JPH07101329B2 - Image forming device - Google Patents

Description

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus such as a laser beam printer or an electrostatic copying machine in which an imaging unit for performing image processing can be removed from the apparatus main body.

<Prior Art and Problem to be Solved by the Invention> Generally, in the image forming apparatus, an imaging unit is formed by mounting a photoconductor, a developing device, a cleaning device, and the like on a frame, and at the same time, the image forming of the imaging unit is performed. It is detachably attached to the main body of the device to ensure ease of maintenance.

In the above-mentioned image forming apparatus, when the imaging unit is attached and detached, it is attached and detached along the supporting guide means such as the rail. However, this supporting guide means is fixedly attached to the main body of the image forming apparatus. Was there. Therefore,
It was not easy to attach and detach the imaging unit.

Therefore, the support guide means is rotatable about its one end between an ascending position at which the imaging unit can be attached and detached and a descending position at which the imaging unit is set in the image forming apparatus main body. An image forming apparatus has been proposed which is attached to a main body and is provided with a holding means for releasably holding the support guide means in the raised position (Japanese Patent Application No. 63-285159). In this image forming apparatus, a main body of the image forming apparatus is composed of a lower body portion and an openable upper housing capable of covering the upper portion of the lower body portion.

In this image forming apparatus, when the imaging unit is lifted with the upper housing opened, the support guide unit is moved to the raised position, and the holding unit holds the support guide unit in the raised position, so that the imaging unit. Is ready to be removed,
In this state, the imaging unit is pulled out. After the required maintenance for the extracted imaging unit is performed, the imaging unit is again inserted into the support guide means, but immediately before the insertion is completely completed, the imaging unit acts on the holding means to cause the holding means to operate. The holding of the support guide means is released. Then, the support guide means is moved to the lowered position to set the imaging unit, and then the upper housing is closed.

However, in the above image forming apparatus, when the upper housing is closed in a state where the imaging unit is taken out at the time of packaging, the support guide means in the raised position is provided with the optical device for scanning exposure attached to the upper housing. There is a new problem of contacting the optical parts and damaging the optical parts.

Moreover, since the maintenance of the raised position of the support guide means is released immediately before the maintenance of the imaging unit is completely inserted into the support guide means in the raised position, the imaging unit is set in the main body of the image forming apparatus while lifting. There is also a problem that it is difficult to set. Further, for the same reason, there is a problem in that it is difficult to perform the jam processing because the imaging unit must be lifted when the paper is jammed.

An object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus in which an imaging unit can be easily set, jam processing can be easily performed, and moreover, there is no fear of damaging an optical section during packaging.

<Means for Solving the Problems> In an image forming apparatus according to the present invention for achieving the above object, an image forming apparatus main body is attached to a lower main body portion and the lower main body portion, and one end portion is a lower portion. It consists of an upper housing that can swivel between a closed position that covers the main body and an open position that exposes the lower main body.The lower main body supports an imaging unit that performs image processing and a detachable support for this imaging unit. , A supporting guide means rotatable about one end between a rising position where the imaging unit is pulled out and a lowering position where the imaging unit is set in the lower main body, a holding position for holding the supporting guide means in the rising position, and a release of the holding And a biasing means for biasing the holding means to the holding position. The upper housing is provided with the closing position. And an engaging portion for engaging the engaged portion of the holding means with the movement of the holding means to move the holding means to the release position.

<Operation> According to the image forming apparatus having the above-described configuration, the upper housing is engaged with the engaged portion of the holding means along with the movement to the closed position and moves the holding means to the release position. Therefore, by closing the upper housing, the holding means moves to the release position, the holding of the support guide means in the raised position by the holding means is released, and the support guide means moves to the lowered position. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the support guide means from coming into contact with the optical portion mounted on the upper housing when closing the upper housing with the imaging unit removed during packaging. Further, in the opened state of the upper housing, the holding means is biased to the holding position by the biasing means,
The support guide means is held in the raised position by the holding means. Therefore, it is possible to eliminate the need to support the imaging unit with a hand when setting the imaging unit or handling a jam.

<Examples> Detailed description will be given below with reference to the accompanying drawings showing examples.

1 and 2 are schematic views showing the essential parts of an embodiment of the image forming apparatus of the present invention. The image forming apparatus body 1 comprises a lower body portion 2 and an upper housing 3.

The upper housing 3 has a closed position (see FIG. 2) that covers the upper part of the lower body 2 about the pivot shaft 10 provided at one end of the lower body 2 and an open position (the first position) that exposes the lower body 2. (See FIG. 1) is provided so as to be freely rotatable. The upper housing 3 connects the first member 31 and the second member 32 with each other.
It is connected in a dogleg shape by 33. The engaging portion 8 is provided at the lower end of the second member 32. The upper housing 3 is provided with an optical unit (not shown) for performing scanning exposure.

The lower main body 2 includes an imaging unit 4 for performing image processing, a raised position (see FIG. 1) for detachably supporting the imaging unit 4 and a lowered position for setting the imaging unit 4 in the lower main body 2. (Refer to FIG. 2) and can be swung about the swivel axis 10.
A pair of support guide means 5 provided on both sides of the imaging unit 4, a holding position (see FIG. 1) for holding each support guide means 5 in a raised position, and a release position (see FIG. 2) for releasing the hold. There is provided a holding means 6 movable between the holding means 6 and a tension coil spring 7 as a biasing means for biasing the holding means 6 to the holding position.

The imaging unit 4 integrally mounts a photoconductor that forms an electrostatic latent image on the surface thereof, a developing device that develops the electrostatic latent image, and a cleaning device that removes toner remaining on the surface of the photoconductor to the frame body. are doing. Imaging unit 4
A pair of guided protrusions 41 are provided on both sides of the.

The support guide means 5 has a pair of projections 52 and projections 53 formed on the inner surface 51a of the vertical support plate 51 at intervals in the vertical direction. The lower ridge 53 extends in a substantially straight line, and the upper ridge 52
In FIG. 1, the right part extends linearly along the ridges 53, and the left part extends upwardly to the left and extends between the ridges 52 and the ridges 53. A guide groove 54 that guides the guided convex portion 41 of the imaging unit 4 is formed on the bottom. Due to the upward inclination of the left portion of the ridge 52, the guide groove 54 in this portion is largely opened, and the mounting of the imaging unit 4 is facilitated. At the lower end of the support plate 51, the contact protrusion 55
Is provided.

The holding means 6 has at its upper end a holding convex portion 61 that can abut the abutting convex portion 55 of the support guide means 5 and hold the support guide means 5 in the raised position. The lower end of the holding means 6 is attached to a support substrate 21 provided on the lower body 2 via a pin 11 so as to be rotatable between the holding position and the releasing position. The upper housing 3 is provided at the upper end of the holding means 6.
The engaged portion 9 that engages with the engaging portion 8 is provided. On the upper part of the holding means 6, a pin 12 is attached which is slidable in an arcuate guide opening 22 provided in a support substrate 21.

One end of the tension coil spring 7 is engaged with the support substrate 21 and the other end is engaged with the pin 12. The tension coil spring 7 urges the holding means 6 to rotate counterclockwise in FIG.

According to this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, when the upper housing 3 is closed, the engaging portion 8 of the upper housing 3 engages with the engaged portion 9 of the holding means 6 and the holding means 6 is released. The support guide means 5 is moved to the position and the holding means 6 releases the holding of the support guide means 5 at the raised position, so that the support guide means 5 moves to the lowered position.

Therefore, even if the upper housing 3 is closed with the imaging unit 4 removed during packaging, the support guide means 6 does not come into contact with the optical portion mounted on the upper housing 3 and the optical portion is damaged. Can be prevented.

On the other hand, in the open state of the upper housing 3 as shown in FIG. 1, the holding means 6 is biased to the holding position by the tension coil spring 7, so that the supporting guide means 5 is held in the raised position by the holding means 6. Has been done. Therefore,
Since it is not necessary to support the imaging unit 4 by hand when setting the imaging unit 4, the setting can be easily performed. In addition, since it is not necessary to support the imaging unit 4 with a hand during jam processing as well, jam processing can be easily performed.

The image forming apparatus according to the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment, and the gist of the present invention is changed, for example, by using other spring means such as a compression coil spring or a torsion spring as the biasing means. Various design changes can be made to the extent that they do not.

<Effects of the Invention> As described above, according to the image forming apparatus of the present invention,
By closing the upper housing, the engaging portion of the upper housing engages with the engaged portion of the holding means, the holding means moves to the release position, and the holding of the support guide means at the raised position is released, and the support guide means. Moves to the lowered position. Therefore, at the time of packaging, when the upper housing is closed with the imaging unit removed, it is possible to prevent the optical portion attached to the upper housing from being damaged by the contact with the support guide means. Further, in the opened state of the upper housing, the holding means is biased to the holding position by the biasing means, so that the supporting guide means is held at the raised position by the holding means. Therefore, it is possible to eliminate the need to support the imaging unit with a hand when setting the imaging unit or performing the jam processing, and it is possible to easily set the imaging unit or perform the jam processing.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which the upper housing is opened, and FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which the upper housing is closed. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Image forming apparatus main body, 2 ... Lower main body part, 3 ... Upper housing, 4 ... Imaging unit, 5 ... Support guide means, 6 ... Holding means, 7 ... Tension coil spring (biasing means) ), 8 ... Engagement portion, 9 ... Engagement portion.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A main body of an image forming apparatus is pivoted between a lower main body portion and a closed position which is attached to the lower main body portion and covers the lower main body portion and an open position where the lower main body portion is exposed. It consists of a free upper housing, an imaging unit that performs image processing and a detachable support for this imaging unit on the lower body.
Supporting guide means rotatable about one end between a rising position for pulling out the imaging unit and a lowering position for setting the lower body part, a holding position for holding the supporting guide means in the rising position, and a holding release. A holding means movable between the release position and a biasing means for biasing the holding means to the holding position are provided, and the holding means is engaged with the upper housing as the holding means moves to the closed position. An image forming apparatus, comprising: an engaging portion that engages with the portion to move the holding unit to the release position.