JPH0331964Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] (Technical Field) This invention relates to a recording medium holding device in a recording apparatus.

(Prior art) In some recording apparatuses, the recording body and the image forming means arranged around the recording body are used repeatedly, but as they become fatigued and deteriorate due to repeated use, it is necessary to It is necessary to periodically replace it with a new one. However, the recording medium and the image forming means are arranged while maintaining a strict positional relationship with each other. Therefore, when these devices are inserted or removed, they must be replaced so that their positional relationships are maintained, but it is difficult to maintain their positional relationships. To resolve this,
It has been considered and adopted to integrate the recording medium and the image forming means into a unit, and to maintain the positional relationship by inserting and removing the unit into the main body of the apparatus.

A recording device in which this image forming means was made into a unit and could be freely inserted into and removed from the main body of the device was developed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 51
There is a recording device described in Publication No. 2433.

This recording device incorporates an image forming device such as a photoreceptor, a developing device, and a cleaner into one replaceable unit, and this integrated image forming unit is installed in a detachable manner from the main body of the device. This is a system that simplifies maintenance and replacement by removing consumables that have reached the limit of their use from the equipment body while still being stored in a replacement unit, and replacing them with new parts stored in a separate new replacement unit. .

In this recording device, a plurality of replacement units are prepared in which image forming devices such as a photoreceptor, a developing device, and a cleaner are integrated into a unit, and when some of the components in the replacement unit reach their usage limit, In addition, maintenance and replacement is carried out by removing the replacement unit containing the parts that have reached their usable limit from the main body of the device and replacing them with a separately prepared replacement unit. There is a problem in that the entire image forming unit including components that cannot be replaced must be replaced with a new replacement unit, which is economically disadvantageous.

(Objective) An object of the present invention is to provide a recording medium holding device that solves the above-mentioned conventional problems.

(Structure) The present invention integrates a recording medium and a developer accommodating means into a unit and makes them separable, and also includes an openable and closable lid for replenishing the developer into the developer accommodating means. , which is provided with a handle for inserting and removing the developer accommodating means from the main body of the apparatus, so that the recording medium and the developer accommodating means can be replaced integrally, and each device can also be replaced individually. The present invention is characterized in that the developer can be easily replenished.

An embodiment of the present invention will be explained below based on the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows an example of a recording apparatus to which this invention is applied. The endless belt-like recording medium 11 used is an electrophotographic photoreceptor in which an inorganic or organic photoconductor is provided on a base film.
It is spread between two rollers 12 and 13. Roller 12 is a driven roller and roller 13 is a driving roller. Photoreceptor belt 1
Various equipment and devices are arranged around 1. They are arranged along the clockwise rotational direction of the photoreceptor belt 11: 14 is a charger, 15 is an exposure device, 16 is a developer, and 17 is a charger.
is the feed roller, 18 is the registration roller,
19 is a transfer charger, 20 is a fixing device, 21 is a static elimination charger, and 22 is a cleaning device.

To explain the operation of this device, first, the surface of the photoreceptor belt 11 is uniformly charged to a predetermined polarity by the charging gear 14, and then light containing information of the image to be recorded is irradiated from the exposure device 15. Ru. As a result, the charges on the photoreceptor belt 11 are selectively dissipated, and an electrostatic latent image corresponding to the image to be recorded is formed thereon. This electrostatic latent image is then visualized by being supplied with colored fine particles called toner from the developing device 16, and a toner image appears there.
This toner image is superimposed at the transfer charger 19 on the recording paper 24 that is fed from the recording paper cassette 23 by the feed roller 17 and registration roller 18 in synchronization with the image formation on the photoreceptor belt 11. , is transferred onto the recording paper 24 by being charged by the transfer charger 19. The recording paper 24 is then separated from the photoreceptor belt 11 and enters the fixing device 20, where the transferred toner image is fixed.
is discharged. On the other hand, after the potential remaining on the surface of the photoreceptor belt 11 is erased by the static eliminating charger 21, the adhering toner remaining after transfer is removed by the cleaning device 22.

A characteristic feature of this invention is that the photoreceptor belt 11 and the developing device 16 are each integrated into a unit and are assembled together, and the developing device unit 37 is provided with a lid 7 for replenishing developer.
0, and that a handle 71 is provided for use when inserting and removing the developing unit 37. That is, as shown in FIG.
1 consists of a photoreceptor belt 11, rollers 12 and 13 that support and drive this, and a support plate 32 that rotatably supports both ends of both rollers. The roller 12 is pressed outward by a spring 33 provided on the support plate 32, and the photoreceptor belt 1
It gives tension to 1. The support plate 32 has a top plate 34 on its upper part, and supports the upper and lower surfaces of the photoreceptor belt 11 . At the bottom of the support plate 32, there are two protrusions 3.
5 and 36 are provided so as to protrude from the lower surface of the photoreceptor belt 11. Developer unit 3
7 is a container 39 containing developing toner 38;
A developing sleeve 40 is rotatably supported at the lower part of the container 39. This developer container 3
9 is provided with a lid 70 that can be opened and closed for replenishing developer. Furthermore, a handle 71 is integrally provided on the rear wall of the developer container 39, which is used when inserting and removing the developer unit 37 from the main body of the apparatus. The side plates and bottom plate of the developing container 39 extend perpendicularly from the portion supporting the developing sleeve 40 to form a receiving portion 41 that supports the photoreceptor unit 31. A groove 43 is formed perpendicularly to the longitudinal direction of the receiving portion near the developing sleeve 40 on both side plates 42 of the receiving portion 41.
The shaft 44 of the photoconductor belt drive roller 13 of the photoconductor unit 31 is inserted into the photoconductor unit 31, and the photoconductor belt 11
is positioned relative to the developing sleeve 40. The photoreceptor unit 31 is the developer unit 3
7 is simply placed on the bottom plate 45 of the receiving part 41,
Since the roller shaft 44 is simply inserted into the groove 43, movement in the left and right direction is restricted, but movement in the upward direction is free. When the photoreceptor unit 31 is placed on the bottom plate 45 of the receiving part 41, the lower protrusions 35, 3 of the support plate 32 of the photoreceptor unit 31
6 is in contact with the bottom plate 45, so the photoreceptor belt 11
It won't hurt. Further, a groove 46 is provided at the tip of the receiving portion 41 in parallel thereto, and this serves for positioning when the developing unit 37 is attached to the main body of the apparatus.

FIG. 3 shows the photoreceptor unit 31 assembled into the developer unit 37. In this figure, a bearing 47 is attached to the rotating shaft 44 of the photoconductor driving roller 13, and this bearing 4
7 is engaged with the groove 43 of the receiving portion of the developer unit 37, but it goes without saying that the use of such a bearing can be applied elsewhere in light of known technology. Also, as is clear from this figure,
Spacers 48 and 49 are arranged between both support plates 32 of the photoconductor unit 31 and both side plates 42 of the receiving portion 41 of the developer unit 37, so that the photoconductor belt of the photoconductor unit 31 is connected to the developer unit 37 of the photoconductor unit 31. 11 are positioned in the width direction.

The developing unit 37 holding such a photoreceptor unit 31 is inserted into and pulled out from the main unit using the handle 71. As shown in FIG. 4, the main unit includes a container 3 of a developing unit 37.
A guide plate 50 for guiding the upper part of the image forming apparatus 9 and a guide plate 51 for guiding the lower bottom plate 45 are attached, and the developing unit 37 is inserted into the main apparatus along these. The main unit also has
As shown in FIG. 5, guide plates 52 are provided to guide both sides of the developing unit 37, thereby positioning the developing unit 37 with respect to the main unit in the width direction of the photoreceptor. The main device further includes a pin 53 for positioning the developing unit 37 in the insertion direction.
This pin 53 is provided to protrude from the developer unit 4, and this pin 53 engages with the groove 46 at the tip of the developer unit to position the developer unit 37 in the insertion direction. The side plate 54 of the main unit is further provided with brackets 56 and 5 for supporting the rotating shaft 44 of the belt drive roller 13 and the rotating shaft 55 of the driven roller 12 in the photoreceptor unit when these are inserted.
7 are respectively provided at predetermined positions. This bracket is for vertically positioning the photoreceptor belt 11 via each roller. As a result, the rollers 12 and 13 and the developing sleeve 40 are aligned substantially in a straight line parallel to the insertion direction.

The holding device according to this invention is provided with such various positioning means, so that by simply inserting the developing unit 37 into the main device to a predetermined position, the device can be connected to other members in the main device and the device. Positional relationships are reliably and easily secured. Also,
If necessary, pull out the developing device unit 37 from the main body of the apparatus, open the lid 71 of the container, and remove the developing device 39.
It is extremely easy to replenish toner inside the photoreceptor belt 11 and replace the photoreceptor belt 11.

FIG. 6 shows a drive system in the holding device of this invention. Rollers 12 and 13 that support and drive the photoreceptor belt 11 and a developing sleeve 40
are arranged substantially in a straight line parallel to the insertion/drawing direction of the developing device unit 37, and a power transmission gear 61 connected to a drive source of the main body of the apparatus is disposed in a direction substantially perpendicular to this, and a drive roller is connected to this. A drive gear 62 fixed to the rotating shaft of No. 13 meshes with the rotating shaft. Although the illustrated power transmission gear 61 meshes with the upper portion of the drive gear 62, it may mesh with the lower portion of the drive gear 62. The drive gear 62 is a driven gear 6 fixed to the rotating shaft 58 of the developing sleeve 40.
3 are in mesh with each other, so power from the drive source of the device main body is transmitted from gear 61 to gears 62 and 63. FIG. 7 shows this state in a perspective view. By configuring the drive system in this way,
The developing device unit 37 can be easily inserted and withdrawn, and power transmission when inserted is ensured. Note that the power transmission in this drive system can also be performed using a friction wheel or the like instead of using gears.

As described above, according to this invention, since the recording medium and the developing device are each assembled as a unit, an endless belt-shaped recording medium holding device that can be easily attached to and removed from the main unit and that can reliably regulate the position is created. is provided. The gaps between the recording medium and the developing sleeve, each charger, etc. must be maintained extremely strictly, but according to this invention, even though the recording medium and the developing device are removable from the main unit, these gaps are maintained very tightly. Since the position can be easily and accurately determined by multiple positioning means, no position adjustment is required and there is no fear that the position will fluctuate. Further, there is no need to provide a large opening as in conventional devices, and recording medium replacement, other repairs, developer replenishment, etc. can be performed using only a small opening and a simple guide means. Furthermore, since the recording medium and developing device are integrated into a unit, the configuration is small and simple, and the entire recording medium can be easily replaced. It will not get contaminated with chemicals. Further, since the drive system is arranged so that the units can be easily attached and detached and the power is reliably transmitted, there is no need to force the units to be attached or detached.

Although this invention has been explained above based on the specific embodiment illustrated, this invention can also be applied to electrostatic latent image recording bodies in electrostatic recording devices, magnetic latent image recording bodies in magnetic recording devices, etc. All possible modifications within the spirit and scope of this invention as described in the claims of the utility model registration are intended to be included in this invention.

(Effects) According to the present invention, since the unit is provided with a handle that allows the unit in which the recording medium and the developer accommodating means are separably formed into a unit to be detached from the main body of the apparatus, the recording medium and The developer accommodating means is integrated into a unit that can be easily attached and detached from the main body of the apparatus, and even when each image forming apparatus such as the recording medium and the developer accommodating means are replaced individually, it has the above-mentioned handle. can be replaced,
These replacements are also easy.

Furthermore, since the developer storage means is provided with an opening/closing lid that can be opened and closed when the unit is pulled out from the apparatus main body for a predetermined length or more, the developer can be developed as needed without having to completely pull out the unit from the apparatus main body. agent can be replenished.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a recording apparatus to which this invention is applied, FIG. 2 is an exploded front view showing a photoreceptor unit and a developing unit in an embodiment of this invention, and FIG. FIG. 4 is an assembled perspective view showing a photoreceptor unit and a developing device unit in an embodiment of this invention, FIG. 4 is a schematic front view of the main unit side in an embodiment of this invention, and FIG. 5 is an embodiment of this invention. FIG. 6 is a schematic front view showing a drive system in an embodiment of this invention, and FIG. 7 is a schematic partial perspective view showing a drive system in an embodiment of this invention. It is a diagram. 11... Photoreceptor belt, 12, 13... Belt support roller, 31... Photoreceptor unit, 32...
...Roller support plate, 37...Developer unit, 3
9...Developing container, 40...Developing sleeve, 41...
...Photoconductor unit receiving part, 70...Lid, 71...
handle.

Claims (1)

[Claims for Utility Model Registration] A recording body holding device in which a recording body and a developer storage means are separably formed into a unit, and this unit is installed in a device main body so that the recording body can be inserted into and removed from the body. The developer accommodating means is configured to be on the back side in the insertion direction, and the developer storage means is on the front side in the insertion direction, and can be opened and closed when the unit is inserted into the device main body and is pulled out for a predetermined length or more from the device main body. A recording medium holding device characterized in that the developer storage means is provided with a lid for replenishing the developer and a handle for inserting and removing the unit.