Patent Grant
7764904
This application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. 119 (a) of Korean Patent Application No. 2007-0018525, filed on Feb. 23, 2007 in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated in its entirety.
1. Field of the Invention
The present general inventive concept relates to an image forming apparatus, and more particularly to an image forming apparatus in which paper is fed while being attached to a paper feed body.
2. Description of the Related Art
An image forming apparatus is an apparatus that prints an image on a printing medium, e.g., paper, according to an inputted image signal. One example of the image forming apparatus is an electrophotographic image forming apparatus. The electrophotographic image forming apparatus is configured such that a light beam is scanned across a photosensitive body charged with a predetermined electric potential to form an electrostatic latent image on the outer peripheral surface of the photosensitive body. The electrostatic latent image is developed into a visible image by supplying a toner to the electrostatic latent image, and the visible image is transferred and fixed onto paper. An electrophotographic color image forming apparatus is configured such that toners of different colors are supplied to respective photosensitive bodies to form images of different colors, and the images of different colors are overlapped and transferred onto paper to achieve a color image.
When the paper is fed between the paper attaching roller 4 and the paper feed belt 3, a high voltage is applied to the paper attaching roller 4. Accordingly, the paper is attached to the paper feed belt 3 by an electrostatic force, and is fed at the same velocity as a traveling velocity of the paper feed belt 3.
The developing devices 1Y, 1M, 1C, and 1K develop electrostatic latent images formed on the respective photosensitive bodies 2Y, 2M, 2C, and 2K into yellow, magenta, cyan, and black toner images according to color image information transmitted to the image forming apparatus. The yellow, magenta, cyan and black toner images are then overlapped and transferred onto the paper in sequence, thereby achieving a color toner image on the paper.
The external housings of the developing devices 1Y, 1M, 1C, and 1K are designed such that spaces SY, SM, SC, and SK are formed between each of the housings of the developing devices 1Y, 1M, 1C, and 1K and the paper feed belt 3 to install the paper attaching roller 4 therein. However, the paper attaching roller 4 is only installed in one of the spaces SY, SM, SC, and SK formed among the developing devices, and thus the remaining unused spaces are superfluous. For instance, the space SY, which is formed between the paper feed belt 3 and the developing device 1Y and disposed on the uppermost paper stream side in a feeding direction of the paper, is a useful space in which the paper attaching roller 4 is installed. But, the spaces SM, SC, and SK, which are formed between the paper feed belt 3 and the other developing devices 1M, 1C and 1K, create an unnecessary waste of space.
In order to solve the above problem, two solutions have been implemented to alter the design of the external housings of the developing devices. With the first solution, the external housings of the developing devices were designed so that only the developing device 1Y on the uppermost stream side includes the space for installing the paper attaching roller 4. Alternatively, with the second solution, the external housings of the developing devices 1Y, 1M, 1C, and 1K were designed without the spaces being formed between each of the respective developing devices 1Y, 1M, 1C, and 1K and the paper feed belt 3. Thus, the paper attaching roller 4 is installed below the developing device 1Y. However, the first solution has a shortcoming of the components being incompatible due to the different shape of the developing device 1Y as compared to the other developing devices 1M, 1C, and 1K. The second solution has a shortcoming of an increase in size of the image forming apparatus due to an increase in the height of the set of developing devices by the size of the paper attaching roller 4.
As illustrated in
Further, as the image forming apparatus is used over a long period of time, paper dust or residual toner particles accumulate inside of the image forming apparatus during the developing process. Thus, another drawback of the conventional image forming apparatus is that the outer peripheral surface of the paper attaching roller 4 is easily contaminated with dust from the paper P dust or toner particles.
Accordingly, the present general inventive concept provides an image forming apparatus and a developing device that can efficiently utilize an inner space of the apparatus by improving the construction and the mounting structure of a device to charge paper.
The present general inventive concept also provides an image forming apparatus and a developing device thereof that prevents deterioration of image quality due to an excessive pressure exerted on paper during the paper charge function.
The present general inventive concept also provides an image forming apparatus and a developing device thereof that protects a device that charges a sheet of paper P from being contaminated with ambient foreign substances.
Additional aspects and/or utilities of the general inventive concept will be set forth in part in the description which follows and, in part, will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the general inventive concept.
The foregoing and/or other aspects and utilities of the present general inventive concept are achieved by providing an image forming apparatus including a plurality of developing devices and a paper feed body which is mounted opposite to the plurality of developing devices and rotates to feed paper, the paper feed body including a sheet member which is mounted to or in the vicinity of a developing device of the plurality of developing devices, which is disposed on an uppermost paper stream side in a feeding direction of the paper, and charges the paper as it advances to the paper feed body to attach the paper to the paper feed body.
The image forming apparatus may further include a fixing member which is fixed to a lower portion of the developing device disposed on the uppermost paper stream side. A first end of the sheet member may contact the paper as it advances to the paper feed body in a width direction, and a second end of the sheet member may be adhered to the fixing member.
The sheet member may be adhered to the fixing member by a conductive adhesive member.
The image forming apparatus may further include a voltage transmission plate, of which a first end portion is provided with a terminal contact portion to contact a terminal to apply voltage to the developing device disposed on the uppermost paper stream side, and a second end portion extending toward the sheet member to transmit voltage to the sheet member.
The second end portion of the voltage transmission plate may be formed with a voltage transmission protrusion, and the fixing member may include a protrusion contact portion which contacts the voltage transmission protrusion.
The image forming apparatus may further comprise a side frame which is mounted to a side portion of the developing device disposed on the uppermost paper stream side. The voltage transmission plate may be mounted to the side frame.
The sheet member may be provided with a hole, through which foreign substances on the sheet member may drop. A foreign substance container may be mounted below the sheet member to collect the foreign substances that drop through the hole.
The foregoing and/or other aspects and utilities of the present general inventive concept may also be achieved by providing an image forming apparatus including a main body, a paper feed body which is mounted inside the main body and rotates to feed paper, a sheet member to contact the paper feed body at a first end and to charge the paper to attach the paper to the paper feed body, and a voltage transmission part to transmit voltage to the sheet member.
The image forming apparatus may further include a plurality of developing devices to develop an image on the paper that is fed while being attached to the paper feed body. The sheet member may be mounted to a developing device of the plurality of developing devices, which may be disposed on an uppermost paper stream side in a feeding direction of the paper.
The voltage transmission part may include a conductive fixing member to which a second end of the sheet member is fixed, and a voltage transmission plate of which a first end portion is provided with a terminal contact portion to contact a terminal mounted in the main body and a second end portion being electrically connected to the fixing member.
The voltage transmission part may further include a conductive adhesive member to adhere the sheet member to the fixing member.
The second end portion of the voltage transmission plate may be formed with a protrusion, and the fixing member may be provided with a protrusion contact portion which contacts the protrusion.
The foregoing and/or other aspects and utilities of the present general inventive concept may also be achieved by providing a developing device of an image forming apparatus, which develops an image on paper attached to a paper feed body that rotates, including a developing device frame, a conductive sheet member which is supported by the developing device frame and has a first end contacting the paper feed body, and at least one voltage transmission member which transmits voltage applied to the developing device to the sheet member.
The voltage transmission member may include a conductive fixing member which is mounted to a lower portion of the developing device frame, and the sheet member may have a second end which is electrically connected to the fixing member.
The voltage transmission member may further include a conductive adhesive member which is provided between the sheet member and the fixing member.
The developing device may further comprise a side frame which is mounted to a side portion of the developing device frame. The voltage transmission member may further include a voltage transmission plate which is mounted to the side frame and has an end electrically connected to the fixing member.
The foregoing and/or other aspects and utilities of the present general inventive concept may also be achieved by providing a developing device of an image forming apparatus to develop an image on a printing medium including a chargeable sheet member disposed at a lower surface thereof to electrically charge the printing medium as the printing medium contacts the sheet member.
The sheet member may include an opening to release printing particles that accumulate on the sheet member.
The developing device may also include a voltage transmission member to supply a voltage to charge the sheet member.
The image forming apparatus may also include a fixing member coupled to the sheet member by a conductive adhesive member and the sheet member may be coupled to the developing device by the fixing member.
These and/or other aspects and utilities of the of the present general inventive concept will become apparent and more readily appreciated from the following description of the embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, of which:
Reference will now be made in detail to embodiments of the present general inventive concept, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout. The embodiments are described below to explain the present general inventive concept by referring to the figures.
As illustrated in
The paper supply unit 20 supplies a printing medium, e.g., paper P, to the image forming apparatus. The paper supply unit 20 includes a paper tray 21 on which the paper P is loaded, and a pickup roller 22 which picks up the paper P loaded on the paper tray 21 sheet by sheet. The paper P picked up by the pickup roller 22 is fed to the development unit 40 by a feed roller 23.
The development unit 40 includes four developing devices 40Y, 40M, 40C, and 40K, in which toners of different colors, e.g., yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C), and black (K), are respectively contained. The developing devices 40Y, 40M, 40C, and 40K are respectively provided with photosensitive bodies 41Y, 41M, 41C, and 41K on which an electrostatic latent image is formed by the exposure unit 30. The exposure units 30Y, 30M, 30C and 30K irradiate light corresponding to image information including the colors of yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C), and black (K), respectively, to the photosensitive bodies 41Y, 41M, 41C, and 41K of the respective developing devices according to a print signal that is transmitted to the image forming apparatus.
Each of the developing devices 40Y, 40M, 40C, and 40K include a development frame 42 which surrounds and supports components installed inside the developing devices 40Y, 40M, 40C, and 40K. Each development frame 42 accommodates a charge roller 43 to charge each of the photosensitive bodies 41Y, 41M, 41C, and 41K, a developing roller 44 to develop the electrostatic latent image formed on each of the photosensitive bodies 41Y, 41M, 41C, and 41K into a visible image, and a supply roller 45 to supply the toner to the developing roller 44.
The transfer unit 50 transfers the toner image developed on the photosensitive bodies onto the paper P. In particular, the transfer unit 50 includes a paper feed body 51 which is disposed opposite to the developing devices 40Y, 40M, 40C, and 40K and transfers the paper P past the photosensitive bodies 41Y, 41M, 41C, and 41K in sequence. The paper P supplied from the paper supply unit 20 is attached to the paper feed body 51, and is fed at the same speed as a traveling speed of the paper feed body 51. In the above description, the paper feed body 51 according to the present general inventive concept is configured as a paper feed belt 51a, however, the present general inventive concept is not restricted thereto. Thus, any type of feed member that is capable of transferring the paper P along a surface of the feed member can be supplied with the paper feed body 51.
The transfer unit 50 includes a driving roller 52 which drives the paper feed belt 51a, a tension roller 53 which maintains a constant tensile force of the paper feed belt 51a, and four transfer rollers 54 which transfer the toner image developed on the photosensitive bodies 41Y, 41M, 41C, and 41K onto the paper. The four transfer rollers 54 are disposed opposite to the respective photosensitive bodies 41Y, 41M, 41C, and 41K while interposing the paper feed belt 51a therebetween.
As illustrated in
In particular, when the voltage is transmitted through the voltage transmission part 200 and applied to the sheet member 100, the paper P is fed from the paper supply unit 20 and advances between the sheet member 100 along the paper feed belt 51a. During this process, the paper P is also electrically charged, and thus attaches to the paper feed belt 51a by an electrostatic force.
The sheet member 100 is mounted to the developing device 40Y, which is disposed on an uppermost paper stream side in a feeding direction of the paper. The sheet member 100 may alternatively be mounted in the vicinity of the developing device 40Y. The end of the sheet member 100 is in continuous contact with the paper feed belt 51a due to a constant pressure exerted by the force of the sheet member 100. The sheet member 100 is positioned opposite to the tension roller 53 while interposing the paper feed belt 51a therebetween.
Since the sheet member 100 can be installed in a relatively narrow space, the sheet member 100 is more effective with regard to minimizing the amount of space utilized, as compared to the conventional structure described above which uses a roller to charge the paper P. Also, with regard to the conventional structure, if any portion of an outer surface of the roller is contaminated with foreign substances, the paper charge function will be negatively affected. However, according to the present general inventive concept, as long as the end of the sheet member 100 that contacts the paper P is not contaminated, although other portions of the sheet member 100 may be contaminated, the paper charge performance is not affected. Further, since the sheet member 100 is either mounted to or in the vicinity of the developing device 40Y in the present general inventive concept, whenever replacing the developing device 40Y, the sheet member 100 may also be replaced with a new sheet member 100. Thus, deterioration of the paper charge performance due to fatigue and/or contamination of the sheet member 100 will be prevented.
The sheet member 100 may be made of a conductive polymer material, such as polyacetylene, polyaniline, polypyrrole, polythiophene, poly sulfur nitride, conductive polyethylene terephthalate, etc. In certain embodiments according to the present general inventive concept, the sheet member 100 may have a thickness of 0.2 mm or less. Additionally, a nip pressure of the sheet member 100, which is applied to the paper P when pressing the paper to the paper feed belt 51a, is set to 14.76 gf/10 mm or less.
As illustrated in
The voltage transmission plate 220 is fitted in a side frame 46 and mounted to a side portion of the developing device frame 42Y. A first end portion 220a of the voltage transmission plate 220 is provided with a terminal contact portion 221 which is exposed to an outside of the side frame 46. A second end portion 220b of the voltage transmission plate 220 extends toward the sheet member 100. The terminal contact portion 221 contacts a terminal (not shown) provided in the main body 10 so as to apply voltage to the developing device 40Y and the sheet member 100. Taking into consideration the combined factors of stability and the paper attaching force of the sheet member 100 the voltage that is applied to the terminal contact portion 221 through the terminal (not shown) is set having a voltage ranging from 400 V to 600 V. Alternate voltage ranges may be applied to the terminal contact portion, thus the present general inventive concept is not limited thereto.
The second end portion 220b of the voltage transmission plate 220 is provided with a voltage transmission protrusion 222 which protrudes sideward and outwardly from the voltage transmission plate. The protrusion 222 connects the fixing member 210 to the voltage transmission plate 220.
The fixing member 210 is fixed to the bottom of the developing device frame 42Y by using a coupling member such as a screw. The fixing member 210 includes a base plate 211 which extends in the width direction of the developing device frame 42Y and has an end of the sheet member 100 attached thereto and a protrusion contact portion 212 which is bent upward from an end of the base plate 211. When attaching the fixing member 210 to the developing device frame 42Y, the inner surface of the protrusion contact portion 212 elastically contacts the protrusion 222 of the voltage transmission plate 220.
As illustrated in
As illustrated in
The paper discharge unit 70 includes a discharge roller 71 which discharges the paper P after having passed through the fixing unit 60 to the outside of the main body 10, and a discharge backup roller 72 which is disposed opposite to the discharge roller 71.
Hereinafter, the operation of the image forming apparatus according to the present general inventive concept will be described with reference to
The paper P loaded on the paper tray 21 is picked up by the pickup roller 22, and is fed to the paper feed belt 51a. At this time, a voltage is applied to the terminal contact portion 221 of the voltage transmission plate 220 from the main body 10, and the applied voltage is transmitted to the sheet member 100 via the voltage transmission plate 220 and the fixing member 210. The paper P that advances between the sheet member 100 and the paper feed belt 51a is charged by the voltage applied to the sheet member 100, and accordingly the paper P is attached to the paper feed belt 51a by an electrostatic force and fed along the paper feed belt 51a at the same velocity as the traveling velocity of the paper feed belt 51a. When the paper P fed by the paper feed belt 51a passes between the respective photosensitive bodies 41Y, 41M, 41C and 41K and the transfer rollers 54, the visible images of yellow, magenta, cyan and black which are developed on the photosensitive bodies 41Y, 41M, 41C and 41K are overlapped and transferred onto the paper P to achieve a color image that corresponds to the transmitted print image information. The images transferred onto the paper P are then fixed to the paper P while passing through the fixing unit 60, and the paper P having passed the fixing unit 60 is discharged to the outside of the main body 10 by the discharge roller 71.
Paper dust or toner particles scattered during the developing process exist inside the image forming apparatus. Such foreign substances accumulate on the sheet member 100a when a large amount of voltage is applied to the sheet member 100a. The accumulation of foreign substances could potentially be catastrophic and may cause deformation or breakage of the sheet member 100a. Alternatively, when foreign substances accumulate on the sheet member 100, the sheet member 100 exerts extra pressure on the paper P as the paper P comes in contact with the sheet member 100a and is pressed toward the paper feed belt 51a. The extra pressure exerted is greater than a predetermined reference value, and as a result, the paper P is susceptible to high resistance when passing by the sheet member 100a, thereby causing deterioration of image quality, e.g., color discordance.
In the present embodiment, the sheet member 100a is formed with a hole 110, through which the foreign substances on the sheet member 100a may drop.
When providing the sheet member 100a with the hole 110, it is preferable to install a foreign substance container 300 below the sheet member 100a so as to collect the foreign substances dropping through the hole 110 and store therein.
As is apparent from the above description, the image forming apparatus according to the embodiments of the present general inventive concept can efficiently utilize space within the main body because the sheet member 100a according to the present general inventive concept provides a simple structure and does not occupy a large amount of space.
Further, since the sheet members of the various embodiments of the present general inventive concept are securely supported by the developing device, the sheet members are not easily separated by external shock or movements applied to the image forming apparatus, and also can press paper with a proper pressure, thereby preventing deterioration of image quality due to the excessive pressure.
Further, the sheet members of the various embodiments of the present general inventive concept have structural features such that the sheet member will not be negatively affected by foreign substances as compared to utilizing a conventional roller. Additionally, since the sheet member may be mounted to the developing device, whenever replacing the developing device, the sheet member may also be replaced by a new one, thereby continuously ensuring the stability of the paper charging function.
Although a few embodiments of the present general inventive concept have been illustrated and described, it would be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes may be made in these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the general inventive concept, the scope of which is defined in the claims and their equivalents.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-2007-0018525 | Feb 2007 | KR | national |
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6741832 | Tomatsu | May 2004 | B2 |
| 20020044798 | Katsumi et al. | Apr 2002 | A1 |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20080205946 A1 | Aug 2008 | US |
