JPH02257170A - Electrostatic recorder - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To shorten the time required for light to reach a reference light quantity and to prevent the light quantity from fluctuating by attaching a common bracket which houses and disposes an original surface illuminating means, a reflecting plate and an image-forming means to a case. CONSTITUTION:The original surface illuminating means 29, the reflecting plate 30, and the image-forming means 31 are housed and disposed in the common bracket, which is attached to a bracket device case. Therefore, heat radiation is decreased, and the quantity of the exposing and illuminating light from the illuminating means reaches a reference level in a short time after a power source is turned on, so that the exposure is ready in a short preheating time and the illuminating means is brought into a condition where heat is intercepted with the outside. Thus, even if an ambient temperature fluctuates, the change in the light quantity is decreased and an image is formed without image density fluctuation.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Application Field] The present invention relates to an electrostatic recording device, and particularly to an electrostatic recording device configured to shorten the time it takes for an exposure and illumination unit to reach a reference light amount, and to prevent the reference light amount from changing depending on the environment. The present invention relates to an electrostatic recording device.

[Conventional technology]

In an electrostatic recording device such as a dry electronic copying machine (PPC) that uses plain paper, various process units for electrostatic recording are installed in the case, such as a document transport unit, an exposure illumination unit,
A developing unit, paper feeding unit, transfer unit 1-3 fixing unit, cleaning unit, electrical unit, etc. are housed in the case, and the latent image formed by exposure on the photosensitive material transported inside the case is developed and visualized. Imaged. Then, the developed image of the photosensitive material is transferred to the transfer material and fixed to form an image.

In this case, the popular PPC is equipped with a slit exposure type optical system and uses a fluorescent lamp to perform exposure illumination, thereby reducing manufacturing costs.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

When a fluorescent lamp is used for exposure illumination as in the above-mentioned popular type PPC, a stabilization time in seconds is required after the power is turned on until the standard light amount is reached and stabilized. Further, the temperature of the tube wall of a fluorescent lamp tends to fluctuate due to changes in the environmental atmosphere, and when the temperature of the tube wall of a fluorescent lamp changes, the amount of light changes and the image density fluctuates.

An object of the present invention is to provide an electrostatic recording device that has a short stabilization time until reaching a reference light amount after power-on even when a fluorescent lamp is used for exposure illumination, and has less fluctuation in the scene due to changes in the environmental atmosphere. There is a particular thing.

[Means to solve the problem]

The above object is such that an illumination means for illuminating the document surface, a reflection plate for condensing the reflected light from the document surface, and an imaging means for forming an image of the reflected light condensed on the reflection plate on a photoreceptor are all in common. This is achieved by housing the device in a bracket and attaching the bracket to the device case.

[Effect]

In the present invention, since the illumination means for illuminating the document surface is accommodated and disposed in the bracket, heat dissipation is significantly reduced, and the amount of exposure light from the illumination means reaches the standard level in a short time after the power is turned on. Exposure is possible with a short preheating time.

Furthermore, since the illumination means is housed in the bracket, it is thermally isolated from the outside, so even if the ambient temperature fluctuates, changes in the amount of light due to temperature fluctuations in the illumination means are greatly reduced. , image formation without fluctuations in image density is performed.

〔Example〕

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of this embodiment in a stored state, FIG. 2 is a perspective view of this embodiment in a standby state for copy processing, and FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing the overall configuration of this embodiment.

In FIGS. 1 to 3, 1 is a document conveying table;
10 is a paper feed table, 10 is a paper ejection roller, 11 is a marking, 12.13 is a side guide, 14 is a marking, 17
18 is a paper feed table opening/closing switch; 19 is a fixing heater; 20 is a fluorescent lamp heater;
3.24 is a document transport roller, 25 is a document sensor, 26 is a document holding plate, 27 is a contact glass, 28 is a leading edge detection sensor, 29 is a fluorescent lamp, 30 is a reflector, 31 is a lens, 32.33 is a driven roller , 34 is an inner guide, 35 is an outer guide', 36 is a paper feed roller, and 37 is a photosensitive plate bell I.
, 38 is a transfer charger, and 39 is a static elimination LED array.

Similarly, 40 is a main charger, 41 is a developing device, 42 is a cleaning device, 43 is a blade, 44 is a calling roller, /16,717 is a guide plate, 48.49
51 is a registration roller, 51 is a heat roller, 52 is a pressure roller, and 54 is a paper discharge roller.

As shown in FIG. 1, this embodiment is a thin copying machine that can be placed against a wall in the stored state.
(back side), front cover 3, paper feed table 4 (back side), side covers 5, 6, and back cover 8 form a case when stored, handle 2 is attached to document transport table 1, side cover 5.6 Each has its own roof.

To put this in a standby state for copy processing, first hold the handle 2 provided on the document transport table 1 and move it toward you to open it to a predetermined position. The heating conveyance table 1 has a side guide 12.
are provided, and both work together according to the document size (equivalent to paper size) width.

Further, at the innermost part of the table 1, markings 11 for document size and center are provided. When the table 1 is opened, a paper ejection roller 10 provided on its inner surface and a document ejection table 9 which also serves as a document transport cover are exposed.

Next, when the paper feeding table 4 is pushed, the locking means is released, and the paper feeding table 4 is linearly opened and fixed at a predetermined position by the damper means provided at the fulcrum. Details of the lock means and damper means will be described later.

The paper feed table 4 is provided with a side guide 13 that moves in accordance with the paper size and guides the curling of the leading edge of the paper in the same way as the document transport table 1. Markings 14 are provided. Further, a friction pad 15 is provided at the center of the innermost part on the same surface, facing the calling roller 44 of the main body.

By opening the paper feed table 4, an inner cover 16 of a fixing/sheet ejecting and paper feeding section provided on the inner surface of the table is exposed.

With the above configuration, when both tables are opened, the main power supply of the machine is activated and the machine enters a standby state in about 20 seconds. Hereinafter, the embodiment will be explained according to the process from startup to completion of copying.

First, by opening the document conveying table 1 to position 1' in FIG. 3, the document conveying table opening/closing switch 17 is turned on. Next, when the paper feed table 4 is pushed, the locking means is released and the damper means semi-automatically sets it to the 4' position, and at the same time the paper feed table opening/closing switch 18 is turned to OFF.
The N state is entered, and the output signal of the AND circuit connected to the document transport table opening/closing switch 17 and the paper feeding table opening/closing switch 18 becomes "1", and a warm-up operation is started. During this warm-up operation, the fixing heater 19
．． The fluorescent lamp heater 20 and the cooling fan 21 operate synchronously, and the warm-up of the device is completed after about 20 seconds.

Align the paper of the same size as the original or the size you want to copy with the sight guide 13 of the paper feed table 4', and place the paper edge against the leading edge guide 22.
The output signal of the paper detection sensor 18 at ' becomes Pa1'', the copy display on the display section lights up, and copy processing becomes possible.

Next, the image forming process will be explained.

First, when a document is inserted with the side guide l' 12 and size mark 11 provided on the document transport table 1 with the document side down, and inserted in the direction of the document transport roller 23, the The document sensor 25 located in the document sensor 25 detects the document, the document conveyance roller 23 is activated, and the document is conveyed at a predetermined speed while being held between the document conveyance roller 23 and the driven roller 32.

In other words, the skew correction time during which the leading edge of the document is followed by the document transport roller 23 and the driven roller 32 is set when the leading edge of the document is perpendicular to the transport direction.

The original conveyed by the original conveyance roller 23 and the driven roller 32 is conveyed over the contact glass 27 by the original holding plate 26 .

During this conveyance, a leading edge detection sensor 28 provided at the bottom of the contact glass 27 detects the leading edge of the document. For this purpose, a hole or a notch is provided in the document holding plate 26 facing the detection portion of the detection sensor 28. Also, provided downstream thereof are a fluorescent lamp 29 for illuminating the document, a reflecting plate 30 for condensing the light, and a lens 31 for focusing the reflected light on a photoreceptor.

The original is transferred to the original transport roller 24 and driven roller 33 as it is.
As a result, the document is reversed by the inner guide 34 and the outer guide 35, and the trailing edge of the document is discharged from the paper discharge roller 10.

The ejected originals are stacked on the original transport cover constituted by the inner guide 34. The outer guide 35 also serves as an exterior rear cover. When the document sensor 25 starts driving the photoreceptor belt 37 in conjunction with the main motor, the transfer charger 38. Static elimination LED array 39. The fluorescent lamp 29 is turned on. Before the leading edge of the document reaches the optical axis position of the lens 31, the main charger 40 is activated for the photoconductor belt 37, which moves in synchronization with the document, to set a uniform potential on the surface of the photoconductor belt 37. be done.

When the photoreceptor belt 37 reaches the optical axis position of the lens 31, the reflected light from the original is focused onto the photoreceptor belt 37 by the lens 31, and an electrostatic latent image is formed on the photoreceptor belt 37. The electrostatic latent image is visualized by the developing device 41, and then transferred to the photoreceptor heald 3 by the transfer charger.
7 is transferred to transfer paper.

However, 100% of the toner forming the developed image on the photoreceptor belt 37 is not transferred, and the remaining toner remains on the photoreceptor heald 37 and is scraped off by the blade 43 of the cleaning device 42 provided downstream. Furthermore, since there is a residual potential on the photoconductor bell 1-37, the static elimination LED array 3
9, the residual potential is removed by light irradiation. Reflective marks provided on the surface end of the photoreceptor belt 37 and the developing device W41
The seam sensor installed at the bottom of the photoreceptor belt 3
7 is detected, and the drive of the photoreceptor heald 37 is stopped by turning off the main motor.

The transfer paper is driven by the main motor in response to the signal from the document sensor 25, and the drive is transmitted to the clutch in the paper feed section.The paper feed solenoid is turned on by the detection signal from the leading edge detection sensor 28, and the transfer paper is mounted on the shaft of the clutch. The paper stacked on the paper feed table 4' is transferred to the paper feed roller 36 by the paper feed roller 36 and the call roller 44.
The paper is separated into one sheet and transported by the paper feed roller 36 and the Flixicon pad 45 that is pressed against it.

At this time, the leading edge guide 22 is released downward from the leading edge of the paper in conjunction with the calling roller 44.

The paper conveyed as described above is reversed from the guide plates 4fi, 47 and comes into contact with the registration rollers 4B, 49. A paper detection sensor 50 is installed close to the registration rollers 48, 49 and upstream of the registration rollers 48, 49 in the paper transport direction to detect jams. The clutch engaged with the shaft of the registration roller 48 is linked with the main motor to transmit the drive of the paper feed clutch, and the registration rollers 48 and 49 are driven by the detection signal from the tip detection sensor 28 to perform the imaging. are synchronized. It is also possible to start the registration rollers 48 and 49 using a signal from a seam sensor of the photoreceptor belt 37.

The paper conveyed by the above device is subjected to the transfer process by the transfer charger 38, and the heat roller 51 of the fixing device
The film is conveyed and thermally fixed by a pressure roller 52, and is peeled off and guided by a claw 53 urged by a heat roller 51.
The paper is ejected from the paper ejection roller 54. A paper discharge detection sensor 55 provided close to the paper discharge roller 54 detects a jam from a sensor in the registration section, and its OFF signal (when the trailing edge passes) gives a signal to the seam sensor, which detects the detection mark on the photoreceptor belt 37. is detected and the main motor is turned off.

The transfer charger 38. is activated in synchronization with the main motor turning OFF.
Static elimination LED array 39. Fluorescent lamp 29 is turned off. or,
When the main charger 40 is turned off, the original sensor 25 is turned off.
F is performed at the position of the photoreceptor belt 37 corresponding to when the edge of the document reaches the optical axis of the lens 31, the paper feed solenoid is turned off in synchronization with the ON of the registration solenoid, and the registration solenoid detects paper ejection. It turns off in synchronization with the turning off of the sensor 55.

With the above, the copy processing operation is completed and the machine enters a standby state.

By closing the document transport table 1' and paper feed table 4', the transport document table opening/closing switch 17 is turned OFF, and the paper feeding table opening/closing switch 18 is turned OFF.
Fluorescent lamp heater 20. Fixing heater 19. cooling fan 2
1 turns OFF in synchronization.

Next, each unit that makes up this machine will be explained in detail.

FIGS. 4 and 5 are diagrams for explaining the document conveyance unit of the embodiment, with FIG. 4 being a side view and FIG. 5 being a plan view.

In both figures, 1 is a document transport table, 2 is a handle, and 12
are side guides, 23 and 24 are document transport rollers, 26 are document holding plates, 27 are contact glasses, 32 and 33 are driven rollers, 34 are inner guides, 35 are outer guides, 3
6 is a paper ejection roller, 60° 61 is a side plate, 140 is a lock,
142 is a relay fulcrum, 143 is a rotation fulcrum, 146, 147
148 is a rack gear, 148 is a pinion gear, 155 is a driven roller, 156 is an inner cover, and 157 is a support member.

When the document transport table 1, whose back surface also serves as an exterior cover, is pushed by an animal, the lock 140 provided inside is released, and the handle 141 formed on the back surface is lifted up and the document transport table 1 is closed using the relay fulcrum 142 and the rotation fulcrum 143. 1
is guided to the set position. The side guides 12 provided on the document transport table 1 have rack gears 14 that engage with the side guides 12, respectively.
By providing pinion gears 148 of the same pitch between both of the 6° 147, when one guide is moved, the other guide also moves in the opposite direction by the same amount via each gear.

The original is fed in according to the side guide 12, and placed in the original transport unit against the original transport rollers 23° 24, which are provided via bearings on the main body side plates 60° 61 close to the tip of the original transport table 1, and are pressed against the rollers. It is conveyed by three-digit driven rollers 32 and 33. The conveyed document is held down by a document holding plate 26 whose conveyance surface is white, which is rotatably mounted on a bearing of a driven roller 32, and is guided along a contact glass 27 that engages with a side plate of the main body for exposure. It is transported to the optical axis of the illumination section.

The conveying surface of the document holding plate 26 is white and is made of a low-friction material, and its own weight holds the document against the contact glass 27.
hold it down. The original is further transported by an outer guide 35 made up of ribs on the rear cover 8 of the main body, and an inner guide 34 that faces the outer guide 35 at a constant distance, is conveyed by driven rollers 23, 32, and guides the original to the paper ejection port. A paper ejection roller 10 that is reversely conveyed and provided at a paper ejection port, and this paper ejection roller 10
The original is ejected from the paper ejection port by a driven roller 155 that faces the original and presses the original.

Basically, the document ejection path is divided into sections according to the configuration described above, so when copying the largest copy document, a problem may occur while the transfer paper is being conveyed from the register, and a jam detection will occur and the main morph will stop. Even if the original is ejected, the original is completely ejected, so there is no need for maintenance of the original due to the above-mentioned accident. In addition, if an accident occurs during paper feeding (pre-registration process), since the document transport unit is unitized by the inner cover 156, the document transport surface can be moved by operating the support member 157 provided on the side plate of the main body. It is divided into two parts and can be opened to remove the original. Further, by performing this opening movement, it is also possible to clean the contact glass 27 and the document conveyance rollers 23 and 24.

6 to 8 are views for explaining the exposure and illumination unit of the embodiment, in which FIG. 6 is a side view, FIG. 7 is a plan view, FIG. 8(a) is a partial perspective view, and FIG. b) is a circuit diagram of the same figure (a).

6 to 8, 20 is a heater, 23 is a document transport roller, 27 is a contact glass, 28A is an automatic light control sensor, 29 is a fluorescent lamp, 30 is a socket, 31 is a lens, 39 is a static elimination LED array, 40 is the main charger, 60.61 is the main body side plate, 62 is the base, 63.64 is the spring, 65 is the reflector, 65' is the site erase,
66.67 is a bracket, 68.69 is a temporary spring, 70.
71 is polyurethane, 72 is a slit, 75 is a casing, 76 is a bent portion, 78.79 is a casing claw, 80.
81 is a leaf spring, 83 is a grid, 86 is a leaf spring, 87 is a holder, 87a is a varistor, and 89 is a holder.

A base 62 of the optical unit is provided on the side plates 60 and 61 of the main body, and each component is laid out on one floor.A document conveyed by a document conveyance roller 23 is placed on the base 62 through a contact glass 27 with a thickness of 3 mm. Fluorescent lamps 29 for illumination are engaged with sockets 30 at both ends and positioned using bases 62 as side plates.

Generally, when a fluorescent lamp 29 is used for illumination, the light intensity varies depending on the tube wall temperature of the fluorescent lamp 29, so in order to obtain a constant image density, a predetermined stabilization time is required after the power is turned on until the light intensity stabilizes at the set value. It is.

In addition, since the amount of light from a fluorescent lamp changes depending on the environmental temperature and the manual knob, in this embodiment, the heater 20 is attached to the base 26.
The tube wall temperature of the fluorescent lamp 29 reaches a predetermined value in a short time by attaching it so that it is biased to the fluorescent lamp 29 via a spring 63, 59, and turning on the heater 20 in synchronization with the start of warm-up of the main body. That's what I do.

Furthermore, in the embodiment, since the base 26 provides a one-floor layout as described above, the fluorescent lamp 29
It is possible to prevent cooling due to heat radiation, shorten the warm-up time, and reduce changes in the amount of exposure light due to changes in the external environment.

Also, the aperture angle is 60° or more, which is the most efficient for the amount of light.
The reflector plate 65, which is set at 80 degrees and is used to collect light reflected from the document surface, is made of a bright aluminum alloy plate that is lightweight and low cost. It has an integral structure with a shape 65'.

By performing the site erase, the prevention of toner scattering at both ends in the cleaning device is reduced. moreover,
The amount of light from the fluorescent lamp 29 is detected by the automatic light control sensor 28A provided opposite to the light passing hole formed on the back surface of the reflection plate 65.
After converting the voltage, the CPU compares it with a reference voltage designated by a manual notch, and outputs a dimming control signal to the fluorescent lamp ballast.

The fluorescent lamp ballast then converts the dimming control signal into a lighting signal to turn on the fluorescent lamp. By repeatedly controlling this, the amount of light from the fluorescent lamp is always maintained at the specified notch.

Furthermore, the emitted light color of the fluorescent lamp 29 is green, and the peak wavelength is 54
Since the wavelength is set to 3 mm, it is set to the most suitable wavelength for the spectral sensitivity of the photoreceptor layer. Furthermore, the automatic light control sensor 28A is provided with a leading edge detection sensor 28 for detecting the leading edge of the document on the contact glass surface side, and synchronization control of the developing image and the transfer paper is performed based on the detection signal of the leading edge detection sensor 28.

As a holder for supporting and positioning the contact glass 27 on the base 62 and positioning it with the lens 31,
Brackets 6667 are provided at both ends of the lens 31, and plate wings 68, 69 for fixing the lens 3 are provided in proximity to the brackets 66, 67, respectively, and these constitute an imaging optical system. Further, the lens 31 is provided with soft polyurethane foam 70, 71 that blocks reflected light, and a slit 7 is provided in the base 62 facing the lower surface of the soft polyurethane foam 70, 71.
This prevents flare light from entering 2 and also prevents resonance from the main body.

The main charger 40 is located on the back surface of the optical base 62, and is provided on the upstream side of the slit 72 in the direction of movement of the photoreceptor belt. The casing 45 is fitted into the casing claws 78 and 79 facing the base 62 using the cut and bent portions 76 and 67 provided on the base 62 as guides, and
Fix the casing arm on the opposite side of the casing claw. Leaf springs 80 and 81 are provided on the base 62 to press and position the casing 75 to a position close to the casing claws 78 and 79.

Openings 82 are provided at three locations in the longitudinal direction on the upper surface of the casing 75 to prevent the occurrence of 0.
It has a structure that allows 3゛ to escape from inside the casing to the outside.

A static eliminating LED array 39 is provided upstream of the charging position in the photosensitive belt driving direction for removing residual potential remaining on the photosensitive belt after the transfer process. This static elimination LED array 39 is supported and positioned on a holder 89 provided on the base 62, and irradiates a wider area than during charging with light at a light intensity of 23 to 46 mm/c+ff.

As described above, a uniform potential is formed on the photoreceptor heald 37, and a process for regenerating a latent image in the exposure and illumination process is performed.

9 to 12 are diagrams for explaining the developing unit of the embodiment, in which FIG. 9 is a side explanatory view, FIG. 10 is a front explanatory view,
FIGS. 11 and 12 are explanatory diagrams showing the operation of the toner end sensor.

9 to 12, 91 is a toner cartridge, 92.93 is a side plate, 94.95 is a guide groove, and 96.9 is a side plate.
7 is the rotation axis, 98.99 is the positioning groove, 100, 101
1 is a bottle, 103 is a roller, 105 is a blade holder, 1
06 to 109 are polyurethane, 110 is an agitator, 1
11 and 112 are two-blade rollers, 113 is a developing roller,
115° 116 is a polyurethane ring, 117 is an undercase, 118 is a static elimination brush, 120 is a spring, 1
21 is a disk, 123 is a roller, 124 is an actuator, 125 is a toner end sensor, 126 is an electrode plate, 12
7 is an electrode bottle.

The electrostatic latent image formed on the photoreceptor belt by the exposure and illumination process is almost inverted and positioned at the bottom of the upstream path (under the optical system).
However, from the operating direction, the image is visualized by a developing device 41 provided on the rear cover base at the innermost part of the machine. This developing unit employs a one-component magnetic toner developing system, and uses a toner cartridge 91 to replenish consumed toner.

The toner cartridge 91 is attached to the left and right side plates 9 of the developing unit.
Insert the rotating shafts 95, 96 of the toner cartridge 91 into the guide grooves 94.95 provided in 2.93 for positioning, and insert the bottle 1 of the cartridge into the positioning grooves 98.99.
00 and 101 are fitted while rotating. To transfer the toner into the developing unit, the current shield is wound up, the attached winch 102 is engaged with the shield, and a roller rotatably supported by the cartridge 91]03
When the cartridge is chucked and rotated manually, the shield is peeled off and wound up, and the bottom of the cartridge is fully opened and the toner falls out.

The fallen toner is deposited on the developing side plate 92, 93 and the casing 1.
0/I Accumulated in a housing consisting of a blade boulder 105. A problem during this process is toner scattering when toner is supplied, and as a preventive measure, the casing 104. Blade holder 105. Development side plate 92. ,9
Soft polyurethane foam 106 ~ on the casing installation part of 3
109 is completely sealed. The toner accumulated in the housing is rotatably supported by the side plate, and an agitator 110 prevents blocking due to accumulation of toner.
Stirred by Agitator 11 at the bottom of the housing
Similar to 0, the two-blade roller 111 provided on the side plate has the A housing formed with a gap in its rotation diameter, so that the accumulated toner is transferred in the direction of rotation.

A roller 112 having the same shape as the roller 111 is similarly provided in the vicinity of the roller 111 in the transfer direction to transfer the toner in the same direction. The toner transferred by the roller 112 in this manner is smoothly supplied to the developing roller 113 provided in the toner movement direction. A grade (metal plate) 114 that triboelectrically charges the toner is attracted by the magnetic force of the developing roller 113 to the developing roller 113, which has a built-in magnet for conveying the toner, and is held in place by a holder 105 provided on the side plate 92,93. It is positioned with respect to the developing roller 113. The holder 105 also serves as a casing for the agitator 110, and also improves the agitation performance of the toner.

Therefore, as described above, as the developing roller 113 rotates, the blade 114 vibrates due to the magnetic force of the magnets whose polarities are arranged inside the blade 114, thereby creating a gap between the blade 114 and the developing roller 113.

When the toner is conveyed through this gap by magnetic force, it is sufficiently triboelectrically charged, and a uniform toner layer is formed on the surface of the developing roller. Further, the journal portion of the developing roller 113 is provided with rings 115 and 116 made of soft polyurethane that seal the gap with the side plate 9293 to prevent toner from falling from the gap between the developing roller and the side plate. There is.

Furthermore, an under case 117 is provided between the side plates downstream of the developing roller to prevent and catch toner that falls from the developing roller due to resonance from external factors, etc. from scattering outside the unit. A static eliminating brush 118 is provided between the developing roller and the developing roller (in the longitudinal direction) for removing potential remaining after image development on the developing roller. Furthermore, since the opening at the end of the under case 117 is provided on the side of the photoreceptor belt that is engaged with the developing roller, the falling toner is directed toward the developing roller side (VA ratio is 4:1) where there is a large airflow. Inflow.

In order to transfer the toner from the developing roller 113 to the photoreceptor, an electrode plate 126 provided on the side plate of the developing roller 113 is grounded via an electrode pin 127, and the bottle 1 is connected to the main body power supply.
A potential difference is provided by controlling the application of voltage via 27. Further, since a potential remains on the photoreceptor belt after exposure at a portion corresponding to the paper background, toner transfer is prevented by controlling the voltage application described above, so that background stains after transfer can be eliminated.

When the toner in the developing unit is consumed by repeating the above-mentioned developing process, the toner end detection section provided in the main body at the upper part of the cartridge 91 detects the toner consumption. The toner end detection section engages a gear 117 having a groove on the shaft of the agitator 110, has a spring 120 inside thereof, is locked to the shaft of the agitator 110, and has a disk 121 provided with a scraping section. It has a structure in which the spring 120 is engaged with the spring 120.

An actuator 124 having a roller 123 biased by a spring 122 is assembled to the disk 121, and when there is toner, the agitator 110 rotates behind the gear 119 due to the load of the toner. For this reason, the scratching portion of the disk and the groove of the gear remain out of alignment, and the rollers 123 follow the outer peripheries of both. On the other hand, when the toner runs out, the load on the agitator 110 decreases, so the sowing portion and the groove align, and the rollers 123 fit together, so the agitator detects the toner end sensor 125 as 0? Turn on the LL l-ner replenishment display.

13 to 18 are diagrams for explaining the paper feeding unit of the embodiment. FIG. 13 is a plan view, FIG. 14 is a side view, and FIGS. 15 and 16 are perspective views of main parts. , FIG. 17 is an explanatory diagram of the operation of the paper feeding solenoid, and FIG. 18 is an explanatory diagram of the paper feeding operation.

13 to 18, 4.4' is a paper feed table, I8 is a paper feed table opening/closing switch, 43 is a blade, 44 is a calling roller, 45 is a friction pad,
46.47 is a guide plate, 48.49 is a registration roller,
160 is a locking member, 160' is a hook, 161, 16
2 is a side plate, 163.164 is a support shaft, 166.167 is an oil damper gear, 168 is a side guide, 171 is a paper feed solenoid, 172 is a clutch pawl, 173 is a sleeve, 175 is a feed clutch, 175' is a cam part, 17
6 is a selector gear, 177 is a pinion gear, 178 is a pickup arm, 179 is a leading edge fence, and 180 is a paper leading edge detection sensor.

The paper feed table 4 engages with the unit side plates 161 and 162 via support shafts 163 and 164, and the sector gear 1 is connected to the shafts.
65 are provided respectively, and oil damper gears 166, 167 are fixed to the brackets on the side plates 161, 162.
are engaged.

Further, a hook 160' formed of the casing of the table 4 engages with a locking member 160 provided on the side plate 60 of the main body, and performs locking or release by reciprocating movement. By manually pushing the sheet feeding table 4, the sheet feeding table 4 is linearly and semi-automatically opened to the position 4'. At that time, the casing (exterior cover) of the paper feed table 4
As a result, the paper feed table opening/closing switch 18 provided on the main body is pressed and turned ON, and in conjunction with the opening/closing signal for the document transport table 1, the warm-up state is entered.

Further, the open position 4' of the paper feed table 4 is determined by a stopper 163 provided on the main body and the casing of the paper feed table. The side guides 168 and 169 provided on the paper stacking surface of the paper feed table 4 function in the same manner as the side guides of the document transport table 1 described above, but in this case, the guide position is preferably at the trailing edge of the paper. Further, a friction pad 170 is provided at the innermost part on the same surface to ensure reliable sheet conveyance up to the last sheet.

When the paper is set as described above, the paper feed solenoids 171 provided on the unit side plates 161 and 162 are turned ON by the leading edge detection signal of the document transport section, and the clutch pawl 172A and the clutch pawl 172B are separated from the sleeve 173 and the convex portion, respectively. The drive from the main motor is transmitted to the pickup roller 44 via the paper feed roller 43 and the square belt 174, and is also transmitted to the cam portion 175' of the feed clutch 175, thereby causing rotation. As the cam rotates, the sector gear 176 rotates counterclockwise, and the pickup arm 178 rotates clockwise via the pinion gear 177. Therefore, the pickup roller 44 is lowered, the tip fence 179 is tilted forward, and the paper is fed. Furthermore, when the cam rotates, the sector gear rotates clockwise, causing the pickup roller 44 to rise and the tip fence 179 to rise.

The function of the feed clutch 175 and the cam portion 175' is that when the paper feed tray solenoid 171 is turned on, the clutch pawl 17
2B separates from the projection C, the cam portion 175' rotates counterclockwise, and the clutch pawl 172A also separates from the sleeve 173. As the cam portion 175' continues to rotate further, the protrusion hits the clutch pawl E and the cam portion 175' stops rotating.

At this point, the sector gear has completed one reciprocating movement (the pickup roller has finished rising). When the paper feed solenoid 171 is turned off, the clutch pawl 172B hits the protrusion C and the clutch pawl 172A engages the sleeve 173.

Next, to explain the operation of the separation mechanism, the tip fence 17
9 tilts forward, the pickup roller 44 contacts the paper, its rotation is transmitted to the paper, and the friction pad 45
One sheet of paper is sent out from the paper feed table.

The fed paper is conveyed as it is by the paper feed roller 43, and the rotation of the cam of the feed clutch causes the pickup roller to separate from the paper, and the tip fence also rises to prevent the next paper from flying out. The paper feed solenoid 171 is synchronized with the image formed on the 0FFL photoreceptor belt 2 with a certain slack provided by the paper leading edge detection sensor 180.

When not in use, when the paper feed table 4 is lifted manually, the paper feed table 4 rotates and is locked by the above-mentioned locking means, at the same time the upper surface of the Zide guide comes into contact with the main body and is positioned. .

Figures 19 to 23 show the photoreceptor belt (hereinafter referred to as 0PCB).
Fig. 19 is a side view, Fig. 20 is a perspective view, Fig. 21 is a front view, Fig. 22(a) is a plan view, and Fig. 22(b) is a front view. Figure 23 (a
) is an explanatory plan view, and FIG. 23(b) is an explanatory front view.

In these figures, 23 is a document transport roller, 27 is a contact glass, 60, 61 is a side plate, 86 is a leaf spring, 8
7 is a holder, 83 is a grid, 87a is a varistor, 11
3 is a developing roller, 182 is a drive roller, 185 is a cleaning roller, 186 is a tension roller, 188 is a casing, 184 is a transfer roller, 191 and 192 are under the guide, 195°196 is on the guide, 197 and 198 are bearings, 272 273 is a cleaning blade, 273 is a bracket, 274 is a retaining pin, and 275 is a guide.

When the main morph 181 is turned on by this mechanism, the drive gear 183 that engages with the drive roller 182 is interlocked to rotate and transport the 0PCB 37 at the same speed as the document transport roller 23. The 0PCB 37 has a configuration in which the driving roller 182, which is a roller with high frictional resistance (rubber roller, flocked roller), is provided downstream of the optical axis and upstream of the developing roller 113. This is because the 0PCB 37 is stretched on the optical axis side to always give a constant flatness, and the developing roller 113
Relieve stress at the nip between and 0PCB37,
This is to provide a slack that allows both sides to follow each other.

A transfer roller 184 is provided downstream of the developing roller 113,
The drive roller 182. The development roller 113 and the transfer roller 184 make the 0PCB 37 concave to widen the development nip and use that space as the development space, resulting in a thinner configuration. Further, a cleaning roller 185 is provided which faces the drive roller 182 and whose 0PCB 37 is located perpendicular to the optical axis.
A tension roller 186 is provided between the cleaning roller 185 and the cleaning roller 185 to make the surface of the 0PCB37 concave.
It constitutes 7 loops. The tension roller 184
By positioning the tension roller 184 downstream of the transfer section and upstream of the charging section, it is possible to take a position that does not affect the latent image and the developed image, and the tension roller 184 can be formed of a conductor or an insulator.

The transfer roller 184 is formed with a smooth surface and has a low friction property, and is prevented from being touched by a piece of the PCB 37 by guides 187 provided at both ends of the back surface of the PCB 37. The guide 187 is mainly made of urethane rubber material to prevent the loops from bending and from deteriorating due to the environment. In addition, as the material for the transfer roller, a porous hollow roller that does not have any problem with the surface properties of the 0PCB37 is suitable in order to prevent a rise in temperature within the 0PCB3 fluve.

The tension roller 186 is a soft-touch roller such as a brush roller or surface flocking roller for preventing deterioration of the surface of the 0PCB 37, and is rotated at the same speed as the 0PCB 37. The flocking material uses carbon-arrayed organic conductive fibers based on acrylic polymer. Also OPC, B37
A means for providing a flat surface, such as a tension plate, is provided at the optical axis position to prevent blurring of the image.

The embodiment is constructed as described above, and the span of the drive roller 182 and cleaning roller 185 is minimized and the imaging section (
Since the optical axis (optical axis) is located on the tension side, it is also possible to eliminate means such as the tension plate. 0P
Outside the effective image area on both ends of the surface of the CB37, a conductive layer F is provided by applying black paint, and on the opposite side, the conductive layer F is grounded by a plate spring provided on the optical base 62 via a static eliminating brush 189 provided on the casing 188 of the 0PCB37. It is structured like this.

Also, detection mark G for detecting the seam of 0PCB37
(gold color) is provided on the F, and a seam sensor 189 provided in the main body is used to detect and control the joint so that it is always located in the non-image area through an opening Lj provided in the casing 188. Also, on the surface of 0PCB37, there is a distance of 3±2 to the leading edge of the paper.
．． An uncharged layer H coated with black is formed at a position corresponding to 5 mm, and the position is controlled by the seam sensor.

Casing 188 supporting and covering the above structure
The configuration is such that each roller is supported and driven via a sliding bearing,
○Considering the case where contact with the inner surface of the casing 188 occurs due to the bending of the 0PCB 37 due to the loop configuration of the 0PCB 37, the inner surface has been treated to prevent deterioration of the 0PCB 37 (low friction).
or low-friction members are provided at important points.

Also, the grid 83 provides a uniform charging potential to the 0PCB37.
Tension is applied to the bracket 189 engaged with the casing 188 via a spring 190, and the bracket 189 is placed with a certain gap from the 0PCB 37 to prevent uneven discharge, environmental fluctuations, power output fluctuations, etc. provided on the optical base 62. A varistor 87a that controls the voltage at a constant level and a leaf spring 86 that biases the bracket 189 are provided via an insulating holder 87 to prevent uneven charging caused by external factors. The casing 1
88 is the lower guide 19L provided on the main body side plate 60.61
Fit the bearings 193 and 194 of the transfer roller to 192,
Similarly, the cleaning roller bearings 197.degree. 198 are rotatably mounted on the guides 195 and 196 that engage with the side plates of the main body, and the cleaning roller is positioned with respect to the optical system of the main body.

FIG. 24 is a diagram illustrating the transfer unit of the embodiment, in which 49 is a registration roller, 51 is a fixing roller,
210 is a bearing, 212 is a casing, 213 is a roller,
215 is a spring, 214 is a bearing, 216 is an entrance guide, 255 is a positioning pin, 257 is a lock lever, 23
0 is a drive gear, 231 is a sliding bearing, 234 is a pressure lever,
235 is a sliding bearing, 254 is a bracket, and 258 is a handle.

A registration roller 49 supported and driven by the main body side plate 60, 61 via bearings 210, 211 is fitted and supported by the milling part of the bearing, and the registration roller 49 is mounted in a casing 212 provided so as to be openable by its outer diameter. A roller 213 that is pressed against and driven by the roller 213 is provided in the opening via a bearing 214 and a spring 215, and serves as a lower guide for paper conveyance.

The paper that is generally fed by the registration roller 49 is 0PC.
The entrance guide 216 is guided by a casing 212 provided with an entrance guide 216 facing close to B37, and is synchronized with the image on the 0PCB 37. The entrance guide 216 has a convex center so that the paper surface uniformly follows the surface of the 0PCB 37. It becomes. Further, an end block constituting a charge wire 217 for discharging a polarity opposite to that of the toner is provided at a position of 20±0.2 mm directly below the center of the transfer roller of the casing 212, and its end block is located close to the inner guide 216. An opening is formed. Therefore, the paper faces the developed image and is electrostatically attracted and conveyed, whereby the toner forming the developed image on the 0PCB 37 is transferred to the paper surface.

Nylon wires for preventing the leading edge of the paper from entering the opening are stretched so as to extend at a wide angle with respect to the paper conveyance direction. The leading edge of the paper after transfer is separated by the curvature of the transfer roller,
Guide fins for guiding the tip to the fixing nip of the fixing device are arranged in conjunction with the nylon wire and provided on the casing.

25 to 27 are diagrams for explaining the fixing unit of the embodiment. FIG. 25 is a side view, FIG. 26 is a plan view, and FIG. 27 is a fixing temperature characteristic diagram.

In these figures, 54 is a paper ejection roller, 6061 is a side plate, 16L is a side plate, 230 is a drive gear, 23
8 is a thermistor, 239 is a thermostat, 240 is a heat shield plate, 242 is a slit, 243 is a cooling fan, 244
is duct A, 245 is filter, 246 is duct B,
247 is the duct C1251 is the guide plate, 252 is the gear,
253 is a knob, 256 is a lock lever, 258 is a handle, 2
70 is a duct.

It is supported by the side plate 16LI62 on the same side as the paper feeding unit already mentioned, and the unfixed l/ner for the paper entering from the transfer section is provided close to the guide fin and has a drive gear 231 connected to the main motor 1131 of the main body. sliding bearing 2
A pressure (18 to 21 kg/bo) is applied at a constant temperature (180° C. to 185° C.) between the fixing roller 51 and the pressure roller 52 provided through the fixing roller 31 to perform the fixing process. The pressure roller 52 is biased by a sliding bearing 235 that allows pressure levers 233 and 234 that engage a spring 232 to slide up and down.

Thin wall AI with high thermal conductivity, integrally molded with the fixing roller and jarfle part! , is a tube roller coated with Teflon, and a heater for heating the fixing roller is provided at the center of the interior via a bracket terminal 236237. Further, in order to improve thermal efficiency, the inner surface of the fixing roller may be painted black. The fixing temperature is controlled by a sursistor 238 that is in pressure contact with the fixing roller, as shown in FIG. 27. In other words, when the main switch is turned on, all the heaters are lit, and 1
When the temperature reaches 65°C, control with 172 duty and 185°C
It lights up until. The light is turned off when the temperature reaches 185°C and is turned on when the temperature reaches 182°C, and the surface temperature of the fixing roller becomes 185°C to 182°C.

Further, a thermostat 239 is used to prevent the temperature from rising excessively due to some kind of accident. The thermostat 238
The thermostat 239 is provided on a heat shield plate 240 having a surface that reflects the radiant heat of the fixing roller 51, and a cover 241 that holds the heat shield plate 240 with a certain space and has a flocked outer surface. It has a layered structure.

The cover 241 is provided with a bent portion having a plurality of slits 242 almost directly above the fixing roller 51, and the cooling fan 243 is engaged with the bent portion at two places, so that the cover 241 is connected to the cooling fan 243 over almost the entire area. The structure has a shielding duct A244. Duct A24
A heat insulating material such as foamed polyurethane is used at the contact portion of No. 4 to the cover 241 to prevent deformation due to heat (the contact surface has a further heat insulating effect because it is made of flocked hair). A duct B246 and a duct C247 are provided which fit into the exhaust ports of the cooling fan 243, guide airflow to the sides of the main body, and have a filter 245 therein close to the exterior cover.

With the above configuration, the radiant heat of the fixing roller 51 is retained in the first air layer, the heat in the second air layer is absorbed by the cover 241, and the duct A of the heat shield plate 240
Due to the shape, the air whose temperature has increased due to suction by the cooling fan flows through ducts A and B.

Since the air is exhausted to the outside of the machine by C, it is possible to prevent the temperature of each part on the side of the 0PCB 37 from rising excessively.

Furthermore, it is possible to suction ozone generated by the transfer section with the configuration of the embodiment, and it is possible to suck ozone generated by the transfer section, so that zero
Deterioration of the photosensitive layer of the PCB 37 can be prevented.

A claw 248 that peels off the fixed paper from the fixing roller 51
is provided to bias the fixing roller 51 via a spring 249, and guides the leading edge of the paper to the paper ejection roller 54. The paper discharge roller 54 is provided on a guide plate 251 that is close to the pressure roller below the claw 248 and guides the paper, and the guide plate 25I also serves as an exterior. Further, a paper ejection sensor 55 for detecting the paper conveyance time from the register is provided on the guide plate 251 in the vicinity of the paper ejection roller 54 to detect a jam in the span.

If the paper stops at the fixing nip due to an accident, the paper is processed by manually rotating a knob 253 having a gear that meshes with a gear 252 that engages the pressure roller 52. In addition, in case the paper stops due to an accident before the fixing nip, unit side plates 160,
161 and the lever 234.
, 235 is connected to the bracket 254 which is connected to the main body side plate 6.
A handle 258 is provided at the center of the bracket 254 so as to connect lock levers 256 and 257 that fit into a positioning pin 255 provided at 0°61. Therefore, when the handle 254 is pulled forward, the connected cock levers 256 and 257 are lowered and removed from the pin 255, and the paper feeding section and fixing section supported by the unit side plate are moved to the main body side plate 60.6.
The paper slides forward by the guide 259 provided in the guide part 1, and teeth 261 of the same pitch provided on the side plate of the unit mesh with a gear damper 260 provided close to the fulcrum of the guide part, causing the paper to rotate linearly towards the front. The transfer conveyance surface is exposed and the paper can be removed.

Also, when it is installed, it is similarly supported by the guide 259, so it is guided as it is, and the lock lever is fitted and positioned on the pin by the action of the pressurizing spring 232. Further, a duct D270, which also serves as a casing of the cleaning device, is fitted into an opening provided in the center of the duct 244. In addition, when the upper component unit is attached, the bracket 254 has a cut and bent portion 254 that is close to both side plates of the unit and pushes up the transfer charger casing, and the stationary charger has a leaf spring 2 provided on the casing of the ○PCB 37 above the bracket 254.
It is configured to be positioned by being pressed by 80.

The cleaning unit is shown in FIG.
As shown in FIGS. 2 and 23, in order to clean the residual toner after transfer on the 0PCB 37, a nozzle spring 271 installed in the 0PCB gauging 188 presses a bracket 273 provided with a cleaning blade 272. The cleaning blade is configured such that the tip of the blade is brought into pressure contact with the cleaning blade. Bracket 27
3 is rotatably provided in a casing 270 via a stop pin 274, and guides 275 of the casing 270 fit into bearings 197 and 198 of the cleaning roller 182, respectively, to position the blade tip.

Further, since the toner is scraped off and falls from the casing opening of the blade 272, a guide (mylar) 276 is provided at the lower end of the opening to prevent the toner from falling outside the casing. Further, the casing 270 is provided with a spring 278 that presses the Im+ receiver 272 of the tension roller 113 of the 0PCB 37.

The duct 0 part of the casing 270 is fitted with a rib 279 provided on the back surface of the exterior cover 3 to form a duct E, and ozone released due to charging is sucked by the cooling device. This prevents deterioration of the photosensitive layer of 0PCB37.

FIG. 28 is a circuit diagram of the electrical unit of this embodiment, in which 20 is a fluorescent lamp heater, 29 is a fluorescent lamp, and 38 is a fluorescent lamp heater.
39 is a transfer charger, 39 is a static elimination LED array, 40 is a main charger, 87a is a varistor, 171 is a paper feed solenoid, 302 is a noise filter, 304 is a triac, 305 is a thermostat, 306 is a halogen heater, 307 is a main motor, 308 is a fan motor, 30
9 is a fan motor, 310 is a power transformer, 311 is D
It is a C power source. Similarly, 312 is a power pack transformer, 315 is a total count, 317 is a registration solenoid, 325 is a paper feed sensor, 326 is a paper ejection sensor, 3
27 is a thermistor, 328 is a dimming sensor, 320 is a stabilizer, 331 is a pulse generator, 332 is a toner end detection sensor, 329 is a recovery toner sensor, and 330 is a seam sensor.

AC line is interlock switch 300°301
Noise filter 302 Main switch 303 Triac 304. Thermostat 305, halogen heater 306, main motor 307, fan motor 308,
307 and a DC power supply 311 via a power transformer 310 is outputted from a power pack transformer 312 and connected to the transfer charger 38.

In addition, the 22V line is connected to the talk counter 315 through the relay board 314. Supply IE solenoid 316. It is output to the registration solenoid 317. The relay board 314 is the main PC
It receives the output from B318, and the fluorescent lamp 29 and fluorescent lamp ballast 320. Power pack converter 321', static elimination LED array 39. Fluorescent lamp heater 2
0 output and control. Also power pack converter 3
The output of 21 is supplied to the main charger 40 via the varistor 87a, and the 5v line from the DC power supply 311 is
Paper feed sensor 325 via the relay board. Paper discharge sensor 326
．． To thermistor 327, and the main P as well as the 22V line
Light control sensor 328 and collected toner sensor 3 from CB318
29. Seam sensor 330. Pulse generator 331
An output control signal is supplied to the toner end detection sensor 332.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As described in detail above, the present invention provides an illuminating means for illuminating the surface of a document, a reflecting plate for condensing light reflected from the document, and an imaging means for forming an image of the reflected light focused on the reflecting plate on a photoreceptor. are housed in a common bracket, and this bracket is attached to the equipment case, making the structure more compact and ready for exposure in a short preheating time, which greatly reduces the fluctuation in the amount of light emitted by the illumination means due to changes in ambient temperature. decreases to

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Figures 1 to 28 are diagrams explaining the present invention in detail, with Figure 1 being a perspective view in a stored state, Figure 2 being a perspective view in a standby state for copy processing, and Figure 3 being an explanation of the overall configuration. 4 is an explanatory side view of the document transport unit, FIG. 5 is an explanatory plan view of the document 1 general feed unit, FIG. 6 is an explanatory side view of the exposure illumination unit, and FIG. 7 is an explanatory plan view of the exposure illumination unit. 8 is a partial explanatory diagram of the exposure illumination unit, FIG. 9 is a side explanatory diagram of the developing unit, FIG. 10 is a front explanatory diagram of the developing unit, and FIGS. 11 and 12 are explanations of the operation of the toner end sensor. Fig. 13 is a plan view of the paper feed unit, Fig. 14 is a side view of the paper feed unit, Figs. 15 and 16 are perspective views of the main parts of the paper feed unit, and Fig. 17 is a paper feed solenoid. FIG. 18 is an explanatory diagram of the paper feeding operation, FIG. 19 is a side explanatory diagram of the photoconductor heald, FIG. 20 is a perspective view of the photoconductor belt, and FIG. 21 is a front explanatory diagram of the photoconductor belt. , second
2 is an explanatory diagram of the photoconductor belt, FIG. 23 is an explanatory diagram of the photoconductor belt, FIG. 24 is a side explanatory diagram of the transfer unit,
FIG. 5 is a side view of the fixing unit, FIG. 26 is a plan view of the fixing unit, FIG. 27 is a fixing operation characteristic diagram, and FIG.
The figure is a circuit diagram of the electrical unit. 1-11~---Document transport table, 4------1 paper feed table, 10------1 paper ejection roller, 11-
・------Marking, 12゜13---Side guide, 14-11---Marking, Fixing heater, Document transport Original pusher 17---Transport table opening/closing switch, Feeding Paper table opening/closing switch, 19 20----1 Fluorescent lamp heater, 23.24 Feed roller,
25----1 original sensor, 26 plate, 27---
-----Contact glass, 29 fluorescent lamps, 3 (1--
---Reflector, 3 L---- Lens, 32° 33--
---1 driven roller, 36--paper feed roller, 37--photosensitive plate held, 3 B-----transfer charger, 39
-------1 static elimination LED array, 40-----1 main charger, 41-----1 developing device, 42-----
--Cleaning device, 44-- Calling roller,
5 L-----Heat roller, 52--=-pressure roller, 54-----One paper discharge Lof Q [Co., Ltd.] (b) Figure 11 Figure 12 Figure 13 Broom 15 Otsu 3 Figure 16 Figure 28

Claims (1)

[Claims] A process unit for electrostatic recording is housed inside the case,
In an electrostatic recording device that performs electrostatic recording on a transfer material conveyed within the case, there is an illumination device that illuminates the surface of the document, a reflector that collects light reflected from the surface of the document, and a reflector that focuses the light on the reflector. An electrostatic recording device characterized in that an imaging means for forming an image of the reflected light on a photoreceptor is housed in a common bracket, and the bracket is attached to the case.