JPH0810385B2 - 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 Problems to be Solved by the Invention> Generally, in the image forming apparatus, a photoreceptor, a developing device, a cleaning device, and the like are mounted on a frame to configure an imaging unit, and at the same time, maintenance is facilitated. In order to ensure this, the imaging unit is detachably attached to the main body of the image forming apparatus.

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 is 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 attached to the main body has been proposed (Japanese Patent Application No.
63-285159). In this image forming apparatus, the main body of the image forming apparatus is composed of a lower main body portion and an openable upper housing that can cover the upper portion of the lower main body portion, and between the lower main body portion and the upper housing, Biasing means such as a gas spring is provided for holding the opened upper housing in the open state.

In this image forming apparatus, when performing maintenance of the imaging unit, the operator moves the upper housing to the open side, and while the upper housing is maintained in the open position by the biasing means, the imaging unit is manually operated. The support guide means is lifted and moved to the raised position so that the imaging unit can be pulled out. Then, the imaging unit is pulled out while supporting the imaging unit by hand so that the support guide means supporting the imaging unit does not descend to the lowered position.

In this way, when attaching or detaching the imaging unit,
Since the heavy imaging unit must be supported by hand, the above-mentioned image forming apparatus has a new problem that the workability of attachment and detachment is poor. Further, for the same reason, there is a problem that it is difficult to carry out 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 and jam processing can be easily performed.

<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. An urging means that includes an upper housing that is rotatable between a closed position that covers the main body and an open position that exposes the lower main body, and that holds the upper housing in the open position between the lower main body and the upper housing. Is provided, the lower main body portion, between the imaging unit for performing image processing, and the detachable support of the imaging unit, the rising position for withdrawing the imaging unit and the lowering position to be set in the lower main body portion. Supporting guide means rotatable about one end is provided, and the supporting guide means is moved to a raised position as the upper housing is swung to an open position. It is characterized in that the housing and the support guide means are connected by a connecting member so as to be pivotally moved.

Further, a holding means for directly holding the support guide means in the raised position without using a connecting member may be provided.

<Operation> According to the image forming apparatus having the above configuration, the housing and the support guide member are connected by the connecting member so that the support guide member is moved to the raised position in association with the pivotal movement of the upper housing to the open position. Since they are coupled, when the upper housing is pivotally moved to the open position, the support guide member coupled to the upper housing by the coupling member is pivotally moved to the raised position. Further, since the urging means for holding the upper housing in the open position is provided between the lower body portion and the upper housing, the upper housing is held in the open position by the urging means and is held in the open position. The support guide member connected to the upper housing by the connecting member is held at the raised position where the imaging unit can be pulled out. Therefore, the imaging unit can be set and the jam processing can be performed without supporting the imaging unit with a hand.

Further, when the holding means for directly holding the support guide means in the raised position without the interposition of the connecting member is provided, the support guide means is directly held in the raised position by the holding means. The means need only have a biasing force that holds the upper housing in the open position, and the biasing force can be weakened.

<Embodiment> An embodiment will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

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. In the upper housing 3, the first member 31 and the second member 32 are fixed in a dogleg shape by a fixing plate 33. Second member
An engaging portion 9 is provided at the lower end of 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. (Second
(See the drawing), which is rotatable about a swivel axis 10 and which is provided on both sides of the imaging unit 4 and a holding position (which holds each supporting guide means 5 in the raised position). Holding means 6 movable between a releasing position (see FIG. 2) for releasing the holding, and FIG.
A tension coil spring 7 for urging the holding means 6 to the holding position is provided.

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. A pair of guided convex portions 41 are provided on both sides of the imaging unit 4.

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 support plate 51 of the support guide means and the first of the upper housing 3
The member 31 is connected by a wire 13 as a connecting member. As shown in FIG. 1, the wire 13 is set to a required length so that the support guide member 5 can be swung to a raised position as the upper housing 3 is swung to an open position. Has been done. When the upper housing 3 is in the closed position, the wires 13 are as shown in FIG.
It is in a loose state.

Between the second member 32 of the upper housing 3 and a predetermined portion of the support substrate 21 provided in the lower body portion 2, a compression coil spring 14 as a biasing means for holding the upper housing 3 in the open position is provided. It is installed. This compression coil spring 14
Swings as the upper housing 3 is opened and closed.
As shown in the figure, since the upper housing 3 is mounted so that the spring force is exerted toward the swivel shaft 10 in the closed position, in this state, the compression coil spring 14
Avoids biasing the upper housing 3 to the open position. Then, when the upper housing 3 is swung slightly from the closed position to the open position, the acting direction of the spring force is changed to the swivel axis.
The upper housing 3 is biased in the clockwise direction in FIG.

The holding means 6 has an abutting protrusion 55 of the support guide means 5 at the upper end thereof.
It has a holding convex portion 61 capable of holding the supporting guide means 5 in the raised position by abutting against. The lower end of the holding means 6 has a supporting substrate.
The pin 21 is pivotally attached via a pin 11 between the holding position and the releasing position. An engaged portion 9 that engages with the engaging portion 8 of the upper housing 3 is provided at the upper end of the holding means 6. 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.

The tension coil spring 7 has one end engaged with the support substrate 21 and the other end 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. 1, when the upper housing 3 is pivotally moved to the open position, the support guide member 5 pulled by the upper housing 3 through the wire 13 is pivoted to the raised position. Moving. In this state, the upper housing 3 is held in the open position by the compression coil spring 14. Further, by turning the upper housing 3 to the open position, the engagement between the engaging portion 8 of the upper housing 3 and the engaged portion 9 of the holding means 6 is released, and the holding means 6 is moved by the tension coil spring 7. It is urged to move to the holding position.
By this holding means 6, the support guide means 5 is held in a raised position where the imaging unit 4 can be pulled out. Therefore, it is not necessary to support the imaging unit 4 by hand when setting the imaging unit 3, and thus 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.

As described above, since the support guide means 5 is held in the raised position by the holding means 6 when the upper housing 3 is in the open position, the compression coil spring 14 is not
It suffices that the spring has a spring force capable of holding only the open position, the coil diameter of the compression coil spring 14 can be reduced, and the space can be reduced. In particular, it is suitable for a small model that does not have enough space to facilitate the setting of the imaging unit and the jam processing.

Further, 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 moved to the release position and held. Since the holding of the raised position of the support guide means 5 by the means 6 is released, the support guide means 5 moves to the lowered position, and the imaging unit 4 is mounted in the image forming apparatus main body 1.

It should be noted that, in the above embodiment, the holding means 6 may not be provided, and the upper housing 3 may be held in the open position by the compression coil spring 14 and the support guide means 5 may be held in the raised position as in the above embodiment. It is possible to exert the effect of.

Further, the image forming apparatus according to the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, for example, in place of the compression coil spring 14, a tension coil spring, a gas spring also serving as a telescopic damper, and the like. Various design changes can be made within the range not changing the gist of the present invention, such as using the urging means of (4) or using other connecting members such as chains instead of the wires 13.

<Effect of the Invention> As described above, according to the image forming apparatus of the present invention, when the upper housing is pivotally moved to the open position, the support guide member connected to the upper housing by the coupling member is pivoted to the raised position. Although moving, the upper housing is held in the open position by the biasing means, so that the support guide member connected to the upper housing by the connecting member is held in the raised position where the imaging unit can be pulled out. 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.

Further, when the holding means for directly holding the support guide means in the raised position without the interposition of the connecting member is provided, the support guide means is directly held in the raised position by the holding means. The means need only have an urging force that holds the upper housing in the open position, and the urging means can be downsized and the space can be reduced.

[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. 1 ... Image forming apparatus body, 2 ... Lower body portion, 3 ... Upper housing, 4 ... Imaging unit, 5 ... Support guide means, 6 ... Holding means, 13 ... Wire (connecting member), 14 ...... Compression coil spring (biasing means).

Claims (2)

[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. A flexible upper housing, and a urging means for holding the upper housing in the open position is provided between the lower main body and the upper housing, and the lower main body has an imaging unit for performing image processing, This imaging unit is detachably supported,
Support guide means is provided which is rotatable about one end between an ascending position where the imaging unit is pulled out and a descending position where the imaging unit is set in the lower body, and is supported along with the pivotal movement of the upper housing to the open position. An image forming apparatus, wherein the housing and the support guide means are connected by a connecting member so as to pivotally move the guide means to a raised position. 2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising holding means for holding the support guide means in a raised position directly without interposing a connecting member.