Image forming apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9720345-B2
Application number	US-201414276293-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 13, 2014
Priority date	Jun 2, 2010
Publication date	Aug 1, 2017
Grant date	Aug 1, 2017

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 in which a cartridge that supports a photosensitive member is mounted to an image forming position, and which forms a latent image on the photosensitive member by exposure to form an image, the apparatus comprising:
an exposure member that (i) includes a light emitting element arranged in an array and (ii) exposes the photosensitive member of the cartridge located in the image forming position when the exposure member is in an exposure position;
an operation member that moves to a first position and a second position with respect to a main body of the apparatus;
a first moving member that is pressed and moved by the operation member when the operation member is moved from the first position to the second position, and switches the cartridge from a state where the cartridge is positioned in the image forming position to a state where the positioning is released; and
a second moving member that is pressed and moved by the operation member when the operation member is moved from the first position to the second position, and moves the exposure member from the exposure position to a retracted position where the exposure member is more retracted from the photosensitive member than the exposure position,
wherein, while the operation member is moved from the first position to the second position to switch the cartridge from the state where the cartridge is positioned to the state where the positioning is released, a first force acts from the first moving member to the operation member in a direction in which the moving of the operation member from the first position to the second position is suppressed, and
wherein, while the operation member is moved from the first position to the second position to move the exposure member from the exposure position to the retracted position, a second force acts from the second moving member to the operation member in a direction in which the moving of the operation member from the first position to the second position is suppressed, and wherein, while the operation member is moved from the first position to the second position, timing of a peak of the first force is different from timing of a peak of the second force.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein, as the operation member is moved from the first position to the second position, the operation member presses and moves the second moving member and then presses and moves the first moving member.

3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first moving member is pressed and moved by the operation member to position the cartridge in the image forming position when the operation member is moved from the second position to the first position,
wherein the second moving member is pressed and moved by the operation member to move the exposure member from the retracted position to the exposure position when the operation member is moved from the second position to the first position, and
wherein timing when the operation member presses the first moving member to position the cartridge in the image forming position is different from timing when the operation member presses the second moving member to move the exposure member to the exposure position.

4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the first moving member and the second moving member are moved by a toggle mechanism.

5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the operation member is an openable and closable member that can be open or closed with respect to the main body of the apparatus,
wherein the openable and closable member is closed with respect to the main body of the apparatus when the openable and closable member is in the first position, and
wherein the openable and closable member is more open with respect to the main body of the apparatus when the openable and closable member is in the second position than in the first position so that the cartridge can be mounted to the main body of the apparatus.

6. An image forming apparatus in which a cartridge that supports a photosensitive member is inserted into a main body of the apparatus in an insertion direction along a longitudinal direction of the cartridge and mounted to an image forming position inside the main body of the apparatus, and which forms a latent image on the photosensitive member by exposure to form an image, the apparatus comprising:
an exposure member that (i) includes a plurality of light emitting elements arranged in an array and (ii) exposes the photosensitive member of the cartridge located in the image forming position by the plurality of light emitting elements when the exposure member is in an exposure position, the exposure member being movable to a retracted position where the exposure member is more retracted from the photosensitive member than the exposure position;
an operation member that moves to a first position and a second position with respect to the main body of the apparatus;
a first moving member that moves the cartridge to the image forming position by moving the cartridge in a direction different from the insertion direction when the cartridge is mounted to the main body of the apparatus; and
a second moving member that moves the exposure member from the retracted position to the exposure position as the operation member is moved from the second position to the first position.

7. The image forming apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the operation member is an openable and closable member that can be open or closed with respect to the main body of the apparatus,
wherein the openable and closable member is closed with respect to the main body of the apparatus when the openable and closable member is in the first position, and
wherein the openable and closable member is more open with respect to the main body of the apparatus when the openable and closable member is in the second position than in the first position so that the cartridge can be mounted to the main body of the apparatus.

8. The image forming apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the exposure member is within the main body of the apparatus when the exposure member is in the retracted position.

Assignees

• Canon Kk

Inventors

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

Classifications

• G03G15/0834

  Physics · mapped topic

• G03G21/1666

  for the exposure unit · 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

• G03G15/0837

  Physics · mapped topic

• G03G21/1853

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