JPH0560100B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to an electrostatic recording device, and more particularly to a detachable intermediate image carrier unit that includes an intermediate image carrier that forms and carries an electrostatic latent image. The present invention relates to an electrostatic recording device having:

[Conventional technology]

In electrostatic recording devices used for copying, data printing, etc., an electrostatic latent image is formed on an image carrier (hereinafter referred to as an intermediate image carrier) made of a photoconductor or dielectric material, and then developed with toner. The image is then visualized and transferred onto a transfer material such as paper to obtain the desired recorded matter.

The device also incorporates various image forming devices, such as a laser writing device that combines an optical modulation element and a laser beam, or an image charging device that uses pin electrodes, to form an electrostatic image on the intermediate image carrier. The image forming device is usually located at the top of the aircraft,
An intermediate image carrier portion is placed below it to constitute the main body of the electrostatic recording device.

In recent years, for the purpose of downsizing devices and facilitating maintenance operations, various parts of electrostatic recording devices, especially the intermediate image carrier and its associated parts, which are often disassembled and replaced for inspection, repair, etc., have been integrated into an integrated unit. ,
It has become common to configure devices so that they can be attached and detached as they are.

[Problem that the invention seeks to solve]

As described above, the structure for attaching and detaching the intermediate image carrier unit in an electrostatic recording device in which the intermediate image carrier is integrated into a unit is as follows: (1) the front door of the device body is opened and the unit is pulled out to the front; (2) the main body is pulled out. A device that is divided into an upper and a lower body, the upper body and the lower body are fixed to a shaft on one side of the side, and the upper body is rotated around the axis to open and pull out the intermediate image carrier unit in the lower body, (3 ) The upper body is opened in the same manner as described above, and the intermediate image carrier unit incorporated in the upper body is attached and detached from the bottom side.

However, in the method of pulling out the intermediate image carrier unit toward the front side as in (1) and (2) above, sufficient space is required in front of the recording device to pull out the unit and perform operations. This creates restrictions on the installation location. The pull-out rail or guide member is longer than the length of the intermediate image carrier unit, and has disadvantages such as poor weight balance when the unit is pulled out.
With a structure like this, the opening angle of the upper body must be increased, which makes it difficult to operate, especially for medium-sized or larger devices, and the unit is difficult to handle because it is attached and detached from the bottom.Therefore, further improvements are needed. It was as hot as I wanted it to be.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention aims to provide an electrostatic recording device in which the above-mentioned problems are solved and an intermediate image carrier unit can be attached and detached very easily.

[Means for problem solving]

The problem is that an electrostatic latent image is formed by an image forming signal from outside the image carrier, a toner image is formed in the electrostatic latent image area by a toner developing means, and the toner image is transferred to the paper by a transfer means. After transferring to
An electrostatic recording device that fixes a toner image on recording paper includes an image carrier unit having at least an image carrier as a center, a charging electrode, a transfer electrode, and a cleaning device, and an electrostatic latent image formed by exposing the surface of the image carrier to light. a latent image forming unit which forms a toner image and has a position fixing means between it and the apparatus main body; a developing device which develops the electrostatic latent image to form a toner image; and feeding recording paper to the image carrier unit. a fixing means for fixing the toner image transferred to the recording paper; and a paper discharge plate that can be opened and closed around a spindle provided at the top of the device for discharging the recording paper after the fixation has been completed. The latent image forming unit is movable in the horizontal direction with respect to the apparatus, and when the latent image forming unit is moved in the horizontal direction and the paper discharge tray is opened, the carrier unit is moved in the vertical direction. This problem was solved by an electrostatic recording device that can be attached to and detached from the camera.

The intermediate image carrier unit is centered on an intermediate multiplication carrier in the form of a drum or belt having an electrostatic latent image forming layer such as a photoconductor or dielectric material, and various accompanying electrodes, a developing device, and a cleaning device around it. It is sufficient to combine and integrate accessories as necessary, and a handle or the like may be provided on the top surface to facilitate attachment and detachment. Exposure means such as a laser tube, an acousto-optic modulator, a laser writing device such as a rotating polygon mirror, an LED array, an LCS (liquid crystal shutter), a pin electrode, etc. are used, and an electrostatic latent image forming means is activated by an external image signal. It can be used as a unit.

The latent image forming unit may be mounted on a rail or guide provided on the electrostatic recording apparatus main body so that it can be moved almost horizontally from the use position to the non-use position, An opening is provided in the upper surface of the recording apparatus main body which is exposed when the main body is moved to a certain position, and the intermediate image carrier unit is configured to be able to be attached and detached from above through the opening.

It is preferable to provide a pin, guide, etc. inside the opening for regulating the position of the intermediate image carrier unit.

〔Example〕

The present invention will be specifically explained below using an example of an electrostatic recording laser printer, but the embodiments of the present invention, such as the configuration of the intermediate image carrying unit and the arrangement of other members, are not limited thereto.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the state of use of a laser printer according to the present invention.

The part surrounded by the chain line A is an intermediate image carrier unit, which includes an intermediate image carrier drum 1 having a photoconductive photosensitive layer, a charging electrode 2, a transfer electrode 3, a separation electrode 4,
It is composed of a cleaning device 5, an optical path 6 for static elimination, a collected toner storage container 7, etc., and is detachably attached from above.

The part surrounded by chain line B is the latent image forming unit, and although it is omitted in the figure, it includes a laser tube,
A laser writing device such as an acousto-optic modulator, a rotating polygon mirror, and an fΘ lens is housed therein, and a laser beam modulated by an input signal is projected onto an intermediate image bearing drum via a mirror M. The latent image forming unit B is designed to be able to move horizontally on a rail 8 on the main body of the recording apparatus as shown by the white arrow in the figure.

During image recording, the intermediate image bearing drum 1 rotates in the direction of the arrow, the entire surface of the drum is charged by the charging electrode 2, and exposed to a laser beam projected by the image forming unit, forming an electrostatic latent image on its surface. . The electrostatic latent image is developed by the developing device 9 into a toner image, which is transferred onto the transfer paper P conveyed by the conveying roller 10. The transfer paper on which the toner image has been transferred is fixed by a fixing roller 11 and further conveyed to a paper discharge tray 12 which is openable on a support shaft 12A.
The finished recorded material is then discharged.

After the transfer, the intermediate image bearing drum 1 is rotated into a plate, residual toner is removed by a cleaning device, the static electricity is eliminated by light from a static elimination light source 13, and the drum is reused.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the state in which the intermediate image carrier unit A of the apparatus is attached and detached. When removing the intermediate image carrier unit A for maintenance work such as the occurrence of a jam, first move the latent image forming unit B along the rail 8 and place it in the non-use position shown in the figure. The opening 21 hidden under the image forming unit B is exposed.

By grasping the handle 22 on the upper surface of the intermediate image carrier unit A and pulling it up, the unit can be easily removed through the opening 22. In the case of installation, the intermediate image carrying unit is dropped vertically through the opening 21, and the position fixing pin 23 on the lower surface of the unit is fitted into the fitting part 24 on the bottom of the main body, and the operation is extremely simple.

The power necessary to drive the drum, etc. of the intermediate image carrier unit is supplied by a gear 25 connected to a drive source (not shown) on the main body side and a gear 26 on the unit side (see FIG. 3) that fit together. Furthermore, power to the charging electrode 2 and the like is supplied from the power supply on the main body side through terminals that are automatically connected when the unit is installed. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the intermediate image carrier unit.

The paper discharge plate is rotatable as shown in FIG. 2 so as not to interfere with the attachment and detachment of the intermediate image carrier.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As is clear from the above embodiments, in the electrostatic recording apparatus according to the present invention, the releasable paper ejection tray is provided at the top of the apparatus main body to reduce the size of the entire apparatus, and the intermediate image carrier unit is mounted at the top of the apparatus main body. Since it can be attached and detached more vertically, attachment and detachment operations can be carried out extremely easily and reliably, which is effective in improving workability in maintenance and inspection of electrostatic recording devices, handling when transfer paper jams occur, and the like.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a laser printer according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the state of the printer when an intermediate image carrier unit is attached and detached, and FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the intermediate image carrier unit. A... Intermediate image bearing unit, B... Image forming unit, 1... Intermediate image carrying drum, 2... Charging electrode, 3... Transfer electrode, 4... Separation electrode, 5... Cleaning device, 6... ... Static elimination light optical path, 7 ... Recovered toner storage container, 21 ... Opening, 23 ... Position fixing pin.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. An electrostatic latent image is formed on an image carrier by an external image forming signal, a toner image is formed on the electrostatic latent image portion by a toner developing means, and the toner image is transferred to a transfer means. In an electrostatic recording device that fixes a toner image on a recording paper after transferring it to a recording paper, the image carrier unit includes at least an image carrier, a charging electrode, a transfer electrode, and a cleaning device, and a surface of the image carrier. a latent image forming unit that exposes to light to form an electrostatic latent image and has position fixing means between it and the apparatus main body; a developing device that develops the electrostatic latent image to form a toner image; a conveying means for feeding recording paper into the recording paper; a fixing means for fixing the toner image transferred to the recording paper; The latent image forming unit has a paper discharge tray that can be opened and closed, and is movable horizontally with respect to the apparatus, and the latent image forming unit is moved horizontally and the paper discharge tray is opened. An electrostatic recording device characterized in that the image carrier unit is vertically attachable and detachable.