Patent Grant
11947309
This application is based on and claims priority under 35 USC 119 from Japanese Patent Application No. 2022-008945 filed Jan. 24, 2022.
The present disclosure relates to an image forming apparatus.
Hitherto proposed techniques relating to image forming apparatuses include the one disclosed by Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2009-93099, for example.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2009-93099 relates to an electrophotographic image forming apparatus including a detachable unit and a collecting component. The detachable unit contains a toner and/or a carrier. The collecting component is configured to collect the detachable unit in such a manner as to enclose the detachable unit when the detachable unit is exchanged.
Aspects of non-limiting embodiments of the present disclosure relate to making floating matter such as toner cloud less likely to adhere to a grip of a detachable unit than in a case where the grip of the detachable unit is exposed inside an apparatus body.
Aspects of certain non-limiting embodiments of the present disclosure address the above advantages and/or other advantages not described above. However, aspects of the non-limiting embodiments are not required to address the advantages described above, and aspects of the non-limiting embodiments of the present disclosure may not address advantages described above.
According to an aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided an image forming apparatus including a detachable unit attachable to and detachable from an apparatus body, a preceding unit configured to move relative to the apparatus body before the detachable unit is attached to or detached from the apparatus body, and an adhesion-suppressing component provided on the preceding unit and configured to suppress adhesion of floating matter in the apparatus body to a grip of the detachable unit by covering the grip.
An exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure will be described in detail based on the following figures, wherein:
Overall Configuration of Image Forming Apparatus
The image forming apparatus 1 according to the present exemplary embodiment is configured as, for example, a color printer. As illustrated in
The imaging devices 10 are four imaging devices 10Y, 10M, 10C, and 10K, which are configured to exclusively form respective toner images in four respective colors of yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C), and black (K). The four imaging devices 10 (Y, M, C, and K) are arranged in an inclined line in the apparatus body 1a, with the imaging device 10Y for yellow (Y) being at the highest position and the imaging device 10K for black (K) being at the lowest position.
The four imaging devices 10 are categorized into color imaging devices 10 (Y, M, and C) for yellow (Y), magenta (M), and cyan (C); and a black (K) imaging device 10K. The black imaging device 10K is provided at the downstreammost position in a direction B, in which an intermediate transfer belt 21 rotates. The intermediate transfer belt 21 is included in the intermediate transfer device 20. The image forming apparatus 1 has the following imaging modes: a full-color mode in which the color imaging devices 10 (Y, M, and C) and the black (K) imaging device 10K are all activated to form a full-color image as a whole, and a monochrome mode in which only the black (K) imaging device 10K is activated to form a monochrome image.
Referring to
The photoconductor drum 11 is obtained by providing a photoconductive layer (photosensitive layer) made of a photosensitive material over the peripheral surface of a circular cylindrical or columnar base member that is to be grounded. The photoconductive layer forms the image-carrying surface. The photoconductor drum 11 is supported in such a manner as to be rotatable in a direction A when receiving a driving force from a driving device (not illustrated).
The charging device 12 includes a contact charging roller 121, which is positioned in contact with the photoconductor drum 11. The charging roller 121 is provided with a cleaning roller 122, which is positioned to be in contact with the back of the charging roller 121 so as to clean the surface of the charging roller 121. The charging device 12 is supplied with a charging voltage. If the developing device 14 employs a reversal development scheme, the charging voltage is a voltage or current of a polarity that is the same as the polarity to which the toner to be supplied from the developing device 14 is charged. The charging roller 121 and the cleaning roller 122 rotate by receiving the driving force through the photoconductor drum 11.
The exposure device 13 is a printhead including a plurality of light-emitting-diodes (LEDs), as light-emitting devices, arrayed in the axial direction of the photoconductor drum 11. The exposure device 13 is configured to form an electrostatic latent image by applying light generated from the image information to the photoconductor drum 11. The exposure device 13 may be a device configured to perform polarization scanning in the axial direction of the photoconductor drum 11 with a laser beam generated from the image information.
The developing device 14 (Y, M, C, or K) has a housing 140, which has an opening and chambers for storing the developer. The housing 140 houses a developing roller 141, a stirring-and-supplying member 142, a stirring-and-transporting member 143, a layer-thickness-regulating member 144, and so forth. The developing roller 141 is configured to carry the developer to a developing area that faces the photoconductor drum 11. The stirring-and-supplying member 142 is a screw auger or the like and is configured to cause the developer to move over the developing roller 141 while stirring the developer. The stirring-and-transporting member 143 is a screw auger or the like and is configured to transport the developer to the stirring-and-supplying member 142 while stirring the developer. The layer-thickness-regulating member 144 is configured to regulate the amount (thickness) of the developer to be carried by the developing roller 141. The developing device 14 is supplied with a developing voltage from a power source device (not illustrated). The developing voltage is placed between the developing roller 141 and the photoconductor drum 11. The developing roller 141 is configured to rotate in a predetermined direction when receiving a driving force from a driving device (not illustrated). The stirring-and-supplying member 142 and the stirring-and-transporting member 143 rotate by receiving the driving force through the developing roller 141. The developer for each of the four colors is a two-component developer containing a nonmagnetic toner and a magnetic carrier
The first-transfer device 15 (Y, M, C, or K) is a contact transfer device including a first-transfer roller that is configured to rotate by being in contact with the periphery of the photoconductor drum 11 with the intermediate transfer belt 21 in between. The first-transfer roller is supplied with a first-transfer voltage. The first-transfer voltage is a direct-current voltage supplied from a power source device (not illustrated) and having a polarity opposite to the polarity to which the toner is charged.
The drum-cleaning device 16 includes a container-like body 160, a cleaning plate 161, a delivering member 162, and so forth. A part of the body 160 is open. The cleaning plate 161 is pressed with a predetermined pressure against the peripheral surface of the photoconductor drum 11 having undergone the first-transfer process, thereby removing residual matter such as toner particles. The delivering member 162 is a screw auger or the like and is configured to collect the matter such as the toner particles removed by the cleaning plate 161 and to deliver the collected matter to a collecting system (not illustrated). The cleaning plate 161 is a plate-like member (such as a blade) made of rubber or the like. The delivering member 162 of the drum-cleaning device 16 rotates by receiving the driving force through the photoconductor drum 11.
Referring to
The intermediate transfer belt 21 is an endless belt made of, for example, synthetic resin such as polyimide resin or polyamide resin in which a resistance regulator or the like such as carbon black is dispersed. The belt-supporting roller 23 serves as a counter roller for the belt-cleaning device 26 and also serves as a driving roller that is rotated by a driving device (not illustrated). The belt-supporting roller 24 serves as a surface-defining roller that defines the image forming surface of the intermediate transfer belt 21. The belt-supporting roller 25 serves as a tension-applying roller that applies a tension to the intermediate transfer belt 21. The belt-supporting roller 22 serves as a counter roller located across from the second-transfer device 30.
The belt-supporting roller 24 of the intermediate transfer device 20 is movable together with the first-transfer devices 15 (Y, M, C, and K) inward and outward relative to the intermediate transfer belt 21. In the full-color mode, as illustrated in
During the maintenance work, the belt-supporting roller 24 is positioned such that the color first-transfer devices 15 (Y, M, and C), the black (K) first-transfer device 15K, and the intermediate transfer belt 21 are spaced apart from the surfaces of the photoconductor drums 11 (Y, M, C, and K).
As illustrated in
The fixing device 40 has a housing (not illustrated) having an introduction port and a discharge port for the recording sheet 5 and that houses a heating rotary member 41, a pressing rotary member 42, and so forth. The heating rotary member 41 is in the form of a roller or a belt and is configured to rotate in the direction of the arrow and to be heated by a heating component such that the surface thereof is kept at a predetermined temperature. The pressing rotary member 42 is in the form of a belt or a roller and is configured to rotate by being in contact with the heating rotary member 41 with a predetermined pressure over an area extending substantially in the axial direction of the heating rotary member 41. In the fixing device 40, the contact area where the heating rotary member 41 and the pressing rotary member 42 are in contact with each other serves as a fixing part, where a predetermined fixing process (heating and pressing) is to be performed.
The sheet-feeding device 50 is located below the imaging devices 10 (Y, M, C, and K). The sheet-feeding device 50 includes a single sheet storage 51 (or a plurality of sheet storages 51) and delivering devices 52 and 53. The sheet storage 51 stores a stack of recording sheets 5 that are of one predetermined size, kind, or the like. The delivering devices 52 and 53 are configured to deliver the recording sheets 5 one by one from the sheet storage 51. The sheet storage 51 is drawable from, for example, the front face of the apparatus body 1a (the face toward which the user who is operating the apparatus 1 faces).
Examples of the recording sheet 5 include thin papers, such as plain paper and tracing paper, intended for electrophotographic machines such as copiers and printers; and sheets intended for over-head projectors (OHPs). The surface smoothness of the fixed image may be improved by using a recording sheet 5 having a highly smooth surface. Examples of such a recording sheet 5 include coated paper obtained by coating plain paper with resin or the like; and thick paper, such as art paper intended for printing, having a relatively heavy basis weight.
A sheet-feeding path 56 extends between the sheet-feeding device 50 and the second-transfer device 30. The sheet-feeding path 56 is provided with a single pair or a plurality of pairs of sheet-transporting rollers 54 and 55 and transporting guides (not illustrated), with which the recording sheet 5 fed from the sheet-feeding device 50 is transported to the second-transfer position. The pair of sheet-transporting rollers 55 located immediately before the second-transfer position in the sheet-feeding path 56 serves as, for example, a pair of rollers (registration rollers) that adjusts the timing of transporting the recording sheet 5. A sheet transport path 57 extends between the second-transfer device 30 and the fixing device 40. The recording sheet 5 having undergone the second-transfer process and exited from the second-transfer device 30 is transported along the sheet transport path 57 to the fixing device 40. A sheet output path 61 extends near a sheet output port, which is provided in the apparatus body 1a of the image forming apparatus 1. The sheet output path 61 is provided with pairs of sheet output rollers 59 and 60. The recording sheet 5 having undergone the fixing process and exited from the fixing device 40 is outputted along the sheet output path 61 to a sheet output portion 58, which is provided at the top of the apparatus body 1a.
The image forming apparatus 1 further includes a duplex unit 62, which is used when images are formed on the two respective sides of the recording sheet 5. Before the recording sheet 5 having an image formed on one side thereof and being transported by the pair of sheet output rollers 59 is outputted to the sheet output portion 58, the pair of sheet output rollers 60 is rotated backward with the trailing end of the recording sheet 5 being held by the pair of sheet output rollers 60. Then, the recording sheet 5 is introduced into the duplex unit 62 by a switching gate 63. The duplex unit 62 includes a duplex transport path 65, which is provided with a plurality of transport rollers 64 and transport guides (not illustrated). In the duplex transport path 65, the recording sheet 5 is transported by the transport rollers 64 and the transport guides, whereby the front and back sides of the recording sheet 5 are reversed.
Toner cartridges 145 (Y, M, C, and K), illustrated in
The operation of the image forming apparatus 1 is generally controlled by a control device 100, illustrated in
Operation of Image Forming Apparatus
A basic image forming operation performed by the image forming apparatus 1 will now be described.
The following description relates to an operation in the full-color mode in which a full-color image composed of toner images having the four respective colors (Y, M, C, and K) is formed by using the four imaging devices 10 (Y, M, C, and K).
When the image forming apparatus 1 receives image information and a command that requests an operation (printing operation) of forming a full-color image from a device such as a personal computer or an image-reading device that is not illustrated, the control device 100 activates the four imaging devices 10 (Y, M, C, and K), the intermediate transfer device 20, the second-transfer device 30, the fixing device 40, and other relevant devices.
In the imaging devices 10 (Y, M, C, and K), referring to
Subsequently, in the imaging devices 10 (Y, M, C, and K), the toners having the respective colors (Y, M, C, and K) and charged to the predetermined polarity (negative polarity) are supplied for development from the developing rollers 141 to the electrostatic latent images for the respective color components on the photoconductor drums 11 and are electrostatically attracted thereto. Thus, the electrostatic latent images for the respective color components on the photoconductor drums 11 are visualized with the toners having the respective colors into toner images in the four respective colors (Y, M, C, and K).
The toner images in the respective colors on the photoconductor drums 11 of the imaging devices 10 (Y, M, C, and K) are then transported to the respective first-transfer positions, where the first-transfer devices 15 (Y, M, C, and K) perform the first-transfer process in which the toner images in the respective colors are sequentially superposed one on top of another on the intermediate transfer belt 21 that is rotating in the direction B in the intermediate transfer device 20.
In the imaging devices 10 (Y, M, C, and K) having completed the first-transfer process, the drum cleaning devices 16 clean the surfaces of the photoconductor drums 11 by scraping residual matter from the photoconductor drums 11. Thus, the imaging devices 10 (Y, M, C, and K) are ready for the next imaging operation.
Subsequently, in the intermediate transfer device 20, the intermediate transfer belt 21 carrying the set of toner images transferred thereto in the first-transfer process rotates to transport the set of toner images to the second-transfer position. Meanwhile, in the sheet-feeding device 50, a predetermined recording sheet 5 is fed into the sheet-feeding path 56 synchronously with the imaging operation. In the sheet-feeding path 56, the pair of sheet-transporting rollers 55 serving as the pair of registration rollers supplies the recording sheet 5 to the second-transfer position synchronously with the timing of transfer.
At the second-transfer position, the second-transfer device 30 performs the second-transfer process in which the set of toner images is transferred from the intermediate transfer belt 21 to the recording sheet 5. In the intermediate transfer device 20 having completed the second-transfer process, the belt-cleaning device 26 removes residual matter, such as toner particles, from the surface of the intermediate transfer belt 21 having undergone the second-transfer process.
The recording sheet 5 now having the set of toner images received in the second-transfer process is released from the intermediate transfer belt 21 and is then transported along the sheet transport path 57 to the fixing device 40. In the fixing device 40, the recording sheet 5 having undergone the second-transfer process is made to pass through the contact area defined between the heating rotary member 41 and the pressing rotary member 42 that are rotating. Thus, the predetermined fixing process (heating and pressing) is performed on the set of unfixed toner images, whereby the set of toner images are fixed to the recording sheet 5. Lastly, the recording sheet 5 having undergone the fixing process is outputted by the pair of sheet output rollers 60 to the sheet output portion 58 provided at, for example, the top of the apparatus body 1a.
Through the above series of processes, a recording sheet 5 having a full-color image formed as a combination of toner images in the four respective colors is obtained.
On the other hand, when the image forming apparatus 1 receives image information and a command that requests an operation (printing operation) of forming a monochrome image from a device such as a personal computer or an image-reading device that is not illustrated, the control device 100 activates only the black (K) imaging device 10K out of the four imaging devices 10 (Y, M, C, and K), and also activates the intermediate transfer device 20, the second-transfer device 30, the fixing device 40, and other relevant devices.
In the monochrome mode, the belt-supporting roller 24 is positioned such that only the black (K) first-transfer device 15K is in contact with the surface of the black (K) photoconductor drum 11K with the intermediate transfer belt 21 in between while the color first-transfer devices 15 (Y, M, and C) and the intermediate transfer belt 21 are spaced apart from the surfaces of the photoconductor drums 11 (Y, M, and C).
Then, a black (K) toner image is formed by the black (K) imaging device 10K and is transferred to a recording sheet 5, whereby a monochrome image is obtained on the recording sheet 5.
Relevant Features of Image Forming Apparatus
Referring to
The photoconductor units 70 (Y, M, C, and K) for the respective colors of yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C), and black (K) each include the photoconductor drum 11, the charging device 12, the drum-cleaning device 16, and a photoconductor-unit body 71, to which the photoconductor drum 11 is rotatably attached and the charging device 12 and the drum-cleaning device 16 are attached. The photoconductor-unit body 71 includes a grip 72, which is located at the upper end on the front side in the attaching/detaching direction of the photoconductor unit 70. The grip 72 is to be gripped by an operator such as a user or a service engineer when the photoconductor unit 70 is attached to or detached from the apparatus body 1a of the image forming apparatus 1.
Referring to
Referring to
Then, the operator such as a user or a service engineer grips the grip 72 of the photoconductor unit 70 and pulls the photoconductor unit 70 out of the apparatus body 1a toward the front side in the attaching/detaching direction. When the operator detaches the photoconductor unit 70 from the apparatus body 1a, the operator holds with his/her other hand a guide rail 75, which is provided at the upper end of the photoconductor unit 70 on one side (the left side in the example illustrated in
Referring to
Referring to
The collecting unit 80 has an oblong, substantially rectangular box-like shape in front view, with a small depth in the depth direction of the apparatus body 1a. As illustrated in
Referring to
If such a situation occurs, the following technical problem may arise. When the operator holds the grip 72 of any of the photoconductor units 70 with his/her fingers as illustrated in
To avoid the above situation, the image forming apparatus according to the present exemplary embodiment includes an adhesion-suppressing component. The adhesion-suppressing component is provided on the preceding unit and configured to suppress the adhesion of floating matter in the apparatus body to the grip of the detachable unit by covering the grip.
Specifically, referring to
As illustrated in
Referring to
Referring to
Functions Exerted by Relevant Features of Image Forming Apparatus
In the image forming operation of the image forming apparatus 1 according to the present exemplary embodiment illustrated in
During the image forming operation, floating matter such as toner cloud is present inside the apparatus body 1a of the image forming apparatus 1 configured as above, at locations around the photoconductor drums 11, the openings of the developing devices 14, the intermediate transfer belt 21, and so forth. In particular, during an operation of successively printing high-density images such as full-color solid images, a large amount of floating matter such as toner cloud may be present inside the apparatus body 1a of the image forming apparatus 1. In a related-art image forming apparatus 1 illustrated in
In the related-art image forming apparatus 1, when the operator holds the grip 72 of any of the photoconductor units 70 with his/her fingers as illustrated in
In contrast, the image forming apparatus 1 according to the present exemplary embodiment includes the adhesion-preventing coverings 90 each configured to cover the upper end face 73 of the grip 72 of a corresponding one of the photoconductor units 70 as illustrated in
Therefore, the upper end face 73 of the grip 72 of the photoconductor unit 70 is not exposed inside the apparatus body 1a of the image forming apparatus 1 and is covered by the adhesion-preventing covering 90 that is closely in contact therewith.
Furthermore, as illustrated in
While the above exemplary embodiment relates to a case where the adhesion-preventing covering 90 is added to the collecting unit 80 afterward, the adhesion-preventing covering 90 and the collecting unit 80 may be integrated into a single unit.
In the latter case, a combination of the body of the adhesion-preventing covering 90 and the collecting unit 80 may first be formed from one specific synthetic resin, and an elastic member and a covering member may be provided afterward over relevant surfaces of the body of the adhesion-preventing covering 90.
While the above exemplary embodiment relates to a case where the adhesion-preventing covering 90 is provided on the collecting unit 80, the adhesion-preventing covering 90 does not necessarily need to be provided on the collecting unit 80. For example, if the collecting unit 80 is absent between the photoconductor unit 70 and the front covering, the adhesion-preventing covering 90 may be provided directly on the front covering. In such a case, the front covering serves as the preceding unit.
The element on which the adhesion-preventing covering 90 is provided is not limited to a unit that is attachable to and detachable from the apparatus body. The element may be any component configured to move before the detachable unit is attached to or detached from the apparatus body. If any member such as an internal covering that openably covers the front face of the detachable unit serves as the preceding unit, the member such as an internal covering may have the adhesion-preventing covering 90.
The foregoing description of the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure has been provided for the purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the disclosure to the precise forms disclosed. Obviously, many modifications and variations will be apparent to practitioners skilled in the art. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the disclosure and its practical applications, thereby enabling others skilled in the art to understand the disclosure for various embodiments and with the various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. It is intended that the scope of the disclosure be defined by the following claims and their equivalents.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-008945 | Jan 2022 | JP | national |
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20180011441 | Ueno | Jan 2018 | A1 |
| 20210302903 | Ise | Sep 2021 | A1 |
| Number | Date | Country |
|---|---|---|
| 2009-093099 | Apr 2009 | JP |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20230236539 A1 | Jul 2023 | US |
