JP3035340B2 - Image carrier support structure - Google Patents

Description

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a support structure for an image bearing member which is used in an image forming apparatus and carries image information on a surface thereof, and particularly relates to a belt-shaped endless and seamlessly formed belt. The present invention relates to a concept for supporting an image carrier.

[Conventional technology]

The image carrier, which is a main element of the image forming apparatus, is provided in the following manner. First, the image carrier is formed in a drum shape and is rotatably disposed. Second, the endless belt is provided. And a method of arranging the image carrier formed in a shape so as to be able to circulate through a supporting member. In the second method, the belt-shaped image carrier itself is inexpensive, and there is a great advantage in a case where the belt-shaped image carrier is supplied as a replacement part to the apparatus main body of the image forming apparatus. In recent years, belt-shaped image carriers have appeared seamlessly, and have become more and more easy to use.

FIG. 7 shows an arrangement example of a belt photoconductor as the above-mentioned belt-shaped image carrier. As shown in the figure, when the belt photoreceptor 21 is used, a plurality of rolls (for example, one roll is a drive roll 22) is driven by a drive torque given from a drive system (not shown) via a drive gear 22b. The belt 21 is driven, and the other is
The roller 21 supports the circulating motion, and the other is a tension roller 24 for applying tension to the belt photoreceptor 21. ) Had to be provided. For example, when the belt photoconductor 21 is replaced, in many cases, the tension roll 24 is moved to release the tension, the used belt photoconductor is removed, and a new belt photoconductor is replaced. Further, when a belt-shaped image carrier is used, since the belt photoconductor 21 itself circulates, some skew preventing means 25 is provided to prevent skew.

[Problems of the prior art]

In the image forming apparatus using the conventional belt-shaped image carrier, there is an example in which the belt photoconductor is used for a disposable image carrier unit. It becomes necessary to provide the rolls in parallel and to provide means for preventing the skew of the belt, which makes the device for driving the belt complicated and expensive, takes up a large space, increases the cost of the drive system, and is extremely troublesome to handle. There was a disadvantage that it was.

Further, even though there is a merit that the diameter of the circulating system of the belt photoreceptor can be minimized by using the belt photoreceptor formed seamlessly, for example, three
If the book roll is provided, the diameter of the circulation system needs to be increased accordingly, and there is a disadvantage that the advantageous features of the seamlessly formed belt photoreceptor cannot be fully utilized.

[Object of the invention]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In view of the above-mentioned conventional problems, the present invention can be arranged in a small space, can simplify the structure of a drive system, and can further reduce the cost. It is an object of the present invention to provide a supporting structure and an optimal mounting method thereof.

[Gist of the invention]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention comprises a cylindrical substrate, an outer layer for carrying image information and an inner layer made of an elastic body, and is formed endlessly and seamlessly with an inner peripheral length less than the outer peripheral length of the cylindrical substrate. A belt-shaped image carrier, the belt-shaped image carrier being detachably adhered to the peripheral surface of the cylindrical base based on the elastic force of the inner layer, and covering the inner layer. The belt-like image is removed by loosely fitting the peripheral support of the cylindrical base in a state in which the elastic support member that urges to expand the belt is inserted into and mounted on the belt-like image carrier, and then the elastic support member is removed. The carrier is closely attached to the cylindrical base based on the elastic restoring force of the inner layer.

〔Example〕

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

An endless and seamless belt-shaped image carrier (hereinafter, referred to as a photoconductor as an example of a belt photoconductor) that carries image information on the surface of the present invention is detachably attached to a drum portion that is a cylindrical substrate. FIG. 5 is an overall configuration diagram of a printer which is one of image forming apparatuses on which the drum unit is mounted.

In the figure, the base UB of the printer P is a lower base DB.
Is supported by a hinge (not shown) so that it can be opened and closed freely.
The upper base UB is opened, the sub cover 12 provided at a predetermined mounting portion of the lower base DB so as to be openable and closable in the direction of the arrow is opened, and the support of the drum shaft 16 by the drum shaft 16 is released. Slide horizontally and remove from printer P. The belt photoreceptor 1 of the present invention is removably adhered and covered to the base 6a of the drum section 6. If the drum section 6 is taken out, one end of the drum section 6 is pressed and pulled in the lateral direction. Can be easily removed. The mounting method will be described later with reference to FIG.
This will be described with reference to (b) and (c). After the belt photoreceptor 1 is covered, the drum unit 6 is mounted on a predetermined position of the printer P, and the printer P is operated in a so-called shell-closed state in which the upper base UB is closed. Carry image information.

FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of a belt photoreceptor according to the present invention.

As shown in the figure, the inner diameter of the endless and seamlessly formed belt photoreceptor 1 is 30 mm, and the outer diameter is 32 mm. The reason why the thickness is larger than that of a normal image carrier is that the belt base on the inner peripheral side of the belt photoreceptor 1 is formed entirely or partially of an elastic layer.

FIG. 2 is a side sectional view showing a layer structure of the belt photoreceptor according to the present invention.

The belt photoreceptor 1 shown in FIG. 2 (a) has a photosensitive layer 2 as a surface layer, and an elastic conductive plastic (PET etc.) layer 3 as a belt base which is an inner peripheral layer.

The belt photoreceptor 1 shown in FIG. 2 (b) has a photosensitive layer 2 as a surface layer, a steel layer 4 as an intermediate layer of a belt substrate as an inner peripheral layer, and a conductive rubber sponge layer 5 as an inner layer of the belt substrate.
Is configured. The conductive rubber sponge of the inner diameter layer is of a urethane type, and any of a foam type and a non-foam type can be used.

The belt photoreceptor 1 shown in FIG. 2 (c) has a photosensitive layer 2 as a surface layer, a conductive plastic (PET or the like) layer 3 as an intermediate layer of a belt substrate as an inner peripheral layer, and a conductive rubber as an inner layer of the belt substrate. The sponge layer 5 is configured. In each of the configuration examples shown in FIGS. 2A, 2B, and 2C, the inner peripheral surface of the belt photoreceptor 1 has elasticity and conductivity on an entire area or a part thereof.

FIG. 3 is an external perspective view of a drum section on which the belt photoreceptor of the present invention is detachably and closely attached and covered.

The material of the base 6a of the drum portion 6 is aluminum (also used as the base of the conventional drum-shaped photoreceptor). However, if a method in which the ground is provided by another means from the inner peripheral side of the belt photoreceptor 1 is adopted, The gold image need not always be used as the material, and may be a plastic cylindrical rigid body.

The outer diameter of the base 6a of the drum unit 6 is 30 mm to 31 mm, and the drum unit 6 is provided with driving means 6b such as a gear at one end thereof. system
15 (see FIG. 5).

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a preferred supply form of the belt photoconductor 1 of the present invention before being mounted on the base 6a of the drum unit 6 shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 1, the belt photoconductor 1 is provided on the inner peripheral surface side of the belt photoconductor 1 with the base of the drum unit 6.
An elastic support member 7 capable of pressing the elastic layer on the inner peripheral side of the belt photoreceptor 1 in the outer peripheral direction is inserted and mounted in order to guidely insert and mount the belt 6a. The elastic support member 7
Is a cylindrical elastic body made of a conductive plastic (such as PET) having a thickness of about 250 μm. Due to the elasticity of the elastic support member 7 returning to the flat plate, the elastic layer of the belt base is pressed and compressed from the inner peripheral surface side so as to expand, so that the inner diameter of the belt photosensitive member 1 is larger than 30 mm. . The thickness of the flat elastic body as the elastic support member 7 is 0.2 m.
m or more is desirable.

Next, FIGS. 6 (a), (b) and (c) show a method for mounting the belt photoreceptor according to the present invention.

The belt photoreceptor 1 supplied in the form shown in FIG. 4 is attached to the drum portion 6 and the inner peripheral surface of the elastic support member 7 inserted and mounted on the inner peripheral surface side of the belt photoreceptor 1 is attached to the base 6a of the drum portion 6. (See FIG. 6 (a)) while being guided on the peripheral surface of the. At this time, the outer diameter of the base 6a of the drum 6 is
Mounting is easy because the inner diameter of the belt photoreceptor 1 is expanded from 30 mm as described above and the elastic support member 7 itself has elasticity.

Subsequently, the belt photoreceptor 1 is pushed to the final set position on the drum section 6 (see FIG. 6B). In this state, the elastic support member 7 is pulled out in the direction of arrow E while gripping one end 1a on one side. The elastic support member 7 is partially pulled out, and the portion of the inner periphery of the belt photoreceptor 1 that directly contacts the base 6a of the drum portion 6 is formed by the elastic layer of the belt base.
Is released and expands in the inner circumferential direction, so that the drum portion 6 comes into close contact with the peripheral surface of the base 6a.

Further, when the elastic support member 7 is completely pulled out (see FIG. 6C), the entire belt photoreceptor 1 is tightly covered with the drum portion 6 and covered. The elastic support member 7 returns to a flat plate.

Therefore, if the drum unit 6 covered with the belt photoconductor 1 in close contact with it is mounted on the apparatus main body, it functions as a drum-shaped image carrier while being a belt-shaped image carrier. That is,
The recording information is carried on the image carrier.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the endless and seamlessly formed belt-shaped image carrier is attached to a small-diameter aluminum pipe or a small-diameter cylindrical rigid body, so that the function is exactly the same as that of the conventional drum type. In spite of this, it can be arranged in a small space and the drive system is simplified.

The belt photoreceptor is detachable and can be easily replaced by using an elastic support member. for that reason,
Conventionally, with the end of the life of the photoconductor, the entire process unit or the drum-shaped photoconductor is discarded, but only the belt photoconductor can be discarded. Therefore, the cost is reduced because the belt photoreceptor itself is inexpensive, and industrial waste can be reduced because parts other than the belt photoreceptor are reused.

In the above embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, as a desirable supply form of the belt photoreceptor of the present invention, the belt photoreceptor 1 is supported by an elastic support member 7 in which a flat elastic body is formed into a cylindrical shape. , Supplied as a replacement part, and FIG.
(B) and (c) have been described that they can be easily replaced, but they are not supported by the elastic support member 7 and only the belt photoreceptor 1 is supplied as a replacement part, which is separately provided as an attached guide part. The elastic support member 7 is prepared, and the drum portion 6 is provided.
When the user attaches the elastic supporting member 7 to the belt photoreceptor 1, the user inserts and attaches the elastic supporting member 7 to the base member 6a of the drum portion 6 by a method shown in FIGS. 6 (a), 6 (b) and 6 (c). It may be covered.

Further, in the above embodiment, the image carrier is described as an example of a photoconductor, but it is needless to say that the image carrier can be applied to a dielectric belt and other known image carriers.

〔The invention's effect〕

As described above in detail, according to the present invention, the belt photoreceptor as the belt-shaped image carrier formed endlessly and seamlessly has the same functions as the conventional drum type, but is arranged in a small space. In addition, the drive system can be simplified.

Further, the belt photoreceptor is detachably attached to the drum portion, and can be easily replaced by using an elastic supporting member.
Therefore, only the belt photoconductor can be discarded. Therefore, the cost is reduced because the belt photoreceptor itself is inexpensive, and industrial waste can be reduced because parts other than the belt photoreceptor are reused.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of the belt photoreceptor of the present invention, FIGS. 2A, 2B and 2C are cross-sectional views showing the layer structure of the belt photoreceptor of the present invention, and FIG. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of one supply form of the belt photoreceptor of the present invention, FIG. 5 is an overall configuration diagram of a printer on which the drum of the present invention is mounted, and FIG. 5A and 5B are diagrams illustrating a method of mounting the belt photoreceptor of the present invention on a drum unit, wherein FIG.
FIG. 7C is a view showing the completion of the mounting, and FIG. 7 is a schematic view showing an example of arrangement of a conventional belt photoreceptor. 1 .... image carrier, 6 .... cylindrical substrate, 7 .... elastic support member.

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuation of the front page (56) References JP-A-59-34584 (JP, A) JP-A-3-179454 (JP, A) JP-A-54-87231 (JP, A) 165969 (JP, U) JP-A 2-104372 (JP, U) JP-A 60-163468 (JP, U) JP-A 63-49548 (JP, U) (58) Field surveyed (Int. Cl. ⁷ , DB name) G03G 21/00 350-352 G03G 21/16

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] An endless and seamless belt-shaped image having a cylindrical base, an outer layer for carrying image information, and an inner layer made of an elastic body and having an inner peripheral length equal to or less than the outer peripheral length of the cylindrical base. A support for the image carrier, wherein the belt-shaped image carrier is removably adhered to the peripheral surface of the cylindrical substrate based on the elasticity of the inner layer and is covered. . 2. The elastic support member, which urges the inner layer to expand the inner layer, is loosely fitted on the peripheral surface of the cylindrical base in a state where the elastic support member is inserted and mounted on the belt-shaped image carrier, and then the elastic support member is removed. 2. The support structure for an image carrier according to claim 1, wherein the belt-shaped image carrier is mounted in close contact with the cylindrical substrate based on the elastic restoring force of the inner layer.