Electrophotographic image forming apparatus, process cartridge and discharge preventing mechanism

Abstract

An electrophotographic image forming apparatus on which a process cartridge is detachably mountable and for forming an image on a recording medium, having a main body electrical contact electrically connected to a cartridge electrical contact the process cartridge has when the process cartridge is mounted on an apparatus main body, an electrically earthed electrically conductive discharge preventing member for effecting discharge between it and a charged foreign substance to thereby prevent discharge from occurring between the foreign substance and the main body electrical contact when the foreign substance has entered the apparatus main body on which the process cartridge is not mounted, the discharge preventing member being movable between a first position located in the entry route of the process cartridge and a second position retracted from the first position and located outside the entry route, and an actuating member for moving the discharge preventing member from the first position to the second position, and abutting against the process cartridge to thereby actuate and move the discharge preventing member from the first position to the second position when the process cartridge is mounted in the apparatus main body.

Description

technical field [0001] Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an electrophotographic image forming apparatus in which a process cartridge can be inserted and removed, a process cartridge mounted on the electrophotographic image forming apparatus, and a discharge preventing mechanism. Background technique [0002] Here, the electrophotographic image forming apparatus forms an image on a recording medium (eg, recording paper, OHP sheet) using an electrophotographic image forming process. For example, electrophotographic copiers, electrophotographic printers, and the like are included. [0003] In addition, a process cartridge is a unit in which at least one of a charging member and a developing member as a processing unit is integrally boxed with an electrophotographic photoreceptor, and is detachably mounted on the main body of the electrophotographic image forming apparatus. [0004] In the electrophotographic image forming apparatus of the process cartridg...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

[0009] However, in conventional electrophotographic image forming apparatuses, in order to deal with clogging (in case the recording medium is clogged in the apparatus main body, the clogged recording medium is taken out from the apparatus main body) or maintenance of the apparatus, the operator sometimes puts foreign objects such as hands into the apparatus. into the device body

At this time, if foreign matter such as the operator's hand (body) is charged, it is possible to discharge the electric contact inside the device main body from the foreign matter such as the operator's hand (for example, US5930560 publication)

Images