Image forming apparatus

Abstract

This application belongs to the field of printing products, and particularly relates to an image forming apparatus. This apparatus connects an LED printhead to the inside of a cover via a linkage mechanism. During the process of switching the cover from an open position to a closed position, the linkage mechanism drives the LED printhead through an opening at the top of the cover and into the housing, bringing it close to the photosensitive drum in the processing cartridge. During the process of switching the cover from a closed position to an open position, the linkage mechanism drives the LED printhead away from the processing cartridge. With this configuration, after the cover is opened, the LED printhead retracts, preventing damage to the LED printhead during the user's replacement of the processing cartridge. After the processing cartridge is replaced, during the closing of the cover, the LED printhead, under the action of the linkage mechanism, falls into the housing as the cover closes and aligns with the photosensitive drum for exposure during image forming.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of printing product technology, and more particularly to an image forming device. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, the most commonly used light sources in image forming equipment (such as printers or digital copiers) are lasers and LED printheads. Lasers use a laser light source; the laser beam emitted by the source is deflected by a deflector and refracted by a lens before shining onto the photosensitive drum, forming a dot beam. A printing signal is modulated onto this beam. When the beam shines on the photosensitive drum, an electrostatic latent image is formed where the printing signal is located. After charging and attracting toner, the image is transferred and fixed before being output as a printed image. LED printheads operate on a different principle. An LED printhead consists of a strip of LEDs arranged in an array, with each LED corresponding to a physical resolution. Under the control of the printing signal, the LED corresponding to the area to be printed illuminates, and the resulting light is projected directly onto the surface of the photosensitive drum through a focusing head, completing the photosensitivity process.

[0003] Because lasers require multiple optical components such as deflectors and lenses to generate a single-point beam, resulting in a long optical path and susceptibility to environmental influences, they are typically fixed within the printer body, occupying significant space. Furthermore, a high-power laser source is required to ensure the laser beam remains focused on the photosensitive drum surface after its long optical path. In contrast, LED printers generate a single-point beam using individual LEDs, resulting in lower power. This necessitates placing the LED printhead closer to the photosensitive drum surface. However, this design makes the LED printhead more susceptible to impact damage during drum replacement, affecting its performance and lifespan. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This application provides an image forming apparatus to solve the technical problem that the replacement of the toner cartridge in existing image forming apparatuses can easily cause collision damage to the LED printhead, affecting the performance and service life of the LED printhead.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, this application provides an image forming apparatus, including a body, a cover, a linkage mechanism, and an LED printhead; the body includes a housing with a top opening, and a space for accommodating a processing box is provided within the housing, the processing box being detachably installed within the space; the cover is hinged to the top of the housing, and the cover can switch between an open position and a closed position to open or close the opening; the LED printhead is connected to the inside of the cover via the linkage mechanism; during the process of the cover switching from the open position to the closed position, the linkage mechanism moves the LED printhead closer to the photosensitive drum in the processing box; during the process of the cover switching from the closed position to the open position, the linkage mechanism moves the LED printhead away from the processing box.

[0006] Optionally, during the process of the cover switching from the closed position to the open position, the linkage mechanism drives the LED printhead away from the processing box and finally attaches it to the inside of the cover.

[0007] Optionally, during the switching of the cover between the open position and the closed position, the length direction of the LED printhead is always parallel to the axial direction of the photosensitive drum in the processing box.

[0008] Optionally, the linkage mechanism includes a swing arm and a connecting rod. One end of the swing arm is hinged to the inside of the cover, and the other end of the swing arm is connected to the LED print head. One end of the connecting rod is hinged to the housing, and the hinge point is close to the hinge point between the housing and the cover. The other end of the connecting rod is hinged to the swing arm.

[0009] Optionally, the inner side of the housing is provided with ribs, and the end of the connecting rod away from the swing arm is hinged to the ribs.

[0010] Optionally, the swing arm includes a mounting strip and a connecting rod connected to the mounting strip. The end of the connecting rod away from the mounting strip is hinged to the inside of the cover. The LED print head is mounted on the mounting strip along its length. The LED print head is parallel to the photosensitive drum in the processing box. The end of the connecting rod away from the housing is hinged to the end of the connecting rod near the mounting strip.

[0011] Optionally, the swing arm includes at least two connecting rods, which are spaced apart along the length of the mounting strip, and the end of the connecting rod away from the housing is hinged to the end of one of the connecting rods near the mounting strip.

[0012] Optionally, the mounting strip and the connecting rod are an integral structure.

[0013] Optionally, the mounting strip is provided with wiring holes, through which cables for transmitting data and power signals are connected to the LED printhead.

[0014] Optionally, a position switch is provided near the opening of the housing. The position switch is electrically connected to the controller of the image forming device. A pressure block corresponding to the position switch is provided on the inner side of the cover. When the cover is in the closed position, the pressure block squeezes and triggers the position switch to enable the image forming device to enter the working state.

[0015] The beneficial effects of the image forming apparatus provided in this application are as follows: Compared with the prior art, the image forming apparatus of this application connects the LED printhead to the inside of the cover via a linkage mechanism. During the process of switching the cover from the open position to the closed position, the linkage mechanism drives the LED printhead to enter the housing through the opening at the top of the housing and finally approach the photosensitive drum in the processing box. During the process of switching the cover from the closed position to the open position, the linkage mechanism drives the LED printhead away from the processing box. With this configuration, after the cover is opened, the LED printhead is retracted, and the user will not cause any bumps or damage to the LED printhead during the replacement of the processing box. After the processing box is replaced, during the process of closing the cover, the LED printhead falls into the housing under the action of the linkage mechanism, approaches and finally aligns with the photosensitive drum, and is used to expose the photosensitive drum during the image forming process. Attached Figure Description

[0016] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0017] in:

[0018] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an image forming apparatus in the closed position according to an embodiment of this application;

[0019] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 The diagram shows a cross-sectional view of the image forming apparatus.

[0020] Figure 3 yes Figure 1 The diagram shows the positional status of the linkage mechanism, LED printhead, and photosensitive drum in the image forming apparatus.

[0021] Figure 4This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an image forming apparatus with the cover in the open position, as shown in an embodiment of this application;

[0022] Figure 5 yes Figure 4 The diagram shows the positional status of the linkage mechanism and the LED printhead in the image forming apparatus.

[0023] Figure 6 yes Figure 4 The image forming device shown is a side view.

[0024] Figure 7 yes Figure 4 The diagram shows a cross-sectional view of the image forming device.

[0025] Explanation of key component symbols:

[0026] 10. Main body; 11. Housing; 111. Opening; 12. Processing box; 121. Photosensitive drum; 13. Position switch;

[0027] 20. Machine cover; 21. Pressure block;

[0028] 30. Linkage mechanism; 31. Swing arm; 311. Mounting strip; 312. Connecting rod; 32. Linkage bar;

[0029] 40. LED printhead. Detailed Implementation

[0030] To facilitate understanding of this application, a more complete description will be provided below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Preferred embodiments of this application are shown in the drawings. However, this application can be implemented in many other different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided to provide a thorough and complete understanding of the disclosure of this application.

[0031] It should be noted that when a component is referred to as being "fixed to" or "set on" another component, it can be directly on or indirectly on that other component. When a component is referred to as being "connected to" another component, it can be directly connected to or indirectly connected to that other component.

[0032] It should be understood that the terms "length," "width," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," and "outer," etc., indicating orientation or positional relationships, are based on the orientation or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings and are used only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation on this application. In the description of this application, "a plurality of" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0033] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this application belongs. The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the application.

[0034] It should also be noted that in the embodiments of this application, the same reference numerals are used to represent the same component or part. For the same part in the embodiments of this application, the reference numerals may only be used to mark one part or component as an example. It should be understood that the reference numerals are also applicable to other identical parts or components.

[0035] As described in the background section, LED printers generate a single beam of light using individual LEDs, which has relatively low power. This requires the LED printhead to be positioned closer to the surface of the photosensitive drum. This design makes the LED printhead susceptible to collision damage during drum replacement, affecting its performance and lifespan.

[0036] To address the aforementioned problems, embodiments of this application provide an image forming apparatus, such as... Figures 1-2 , Figure 4 and Figures 6-7 As shown, the image forming apparatus includes a body 10, a cover 20, a linkage mechanism 30, and an LED printhead 40. The body 10 includes a housing 11 with a top opening 111. The housing 11 has a space for accommodating a processing cartridge 12, which can be detachably installed within this space. The processing cartridge 12 includes a developing cartridge and a drum cartridge, which can be separate or integrated. The developing cartridge includes a developing roller and a toner hopper, and the drum cartridge includes a photosensitive drum 121. Understandably, when the toner inside the processing cartridge 12 is depleted, it needs to be replaced. The cover 20 is hinged to the top of the housing 11, and the cover 20 can be in an open position (…). Figure 4 and Figures 6-7 The position of the hood 20 and the closed position ( Figures 1-2The position of the cover 20 is switched between open and closed to open or close the opening 111; the LED print head 40 is connected to the inside of the cover 20 through the linkage mechanism 30. During the process of the cover 20 switching from the open position to the closed position, the linkage mechanism 30 drives the LED print head 40 to enter the housing 11 through the opening 111 and approach the photosensitive drum 121 in the processing box 12; during the process of the cover 20 switching from the closed position to the open position, the linkage mechanism 30 drives the LED print head 40 away from the processing box 12.

[0037] In this embodiment, the image forming apparatus connects the LED printhead 40 to the inside of the cover 20 via a linkage mechanism 30. During the process of switching the cover 20 from the open position to the closed position, the linkage mechanism 30 drives the LED printhead 40 through the opening 111 at the top of the housing 11, placing it into the housing 11 and bringing it close to the photosensitive drum 121 in the processing cartridge 12. During the process of switching the cover 20 from the closed position to the open position, the linkage mechanism 30 drives the LED printhead 40 away from the processing cartridge 12. Therefore, after opening the cover 20, the LED printhead 40 retracts, preventing damage to the LED printhead 40 during the user's replacement of the processing cartridge 12 through the opening 111 at the top of the housing 11. After the processing cartridge 12 is replaced, during the process of lowering the cover 20, the LED printhead 40, under the action of the linkage mechanism 30, falls into the housing 11 as the cover 20 closes, ultimately aligning with the photosensitive drum 121 for exposure during image formation.

[0038] Furthermore, such as Figure 4 , Figures 6-7 As shown, during the process of switching the cover 20 from the closed position to the open position, the linkage mechanism 30 drives the LED print head 40 away from the processing box 12 and finally attaches it to the inside of the cover 20. This design can reserve more space above the opening 111, making it less likely to collide with the LED print head 40 during the replacement of the processing box 12.

[0039] In one embodiment, such as Figure 2 , Figure 4 and Figure 7 As shown, during the process of switching between the open and closed positions of the cover 20, the length direction of the LED printhead 40 is always parallel to the axis of the photosensitive drum 121 in the processing box 12.

[0040] Specifically, the cover 20 is hinged to one side of the top opening 111 of the housing 11, and the rotation axis of the cover 20 relative to the housing 11, the length direction of the LED print head 40, and the axis of the photosensitive drum 121 are parallel to each other.

[0041] It should be noted that the longitudinal direction (also known as the "main scanning direction") of the LED printhead 40 is parallel to the axis of the photosensitive drum 121. The LED printhead 40 typically includes an LED array, a bar lens array, and a housing as a support component, which is configured to support the LED array and the bar lens array, and the bar lens array is configured to project the light emitted by the LED array onto the photosensitive drum 121.

[0042] In one specific embodiment, such as Figures 3-7 As shown, the linkage mechanism 30 includes a swing arm 31 and a connecting rod 32. One end of the swing arm 31 is hinged to the inside of the cover 20, and the other end of the swing arm 31 is connected to the LED print head 40. The LED print head 40 can swing relative to the cover 20. One end of the connecting rod 32 is hinged to the housing 11, and the hinge is close to the hinge between the cover 20 and the housing 11. The other end of the connecting rod 32 is hinged to the swing arm 31.

[0043] As configured above, during the opening of the cover 20, the LED print head 40 is lifted upward by the swing arm 31 and gradually approaches the inner wall of the cover 20 under the action of the connecting rod 32; during the closing of the cover 20, the LED print head 40 falls and falls into the housing 11 under the combined action of the connecting rod 32 and the swing arm 31, and finally positions itself to align with the photosensitive drum 121.

[0044] In one specific embodiment, such as Figure 4 As shown, the inner side of the housing 11 is provided with ribs, and the end of the connecting rod 32 away from the swing arm 31 is hinged to the ribs. With this design, the ribs can both enhance the strength of the housing 11 and serve as a mounting carrier for the connecting rod 32.

[0045] In a more specific embodiment, such as Figures 3-7 As shown, the swing arm 31 includes a mounting strip 311 and a connecting rod 312 connected to the mounting strip 311. The end of the connecting rod 312 away from the mounting strip 311 is hinged to the inside of the cover 20. The LED print head 40 is mounted on the mounting strip 311 along the length of the mounting strip 311. The LED print head 40 is parallel to the photosensitive drum 121 in the processing box 12. The end of the connecting rod 32 away from the housing 11 is hinged to the end of the connecting rod 312 near the mounting strip 311. Specifically, the connecting rod 312, the connecting rod 32, the cover 20, and the housing 11 cooperate to form a four-bar linkage mechanism.

[0046] The mounting strip 311 is equipped with a cable routing hole, through which cables for transmitting data and power signals are connected to the LED printhead 40.

[0047] Furthermore, to improve the reliability and stability of the connection between the swing arm 31 and the inner side of the cover 20, the swing arm 31 includes at least two connecting rods 312, which are spaced apart along the length of the mounting strip 311. The end of the connecting rod 32 away from the housing 11 is hinged to the end of one of the connecting rods 312 near the mounting strip 311.

[0048] To facilitate manufacturing, the mounting strip 311 and the connecting rod 312 can be an integral structure, which can be integrally injection molded from plastic.

[0049] In one specific embodiment, the LED printhead 40 is detachably mounted on the mounting strip 311, thereby facilitating the replacement and maintenance of the LED printhead 40 in the future.

[0050] Specifically, the LED printhead 40 can be mounted on the mounting strip 311 via a snap-fit ​​structure or screws.

[0051] In one embodiment, such as Figure 4 and Figure 7 As shown, a position switch 13 (such as a micro switch) is provided near the opening 111 of the housing 11. The position switch 13 is electrically connected to the controller of the image forming equipment. A pressure block 21 corresponding to the position switch 13 is provided on the inner side of the cover 20. When the cover 20 is in the closed position, the pressure block 21 squeezes and triggers the position switch 13 to make the image forming equipment enter the working state.

[0052] The position switch 13 on the housing 11 works in conjunction with the pressure block 21 on the cover 20 to provide protection. When the cover 20 is opened, the image forming equipment stops working, preventing the transmission mechanism inside the body 10 from causing injury to the user during the replacement of the processing box 12.

[0053] The technical features of the above embodiments can be combined in any way. For the sake of brevity, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.

[0054] The above embodiments are merely illustrative of several implementation methods of this application, and their descriptions are relatively specific and detailed, but they should not be construed as limiting the scope of the application. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements without departing from the concept of this application, and these all fall within the protection scope of this application. Therefore, the protection scope of this application should be determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. An image forming apparatus, characterized in that, It includes a body, a cover, a linkage mechanism, and an LED printhead; the body includes a housing with a top opening, the housing having a space for accommodating a processing box, the processing box being detachably installed in the space, the cover being hinged to the top of the housing, and the cover being switchable between an open position and a closed position to open or close the opening; The LED printhead is connected to the inside of the cover via the linkage mechanism. During the process of the cover switching from the open position to the closed position, the linkage mechanism moves the LED printhead closer to the photosensitive drum in the processing box; during the process of the cover switching from the closed position to the open position, the linkage mechanism moves the LED printhead away from the processing box. The linkage mechanism includes a swing arm and a connecting rod. One end of the swing arm is hinged to the inside of the cover, and the other end of the swing arm is connected to the LED print head. One end of the connecting rod is hinged to the housing, and the hinge point is close to the hinge point between the housing and the cover. The other end of the connecting rod is hinged to the swing arm. The swing arm includes a mounting strip and a connecting rod connected to the mounting strip. The end of the connecting rod away from the mounting strip is hinged to the inside of the cover. The LED print head is mounted on the mounting strip along its length. The LED print head is parallel to the photosensitive drum in the processing box. The end of the connecting rod away from the housing is hinged to the end of the connecting rod near the mounting strip.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, During the process of the cover switching from the closed position to the open position, the linkage mechanism drives the LED printhead away from the processing box and finally attaches it to the inside of the cover.

3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, During the process of switching the cover between the open position and the closed position, the length direction of the LED printhead is always parallel to the axis of the photosensitive drum in the processing box.

4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The inner side of the housing is provided with ribs, and the end of the connecting rod away from the swing arm is hinged to the ribs.

5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The swing arm includes at least two connecting rods, which are spaced apart along the length of the mounting strip. The end of the connecting rod away from the housing is hinged to the end of one of the connecting rods near the mounting strip.

6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The mounting strip and the connecting rod are an integral structure.

7. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The mounting strip is provided with wiring holes, through which cables for transmitting data and power signals are connected to the LED printhead.

8. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, A position switch is provided near the opening of the housing. The position switch is electrically connected to the controller of the image forming device. A pressure block corresponding to the position switch is provided on the inner side of the cover. When the cover is in the closed position, the pressure block squeezes and triggers the position switch to put the image forming device into the working state.

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