JPH0467051A - Electrophotographic process unit - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To miniaturize a device main body by integrally providing a developer storing means and a residual developer containing means and making them freely attached to/detached from the device main body. CONSTITUTION:The developer storing means 6 and the residual developer containing means 7 are integrally provided to be freely attached to/detached from the device main body. In such a case, when the cover of the device main body is opened, an electrophotographic process unit consisting of an image carrier 1 and an elecrifier 2 moves upward and the automatic opening and closing part 8 of the cleaner 7 is closed with the movement. Since the aperture part 10 of the cleaner 7 is not exposed by the automatic opening and closing part 8, residual developer does not drop in the device main body and the electrophotographic process unit consisting of the developer storing tank 6 and the cleaner 7 is detached. Thus, the device main body is miniaturized.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine or a printer.
In particular, it relates to an electrophotographic process unit for image formation.

[Conventional technology]

As shown in FIG. 5, a conventional electrophotographic process unit includes an image carrier 11 and a charger 12 . Optical writing section 14.
The charge erase section 15 and the cleaner 17 are provided integrally, and a developer storage tank (not shown) is used to independently supply developer.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

In the conventional method, even if the image carrier has some remaining life, the electrophotographic process unit must be replaced when the life of the cleaner 17 reaches the end, increasing the running cost required for image formation. In addition, in order to reduce running costs, the image carrier 11 and the cleaner 17 are
If the electrophotographic process unit is made to have the same lifespan as the other, the volume of the relay 17 will increase, making it difficult to downsize the apparatus body.

[Means to solve the problem]

A first electrophotographic process unit of the present invention is characterized in that a developer storage means and a residual developer storage means are integrally provided and are detachable from the apparatus main body, and an opening of the residual developer storage means is provided. It may have an automatic opening/closing means in the section. Further, the second electrophotographic process unit of the present invention includes an image carrier and a charger integrally provided, has a cover that can be detachably attached to the main body of the apparatus, and is integrated with the first electrophotographic process unit. It is characterized by:

〔Example〕

Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an electrophotographic process unit in which a charger 2 and a cover 3 are integrally provided on a drum-shaped image carrier 1.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a state in which the cover of the apparatus main body (not shown) is opened, the cover 3 of the image carrier 1 is supported by hand and attached to the apparatus main body, and then the cover 3 is removed.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the electrophotographic process unit of the developer storage tank 6 and cleaner 7 when the cover of the main body of the apparatus is opened and the electrophotographic process unit of the image carrier 1 and charger 2 is not installed. be. The developer storage tank 6 is of a type in which developer is not replenished, and the volumes of the developer storage tank 6 and the cleaner 7 are proportional to the length of life.

The automatic opening/closing means 8 of the residual developer storage means 7 is in a closed state. In the state shown in FIG. 3, an electrophotographic process unit consisting of a developer storage tank 6 and a cleaner 7 is attached to the main body of the apparatus.

When the cover of the apparatus main body is open, the electrophotographic process unit consisting of the image carrier l and the charger 2 mounted on the apparatus main body in the state shown in FIG. Then, it moves from above to below the electrophotographic process unit consisting of the developer storage tank 6 and the residual developer storage means 7. Along with this, when the lever 9 of the automatic opening/closing section 8 touches both ends of the image carrier 1, the automatic opening/closing section 8 starts to open, and the image carrier 1 is properly placed between the developer storage tank θ and the cleaner 7. When installed, the opening 10 is exposed.

The state at this time is shown in FIG.

Next, after the image carrier 1 is uniformly charged with the charger 2, an electrostatic latent image is formed on the image carrier 1 by optical writing via the optical writing section 4, and this electrostatic latent image is formed on the image carrier 1. The latent image is made noticeable by the developer in the developer storage tank 6. and,
The developed image is transferred to printing paper in a transfer section (not shown), and the developer remaining on the image carrier 1 is removed from the opening 10 by a cleaner 7.
The charge remaining on the image carrier 1 via the charge erase section 5 is removed by an eraser (not shown).

Furthermore, when the cover of the main body of the device is opened, the image carrier 1 and the charger 2 are exposed.
The electrophotographic processing unit consisting of moves upward,
Accordingly, the automatic opening/closing N8 of the cleaner 7 is closed. At this time, by reinstalling the electrophotographic process unit Nikaher 3 consisting of the image carrier 1 and the charger 2 and supporting the cover 3 by hand, the electrophotographic process unit can be removed. Furthermore, since the opening 10 of the cleaner 7 is not exposed by the automatic opening/closing part 8, the electrophotographic process unit consisting of the developer storage tank 6 and the cleaner 7 can be removed without residual developer spilling into the main body of the apparatus. is also possible.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As described above, the electrophotographic process unit consisting of the image carrier and the charger has a cover, so that
The electrophotographic process unit, which is removable from the main body of the device and consists of a developer storage tank and a cleaner, has an automatic opening/closing part in the opening of the cleaner.
It can be attached to and detached from the main body, making it possible to integrate the former and latter electrophotographic process units. This makes it possible to reduce the volume of the latter electrophotographic process unit and replace the latter several times until the former electrophotographic process unit 7) lasts a lifetime. That is, the running cost required for image formation can be reduced, and the size of the apparatus body can also be reduced.

Storage tank, 7...Cleaner, 8...Automatic opening/closing part,
9... Laver 10... Opening.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. An electrophotographic process unit characterized in that a developer storage means and a residual developer storage means are integrally provided and are detachably attached to the main body of the apparatus. 2. An electrophotographic process unit characterized in that an image carrier and a charger are integrally provided, and a cover is provided to be detachably attached to the main body of the apparatus. 3. The photographic processing unit according to claim 1, further comprising automatic opening/closing means at the opening of the residual developer storage means. 4. An electrophotographic process unit, characterized in that the electrophotographic process unit according to claim 1 and the electrophotographic process unit according to claim 2 are integrated.