Claims
- 1. A color image forming apparatus, comprising:
- a photoreceptor drum having an outer surface and two ends;
- a plurality of charger devices for charging an outer surface of the photoreceptor drum;
- a plurality of image exposure devices each provided inside the photoreceptor drum for exposing the photoreceptor drum so as to form a latent image thereon;
- plurality of developing devices each for developing the latent image with different colored toner from each other so as to form a toner image on the outer surface of the photoreceptor drum;
- an image exposure device supporting member on which the plurality of image exposure devices are mounted,
- wherein the image exposure device supporting member and the photoreceptor drum are connected through bearing members provided on both ends of the photoreceptor drum, and the image exposure device supporting member has engaging portions at both ends thereof; and
- side plates provided on the image forming apparatus for engaging with the engaging portions to support the image exposure device supporting member, while the photoreceptor drum is rotated around the image exposure devices through the bearing members.
- 2. The color image forming apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a transfer device for transferring superimposed toner images onto a recording sheet.
- 3. The color image forming apparatus of claim 2, wherein the photoreceptor drum with the plurality of image exposure devices mounted on the image exposure device supporting member is attachable to or detachable from the apparatus.
- 4. The color image forming apparatus of claim 3, wherein:
- the plurality of developing devices and the plurality of charger devices are removable from the outer surface of the photoreceptor drum; and
- after the plurality of developing devices and the plurality of charger devices are removed from the apparatus, the photoreceptor drum with the plurality of image exposure devices are attached to the apparatus in a downward direction.
- 5. The color image forming apparatus of claim 4, wherein:
- the apparatus is capable of being opened at a transferring portion of the transfer device; and
- the photoreceptor with the plurality of image exposure devices are detachable from or attachable to the transferring portion.
- 6. The color image forming apparatus of claim 4, wherein:
- the photoreceptor drum and the plurality of image exposure devices form a detachable unit, and the detachable unit further includes a cleaning device for cleaning the photoreceptor drum or the charger devices; and
- the detachable unit is integrally attachable to or detachable from the main body.
- 7. The color image forming apparatus of claim 6, further comprising a process unit containing the detachable unit and the developing devices; and
- wherein the process unit is detachable from the main body, before the detachable unit and the developing devices are detached from the process unit.
- 8. The color image forming apparatus of claim 4, further comprising a process cartridge integrally containing the photoreceptor drum and the image exposure devices; and
- wherein the process cartridge is detachably attachable to the main body after the apparatus is opened at a transferring portion of the transfer device, and when the plurality of developing devices are retreated, the process cartridge is detachable from or attachable to the transferring portion.
- 9. The color image forming apparatus of claim 8, wherein an opening operation of the main body of the apparatus is conducted by moving the process cartridge away from the transferring portion.
- 10. The color image forming apparatus of claim 8, wherein an opening operation of the main body of the apparatus is conducted by moving the transferring portion away from the process cartridge.
- 11. The color image forming apparatus of claim 8, wherein the process cartridge integrally contains the charger devices or a cleaning device.
- 12. The color image forming apparatus of claim 8, wherein an opening operation of the main body of the apparatus is conducted from a feeding side of recording sheets.
- 13. The color image forming apparatus of claim 8, wherein the developing devices are detachably mountable to the main body in a same direction as that of the process cartridge.
- 14. The color image forming apparatus of claim 8, wherein the developing devices are detachably mountable to the main body at a retreated position thereof.
- 15. The color image forming apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a protective cover for housing the photoreceptor drum and the image exposure device therein, which forms a unit.
- 16. The color image forming apparatus of claim 15, wherein the protective cover further houses the charger devices.
- 17. The color image forming apparatus of claim 15, wherein the protective cover has a portion defining an opening opposite to the developing devices provided on the main body of the apparatus.
- 18. The color image forming apparatus of claim 1, wherein the photoreceptor drum has a gear thereon which receives a drive force from the main body and thereby drives the photoreceptor drum to rotate with respect to the image exposure devices.
- 19. The color image forming apparatus of claim 1,
- wherein the photoreceptor drum has a rotation axis and wherein first and second developing devices of the plurality of developing devices are arranged around the outer surface of the photoreceptor drum;
- and wherein the apparatus further comprises a first driving gear arranged in the housing at a position corresponding to the rotation axis of the photoreceptor drum, and a first driving force transmitting unit for engaging with the first driving gear and for transmitting a driving force to the first and second developing devices.
- 20. The color image forming apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a second gear arranged in the housing and a second driving force transmitting unit for engaging with the second gear and for transmitting a driving force to the photoreceptor drum.
- 21. The color image forming apparatus of claim 1, wherein the photoreceptor drum comprises a gear formed integrally with the photoreceptor drum.
- 22. The color image forming apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a supporting shaft which passes through an inside of the photoreceptor drum and inside of the image exposure device supporting member, for supporting the photoreceptor drum and the supporting member; and
- wherein one end of the supporting member is fixed on the supporting shaft and another end of the supporting member is free from the supporting shaft.
- 23. The color image forming apparatus of claim 22, wherein one end of the photoreceptor drum is fixed on the supporting shaft and another end of the photoreceptor drum is free from the supporting shaft.
- 24. The color image forming apparatus of claim 1, wherein the image exposure devices each comprise an exposure element, the exposure element having one end which is fixed on a fixing member provided on the image exposure device supporting member and another end of which is free from the fixing member.
- 25. The color image forming apparatus of claim 24, wherein the fixing member comprises a casing for accommodating the exposure element and for restricting skewing of the exposure element in a direction perpendicular to a center axis of the photoreceptor drum.
- 26. The color image forming apparatus of claim 24, wherein the fixing member comprises the image exposure device supporting member for supporting the exposure element and for restricting skewing of the exposure element in a direction perpendicular to a center axis of the photoreceptor drum.
- 27. The color image forming apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:
- flange members through which a supporting shaft of the supporting member passes, the flange members being infitted concentrically with the photoreceptor drum from both ends of the photoreceptor drum so as to be fixed in the photoreceptor drum;
- side plates for supporting both ends of the supporting shaft of the supporting member, the side plates being provided on a process cartridge or the apparatus; and
- a driving member provided concentrically and integrally with the flange members for rotating the photoreceptor drum.
- 28. The color image forming apparatus of claim 27, wherein the flange members are press-fitted to the photoreceptor drum at outer diameter portions of the photoreceptor drum.
- 29. The color image forming apparatus of claim 27, wherein the flange members with a bearing are press-fitted concentrically to the photoreceptor drum at a position corresponding to the supporting shaft inside the photoreceptor drum.
- 30. The color image forming apparatus of claim 27, wherein the supporting shaft has a hollow space in which a control wire is provided.
- 31. The color image forming apparatus of claim 27, wherein the photoreceptor drum is movable in a direction perpendicular to a rotation axis thereof.
- 32. The color image forming apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a moving device for moving each position of the image exposure devices mounted on the supporting member from an outside of the photoreceptor drum.
- 33. The color image forming apparatus of claim 32, further comprising an adjusting section for adjusting the moving device, the adjusting section being provided in a position opposite to an end portion in a shaft direction of the outer surface of the photoreceptor drum.
- 34. The color image forming apparatus of claim 32, further comprising an adjusting section for adjusting the moving device, the adjusting section being provided in a position outside an end portion in a shaft direction of the photoreceptor drum.
- 35. The color image forming apparatus of claim 32, further comprising an adjusting section for adjusting the moving device, the adjusting section being provided in a position outside only one end portion in a shaft direction of the photoreceptor drum.
- 36. The color image forming apparatus of claim 32, further comprising an adjusting section for adjusting the moving device, the adjusting section being provided in a position outside both end portions in a shaft direction of the photoreceptor drum.
- 37. The color image forming apparatus of claim 32, further comprising an adjusting section for adjusting the moving device; and
- wherein an adjusting operation of the moving device is conducted by the adjusting section with respect to at least one of parallelism, a focus point, a position in a primary scanning direction and a position in a secondary scanning direction.
- 38. The color image forming apparatus of claim 37, wherein the adjusting section further adjusts an electrical timing in at least one of the primary and secondary scanning directions.
- 39. The color image forming apparatus of claim 32, further comprising a dust-proof cover provided on the adjusting section for preventing dust from entering inside the process cartridge.
- 40. The color image forming apparatus of claim 32, further comprising an outer cover for the apparatus, wherein when the outer cover is opened or the apparatus is divided, the adjusting section is exposed.
- 41. The color image forming apparatus of claim 32, wherein when the image exposure device and the photoreceptor drum are integrally drawn out of the apparatus, the adjusting section is exposed.
Priority Claims (6)
Number |
Date |
Country |
Kind |
6-143360 |
Jun 1994 |
JPX |
|
6-209743 |
Sep 1994 |
JPX |
|
7-209650 |
Aug 1995 |
JPX |
|
7-231438 |
Sep 1995 |
JPX |
|
7-232655 |
Sep 1995 |
JPX |
|
7-232656 |
Sep 1995 |
JPX |
|
Parent Case Info
This is a Continuation-In-Part application of Ser. No. 08/662,817 filed Jun. 12, 1996, (now U.S. Pat. No. 5,663,787 issued on Sep. 2, 1997) which is hereby incorporated in its entirety by this reference. Application Ser. No. 08/662,817 filed Jun. 12, 1996 is a Continuation Application of Ser. No. 08/397,918 filed Mar. 3, 1995 which is now abandoned.
US Referenced Citations (1)
Number |
Name |
Date |
Kind |
4470689 |
Nomura et al. |
Sep 1984 |
|
Foreign Referenced Citations (2)
Number |
Date |
Country |
63-6574 |
Jan 1988 |
JPX |
5-307307 |
Nov 1993 |
JPX |
Non-Patent Literature Citations (5)
Entry |
Patent Abstracts of Japan, Publication No. 07-248715 A, Sep. 26, 1995, Japanese Patent Office. |
Patent Abstracts of Japan, Publication No. 08-006339 A, Jan. 12, 1996, Japanese Patent Office. |
Patent Abstracts of Japan, Publication No. 08-063057 A, Mar. 8, 1996, Japanese Patent Office. |
Patent Abstracts of Japan, Publication No. 08-076545 A, Mar. 22, 1996, Japanese Patent Office. |
Patent Abstracts of Japan, Publication No. 08-082973 A, Mar. 26, 1996, Japanese Patent Office. |
Continuations (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
397918 |
Mar 1995 |
|
Continuation in Parts (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
662817 |
Jun 1996 |
|