Protective cover, process cartridge employing same, image forming apparatus, and method of installing process cartridge

Abstract

A protective cover that includes: a cover body detachably mounted on a process cartridge to protect at least an outwardly exposed part of an electro-photographic photoreceptor; a guide part that is provided on the cover body to guide the process cartridge in a longitudinal direction of the electro-photographic photoreceptor; and a position locking part that is provided at a forward end of the cover body in a direction that the process cartridge is inserted into an image forming apparatus wherein the cover body is positioned and locked to the image forming apparatus to be irremovable and forming a locked state during an installation of the process cartridge into the image forming apparatus, and the locked state is released after the installation is complete.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

An exemplary embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail based on the following figures, wherein:

FIGS. 1 (a) and (b) are explanatory views showing an exemplary embodiment of a protective cover according to an aspect of the invention, in respective states before and after the protective cover is positioned and locked to an image forming apparatus. The drawings also schematically show a process cartridge and the image forming apparatus according to an aspect of the invention;

FIG. 2 is an explanatory view showing an exemplary embodiment of the image forming apparatus to which an aspect of the invention is applied;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view schematically showing the process cartridge which is employed in this exemplary embodiment;

FIG. 4 is a view as seen from a direction of an arrow mark IV in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a view as seen from a direction of an arrow mark V in FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is an explanatory view showing an example of position the process cartridge employed in the exemplary embodiment with respect to an image forming apparatus body;

FIG. 7 is an explanatory view showing an example of a guide structure of the process cartridge employed in the exemplary embodiment, inside the image forming apparatus body;

FIG. 8 is an explanatory view showing an outer appearance of the protective cover, in a state where the protective cover is mounted on the process cartridge employed in the exemplary embodiment;

FIG. 9 is an explanatory view showing the process cartridge employed in the exemplary embodiment, in a state where the process cartridge is being detached from the protective cover;

FIG. 10 is a view as seen from a direction of an arrow mark X in FIG. 8;

FIG. 11 is an explanatory view showing details in an area XI in FIG. 8;

FIG. 12 is an explanatory view showing the protective cover in a state positioned and locked with respect to the image forming apparatus body;

FIG. 13 is an explanatory view showing principle for releasing the protective cover from the positioned and locked state with respect to the image forming apparatus body;

FIG. 14 is an explanatory view showing a state where the process cartridge is being withdrawn from the image forming apparatus body;

FIG. 15 is an explanatory view showing details in an area XV in FIG. 14;

FIGS. 16( a) to (c) are explanatory views showing process of installing the process cartridge;

FIGS. 17( a) and (b) are explanatory views showing process of installing the process cartridge;

FIGS. 18( a) to (c) are explanatory views showing process of withdrawing the process cartridge; and

FIGS. 19( a) and (b) are explanatory views showing the process of withdrawing the process cartridge.

Claims

1. A protective cover comprising: a cover body detachably mounted on a process cartridge to protect at least an outwardly exposed part of an electro-photographic photoreceptor;a guide part that is provided on the cover body to guide the process cartridge in a longitudinal direction of the electro-photographic photoreceptor; anda position locking part that is provided at a forward end of the cover body in a direction that the process cartridge is inserted into an image forming apparatus, the cover body being positioned and locked to the image forming apparatus to be irremovable and forming a locked state during an installation of the process cartridge into the image forming apparatus, and the locked state is released after the installation is complete.

2. The protective cover as claimed in claim 1, wherein the position locking part positions the cover body and locks the cover body to be irremovable.

3. The protective cover as claimed in claim 1, wherein the position locking part comprises a plurality of locking pieces that can be positioned and locked with a plurality of position locking holes that are formed on the image forming apparatus.

4. The protective cover as claimed in claim 3, wherein the plurality of locking pieces can be elastically deformed, and a locking hook is provided at the distal end of each locking piece that locks with an edge of one of plurality of position locking holes.

5. The protective cover as claimed in claim 1, wherein the position locking part can be released from the locked state when the process cartridge is inserted into the image forming apparatus.

6. The protective cover as claimed in claim 5, wherein the cover body further comprises a push-out part that freely moves and pushes out the process cartridge that is inserted into the image forming apparatus, and the push-out part releases the locked state after the process cartridge has been installed by the push-out part.

7. The protective cover as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cover body further comprises a cartridge fixing part to which at least a part of the process cartridge is fixed to form a fixed state, and the cartridge fixing part releases the fixed state when the installation of the process cartridge into the image forming apparatus begins.

8. The protective cover as claimed in claim 7, wherein the cover body further comprises a push-out part that freely moves and pushes out the process cartridge that is inserted into the image forming apparatus, and the push-out part releases the fixed state when the push-out part starts to push out the process cartridge.

9. A process cartridge that is detachably inserted and installed into an image forming apparatus, comprising an electro-photographic photoreceptor and a cartridge frame that houses the electro-photographic photoreceptor, the cartridge frame comprising a protective cover,the protective cover comprising:a cover body detachably mounted on the cartridge frame to protect at least an outwardly exposed part of the electro-photographic photoreceptor;a guide part that is provided on the cover body to guide the cartridge frame in a longitudinal direction of the electro-photographic photoreceptor; anda position locking part that is provided at a forward end of the cover body in a direction that the cartridge frame is inserted into the image forming apparatus, wherein the cover body is positioned and locked to the image forming apparatus to be irremovable and forming a locked state during an installation of the cartridge frame into the image forming apparatus, and the locked state is released after the installation is complete.

10. The process cartridge as claimed in claim 9, further comprising a retaining part provided in the cartridge frame at a backward end in a withdrawing direction of the cartridge frame, wherein the retaining part engages with the image forming apparatus at the backward end in a withdrawing direction of the cartridge frame when the cartridge frame is withdrawn from the image forming apparatus, thereby temporarily stopping a withdrawing motion.

11. An image forming apparatus comprising a process cartridge having an electro-photographic photoreceptor, the process cartridge being detachably inserted and installed into the image forming apparatus, the image forming apparatus further comprising a protective cover that protects at least an outwardly exposed part of the electro-photographic photoreceptor before an installation of the process cartridge in the image forming apparatus and during the installation, and the protective cover detaches from the process cartridge after the installation is complete,wherein the protective cover comprises:a cover body detachably mounted on the process cartridge to protect at least an outwardly exposed part of the electro-photographic photoreceptor;a guide part that is provided on the cover body to guide the process cartridge in a longitudinal direction of the electro-photographic photoreceptor; anda position locking part that is provided at a forward end of the cover body in a direction that the process cartridge is inserted into the image forming apparatus, wherein the cover body is positioned and locked with respect to the image forming apparatus to be irremovable and forming a locked state during an installation of the process cartridge into the image forming apparatus, and the locked state is released after the installation is complete.

12. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 11, further comprising a stopper provided on the image forming apparatus body; and a retaining part provided at a backward end of the process cartridge in a withdrawing direction, that engages with the stopper when the process cartridge is withdrawn from the image forming apparatus body, thereby temporarily stopping the withdrawing motion.

13. A method of detachably inserting and installing a process cartridge having an electro-photographic photoreceptor into an image forming apparatus, comprising: position and locking a protective cover, that is detachably mounted on a process cartridge and covers at least the electro-photographic photoreceptor, to the image forming apparatus to be irremovable;guiding and inserting the process cartridge along the protective cover that has been positioned and locked to the image forming apparatus; andreleasing the protective cover that was positioned and locked to the image forming apparatus, after the process cartridge has been inserted.