JPH0242454A - Process cartridge and image forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To facilitate accuracy control, to reduce cost and to miniaturize the title device and to reduce the weight of the device by providing guiding parts to the main body of a process cartridge together with a positioning part collectively on the housing of the process cartridge. CONSTITUTION:Guiding parts 5 and 6 and a positioning part 7 to the main body are provided for a housing 2 of a process cartridge 1 which is freely attachable/detachable to/from the main body of the device and has at least an image carrier body 3 in the housing 2. Since the guiding parts 5 and 6 together with the positioning part 7 to the main body of the process cartridge 1 are provided collectively on the housing 2 of the process cartridge 1, the number of parts for which high dimensional accuracy is necessary is decreased, their accuracy control becomes easy, the cost can be reduced, its structure can be simplified and it can be miniaturized and reduced in weight.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention (Industrial Application Field) The present invention relates to a process cartridge that can be attached to and removed from an image forming apparatus main body, and an image forming bag for a copying machine, a laser beam printer, etc., which is equipped with the process cartridge. Regarding ε.

(Prior Art) In an image forming apparatus that employs a so-called cartridge attachment/detachment system, a process cartridge, in which an image bearing member, a developing base, etc. are housed in one housing, is attached to or detached from the main body, or When outputting, the process cartridge (
In particular, the positioning of the image carrier contained therein with respect to the main body must be performed with high precision.

By the way, FIG. 12 shows a conventional process cartridge lo.
As shown in the side view of t, the process cartridge 101 includes an image carrier 103 within its housing 102, and is attached to and detached from the main body of the apparatus in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the paper. When the process cartridge 101 is attached or removed, the plurality of surfaces of the housing 102 serve as guide surfaces to guide the process cartridge 101 relative to the main body.

Further, the process cartridge lot was positioned in the main body by the method shown in FIGS. 13 and 14. That is, FIGS. 13 and 14 are before installation, respectively.
The first screen shows the state of the process cartridge 101 after installation.
2 is a partial sectional view taken along the line A-A in FIG.
A circular hole Iota, 103a, is concentrically bored in the side of the hole Iota. When the process cartridge 101 is moved in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 14 when installing the process cartridge lot into the main body, the shaft 120 protruding from the main body side will be attached to the process cartridge lot side as shown in the figure. The provided circular holes Iota and 103a are fitted, thereby positioning the process cartridge 101 in the main body.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) However, the above conventional process cartridge 101
As mentioned above, the guide part to the main body is formed on the outer surface of the housing 102, and the positioning part is formed on the side part, and in this way, both are formed in separate parts, so high dimensional accuracy is achieved. The number of guide parts and positioning parts required increases, accuracy control becomes complicated, manufacturing costs increase, and the structure becomes complicated, which limits the miniaturization and weight reduction of the process cartridge and, by extension, the image forming apparatus. There was a problem.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and its purpose is to reduce the manufacturing cost by facilitating the dimensional accuracy management of the process cartridge, simplify the structure, and improve the length of the process cartridge. The aim is to make the image forming apparatus smaller and lighter.

(Means for Solving the Problems) In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a process cartridge that is removably attached to an apparatus main body and that includes at least an image carrier in its housing. The housing is characterized in that a guide portion and a positioning portion are provided on the housing.

Further, in the present invention, an image forming apparatus is configured by providing a loading section for the process cartridge.

(Function) Since both the guide part and the positioning part for the main body of the process cartridge are provided in the housing of the process cartridge, the number of parts that require high dimensional accuracy in the process cartridge is reduced, and the accuracy is improved. Management becomes easier, costs can be reduced, and the structure can be simplified, thereby making it possible to reduce the size and weight of the process cartridge and, by extension, the image forming apparatus.

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

FIG. 15 is a longitudinal sectional view of a laser beam splinter according to the present invention. In the laser beam printer, a large number of cut sheets P... are stacked on a paper feed tray 14, and each cut sheet P is Roller 15 and conveyance roller 1
6 to the image forming section, the image is transferred by the transfer roller 17, the sheet is led to the fixing device 18, where it is fixed by a heat roller, and the sheet is discharged by the discharge roller 19 onto the discharge tray 20, which is not attached.

By the way, the paper feed tray 14, the paper feed section including the paper feed roller 15, the transport section including the transport roller 16, the fixing section including the fixing device 18, the ejection roller 19, and the paper ejection section including the paper ejection tray 20 are located on the apparatus base. B is pivotally supported by an axis A, and these parts are divided at the positions indicated by the dashed lines shown in the figure, and are configured to be openable and closable.

Further, the image forming section includes a photosensitive drum 3 and a cleaner section C1.
- Cartridge 1 that integrates a charger T and a developing section
It consists of The above-mentioned charger T is a semiconductive elastic body,
For example, the photosensitive tram 3 can be charged by applying an electrical bias to the conductive rubber roller 22. still,
The conductive rubber roller 22 is driven by the photosensitive tram 3, and is
It is in contact with the photosensitive tram 3 at a pressure of 00 g/cm''.

By the way, considering the lifespan of the photosensitive drum 3, the lifespan of the cleaning blade, the lack of toner, etc., the cartridge l should be replaced with a new one after a certain amount of image formation, or this replacement should be done as follows. It will be done. That is, the 16th
As shown in the figure, when a part K of the exterior cover that has paper feeding, transport, fixing, and paper ejection sections is opened, the cartridge L can only be inserted and removed from the part K of the exterior cover that is opened. The operator can take out the cartridge l from the main body in a direction perpendicular to the drum generatrix direction. Further, a new cartridge L is installed in the main body by operating in the opposite manner to the above-mentioned removal process, and after installation, when the outer cover part K is closed, the cartridge L is placed in a predetermined position under pressure from the transfer roller 17. is definitely set. still,
When part K of the exterior cover is open,
As shown in Fig. 16, the paper output tray 21 (see Fig. 15)
has been removed and the paper feed tray 14 has been folded.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a process cartridge according to the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a side view of the process cartridge, FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the side part of the process cartridge, and FIG. 3 is a side view showing how the process cartridge is attached to and removed from the main body.

As shown in the figure, the process cartridge 1 is configured by rotatably housing a photosensitive drum 3, which is a widthwise long image bearing member, in a housing 2 integrally molded of resin or the like. Shutter 4 to open and close 3
is provided.

The process cartridge l is mounted on each of both sides of the housing 2 in an image forming apparatus main body 10 shown in FIG.
A guide section that serves as a guide when attaching and detaching the process cartridge l to the main body 10, and a positioning section that positions the process cartridge l with respect to the main body 10 when the process cartridge l is installed in the main body 10 are provided in an integrated manner. , these guide portions and positioning portions are composed of ribs 5, ring-shaped ribs 6, and positioning pins 7.

The rib 5 is integrally provided in a slender shape on the side surface of the housing 2 along the attachment/detachment direction of the process cartridge L (direction of arrow Y in FIG. It forms an arcuate guide portion 5a, and its upper and lower surfaces are guide surfaces 5b.

5b. Moreover, the ring-shaped rib 6 is:
As shown in FIG. 3, it is integrally provided on the side surface of the housing 2, or its position is set so that its center point is located at the intersection of the extension of the center line of the rib 5 and the axis of the photosensitive drum 3. There is. A notch 6a is formed in a part of the ring-shaped rib 6, and the outer peripheral surface thereof constitutes a fitting surface 6b for positioning.

Furthermore, the positioning pin 7 is constructed separately from the housing 2 as shown in FIG. It has a truncated conical portion 7b to be fitted into a circular hole (not shown) formed along the axis of the photosensitive drum 3, and a rectangular rift portion 7C. The positioning pin 7 has its disc-shaped portion 7a fitted into the ring-shaped rib 6 on the housing 2 side, and the rectangular rib-shaped portion 7c or the notch 6a of the ring-shaped rib 6.
The photosensitive tram 3 is attached to the housing 2 so as to fit within the housing 2 and fixed with screws 8, but at this time, the positioning of the photosensitive tram 3 with respect to the housing 2 is completed at the same time. Note that when the positioning pin 7 is attached to the housing 2, the top of the rectangular rib-shaped portion 7c of the positioning pin 7 is
The lower surface constitutes guide surfaces 7d, 7d continuous with the guide surfaces 5b, 5b of the ribs 5.

On the other hand, on the apparatus main body 10 side, as shown in FIG. 4, a loading section 11 for receiving the process cartridge L is formed. The guide wI 112 is composed of a guide groove 12 formed along the guide groove 12 and an arc-shaped positioning groove 13 continuous to the guide groove 12, and an arc-shaped recess 12a is formed in a part of the guide wI112. . Note that this loading section 11 is symmetrically provided on both sides of the main body 10.

When loading the process cartridge l into the main body 10 of the apparatus, the process cartridge l is moved from the state shown in FIG. 4 toward the main body 10 along the direction of arrow Y.
With the rib 5 of the process cartridge 1 fitted into the guide groove 12 on the main body 10 side, the process cartridge 1 can be pushed into the main body 10 side as it is.
The ring-shaped rib 6 or the main body l
The movement is stopped when it engages with the positioning groove 13 on the O side, and at the same time, the guide portion 5a of the rib 5 or the guide groove 1
It fits into the recess 12a provided in 2, giving the operator a click feeling.

In this way, the loading of the process cartridge 1 into the main body 10 is completed, and at this time, the positioning of the process cartridge 1 into the main body 10 is also completed at the same time. That is, the equipment (especially optical equipment) provided on the main body IO side and the positioning groove 1
3 is set in advance with high precision. Therefore, when the ring-shaped rib 6 whose center coincides with the axis of the photosensitive tram 3 engages with the positioning groove 13, the main body IO of the process cartridge L For example, the relative position of the optical system equipment on the main body 1O side and the photosensitive drum 3 on the process cartridge 1 side is accurately determined. In addition to the above, by fitting the rib 5 of the process cartridge 1 and the rectangular rib-shaped portion 7c of the positioning pin 7 into the guide groove 12, the process cartridge 1 can be prevented from rotating.

On the other hand, in order to take out the process cartridge l loaded into the main body 1O as described above from the main body 10, it is sufficient to pull out the process cartridge l along the guide groove 12 of the main body 10.

In the above, the main body 10 of the process cartridge l is composed of the rib 5, the ring-shaped rift 6, and the positioning pin 7.
Since the guide part and the positioning part are integrated into the housing 2 of the process cartridge 1, the number of parts that require high dimensional accuracy in the process cartridge 1 is reduced, and the dimensional accuracy can be easily managed. It is possible to reduce costs and simplify the structure of the process cartridge 1.
．． As a result, the entire image forming apparatus can be made smaller and lighter.

Next, modified embodiments of the present invention are shown in FIGS. 5 to 11.

FIG. 5 shows a process cartridge 2 according to a first modified embodiment.
1, and in this embodiment, a narrow spring portion 27a is formed at the tip of the positioning pin 27, and the spring portion 2
An engaging protrusion 27b is formed at the end of the cartridge 7a, and when the process cartridge 21 is attached to and removed from the main body, the engaging protrusion 27a always engages with the guide groove on the main body side. The process cartridge 21 is smoothly guided along the guide groove without wobbling.

6 is a side view of the process cartridge 31 according to a second modified embodiment. In this embodiment, the housing 32 has a notched guide portion 39 that is continuous with the ring-shaped ridge 36.
This makes it possible to easily attach and detach the positioning bin 37 along with the photosensitive drum 33 to the housing 32 along the notched guide groove 39 without making any changes to the positioning bin 37.

Furthermore, FIGS. 7 and 8 are drawings showing a third modified embodiment, in which FIG. 7 is a partial front view of the process cartridge 41, and FIG. 8 is a side view thereof. In this embodiment, a guide portion 45a and a positioning portion 45b are provided on both sides of the housing 42.
A rib 45 is provided which integrally has a rib 45, and in this case,
The photosensitive drum 43 is positioned with respect to the housing 42 by screws 48 .

Furthermore, a fourth modified embodiment is shown in FIGS. 9 to 11, in which FIG. 9 is a front view of the process cartridge 51,
11 are a left side view and a right side view of the same. In this embodiment, the attachment structure of the photosensitive drum 53 to the housing 52 is different on the left and right sides, and the photosensitive drum 53 is inserted into the housing 52 from the right side in FIG. The right end portion is fitted into a ring-shaped rib 56 formed on the housing 52, and the right end portion is secured by a positioning pin 57 as in the first embodiment. Incidentally, a ring-shaped rib 56 and a rib 55 are integrally formed on the left end surface of the housing 52, as shown in FIG.

Also in the first to fourth modified embodiments in which one or more parts of water are used, both the guide part and the positioning part are connected to the process cartridge 2.
1, 31, 41. 51 housings 22, 32, 42
．． 52, the same effect as that obtained in the first embodiment can be obtained.

(Effects of the Invention) As is clear from the above description, according to the present invention, the guide portion and the positioning portion to the main body of the process cartridge are both integrated and provided in the housing of the process cartridge. The number of parts that require precision is reduced, and accuracy control becomes easier.
In addition to being able to reduce costs, the structure can be simplified, and as a result, the process cartridge and, by extension, the image forming apparatus can be made smaller and lighter.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a process cartridge according to the present invention;
Fig. 2 is a side view of the process cartridge, Fig. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the side part of the process cartridge, Fig. 4 is a side view showing how the process cartridge is attached to and removed from the main body, and Fig. 5 is a side view of the process cartridge.
The figure is a side view of a process cartridge according to a first modified embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 6 is a side view of a process cartridge according to a second modified embodiment, and FIG. 7 is a portion of a process cartridge according to a third modified embodiment. Front view, Figure 8 is the same side view,
FIG. 9 is a front view of a process cartridge according to a fourth modified embodiment, FIGS. 10 and 11 are left and right side views of the process cartridge, respectively, and FIG. 12 is a side view of a conventional process cartridge. , FIG. 13 and FIG. 14 are cross-sectional views taken along the line A-A in FIG. 12, FIG. 15 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the laser beam printer according to the present invention, and FIG. 12 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the laser beam printer in an open state. It is a front view. 1.21, 31, 41.51...Process cartridge, 2,22,32,42.52...Housing, 3
, 33, 43. 53... Photosensitive drum (image bearing member), 5
, 45.55... Rib, 6, 36; 56... Link-shaped rib, 7.27, 37.57... Positioning bin,
IO... device main body, 11... loading section, 12-... guide groove, 13... positioning groove. Patent applicant Canon Co., Ltd.

Claims (4)

[Claims] (1) A process cartridge that is detachable from the apparatus main body and includes at least an image carrier in its housing, characterized in that the housing is provided with a guide portion and a positioning portion for guiding the main body. process cartridge. (2) The guide part and the positioning part are provided on both sides of the housing, the guide part is formed at a position along the attachment/detachment direction, and the positioning part is formed at a position close to the center of the image carrier. process cartridge. (3) The process cartridge according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the member for positioning the image carrier in the housing functions as a guide. (4) An image forming apparatus having a loading section for the process cartridge.