JP2018180385A - Image forming apparatus and storage device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image forming apparatus or a storage device that has improved operability in taking out a removable unit from an apparatus body.SOLUTION: An operation lever 50 that is in contact with a waste toner recovery container 40 (removable unit) urged frontward in the attachment direction by a compression spring 55 (urging member) to lock the waste toner recovery container 40, is provided in an image forming apparatus body 100 with a leaf spring 51 to be able to move from a locked position to a release position. When the operation lever 50 is moved from the locked position to the release position, the compression spring 55 urges the waste toner recovery container 40 frontward in the attachment direction with respect to the image forming apparatus body 100 to a position where the waste toner recovery container can be held.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

  The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, a printer, a facsimile machine, or a multifunction machine or printing machine thereof, and a storage device in which a detachable unit is removably stored.

  Conventionally, in an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine or a printer, there is known a technology in which a detachable unit such as a process cartridge, a waste toner collecting container, or a toner bottle is detachably attachable to an image forming apparatus main body (for example, , Patent Documents 1 and 2.).

  Specifically, in Patent Document 1 and the like, the detachable unit such as a process cartridge is taken out of the main body of the image forming apparatus when a predetermined replacement cycle is reached or maintenance is performed, and the new unit (or maintenance) Is replaced by The mounting and demounting unit is moved in a predetermined mounting and demounting direction with respect to the image forming apparatus main body by a manual operation by a user (or a serviceman), and is mounted to and demounted from the image forming apparatus main body.

On the other hand, Patent Document 1 discloses a technique of installing a lock mechanism on the front side in the mounting direction, which prevents the detachable unit mounted on the image forming apparatus main body from coming off the image forming apparatus main body. When the detachable unit is taken out of the image forming apparatus main body, the lock mechanism is released by manual operation, and the detachable unit is pulled out to the front in the mounting direction with respect to the image forming apparatus main body.
Further, Patent Document 2 discloses a technique of providing a gripping portion at a central portion in the lateral direction of a developing unit (mounting and dismounting unit).

  In the conventional image forming apparatus, when taking out the detachable unit from the image forming apparatus main body (apparatus main body), it is necessary to put a hand into the inside of the image forming apparatus main body to grip the detachable unit. It was not.

  The present invention has been made to solve the problems as described above, and it is an object of the present invention to provide an image forming apparatus and a storage device that have high operability when taking out the detachable unit from the apparatus main body.

  The image forming apparatus according to the present invention is an image forming apparatus in which the mounting and demounting unit is moved in a predetermined mounting and demounting direction, and the mounting and demounting unit is detachably mounted to the main body of the image forming apparatus. A biasing member for relatively biasing the mounting / demounting unit toward the front in the mounting direction, and an operating member disposed on the front side in the mounting direction of the image forming apparatus main body, wherein the biasing member biases An operating lever which abuts on the removable unit to lock movement of the removable unit toward the mounting direction, the operating lever being capable of locking the removable unit by the action of an external force Is installed on the image forming apparatus main body via a plate spring so that the operation lever can be moved from the locked position to the released position where the lock can be released, and the biasing member is configured to move the operating lever to the locked position. When moved to said release position from those for biasing the mounting direction front side so as to protrude to the graspable position the detachable unit to the image forming apparatus main body.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an image forming apparatus and a storage device that have high operability when taking out the detachable unit from the apparatus main body.

FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram showing an image forming apparatus in an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the image forming apparatus in a state in which the openable cover is open. FIG. 7 is a view showing an operation when the waste toner collecting container is attached to the image forming apparatus main body. FIG. 10 is an enlarged view showing a state in which the mounting of the waste toner collection container on the image forming apparatus main body is completed and the projection of the waste toner collection container is in contact with the operation lever. It is an expansion perspective view showing the grasping part of a control lever. FIG. 14 is a diagram showing an operation when mounting a waste toner collection container to an image forming apparatus main body as a modification example.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the same or corresponding parts are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the redundant description will be appropriately simplified or omitted.

First, the overall configuration and operation of the image forming apparatus 100 will be described with reference to FIG.
In FIG. 1, 100 is a printer as an image forming apparatus, 1 is a photosensitive drum on which a toner image is formed on the surface, and 7 is a photosensitive drum with exposure light L based on image information input from an input device such as a personal computer. 1 shows an exposed portion (writing portion) to be irradiated.
Further, 9 is a transfer roller for transferring the toner image carried on the surface of the photosensitive drum 1 to the sheet P conveyed to the transfer nip portion (transfer position), 10 is the photosensitive drum 1, charging roller 4 and developing device 5 A process cartridge in which the cleaning device 2 and the cleaning device 2 are integrated, and a sheet feeding device (sheet feeding cassette) 12 in which a sheet P such as a sheet is stored.
Further, 16 is a registration roller (timing roller) for conveying the sheet P toward the transfer nip portion where the photosensitive drum 1 and the transfer roller 9 abut, 20 is a fixing device for fixing an unfixed image on the sheet P, 21 Denotes a fixing roller installed in the fixing device 20, and 22 denotes a pressure roller installed in the fixing device 20.
Further, reference numeral 30 denotes a toner container in which toner is contained, and reference numeral 40 denotes a waste toner collecting container as a detachable unit from which waste toner is collected.

  Here, around the photosensitive drum 1, a charging roller 4, a developing device 5, a cleaning device 2 and the like are disposed. These members (photosensitive drum 1, charging roller 4, developing device 5, and cleaning device 2) are integrated as a process cartridge 10 and are detachable from the image forming apparatus main body 100 ( Replaceable). The process cartridge 10 is removed from the image forming apparatus main body 100 (apparatus main body) and replaced with a new one (or one which has been subjected to maintenance) when a predetermined replacement cycle is reached or maintenance is performed. Be Therefore, this process cartridge 10 also functions as a mounting and demounting unit, like the waste toner collecting container 40 described later.

  Further, a toner container 30 is provided above the process cartridge 10 (developing device 5) in a removable (replaceable) manner with respect to the image forming apparatus main body 100. In the toner container 30, a toner (one-component developer) is accommodated. Then, the toner is replenished from the toner container 30 toward the inside of the developing device 5. The toner container 30 is replaced with a new one when the toner contained therein is exhausted (or when the toner contained in the developing device 5 is exhausted). Accordingly, the toner container 30 also functions as a mounting and demounting unit, similarly to the waste toner collecting container 40 described later.

  Further, below the process cartridge 10 (cleaning device 2), a waste toner collecting container 40 as a mounting and demounting unit is installed in a removable (replaceable) manner with respect to the image forming apparatus main body 100. The non-transferred toner collected by the cleaning device 2 is conveyed to the inside of the waste toner collecting container 40 through the waste toner conveyance path 25 and collected as waste toner. The waste toner recovery container 40 is replaced with a new one (or one which has been subjected to maintenance) when the waste toner stored inside is full.

An operation at the time of normal image formation in the image forming apparatus 100 will be described with reference to FIG.
First, when image information is transmitted from the input device such as a personal computer to the exposure unit 7 of the image forming apparatus 100, the exposure light L (laser light) based on the image information is transmitted from the exposure unit 7 to the surface of the photosensitive drum 1. It is emitted towards.
On the other hand, the photosensitive drum 1 receives a drive from a drive motor installed in the image forming apparatus main body 100, and rotates in the arrow direction (clockwise direction). Then, first, the surface of the photosensitive drum 1 is uniformly charged at a position facing the charging roller 4 (charging step). Thus, a charging potential (about -900 V) is formed on the photosensitive drum 1. Thereafter, the surface of the charged photosensitive drum 1 reaches the irradiation position of the exposure light L. Then, the potential of the portion irradiated with the exposure light L becomes the latent image potential (about 0 to -100 V), and an electrostatic latent image is formed on the surface of the photosensitive drum 1 (exposure step ).

Thereafter, the surface of the photosensitive drum 1 on which the electrostatic latent image is formed reaches the position facing the developing device 5. Then, toner is supplied from the developing device 5 onto the photosensitive drum 1, and the latent image on the photosensitive drum 1 is developed to form a toner image (developing process).
Thereafter, the surface of the photosensitive drum 1 after the development process reaches the transfer nip portion (transfer position) with the transfer roller 9. Then, a transfer bias (a bias having a polarity different from the polarity of the toner) is applied from the power supply unit to the transfer roller 9 at the transfer nip with the transfer roller 9, whereby the sheet conveyed by the registration roller 16 The toner image formed on the photosensitive drum 1 is transferred onto P (a transfer process).

Then, the surface of the photosensitive drum 1 after the transfer process reaches the position facing the cleaning device 2. At this position, the non-transferred toner remaining on the photosensitive drum 1 is mechanically removed by the cleaning blade and collected in the cleaning device 2 (a cleaning step).
Thus, a series of imaging processes on the photosensitive drum 1 are completed.
The non-transferred toner collected in the cleaning device 2 is discharged from the cleaning device 2 by the conveyance screw, and is then conveyed through the waste toner conveyance path 25 and thereafter the inside of the waste toner collection container 40 (attachment unit). Are collected as waste toner.

On the other hand, the sheet P conveyed to the transfer nip portion (transfer position) between the photosensitive drum 1 and the transfer roller 9 operates as follows.
First, the uppermost sheet of the sheet P stored in the sheet feeding device 12 is fed by the sheet feeding roller 15 toward the conveyance path.
Thereafter, the sheet P reaches the position of the registration roller 16. Then, the sheet P that has reached the position of the registration roller 16 is aligned in timing with the image formed on the photosensitive drum 1 to match the position of the transfer nip portion (the transfer roller 9 and the photosensitive drum 1). Is transported to the contact position).

Then, after passing through the position of the transfer nip portion (transfer roller 9), the sheet P after the transfer process passes through the conveyance path and reaches the fixing device 20. The sheet P having reached the fixing device 20 is fed between the fixing roller 21 and the pressure roller 22, and the image is fixed by the heat received from the fixing roller 21 and the pressure received from both members 21 and 22. . The sheet P on which the image is fixed is discharged from between the fixing roller 21 and the pressure roller 22 (which is a fixing nip portion), and then discharged from the image forming apparatus main body 100 and placed on a discharge tray. Be placed.
Thus, a series of image forming processes are completed.

Here, the image forming apparatus 100 in the present embodiment is covered with a plurality of exterior covers. And as shown in FIG. 2, a part of front exterior cover is comprised as the opening / closing cover 90 formed so that opening and closing was possible.
Specifically, the opening / closing cover 90 is held by the image forming apparatus main body 100 so as to be rotatable about a support shaft (rotational center axis). The open / close cover 90 is turned in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 2 about the pivot in the open state (the state of FIG. 2) or in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 2 about the pivot. By rotating in the opposite direction, the closed state or the like will occur.

Then, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, when the open / close cover 90 is in the open state, the waste toner recovery container 40 (removable unit), the process cartridge 10 and the toner container 30 are attached to the image forming apparatus main body 100. It is configured to be exposed in a detachable manner. Then, with the open / close cover 90 open, one or more of the waste toner collection container 40, the process cartridge 10, and the toner container 30 are replaced with new ones or the like. The mounting and demounting directions of the waste toner collecting container 40, the process cartridge 10, and the toner container 30 are the dashed double arrow direction in FIG. 2 (a direction corresponding to the direction perpendicular to the sheet of FIG. 1).
Further, as shown in FIG. 1, the image forming process (printing operation) described above with reference to FIG. 1 is performed in a state where the openable cover 90 is closed.
Referring to FIG. 2, when the waste toner collecting container 40 as the mounting and demounting unit is taken out from the image forming apparatus main body 100, the operation lever 50 is manually operated. Similarly, when the process cartridge 10 and the toner container 30 are taken out of the image forming apparatus main body 100, the operation levers 60 and 70 are manually operated. The detachment operation of the attachment / detachment unit using such an operation lever and the attachment operation of the attachment / detachment unit will be described in detail later.

  As described above, in the image forming apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment, mounting / removing units for the waste toner collecting container 40, the process cartridge 10, the toner container 30, etc. are in the predetermined mounting / removing direction It is moved and functions as a storage device in which the mounting and demounting unit is removably stored in the device main body.

Hereinafter, the configuration and operation of the image forming apparatus 100 (storage device), which is characteristic of the present embodiment, will be described in detail.
As described above with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, in the present embodiment, the waste toner collecting container 40 as the mounting and demounting unit is detachably installed to the image forming apparatus main body 100.
Here, as shown in FIG. 3, in the image forming apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment, a compression spring 55 as an urging member and an operation lever 50 are installed.

The compression spring 55 as a biasing member biases the waste toner collecting container 40 (removable unit) relative to the image forming apparatus main body 100 toward the front in the mounting direction (the right side in FIG. 3). It is
In the present embodiment, the compression spring 55 (biasing member) is not held on the waste toner collecting container 40 side, but is installed (held) on the image forming apparatus main body 100 side. More specifically, one end of the compression spring 55 is fixedly held at the back side of the space where the waste toner recovery container 40 is installed (the back side in the mounting direction and the left side in FIG. 3). As shown in FIG. 3C and the like, the other end of the compression spring 55 is at the end of the waste toner recovery container 40 mounted on the image forming apparatus main body 100 (the end surface in the mounting direction). The spring force causes the waste toner collecting container 40 to be urged toward the right in FIG.
In the present embodiment, the compression spring 55 is installed (held) on the image forming apparatus main body 100 side, but may be installed (held) on the waste toner collecting container 40 side.

The operation lever 50 is disposed so as to be operable on the front side (the right side in FIG. 3) in the mounting direction of the image forming apparatus main body 100. Specifically, the operation lever 50 is vertically movably installed above the insertion port 80 (opening) in which the waste toner recovery container 40 is inserted in the image forming apparatus main body 100. Then, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the user (or the serviceman) manually operates the operation lever 50 in a state where the openable cover 90 is opened.
As shown in FIG. 3C, the operation lever 50 abuts on the waste toner recovery container 40 (removable unit) biased by the compression spring 55 (biasing member), and the mounting direction of the waste toner recovery container 40 is obtained. It functions as a lock mechanism that locks movement toward the front side. That is, in the state where the waste toner collecting container 40 is set in the image forming apparatus main body 100, the operation lever 50 abuts on the waste toner collecting container 40 which is urged to the right in FIG. The movement of the toner collection container 40 to the right is restricted, and the position of the waste toner collection container 40 in the image forming apparatus main body 100 is determined.

Here, in the present embodiment, the operating lever 50 releases the locking from the locking position (the position of FIG. 3C) at which the waste toner collecting container 40 can be locked by the application of an external force. It is installed on the image forming apparatus main body 100 via a plate spring 51 so that it can be moved to a possible release position (the position of FIG. 3B).
More specifically, one end of the plate spring 51 is fixed (cantilevered) to a top surface of a space in which the waste toner collecting container 40 is stored by a fixing screw 53. Further, the other end side of the plate spring 51 is fixedly connected to the end of the operation lever 50 (the end on the back side in the mounting direction). With such a configuration, when an external force is not applied to the operation lever 50, the substantially linear shape is maintained without the plate spring 51 being elastically deformed, and the operation lever 50 can be maintained as shown in FIGS. It will be located in the position shown in (locking position). On the other hand, when an external force is applied to move the operation lever 50 upward, the leaf spring 51 is elastically deformed in an arc shape, and the operation lever 50 is positioned at the position (release position) shown in FIG. It will be done. Then, when such an external force is removed, the plate spring 51 returns to the original shape again, and the operation lever 50 is positioned at the position (locking position) shown in FIGS. 3 (A) and 3 (C). .

Here, in the present embodiment, the compression spring 55 as the biasing member is an image when the operation lever 50 is moved from the locking position shown in FIG. 3C to the release position shown in FIG. 3B. The mounting direction is urged toward the front in the mounting direction so as to project the waste toner collecting container 40 (removable unit) to a position where it can be gripped relative to the forming apparatus main body 100.
That is, from the state where the waste toner collection container 40 is set in the image forming apparatus main body 100 (the waste toner collection container 40 is locked by the operation lever 50), the operation lever 50 moves to the upper release position. When the manual operation is performed as described above, the locking by the operation lever 50 is released, and the waste toner collecting container 40 is biased to the right in FIG. 3 by the spring force of the compression spring 55. As a result, the waste toner recovery container 40 is in a state in which a part thereof (which is part of the front side in the mounting direction) pops out from the insertion port 80 of the apparatus main body 100 (FIG. 3A). .)become.
Then, the user (or the serviceman) takes out (draws) the waste toner collecting container 40 from the apparatus main body 100 in a state where the user grips the portion of the waste toner collecting container 40 that has popped out from the insertion port 80.

As described above, in the present embodiment, when the waste toner collecting container 40 is taken out of the image forming apparatus main body 100, the hand inside the image forming apparatus main body 100 (a space in which the waste toner collecting container 40 is set). Instead of holding the waste toner collection container 40, the part of the waste toner collection container 40 protruding from the image forming apparatus main body 100 (insertion port 80) is held and taken out. Therefore, the operability when taking out the waste toner recovery container 40 from the image forming apparatus main body 100 can be enhanced.
The spring force (biasing force) of the compression spring 55 is set so that the waste toner recovery container 40 does not protrude too much from the insertion port 80 and fall off the apparatus main body 100. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 3A, the center of gravity of the waste toner collection container 40 is positioned inside the apparatus main body 100 when a part of the waste toner collection container 40 is in a state of being ejected from the insertion port 80. Thus, the spring force of the compression spring 55 is set.

  Here, in the present embodiment, when the waste toner collecting container 40 is attached to the image forming apparatus main body 100, an operation in which the waste toner collecting container 40 is moved from the front in the mounting direction toward the rear in the mounting direction The operating lever 50 is pushed by the projection 41 formed on the front side in the mounting direction of the waste toner collecting container 40 in conjunction with (the operation in the direction of the white arrow in FIG. 3). The control lever 50 is moved to the release position shown in FIG. 3B so as to resist the pressure, and after the pressing of the control lever 50 by the projection 41 is released, the control lever 50 is shown in FIG. It will be moved to the locking position shown in 3 (C).

Specifically, when the waste toner recovery container 40 is attached, first, as shown in FIG. 3A, the apparatus main body 100 from the insertion port 80 while holding the waste toner recovery container 40 in a state where the openable cover 90 is opened. Push in the direction of the white arrow towards the inside of the. At this time, the operating lever 50 is in the position shown in FIG. 3A because no external force is applied. The shutter 42 installed in the container for opening and closing the recovery port 43 of the waste toner recovery container 40 (an opening connected to the waste toner transport path 25 shown in FIG. 1) is attached by a spring (not shown). The recovery port 43 is closed by the force.
Thereafter, when the waste toner recovery container 40 is further pushed in the direction of the white arrow, the projection 41 formed on the ceiling of the waste toner recovery container 40 abuts on the operation lever 50 as shown in FIG. 3B. Thus, the operating lever 50 is pushed upward to resist the elastic force of the leaf spring 51. At this time, the operation lever 50 is not manually pushed up, but along the tapered portion 41a (inclined surface) formed on the projection 41 along with the sliding movement of the waste toner recovery container 40 in the white arrow direction. It will be pushed up.
Thereafter, when the waste toner recovery container 40 is further pushed in the direction of the white arrow, as shown in FIG. 3C, the push-up of the operation lever 50 by the projection 41 of the waste toner recovery container 40 is released. By the elastic force of the plate spring 51, the waste toner collecting container 40 is moved to a locking position (a position abutted on the right end of the protrusion 41) for locking the waste toner collecting container 40. Thus, the mounting of the waste toner collecting container 40 to the image forming apparatus main body 100 is completed. At this time, the shutter 42 of the waste toner collecting container 40 abuts on the main body side convex portion 85 installed on the top surface of the apparatus main body 100, and interlocked with the mounting operation of the waste toner collecting container 40 (FIG. 3C). The recovery port 43 is opened by moving in the direction of the broken line arrow in FIG. Further, the opened recovery port 43 is connected to the waste toner transport path 25 shown in FIG. 1, and transport of untransferred toner (waste toner) from the cleaning device 2 to the waste toner recovery container 40 becomes possible.

On the other hand, when the waste toner recovery container 40 is detached from the image forming apparatus main body 100, the operation lever 50 is manually moved from the locking position to the release position so as to resist the elastic force of the leaf spring 51. Thus, the waste toner collecting container 40 is moved to a position where it can be gripped (the position shown in FIG. 3A) by the biasing force of the compression spring 55 (biasing member).
Specifically, first, from the mounted state shown in FIG. 3C, the user grips the grip portion 50a of the control lever 50 and manually operates the control lever 50 so as to push up the control lever 50 to the release position shown in FIG. As a result, the locking (contact) of the projection 41 by the operation lever 50 is released, and the waste toner collecting container 40 is pushed out to the position of FIG. 3A by the spring force of the compression spring 55.
At this time, the shutter 42 of the waste toner recovery container 40 is released from the engagement with the main body side convex portion 85, and the recovery port 43 is closed by the biasing force of a spring (not shown). As a result, the problem that the waste toner leaks from the recovery port 43 of the waste toner recovery container 40 taken out of the apparatus main body 100 is suppressed.

Here, as shown in FIG. 3B, the projection 41 of the waste toner recovery container 40 is a portion that abuts on the operation lever 50 when the waste toner recovery container 40 (mounting and dismounting unit) is mounted. A tapered portion 41a (a ceiling surface which slopes downward from the right to the left in FIG. 3) is formed on the rear side in the mounting direction.
Further, the control lever 50 is a portion that comes in contact with the projection 41 when the waste toner collecting container 40 is mounted, and is tapered toward the front in the mounting direction (downward from right to left in FIG. 3). The bottom is inclined to the
As described above, by forming the tapered portion 41a in the projection 41 and forming the tapered portion 50b in the operation lever 50, as shown in FIG. 3 (B), interlocking with the operation of mounting the waste toner collecting container 40 As a result, the operating lever 50 smoothly moves to the upper release position along the two tapered portions 41a and 50b.

Further, as shown in FIG. 4, in the present embodiment, the projection 41 of the waste toner collecting container 40 abuts on the operation lever 50 when the mounting of the waste toner collecting container 40 on the image forming apparatus main body 100 is completed. A portion (a portion surrounded by a broken line, which is a claw-like portion 41b) is formed in a claw shape so as to protrude to the front side in the mounting direction. That is, the projection 41 of the waste toner recovery container 40 is formed with a claw 41b projecting to the right in FIGS. 3 and 4 and in a state where the claw 41b is in contact with the operation lever 50. The waste toner collecting container 40 in the set state is locked to the operation lever 50.
Further, in the operation lever 50, when the mounting of the waste toner collecting container 40 to the image forming apparatus main body 100 is completed, a position away from the portion contacting the projection 41 to the root side (lower side) of the projection 41. The claw portion 50c is formed to protrude to the rear side in the mounting direction. That is, when the waste toner collecting container 40 set in the apparatus main body 100 is in a state of being locked to the operation lever 50, the claw portion 50c of the operation lever 50 and the claw shaped portion 41b of the projection 41 And) are not in contact but gaps will be formed.
As described above, by providing the claws 50c and the claws 41b on the facing surfaces of the operation lever 50 and the projection 41 in the locked state, the waste toner collection container 40 is vigorously set, etc. Therefore, even if a force that causes the operation lever 50 to move upward relatively acts on the projection 41, the claws 50c and the claws 41b are caught, and the locked state by the operation lever 50 is obtained. Can be maintained.
Further, by forming a gap between the claws 50c and the claws 41b in the locked state, the operation lever 50 is moved upward to take out the waste toner collecting container 40 set in the apparatus main body 100. When pushing up, it is possible to reduce the problem that the claw portion 50c and the claw-like portion 41b rub against each other to make it difficult to push up the operation lever 50. The gap between the claw portion 50c and the claw-like portion 41b is such an improvement of the push-up operation, and the hooking of the claw portion 50c and the claw-like portion 41b when the operating lever 50 moves upward as described above. , Will be set to be compatible.

Further, as shown in FIG. 3, in the present embodiment, the operation lever 50 is a portion to be gripped for manual operation (the grip portion 50a is also formed so as to be able to be pushed up with a finger). The gripping portion 50a (the portion to be gripped) is disposed at a position sufficiently above the ceiling surface of the waste toner collecting container 40 so as not to abut the waste toner collecting container 40 moving in the mounting and demounting direction.
As a result, when the user (or the serviceman) holds the control lever 50 gripping portion 50a and pushes up the control lever 50 to take out the waste toner collecting container 40 from the apparatus main body 100, the biasing force of the compression spring 55 It becomes difficult to collide with the waste toner recovery container 40 which pops out from the insertion port 80.

Further, as shown in FIG. 3B and the like, a first stopper portion 81 that restricts the movement of the operation lever 50 from the locking position toward the release position on the upper part of the insertion port 80 in the image forming apparatus main body 10 Is provided. As a result, it is possible to prevent the problem that the user or the like pushes the operation lever 50 excessively when taking out the waste toner collecting container 40. That is, the operation lever 50 can be pushed up only to a position in contact with the first stopper portion 81.
Further, as shown in FIG. 3C and the like, movement of the operation lever 50 from the release position toward the engagement position is restricted at a position away from the upper end of the insertion port 80 in the image forming apparatus main body 10. The second stopper portion 82 is provided. As a result, it is possible to prevent the problem that the operation lever 50 moving downward from the release position toward the locking position is excessively lowered. That is, the operation lever 50 moves only downward to a position in contact with the second stopper portion 82.

Further, as shown in FIG. 5, in the present embodiment, the control lever 50 is formed with a mark 50 d that indicates the direction in which the control lever 50 is moved from the locking position toward the release position. In addition, although what illustrated the arrow which points upward as mark 50d was used in FIG. 5, a mark is not limited to this, For example, a character display etc. may be sufficient.
By pointing the mark 50d in this manner, it is possible to prevent an erroneous operation of the control lever 50 by the user or the like.

In the present embodiment, when the waste toner collecting container 40 is attached to the apparatus main body 100, the operation lever 50 is not required to be operated. However, the operation lever 50 may be operated.
In this case, when the waste toner collecting container 40 (mounting and dismounting unit) is attached to the image forming apparatus main body 100, the operation lever 50 is manually moved to the release position so as to resist the elastic force of the leaf spring 51. The waste toner collecting container 40 is moved from the front in the mounting direction toward the rear in the mounting direction, and the operation lever 50 is released after the mounting of the waste toner collecting container 40 on the image forming apparatus main body 100 is completed. By the elastic force of the control lever 50, the control lever 50 is moved to the locking position.
Further, when the waste toner recovery container 40 is detached from the image forming apparatus main body 100, the operation lever 50 is released from the engagement position so as to resist the elastic force of the plate spring 51 as described above. The position is manually moved to the position, and the waste toner collecting container 40 is moved to the position where it can be gripped by the biasing force of the compression spring 55 (biasing member).

Further, in the present embodiment, the configuration and the attaching / detaching operation of the waste toner collecting container 40 as the attaching / detaching unit have been described, but the process cartridge 10 as the attaching / detaching unit and the toner container 30 as the attaching / detaching unit are similarly attached and detached. The parts involved in the operation are configured in the same manner, and are similarly attached and detached.
However, as shown in FIG. 2, the operation lever 70 operated to take out the toner container 30 from the apparatus main body 100 is disposed above the toner container 30, while the process cartridge 10 is taken out from the apparatus main body 100. The operating lever 60 to be operated is disposed on the side of the process cartridge 10. Therefore, the projection (the part locked to the operation lever 60) of the process cartridge 10 is also formed to project from the side surface of the process cartridge 10 accordingly.

<Modification>
FIG. 6 is a view showing an operation when the waste toner recovery container 40 as a modification is attached to the image forming apparatus main body 100, and corresponds to FIG. 3 in the present embodiment.
In the modified example, as shown in FIG. 6, a compression spring 55 as a biasing member is configured to bias the waste toner recovery container 40 toward the front in the mounting direction via the shutter 42. It differs from the form of That is, the compression spring 55 (biasing member) in the modification is installed in the waste toner recovery container 40 in conjunction with the operation of mounting the waste toner recovery container 40 (attachment / detachment unit) to the image forming apparatus main body 100. The shutter 42 is biased to open the recovery port 43, and the waste toner recovery container 40 is biased toward the front in the mounting direction via the shutter 42.
More specifically, as shown in FIG. 6, on the ceiling of the waste toner recovery container 40, a shutter 42 for opening and closing the recovery port 43, a projection 45 projecting upward, and between the shutter 42 and the projection 45 A compression spring 46 is provided which biases the shutter 42 in the closing direction, and a restricting portion which restricts the movement of the shutter 42 in the closing direction. The compression spring 55 as a biasing member is formed to be engageable with an engagement portion 42 a provided on the shutter 42. The spring force of the compression spring 55 as the biasing member is set to be sufficiently large compared to the spring force of the compression spring 46 for opening and closing the shutter 42.
Then, as shown in FIGS. 6A to 6C, the spring force of the compression spring 55 (biasing member) resists the spring force of the compression spring 46 in conjunction with the mounting operation of the waste toner recovery container 40. As a result, the shutter 42 is opened, and the waste toner collecting container 40 is further latched to the operation lever 50 in a state of being urged to the right in FIG. The operation of the control lever 50 when the waste toner recovery container 40 is attached is the same as that described with reference to FIG.
On the other hand, when the waste toner collecting container 40 is detached, when the control lever 50 is manually pushed up from the locking position to the releasing position, the waste toner collecting container is operated by the spring force of the compression spring 55 (biasing member). A part of 40 moves so as to protrude from the insertion port 80 (in the state of FIG. 6A). At this time, in the waste toner collecting container 40, the biasing by the compression spring 55 on the main body side is released, and the shutter 42 is closed by the biasing of the compression spring 46.
Even in such a configuration, the same effect as that of the present embodiment can be obtained.

As described above, the image forming apparatus (storage device) according to the present embodiment includes the waste toner recovery container 40 (detachable unit) biased toward the front in the mounting direction by the compression spring 55 (biasing member). An operation lever 50 which abuts and locks the waste toner collection container 40 is installed on the image forming apparatus main body 100 via a plate spring 51 so as to be able to move from the locked position to the release position. The compression spring 55 is mounted on the front side in the mounting direction so as to project the waste toner recovery container 40 to a position where the waste toner recovery container 40 can be gripped when the operation lever 50 is moved from the locking position to the release position. Energize.
Thereby, the operability when taking out the waste toner collecting container 40 from the apparatus main body 100 can be improved.

Although the present invention is applied to the monochrome image forming apparatus 100 in the present embodiment, the present invention can naturally be applied to a color image forming apparatus.
Furthermore, although the present invention is applied to the electrophotographic image forming apparatus 100 in the present embodiment, the application of the present invention is not limited to this, and other types of image forming apparatuses (for example, inkjets The present invention can naturally be applied to an image forming apparatus of the type, an offset printing machine, etc., as long as the detachable unit is detachably installed to the apparatus main body.
And even in those cases, the same effect as that of the present embodiment can be obtained.

Further, in the present embodiment, the present invention is applied to the waste toner collecting container 40, the process cartridge 10, and the toner container 30 as the detachable unit. However, the application of the present invention is not limited to this, and the present invention can of course be applied to other detachable units (for example, the fixing device 20 etc.).
Although the present invention is applied to image forming apparatus 100 in the present embodiment, the present invention is naturally applicable to any storage apparatus other than the image forming apparatus, as long as the mounting and demounting unit is detachably stored. The invention can be applied.
And even in those cases, the same effect as that of the present embodiment can be obtained.

  It is to be noted that the present invention is not limited to the present embodiment, and it is apparent that the present embodiment can be appropriately modified within the scope of the technical idea of the present invention other than suggested in the present embodiment. is there. Further, the number, the position, the shape, and the like of the constituent members are not limited to the present embodiment, and the number, the position, the shape, and the like suitable for practicing the present invention can be set.

40 waste toner collection container (removal unit),
41 projections,
41a taper, 41b claws,
42 shutters,
43 recovery ports,
50 control levers,
50a grip part (gripping part), 50b taper part,
50c claw, 50d mark,
51 leaf spring,
53 fixing screw,
55 Compression spring (biasing member),
80 insertion slot (opening),
81 first stopper portion,
82 second stopper,
85 Body side convex part,
100 Image forming device (storage device).

JP, 2014-178437, A Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2007-41247

Claims (10)

In the image forming apparatus, the detachable unit is moved in a predetermined detachable direction, and the detachable unit is detachably installed in the image forming apparatus main body,
A biasing member for relatively biasing the detachable unit toward the front in the mounting direction with respect to the image forming apparatus main body;
The image forming apparatus main body is installed so as to be operable on the front side in the mounting direction, and abuts on the mounting / demounting unit biased by the biasing member to stop the movement of the mounting / demounting unit to the front side in the mounting direction. Operation lever,
Equipped with
The operation lever is installed on the image forming apparatus main body via a plate spring so that it can be moved from a locking position where it can lock the detachable unit to an unlocking position where it can be released by application of external force. ,
The biasing member is disposed on the front side in the mounting direction so as to project the detachable unit to the gripable position with respect to the image forming apparatus main body when the operation lever is moved from the locking position to the release position. An image forming apparatus characterized in that: When the detachable unit is attached to the image forming apparatus main body, the attachment direction of the detachable unit is interlocked with an operation in which the detachable unit is moved from the near side to the far side of the attachment direction. The operating lever is moved to the release position so that the operating lever is pushed by the projection formed on the front side to resist the elastic force of the leaf spring, and the operating lever is pushed by the projection. The control lever is moved to the locking position by the elastic force of the leaf spring after
When the mounting and demounting unit is separated from the image forming apparatus main body, the operating lever is manually moved from the locking position to the releasing position so as to resist the elastic force of the leaf spring, and the biasing is performed. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the attachment / detachment unit is moved to the grippable position by a biasing force of a member. The projection is a portion that abuts on the operation lever when the mounting and demounting unit is mounted, and a tapered portion is formed on the rear side in the mounting direction.
3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the control lever is a portion that comes in contact with the projection when the mounting / demounting unit is mounted, and a tapered portion is formed on the front side in the mounting direction. . The projection is formed in a claw shape so that a portion in contact with the operation lever when mounting of the mounting / demounting unit to the image forming apparatus main body is completed protrudes toward the front side in the mounting direction.
The control lever is projected to the rear in the mounting direction at a position separated from the portion abutting on the projection to the root side of the projection when the mounting of the detachable unit to the image forming apparatus main body is completed. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2 or 3, wherein a claw portion is formed on the surface of the sheet. When the mounting and demounting unit is mounted to the image forming apparatus main body, the mounting and demounting unit is mounted in the mounting direction with the operation lever manually moved to the release position so as to resist the elastic force of the plate spring. The control lever is moved from the front side toward the rear in the mounting direction, and after the mounting of the detachable unit to the image forming apparatus main body is completed, the control lever is released by the elastic force of the leaf spring and the control lever is locked. Moved to position,
When the mounting and demounting unit is separated from the image forming apparatus main body, the operating lever is manually moved from the locking position to the releasing position so as to resist the elastic force of the leaf spring, and the biasing is performed. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the attachment / detachment unit is moved to the grippable position by a biasing force of a member.   The control lever is disposed at a position away from the mounting / dismounting unit such that the portion gripped for manual operation does not abut the mounting / dismounting unit moving in the mounting / removing direction. The image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein A first stopper portion for restricting movement of the operation lever from the locking position toward the release position;
A second stopper portion that restricts the movement of the operation lever from the release position toward the locking position;
The image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising:   The image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein a mark indicating a direction in which the control lever is moved from the locking position toward the release position is formed. The biasing member is
Installed in the image forming apparatus body,
The shutter installed in the mounting / demounting unit is energized and released in conjunction with the mounting operation of the mounting / demounting unit with respect to the image forming apparatus main body, and the mounting / removal unit is mounted in the mounting direction via the shutter. The image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the image forming apparatus is biased toward the side. A storage device in which the mounting and demounting unit is moved in a predetermined mounting and demounting direction, and the mounting and demounting unit is detachably stored in the apparatus main body,
An urging member for urging the detachable unit relative to the device body toward the front in the mounting direction;
An operation installed on the near side in the mounting direction of the device body, and abuts on the detachable unit urged by the biasing member to lock the movement of the detachable unit in the near direction of the mounting With the lever,
Equipped with
The operation lever is installed on the apparatus main body via a plate spring so that it can be moved from a locking position where it can lock the removable unit to an unlocking position where it can be released by application of an external force.
The biasing member biases the mounting direction toward the mounting direction so as to project the detachable unit to the position where the detachable unit can be gripped when the operation lever is moved to the release position. Storage device characterized by

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