KR930012270B1 - Image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

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Description

Image forming apparatus

1 is a schematic sectional view showing one embodiment of an image forming apparatus according to the present invention in a state where the supply unit body is separated from the forming apparatus main body.

FIG. 2 is a view showing a part of the apparatus main body of the image forming apparatus of FIG. 1 seen from the right side of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a schematic sectional view showing a state in which a supply unit body is attached to the apparatus main body of the image forming apparatus of FIG.

* Explanation of symbols for main parts of the drawings

2: forming apparatus main body 4: supply unit body

6 housing 8 lower housing

12: opening and closing housing 18: rotating drum

22: corona discharger for the charging 24: developing device

26: Corona discharger 32: Warrior zone

38: optical unit 56: conveyance mechanism

70: manual feed means 72: automatic feed means

146: supply housing 156: cassette

160: outlet opening 164: table

178: guide protrusion 182: introduction opening

The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus such as a laser beam printer. Background Art [0002] Conventionally, an image forming apparatus such as a laser beam printer has a forming apparatus main body for forming an image on the surface of a sheet member such as recording paper while being conveyed through a conveying path, and for supplying a sheet member to a conveying path of the forming apparatus main body. There exists a supply unit body detachably mounted to the forming apparatus main body as needed.

Generally, the forming apparatus main body includes image bearing means such as a rotating drum having a photosensitive member on its surface, image forming means for forming a toner image on the surface of the photosensitive member, transfer means and recording paper disposed in the transfer zone. And a conveying mechanism for defining a conveying path for conveying the sheet member through the transfer zone, and a supply means for supplying the sheet member to the conveying mechanism through an introduction opening defined in the housing.

Such a supply means has a table disposed at the introduction opening, and the sheet member positioned on the table is moved along its upper surface and is supplied to the conveying path defined in the housing through the introduction opening.

Then, the supply unit body has a supply means for supplying the sheet members one by one, and the sheet member supplied by the supply means is fed out of the supply housing through a delivery opening defined in the supply housing.

However, in the conventional image forming apparatus, since the table of the supply means is detached from the forming apparatus main body and the supply unit body is mounted instead of the table, the operation for mounting and detaching the supply unit body is relatively complicated. .

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and its main object is to provide an improved image forming apparatus capable of mounting a supply unit body in a relatively simple operation. Hereinafter, an image forming apparatus according to the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. One specific example of the apparatus will be described.

An image forming apparatus, such as a laser beam printer, with reference to FIG. 1, includes a forming apparatus body in which the whole is indicated by the number (2), and a supply unit body indicated by the number (4). This supply unit body 4 is detachably attached to the forming apparatus main body 2 as needed later.

[Overview of Device Body]

The forming apparatus main body 2 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 has a rectangular parallelepiped device housing 6, and the housing 6 has a lower housing 8, an upper housing 10 and an opening and closing housing ( 12).

The opening and closing housing 12 has an upper housing 10 so as to pivot between the closing position (the position shown in FIGS. 1 to 3) and the opening and closing position with respect to the support shaft 14 (FIG. 2). It is installed.

The process unit 15 is arranged at the center of the housing 6.

The illustrated process unit 15 has a unit frame 16 which is detachably mounted in the housing 6, in which the rotating drum 18 constituting the counseling means is rotatable. It is installed.

An electrostatic photosensitive member is arranged on the peripheral surface of the rotating drum 18.

The corona discharger 22 for charge, the developing device 24, the transfer corona discharger 26 constituting the transfer means, and the cleaning device 28 around the rotating drum 18 rotated in the direction indicated by the arrow 20. And a charging corona discharger 22, a developing device 24 and a cleaning device 28 are mounted on the unit frame 16.

The charging corona discharger 22 charges the photosensitive member on the rotating drum 18 to a specific polarity.

The developing device 24 includes a magnetic brush mechanism 30 to develop an electrostatic latent image formed as described later in a toner image.

In addition, the transfer corona discharger 26 disposed in the transfer zone 32 performs corona discharge on the back surface of the sheet member conveyed through the transfer path 69, as will be described later.

The cleaning apparatus 28 includes an elastic blade 34 that acts on the surface of the photoconductor, removes the toner remaining on the surface of the photoconductor, and collects it in the toner recovery chamber 36.

An optical unit 38 is arranged above the housing 6, ie above the process unit 15.

The illustrated optical unit 38 is provided with a box-shaped unit housing 40, and in the apparatus housing 40, a laser light source (not shown), a rotating polygon mirror 42 and a first rotating direction in a predetermined direction. An imaging lens 44, a second imaging lens 46, a first reflecting mirror 48, a second reflecting mirror 50, and a cylindrical lens 52.

A laser light source (not shown) irradiates, for example, the laser beam by the image information output from the computer toward the rotating multifaceted mirror 42.

The laser light reflected by the rotating polygon mirror 42 passes through the first imaging lens 44 and the second imaging lens 46, as indicated by the solid arrows in FIG. 1, and the first reflecting mirror 48. And reflects on the first reflector 48 and the second reflector 50 and then passes through the cylindrical lens 52 and onto the surface of the rotating drum 18 in the projection zone 54.

In the lower part of the housing 6, that is, the lower part of the process unit 15, the conveyance mechanism which shows the whole number 56 is arrange | positioned.

The illustrated conveying mechanism 56 includes a pair of conveying rollers 58, a guide plate 60, a guide plate 62, a pair of carriage rollers 64, a guide ring 66, and a pair of conveying rollers 68. By this, the main part of the conveyance path 69 which conveys a sheet member like a recording paper is prescribed | regulated.

As a specific example, the upstream end of the conveyance path 69 is swelled in two, one of which extends to the right in a straight line, and the manual supply means 70 is arranged at the upstream end thereof, and the other is bent downward. Extends to the upstream end, that is, below the conveying mechanism 56 in detail, and an automatic feeding means 72 is disposed at the bottom of the housing 6.

The automatic feeding means 72 is provided with a cassette 84 in which the sheet member is loaded in the loaded state.

The cassette 84 is provided with a cassette receiving portion 88 which is defined at the bottom of the device housing 6 via an opening 86 formed in the device housing 6, that is, in detail, on the left side of the lower housing 8. Removably mounted on).

The feed roller 90 is disposed above the cassette receiving portion 88.

Accordingly, the feed roller 90 is rotated in the direction indicated by the arrow 92 so that the sheet members in the cassette 84 are sent out one by one, and the sheet portion thus sent out is formed in the upstanding wall portion 94 of the lower housing 8. The guide protrusions 100 formed on the guide protrusions 96 and the wall 98 are guided to the conveying rollers 58.

The manual delivery means 79 will be described later.

The downstream end of the conveying path 69 is also divided into two, and in this regard, a part of the opening and closing housing 12, that is, the opening and closing cover 102 is shown in FIG. It is attached so that it can turn between 2nd positions shown by a double-dotted line.

When the opening / closing cover 102 is in the first position, the sheet member supplied by the pair of conveying rollers 68 is conveyed upward again, so that the opening / closing cover 102 and the wall 104 of the opening / closing housing 12 are closed. It is guided through a pair of discharge rollers 106, and is discharged to the receiving portion 109 provided on the upper surface of the device housing 6 by the action of the pair of discharge rollers 106.

On the other hand, when the opening and closing cover 102 is in the second position, the sheet member supplied by the pair of conveying rollers 68 is discharged out of the direct housing 6 without being conveyed upwards so that the inner surface of the opening and closing cover 102 is closed. (Upper surface in a state indicated by a double-dotted line).

In the specific example, the receiving part 108 is defined by the inclined upper wall 110 which extends obliquely upward from the wall 104 and the lower end of the wall 104 toward the right in FIG. 1, and has a pair of discharge rollers ( The sheet member discharged by the action of 106 is received on the upper surface of the inclined top wall 110, and the rear end is neatly trimmed by the wall 104 described above.

An auxiliary receiving body 112 is disposed at the upper end of the receiving part 108, in other words, at the upper end of the inclined upper wall 110. The auxiliary receiving body 112 shown is composed of a plate-like member 114, the protrusion 116 (only one side shown in Figs. 1 and 3) formed on both ends of the plate-like member 114 pin 118 Is attached to the upper end of the inclined top wall 110 in a direction indicated by arrows 120 and 122 (FIG. 1).

A pair of support protrusions 124 (FIG. 2) are formed on one side (right side in the state shown by the double-dotted line in FIG. 1) of this plate-shaped member 14. As shown in FIG.

When the auxiliary receiving body 112 is in use, that is, when receiving the sheet member, it is indicated by the double-dotted line in FIG. 1 and at the same time as shown in FIG. (A) touches the upper wall 126 of the opening / closing housing 12, and the turning motion in the direction indicated by the arrow 12 is prevented.

When in the first position, the other side of the plate-shaped member 114 extends inclined upward from the upper end of the inclined top wall 110 toward the right in FIG. In addition, the auxiliary receiver 112 is not in use, that is, when it is stored in the receiving unit 108, as shown in the solid line in the first support 112 in Fig. 1 (shown in Fig. 3), the second position When the position is missing, the pivotal motion in the direction indicated by the arrow 122 is prevented while the base of the plate-shaped member 114 abuts on a part of the inclined top wall 110.

When in the second position, the plate-shaped member 114 extends almost parallel to the upper end of the inclined top wall 110, so that the auxiliary receiver 112 is at the top of the upper receiver 108. Housed as needed.

The cover body 128 for fixing the receiving part 108 is fixed to the opening / closing housing 12 (the cover body 128 is not shown in FIG. 2).

The illustrated cover body 128 is almost plate-shaped, and the center part is bent substantially between both sides.

Projections 130 are formed at both ends of the base of the cover body 128, and the projections 130 are mounted so as to be able to pivot through the pins 132 (only one of them is shown in FIGS. 1 and 3). ). In addition, a stop 134 is provided at the free end of the cover body 128, and a grip projection 136 is formed at the tip of the stop 134.

Therefore, the cover body 128 can be made into the open position shown by the dashed-dotted line in FIG. 1 by holding the above-mentioned holding protrusion 136 by hand and turning it in the direction indicated by the arrow 138.

In this open position, the cover body 128 extends almost vertically upward to open the upper portion of the receiving portion 108, thereby permitting the pivoting movement of the auxiliary receiving body 112. FIG.

In addition, the gripping protrusion 136 is gripped by hand and is rotated in the direction indicated by the arrow 140. Thus, the cover body 128 is shown in FIG. 1 by a solid line and as shown in FIG. When it is positioned at, the turning part 134 of the cover body 128 is abutted against the upper wall 142 of the opening / closing housing 12 and the turning motion in the direction indicated by the arrow 140 is prevented.

In this closed position, the cover body 128 covers the upper part of the receiving part 108 to prevent dust or the like from adhering to the receiving part 108.

In order to position the cover body 128 in a closed position, it is necessary to determine the auxiliary receiving body 112 as the second position.

Referring to the operation of the device body 2 configured as described above is as follows.

The charging corona discharger 22 charges the photosensitive member of the rotating drum 18 while the rotating drum 18 is rotated in the direction indicated by the arrow 20, and then the laser of the optical unit 38 in the projection zone 54. Laser light from a light source (not shown) is projected onto the photosensitive member to form an electrostatic latent image corresponding to image information on the photosensitive member surface.

Thereafter, the magnetic brush mechanism 30 of the developing device 24 processes the toner on the electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive member to form the electrostatic latent image as a toner image, and thus the charging corona dustproofer 22 and the optical unit 38. And a toner image is formed on the rotating drum 18 by the action of the image forming means composed of the developing device 24.

Subsequently, the sheet member supplied from the manual feeding means 70 (or the seek member introduced as described later in the paper feeding unit body 4) or the sheet member supplied from the automatic feeding means 72 is transferred to the transfer path 69. The zone 32 is contacted with the photoconductor and transferred to the sheet member on the toner on the photoconductor by the action of the transfer corona discharger 26.

The sheet member to which the toner image has been transferred is peeled off the rotating drum 18, and then conveyed to a pair of fixing rollers 64, and the toner image is fixed to the surface of the sheet member by the action of the pair of mounting rollers 64.

The sheet portion in which the toner image is fixed is conveyed to a pair of conveying rollers 68, and when the open / close cover 102 is in the second position, the open / close cover 102 is discharged to the same.

When the sheet member is discharged on the opening / closing cover 102, the sheet-shaped surface is discharged upward as shown in FIG.

On the other hand, when the opening and closing cover 102 is in the first position, the sheet member conveyed to the pair of conveying rollers 68 is conveyed upward again through the opening and closing cover 102 and the wall 104. By the action of a pair of discharge rollers 106, it is discharged by receiving a part provided in the opening / closing housing 12.

When the sheet member is discharged toward the receiving part 108, as shown in FIG. 1, the sheet member is discharged with the image formed face down.

In addition, when the sheet member is discharged to the receiving part 108 in this manner, the cover body 128 is maintained in the open position, and the auxiliary receiving body 112 is maintained in the first position.

[Summary of Supply Unit]

The supply unit body 4 shown with reference to FIG. 1 is demonstrated again.

The supply unit 4 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped supply housing 146, and a supply means is attached to the supply housing 146.

The feeding means shown includes a cassette receiving part 148 defined in the feeding housing 146, and a feeding roller 152 is disposed above the cassette receiving part 148 to be rotated in the direction indicated by the arrow 150. have.

In Fig. 1 of the supply housing 146, a right side opening 154 is defined on the right side, and the box-shaped cassette 156 is detachably mounted to the cassette receiver 148 through the mounting opening 154. do.

The cassette 156 is equipped with a mounting plate 158 which is biased upward with the rear end as a support point by the action of biasing means (not shown) such as a spring, and the sheet in the laminated state on the mounting plate 158 described above. The member is loaded as needed.

On the other hand, the delivery opening 160 is defined on the left side in the first diagram of the supply housing 146.

A one-piece guide piece 162 defining a delivery route is disposed between the delivery opening 160 and the cassette receiver 148.

In the above feed unit 4, when the feed roller 152 rotates in the direction indicated by the arrow 150, the sheet member at the top of the cassette 156 is actuated by the feed roller 152 to feed the cassette 156. The sheet member supplied in this way is passed between the pair of guide plates 162, is conveyed to the delivery opening 160, and is sent out of the paper feeding housing 146 through the delivery opening 160.

[Installation and detachment operation of manual supply means and supply unit body]

Next, the manual supply means 70 in the apparatus main body 2 will be described in detail.

The illustrated manual feed means 70 is provided with a manual table 164.

The table 164 includes a plate-shaped table body 166, and side walls 168 are provided at both end portions of the table body 166 (see FIG. 2).

The inner surface of the side wall 168 serves as a guide surface for guiding the sheet member in the insertion direction.

On one end of the side wall 168 (the downstream end of the sheet member in the insertion direction, the left end in Fig. 1), a support protrusion 170 projecting to the left in Fig. 1 is integrally formed. Through 170 supported 172, the lower end of the opening and closing housing 12, that is, the bracket member (not shown) mounted on the inner surface of the right side wall 174 of the opening and closing housing 12 can be pivoted. It is installed.

In a specific example, a joining portion 176 extending substantially vertically from the table body 166 is provided at a base (insertion direction downstream end of the sheet member) of the table body 166, and the joining portion 176 is provided. At the distal end of 176, the guide protrusion piece 178 is provided integrally.

Since it is comprised in this way, when the sheet member is supplied by the manual feed means 70, the table 164 is positioned in the supply position shown in FIG.

When the table 164 is pivoted downwards indicated by the arrow 180, the table 164 is brought into the supply position while the joining portion 176 of the table 164 contacts the wall 98 of the lower housing 8. It is certainly maintained.

When in the above supply position, the upper surface of the table main body 166 has an opening 182 defined on the right side of the device housing 6, that is, the wall 98 of the lower housing 8 and the upper opening and closing housing. It extends almost horizontally toward the inlet opening 182 defined between the walls 174 of (12).

Accordingly, when the sheet member is moved along the inner surface of the side wall 168 for positioning the sheet member on the upper surface of the table body 166, the sheet member is introduced into the apparatus housing 6 through the introduction opening 182.

The sheet member thus introduced is supplied to the conveying path 69 through the upper edge of the guide protrusion 100 formed on the wall 98 and the guide plate 184, and conveyed as described above through the conveying path. .

On the other hand, when storing the table 164 when the manual feeding means 70 is not in use, the table 164 is positioned at the storing positions shown in FIGS. 2 and 3.

When the table 164 is pivoted almost 90 degrees upward from the supply position in the direction indicated by the arrow 186, the upper edge of the side wall 168 of the table 164 abuts the opening and closing housing 174, 164 is held in the storage position.

When in the storage position described above, as shown in FIG. 3, the table 164 substantially extends almost vertically straight upward along the wall 174 of the opening / closing housing 12 to be stored as needed outside the wall 174. do.

When the table 164 is stored in this manner, as shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, the introduction opening 182 is moved outward from the bottom of the table 164, that is, below the junction 176 of the table 164. Exposed.

In a specific example, in relation to allowing the table 164 to pivot between the supply position and the storage position, the supply unit body 4 is provided with an introduction opening 182 in the apparatus housing 6. It is attached so that attachment or detachment is possible.

In order to mount the supply unit 4, the table 164 is positioned at the storage position as described above, and then the supply unit 4 is moved in the direction indicated by the arrow 188 (FIG. 1). The forming apparatus main body 2 and the supply unit body 4 may mutually be positioned at the position shown in FIG. 3, and thereafter, by means of a releasable locking means (not shown).

The locking means (not shown) may be provided with, for example, a coupling member capable of pivoting between a lock position engaged with a part of the apparatus main body 2 and a non-lock position released by the engagement.

When the supply unit 4 is mounted in this way, as illustrated in FIG. 3, the feed shaft opening 160 defined in the supply housing 146 is connected to the introduction opening 182 exposed to the outside from the bottom of the table 164. As described above, the sheet portion sent out from the delivery opening 160 is introduced into the apparatus housing 6 through the introduction opening 182, and is thus interposed between the upper edge of the guide protrusion 100 and the guide plate 184. It is supplied to the conveyance path 69.

This also results in a space between the bottom edge of FIG. 3 of the table 164, that is, the junction 176 and the guide protrusion 178 and the portion 190a of the upper wall 190 of the supply housing 146. If so, the left end of the space is also connected to the introduction opening 182, the delivery opening 160 is also connected to the lower portion of the introduction opening 182, and the space is connected to the upper portion of the introduction opening 182.

Therefore, the space formed in this way can be effectively used as an insertion opening for manually supplying the sheet member, and the sheet member inserted through the insertion opening is a part 190a of the upper wall 190 and the guide protrusion piece 178. And guided between the joining portions 176 and supplied to the conveying path 69 through the introduction opening 182.

In order to remove the supply unit body 4, the lock unit (not shown) may be removed, and then the supply unit body 4 may be moved in the direction opposite to the direction indicated by the arrow 188.

When the manual feed means 70 are used, the table 164 may be the feeding position from the storing position.

In the image forming apparatus as described above, the mounting of the supply unit body 4 is permitted by positioning the table 164 without removing the table 164, and the mounting and dismounting of the supply unit body 4 is related to this. The operation is very simple and easy.

Claims (3)

Forming apparatus provided with a conveyance path 69 for conveying a sheet member and a manual feed means 70 for supplying the sheet member to the conveying path 69 through an introduction opening 182 defined in the apparatus housing 6. A supply unit body having a main body 2 and a supply means for supplying a sheet member through the delivery opening 160 defined in the supply housing 146, and detachably mounted to the forming apparatus main body 2; 4. An image forming apparatus having 4), wherein the manual feed means (70) includes a table (164) rotatably mounted between a supply position and a storage position, and the table (164) provides the supply. The sheet member, which extends toward the introduction opening 182 and is positioned at an upper surface thereof when in the position, is guided through the introduction opening 182 to the conveying path 69, and when in the stowed position, the device housing 6 ) Along the side to expose the introduction opening 182 to the outside, The expiration date supply unit 4 is allowed to be attached to the forming apparatus main body 2 when the table 164 is in the storage position, so that the supply housing 4 is detachably attached to the forming apparatus main body 2. The delivery opening 160 of 146 is connected to the introduction opening 182, so that the sheet member sent out through the delivery opening 160 by the action of the supply means through the introduction opening 182. And the conveying path (69). 2. The table (164) according to claim 1, wherein the table (164) is pivotable between the feeding position extending almost horizontally and the receiving position extending almost vertically by pivoting upwards 90 degrees upward from the feeding position. And the inlet opening (182) is exposed to the outside under the table (164). The guide protrusion piece 178 is provided in the base of the said table 164, The said supply unit body 4 is formed after positioning the table 164 in the said storage position. When detachably mounted to the apparatus main body 2, a sheet member is moved between the portion of the upper wall of the supply housing 146 and the guide protrusion 178 to the conveying path 69 through the introduction opening 182. An image forming apparatus, characterized in that an insertion opening for guiding is defined.