14a through the fixing nip N, the unfixed toner image on the transfer material S is heated and fixed by heating with the heater heat in the fixing belt 14a. The fixed sheet S is discharged to the discharge tray 21 by the discharge roller pair 20.

  On the other hand, the toner remaining on the surface of the photosensitive drums 1a, 1b, 1c, and 1d after the toner image transfer is removed by the cleaning blades 8a, 8b, 8c, and 8d. The removed toner is collected in a waste toner container in the cleaner units 5a, 5b, 5c, and 5d.

  Further, the toner remaining on the intermediate transfer belt 12e after the secondary transfer onto the sheet S is removed by the transfer belt cleaning device 22. The removed toner passes through a waste toner conveyance path (not shown) and is collected in a waste toner collection container (not shown) disposed on the back surface of the apparatus.

[Description of power switch]
Next, Embodiment 1 of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
FIG. 2 is a front view of the image forming apparatus according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the image forming apparatus according to the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustrating a method for attaching and detaching the process cartridge 7 in the image forming apparatus according to the first embodiment.

  In the tandem type color image forming apparatus, replenishment of sheets to the sheet feeding cassette 11, attachment / detachment of the process cartridges 7a, 7b, 7c, and 7d and collection of printed sheets can be operated from the front side of the apparatus. The process cartridge 7 can be attached and detached in the drum axial direction and on the product front side. This configuration is a side-oriented configuration that is mainstream in color image forming apparatuses.

  In this example, a front door 40 as an open / close door that opens and closes the inside of the apparatus and a power switch 50 that turns on / off power supply to the image forming apparatus body are provided on the front of the image apparatus body. . As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the power switch 50 includes a switch body 50a and a switch button 51 for operating the switch body 50a.

  The front door 40 is an open / close door that opens or closes an opening for mounting the process cartridges 7a, 7b, 7c, and 7d. That is, when the user attaches / detaches the process cartridge 7, the front door 40 on the front side of the apparatus is opened as shown in FIG. When the front door 40 is opened, the process cartridge 7 is exposed, and the user can attach and detach the front side of the apparatus main body.

  The front frame 30 on the front surface of the image forming apparatus is provided with a switch body 50a that constitutes a power switch 50 for turning on / off the power supply. That is, the power switch 50 is disposed at a position where it can be exposed and operated when the front door 40 is opened. Further, the switch button 51 for operating the switch body 50a is made of a translucent material. Further, a front cover 31 that covers the front frame 30 is provided in the apparatus main body. The front cover 31 is provided with an opening 32 that exposes the switch button 51.

  As shown in FIG. 2A, in a state where the switch button 51 is pushed and held and the power supply is turned on, an LED (not shown) built in the power switch 50 emits light. When the switch button 51 protrudes and the power supply is turned off, the LED is turned off. The light emitted from the LED passes through the switch button 51 and is guided to the outside. That is, the LED emits light when the power switch 50 is turned on and power is supplied to the apparatus.

As shown in FIG. 2B, once the switch button 51 is pushed, it is held in that state and the power supply is turned on. If the switch button 51 is pressed again in this pressed state, the switch button 51 protrudes from the surface of the front cover 31 and the power supply is turned off.

  In a state where the front door 40 is closed, a transparent portion 41 that is a transparent region is provided on a part of the front door 40 that constitutes the open / close door facing the switch button 51. Therefore, the power switch 50 can be visually recognized even when the front door 40 is closed. That is, it can be determined whether the switch button 51 is pushed in from the outside or is in a protruding state.

Further, when the power supply is on, the light emitted from the LED can be recognized from the outside via the switch button 51 and the transparent portion 41.
Further, since the gap between the outside of the apparatus and the switch button 51 is shielded by the transparent portion 41, the switch button 51 cannot be touched from the outside with the front door 40 closed.

  As described above, in this embodiment, the power switch 50 for turning on / off the power supply to the apparatus is provided on the main body side inside the front door 40, and the power switch 50 is exposed from the outside when the front door 50 is closed. A transparent portion 41 was provided as described above. In addition, when the power is supplied, the power switch 50 emits light, thereby preventing the power switch 50 from being touched from the outside of the apparatus and making it possible to easily determine the on / off state of the power switch 50.

  As a result, it is possible to solve the problems of the low degree of freedom of arranging the power switch 50 and the erroneous power supply on / off by the user, which are the conventional problems. That is, the power switch 50 can be arranged at a position where the user can easily recognize and operate, and at the same time, it is possible to prevent the user from operating the power switch 50 by mistake and turning the power on and off. As a result, it is possible to provide an image forming apparatus with high usability and high reliability.

  In this embodiment, the push type power switch is used, but the same effect can be obtained even when a seesaw type power switch is used.

  Next, Embodiment 2 of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the image forming apparatus according to the second embodiment. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the image forming apparatus according to the second embodiment.

  Members having the same functions as those of the first embodiment described above are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof is omitted. The configuration of the image forming apparatus and the image forming operation are the same as those in the first embodiment described above, and a description thereof is omitted in this embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 5, a right door 60 is provided on the right side of the image forming apparatus. The right door 60 is also set to be freely opened and closed, and is closed when the apparatus is normally used. However, when a paper jam occurs inside the apparatus, the user opens the right door and performs jam processing. That is, the right door 60 is an open / close door that opens or closes the recording material conveyance path provided in the image forming apparatus main body.

  When the right door 60 is opened, internal components such as the conveyance path 20 of the paper S, the secondary transfer roller 16, and the registration roller 17 are exposed.

The right frame 70 on the right side of the image forming apparatus is provided with a power switch 51 for turning on / off the power supply. In the configuration of this embodiment, an electrical unit (not shown) is arranged on the back side of the main body for the convenience of the layout of the process cartridge 7 and the paper transport path. By arranging the switch button 51 as shown in FIG. 5, the power switch and the electrical unit can be brought close to each other, and wiring is greatly advantageous.

The power switch 50 has a switch button 51 which is a light transmissive material.
A right cover that covers the right frame 70 of the apparatus main body is provided. The right cover 70 is provided with an opening 71 that exposes the switch button 51.

  As shown in FIG. 5A, in a state where the switch button 51 is pushed and held and the power supply is turned on, an LED (not shown) built in the switch body 50a emits light. When the switch button 51 protrudes and the power supply is turned off, the LED is turned off. The light emitted from the LED passes through the switch button 51 and is guided to the outside.

  As shown in FIG. 5B, once the switch button 51 is pushed, the switch button 51 is held in that state and the power supply is turned on. If the switch is pressed again in this pressed state, the switch button 51 protrudes and the power supply is turned off.

  In a state where the right door 60 is closed, a transparent portion 61 is provided on a part of the right door 60 facing the switch button 51. Accordingly, it is possible to determine whether the switch button 51 is pushed in from the outside or the protruding state with the right door 60 closed. Further, when the power supply is turned on, the switch button 51 and a part of the right door 60 can recognize the light emitted from the LED from the outside through the transparent portion 61.

  Further, since the gap between the outside of the apparatus and the switch button 51 is shielded by the transparent portion 61, the switch button 51 cannot be touched from the outside with the right door 60 closed.

  As described above, a power switch for turning on / off the power supply to the apparatus is provided inside the right door 60, and the right door 60 has a transparent portion so that the power switch 50 is exposed from the outside when the right door 60 is closed. 61 was provided. In addition, when the power is supplied, the power switch 50 emits light, so that the on / off state of the power switch 50 can be easily determined. Furthermore, it is possible to prevent an erroneous operation of the power switch 50 from the outside of the apparatus.

  As a result, it is possible to solve the problems of the low degree of freedom of arranging the power switch 50 and the erroneous power supply on / off by the user, which are the conventional problems. That is, the power switch 50 can be arranged at a position where the user can easily recognize and operate, and at the same time, it is possible to prevent the user from operating the power switch 50 by mistake and turning the power on and off. As a result, it is possible to provide an image forming apparatus with high usability and high reliability.

  In this embodiment, the push type power switch is used, but the same effect can be obtained even when a seesaw type power switch is used.

1 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an image forming apparatus according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. (A), (b) is a front view of the apparatus of FIG. 1 when the door is closed and when it is opened. (A), (b) is the fragmentary sectional view of the apparatus of FIG. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the apparatus of FIG. It is a perspective view of the image forming apparatus which concerns on Example 2 of this invention. (A), (b) is a fragmentary sectional view of the image forming apparatus of FIG. It is a perspective view of the conventional image forming apparatus.

Explanation of symbols

7a, 7b, 7c, 7d ... Process cartridge 40 ... Front door (open / close door)
41 ... Transparent part 50 ... Power switch
50a: Switch body 51: Switch button 60: Right door (open / close door)
61 ... Transparent part

Claims (5)

In an image forming apparatus having an open / close door that opens and closes the interior of the image apparatus main body, and a power switch that turns on / off power supply to the image forming apparatus main body,
The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the power switch is disposed at a position where the power switch is exposed and operable when the door is opened.   2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a part of the opening / closing door is provided with a transparent area where the power switch can be visually recognized when the opening / closing door is closed.   The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the power switch emits light when power is supplied to the apparatus.   4. The open / close door according to claim 1, wherein the open / close door is an open / close door that opens and closes an opening for mounting at least one process cartridge having a photosensitive member and a process means acting on the photosensitive member. The image forming apparatus according to any one of the items.   4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the opening / closing door is an opening / closing door that opens and closes a recording material conveyance path provided inside the image forming apparatus main body. 5.

Images