JPH059792B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a developing device that is removably installed in an image forming apparatus.

Generally, in image forming apparatuses such as electrophotographic copying machines, when performing maintenance, inspection, repair, etc. on the image forming apparatus main body or developing device, the developing device must be removed from the image forming apparatus main body in order to facilitate the work. In this case, a carrying handle has become necessary to transport the developing device.

Furthermore, in recent years, developers have become more and more colored, and it is now possible to obtain images in various colors by replacing developing devices dedicated to developers of various colors with the image forming apparatus. As the image forming apparatus becomes more popular, there are more opportunities to remove the developing device from the main body of the image forming apparatus, and the role of the carrying handle on the developing device is also increasing.

However, when removing the developing device from the main body, it is often done by grasping a part other than the carrying handle, which may cause the developing device to inadvertently tilt or fall, thereby interfering with the normal functioning of the developing device main body. Something happened.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to prevent the developing device from being accidentally dropped by allowing the developing device to be removed from the main body only by pulling out the handle.

Next, the present invention will be explained based on examples.

First, an outline of an image forming apparatus to which the present invention is applicable will be given.

FIG. 1 shows an example of an image forming apparatus to which the present invention can be applied. The photosensitive drum 1 rotates in the direction of the arrow,
As it rotates, it is first uniformly charged by the corona discharger 2. Next, the reflected light image of the document 5 placed on the document table 4 illuminated by the illumination light source 3 is formed on the photosensitive drum 1 via the mirror 6, lens 7, and mirror 8, and is form a latent image. The latent image is developed by a developing device 9, and the resulting toner image is transferred to a transfer paper fed from a paper feed cassette 10 by the action of a corona discharger 11. Note that 12 is a feed roller that feeds the transfer paper from the paper feed cassette 10, and 13 and 14 are timing rollers that feed the transfer paper to the transfer position in synchronization with the image on the drum. After the transfer, the transfer paper is separated from the photosensitive drum 1 by the separation charger 15, and the toner image is transferred to the fixing device 1.
6, and is fixed on the transfer paper by paper ejection rollers 17,
18 , the paper is discharged onto a paper discharge tray 19 . On the other hand, the toner remaining on the surface of the photosensitive drum 1 is scraped off by a cleaner blade 20, collected by a magnet roller 21, and then collected by a scraper 22.
The waste toner is scraped off by the cleaner screw 23 and discharged into a waste toner collection container. Further, unnecessary charges remaining on the photosensitive drum 1 are removed from the lighting device 24.
removed by the illumination light. and photosensitive drum 1
is charged again by the discharger 2 and the above process is repeated. Although the waste toner collection container is not shown in this drawing, it is installed on the upper front side of the drawing, and is adapted to receive waste toner from the cleaner screw 23. Here, while the image forming apparatus is in operation, the developing device 9 is installed at a predetermined position by a stopper 27 as shown in FIG. By applying pressure to the developing device 9, the abutting rollers 34 and 35 provided in the developing device 9 are brought into contact with the photosensitive drum 1. When removing the developing device 9, first, a release lever 25 provided inside a front door (not shown) that can be opened and closed with respect to the image forming apparatus main body is rotatably installed on the front side plate (not shown) of the main body. The stopper 27 is released by rotating it clockwise about the supported shaft 26. At this time, the stopper 27 pushes up the protruding portion 9a of the developing device 9, and the developing device 9 is retracted from the photosensitive drum 1. Then, while pulling out the developing device 9 toward the upper front side in the figure with respect to the main body of the image forming apparatus, the legs 30 and 31 of the developing device 9 are aligned with the rails 29 extending from the front side plate of the main body to near the inside of the front door of the main body. (Figure 3a). Further, when the developing device 9 is fully pulled out along the rail 29, the developing device 9 is stopped by a stopper (not shown) installed at an arbitrary position on the rail 29, and the developing device 9 is stopped by holding the handle 32. 9 to remove the developing device 9 from the main body of the image forming apparatus.

Next, in FIG. 3b, when the developing device 9 is pulled out to the same position as in FIG. 3a, the first engaging member n fixed to the photosensitive drum 1 side of the protective cover 39 of the developing sleeve It engages with the second engaging member m fixed to the front side plate of the main body (not shown) by a fixed member such as a screw, and the developing device 9 cannot be pulled out further (FIG. 3b). In other words, the developing device 9 cannot be removed from the main body unless the protective cover 39 of the developing sleeve covers the developing sleeve 33.

Furthermore, when the handle 32 is pulled out in this state, the first engaging member n is fixed to the protective cover 39 of the developing sleeve, and the second engaging member m is fixed to the front side plate of the main body.
The butt is released, and the developing device 9 is placed on the rail 2.
9 can be pulled out to any desired position and removed from the main body (Fig. 4b).

Next, the developing device of the present invention will be explained based on examples.

2 to 6 are schematic diagrams of a developing device showing an embodiment of the present invention. 5 and 2 show a state in which the developing device 9 is placed at a predetermined position with respect to the main body of the image forming apparatus. With respect to the developing device body 9, the developing sleeve 33, abutting rollers 34, 35, and abutting roller protective covers 36, 37 are attached to the support shaft 3.
It is arranged so as to be rotatable around 8. Members 40 and 41 connecting the handle 32 and the protective cover 39 of the developing sleeve are rotatably engaged with support shafts 42 and 43 fixed to the developing device main body 9 at their centers. In addition, the lower end 32 of the handle 32
a and 32b are engagement members 44 and 45 at ends 40a and 41a of connecting members 40 and 41, respectively.
are rotatably engaged with each other. Furthermore, upper ends 39a and 39 of the protective cover 39 of the developing sleeve
b are the ends 40 of the connecting members 40 and 41, respectively.
b, 41b are rotatably engaged by engaging members 46, 47. Further, pins 48 and 49 are fixed to both lower ends 39c and 39d of the protective cover 39 of the developing sleeve, respectively.
The pins 48 and 49 are rotatably engaged with protective covers 36 and 37 of the abutting roller, respectively. The handle 32 is a member 50 protruding from the developing device 9,
The portion 51 is movable only in the vertical direction.

Next, the state when the developing device 9 is removed from the main body of the image forming apparatus is shown in FIGS. 6 and 4. After fully pulling out the developing device 9 from the main body of the image forming apparatus (FIG. 3), use the handle 32 to remove the developing device 9.
When pulled, the handle 32 is directed by the members 50 and 51 and moves upward, and the connecting members 40 and 41 move in the direction of arrows b and c around the support shafts 42 and 43, respectively.
Rotate in the direction of (Figure 5). Therefore, the ends 40b, 41b of the connecting members 40, 41 rotate downward and push down the protective cover 39 of the developing sleeve. At this time, the protective cover members 36 and 37 of the abutting roller are also connected to the protective cover 39 of the developing sleeve.
The protective covers 36, 37 of the abutting rollers are pushed by pins 48, 49 fixed to the support shaft 38.
Close it by rotating it around (Fig. 6, Fig. 4). Accordingly, since the pins 48 and 49 engaged with the protective covers 36 and 37 of the abutment roller also rotate on the circumference around the support shaft 38, the lower part of the protective cover 39 of the developing sleeve also rotates. It rotates to retreat from the developing sleeve 33 and covers the developing sleeve 33. Protective covers 36, 37 and 3
9 covers the abutting rollers 34, 35 and the developing sleeve 33, the handle-side ends 40a, 41a of the connecting members 40, 41 abut against the members 50, 51, and the handle 32 is prevented from moving upward any further. It's getting old. In this state, the developing sleeve 33
The exposed portions of the abutment rollers 34 and 35 from the developing device main body 9 are protected by protective covers 36, 37 and 39.
When the developing device 9 is transported, the developer attached to the developing sleeve 33 may be scattered, or the developing sleeve 33 or the abutting rollers 34 and 35 may be damaged by hitting other objects. This prevents problems from occurring. When the developing device 9 is attached to the main body of the image forming apparatus, the protective cover performs an operation opposite to that described above. The legs 30 and 31 of the developing device 9 are placed on the rail 29, and the developing device 9 is inserted into the main body of the image forming apparatus. The handle 32 is still in the pulled out state, and if it is inserted as it is, it will abut against the front side casing of the image forming apparatus main body. At this time, if the handle 32 is pushed down, the protective covers 36, 37 and 3 are
9 opens. Then, since the handle 32 is retracted from the front side housing, the developing device 9 can be inserted as it is, and after the developing device 9 reaches a predetermined position inside the image forming apparatus main body, the lever 25 is pushed up counterclockwise. Accordingly, the developing device 9 is installed at the position shown in FIG.

When inserting the developing device 9 into the main body of the image forming apparatus, the handle 32 may be pressed down in advance.

It goes without saying that the protective cover, handle, connecting member, etc. are constructed so as not to collide with various members inside the image forming apparatus main body, such as the photosensitive drum, during a series of opening and closing operations of the protective cover.

As described above, in the present invention, when the developing device is removed from the main body of the image forming apparatus, the first engaging member on the developing device side and the second engaging member on the main body side are configured to engage with each other. Even if the developing device is pulled out in this state, the developing device will not come out, and only when the handle is pulled out from the developing device, the engagement between the first engaging member and the second engaging member is disengaged, and the developing device can be removed. Therefore, the handle must be pulled out, which is effective in terms of safety and operability.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of an image forming apparatus to which the present invention can be applied; FIGS. 2, 3 a, b, and 4 a, b are side views of a developing device showing an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a photosensitive drum, 9 is a developing device, 32 is a handle,
36 and 37 are cover members for protecting the abutting roller;
39 is a protective cover member for the developing sleeve, m is a second engaging member, and n is a first engaging member.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. In a developing device that is attached to and removed from an image forming apparatus, there is a developing device carrying handle that is configured to be pulled out from the developing device, and that is movable in conjunction with the handle, and the handle is in a non-drawn out position. In this state, the handle is located at a position where it engages with a first engaging member provided on the image forming apparatus main body and prevents the developing device from being removed from the image forming apparatus, and when the handle is pulled out, the first engaging member engages with the first engaging member provided on the image forming apparatus main body. A second engaging member that moves to a position where the developing device is not engaged and is allowed to be extracted from the image forming apparatus.