JP6772205B2 - Image forming device and cartridge - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus and a cartridge for forming an image on a recording medium.

Here, the image forming apparatus is an apparatus for forming an image on a recording medium by using various known image forming principles / methods such as an electrophotographic process, an electrostatic recording process, and a magnetic recording process. For example, copiers, printers (for example, laser printers, LED printers, etc.), facsimile machines, word processors, image display devices (electronic blackboards, electronic whiteboards, etc.) and the like are included. The recording medium is one in which an image is formed by an image forming apparatus, and includes, for example, paper, an OHT sheet, an image display body, and the like.

The cartridge is an image carrier on which an image is formed and a part or all of an image forming portion having an image forming process means acting on the image carrier are integrally formed into a cartridge. Then, it is detachably attached to the main body of the image forming apparatus and contributes to an image forming process of forming an image on a recording medium. The main body of the device is an image forming device component excluding the cartridge in the cartridge type image forming device.

As the image carrier, an electrophotographic photosensitive member in an electrophotographic process, an electrostatic recording dielectric in an electrostatic recording process, a magnetic recording magnetic material in a magnetic recording process, and various other image forming principles / methods can be used to form an image. Members can be mentioned. The image forming process means is an apparatus that acts on an image carrier to form an image.

Hereinafter, for convenience, a cartridge type electrophotographic image forming apparatus will be described as an example. Examples of the cartridge include a process cartridge and a developing cartridge.

The process cartridge is removable from the apparatus main body of the electrophotographic image forming apparatus by converting an electrophotographic photosensitive member and at least one of a charging means, a developing means, and a cleaning means as an electrophotographic process means acting on the electrophotographic photosensitive member into a cartridge. It is attached to.

Therefore, the process cartridge includes an electrophotographic photosensitive member and a developing means as a process means, which are integrally formed into a cartridge and detachably attached to the main body of the apparatus. Further, the process cartridge includes a process cartridge in which an electrophotographic photosensitive member and a charging means, a developing means or a cleaning means as process means are integrally formed into a cartridge and detachably attached to the apparatus main body.

A process cartridge having an electrophotographic photosensitive member and a developing means integrally is called an integrated type. Further, a process cartridge having an electrophotographic photosensitive member and a process means other than the developing means integrally is referred to as a so-called separation type. That is, a process cartridge in which a developing means is provided in a developing unit separate from the process cartridge and paired with the developing unit to form an image is called a so-called separation type.

Further, the developing cartridge has a developing agent carrier (hereinafter, referred to as a developing roller) that applies a developing agent to an electrophotographic photosensitive member. Further, it contains a powder developer (toner) used for developing an electrostatic latent image formed on the electrophotographic photosensitive member by a developing roller, and is detachably attached to the main body of the apparatus.

In the case of a developing cartridge, the electrophotographic photosensitive member is attached to the apparatus main body or the cartridge support member. Alternatively, the electrophotographic photosensitive member is provided in the so-called separable process cartridge described above (in this case, the process cartridge does not have a developing means).

Therefore, the cartridge includes the so-called integrated type or so-called separate type process cartridge described above. Further, the cartridge includes a case where a so-called separate type process cartridge and a developing cartridge are used as a pair. Further, the cartridge includes a case where the electrophotographic photosensitive member is fixedly attached to the apparatus main body or the cartridge support member, and the developing cartridge is detachably used so as to act on the electrophotographic photosensitive member. The cartridge includes a unit that is detachably attached to the main body of the apparatus and contributes to the image forming process of forming an image on a recording medium.

According to this cartridge method, the maintenance of the image forming apparatus can be performed by the user (user) himself / herself regardless of the service person, so that the operability can be remarkably improved. Therefore, this cartridge method is widely used in an image forming apparatus.

Since the cartridge can be attached to the apparatus main body of the image forming apparatus, various drive transmission means are used as the drive transmission means from the apparatus main body side to the cartridge. The drive transmission unit needs to be connected to the device side and the cartridge side when the cartridge is inserted into the device body. Therefore, the drive transmission member (drive transmission unit) on the device body side is open to the device body when the cartridge is not mounted.

Therefore, the user can easily touch the drive transmission member on the device main body side. Further, if the device main body side malfunctions while the user is touching the drive transmission member, the user may touch the rotating drive transmission member.

Therefore, by opening and closing the open / close door for attaching / detaching the cartridge so that the main body of the device does not malfunction, an interlock switch or the like is used to shut off the energization of the motor when the open / close door is opened, and the drive transmission member does not rotate. The method of doing so is generally used. (Patent Documents 1 and 2).

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 10-162684 JP-A-2002-116668

However, in the prior art, the drive transmission member is exposed to the mounting portion of the cartridge when the opening / closing door is open and the cartridge is not mounted. Therefore, the operator can touch the drive transmission member, and there is a possibility that the drive transmission member may be erroneously damaged. Further, in the prior art, since electric parts such as an interlock switch are used, it has been a factor of cost increase.

The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems of the prior art. The purpose is to prevent the operator's access to the drive transmission member with an inexpensive configuration and to protect the drive transmission member.

Typical configuration of an image forming apparatus according to the present invention for achieving the above object, there is provided an image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording medium, the mounting cartridge is to be inserted removably provided with a driven transmission member A portion, a positioning portion for positioning the cartridge inserted into the mounting portion, a drive transmission member for transmitting a driving force to the driven transmission member of the cartridge inserted into the mounting portion, and a drive transmission member. A protective means including a cover portion that can be moved with respect to the drive transmission member by rotation and a first contacted portion that moves the cover portion , and an allowable position that allows the cover portion to move. The cover includes a restrictable portion that can move between the regulated position that restricts the movement of the cover portion and a second contacted portion that moves the regulated portion, and is interlocked with the movement of the second contacted portion. It has a regulating means configured to move the regulating portion , and when the cartridge is inserted into the mounting portion, the second contacted portion is pushed by the cartridge to move. Then, the restricting portion moves from the restricted position to the allowable position in conjunction with the movement of the second contacted portion, and the first contacted portion is pushed and moved by the cartridge, and the said The cover portion moves from a protective position that covers at least a part of the drive transmission member, allowing the drive transmission member to engage with the driven transmission member, and the protection means directs the cartridge toward the positioning portion. It is characterized in that it is configured to be pressed.

Furthermore, typical structure of a cartridge according to the present invention for achieving the above object is achieved by a cartridge to be inserted removably in the image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording medium, said image forming apparatus, wherein cartridge and mounting portion to be inserted removably, the positioning portion for positioning said cartridge is inserted into the mounting portion, the drive transmission member for transmitting the driving force to the inserted said cartridge to the mounting portion A protective means including a cover portion that can be moved with respect to the drive transmission member by rotation and a first contacted portion that moves the cover portion , and an allowable position that allows the cover portion to move. The movement of the second contacted portion, including the regulating portion that can move between the cover portion and the regulated position that restricts the movement of the cover portion and the second contacted portion that moves the regulated portion. The cartridge has a driven transmission member that engages with the drive transmission member and a contact portion that rotates the cover portion , and has a regulation means configured to move the regulation portion in conjunction with. If, when the cartridge is inserted into the mounting portion, a pressed portion which is pressed by the cover portion, and a restriction releasing means for moving to the permitting position the regulating portion from said regulating position Yes Then, when the cartridge is inserted into the mounting portion, the regulation releasing means pushes and moves the second contacted portion to move the regulation portion from the regulation position to the allowable position. The contact portion pushes and moves the first contacted portion to move the cover portion from a protective position that covers at least a part of the drive transmission member, and causes the drive transmission member and the driven transmission member to move. Engagement is allowed, and the pressed portion is pressed by the protective means so that the pressed portion is pressed toward the positioning portion.

According to the present invention, it is possible to prevent the operator from accessing the drive transmission member with an inexpensive configuration and to protect the drive transmission member.

Schematic configuration of the image forming apparatus according to the first embodiment (A) is an external perspective view of the cartridge as viewed from one end side (driving side) in the longitudinal direction, and (b) is an external perspective view of the cartridge as viewed from the other end side (non-driving side). It is a perspective view which shows the opening and closing door opened in the state which the cartridge is not attached to the apparatus main body, (a) is the perspective view which looked at the inner surface of the right side plate which is the drive side of the apparatus main body, (b) is not. Perspective view of the inner surface of the left side plate on the drive side Perspective view of the main part of the cartridge guide member on the right side (A) is a perspective view of the cover as a protective member seen from the outside, and (b) is a perspective view seen from the inside. Schematic diagram illustrating the operation of the cover Schematic diagram illustrating the operation of the cover External perspective view of the cartridge according to the second embodiment as viewed from one end side (driving side) in the longitudinal direction. It is a figure which shows the state which opened the opening / closing door in the state which the cartridge is not attached to the apparatus main body, and is the perspective view which looked at the inner surface of the right side plate which is the drive side of the apparatus main body Perspective view of the link mechanism that opens and closes the cover, which is a protective member. Schematic diagram illustrating the operation of the cover Perspective view in which the cartridge is inserted into the image forming apparatus according to the third embodiment. External perspective view of the cartridge according to the third embodiment Schematic perspective of the configuration for protecting the drive output coupling according to the third embodiment. Schematic cross-sectional view showing the operation of the sub-lever in Example 3. Schematic cross-sectional view showing the operation of the main lever in the third embodiment Schematic diagram showing the operation of the cartridge lever in the third embodiment. Schematic diagram of the right side surface of the configuration for protecting the drive output coupling in the third embodiment. Schematic diagram showing the locking operation of the cartridge lever in the third embodiment Diagram of each single part in Example 3 The figure which shows the phase of the base cam and the slide cam in Example 3.

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

[Example 1]
(Overall schematic configuration of an example of an image forming apparatus)
FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an image forming apparatus 1 in this embodiment. The image forming apparatus 1 is a cartridge type laser beam printer (electrophotographic image forming apparatus) using an electrophotographic process. That is, the image forming apparatus 1 records a sheet as a recording medium based on an electrical image signal input from an external host device 2 such as a personal computer or an image reader to a control unit (control means) 4 via an interface 3. An image is formed on the material S.

In the image forming apparatus 1 of this embodiment, the front surface is the side on which the opening / closing door 21 is arranged. Left and right are left or right when the image forming apparatus 1 is viewed from the front. The apparatus main body 1A is an image forming apparatus constituent part excluding the cartridge 30. Inside the apparatus main body 1A, a cartridge mounting portion 24 is provided in which a cartridge 30 that contributes to an image forming process for forming an image is detachably mounted.

In this embodiment, the cartridge 30 is a so-called integrated process cartridge. In the cartridge 30, the electrophotographic photosensitive member 5 as an image carrier on which a latent image is formed, the charging means 6, the developing means 8, and the cleaning means 10 as image forming process means acting on the electrophotographic photosensitive member 5 act on the cartridge frame. It is incorporated with a predetermined arrangement relationship.

The electrophotographic photosensitive member 5 is a drum type, and is rotatably bearing and incorporated with respect to the cartridge frame. Hereinafter, the electrophotographic photosensitive member 5 will be referred to as a drum. The charging means 6 is a means for uniformly charging the surface of the drum 5 to a predetermined polarity and potential. In this embodiment, it is a charging roller, which is arranged in parallel by pressing contact with the drum 5, and is rotatably bearing and incorporated with respect to the cartridge frame.

The developing means 8 is a means for developing an electrostatic latent image formed on the drum 5 with a developing agent (toner), and is incorporated in a cartridge frame. The developing means 8 stirs the developing roller 8a as a developing agent carrier that carries the developing agent and supplies it to the drum 5, the developing agent storage container 8b containing the developing agent, and the developing agent in the developing agent storage container 8b. It has a rotating paddle 8c or the like which is conveyed to the developing roller 8a. The developing rollers 8a are arranged in parallel with respect to the drum 5 or opposed to non-contact, and are rotatably bearing and incorporated with respect to the cartridge frame.

The cleaning means 10 is a means for removing the transfer residual developer from the surface of the drum 5, and is incorporated in the cartridge frame. The cleaning means 10 is a blade cleaning means, and has an elastic blade 10a, a waste developer container 10b, and the like arranged by pressing and contacting the drum 5.

The cartridge 30 is mechanically and electrically connected to the drive transmission member (drive unit) and the power supply unit on the device body 1A side in a state where the cartridge 30 is predeterminedly mounted on the cartridge mounting unit 24 of the device body 1A to perform an image forming operation. Is in a possible state. Further, inside the apparatus main body 1A, a transfer roller 9 that abuts against the lower surface of the drum 5 of the cartridge 30 to form a transfer nip portion while the cartridge 30 is predeterminedly mounted on the cartridge mounting portion 24 is provided. It is arranged.

A laser scanner unit 7 as an exposure means is arranged above the cartridge mounting portion 24. The unit 7 outputs the laser beam L modulated in response to the electrical image signal input from the external host device 2 to the control unit 4. The laser beam L enters the cartridge 30 through the exposure window 32 of the cartridge 30 and mainly scans and exposes the surface of the drum 5.

A paper feed tray 11 for loading and accommodating the recording material S is arranged in the lower portion of the cartridge mounting portion 24. The paper feed tray 11 is inserted and pulled out from the front side of the device main body 1A into the device main body 1A (front loading method). A paper feed roller 12 is arranged above the paper feed tray 11 on the front side inside the apparatus main body 1A. Further, a fixing device 14 is arranged on the back side inside the device main body 1A.

The image formation operation is as follows. The drum 5 is rotationally driven at a predetermined speed in the clockwise direction of the arrow based on the image formation start signal. The laser scanner unit 7 is also driven. Synchronized with the drive of the unit 7, the charging roller 6 uniformly charges the surface of the drum 5 to a predetermined polarity and potential. The charging roller 6 rotates according to the rotation of the drum 5.

The unit 7 mainly scans and exposes the uniformly charged surface of the drum 5 with the laser beam L modulated in response to the electrical image signal. As a result, an electrostatic latent image corresponding to the scanning exposure pattern is formed on the surface of the drum 5. The electrostatic latent image is developed as a developer image (toner image) by a developing roller 8a rotated in the counterclockwise direction of the arrow at a predetermined speed.

On the other hand, the paper feed roller 12 is driven at a predetermined control timing, and one recording material S in the paper feed tray 11 is separately fed. The recording material S is introduced into the transfer nip portion at a predetermined control timing through the transport path 13a. As a result, the image of the developer formed on the surface of the drum 5 is sequentially transferred to the surface of the recording material S which is sandwiched and conveyed by the transfer nip portion. The recording material S that has passed through the transfer nip portion is separated from the surface of the drum 5 and introduced into the fixing device 14 through the transport path 13b. After the recording material is separated, the surface of the drum 5 is cleaned by removing the transfer residual developer by the cleaning means 10, and is repeatedly subjected to image formation.

The recording material S introduced into the fixing device 14 is heated and pressurized at the fixing nip portion. As a result, the developer image is fixed on the surface of the recording material S as a fixed image. The recording material S that has exited the fixing device 14 is discharged as an image forming material from the discharging port 15 to the discharging tray portion 16 on the upper surface of the image forming device through the transport path 13c.

(cartridge)
FIG. 2A is an external perspective view of the cartridge 30 in the present embodiment as viewed from one end side (driving side) in the longitudinal direction, and FIG. 2B is an external perspective view seen from the other end side (non-driving side). ..

The cartridge 30 is configured by combining the drum unit 30A and the developing device unit 30B. In the drum unit 30A, a drum 5, a charging roller 6, and a cleaning means 10 are incorporated in a cleaning frame (cartridge frame) 31A with a predetermined arrangement relationship. The developing device unit 30B incorporates the developing means 8 inside the developing frame (cartridge frame) 31B. The drum unit 30A and the developing device unit 30B are predeterminedly coupled to form a cartridge 30.

The cartridge 30 is a horizontally long assembly whose longitudinal direction is the rotation axis direction of the drum 5, and the lateral direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction is the direction in which the cartridge 30 is attached to and detached from the apparatus main body 1A. The arrow Y1 is the mounting direction, and Y2 is the taking-out direction.

Regarding the cartridge 30, the front is the surface viewed from the direction Y1 in which the cartridge 30 is mounted with respect to the apparatus main body 1A, and the back is the surface on the opposite side of the cartridge 30 when viewed from the front. Left and right are left or right when the cartridge 30 is viewed from the front. In the cartridge 30 of this embodiment, the side of the developing device unit 30B is the front side, and the side of the drum unit 30A is the back side. One end side of the cartridge 30 in the longitudinal direction is the driving side, and the other end side is the non-driving side. In this embodiment, the right end side of the cartridge 30 is the drive side, and the left end side is the non-drive side.

An exposure window portion 32 is formed along the length on the upper surface of the cleaning frame 31A. A handle 33 is formed at the center of the upper surface of the developing frame 31B in the longitudinal direction. The cartridge 30 is handled by grasping the handle portion 33.

A drive input coupling 34 as a driven transmission member (drive coupling member) is provided on the right side surface of the cleaning frame 31A on the drive side. By transmitting the driving force to the coupling 34, the drum 5, the developing roller 8a, and the paddle 8c are rotationally driven in a predetermined speed and direction via a drive transmission mechanism (not shown) in the cartridge.

Further, the first attachment / detachment guide bosses 35R1 / 35L1 and the second attachment / detachment guide bosses 35R2 / 35L2 as cartridge guided members are symmetrically arranged on the right side surface portion and the left side surface portion of the cleaning frame 31A, respectively. .. The first attachment / detachment guide bosses 35R1 / 35L1 and the second attachment / detachment guide bosses 35R2 / 35L2 are arranged at predetermined intervals on the downstream side and the upstream side in the direction Y1 in which the cartridge 30 is attached to the apparatus main body 1A. ing.

Further, on the right side surface of the cleaning frame 31A, a contact boss 36 as a contact portion with respect to the cover 27 ((a) in FIG. 3) is provided as a protective member described later on the device main body 1A side. The contact boss 36 is provided at a position downstream of the first attachment / detachment guide boss 35R1 in the direction Y1 for mounting the cartridge 30 with respect to the apparatus main body 1A.

(Detachment of cartridge to device body)
The mounting of the cartridge 30 on the device main body 1A will be described. 3A and 3B are perspective views showing a state in which the opening / closing door 21 is opened in a state where the cartridge 30 is not mounted on the apparatus main body 1A, respectively. (A) is a perspective view of the inner surface of the right side plate 23R which is the driving side of the apparatus main body 1A, and (b) is a perspective view of the inner surface of the left side plate 23L which is the non-driving side.

In the present embodiment, in the exterior cover of the device main body 1A, the substantially front side portion of the upper surface and the substantially upper half portion of the front surface can be integrated and opened / closed with respect to the device main body 1A around the hinge portion 21a. An opening / closing door 21 is provided.

The cartridge 30 is attached to the apparatus main body 1A by opening the opening / closing door 21 upward as shown by the alternate long and short dash line in FIG. 1 at the center of the hinge portion 21a. By opening the opening / closing door 21, the front side portion of the upper surface of the apparatus main body 1A and the substantially upper half portion of the front surface are largely opened as the opening 22. Then, when the cartridge 30 is not mounted, the cartridge mounting portion 24 in the apparatus main body 1A can be seen.

Cartridge guide members 25R and 25L for mounting the cartridge 30 symmetrically are arranged on the inner surface of the right side plate 23R and the inner surface of the left side plate 23L of the apparatus main body 1A, respectively. The guide members 25R and 25L are formed with symmetrical guide grooves 25R1 and 25L1 that are inclined so as to be downwardly downward when viewed from the mounting direction Y1 of the cartridge 30.

Further, on the inner surface of the right side plate 23R of the apparatus main body 1A, a drive input coupling guide groove 23R1 is arranged below the guide groove 25R1 in parallel with the guide groove 25R1. A drive output coupling 26 (FIG. 4) as a drive transmission member on the device main body 1A side is arranged at a predetermined position on the downstream side of the guide groove 23R1 in the cartridge mounting direction.

When the cartridge 30 is not mounted on the cartridge mounting portion 24, the coupling 26 is provided with respect to the cartridge mounting portion 24 because the movable cover 27 as a protective member is moved to the protection position A. Is hidden. (A) of FIG. 3 and (a) of FIG. 6A show a state in which the cover 27 is moved to the protection position A and the coupling 26 is concealed and protected.

The attachment of the cartridge 30 to the apparatus main body 1A is as follows. As shown in FIG. 3, the opening / closing door 21 of the apparatus main body 1A is opened to widen the opening 22. Hold the cartridge 30 by grasping the handle 33 of the cartridge 30, and insert the cartridge 30 from the opening 22 into the cartridge mounting portion 24 with the drum unit 30A side first.

Then, the first attachment / detachment guide bosses 35R1 and 35L1 on the right and left sides of the cartridge 30 are engaged with the guide grooves 25R1 and 25L1 of the cartridge guide members 25R and 25L on the right and left sides of the apparatus main body 1A, respectively. Further, the second attachment / detachment guide bosses 35R2 and 35L2 are also engaged with the guide grooves 25R1 and 25L1, respectively. Then, the cartridge 30 is inserted into the cartridge mounting portion 24 of the apparatus main body 1A by aligning the first and second attachment / detachment guide bosses 35R1 / 35L1 and 35R2 / 35L2 along the guide grooves 25R1 / 25L1, respectively.

At that time, the attachment / detachment guide bosses 35R1 / 35L1 and 35R2 / 35L2 are regulated by the guide grooves 25R1 / 25L1, so that the insertion posture of the cartridge 30 is maintained. Further, the drive input coupling 34 fits into the guide groove 23R1 and moves along the guide groove 25R1 in the cartridge mounting direction Y1.

While the cartridge 30 is being mounted on the cartridge mounting portion 24, the contact boss 36 of the cartridge 30 comes into contact with the contacted portion 27d (FIGS. 5 and 6A) of the cover 27 on the device body 1A side, which will be described later. Then, as the cartridge 30 is continuously inserted into the cartridge mounting portion 24, the cover 27 is retracted from the protective position A ((a) in FIG. 6A) by the boss 36 and moved to the open position B (FIG. 6B).

When the cover 27 is sufficiently moved from the protective position A to the open position B, further movement of the cover 27 is stopped. When the movement of the cover 27 is stopped, the cartridge 30 is also prevented from moving further. In this state, the drive output coupling 26 is sufficiently exposed, and the drive input coupling 34 on the cartridge 30 side faces the drive output coupling 26 in a predetermined manner (FIG. 6B).

Therefore, the user closes the open / close door 21 that is open. The pressing means (not shown) is pressed by the operation of the interlocking mechanism (not shown) interlocked with the closing operation of the opening / closing door 21, and the cartridge 30 is pressed against the positioning portion (not shown) on the device main body 1A side to determine a predetermined value. It is fixedly held in the positioning state at the mounting position. By this fixed holding, the drum 5 and the transfer roller 9 are in a predetermined contact state.

Further, the drive output coupling 26 on the device main body 1A side engages with the drive input coupling 34 on the cartridge 30 side. Further, the electrical contact portion (not shown) for the bias output (charging bias, development bias) on the device main body 1A side is electrically connected to the electrical contact portion (not shown) on the cartridge 30 side. Thus, the cartridge 30 is in a state where an image can be formed.

The cartridge 30 mounted on the apparatus main body 1A is taken out by opening the opening / closing door 21. When the opening / closing door 21 is opened, the pressing means is released by the operation of the interlocking mechanism linked to the opening operation of the opening / closing door 21, and the pressing and fixing of the cartridge 30 to the positioning portion on the device main body 1A side is released. Further, the engagement of the drive output coupling 26 on the device main body 1A side with the drive input coupling 34 on the cartridge 30 side is released. As a result, the cartridge 30 can be taken out.

Therefore, the user grasps the handle 33 of the cartridge 30 facing the opening 22 and mounts the cartridge 30 from the cartridge mounting portion 24 to the outside of the apparatus main body 1A along the cartridge guide members 25R and 25L in the opposite direction to the mounting direction Y1. Pull and move in the take-out direction Y2. As a result, the attachment / detachment guide bosses 35R1 / 35L1, 35R2 / 35L2 on the cartridge 30 side and the drive input coupling 34 are removed from the guide grooves 25R1 / 25L1 and 23R1 on the device main body 1A side, and the cartridge 30 is taken out from the device main body 1A.

(Protective member and its movement)
The cover 27, which is a protective member, can be moved to a protective position A that prevents the drive output coupling 26 from being exposed to the cartridge mounting portion 26 when the cartridge 30 is not mounted on the cartridge mounting portion 24. Further, when the cartridge 30 is mounted on the cartridge mounting portion 24, the cover 27 can be retracted from the protection position A and moved to the open position B (FIG. 6B) by mounting the cartridge 30. The open position B is a position that allows the drive output coupling 26 to be exposed to the cartridge mounting portion 24 and engage with the drive input coupling 34. That is, the cover 27 can move between the protection position A and the open position B.

FIG. 5A is an external perspective view of the cover 27 as viewed from the outside, and FIG. 5B is an external perspective view of the cover 27 as viewed from the inside. The cover 27 is a box-shaped member that can surround and cover the facing surface of the drive output coupling 26 with the drive input coupling 34 and the outer peripheral portion excluding the lower surface side in the guide groove 23R1.

A downward first arm portion 27a is provided on the lower portion of the cover 27 on the outer surface side. A shaft portion 27b is provided at the lower portion of the arm portion 27a so as to project toward the right side plate 23R. Further, a torsion spring 27c as an urging member is attached to the shaft portion 27b by locking one end portion to the arm portion 27a. Further, an upward second arm portion 27d as a contact portion is provided on the upper portion on the front surface side of the cover 27.

The shaft portion 27b of the cover 27 is inserted and held in the shaft hole 23R2 (FIG. 4) provided on the inner surface of the right side plate 23R. The other end of the torsion spring 27 is inserted into and locked in the locking hole 23R3 provided on the inner surface of the right side plate 23R. The second arm portion 27d is inserted and positioned in the slit hole 25R2 provided between the right side plate 23R and the guide member 25R. In this state, the cover 27 is located in the guide groove 23R1 and can rotate about the shaft portion 27b to move between the protection position A and the open position B.

The cover 27 is constantly rotated and urged in the direction of moving to the protection position A around the shaft portion 27b by the urging force of the torsion spring 27, and in the free state, the cover 27 is moved to the protection position A by the urging force of the torsion spring 27. It has been moved. The protective position A of the cover 27 is a position in FIG. 6A (a) in which the cover 27 is rotated clockwise around the shaft portion 27b and hits the bottom surface in the guide groove 23R1 to be received.

Therefore, in the state where the cartridge 30 is not mounted on the cartridge mounting portion 24 of the apparatus main body 1A (in the non-inserted state), the cover 27 is closed and the drive output coupling 26 is concealed from the cartridge mounting portion 24. ((A) in FIG. 3). Further, in this state, the upward second arm portion 27d as the contacted portion is located and covered inside the guide member 25R so that the user cannot push the cover 27 by hand and open the cover 27. ..

The operation of moving the cover 27 from the protective position A to the open position B with the movement of the cartridge 30 will be described with reference to the schematic views of FIGS. 6A and 6B.

As described above, the opening / closing door 21 of the apparatus main body 1A is opened to widen the opening 22, and the first and second attachment / detachment guide bosses 35R1 / 35L1 and 35R2 / 35L2 of the cartridge 30 are attached to the guide members 25R / 25L, respectively. Engage with the guide grooves 25R1 and 25L1. Then, the cartridge 30 is inserted into the cartridge mounting portion 24 of the apparatus main body 1A by aligning the guide bosses 35R1 / 35L1 and 35R2 / 35L2 along the guide grooves 25Ra / 25La. The drive input coupling 34 fits into the guide groove 23R1 and moves along the guide groove 25Rb in the cartridge mounting direction Y.

FIG. 6A shows the first and second attachment / detachment guide bosses 35R1 and 35R2, the contact boss 36, the drive input coupling 34, and the cover on the drive side when the cartridge 30 is inserted into the cartridge mounting portion 24. The position state of 27 is shown. In this state, the contact boss 36 does not come into contact with the second arm portion 27d, which is the contacted portion of the cover 27. Therefore, the cover 27 is located at the protection position A, and the drive output coupling 26 is concealed from the cartridge mounting portion 24.

When the cartridge 30 is further inserted and moved, the contact boss 36 comes into contact with the second arm portion 27d. The second arm portion 27d is pushed backward and moved as the cartridge 30 is continuously inserted and moved. Therefore, the cover 27 rotates counterclockwise in FIG. 6A (b) against the urging force of the torsion spring 27c around the shaft portion 27b. That is, the cover 27 moves from the protection position A to the open position B, and the drive output coupling 26 is opened.

Then, when the cartridge 30 is sufficiently moved to a predetermined insertion position as shown in FIG. 6B (a), the cover 27 is provided with a receiving recess provided on the bottom surface in the guide groove 23R1 as shown in FIG. 6B (b). It enters 23R4 and is received by the bottom surface of the receiving recess 23R4. In this state, the cover 27 is prevented from further rotating in the counterclockwise direction. This rotation position of the cover 27 is the open position B.

The cover 27 is rotated to the open position B to prevent further rotational movement, so that the cartridge 30 is received in a state where the contact boss 36 is in contact with the second arm portion 27d. It is held in the insertion position. In this state, the drive input coupling 34 on the cartridge 30 side is in a predetermined state of facing the open drive output coupling 26 on the device main body 1A side. That is, by mounting the cartridge 30 on the cartridge mounting portion 24, the cover 27 is retracted from the protection position A to the open position B so that the drive input coupling 34 can be engaged with the drive output coupling 26.

Then, as described above, when the opening / closing door 21 is closed, the pressing means is pressed by the operation of the interlocking mechanism linked to the closing operation of the opening / closing door 21, and the cartridge 30 is pressed against the positioning portion on the device main body 1A side. It is fixed and held in a positioning state at a predetermined mounting position. Further, the drive output coupling 26 on the device main body 1A side engages with the drive input coupling 34 on the cartridge 30 side. Further, the electrical contact portion for bias output on the device main body 1A side is electrically connected to the electrical contact portion on the cartridge 30 side. Thus, the cartridge 30 is in a state where an image can be formed.

The engagement between the drive input coupling 34 on the cartridge 30 side mounted on the cartridge mounting portion 24 and the drive output coupling 26 on the device body 1A side is not limited to the configuration linked to the closing operation of the opening / closing door 21. .. When the cartridge 30 is sufficiently moved to the cartridge mounting portion 24 to a predetermined insertion position, the drive input coupling 34 is in a state of being naturally engaged with the drive output coupling 26 at that time. You can also do it.

When the cartridge 30 is taken out from the apparatus main body 1A, the cover 27 located at the open position B is pulled and moved in the take-out direction Y2 opposite to the mounting direction Y1 of the cartridge 30 by the urging force of the torsion spring 27c. It returns from the open position B to the protection position A and moves. That is, as the contact boss 36 moves away from the second arm 27d, the cover 27 moves from the open position B to the protection position A by the urging force of the torsion spring 27c from FIG. 6B to FIG. 6A (b). ) → Move in the operation process of (a) in FIG. 6A.

In this way, when the cartridge 30 is taken out, the cover 27 is located at the protection position A, and the drive output coupling 26 is concealed from the cartridge mounting portion 24. Therefore, when the cartridge 30 is taken out from the apparatus main body 1A, the user cannot easily touch the drive output coupling 26, and the drive output coupling 26 can be protected.

[Example 2]
FIG. 7 is an external perspective view of the cartridge 30 in the present embodiment as viewed from one end side (drive side) in the longitudinal direction, and FIG. 8 is a view showing a state in which the opening / closing door is opened when the cartridge is not mounted on the apparatus main body. It is a perspective view of the inner surface of the right side plate which is the drive side of the apparatus main body. The components and parts common to those in the first embodiment are designated by a common reference numeral, and the description thereof will be omitted again.

The cartridge 30 in this embodiment is provided with a contact rib 36A as a contact portion instead of the contact boss 36 in the cartridge 30 of the first embodiment. The contact rib 36A is arranged on one end side (driving side) of the upper surface of the cleaning frame 31A, and is a plate-shaped member long in the attachment / detachment directions Y1 and Y2 of the cartridge 30.

A contact portion guide plate 24a is provided on the cartridge mounting portion 24 on the device main body 1A side. The contact portion guide plate 24a has a slit portion 24b through which the contact rib 36A can pass. When the cartridge 30 is inserted and moved into the cartridge mounting portion 24, the contact rib 36A can pass through the slit portion 24b and enter the inside of the contact portion guide plate 24a. Further, when the cartridge 30 is pulled out from the cartridge mounting portion 24, the contact rib 36A can pass through the slit portion 24b and come out to the outside of the contact portion guide plate 24a.

In this embodiment, the movement of the cover 27 with respect to the drive output coupling 26 between the protection position A and the opening position B is performed by the operation of the link mechanism in which the contact rib 36A is involved. FIG. 9 is a perspective view of an example of the link mechanism.

The cover 27 is located in the guide groove 23R1 and rotates in the vertical direction around the shaft portion 27b parallel to the rotation axis of the drive output coupling 26 to conceal the drive output coupling 26. It is movable between the exposed open position B and the exposed position B. The cover 27 has an upward arm portion 27e. An elongated hole 27f is formed in the arm portion 27e.

A shaft portion 27g parallel to the rotation axis of the drive output coupling 26 is rotatably held and arranged above the cover 27. At a position corresponding to the arm portion 27e of the shaft portion 27g, a downward connecting rod 27h in which the lower end portion is bent as a key-shaped bending portion 27i is integrally provided. Then, the key-shaped bending portion 27i is inserted into the elongated hole 27f of the arm portion 27e. That is, the connecting rod 27h and the arm portion 27e of the cover 27 are connected to the key-shaped bending portion 27i via the elongated hole 27f.

Further, the tip end side of the shaft portion 27g is extended to a position corresponding to the inside of the contact portion guide plate 24a, and the flag plate portion 27j is integrally arranged with the shaft portion 27g downward on the extension shaft portion. .. The shaft portion 27g is constantly rotationally urged in the counterclockwise direction X1 of the arrow by the urging force of the torsion spring 27c as an urging member. In the free state, the cover 27 is held at the protective position A which is pressed and received by the bottom surface of the guide groove 23R1 by the urging force of the torsion spring 27c. In this state, the flag plate portion 27j and the connecting rod 27h are in a downward posture.

The above link mechanism is located inside the guide member 25R, inside the right side plate 23R, and inside the contact portion guide plate 24a so that the user cannot move the cover 27 by hand to open the cover 27. Has been done.

The operation of moving the cover 27 from the protective position A to the open position B as the cartridge 30 moves will be described with reference to the schematic view of FIG.

As in the case of the first embodiment, the opening / closing door 21 of the apparatus main body 1A is opened to greatly open the opening 22. Then, the first and second attachment / detachment guide bosses 35R1 / 35L1 and 35R2 / 35L2 of the cartridge 30 are engaged with the guide grooves 25R1 / 25L1 of the guide members 25R / 25L, respectively. Then, the cartridge 30 is inserted into the cartridge mounting portion 24 of the apparatus main body 1A by aligning the guide bosses 35R1 / 35L1 and 35R2 / 35L2 along the guide grooves 25R1 / 25L1. The drive input coupling 34 fits into the guide groove 23R1 and moves along the guide groove 25R1 in the cartridge mounting direction Y.

Further, the contact rib 36A enters the inside of the contact portion guide plate 24a through the slit portion 24b of the contact portion guide plate 24a. When the cartridge 30 is further inserted and moved, the contact rib 36A comes into contact with the downward flag plate portion 27j, which is the contacted portion of the link mechanism, as shown in FIG. 10A. As the cartridge 30 is continuously inserted and moved, the flag plate portion 27j is pushed and moved backward as shown in FIG. 10 (b). Therefore, the shaft portion 27g and the connecting rod 27h integrated with the shaft portion 27g are rotated in the clockwise direction (direction of the arrow X2 in FIG. 9) in FIG.

Along with the rotation of the connecting rod 27h, the cover 27 is protected in the guide groove 23R1 centering on the shaft portion 27b by the arm 27e connected to the connecting rod 27h via the key-shaped bending portion 27i and the elongated hole 27f. It rotates upward from. As a result, the drive output coupling 26 is opened.

Then, when the cartridge 30 is sufficiently moved to a predetermined insertion position where it abuts on the stopper portion (not shown), the cover 27 is rotated to the predetermined open position B as shown in FIG. 10 (c) by the opening operation by the link mechanism. It moves and is held. In this state, the drive input coupling 34 on the cartridge 30 side is in a predetermined state of facing the open drive output coupling 26 on the device main body 1A side.

Then, as described above, when the opening / closing door 21 is closed, the pressing means is pressed by the operation of the interlocking mechanism linked to the closing operation of the opening / closing door 21, and the cartridge 30 is pressed against the positioning portion on the device main body 1A side. It is fixed and held in a positioning state at a predetermined mounting position. Further, the drive output coupling 26 on the device main body 1A side engages with the drive input coupling 34 on the cartridge 30 side. Further, the electrical contact portion for bias output on the device main body 1A side is electrically connected to the electrical contact portion on the cartridge 30 side. Thus, the cartridge 30 is in a state where an image can be formed.

When the cartridge 30 is taken out from the cartridge mounting portion 24, the abutting rib 36A moves from the inside to the outside of the abutting portion guide plate 24a through the slit portion 24b as the cartridge 30 is pulled and moved in the taking-out direction Y2. .. That is, the contact rib 36A moves in the direction away from the flag plate portion 27j. As a result, the link mechanism operates in the reverse direction, and the cover 27 moves from the open position B to the protection position A by the urging force of the torsion spring 27c and the gravity of the flag plate portion 27j, the connecting rod 27h, and the cover 27 in FIG. It returns and moves in the reverse operation process of (c) → (b) → (a).

In this way, when the cartridge 30 is taken out, the cover 27 is located at the protection position A, and the drive output coupling 26 is concealed from the cartridge mounting portion 24. As described above, when the cartridge 30 is taken out from the apparatus main body 1A, the user cannot easily touch the drive output coupling 26, and the drive output coupling 26 can be protected.

[Example 3]
Next, in the third embodiment, a configuration for protecting the drive output coupling of the cartridge and the main body of the apparatus will be described. FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing a state when the cartridge 130 is mounted on the image forming apparatus 100 in the third embodiment. Since the configuration of the protective member for protecting the drive output coupling and the configuration for moving the protective member are different from those of the first and second embodiments, the characteristic parts thereof are shown and are the same as those of the first and second embodiments. The description of the configuration will be omitted.

(cartridge)
First, the cartridge 130 in this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 12 is an external perspective view of the cartridge. A drive input coupling 134 as a driven transmission member is provided on the right side surface portion. A flange 137, which is a contact portion (imposed portion), is provided around the drive input coupling 134. Further, the right side surface portion and the left side surface portion are symmetrically provided with the first attachment / detachment guide bosses 135R1 / 135L1 and the second attachment / detachment guide bosses 135R2 / 135L2 as guided members, respectively.

Further, on the upper surface, a contact rib 136A (first moving part) which is two second contact parts as a regulation releasing means (moving means) and 136B (second moving part) which is a third contact part. It has a moving part). The contact ribs 136A and 136B are plate-shaped members long in the attachment / detachment directions Y1 and Y2 of the cartridge 130, and are protrusions protruding from the surface of the frame of the cartridge 130.

(Protective member)
Next, the configuration of the protective member that protects the drive output coupling 126 of the apparatus main body 101A will be described. FIG. 13 is a schematic perspective view of a configuration for protecting the drive output coupling. FIG. 13A is a view of the apparatus main body 101A viewed from diagonally above left, and FIG. 13B is a view viewed from diagonally above right. FIG. 16 is a schematic view showing the operation of the cartridge lever which is a protective member.

As shown in FIGS. 13A and 16, when the cartridge 130 is not mounted on the apparatus main body 101A, the drive output coupling 126 is protected by the cartridge lever 190 so as not to be exposed to the mounting area of the cartridge 130. It is configured. This is the same as in Example 1.

The position of the cartridge lever 190 shown in FIGS. 13A and 16 is referred to as a protection position. At this time, the cartridge lever 190 restricts the cartridge lever 190 from moving from the protective position by engaging the slide pin 211, which is a part of the regulating member, with the round hole 196 of the cartridge lever 190.

When the cartridge 130, which is a cartridge applicable to the apparatus main body 101A, is mounted, the connecting means moves the slide cam 210, which is a regulating member provided with the slide pin 211, in conjunction with the mounting operation of the cartridge 130. .. Then, the engagement between the slide pin 211 and the round hole 196 of the cartridge lever 190 is released.

Here, the connecting means is composed of a main lever 160, a sub lever 170, a lever link 180, a main lever bearing 230, a cam link 220, and the like. The configuration of the connecting means will be described in detail later.

As shown in FIGS. 16A and 16B, when the slide pin 211 and the cartridge lever 190 are disengaged, the flange 137, which is the first contact portion provided on the cartridge 130, becomes the cartridge lever. Press 190. Then, as shown in FIG. 16B, the drive output coupling 126 moves to an open position where it can be exposed to the mounting area of the cartridge 130. Then, by closing the opening / closing door provided in the apparatus main body 101A as in the first embodiment, the drive output coupling 126 moves in the axial direction and engages with the drive input coupling 134 of the cartridge 130.

(Structure of connecting means)
Next, the connecting means will be described. As described above, the connecting means includes a main lever 160, a sub lever 170, a lever link 180, a main lever bearing 230, a cam link 220, a lever holder 150, and the like.

The lever holder 150 is installed on the upper stay 241 of the apparatus main body 101A, and is located on the upper surface when the cartridge 130 is attached to the apparatus main body 101A. Further, the lever holder 150 is provided with a guide plate 151. The guide plate 151 has two slit portions 152a and 152b through which the contact ribs 136A and 136B of the cartridge 130 can pass.

Further, on the surface of the upper stay 241 opposite to the surface on which the guide plate 151 is provided, the main lever 160, which is the second connecting member (second connecting portion), and the first connecting member (first connecting member) The sub-lever 170, which is a part), is rotatably supported. The sub-lever 170 and the main lever 160 are rotatably connected to each other at both ends of the lever link 180, forming a four-bar link mechanism.

14 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the operation of the sub lever, FIG. 15 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the operation of the main lever, and FIGS. 19 (a) to 19 (c) are perspective views of the main lever, the sub lever, and the lever link. is there. The rotation center shafts 171a and 171b of the sub-lever 170 are rotatably supported by the sub-lever support portions 153a and 153b of the lever holder 150 (FIGS. 13 (b) and 19 (b)).

The sub-lever 170 is provided with a contact portion 172, which is arranged in a hole 155a provided in the slit portion 152a of the lever holder 150 (FIG. 14A). The rotation locus 174 of the contact portion 172 overlaps with the moving region 136A1 of the contact rib 136A when the cartridge 130 is mounted.

The moving region 136A1 is the region below the dotted line in FIG. Therefore, the contact rib 136A of the cartridge 130 presses the contact portion 172 of the sub lever 170, so that the sub lever 170 can be rotated. As described above, the sub-lever 170 is rotatably connected to the sub-lever connecting portion 181 of the lever link 180 at the lever link supporting portion 173 (FIGS. 13 (b) and 19 (c)).

Further, in the main lever 160, the rotation center shafts 161a and 161b are rotatably supported by the main lever support portions 154a and 154b of the lever holder 150 (FIGS. 13 (b) and 19 (a)). The rotation center shaft 161c is rotatably supported by the shaft support portion 231 of the main lever bearing 230 attached to the right side plate 123R. The main lever support portions 154a and 154b of the lever holder 150 and the shaft support portion 231 of the main lever bearing 230 are arranged substantially coaxially.

Further, as shown in FIG. 15A, the main lever 160 is provided with a contact portion 162, and is arranged so as to protrude from a hole 155b provided in the slit portion 152b of the lever holder 150. .. The rotation locus 164 of the contact portion 162 overlaps with the moving region 136B1 of the contact rib 136B when the cartridge 130 is mounted. Therefore, the contact rib 136B of the cartridge 130 presses the contact portion 162 of the main lever 160, so that the main lever 160 can be rotated.

The main lever 160 is rotatably connected to the main lever connecting portion 182 of the lever link 180 at the lever link supporting portion 163 (FIGS. 13 (b) and 19 (c)).

Next, FIG. 17 is a schematic view of the right side surface showing the main lever bearing 230 and the cam link 220 at the center. The main lever bearing 230 is provided with abutting portions 232 and 233 with the main lever 160, which are in contact with the bearing contact portions 165 and 166 of the main lever 160, respectively, to regulate the amount of rotation of the main lever 160. .. The main lever 160 is urged in the P direction by a spring 250 (FIG. 13 (b)).

The spring 250 is a torsion coil spring, and is engaged with a spring seat portion 167 provided on the main lever 160 and a spring holding portion 156 provided on the lever holder 150. Therefore, in a state where the cartridge 130 is not mounted on the apparatus main body 101A, the main lever 160 is determined at a position where the bearing contact portion 165 is in contact with the abutting portion 232 of the main lever bearing 230. At this position, as shown in FIG. 15A, the contact portion 162 of the main lever 160 is retracted upward from the locus 136B1 at the upper end of the contact rib 136B of the cartridge 130.

The sub-lever 170 is positioned through the lever link 180, and as shown in FIG. 14A, the contact portion 172 of the sub-lever 170 is within the moving region 136A1 of the contact rib 136A of the cartridge 130.

(Operation of protective member and regulatory member)
FIG. 16 is a schematic view showing the operation of the cartridge lever. The rotation center shaft 191b of the cartridge lever 190 is rotatably supported by the right side plate 123R and the cartridge guide member 125R. The cartridge lever 190 is urged in the Q direction by the lever spring 251. The lever spring 251 is a compression spring, and both ends of the spring are attached to a spring seat surface 192 provided on the cartridge lever 190 and a boss 125R2 provided on the cartridge guide member 125R.

The cartridge lever 190 is provided with an abutting portion 193, which comes into contact with the lever abutting portion 240 provided on the apparatus main body 101A to regulate the amount of rotation of the cartridge lever 190. Therefore, when the cartridge 130 is not mounted on the device main body 101A, as shown in FIG. 16A, the cartridge lever 190 has the abutting portion 193 in contact with the cartridge lever abutting portion 240 provided on the device main body 101A. Is positioned.

When in this position, the coupling protection section 197 covers the drive output coupling 126. The cartridge lever 190 is provided with a contact portion 194 that comes into contact with the flange 137 of the cartridge 130 when the cartridge 130 is mounted on the apparatus main body 101A.

Further, as shown in FIG. 16B, when the cartridge 130 is completely mounted on the apparatus main body 101A, it comes into contact with the flange 137 of the cartridge 130, urges the cartridge in the Q direction, and presses the cartridge 130. The cartridge lever 190 is provided with a cartridge pressing portion 195 that abuts the cartridge 130 against the positioning portion (not shown) of the apparatus main body 101A to determine the position.

A round hole 196 is formed in the cartridge lever 190, and a slide pin 211 provided on the slide cam 210 is inserted into and removed from the round hole 196. When the slide pin 211 is inserted into the round hole 196, the cartridge lever 190 cannot rotate and is locked, and when the slide pin 211 is disengaged from the round hole 196, the cartridge lever 190 rotates freely. Can be done (Fig. 18). The position of the slide pin 211 here is called a regulation position. The slide pin 211 is inserted and removed by rotating the slide cam 210 in the U1 direction or the U2 direction with respect to the base cam 200, which is the second cam portion, and moving the slide cam 210 in the axial direction of the slide pin 211.

The base cam 200 is provided on the opposite side of the right side plate 123R to which the cartridge 130 is mounted (FIG. 13 (b)). As shown in FIG. 19D, the base cam 200 is provided with a hole 201 at the center thereof, which is fitted with the slide pin 211 to support the slide cam 210 so as to be rotatable and slidable. Further, the base cam 200 is provided with a cam surface 202 concentric with respect to the hole 201. The cam surface 202 includes a bottom surface 202a, a slope 202b, and an upper surface 202c.

Further, as shown in FIG. 19E, the slide cam 210 is provided with a slide pin 211 at the center thereof. Further, the slide cam 210 is provided with a cam surface 212 concentric with respect to the slide pin 211. The cam surface 212 is composed of a flat surface 212a and a slope 212b. The slide cam 210 is attached to the base cam 200 so that the cam surface 202 of the base cam 200 and the cam surface 212 of the slide cam 210 face each other. Further, an urging spring 252 is provided so that the cam surface 202 of the base cam 200 and the cam surface 212 of the slide cam 210 are always in contact with each other and urged in the T direction (FIG. 13 (b)).

The cam urging spring 252 is a compression spring, and both ends of the spring are attached to a spring seat surface 213 provided on the slide cam 210 and a spring seat surface (not shown) provided on the device main body 101A side.

FIG. 18 is a schematic view showing the locking operation of the cartridge lever 190, and FIG. 20 is a diagram showing the phases of the base cam and the slide cam. In a state where the bottom surface 202a of the cam surface 202 of the base cam 200 and the flat surface 212c of the cam surface 212 of the slide cam 210 are in contact with each other (FIG. 20A), the slide pin 211 is inserted into the round hole 196 of the cartridge lever 190. (Fig. 18 (a)). When the slide cam 210 is rotated in the U1 direction from this state (FIG. 17), the bottom surface 202a of the base cam 200 and the flat surface 212c of the slide cam 210 remain in contact with each other for a while (FIG. 20 (b)).

Then, the slide cam 210 is further rotated. Then, the slope 212b of the slide cam 210 climbs the slope 202b of the base cam 200 (FIG. 20 (c)), and the cam top surface 202c of the base cam 200 and the cam flat surface 212c of the slide cam 210 come into contact with each other (FIG. 20 (d)). .. As a result, by shifting from the state of FIG. 20 (a) to the state of FIG. 20 (d), the slide cam 210 slides by the height h of the cam of the base cam 200. As a result, in FIG. 20 (d), the slide pin 211 is in a state of being detached from the round hole 196 of the cartridge lever 190 (FIG. 18 (b)). The position of the slide pin 211 here is referred to as an allowable position.

Further, as shown in FIG. 17, the rotation of the slide cam 210 is performed by transmitting the rotation of the main lever 160 to the slide cam 210 through the cam link 220 which is the third connecting member (third connecting portion). That is, the main lever 160 and the slide cam 210 are rotatably connected to each other at both ends of the cam link 220. The main lever 160 is rotatably connected to the main lever connecting portion 221 of the cam link 220 at the cam link supporting portion 168. The slide cam 210 is rotatably connected to the slide cam connecting portion 222 of the cam link 220 at the cam link supporting portion 214.

(Details of operation of connecting means)
Next, the operation details of the connecting means will be described. When the opening / closing door (not shown) of the apparatus main body 101A is opened and the cartridge 130 is not attached, the following state is obtained. That is, as described above, the cartridge contact portion 162 of the main lever 160 is retracted above the moving region 136B1 of the contact rib 136B of the cartridge 130 (FIG. 15A). The position of the main lever 160 here is called a retracted position. For the sub-lever 170, the contact portion 172 is within the moving region 136A1 of the contact rib 136A of the cartridge 130 (FIG. 14A).

The phase of the slide cam 210 with respect to the base cam 200 is determined from the position of the main lever 160 through the cam link 220. The slide cam 210 in the state of FIG. 14A is in a state where the flat surface 212a of the cam surface 212 of the slide cam 210 shown in FIG. 20A is in contact with the slide cam 210. Therefore, the slide pin 211 of the slide cam 210 is inserted into the round hole 196 of the cartridge lever 190, and the cartridge lever 190 cannot rotate and is in a locked state (FIG. 18A).

Further, as described above, the coupling protection portion 197 of the cartridge lever 190 covers the drive output coupling 126 (FIG. 16A). Therefore, when the cartridge 130 is taken out from the apparatus main body 101A, the user cannot easily touch the drive output coupling 126, and the drive output coupling 126 is protected. Further, since the cartridge lever 190 is locked, the user cannot push up the cartridge lever to expose the drive output coupling 126.

The operation of mounting the cartridge 130 on the apparatus main body 101A will be described. The first and second attachment / detachment guide bosses 135R1 / 135L1 and 135R2 / 135L2 of the cartridge 130 are engaged with the guide member 125R on the right side and the guide groove (125R1 on the right side) provided on the guide member (not shown) on the left side. (FIG. 13 (a)).

Then, the cartridge 130 is inserted into the mounting portion 124 in the apparatus main body 101A by aligning the guide bosses 135R1 / 135L1 and 135R2 / 135L2 along the guide groove. The cartridge 130 moves in the Y1 direction. At that time, the contact ribs 136A and 136B pass through the slit portions 152a and 152b of the lever holder 150 and enter the inside of the lever holder 150, respectively. By further inserting the cartridge 130, the contact rib 136A comes into contact with the contact portion 172 of the sub lever 170 as shown in FIG. 14A.

Then, when the cartridge 130 is further inserted, the contact portion 172 passes through the locus 174 in the W direction and is pushed backward and moves as shown in FIG. 14 (b). At this time, since the main lever 160 is connected to the sub lever 170 through the lever link 180, the main lever 160 also rotates in the Z direction as the sub lever 170 rotates (FIGS. 14 (a) → (b)). Then, the cartridge contact portion 162 of the main lever 160 moves from the position of FIG. 15 (a) to the position of FIG. 15 (b) through the locus 164.

That is, the cartridge contact portion 162 moves from the position retracted from the locus 136B1 of the contact rib 136B of the cartridge 130 to the position in the locus 136B1. The position of the main lever 160 here is called the approach position. At this time, since the slide cam 210 is connected to the main lever 160 through the cam link 220, the slide cam also rotates in the U1 direction as the main lever 160 rotates (FIGS. 15A → 15B).

As a result, the phase of the slide cam 210 with respect to the base cam 200 changes from the state shown in FIG. 20 (a) to the state shown in FIG. 20 (b). That is, the slide cam 210 only rotates, and the slide pin 211 does not move in the thrust direction. As a result, the slide pin 211 remains inserted in the round hole 196 of the cartridge lever 190, and the cartridge lever 190 cannot yet rotate and does not change from the locked state.

Then, by further inserting the cartridge 130 into the mounting portion 124, the contact rib 136B of the cartridge 130 and the cartridge contact portion 162 of the main lever 160 come into contact with each other. Then, when the cartridge 130 is further inserted, the cartridge contact portion 162 moves from the position of FIG. 15 (b) to the position of FIG. 15 (c) through the locus 164 in the Z direction. As the main lever 160 rotates (FIGS. 15 (b) → (c)), the slide cam also rotates in the U1 direction.

As a result, the phase of the slide cam 210 with respect to the base cam 200 changes from the state shown in FIG. 20 (b) to the state shown in FIG. 20 (d). The position of the main lever 160 here is called an operating position. That is, the slide cam 210 rotates, and the slide cam 210 slides in the axial direction by the height h of the cam of the base cam 200. As a result, the slide pin 211 is released from the round hole 196 of the cartridge lever 190, and the lock is released (FIG. 18 (b)).

Further, when the cartridge 130 is inserted into the mounting portion 124, the flange 137 of the cartridge 130 and the contact portion 194 of the cartridge lever 190 come into contact with each other (FIG. 16A). When the cartridge 130 is continuously inserted, the cartridge lever 190 is pressed against the flange 137 and rotates in the V direction against the urging force of the lever spring 251. That is, the cartridge lever 190 moves from the protection position that protects the drive output coupling 126 to the open position, and the drive output coupling 126 is released (FIG. 18 (c)).

Then, when the cartridge 130 is moved to a predetermined mounting position, the flange 137 of the cartridge 130 and the cartridge pressing portion 195 of the cartridge lever 190 come into contact with each other as shown in FIG. 16B. The position of the cartridge lever 190 is the open position. In this state, the drive input coupling 134 of the cartridge 130 faces the open drive output coupling 126. That is, by mounting the cartridge 130, the cartridge lever 190 is retracted from the protected position to the open position, and the drive input coupling 134 becomes in a state where it can be engaged with the drive output coupling 126.

Further, the cartridge lever 190 urges the cartridge 130 in the Q direction through the flange 137 by the lever spring 251. Therefore, the cartridge 130 is pressed against a positioning portion (not shown) in the apparatus main body 101A, and is fixedly held in a positioning state at a predetermined mounting position. By the above operation, the cartridge 130 is mounted on the apparatus main body 101A.

As described above, the cartridge lever 190 protects the drive output coupling 126 and also presses the position of the cartridge 130 in the apparatus main body 101A. Therefore, the size of the apparatus main body 101A can be reduced as compared with the case where protection and pressing are performed by different members.

[Removal of cartridge]
When the cartridge 130 is taken out from the predetermined mounting position, the cartridge 130 is moved in the Y2 direction. Then, the cartridge lever 190 moves from the open position (FIG. 16 (b)) to the protected position (FIG. 16 (a)). When the cartridge 130 is further moved, the cartridge contact portion 162 of the main lever 160 is released from the state (FIG. 15 (c)) on the contact rib 136B of the cartridge 130. Since the main lever 160 is urged in the P direction, the main lever 160 rotates in the P direction, and the sub lever is in the state shown in FIG. 15 (b) and the sub lever is in the state shown in FIG. 14 (b). At this time, the slide cam rotates in the U2 direction (FIG. 17).

As a result, the phase of the slide cam 210 with respect to the base cam 200 changes from the state shown in FIG. 20 (d) to the state shown in FIG. 20 (b). That is, the slide cam 210 rotates, and the slide cam 210 slides by the height h of the cam of the base cam 200. As a result, in FIG. 20B, the slide pin 211 is inserted into the round hole 196 of the cartridge lever 190, and the cartridge lever 190 is locked.

When the cartridge 130 is further moved, the contact portion 172 of the sub lever 170 is released from the state of being on the contact rib 136A of the cartridge 130 (FIG. 14 (b)). Since the main lever 160 is urged in the P direction, the sub lever 170 also rotates in the P direction, and the main lever is in the state shown in FIG. 14 (a) and the main lever is in the state shown in FIG. 15 (a). .. By the above operation, the cartridge 130 is taken out from the apparatus main body 101A.

As described above, the contact ribs 136A and 136B of the cartridge 130 correspond to the positions of the slit portions 152a and 152b of the lever holder 150, so that the cartridge lever 190 is unlocked. Then, the cartridge 130 can be mounted inside the apparatus main body 101A. Therefore, even if the user puts a finger or an object in the slit portions 152a or 152b of the lever holder 150, the lock of the cartridge lever 190 is not released unless the finger or the object is put in both slits. Therefore, the protection of the drive output coupling 126 against erroneous operation by the user becomes more reliable.

[Other matters]
1) Unless otherwise specified, the functions, materials, shapes and relative arrangements of the components described in Examples 1, 2 and 3 are intended to limit the scope of the present invention to those. It's not a thing.

2) In the present invention, the image forming apparatus is not limited to the electrophotographic image forming apparatus of the embodiment. Included is an image forming apparatus that forms an image on a recording medium using various other known image forming principles / methods such as an electrostatic recording process and a magnetic recording process.

3) The image forming apparatus is not limited to one in which one cartridge can be attached and detached. An image forming apparatus for forming a color image or the like by detachably mounting a plurality of cartridges having different colors from each other on each predetermined mounting portion is also included.

4) The cartridge is not limited to the integrated process cartridge of the embodiment. A separate type process cartridge provided with an image forming process means acting on the image carrier on which an image is formed, and a developing means for developing a latent image formed on the image carrier on which an image is formed with a developer. Includes development cartridges. At that time, the driven transmission member transmits the driving force to the developing roller which is a developing means, the supply roller which supplies the developing agent to the developing roller, the conveying member which conveys the developing agent, and the stirring member which stirs the developing agent. become.

Further, the cartridge includes a developer cartridge containing a developer used in a developing means for developing a latent image formed on an image carrier. At that time, the driven transmission member transmits the driving force to the transport member that conveys the developer and the stirring member that agitates the developer. In addition, a unit that is detachably attached to the main body of the apparatus and contributes to the image forming process of forming an image on a recording medium is included.

1 ... Image forming device, 1A ... Device body, 24 ... Cartridge mounting part, 26 ... Drive transmission member, 30 ... Cartridge, 34 ... Driven transmission member, 27 ... Protective member, A ... Protection Position, B ... Open position, S ... Recording medium

Claims (17)

An image forming apparatus that forms an image on a recording medium.
A mounting portion for the cartridge with a driven transmission member is to be inserted removably,
A positioning unit for positioning the cartridge inserted into the mounting unit ,
A drive transmission member for transmitting a driving force to the driven transmission member of the cartridge inserted into the mounting portion, and
A protective means including a cover portion that can be moved with respect to the drive transmission member by rotation and a first contacted portion that moves the cover portion .
And permitting position to allow the said cover portion is moved, the second abutted portion for moving the restricting portion and the restricting portion movable between a restricting position where said cover portion to regulate the movement of Including, a regulating means configured to move the regulating portion in conjunction with the movement of the second contacted portion, and
Have,
When the cartridge is inserted into the mounting portion, the second contacted portion is pushed and moved by the cartridge, and the restricting portion is interlocked with the movement of the second contacted portion. The regulated position is moved to the permissible position, the first contacted portion is pushed and moved by the cartridge, the cover portion is moved from the protective position covering at least a part of the drive transmission member, and the drive is driven. Engagement between the transmission member and the driven transmission member is allowed,
The image forming apparatus is characterized in that the protective means is configured to press the cartridge toward the positioning portion. The regulatory means includes connecting means for moving the regulatory unit from the regulatory position to the permissible position.
It said coupling means, the image forming apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises the second abutted portion. The connecting means includes the first connecting portion and
A second connecting portion that is interlocked with the first connecting portion, includes the second contacted portion, and is a retracted position retracted from a moving region that passes when the cartridge is inserted into the mounting portion. And the approach position that entered the moving area, and the second connecting portion that can move
Including the second connecting portion and the third connecting portion that links the regulating portion .
In conjunction with the first connecting portion being pushed and moved by the cartridge inserted into the mounting portion, the second connecting portion moves from the retracted position to the approached position.
In conjunction with the movement of the second connecting portion that has moved to the approach position by being pushed by the cartridge inserted into the mounting portion, the third connecting portion places the restricting portion at the restricting position. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the image forming apparatus is moved to the permissible position. The image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , wherein the center of rotation of the cover portion is provided on the upstream side of the drive transmission member in the mounting direction of the cartridge. A cartridge to be inserted removably in the image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording medium, said image forming apparatus includes a mounting portion to which the cartridge is to be inserted removably, the cartridge inserted into the mounting portion A positioning portion for positioning, a drive transmission member for transmitting a driving force to the cartridge inserted into the mounting portion, a cover portion that can be moved with respect to the drive transmission member by rotation, and the cover portion. and protection means comprising a first contacted portion for moving a permitting position where the cover portion is allowed to move, movement can be regulated between a restricting position where said cover portion to regulate the movement of It includes a unit and a second contacted portion for moving the regulated portion , and has a regulating means configured to move the regulated portion in conjunction with the movement of the second contacted portion. ,
The cartridge is
A driven transmission member that engages with the drive transmission member,
The contact portion that rotates the cover portion and
When said cartridge is inserted into the mounting portion, a pressed portion which is pressed by the cover portion,
It has a regulation release means for moving the regulation unit from the regulation position to the permissible position.
When the cartridge is inserted into the mounting portion, the regulation releasing means pushes and moves the second contacted portion to move the regulated portion from the regulated position to the permissible position. The contact portion pushes and moves the first contacted portion to move the cover portion from a protective position that covers at least a part of the drive transmission member, and engages the drive transmission member with the driven transmission member. Is tolerated,
A cartridge characterized in that the pressed portion is pressed toward the positioning portion by being pressed by the protective means . The regulatory means includes connecting means for moving the regulatory unit from the regulatory position to the permissible position.
The connecting means includes the second contacted portion.
The restriction releasing means, cartridge according to claim 5, wherein the benzalkonium moving the coupling means. The connecting means
With the first connection
A second connecting portion that is interlocked with the first connecting portion, includes the second contacted portion, and is a retracted position retracted from a moving region that passes when the cartridge is inserted into the mounting portion. And the approach position that entered the moving area, and the second connecting portion that can move
Including the second connecting portion and the third connecting portion that links the regulating portion .
The deregulation means
A first moving portion that moves the second connecting portion from the retracted position to the approaching position by pushing and moving the first connecting portion.
By pushing and moving the second connecting portion that has moved to the approach position, the second moving portion that moves the third connecting portion so that the restricting portion moves from the restricted position to the permissible position. The cartridge according to claim 6 , wherein the cartridge comprises. The cartridge according to claim 6 or 7 , wherein the position of the contact portion and the position of the regulation releasing means are different in the longitudinal direction of the cartridge. The cartridge according to claim 7 , wherein the position of the first moving portion and the position of the second moving portion are different in the longitudinal direction of the cartridge. A cartridge recording medium image to be inserted removably in the image forming apparatus for forming on said image forming apparatus includes a mounting portion to which the cartridge is to be inserted removably, inserted into said cartridge to the mounting portion A protective means including a drive transmission member for transmitting a driving force, a cover portion movable with respect to the drive transmission member, and a first contacted portion for moving the cover portion , and the cover portion move. The second includes a restrictable portion that can move between an allowable position that allows the cover portion to move and a regulated position that restricts the movement of the cover portion, and a second contacted portion that moves the regulated portion. It has a regulating means configured to move the regulating portion in conjunction with the movement of the contacted portion .
The cartridge is
It has a driven transmission member that engages with the drive transmission member, a contact portion that moves the cover portion , and a regulation release means for moving the regulation portion from the regulation position to the permissible position. ,
When the cartridge is inserted into the mounting portion, the regulation releasing means pushes and moves the second contacted portion to move the regulation portion from the regulation position to the allowable position, and the contact By pushing and moving the first contacted portion, the cover portion is moved from a protective position that covers at least a part of the drive transmission member, and the drive transmission member and the driven transmission member are engaged with each other. A cartridge characterized by being acceptable. The regulatory means includes connecting means for moving the regulatory unit from the regulatory position to the permissible position.
The connecting means includes the second contacted portion.
The restriction releasing means, cartridge of claim 10, wherein the benzalkonium moving the coupling means. The connecting means
With the first connection
A second connecting portion that is interlocked with the first connecting portion, includes the second contacted portion, and is a retracted position retracted from a moving region that passes when the cartridge is inserted into the mounting portion. And the approach position that entered the moving area, and the second connecting portion that can move
Including the second connecting portion and the third connecting portion that links the regulating portion .
The deregulation means
A first moving portion that moves the second connecting portion from the retracted position to the approaching position by pushing and moving the first connecting portion.
By pushing and moving the second connecting portion that has moved to the approach position, the second moving portion that moves the third connecting portion so that the restricting portion moves from the restricted position to the permissible position. The cartridge according to claim 11 , wherein the cartridge comprises. The cartridge according to claim 11 or 12 , wherein the position of the contact portion and the position of the deregulation means are different in the longitudinal direction of the cartridge. The cartridge according to claim 12 , wherein the position of the first moving portion and the position of the second moving portion are different in the longitudinal direction of the cartridge. The cartridge has a photoconductor
The cartridge according to any one of claims 10 to 14 , wherein the driven transmission member receives a driving force transmitted to the photoconductor. The cartridge is characterized in that it has a developing means for developing a latent image formed on a photoconductor, and the driven transmission member receives a driving force transmitted to the developing means. The cartridge according to any one of 10 to 14 . The cartridge contains a developer used in a developing means for developing a latent image formed on a photoconductor, and the driven transmission member transmits a driving force to a transport member that conveys the developer. The cartridge according to any one of claims 10 to 14 , wherein the cartridge is provided.