Patent Grant
7003245
Image forming devices, such as printers, often include replaceable components, such as toner cartridges, PC members, etc. These components are used during the image formation process and are eventually worn-out or exhausted. Users should be able to remove and replace these components when necessary.
Placement and mounting of these components is vital to acceptable user ergonomics. The components should be positioned in a manner to be accessible to the user. The complex design of many current devices makes accessing the components difficult. The cartridges may be located within the interior of the device making it very difficult to grasp and manipulate the cartridges. Difficult cartridge mounting locations may also result in the user getting toner on their hands and fingers by inadvertently contacting the toner outlet on the cartridge. Additionally, some of the components may be damaged during mounting, such if contacted by the user's hands or fingers, or scrapped against the device. Damaged components may result in print defects, or the device not operating properly.
It is also important that the components be mounted within the device to produce images of acceptable print quality. This requires that the components are accurately located within the device during image formation. Inaccurate locating of the cartridges may result in image forming defects, toner leakage, and other detrimental effects.
Further, the device should be constructed in an economical manner. Price is one of the leading factors when a user makes a purchasing decision for an image forming device. Improvements to user ergonomics and component locations should add to functionability of the device, but not at a price that will drive away potential users.
The present invention is directed to mounting a unit on a door assembly of an image forming device. In one embodiment, a first mount and a second mount are positioned on the door assembly. A cartridge unit includes a first attachment and a second attachment that connect respectively to the first and second mounts. Once connected, the cartridge unit remains attached as the door assembly moves between open and closed orientations.
The attachment of the cartridge unit is straight-forward and intuitive to the user. The design also prevents the cartridge unit from being installed backwards. Further, the attachments and mounts are positioned to not interfere with the image forming process.
Media sheets are moved from the input and fed into a primary media path. One or more registration rollers disposed along the media path align the print media and precisely control its further movement along the media path. A media transport belt 20 forms a section of the media path for moving the media sheets past a plurality of image forming units 100. Color printers typically include four image forming units 100 for printing with cyan, magenta, yellow, and black toner to produce a four-color image on the media sheet.
An imaging device 22 forms an electrical charge on a photoconductive member 51 within the image forming units 100 as part of the image formation process. The media sheet with loose toner is then moved through a fuser 24 that adheres the toner to the media sheet. Exit rollers 26 rotate in a forward or a reverse direction to move the media sheet to an output tray 28 or a duplex path 30 respectively. The duplex path 30 directs the inverted media sheet back through the image formation process for forming an image on a second side of the media sheet.
The image forming units 100 are constructed of a first unit 40 and a second unit 50. The first unit 40, including a developer member 45, is positioned within the main body 12. The second unit 50, including a photoconductive member 51, is mounted to the door assembly 13. In a closed orientation as illustrated in
The second unit 50 is illustrated in
The door assembly 13 includes attachments for connecting the second units 50. The attachments should make installation and removal easy and intuitive to the user, should not interfere with the image forming process, should maintain attachment of the second units 50 as the door assembly 13 moves between the open and closed orientations, and should not allow the second units 50 to be installed backwards. The door assembly 13 comprises a first mount 110 and a second mount 120 to receive the second units 50.
In a multi-color image forming device, a plurality of first mounts 110 and second mounts 120 are positioned on the door assembly 13 to receive the plurality of image forming units 100. The first mounts 110 are positioned adjacent to a first side 150 of the door assembly 13, and the second mounts 120 are positioned adjacent to a second side 151 that is opposite the first side. The mounts 110, 120 are positioned outside of a working area 160 to not interfere with the image formation process. In one embodiment, the working area comprises the transport belt 20 and the mounts 110, 120 are positioned adjacent to each side.
The second unit 50 includes a first attachment 130 and a second attachment 140. In one embodiment, first attachment 130 is positioned at a first end of the second unit 50 and the second attachment is positioned at a second opposite end of the second unit 50.
First attachment 130 is sized to connect with the first mount 110. In one embodiment, the first attachment 130 includes a U-shaped slot 131 formed by members 132 that are spaced a distance apart forming an opening 133 therebetween. The slot 131 has a width that is greater than the width of the post 111 of the first mount 110, but smaller than the width of the cap 112.
The second attachment 140 is sized to connect with the second mount 120. In one embodiment, the second attachment 140 includes a neck 142 and a head 143. The neck 142 has a narrow width that is smaller than the width of the channel 123 of the second mount 120. The head 143 is positioned on an exterior side of the neck 142 and has a width greater than the channel width. The width of the head 143 may also be greater than a width of the opening 129 formed between the fingers 121, 122 of the second mount 120. The second attachment 140 is connected to the second mount 120 with the neck 142 within the channel 123. The head 143 prevents the neck 142 from laterally sliding out of the second attachment 140. A positioner 144 may also be located on the inside of the neck 132. The positioner has a width greater than the width of the channel 123 and opening 129 to prevent the second unit 50 from sliding laterally.
In one embodiment, a centerline of the U-slot 131 is aligned with an axis of the photoconductive member 51. A centerline of the neck 142 and head 143 is also aligned with the axis of the photoconductive member 51. In one embodiment, the centerline of the neck 142 and head 143 and the photoconductive member 51 are the same.
During the installation process, the user is unable to mount the cartridge in the wrong orientation (i.e., upside-down) because the first attachment 130 connects with the first mount 110, and the second attachment 140 connects with the second mount 120. Attempts to improperly connect the cartridge are not successful. The user begins the process by initially mounting the slot 131 about the post 111. The slot 131 is prevented from lifting off the post 111 because the width of the cap 112 is larger than the width of the slot 131. Once the first attachment 130 is mounted, the unit is pivoted about the first attachment 130 such that the second attachment 140 connects to the second mount 120. Specifically, the neck 142 pushes through the channel 123 and is held between the fingers 121, 122. One or both fingers 121, 122 may be constructed of a flexible material such that the channel 123 expands during the insertion and than returns to the original size once the neck 142 has moved into the opening 129 formed below the distal ends of the fingers 121, 122.
Once the unit is mounted within the mounts 110, 120, the PC member 51 is positioned over the work area 160. In one embodiment, the PC member 51 is positioned adjacent to the transport belt 20 such that media sheets moving along belt 20 receive toner images from the PC member 51.
The unit 50 is roughly mounted to the door assembly 13 with enough play to provide for exact locating via the contact with the main body 12. Movement between the unit 50 and door assembly 13 may be caused by the width of the slot 131 being larger than the width of the post 111. In one embodiment, there is about 1 mm clearance when the first attachment 130 is connected to the first mount 110. Likewise, the width between the fingers 121, 122 is greater than a width of the neck 142. In one embodiment, there is about 1 mm of clearance. The cartridge is slightly movable on the door assembly 13, and becomes accurately located and fixed once the door is closed. The looseness of the connections is still adequate to maintain the unit 50 attached to the door assembly 13, even when moving the door assembly 13 between the open and closed orientations.
In one embodiment, the unit 50 is specifically located relative to the main body 12 when the door assembly 13 is in the closed orientation. One or more reference datums positioned on the main body 12 accurately locate the unit 50, and the photoconductive member 51 relative to the developer member 45. One embodiment of a two-piece unit and locating the units relative to the main body and imaging device is disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/804,488 entitled “Image Forming Device Having a Door Assembly and Method of Use”, concurrently filed with the present application, assigned to Lexmark International, Inc., and herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.
The term “image forming device” and the like is used generally herein as a device that produces images on a media sheet. Examples include but are not limited to a laser printer, ink-jet printer, fax machine, copier, and a multi-functional printer, scanner, and facsimile machine. One example of an image forming device is Model No. C750 produced by Lexmark International Inc.
The term “imaging device” refers to a device that places an electrical charge on the photoconductive element 51. Various imaging devices may be used such as a laser printhead and a LED printhead.
A transport belt 20 is illustrated in the embodiments for moving the media sheets past the image forming units 100, and as part of the door assembly 13. In another embodiment, roller pairs 191 are mounted to the door assembly 13 and spaced along the media path. The roller pairs 191 rotate to move the media sheets past the image forming units 100. In one embodiment, each of the roller pairs is mounted on the door assembly 13. In another embodiment, one of the rollers is mounted on the door, and the corresponding roller of the pair is mounted on the main body 12.
The present invention may be carried out in other specific ways than those herein set forth without departing from the scope and essential characteristics of the invention. In one embodiment, both the photoconductive member 51 and the developer member 45 are cylindrically shaped. The present embodiments are, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, and all changes coming within the meaning and equivalency range of the appended claims are intended to be embraced therein.
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| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20050207785 A1 | Sep 2005 | US |
