Image forming apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10845752-B2
Application number	US-201514840788-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 31, 2015
Priority date	Sep 3, 2014
Publication date	Nov 24, 2020
Grant date	Nov 24, 2020

Abstract

Disclosed herein is an image forming apparatus. The image forming apparatus includes at least one pressing unit configured to bring the developing roller and the photoreceptor in contact with each other, an operating unit which is configured to be in an operating position during which a pressing force of the pressing unit is generated, and a standby during at which the pressing force is released, and a cover unit detachably provided to one side of the developing device and configured to guide movement of the operating unit to the operating position. By this configuration, operation of the operating unit is linked with an operation of detachment or attachment of the cover unit.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An image forming apparatus, comprising:
a main body;
a developing device including a developing roller,
the developing device movable to an operating position and a standby position to cause the developing roller to respectively contact and separate from a photoreceptor on which an electrostatic latent image is to be formed, and
the developing device to supply a developer to the photoreceptor via the developing roller;

at least one pressing unit to apply a pressing force to the developing device to move the developing device to the operating position; and
an operating unit rotatable about a rotation axis and a rotatable shaft forming a center of rotation of the rotation axis and in linkage with the at least one pressing unit, the operating unit being rotatable about the rotation axis to transfer a rotatable movement of the operating unit through the rotatable shaft to the at least one pressing unit, the rotatable movement to operate the operating unit to one of the operating position during which the pressing force of the pressing unit is generated and the standby position during which the pressing force is released.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a cover unit detachably provided to one side of the developing device and to guide the rotatable movement of the operating unit to the operating position or the standby position,
wherein while the cover unit is detached from the developing device the operating unit is rotated to the standby position, and while the cover unit is attached to the developing device, the operating unit is rotated to the operating position.

3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the operating unit is rotatable to the standby position by an elastic restoring force, and as the operating unit is rotated to the standby position, the pressing force applied by the at least one pressing unit is released so as to separate the developing roller from the photoreceptor.

4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein an operation of the at least one pressing unit includes:
a pressing position during which the developing roller and the photoreceptor contact each other; and
a release position during which the developing roller is separated from the photoreceptor by having the at least one pressing unit move back from the pressing position; and
the operating position of the operating unit includes:
a fixed operating position during which the at least one pressing unit is continuously positioned at the pressing position; and
a movable operating position during which the at least one pressing unit is variably positioned at the pressing position.

5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein, while the cover unit is mounted on the one side of the developing device, the operating unit is moved from the standby position or the fixed operating position to the movable operating position.

6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein, while the cover unit is separated from the one side of the developing device, the operating unit is moved from the movable operating position to the standby position.

7. The image forming apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the operating unit is elastically returned from the movable operating position to the standby position.

8. The image forming apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein a pressing force generated from the at least one pressing unit is equally applied at the fixed operating position and the movable operating position.

9. The image forming apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the movable operating position is positioned between the fixed operating position and the standby position.

10. The image forming apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the cover unit includes:
a cover body provided to cover the one side of the developing device; and
a guide rib which is provided to one side surface of the cover body to guide the rotatable movement of the operating unit.

11. The image forming apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the cover unit further includes:
an operating unit mounting part provided to an end portion of the guide rib corresponding to the movable operating position to fix the operating unit at the movable operating position while the cover unit is mounted to the one side of the developing device.

12. The image forming apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the guide rib includes:
a first guide rib which guides the operating unit to rotate from the fixed operating position to the movable operating position; and
a second guide rib disposed opposite the first guide rib with the operating unit mounting part interposed therebetween and to guide the operating unit to rotate from the standby position to the movable operating position.

13. The image forming apparatus according to claim 10 , the guide rib includes:
a first rib contact part; and
a second rib contact part spaced apart from the first rib contact part at an angle from a center of rotation of the operating unit, and to extend from the first rib contact part and form a slope inclined toward the cover body.

14. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the operating unit includes an operating body which is rotatable between the operating position and the standby position at a center of rotation.

15. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a rotating shaft which forms a center of rotation of the rotation axis of the operating unit, wherein the at least one pressing unit includes a plurality of pressing units disposed on the rotating shaft and spaced apart from each other.

16. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one pressing unit includes:
a link unit to link to the rotation shaft and which converts a rotational motion of the rotating shaft by rotation of the operating unit into a linear motion; and
a pressing part connected to the link unit and to press the developing device.

17. The image forming apparatus according to claim 16 , wherein the link unit includes:
a first link member rotated together with the rotating shaft; and
a second link member with one end connected to an end portion of the first link member and another end performing a linear reciprocating motion.

18. The image forming apparatus according to claim 17 , wherein the link unit includes a pressing elastic member which is provided to the second link member and generates a pressing force of the at least one pressing unit.

19. The image forming apparatus according to claim 18 , wherein the second link member includes:
a hook inserting part having at least a part inserted into the pressing part according to a position of the pressing unit; and
a flexible mounting part disposed adjacent to the hook inserting part, and to mount the pressing elastic member and change a length of the pressing elastic member in correspondence with a pressing force of the pressing elastic member.

20. The image forming apparatus according to claim 18 , wherein one end of the pressing elastic member is supported by an end portion of the second link member and another end thereof is supported by the pressing part.

21. The image forming apparatus according to claim 18 , wherein the pressing elastic member is compressed to a maximum compression length (ML) while the operating unit is between the fixed operating position and the movable operating position.

22. The imag

Assignees

• Hewlett Packard Development Co

Inventors

• Lee Wan Ho
• Park Jin Ho
• Lee Han Jun

Classifications

• G03G21/1633 Primary

  using doors or covers (G03G21/1638 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G03G21/1676 Primary

  for the developer unit · CPC title

• G03G21/1647

  Mechanical connection means · CPC title