Image forming apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11543759-B2
Application number	US-202017029165-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 23, 2020
Priority date	Jun 2, 2010
Publication date	Jan 3, 2023
Grant date	Jan 3, 2023

Abstract

The present invention provides an image forming apparatus including: a first moving member pressed and moved by an openable/closable member when the openable/closable member is opened, and switching a cartridge from a state where the cartridge is positioned in an image forming position to a state where the positioning is released; and a second moving member pressed and moved by the openable/closable member when the openable/closable member is opened, and moving the exposure member from an exposure position to a retracted position, wherein when the positioning of the cartridge is released, a reaction force applied from the first moving member to the openable/closable member reaches a first peak, when the exposure member is moved to the retracted position, a reaction force applied from the second moving member to the openable/closable member reaches a second peak, and timing of the first peak is different from timing of the second peak.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An image forming apparatus comprising:
a plurality of rotatable photosensitive drums;
a removably-mountable unit having a housing portion configured to contain toner collected from the photosensitive drum, the removably-mountable unit being removably mountable on the image forming apparatus;
a mounting portion on which the removably-mountable unit is mounted;
a cover openable to mount and remove the removably-mountable unit to and from the image forming apparatus, the cover overlapping the removably-mountable unit as looking at the removably-mountable unit along a rotational axis direction of the photosensitive drum in a state in which the removably-mountable unit is mounted on the mounting portion; and
a plurality of LED units, each of the LED units corresponding to one of the plurality of photosensitive drums, each of the LED units including:
a frame that is provided with an LED array configured to expose the photosensitive drum, the frame being movable in a direction crossing the rotational axis direction, the LED array exposing the photosensitive drum from below when the frame is at a predetermined position;
a spring configured to be expandable and contractible in the direction crossing the rotational axis direction, the spring being configured to act on the frame so as to position the frame at the predetermined position by contraction of the spring; and
a conversion mechanism configured to convert a force provided to the removably-mountable unit for inserting the removably-mountable unit to the mounting portion into a force for contracting the spring in association with a movement of the removably-mountable unit in a mounting operation of the removably-mountable unit to the mounting portion.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a guide portion configured to guide the removably-mountable unit so that the removably-mountable unit is moved in the rotational axis direction of the photosensitive drum such that the removably-mountable unit is mounted on the mounting portion.

3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a main body in which the mounting portion is provided, the main body including an opening portion, through which the removably-mountable unit passes when mounting the removably-mountable unit, which is formed in a side surface of the main body,
wherein the cover is pivotably provided on the main body to open and close the opening portion.

4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the conversion mechanism is a cam surface that is provided to the frame.

5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the frame presses the spring in association with the movement of the removably-mountable unit to the mounting portion.

6. An image forming apparatus configured to form a latent image on a photosensitive drum that is configured to be rotatable about a rotational axis and develop the latent image formed on the photosensitive drum with toner, the image forming apparatus comprising:
a container including a containing portion configured to contain a waste toner that is collected from a surface the photosensitive drum;
a light emitting unit including:
a light emitting array configured to emit a light to form the latent image on the photosensitive drum, and
a frame that is provided with the light emitting array, the frame being movable in a direction crossing a direction of the rotational axis;

a main body being provided with the light emitting unit and a mounted portion on which the container is mounted; and
a cam member provided on the main body, the cam member including an abutment portion to which a part of the container abuts in a mounting operation mounting the container to the mounted portion, the cam member being configured to move with the container in the direction of the rotational axis while the cam member is pushed by the part of the container with the mounting operation, and the cam member being configured to act on the frame as a cam configured to move the frame in the direction crossing the direction of the rotational axis.

7. The image forming apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the light emitting unit and the cam member are disposed below the rotational axis in a vertical direction.

8. The image forming apparatus according to claim 7 , further comprising a cover provided to a side surface of the main body, the cover being configured to be openable relative to the main body to remove the container from the mounted portion and to mount the container to the mounted portion.

9. The image forming apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein, as viewed in a direction of the container and along the rotational axis, the cover overlaps the container.

10. The image forming apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the frame is configured to reciprocate between a first position at which the light emitting unit exposes the photosensitive drum and a second position that is different from the first position and at which the light emitting unit is retracted from the first position, and
wherein the cam member moves the frame from the second position to the first position with the mounting operation and the cam member moves the frame from the first position to the second position with a removing operation removing the container from the mounted portion.

11. The image forming apparatus according to claim 10 , further comprising a spring configured to be expandable and contractible in the direction crossing the rotational axis direction, the spring being configured to act on the frame to position the light emitting unit relative to the photosensitive drum,
wherein the spring is more contracted when the frame is positioned at the first position than the spring is contracted when the frame is positioned at the second position.

12. The image forming apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the light emitting unit includes a pair of the springs, with positions of the springs in the direction of the rotational axis being different from each other.

13. The image forming apparatus according to claim 6 , further comprising a spring configured to be expandable and contractible in the direction crossing the rotational axis direction, the spring being configured to act on the frame to position the light emitting unit relative to the photosensitive drum,
wherein an urging force added to the frame from the spring when the frame is positioned at the first position is greater than an urging force added to the frame from the spring when the frame is positioned at the second position.

14. The image forming apparatus according to claim 13 , wherein the light emitting unit includes a pair of the springs, with positions of the springs in the direction of the rotational axis being different from each other.

15. The image forming apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the light emitting array includes an organic light emitting layer and a plurality of electrodes interposing the organic light emitting layer, the plurality of electrodes being configured to apply a voltage to the organic light emitting layer.

Assignees

• Canon Kk

Inventors

• Tanaami Ryuji
• Nakajima Keita
• Miwa Koji
• Mitsui Yuji

Classifications

• G03G15/0865

  Arrangements for supplying new developer · CPC title

• G03G21/1853

  the process cartridge being mounted perpendicular to the axis of the photosensitive member · CPC title

• G03G2215/0692

  using a slidable sealing member, e.g. shutter · CPC title

• G03B27/528

  in which the projection optics remain stationary · CPC title

• G03G15/04036 Primary

  Details of illuminating systems, e.g. lamps, reflectors (lamp housings for copying cameras, reflex exposure lighting G03B27/542) · CPC title