JPH0627956B2 - Image forming device - Google Patents

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine including a developing device housing device that houses a plurality of developing devices.

(Background of the Technology) There is a demand for so-called colorization in an image forming apparatus such as a copying apparatus using an electrostatic transfer process, that is, an image is formed in a chromatic color such as red or blue in addition to black which is usually most commonly used. There is an increasing demand for formation.

Therefore, there is proposed a device in which a developing device having a developer of a desired color is selected, and the developing device is conveyed to an image forming position in the apparatus main body and the developing device is used for development.

Further, as shown in the vertical sectional view of FIG. 4 and the plan sectional view of FIG. 5 (the sectional view taken along the line VV in FIG. 4), a plurality of (in the illustrated example, 3
A developing device accommodating device B for accommodating the developing devices 102A, 102B, and 102C is provided outside the main body A of the device, and the developing devices 102A, 102B, and 102C are vertically moved (indicated by arrows YY in the drawing) in the developing device accommodating device B. 'Direction) to select the desired developing device 102A as shown in the figure, and automatically transfer the developing device 102A to the image forming position in the vicinity of the photosensitive drum 101 in the main assembly A of the apparatus in the arrow X direction. Devices have also been proposed.

By the way, in the latter device, since the transporting path for transporting the selected desired developing device to the image forming position is long, the transporting means M ₁ , M ₁ , M ₂ and M ₂ are connected to the main assembly A side of the device. And the developing device storage device B side.
The transport means M ₁ and M ₂ are racks 1 provided on both side surfaces of each developing device (for example, developing device 102A).
19, 119, gears 112, 112, 114, 114 meshing with the racks 119, 119 and the gears 11
Motor 11 for rotationally driving 2,112,114,114
3,113,115,115.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) However, in the above image forming apparatus, for maintenance and inspection of the developing device (developing device 102A in the example shown in FIG. 4) carried in the main assembly A of the apparatus. The developing device 102
If you try detachable in the lateral direction perpendicular to the conveying direction of the conveying means M ₁ a A, it is difficult operation in the way that transport means M ₁ is.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object thereof is to facilitate the lateral attachment / detachment of a developing device carried in the main body to facilitate maintenance and inspection thereof. An object is to provide an image forming apparatus.

(Means for Solving the Problem) In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides an image carrier, a carry-in port into which a developing device is carried in from the outside, and a developing device carried in from the carry-in port. An image forming apparatus main body having a first conveying unit that conveys in a direction along a first guide unit;
A developing device accommodating device attached to the outside of the main body, wherein a plurality of accommodating parts for accommodating the developing devices are arranged in the vertical direction, the developing device supporting means movable in the vertical direction, and the carrying-in of the main body. It has a second carrying means for carrying the developing device into the main body from the storage portion located at the mouth,
After moving the developing device support means so as to position the storage portion in which the selected developing device is stored at the carry-in port of the main body, the selected developing device is moved in the main body by the second conveying means. An image forming apparatus including a developing device accommodating device that is carried into the second main body, wherein the main body is provided with second guide means for guiding the detaching / moving movement of the developing device in a lateral direction orthogonal to the direction along the first guide means. Each of the developing devices has a first rack provided on the upper surface and a second rack provided on the side surface.
And a first gear for moving the developing unit along the first guide unit, the first conveying unit being disposed above the developing unit and meshing with the first rack. The second transporting means has a second transporting means for transporting the developing device into the main body from the storage portion located at the carry-in port.
It is characterized in that it has a second gear which meshes with the rack and retreats from this moving path when the developing device supporting means moves up and down.

(Operation) According to the present invention, the gear of the first conveying means meshes with the first rack provided on the upper surface of the developing device in the main body of the image forming apparatus, so that the conveying of the developing device by the first conveying means is guided. First
The developing device can be easily attached and detached in the lateral direction orthogonal to the direction along the guide means, and the maintenance and inspection of the developing device can be facilitated.

(Embodiment) An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of the main part of the copying apparatus, and FIG. 2 is II of FIG.
2 is a sectional view taken along the line II, and FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line III-III in FIG. 2. The copying apparatus is constructed by attaching a developing device housing device B to the main body A.

A photosensitive drum 1 is provided in the main assembly A of the apparatus, and the photosensitive drum 1 is rotationally driven in the direction of the arrow in the figure to sequentially form an electrostatic latent image corresponding to the original image on the surface thereof. Around the photosensitive drum 1, a color developing device 2A containing color toner (eg, green toner) and a black developing device 3 containing black toner are arranged. , 3
Are movable in the directions of the arrows shown in the drawing, and in close proximity to the photosensitive drum 1 according to a desired color image, the electrostatic latent image formed on the photosensitive drum 1 is visualized.
In FIG. 1, the green developing device 2A is separated from the black developing device 3A.
Are close to each other, a black image is formed on the photosensitive drum 1.

On the other hand, a plurality of (three in the illustrated example) developing device storage boxes 4a, 4b, 4c that are vertically driven by a driving unit (not shown) are provided in the developing device storage device B. The boxes 4a, 4b and 4c respectively house the green developing device 2A containing green toner, the red developing device 2B containing red toner and the blue developing device 2C containing blue toner.

In FIG. 1, the green developing device 2A is not in the developing device housing box 4a of the developing device housing device B, and the electrostatic latent image formed on the photosensitive drum 1 is visualized as described above. In the ready state, the green developing device 2A is moved by the transfer means to the arrow a in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 4, the image forming position near the photosensitive drum 1 in the apparatus main assembly A and the developing device storage box 4a in the developing device storage device B are transferred.

Here, in order to explain the above-mentioned transfer means, the apparatus main body A
As shown in FIG. 1, a developing device carrying-in port 5 is opened on the surface of the developing device housing device B where the developing device housing device B is provided. A feeding path 6 leading to the photosensitive drum 1 is horizontally formed. As shown in FIG. 2, guides 7, 7 continuing to the photosensitive drum 1 are formed in the feeding path 6 in parallel with each other at a predetermined interval, and a developing device accommodating device. Guides continuous with the guides 7 and 7 are formed on the bottom walls of the B developer container boxes 4a, 4b and 4c, respectively. Further, developing device attaching / detaching guides 9a, 9b orthogonal to the guides 7, 7 are formed in the feeding path 6 of the apparatus main body A in parallel with each other.

By the way, on the bottom surface of each developing device 2A, 2B, 2C, the second
As shown in the figure, the guides 7 and 8 and the developing device attaching / detaching guide 9
Guide members 10a, 10a to be engaged with a, and guide members 10b, 10b to be engaged with the guides 7, 8 and the developing device attaching / detaching guide 9b are provided in a protruding manner.

Further, a pair of left and right first transporting means M ₁ , M ₁ and second transporting means M ₂ , M ₂ are provided in each of the developing device storage boxes 4a, 4b, 4c on the side of the apparatus main assembly A and the developing device storage device B. Each is provided. The first transporting means M ₁ is a gear 1 that meshes with one of racks 11, 11 formed on both sides of the upper surface of each developing device 2A, 2B, 2C along the transporting direction thereof.
2 and a DC motor 13 that rotationally drives the gear 12.

Further, each of the second conveying means M ₂ includes a DC motor 16 fixed to the developing device accommodating apparatus B and an output shaft 16 of the DC motor 16.
a lever 17 that rotates about a, a first gear 18 that is connected to the end of the output shaft 16a, and one end of the lever 17 that is horizontally rotatably supported and is attached to the first gear 18. A second gear 20 that constantly meshes and selectively meshes with a rack 19 formed on the side surface of the developing device 2A, a solenoid 21 connected to the other end of the lever 17, and a lever 1
7 and a spring 22 that constantly biases 7 toward the retracted side of the second gear 20. The solenoid 21 and the spring 22 constitute a switching means for the lever 17.

Thus, when the solenoids 21 and 21 are not operating,
The levers 17 and 17 are moved by the springs 22 and 22
The second gears 20, 20 supported by the levers 17, 17 are waiting at the position indicated by the solid line in the figure, and are also retracted to the position indicated by the solid line to enable the vertical movement of the developer storage boxes 4a, 4b, 4c. There is.

Therefore, from the developing device storage device B, for example, the green developing device 2A
In the case of selecting and developing with the green developing device 2A, the developing device storage boxes 4a, 4b, 4c in the developing device storage device B are integrally driven up and down by a driving means (not shown) to obtain a desired green color. The developing device carry-in port 5 in which the developing device 2A opens to the apparatus main body A
When the up and down driving of the developing device storage boxes 4a, 4b, 4c is stopped when the green developing device 2A is located at
Stops at the developing device carry-in port 5.

After that, the solenoids 21 and 21 are driven to rotate the lever 17 around the output shafts 16a and 16a of the DC motors 16 and 16 in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 2, and as shown by the chain line in FIG. The second gears 20 and 20 are meshed with the racks 19 and 19 formed on both side surfaces of the green developing device 2A.

Next, the DC motors 16 and 16 are driven to drive the first gear 1
By rotating 8 and 18 in the direction of the arrow in FIG.
Second gears 20 and 20 meshing with gears 18 and 18 rotate in the direction of the arrow shown in the figure, and green developing device 2A provided with racks 19 and 19 meshing with these second gears 20 and 20 is attached to guides 8 and 8. Along the direction toward the photosensitive drum 1, and eventually the guide members 10a, 10a, 10a, 10a,
10b and 10b are engaged with the guides 7 and 7 on the apparatus main assembly A side, and the racks 11 and 11 of the green developing device 2A are gears of the first conveying means M ₁ and M ₁ provided on the apparatus main assembly A side. 1
Start meshing with No. 2,12.

Then, the green developing device 2A is discharged from the developing device storage box 4a of the developing device storage device B, and the racks 11 and 11 provided therein are provided.
When the meshing with the gears 14, 14 is released, the device main body A
The DC motors 13, 13 provided on the side are driven to drive the gear 1
2, 12 are respectively driven to rotate in the direction of the arrow in FIG.
The green developing device 2A is connected to the photosensitive drum 1 along the guides 7, 7.
When the image is transferred to a nearby image forming position and this is detected by a sensor (not shown), the driving of the DC motors 13 and 13 that rotationally drive the gears 12 and 12 is stopped.

After that, the green developing device 2A is pressed against the surface of the photosensitive drum 1 by pressing means (not shown) to visualize the electrostatic latent image formed on the surface of the photosensitive drum 1 rotating in the direction of the arrow in the figure.

Thus, the green developing device 2A used for development is transferred to the developing device storage device B side in the reverse order of the above procedure and stored in the developing device storage box 4a, but is subsequently developed by another developing device. When
If the drive of the solenoids 21 and 21 is released, the lever 1
7, 17 are returned to the positions indicated by the solid lines in FIG. 2 by the springs 22 and 22, the second gears 20 and 20 are retracted, and it is possible to drive the developer accommodating boxes 4a, 4b and 4c up and down. The developing device can be selected.

In the above, according to the present embodiment, the image forming apparatus main body A
In the inside, the gears 12 of the respective first transporting means M ₁ are connected to the respective developing devices 2A to 2A.
For meshing with a rack 11 provided on the upper surface of 2C, the developing device detachable guide 9 which is a direction along the guide 7, 7 for guiding the conveyance of the developer 2A~2C by the first conveying means M ₁ perpendicular
The developing devices 2A to 2C can be easily attached and detached in the lateral direction along the lines a and 9b, and the maintenance and inspection of the developing devices 2A to 2C can be facilitated.

Further, according to the present embodiment, in the developing device accommodating apparatus B, the gear 20 of each second conveying means M ₂ is not the rack 11 provided on the upper surface of each developing device 2A to 2C, but each developing device 2A to 2C
Since it engages with the rack 19 provided separately on the side surface of the developing device storage box, it is possible to prevent the height of each developing device storage box 4a to 4C from increasing, and these developing device storage boxes 4a to 4C are arranged vertically. It is possible to suppress the height of the maximum moving position of the developing device supporting means to be low.

Further, according to this embodiment, it is not necessary to provide the second transporting means M ₂ and M ₂ for each of the developing device storage boxes 4a, 4b and 4c,
Further, since the second transporting means M ₂ and M ₂ can be retracted with a simple structure and can be moved by a slight displacement of the second gears 20 and 20, the developing device accommodating apparatus B itself can be downsized and the mechanism can be improved. It is possible to obtain an effect that simplification can be achieved, and further, it is possible to reduce the size of the copying apparatus including the developing device storage device B and simplify the mechanism.

In the above embodiment, the rotation center of the lever 17 is set to D
Although the output shaft 16a of the C motor 16 is used, the rotation center of the lever 17 may be provided at another position. In the above, an example in which the present invention is applied to a copying apparatus has been described.
The present invention can be applied to other image forming apparatuses such as laser printers and printing apparatuses.

(Effects of the Invention) As is apparent from the above description, according to the present invention, the gear of the first conveying unit meshes with the first rack provided on the upper surface of the developing device in the main body of the image forming apparatus. It becomes easy to attach and detach the developing device in the lateral direction orthogonal to the direction along the first guide means for guiding the carrying of the developing device by the carrying means, and the maintenance and inspection of the developing device becomes easy.

On the other hand, in the developing device accommodating device, the gears of the respective second conveying means mesh with not the first rack provided on the upper surface of each developing device but the second rack further provided on the side surface of each developing device. Therefore, it is possible to prevent an increase in the height of each developing device housing portion, and it is possible to suppress the height of the maximum moving position of the developing device supporting means having a plurality of these housing portions arranged in the vertical direction to the upper position.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional view of a main part of a copying apparatus according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line II-II of FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is III-III of FIG.
FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of a main part of a conventional copying apparatus, and FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along line VV of FIG. A: device main body, B: developing device storage device, M ₁ ... first
Conveying means, _{M 2} ...... the second conveying unit, 2A-2C ...... developing device 1 ...... photosensitive drum (image bearing member), 4 a to 4 c ...... developing device storage box (developing device accommodating unit), 5 ...... Developing device inlet, 7
...... First guide means, 9a, 9b ...... Second guide means, 11 ...... First rack, 12 ...... First gear, 19
...... Second rack, 20 ... Second gear.

Continuation of front page (56) Reference JP 61-63866 (JP, A) JP 57-204567 (JP, A) JP 57-62072 (JP, A)

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An image carrier, a carry-in port into which a developing device is carried in from the outside, and a developing device carried in from the carry-in port are conveyed along the first guide means toward the image carrier. An image forming apparatus main body having a conveying unit, and a developing device storage device attached to the outside of the main body, wherein a plurality of storage units for storing the respective developing devices are arranged in a vertical direction,
The developing device supporting means movable up and down and the second carrying means for carrying the developing device into the main body from the storage portion located at the carry-in port of the main body are provided. After moving the developing device supporting means so as to position the stored storing portion at the carry-in port of the main body, the selected developing device is carried into the main body by the second conveying means. In the image forming apparatus including the apparatus, the main body includes second guide means for guiding the attachment / detachment movement of the developing device in the lateral direction orthogonal to the direction along the first guide means. Each of the developing devices is provided with a first
And a second rack provided on the side surface, the first transport means is disposed above the developing device, meshes with the first rack, and extends along the first guide means. A second gear has a first gear for moving the developing device, and the second carrying means is provided with a second rack of the developing device when carrying the developing device into the main body from the storage portion located at the carry-in port. An image forming apparatus having a second gear that meshes with each other and retracts from the moving path when the developing device supporting means moves up and down.