JPH01243073A - Process cartridge and image forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To remove a process cartridge from plural directions to a device mainbody and to reasonably arrange said cartridge with other appliance by providing a housing with a guiding part which guides said cartridge in a first direction and a second direction intersecting orthogonally with the first direction. CONSTITUTION:In the two intersected direction of an opening/closing cover, openings 12a and 12b are formed, through which the process cartridge 20 is pulled in/out of the device mainbody. The opening 12a is formed in a rectangle, while the opening 12b is shaped in accordance with the lateral shape of the process cartridge 20 and opened/closed with a cover member 15. Long rails 16 and 16 are provided in the transverse direction of the process cartridge 20, and recessed grooves 17 and 17 are formed in the transverse direction of a guide at the inner face of the guide so as to fit in the rails 16 and 16 provided on the process cartridge 20, when it is removed. Thus, the image forming device is reasonably arranged with other appliance.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Field of Industrial Application) The present invention relates to a process cartridge that can be freely attached to and removed from a main body, and an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine or a laser printer that includes the process cartridge.

(Prior Art) In an image forming apparatus that employs a so-called cartridge attachment/detachment system, a process cartridge is used, which is a unit in which specific process equipment such as an image bearing member, a developing device, and a cleaning device are compactly assembled into one housing. The structure was such that it could be attached to and detached from the main body, or that it could only be attached and detached in one direction.

(Problem to be Solved by the Invention) However, in the above-mentioned conventional image forming apparatus, the process cartridge can only be attached and detached in one direction, and therefore the space required for attaching and detaching the process cartridge is large. Taking this into consideration, the width of the host equipment such as a personal computer that can be installed in a limited installation space is determined, and there is a problem in that it is difficult to arrange the equipment rationally. For example, 100100O horizontal)×
If you install a personal computer and a printer in a space with a depth of 100,100 mm, the dimensions of the printer are 600 mm.
(width) x 400mm (depth), width dimension 400
However, if you change the direction of installing and removing the process cartridge in the printer and reverse the width and depth of the printer, you can install personal computers with a width of 600 mm or less. This allows for rational equipment placement.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and its purpose is to provide a process cartridge that can be attached to and removed from a main body from a plurality of directions, and to enable rational equipment arrangement by having the process cartridge. The present invention provides an image forming apparatus.

(Means for Solving the Problems) In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides
'rl'4r=None° An image forming apparatus including a process cartridge is characterized in that an opening through which the process cartridge is inserted and taken out is recessed in a plurality of directions of the main body. Further, in the present invention, the housing of the process cartridge is provided with a guide portion for guiding the movement of the process cartridge in a first direction and a second direction perpendicular to the first direction.

(Operation) Since the process cartridge can be attached to and removed from the main body from multiple directions, it is possible to attach and detach the process cartridge in a direction that allows for rational arrangement of the image forming apparatus and other equipment. You will be able to do this.

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

1 and 2UjJ are vertical sectional side views of the image forming apparatus according to the present invention, FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the image forming apparatus showing the mounting and removing direction of the process cartridge, and FIG. 4 is a cross section showing the positioning state of the process cartridge. It is a diagram.

As shown in FIG. 1, approximately in the center of the apparatus main body 1 is a process cartridge 20 that is removably attached to the apparatus main body 1.
However, the process cartridge 20 is loaded with
Inside the housing 21, a photosensitive drum 22 as an image carrier, a developing device 23 arranged around the photosensitive drum 22.
It is configured to house process equipment such as a cleaning device 24 and a charger 25.

Further, on the right side of the process cartridge 20 in the apparatus main body 1 in FIG. A pre-exposure lamp 5, a folding mirror 6, a registration roller 7, a transfer charger 8, and a conveyance guide 9 are arranged at the top and bottom, respectively, and a fixing device 10 and a discharge roller 1 are arranged at the left.
1 is arranged.

Incidentally, the apparatus main body l is provided with an opening/closing cover 12 rotatably attached at a hinge a, and as shown in FIG. 2, the opening/closing cover 12 has the process cartridge 20. A pre-exposure lamp 5, a folding mirror 6, a discharge roller 11, etc. are attached. Also, this opening/closing cover 1
A frame-shaped guide 13 is attached to 2, and the process cartridge 20 is attached and removed along the guide 13. Note that when the process cartridge 20 is loaded as shown in FIG.
is being forced to.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 3, openings 12a and 12b through which the Proyas cartridge 20 is inserted and taken out are formed in two mutually orthogonal directions (directions of arrows A and B in the figure) of the opening/closing cover 12. Note that one opening 12a is formed in a rectangular shape, and the other opening 12b is formed in a process cartridge 20.
The opening 1 has a shape that matches the side cross-sectional shape of the opening 1.
2b is opened and closed by a lid member 15.

By the way, the process cartridge 20 is formed with a long rail i: I 16 in its width direction (direction of arrow B in FIG. The above rail 16.
Recessed grooves 17 and 17 into which 16 and 17 are to be fitted are formed in the width direction. In addition, in FIG. 3 of the process cartridge 20, A,
The wall surface of the process cartridge 20 itself may be used as a guide for movement in the B direction.

As shown in FIG. 1, when the openable cover 12 is closed and the process cartridge 20 is loaded in the openable cover 12, image formation is performed through the following steps. That is, the surface of the photosensitive tram 22 rotating in the direction of the arrow in FIG. Optical information is exposed by the scanner 4 to form an electrostatic latent image, and this electrostatic latent image is developed by the developer 23 to form a toner image on the photosensitive tram 22. Meanwhile, at the same time, the transfer material P in the paper feed cassette 2 is fed out one by one by the paper feed roller 3.
The toner image is supplied by the registration roller 7 in synchronization with the rotation of the photosensitive drum 22, and the toner image formed on the photosensitive drum 22 is transferred onto the surface of the photosensitive drum 22 by the transfer charger 8. The transfer material P to which the toner image has been transferred is separated from the photosensitive drum 22 by the curvature of the photosensitive drum 22, and sent to the fixing device IO via the conveyance guide 9, where the toner image is fixed. Thereafter, the sheet is turned upward, and finally is ejected onto the opening/closing cover 12, which also serves as a paper ejection tray, by the ejection roller it.

Incidentally, the process cartridge 20 is attached to and removed from the apparatus main body 1 with the opening/closing cover 12 open as shown in FIG. , 12b, the process cartridge 20 has these openings 12a.

It can be taken in and taken out from either direction A or B in FIG. 3 via 12b. Note that the movement of the process cartridge 20 in six directions is guided by the wall surface of the process cartridge 20 itself. As a result 1, for example, when installing the image forming apparatus and a personal computer serving as its host in a predetermined space,
The direction in which the image forming apparatus is installed can be selected, which allows for rational arrangement of the equipment.

In addition, the process cartridge 20 is rotated in direction A or direction B in FIG.
After attaching it to the opening/closing cover 12 from the direction,
When the process cartridge 20 is closed, the process cartridge 20 is installed at a predetermined position in the apparatus main body l as shown in FIG. Groove 18 of provided positioning block 18
a to position the photosensitive drum 22, and at the same time, the drum gear 19 provided at the end of the photosensitive drum 22 meshes with the drive gear 26 on the main body l side.

Next, a modified embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIG. 5L2I and FIG.
Openings 112a and 101a are provided at right angles to each other, and the process cartridge 120 is installed and removed through these openings 112a and 101a. That is, when the process cartridge 120 is inserted or removed from the opening 101a in the direction of arrow B as shown in FIG. This is done after opening the On the other hand, when inserting or removing the process cartridge 120 in a direction perpendicular to this, the opening/closing cover 112 is opened as shown in FIG.
The process cartridge 120 is inserted and removed in the six directions shown by the arrows through the opening 112a.

Also in the modified embodiment, the process cartridge 120 can be taken in and out from two directions perpendicular to each other, so that the same effects as in the first embodiment can be obtained.

In one or more embodiments, the openings through which the process cartridges are inserted and taken out are provided in two directions perpendicular to each other, or the openings may be provided in multiple directions in any other direction.

(Effects of the Invention) As is clear from the above description, according to the present invention, since the openings through which the process cartridge/shuttle is inserted and taken out are provided in multiple directions of the main body, the process cartridge can be attached to and removed from the main body from multiple directions. This has the effect that the image forming apparatus and other equipment can be rationally arranged.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

1 and 2 are longitudinal sectional side views of an image forming apparatus according to the present invention, FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the image forming apparatus showing the mounting and removing direction of the process cartridge, and FIG. 4 shows the positioning state of the process cartridge. The sectional view and FIGS. 5 and 6 are perspective views of an image forming apparatus according to a modified embodiment of the present invention. 1.101...Device main body, 12,112...Opening/closing cover, 12a, 12b, 1o1a, 112a...=opening, 20,120-...process cartridge.

Claims (3)

[Claims] (1) In a process cartridge which is detachable from the apparatus main body and which integrally has an image carrier and a process means in a housing, a first direction perpendicular to the first direction is provided to the housing. A process cartridge characterized in that it is provided with a guide portion for guiding movement in the second direction. (2) An image forming apparatus configured to include a process cartridge that is detachable from a main body, characterized in that openings through which the process cartridges can be taken in and taken out are provided in a plurality of directions of the main body. (3) The image forming apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the openings are provided in directions perpendicular to each other.