JPH0411026B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Field of Industrial Application) The present invention relates to an electronic copying machine, and more particularly to an electronic copying machine having a removable copying unit.

(Prior art) In order to improve maintenance performance and operational performance in copying machines, the photoreceptor and its surrounding developing device, cleaning device, etc. are integrated into a unit, and this unit (hereinafter referred to as the copy unit) can be easily attached and removed and replaced. It is set as.

This copy unit does not include an exposure device, and since the exposure device is provided in the main body of the copying machine, it is necessary to provide an entrance window for the imaging optical system of the exposure device in the copy unit. And in this window,
A cover is provided to protect the photoreceptor from outside light and to prevent dust from entering through this window.

Conventionally, the opening/closing cover of such units has been opened and closed by hand when attaching or removing the unit, but since people sometimes open and close it incorrectly, they have to be careful about the sleeves each time, resulting in poor operability. It was.

(Purpose) The present invention solves these problems,
To provide a copying machine with good operability, allowing even a person who is not accustomed to handling the machine to attach and detach a copy unit without error, and to prevent mistaken attachment and detachment of the copy unit due to carelessness.

(Structure of the Invention) This object is to provide an electronic copying machine having a replaceable copying unit including a photoreceptor, in which the copying unit is provided with an opening/closing cover for an entrance window of an imaging optical system, and a cleaning member is provided on the back surface of the cover. On the other hand, an opening/closing member for the cover is provided on the side of the copying machine main body, and when the copying unit is mounted on the copying machine main body, the cover is opened and the built-in cleaning member closes the incident light to the photoreceptor. An electronic copying machine having a copying unit, characterized in that when the cleaning member slides on a system component surface and removes the copying unit from the copying machine main body, the cover is closed and the cleaning member is housed inside the copying unit. This is achieved by

(Example) The present invention will be described below with reference to illustrated examples.
As shown in FIG. 1, a photosensitive drum 2, a developing device 3,
Unit guides 7 and 8 of the unit 1 including the cleaner device 4 and the like slide on guide rails 5 and 6 of the main body 14, so that it can be easily installed and removed. As the copy unit 1, for example, one substantially similar to that shown in Japanese Patent Publication No. 181061/1988 can be used. In this copying machine, when the copy unit is installed or removed, the opening/closing cover 10 of the entrance window of the imaging optical system is always opened when the copy unit is installed and closed when it is removed.The structure is explained in FIGS. 2 and 3. I'm starting to do that. FIG. 2 shows a state in which the copy unit 1 is removed from the main body 14, and FIG.
Figure 2B is a plan view of the entrance window of the copy unit.
is its side view. FIG. 3 shows the part of the copying machine main body that engages with the entrance window of the copying unit, and FIG.
Figure B is a side view. To insert the copy unit into the main body of the copying machine, move it in the direction of arrow X and slide it into the main body. The opening/closing cover 10 of the copying unit, which has been removed from the main body, blocks the entrance window 20 of the copying unit by, for example, a torque spring 18 and a screw 19. The right end portion 10' of the opening/closing cover is, for example, a guide portion formed as a gently rising portion as shown in the figure.
As shown in the figure, when the copy unit is initially slid to the cam taper part 15 fixed to the main body side, the right tip part 1 of the cover is opened and closed.
0' After passing through the tapered part 15, the opening/closing cover can be rotated more than 90 degrees.
After that, it continues to open until it slides completely and installation is complete. The guide 16 is provided as a means for stabilizing the opening/closing angle of the opening/closing cover 10 when the copy unit is attached to the main body by not only supporting the cam taper portion 15 but also supporting it on both sides together with the guide 16. When the copy unit 1 slides on the guide rail and is removed from the main body, the right end 10' of the opening/closing cover of the cam taper section 15 passes and comes off, and the torque spring 1
8, the opening/closing cover 10 closes the entrance window of the imaging optical system.

Also, there is a cleaning member 9 near the tip of the opening/closing cover.
is attached as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, but when the copy unit 1 is attached to and detached from the main body 14, the member 9 is attached to the optical system component surface shown in FIG. It advances while contacting the end surface 11 of the body, and can wipe off the dust on the surface to keep the surface clean. Note that the cleaning member may be one that cleans the dust-proof glass surface provided at the light exit near the drum in a normal imaging optical system, or the protective forming member of the convergent light transmission body.

(Effects of the Invention) As explained above, when the copy unit is removed, the photosensitive drum surface is protected and it is closed to maintain the copy life, and when the copy unit is attached to the main body, the imaging optical system entrance window is kept in a copy-enabled state. This makes it easy to automatically and reliably keep it open.

Furthermore, according to one embodiment of the present invention, by attaching the cleaning member to the opening/closing cover, the surfaces of the optical system components can be easily kept clean, and the quality of copies can always be kept in good condition. Moreover, in electronic copiers that use color copy units, copy units must be replaced more frequently, and in machines where photoconductors are attached and detached during maintenance (including periodic inspections), etc. When the copy unit is installed, the optical system components are automatically cleaned to further improve maintenance efficiency, and when the copy unit is detached, the cleaning member is stored inside the copy unit, eliminating the need for maintenance work due to toner adhesion to the outside. This eliminates toner stains on people, and also prevents the cleaning member itself from getting dirty if it is left outside, so great effects can be expected.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view of the combined state of the copy unit and main body, seen from the front, and Figure 2 is a plan view of the unit when the copy unit is removed from the main body.
and side view B, and FIG. 3 is a plan view A and a side view B of the relationship between the opening/closing cover and the optical system component surface when the copy unit and main body are combined. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Copy unit, 9... Cleaning member, 10... Opening/closing cover, 10'... Opening/closing cover tip guide section, 15... Cam taper section, 16...
...Guide, 18...Torque spring, 19...Hinge.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. In an electronic copying machine having a replaceable copying unit including a photoconductor, the copying unit is provided with an opening/closing cover for the entrance window of the imaging optical system, and a cleaning member is attached to the back surface of the cover, and on the other hand,
An opening/closing member for the cover is provided on the copying machine main body side,
When the copying unit is attached to the copying machine main body, the cover is opened and the built-in cleaning member slides on the surface of the incident optical system component to the photoreceptor, and the copying unit is removed from the copying machine main body. An electronic copying machine having a copying unit, characterized in that when the cover is closed, the cleaning member is housed inside the copying unit.