JPH0331268B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of Industrial Application The present invention is an electrophotographic copying machine in which a photoconductor unit, in which a photoconductor is stretched across a plurality of rolls, is held obliquely in the main body of the copying machine, and the photoconductor unit is removed from the main body. The present invention relates to a tilt holding device for a photoreceptor unit, which allows maintenance and installation of the photoreceptor unit to be performed easily and quickly without removing the photoreceptor unit.

Conventional technology The tilt holding structure of the conventional photoreceptor unit was
As in the example described in Publication No. 53-143235, an arm that swingably protrudes from the frame on the back side of the photoconductor unit engages with a pin provided at a predetermined position on the back side, thereby holding the photoconductor unit in a predetermined position. It is held at an inclined angle.

Problems to be Solved Accordingly, due to the protrusion of the arm and the presence of the pin located at a considerable distance from the frame, a considerable amount of space was required behind the frame, which was one of the factors contributing to the increase in the size of copying machines. .

What is required regarding the size of a copying machine is that it can be easily carried in and out by passing through the door width (75 cm width) of a normal office, etc., but the height of the copying machine is usually is determined by operability. Furthermore, the width of a copying machine is determined by the arrangement of paper trays and the like.

The problem then becomes how to reduce the depth of the copying machine.

The depth of this copying machine is determined by the length (width) of the photoconductor and the drive mechanism installed mainly behind the photoconductor, but it is an important issue to eliminate other devices as much as possible to minimize the depth. be.

Means and Effects for Solving the Problems The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and an object thereof is to provide a tilt holding device for a photoreceptor unit that requires almost no extra space.

That is, the present invention provides an electrophotographic copying machine in which an endless belt-like photoreceptor is stretched between a plurality of rolls, and includes a unit support portion integrally formed on a side plate of a photoreceptor support unit that pivotally supports the plurality of rolls; A frame member support portion integrally formed with a frame member provided on the copying machine main body side, a pivot shaft fitted into both of the support portions and integrally fixed to one of the support portions; a sliding tube that is fitted and supported on the pivot shaft so as to allow sliding only in the axial direction and has a protrusion oriented in the axial direction; This is an inclination holding device for a photoreceptor unit, in which a groove is formed at a predetermined location on the rotating inner circumferential surface of the support portion supported by the slide cylinder, so that the protrusion of the sliding tube can engage with the groove.

A protrusion of the sliding tube is fitted and supported by a pivot shaft fixed to one of the pivots so that its rotation is regulated but it is allowed to slide in the axial direction. By engaging with the groove provided on the other support part, the rotation support part is prevented from rotating, and the photoreceptor unit can therefore be held at a predetermined inclination angle.

When the projections and grooves are disengaged from each other, the tilted holding of the photoreceptor unit is released.

Since such a tilt holding mechanism has a structure in which a sliding tube that is inserted into a pivot shaft moves, it usually requires only a very small space on the pivot shaft, which is equivalent to the increased thickness of the swing barrel. No special space is required for the tilt holding mechanism.

Embodiment An embodiment of the present invention illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 6 will be described below.

Reference numeral 1 denotes a copying machine main body, and as shown in FIGS. 1 to 6, in the copying machine main body 1, an exposure lamp 3, mirrors 4, 5,
7, an exposure system consisting of a lens 6 and a slit 8 is disposed, and an endless belt-like photoreceptor 9 is stretched over rolls 10, 11, and 12 below the exposure system, and an image of the original is passed through the exposure system to the endless belt. A slit-shaped image is formed on the belt-shaped photoreceptor 9.

Further, a charging corotron 13, a developing device 14, a transfer/separation corotron 15, and a cleaner 16 are arranged along the outer peripheral surface of the endless belt-like photoreceptor 9.

Furthermore, a paper tray 17 and a heat fixing device 18 are arranged below the paper tray 17, and a paper feed device 21 that sends the paper 19 from the paper tray 17 to a paper discharge tray 30 via the endless belt-shaped photoreceptor 9 and the heat fixing device 18. , 22 are arranged, and the paper 19 is sent from the developing device 14 to the endless belt-shaped photoreceptor 9 by the paper feeding devices 21 and 22,
The toner image on the endless belt-like photoreceptor 9 is transferred to a paper 19 by the transfer/peeling corotron 15, and then the paper 16 is peeled off from the endless belt-like photoreceptor 9.
The transferred toner image is fixed on the paper 19 by the heat fixing device 18 and sent to the paper discharge tray 20.

Furthermore, the rolls 10, 11, 12 are pivotally supported by a roll front plate 31 and a roll rear plate 32, and the endless belt-shaped photoreceptor 9 is supported by the rolls 10, 11, 1.
2 to form a photoreceptor unit 30,
The roll front plate 31 and the roll rear plate 32 are integrally connected to each other, and a photoreceptor unit front end 33 is integrally formed on the roll front plate 31, and a photoreceptor unit support portion 34 is integrally formed on the roll rear plate 32. , 34 are integrally formed.

Thus, the frame member 40 includes a front plate 41, a rear plate 42,
Consists of side plates 43 and 44, side plates 43, 44
Guide rails 45 and 46 are respectively disposed on the main body 1 of the copying machine, and fixed rails 58 and 59 are disposed on the copying machine body 1, and the guide rails 45 and 46 are guided by the fixed rails 58 and 59, and the frame member 40 is It is designed to be held slidably forward and backward relative to the machine body 1.

Further, frame member support parts 48, 48 are integrally formed on the rear plate 42 of the frame member 40, and the support parts 48, 4
A pivot shaft 51 is fixed to the photoconductor unit 8, and the photoconductor support parts 34, 34 integrally formed on the roll rear plate 32 of the photoconductor unit 30 are pivoted to the pivot shaft 51, so that the photoconductor unit 30 It is rotatably mounted around a pivot shaft 51, and the front end portion 3 of the photoreceptor unit
3 is supported on a support member 47 formed integrally with the front plate 41, and the photoreceptor unit 30 is supported by the frame member 40.

Further, a key groove 53 is formed in the pivot shaft 51, keys 52, 52 are fitted into the key grooves 53, 53, and sliding tubes 56, 56 are slidably fitted in the pivot shaft 51. , the same key on the same sliding tubes 56, 56,
One end portions of 52, 52 are fixed together, and key insertion holes 54, 54 are provided in the frame member support portions 48, 48.
It is provided at a position at a predetermined angle α with respect to the vertical.

Furthermore, a spring 57 is interposed between the sliding tubes 56 and 56 on the outer periphery of the pivot shaft 51, and the other end of the keys 52 and 52 is connected to the frame support portion 4.
When the photoreceptor unit 30 is rotated around the pivot shaft 51 and rotated by a predetermined angle α, When the other ends of the keys 52, 52 match the positions where the key insertion holes 54, 54 are formed, they are pushed into the key insertion holes 54, 54 by the elastic force of the spring 57, and The photoreceptor unit 30 is held by the frame member 40 at a predetermined angle α.

Furthermore, the roll front plate 31 and the roll rear plate 32 of the photoreceptor unit 30 are fastened by fastening materials 37, 38,
39, the roll front plate 31 is made smaller than the endless belt-like photoreceptor 9 which is stretched over the rolls 10, 11, 12, and the endless belt-like photoreceptor 9 is connected to the rolls 10, 11, 12. The front plate 31 is attached to and detached from the photoreceptor unit 30 along the outer edge thereof.

Adjustment frame members 35 and 35 are provided on the roll front plate 31 and the roll rear plate 32, respectively, and the roll 12 is supported by the adjustment frame members 35 and 35, and the roll 12 is supported by the elastic force of a spring 57. Tension is applied to the endless belt-like photoreceptor 9 through the endless belt-like photoreceptor 9.

Since the present embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 6 is constructed as described above, the copying machine can be assembled and
During maintenance work, when the frame member 40 is pulled forward, the guide rails 45 and 46 are moved forward along the fixed rails 58 and 59, and the frame member 40 is pulled out from the copying machine main body 1.

After the frame member 40 is pulled out from the copying machine main body 1 in this manner, the photoreceptor unit 30 is pushed diagonally upward from the front and tilted by a predetermined angle α with respect to the frame member 40. The key 5
2 and 52 are inserted into the key grooves 53 and 53 and the key entry holes 54 and 54, respectively, and the photoconductor unit support parts 34 and 34 are inserted into the frame member support part 4.
8 and 48, and the photoreceptor unit 30 is held in a state inclined by a predetermined angle α with respect to the copying machine main body 1.

Further, after the work, before the frame members 40, 40 are housed in the copying machine 1, the front part of the photoreceptor unit 30 is supported, and the sliding tubes 56, 56
When the keys 52, 52 are moved toward each other against the elastic force of the spring 57, the keys 52, 52 are moved into the key grooves 53,
53 and the key entry holes 54, 54,
The photoconductor unit 30 descends under its own weight, and the tip end 33 of the photoconductor unit touches the receiving material 47 of the frame member 40.
The photoreceptor unit 30 is held on the frame member 40 by contact with the frame member 40.

Furthermore, when the frame member 40 is attached to the copying machine main body 1, the procedure is reversed when it is pulled out.

That is, when the frame member 40 is pushed into the copying machine main body 1, the fixed rails 45, 46 are guided along the fixed rails 58, 59 and installed in the copying machine main body 1.

As described above, in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 6, the frame member 40 is taken out from the copying machine main body 1, and the photoreceptor unit 30 is tilted by a predetermined angle. 30 is automatically held at that angular position, and even if the photoreceptor unit 30 is not held manually, the maintenance of the photoreceptor unit 30 and the replacement of the endless belt-like photoreceptor 9 can be performed with the same endless belt-like photoreceptor. This can be done simply and easily without damaging the surface of the body 9, which is very convenient for the assembly and maintenance work of the copying machine.

Moreover, almost no space is taken up for the tilt holding mechanism, which consists of fitting the sliding tube 56 onto the pivot shaft 51 and biasing it with the spring 57.
Space can be used effectively and the entire copying machine can be downsized.

In addition, in an electrophotographic copying machine, it is necessary that the surface of the endless belt-like photoreceptor is smooth, and in order for the image of the document to be correctly formed on the endless belt-like photoreceptor 9, the endless belt-like photoreceptor must have a smooth surface. Although the photoreceptor must be in the correct position, in this embodiment, the photoreceptor unit 30 is disposed on a strong frame member 40, and the frame member 40 is not only cantilevered on the main body, but also has side plates 43 on both sides. , 44, and are supported by the copying machine main body 1, the endless belt-shaped photoreceptor 9 is held at a regular position.

Furthermore, in the embodiment, the frame member 40 is fixed integrally with the pivot shaft 51, and the keys 52, 52
are the key grooves 38, 38 and the key insertion hole 54,
54, so that the photoconductor unit 30 is held on the copying machine main body 1 at a fixed angle.As shown in FIG. is the frame member support portion 4
The photoreceptor unit supporting parts 34, 34 are fixed integrally with the pivot shaft 51, and the frame member supporting parts 48, 48 are arranged on the outer side of the sliding cylinder 5.
A key entry hole 54, 5 is provided in the side wall opposite to 6, 56.
4, the photoreceptor unit 30 can be automatically held at a predetermined angle by the frame member 40.

Furthermore, in the embodiment, the sliding tube 5
The frame member support portions 48, 48 opposite to 6, 56
In the side walls 55, 55, only one key penetration hole 54, 54 is bored at a predetermined angle position, but if two or more key entry holes are bored at a predetermined angle position,
It is convenient for maintenance of the photoreceptor unit and replacement of the endless belt-shaped photoreceptor depending on the height and posture of the worker.

In the embodiments shown in FIGS. 1 to 7, the present invention is applied to a slit exposure type electrophotographic copying machine. Similar effects can be achieved.

Effects of the Invention According to the present invention, since the photoreceptor unit can be held at a predetermined inclination angle, maintenance and installation of the photoreceptor can be performed easily and quickly.

In addition, since the tilt holding mechanism of the photoconductor unit is constructed with a sliding tube on the pivot, no special space is required for the tilt holding mechanism, which allows effective use of space and contributes to the miniaturization of copying machines. I can do it.

Furthermore, since the depth and width of the copying machine can be made as small as possible, it is convenient because it is easy to carry in and out through a doorway, and even when placed with your back against a wall, it does not protrude forward and get in the way. .

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a front view illustrating an embodiment of the tilt holding device for a photoreceptor unit according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a side view thereof, and FIGS. 3 and 4 are views of respective frame members and photoreceptor units. FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the pivot portion of the embodiment, FIG. 6 is an exploded front view of the locking portion, and FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the pivot portion of another embodiment. 1... Copy machine body, 2... Platen glass, 3
...Exposure lamp, 4, 5...Mirror, 6...Lens, 7...Mirror, 8...Slit, 9...Endless belt-shaped photoreceptor, 10, 11, 12...Roll,
13...Charging corotron, 14...Developing device, 1
5... Transfer/peeling corotron, 16... Cleaner, 17... Paper tray, 18... Heat fixing device, 19... Paper, 20... Paper discharge tray, 21,
22...Paper feeding device, 30...Photosensitive unit,
31...Roll front plate, 32...Roll rear plate, 33
...Photoconductor unit front end, 34...Photoconductor unit support section, 35...Adjustment frame material, 36...Spring,
37, 38, 39... fastening material, 40... frame member,
41... Front plate, 42... Rear plate, 43, 44... Side plate, 45, 46... Guide rail, 47... Received material,
48... Frame member support part, 49... Side wall, 50...
Pivot, 51...Pivot, 52...Key, 53...
...Keyway, 54...Key entry hole, 55...Side wall portion, 56...Sliding tube, 57...Spring, 58, 59
...Fixed rail.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. In an electrophotographic copying machine in which an endless belt-like photoconductor is stretched across a plurality of rolls, a unit support portion integrally formed on a side plate of a photoconductor support unit that pivotally supports the plurality of rolls, and a unit support portion on the copying machine main body side. a frame member support part formed integrally with a frame member provided on the frame member; a pivot shaft fitted into both of the support parts and integrally fixed to one of the support parts; It consists of a sliding tube that is fitted and supported so as to allow sliding only in the axial direction and has a protrusion oriented in the axial direction, and is rotatably supported on the pivot shaft of both the supporting parts. 1. A tilt holding device for a photoreceptor unit, characterized in that the supporting portion is provided with a groove at a predetermined location on its rotating inner circumferential surface so that the protrusion of the sliding tube can engage with the supporting portion.