Image forming apparatus

Abstract

To provide an image forming apparatus that can accurately detect a temperature inside a cartridge with a temperature sensor.SOLUTION: An image forming apparatus comprises: an apparatus body 2 that includes a body connector 28; and a drawer 59 in which toner cartridges 50 each having a toner memory 50a can be mounted, and that can be pulled out from the apparatus body 2, the drawer 59 including first connectors 82 that can be electrically connected to the toner memories 50a of the toner cartridges 50 in a state where the toner cartridges 50 are mounted in the drawer 59, a second connector 83 that can be electrically connected to the first connectors 82, includes a connector substrate 831, and can be brought into contact to be electrically connected to the body connector 28, and a thermistor 86 that is arranged on the connector substrate 831 and can be electrically connected to the connector substrate 831.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus. [Background technology]

[0002] As disclosed in Patent Document 1, there is known a conventional image forming device that includes a frame in which a cartridge is attached, a first connector connectable to the cartridge, a second connector connectable to the device main body, a relay board that relays the first connector and the second connector, and a temperature sensor for detecting the temperature inside the cartridge.

[0003] In the image forming apparatus described in Patent Document 1, the relay board is attached to a frame, and the temperature sensor is mounted on the relay board, and the relay board is covered with a cover to prevent the user from touching it. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-43332 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In the above-mentioned image forming device, the relay board on which the temperature sensor is mounted is covered by a cover, making it difficult to accurately detect the temperature inside the cartridge, and it was necessary to correct the detection result of the temperature sensor in order to accurately grasp the temperature inside the cartridge.

[0006] Therefore, the present invention provides an image forming apparatus that can detect the temperature inside the cartridge with high accuracy using a temperature sensor. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The image forming apparatus that solves the above problem has the following features.

[0008] That is, the image forming apparatus comprises a device main body having a main body connector, and a drawer into which a cartridge having a memory can be attached and which can be pulled out from the device main body, the drawer comprising: a first connector which is electrically connectable to the memory of the cartridge when the cartridge is attached to the drawer; a second connector which is electrically connectable to the first connector, has a connector board, and can be electrically connected by coming into contact with the main body connector; and a temperature sensor which is arranged on the connector board and can be electrically connected to the connector board.

[0009] As a result, the second connector is exposed to the outside so as to be able to come into contact with the main body connector, and the temperature sensor can detect the temperature inside the cartridge with high accuracy.

[0010] The connector board also has a front surface on which a drawer side contact that contacts the main body connector is arranged, and a back surface opposite to the front surface, and the temperature sensor is arranged on the back surface of the connector board.

[0011] This prevents the temperature sensor from interfering with the main body connector and being damaged. Also, the temperature detected by the temperature sensor is prevented from being affected by air flow, allowing the temperature inside the cartridge to be detected with high accuracy.

[0012] Further, the main body side contacts that come into contact with the connector board of the main body connector are configured with pogo pins, and the drawer side contacts that come into contact with the main body connector of the connector board are configured with electrodes.

[0013] As a result, the pogo pin is pressed against the electrode by the biasing force of the spring, so that the main connector and the connector board can be electrically connected stably.

[0014] The device body further comprises a first frame, a second frame spaced apart in a width direction perpendicular to the pull-out direction of the drawer, and a fan located on the first frame for exhausting air from within the device body to the outside, and the connector board is located closer to the second frame than the first frame in the width direction.

[0015] As a result, the connector board is disposed at a position away from the fan in the width direction, so that the temperature detected by the temperature sensor is less susceptible to the influence of the air flow caused by the fan.

[0016] The image forming apparatus further includes a control board for controlling an operation of the image forming apparatus, the control board being located in the first frame.

[0017] This allows the connector board to be located at a position away from the control board, and prevents discharge from occurring from the control board, to which a high voltage is applied, to the connector board.

[0018] The device main body further comprises a first frame, a second frame spaced apart in a width direction perpendicular to the direction in which the drawer is pulled out, and a fan located on the first frame for discharging air from within the device main body to the outside, the connector board comprises a first end and a second end closer to the second frame than the first end in the width direction, the temperature sensor is located at the second end of the connector board, and a contact corresponding to the temperature sensor in a drawer side contact that contacts the main body connector of the connector board is located at the second end of the connector board.

[0019] As a result, the temperature sensor and the contacts corresponding to the temperature sensor are located on the side of the connector board away from the fan, so that the temperature detected by the temperature sensor is less susceptible to the influence of air flow caused by the fan.

[0020] The drawer also includes a support material that supports the second connector, and the device main body includes a first frame, a second frame that is positioned at an interval in a width direction perpendicular to the pull-out direction of the drawer, and a fan that is positioned on the first frame and exhausts air within the device main body to the outside, and the support material is positioned between the fan and the second connector in the width direction and has a sidewall that faces the width direction.

[0021] As a result, the airflow generated by the fan is blocked by the side wall, and the temperature detected by the temperature sensor is less susceptible to the influence of the airflow generated by the fan.

[0022] The temperature sensor is located in a space surrounded by the back surface of the connector board on which the temperature sensor is arranged and the support material, and the space is in communication with the outside outside the space.

[0023] This allows the temperature sensor to come into contact with the air outside the space in which it is placed, and allows the temperature inside the cartridge located outside the space to be detected with high accuracy.

[0024] In addition, the device main body is located above the second connector and has an inlet through which air flows in the direction in which the drawer is pulled out, and the thickness direction of the connector board is aligned with the flow direction of the air flowing into the inlet.

[0025] This makes the temperature sensor less susceptible to the effect of the flow of air entering the inlet, making it possible to detect the temperature inside the cartridge with high accuracy.

[0026] The device also includes a photosensitive drum provided in the drawer or the cartridge on which a toner image is formed, and a developing roller provided in the cartridge and configured to be movable between a contact position in contact with the photosensitive drum and a spaced position away from the photosensitive drum, and supplies toner to the photosensitive drum. The drawer includes a power supply contact that contacts a power supply terminal provided in the device main body, a development switching unit that switches between the contact position and the spaced position of the developing roller by contacting the device main body, and a memory contact for the memory of the cartridge, and the power supply contact, development switching unit, memory contact, and second connector are arranged in this order from bottom to top.

[0027] This allows the power supply contacts, the development switching unit, the memory contacts, and the second connector to be arranged in a space-saving manner. Effect of the Invention

[0028] According to the present invention, the temperature inside the cartridge can be detected with high accuracy. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0029] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a central cross-sectional view showing the image forming apparatus. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an image forming apparatus. [Diagram 3] FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a drawer located between the first frame and the second frame. [Diagram 5] FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 2A is a diagram showing the front side of the connector board, and FIG. 2B is a diagram showing the back side of the connector board. [Figure 7] 1 is a perspective view of the left rear portion of the drawer as viewed from the rear. FIG. [Figure 8] 1 is a perspective view of the left rear portion of the drawer as viewed from the right rear. FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. [Figure 10] FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing a process duct supporting a body connector. [Figure 11] FIG. 2 is a side cross-sectional view showing a pogo pin. [Figure 12] 11 is a side cross-sectional view showing a state in which a pogo pin of the main body connector and an electrode of a connector board in a drawer attached to the device main body are in contact with each other. FIG. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a side cross-sectional view showing the flow of air entering the inlet of the process duct above the second connector. [Figure 14] FIG. 4 is a side view showing the right wall of the drawer. [Figure 15] FIG. 4 is a side view showing the left wall of the drawer. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0030] Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0031] [Image forming device] An image forming apparatus 1 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is one embodiment of the image forming apparatus according to the present invention, and is a color laser printer that forms a multi-color image on a sheet S by electrophotography.

[0032] In the following description, the left side in Fig. 1 is defined as the front side of the image forming apparatus 1, the right side in Fig. 1 is defined as the rear side of the image forming apparatus 1, the front side of the paper in Fig. 1 is defined as the right side of the image forming apparatus 1, and the back side of the paper in Fig. 1 is defined as the left side of the image forming apparatus 1. In addition, the upper and lower sides in Fig. 1 are defined as the upper and lower sides of the image forming apparatus 1, respectively.

[0033] The image forming apparatus 1 comprises a device main body 2, a paper feed section 3 having a paper feed tray 10 that supports sheets S and a sheet transport section 30 that transports the sheets S, and an image forming section 5 that forms an image on the sheets S transported by the paper feed section 3.

[0034] The device body 2 is formed in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape and houses the paper feed unit 3 and the image forming unit 5. A front opening 2A is formed in the front of the device body 2, and the device body 2 is provided with a front cover 21 that can open and close the front opening 2A.

[0035] The front cover 21 is configured to be rotatable about a rotation shaft 21a at the lower end, and by rotating about the rotation shaft 21a, it is possible to move between a closed position where the front opening 2A is closed and an open position where the front opening 2A is opened. A paper discharge tray 22 is formed on the upper surface of the device body 2, which is inclined downward from the front side to the rear side.

[0036] The paper feed unit 3 is disposed at the bottom of the device body 2, and conveys the sheet S supported on the paper feed tray 10 to the image forming unit 5 by the sheet conveying unit 30. The paper feed tray 10 is configured to be slidable in the front-rear direction, and is configured to be movable between a storage position where it is stored in the device body 2, and a separation position where it is pulled out forward from the storage position.

[0037] The sheet conveying section 30 includes a paper feed roller 32, a separation roller 33, a separation pad 33a, a conveying roller pair 34, and a registration roller pair 35. Within the device body 2, a conveying path P for the sheet S is configured, which extends from the paper feed tray 10 to the paper discharge tray 22 via the image forming section 5.

[0038] The sheets S supported by the paper feed tray 10 are separated one by one by the paper feed roller 32, the separation roller 33, and the separation pad 33a, and sent out to a transport path P. The paper feed roller 32 is a roller that transports the sheets S from the paper feed tray 10 toward the image forming unit 5. The separation roller 33 and the separation pad 33a constitute a separation means that separates the sheets S supported by the paper feed tray 10 one by one.

[0039] The sheet S sent to the conveying path P is conveyed toward the image forming unit 5 by a conveying roller pair 34 and a registration roller pair 35. The registration roller pair 35 regulates the movement of the leading edge of the conveyed sheet S, temporarily stops the sheet S, and then conveys the sheet S toward the image forming unit 5 at a predetermined timing.

[0040] The image forming unit 5 is disposed above the paper feeding unit 3, and includes four toner cartridges 50 arranged side by side in the front-rear direction, and a photosensitive drum 51 corresponding to each toner cartridge 50. Each toner cartridge 50 is provided corresponding to each of the colors black, yellow, magenta, and cyan. The toner cartridges 50 are an example of a cartridge.

[0041] The toner cartridge 50 includes a toner memory 50a and a developing roller 52. The toner memory 50a is a storage medium from which information can be read and written, and is configured to be able to store information related to the toner cartridge 50. The toner memory 50a is an example of a memory provided in a cartridge.

[0042] The image forming apparatus 1 includes a drawer 59 that supports the photosensitive drum 51. The toner cartridge 50 is removably attached to the drawer 59. The drawer 59 is removably attached to the device body 2 through a front opening 2A in the device body 2 by opening the front cover 21. The drawer 59 is movable between a first position where it is disposed inside the device body 2 and a second position where at least a portion of it is disposed outside the device body 2.

[0043] In this embodiment, the drawer 59, which is in the first position, can be moved to the second position by pulling it forward. That is, the drawer 59 can be pulled out relative to the apparatus body 2, and the pull-out direction of the drawer 59 is the front-rear direction.

[0044] The photosensitive drum 51 is formed in a generally cylindrical shape with its axis in the left-right direction, and is rotatably supported by a drawer 59. The developing roller 52 extends in the left-right direction, and is rotatably supported by a toner cartridge 50. The developing roller 52 supplies toner to the photosensitive drum 51. The toner is an example of a developer. The developing roller 52 is configured to be movable between a contact position where it contacts the photosensitive drum 51 and a spaced position where it is spaced from the photosensitive drum 51.

[0045] The apparatus main body 2 includes an exposure device 56 that exposes the surfaces of the photosensitive drums 51. The exposure device 56 includes a laser diode, a polarizer, a lens, and a mirror (not shown). The exposure device 56 is configured to emit a light beam to each photosensitive drum 51 to expose the surface of each photosensitive drum 51.

[0046] A transfer belt 41 is disposed below the photosensitive drum 51 across the transport path P. The transfer belt 41 is in contact with the photosensitive drum 51. The transfer belt 41 is stretched between a drive roller 42 and a driven roller 43 disposed in front of the drive roller 42. A transfer roller 44 is disposed at a position facing each photosensitive drum 51 across the transfer belt 41. In the image forming unit 5, a belt device 40 is configured by the transfer belt 41, the drive roller 42, the driven roller 43, the transfer roller 44, etc.

[0047] The image forming unit 5 includes a charger 54 for charging each photosensitive drum 51. The charger 54 is supported by a drawer 59. The photosensitive drums 51 uniformly charged by the charger 54 are selectively exposed to light by an exposure device 56. This exposure selectively removes charge from the surface of the photosensitive drum 51, and an electrostatic latent image is formed on the surface of the photosensitive drum 51.

[0048] The toner contained in the toner cartridge 50 is positively charged and carried on the surface of the developing roller 52. A developing bias is applied to the developing roller 52, and when the electrostatic latent image formed on the photosensitive drum 51 faces the developing roller 52, toner is supplied from the developing roller 52 to the electrostatic latent image due to the potential difference between the electrostatic latent image and the developing roller 52. As a result, a toner image is formed on the surface of the photosensitive drum 51.

[0049] When the sheet S transported toward the image forming unit 5 reaches the transfer belt 41, it is transported by the transfer belt 41 and passes sequentially between the transfer belt 41 and each photosensitive drum 51. Then, the toner image carried on the surface of the photosensitive drum 51 is transferred onto the sheet S by a transfer bias applied to the transfer roller 44 when it faces the sheet S.

[0050] In this embodiment, the transfer belt 41 is configured as a conveying belt that conveys the sheet S onto which the toner image is transferred, but it is also possible to configure it as an intermediate transfer belt in which the toner image is transferred to the belt itself and the toner image transferred to the belt is further transferred to the sheet S.

[0051] The sheet S onto which the toner image has been transferred is transported to a fixing device 60. The fixing device 60 includes a heating roller 61 and a pressure roller 62 that is in pressure contact with the heating roller 61, and the toner image on the sheet S transported to the fixing device 60 is thermally fixed while the sheet S passes between the heating roller 61 and the pressure roller 62. In other words, the fixing device 60 fixes the toner image on the sheet S.

[0052] The sheet S on which the toner image has been thermally fixed is transported downstream in the transport direction from the fixing device 60, and further transported by a pair of intermediate discharge rollers 63 and a pair of discharge rollers 64 arranged downstream in the transport direction of the pair of intermediate discharge rollers 63, and discharged onto the discharge tray 22.

[0053] In the image forming apparatus 1, a process unit PU that forms a toner image on a sheet S is configured by a drawer 59, a toner cartridge 50 supported by the drawer 59, a photosensitive drum 51, a charger 54, etc. In the process unit PU, the drawer 59 may support the photosensitive drum 51 as in this embodiment, or the toner cartridge 50 may support the photosensitive drum 51. The process unit PU may also include a fixing unit 60.

[0054] The device body 2 includes a first frame 26 and a second frame 27 positioned at a distance from the first frame 26 in the left-right direction. The left-right direction is an example of a width direction perpendicular to the direction in which the drawer is pulled out. The first frame 26 is positioned at the right end of the device body 2, and extends in the front-rear and up-down directions. The second frame 27 is positioned at the left end of the device body 2, and extends in the front-rear and up-down directions.

[0055] The image forming apparatus 1 includes a power supply board 11 on which a power supply circuit is formed, and a board cover 12 that covers the power supply board 11. The board cover 12 is disposed between the paper feed tray 10 and the belt device 40 at the rear of the apparatus main body 2.

[0056] The image forming apparatus 1 is equipped with a first fan 71 and a second fan 72 for exhausting the air inside the apparatus body 2 to the outside of the apparatus body 2. The first fan 71 is disposed to the right and rear of the process unit PU inside the apparatus body 2, and is configured to exhaust the air that has passed through the process unit PU inside the apparatus body 2 to the outside of the apparatus body 2. This makes it possible for the first fan 71 to effectively exhaust the air that has passed through the process unit PU.

[0057] The second fan 72 is disposed to the right of the board cover 12 inside the device body 2 and at a position where a plane of projection of the second fan 72 toward the board cover 12 in the left-right direction overlaps with the rear part of the board cover 12, and is configured to exhaust the air within the board cover 12 inside the device body 2 to the outside of the device body 2. The second fan 72 is disposed below the first fan 71.

[0058] The right cover 23 is disposed to the right of the first frame 26 in the device body 2. That is, the device body 2 is provided with the right cover 23 that covers the right side of the first frame 26. The right cover 23 is provided with a first exhaust port 23a and a second exhaust port 23b that penetrate the right cover 23 in the left-right direction. The first exhaust port 23a and the second exhaust port 23b are located at the rear of the right cover 23, and the first exhaust port 23a is located above the second exhaust port 23b.

[0059] The first fan 71 is supported by the first frame 26, and is disposed at a position where a plane of projection of the first fan 71 toward the right cover 23 in the left-right direction overlaps with the first exhaust port 23a. When the first fan 71 is driven, an airflow is generated in a direction from left to right, and the airflow created by the first fan 71 exhausts the air inside the process unit PU to the outside of the apparatus main body 2 through the first exhaust port 23a. The first fan 71 is disposed in the first frame, and is an example of a fan for discharging air inside the apparatus main body to the outside.

[0060] The second fan 72 is supported by the first frame 26, and is disposed at a position where a plane of projection of the second fan 72 toward the right cover 23 in the left-right direction overlaps with the second exhaust port 23b. When the second fan 72 is driven, an airflow is generated in a direction from left to right, and the airflow created by the second fan 72 exhausts the air inside the board cover 12 to the outside of the device body 2 through the second exhaust port 23b. The second fan 72 is disposed on the first frame, and is an example of a fan for discharging air inside the device body to the outside.

[0061] The image forming apparatus 1 includes a control board 13 that controls the operation of the image forming apparatus 1. The control board 13 is supported on the right side surface of the first frame 26. The control board 13 is a high-voltage board. The control board 13 is located between the first frame 26 and the right cover 23 in the left-right direction, and is located in front of the first fan 71 and the second fan 72 in the front-rear direction.

[0062] [Drawer] 3 and 4, the drawer 59 is a frame that detachably holds the toner cartridges 50. The drawer 59 holds four toner cartridges 50 lined up in the front-to-rear direction. The drawer 59 has a right wall 591, a left wall 592, a front wall 593, and a rear wall 594.

[0063] The right wall 591 is located on the right side of the toner cartridge 50, and the left wall 592 is located on the left side of the toner cartridge 50. The right wall 591 and the left wall 592 are disposed parallel to each other with a gap therebetween.

[0064] The front wall 593 is located in front of the toner cartridge 50, and the rear wall 594 is located in the rear of the toner cartridge 50. The front wall 593 connects the front end of the right wall 591 to the front end of the left wall 592. The rear wall 594 connects the rear end of the right wall 591 to the rear end of the left wall 592. The front wall 593 and the rear wall 594 are arranged parallel to each other with a gap between them.

[0065] The drawer 59 is disposed between the first frame 26 and the second frame 27, and is supported by the first frame 26 and the second frame 27 so as to be slidable in the front-rear direction. The first frame 26 is located to the right of the drawer 59, and the second frame 27 is located to the left of the drawer 59.

[0066] A process duct 20 is disposed behind the process unit PU including the drawer 59, which guides the air inside the process unit PU to the first fan 71. The process duct 20 is located between the first frame 26 and the second frame 27, and extends in the left-right direction behind the process unit PU.

[0067] The process duct 20 has an inlet 20a that communicates between the inside of the process unit PU and the inside of the process duct 20. The inlet 20a is formed on the front surface of the process duct 20. The process duct 20 is configured such that air flowing in the front-rear direction flows from the inside of the process unit PU through the inlet 20a.

[0068] The air inside the process unit PU is sucked rearwardly of the process unit PU by the first fan 71 and passes through the inlet 20a to enter the process duct 20. The air that has passed through the inlet 20a flows rightward through the process duct 20, and is then exhausted to the outside of the apparatus body 2 through the first exhaust port 23a. The inlet 20a is provided with a filter 71 for removing ozone and dust such as toner from the air flowing into the process duct 20.

[0069] 5, the drawer 59 includes a circuit section 80. The circuit section 80 includes a relay board 81, a first connector 82, a second connector 83, a first wire 84, a second wire 85, and a thermistor 86.

[0070] The first connector 82 is electrically connected to the toner memory 50a of the toner cartridge 50 when the toner cartridge 50 is attached to the drawer 59. Four first connectors 82 are provided corresponding to the number of toner cartridges 50 attached to the drawer 59. The second connector 83 is electrically connected to the control board 13 of the device body 2 when the drawer 59 is attached to the device body 2.

[0071] The first wires 84 electrically connect the first connectors 82 and the relay board 81. Four first wires 84 are provided corresponding to the number of the first connectors 82. The second wires 85 electrically connect the second connectors 83 and the relay board 81. The relay board 81 is a board for relaying the electrical connection between the first connectors 82 and the second connector 83. The second connector 83 is configured to be electrically connectable to the first connector 82 by the second wires 85, the relay board 81, and the first wires 84.

[0072] With this configuration, when the toner cartridge 50 is installed in the drawer 59, the toner memory 50a of the toner cartridge 50 is electrically connected to the relay board 81. Furthermore, when the drawer 59 in which the toner cartridge 50 is installed is installed in the device body 2, the control board 13 of the device body 2 is electrically connected to the relay board 81. In other words, the relay board 81 relays the exchange of information between the toner memory 50a of the toner cartridge 50 and the control board 13 of the device body 2.

[0073] As shown in FIG. 6, the second connector 83 includes a connector board 831 and a harness connector 832 for connecting the second wire 85 to the connector board 831.

[0074] The connector board 831 has a front surface 831a and a back surface 831b opposite to the front surface 831a. A plurality of electrodes 8311 are arranged on the front surface 831a of the connector board 831. The plurality of electrodes 8311 are arranged side by side in the left-right direction. The electrodes 8311 can be electrically connected to the control board 13 of the device body 2 when the drawer 59 is attached to the device body 2.

[0075] A harness connector 832 is connected to a back surface 831b of the connector board 831, and a thermistor 86 is mounted on the harness connector 832. The harness connector 832 and thermistor 86 are electrically connected to the connector board 831. In the left-right direction, the harness connector 832 is located approximately in the center of the connector board 831, and the thermistor 86 is located to the left of the harness connector 832. The thermistor 86 is an example of a temperature sensor that is disposed on the connector board and can be electrically connected to the connector board.

[0076] The connector substrate 831 is formed in a generally rectangular plate shape that is long in the left-right direction, and has a right end 831A and a left end 831B. The right end 831A is an example of a first end, and the left end 831B is an example of a second end. The electrode 8311 arranged on the surface 831a of the connector substrate 831 has a thermistor electrode 8311a corresponding to the thermistor 86. The thermistor electrode 8311a is electrically connected to the thermistor 86. The thermistor 86 and thermistor electrode 8311a are located at the left end 831B of the connector substrate 831 in the left-right direction.

[0077] 3, 4, and 7, relay board 81 and second connector 83 are supported by rear wall 594 of drawer 59. Relay board 81 and second connector 83 are disposed at an angle relative to the horizontal direction. Second connector 83 is disposed with surface 831a of connector board 831 facing obliquely upward and rearward.

[0078] The relay board 81 is located at the left end of the rear wall 594, and the second connector 83 is located at the right end of the rear wall 594. The relay board 81 is covered with a cover 595.

[0079] The connector board 831 of the second connector 83 is located closer to the second frame 27 than to the first frame 26 in the left-right direction. In other words, the connector board 831 is located on a side of the rear wall 594 that is away from the first fan 71 and the second fan 72 supported by the first frame 26 in the left-right direction.

[0080] The thermistor 86 is a temperature sensor capable of detecting the temperature of the surrounding atmosphere, and is configured to be able to detect in particular the temperature inside the toner cartridge 50 attached to the drawer 59. The temperature detected by the thermistor 86 is affected by the air flow in the atmosphere to be detected, but since the thermistor 86 mounted on the connector board 831 is disposed at a position away from the first fan 71 and the second fan 72 which generate the air flow, the temperature detected by the thermistor 86 is less affected by the air flow caused by the first fan 71 and the second fan 72.

[0081] In addition, since the connector board 831 is located closer to the second frame 27 than to the first frame 26, the connector board 831 is disposed at a position away from the control board 13 located in the first frame 26. This makes it possible to prevent discharge from the control board 13, to which a high voltage is applied, to the connector board 831.

[0082] Furthermore, in the left-right direction, the left end 831B of the connector board 831 is positioned closer to the second frame 27 than the right end 831A of the connector board 831. The left end 831B of the connector board 831 is positioned farther from the first fan 71 and the second fan 72 supported by the first frame 26 than the right end 831A of the connector board 831 in the left-right direction.

[0083] The thermistor 86 and thermistor electrode 8311a are located at the left end 831B of the connector board 831, and are therefore located on the side of the connector board 831 away from the first fan 71 and the second fan 72. Therefore, the temperature detected by the thermistor 76 is less susceptible to the effect of the airflow caused by the first fan 71 and the second fan 72.

[0084] 7 and 8, drawer 59 includes a support 596 that supports second connector 83. Support 596 supports connector board 831 of second connector 83, and is fixed to rear wall 594 of drawer 59 with screws 596b. Connector board 831 is supported by rear wall 594 of drawer 59 via support 596.

[0085] The support member 596 has a side wall 596a facing in the left-right direction. The side wall 596a is located between the first fan 71, the second fan 72, and the connector board 831 of the second connector 83 in the left-right direction.

[0086] Since the side wall 596a is located between the first fan 71 and the second fan 72 and the connector board 831, the airflow caused by the first fan 71 and the second fan 72 is blocked by the side wall 596a, making it difficult for the airflow to reach the connector board 831. Therefore, the temperature detected by the thermistor 76 arranged on the connector board 831 is not easily affected by the airflow caused by the first fan 71 and the second fan 72.

[0087] 9 and 10, the apparatus body 2 includes a body connector 28. The body connector 28 is supported at the left end of the process duct 20. The body connector 28 includes a plurality of pogo pins 29 that contact electrodes 8311 of a connector substrate 831 in the second connector 83.

[0088] The electrodes 8311 of the connector board 831 are drawer-side contacts that come into contact with the main body connector 28 , and the pogo pins 29 of the main body connector 28 are main body-side contacts that come into contact with the connector board 831 .

[0089] That is, the main body side contacts that come into contact with the connector board 831 of the main body connector 28 are constituted by the pogo pins 29, and the drawer side contacts of the connector board 831 that come into contact with the main body connector 28 are constituted by the electrodes 8311. The second connector 83 can be electrically connected to the main body connector 28 by the pogo pins 29 of the main body connector 28 coming into contact with the electrodes 8311 of the connector board 831.

[0090] 11, the pogo pin 29 includes a barrel 291, a plunger 292, and a spring 293. The barrel 291 is formed in a cylindrical shape with one axial end closed. The plunger 292 is formed in a cylindrical shape with the other axial end closed. The closed tip of the plunger 292 is formed in a spherical shape.

[0091] One axial end side of the plunger 292 is inserted into the other axial end side of the barrel 291. The plunger 292 is configured to be axially slidable relative to the barrel 291. This allows the plunger 292 to extend and retract relative to the barrel 291.

[0092] The spring 293 is housed inside the barrel 291 and the plunger 292 , and biases the barrel 291 and the plunger 292 in a direction in which the plunger 292 jumps out of the barrel 291 .

[0093] The barrel 291 has a reduced diameter portion 291a at the other end in the axial direction. The plunger 292 has an expanded diameter portion 292a in the middle in the axial direction. As a result, when the plunger 292 moves in the ejection direction relative to the barrel 291, the reduced diameter portion 291a and the expanded diameter portion 292a engage with each other, preventing the plunger 292 and the barrel 291 from being separated.

[0094] The pogo pin 29 is configured such that the tip of the plunger 292 comes into contact with the electrode 8311 of the connector board 831, and when the pogo pin 29 comes into contact with the electrode 8311, the tip of the plunger 292 is pressed against the electrode 8311 by the biasing force of the spring 293. In this way, the pogo pin 29 is pressed against the electrode 8311 by the biasing force of the spring 293, so that the main connector 28 and the connector board 831 can be stably electrically connected.

[0095] 12, the pogo pin 29 of the main body connector 28 and the electrode 8311 of the connector board 831 come into contact with each other when the drawer 59 is attached to the device main body 2. The axial direction of the pogo pin 29 that comes into contact with the electrode 8311 is inclined with respect to the horizontal direction and perpendicular to the board surface of the connector board 831. In other words, the pogo pin 29 is disposed in such a position that the plunger 292 protrudes obliquely downward and forward from the barrel 291.

[0096] When the drawer 59 is in the second position where at least a portion of the drawer 59 is positioned outside the device body 2, the pogo pin 29 and the electrode 8311 are spaced apart, and when the drawer 59 in the second position moves rearward and reaches the first position where the drawer 59 is positioned inside the device body 2, the pogo pin 29 and the electrode 8311 come into contact.

[0097] In this case, by configuring the drawer side contact of the connector board 831, which is the moving side, with an electrode 8311 that does not have any moving parts, it is possible to prevent a force from being applied to the pogo pin 29 in a direction different from the extension / contraction direction of the plunger 292 when the electrode 8311 moving backward comes into contact with the pogo pin 29, which is the fixed side, and it is possible to achieve stable contact between the pogo pin 29 and the connector board 831.

[0098] Furthermore, unlike relay board 81 which is covered by cover 595, connector board 831 of second connector 83 is exposed to the outside so as to be in contact with main body connector 28. Therefore, thermistor 86 disposed on connector board 831 can accurately detect the internal temperature of toner cartridge 50 located around thermistor 86.

[0099] In addition, since the thermistor 86 is arranged on the back surface 831b opposite to the front surface 831a on which the electrode 8311 of the connector board 831 is arranged, when the connector board 831 moves backward and the electrode 8311 comes into contact with the pogo pin 29, the thermistor 86 can be prevented from interfering with and being damaged by the pogo pin 29 of the main body connector 28.

[0100] Furthermore, by disposing the thermistor 86 on the back surface 831b of the connector board 831, the temperature detected by the thermistor 86 is prevented from being affected by the air flow on the front surface 831a side of the connector board 831. This makes it possible for the thermistor 86 to accurately detect the temperature inside the toner cartridge 50.

[0101] 12, the support material 596 supporting the second connector 83 includes a space 5961 surrounded by the back surface 831b of the connector board 831 on which the thermistor 86 is arranged and the support material 596. The thermistor 86 is arranged in the space 5961.

[0102] The space 5961 includes an opening 5961a that communicates between the inside of the space 5961 and the outside outside the space 5961. The space 5961 communicates with the outside outside the space 5961 through the opening 5961a.

[0103] In this way, the space 5961 in which the thermistor 86 is disposed is connected to the outside outside the space 5961, and the thermistor 86 can be exposed to the air outside the space 5961, so that the thermistor 86 can accurately detect the temperature inside the toner cartridge 50 located outside the space 5961.

[0104] 13, when the drawer 59 is attached to the apparatus body 2, the process duct 20 is located above and to the rear of the second connector 83. Above the second connector 83, the air Ar flowing into the inlet 20a of the process duct 20 flows from the front to the rear. The flow direction of the air Ar is inclined upward from the front to the rear.

[0105] The thickness direction Td of the connector substrate 831 is a direction from the lower front to the upper rear and is inclined with respect to the horizontal direction. The inclination angle of the flow direction of the air Ar with respect to the horizontal direction and the inclination angle of the thickness direction Td of the connector substrate 831 with respect to the horizontal direction are approximately the same angle, and the thickness direction Td of the connector substrate 831 is a direction along the flow direction of the air Ar.

[0106] That is, front surface 831a and back surface 831b, which are the substrate surfaces of connector substrate 831, are surfaces perpendicular to the flow direction of air Ar, and connector substrate 831 is disposed in a position that blocks the flow of air Ar. Therefore, thermistor 86 disposed on back surface 831b of connector substrate 831 is less susceptible to the effect of the flow of air Ar flowing into inlet 20a, and it is possible to accurately detect the temperature inside toner cartridge 50.

[0107] As shown in Figures 14 and 15, the drawer 59 has a power supply contact 597 that contacts a power supply terminal provided in the main body 2 of the device, and a development switching unit 598 that abuts against the main body 2 of the device to switch the developing roller 52 between a contact position and a spaced position relative to the photosensitive drum 51.

[0108] The power supply contact 597 is provided on the right wall 591 of the drawer 59 , and the power supply contact 597 comes into contact with a power supply terminal of the device main body 2 , thereby enabling the drawer 59 to receive power from the device main body 2 .

[0109] The development switching unit 598 is provided on the left wall 592 of the drawer 59, and is configured to switch the development roller 52 to the separated position when it comes into contact with the device main body 2, and to switch the development roller 52 to the abutment position when it is not in contact with the device main body 2.

[0110] The toner cartridge 50 is provided with a memory connector 50b connected to the toner memory 50a. The memory connector 50b is located on the right wall 591 side of the drawer 59 in the left - right direction. The memory connector 50b contacts the first connector 82 when the toner cartridge 50 is mounted on the drawer 59, and electrically connects the toner memory 50a and the first connector 82. The first connector 82 is a memory contact for the toner memory 50a.

[0111] The height - direction distance between the bottom surface 599 of the drawer 59 and the power - supply contact 597 is H1, the height - direction distance between the bottom surface 599 of the drawer 59 and the development switching part 598 is H2, the height - direction distance between the bottom surface 599 of the drawer 59 and the first connector 82 which is a memory contact is H3. Also, the height - direction distance between the bottom surface 599 of the drawer 59 and the connector substrate 831 in the second connector 83 is H4.

[0112] In the drawer 59, the distance H2 is larger than the distance H1, the distance H3 is larger than the distance H2, and the distance H4 is larger than the distance H3 (H1 < H2 < H3 < H4). That is, in the drawer 59, from the bottom to the top, the power - supply contact 597, the development switching part 598, the first connector 82 which is a memory contact, and the connector substrate 831 are arranged in this order.

[0113] By adopting such an arrangement configuration, it is possible to arrange the second connector 83 including the power - supply contact 597, the development switching part 598, the first connector 82 which is a memory contact, and the connector substrate 831 in a space - saving manner.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0114] 1 Image forming apparatus 2 Apparatus main body 13 Control board 20 Process duct 20a Inlet 26 First frame 27 Second frame 28 Main body connector 29 Pogo pin 50 Toner Cartridges 50a Toner Memory 50b memory connector 51 Photosensitive drum 52 Developing roller 59 Drawer 71 First Fan 72 Second Fan 82 1st Connector 83 Second Connector 86 Thermistor 596 Support material 596a Side wall 597 Power contact 598 Development Switching Unit 831 Connector Board 831A Right end 831B Left end 831a surface 831b back side 5961 Space 5961a Aperture 8311 Electrode 8311a Thermistor Electrode Ar Air Td Thickness direction

Claims

1. a device main body having a main body connector; a drawer into which a cartridge having a memory can be attached and which can be pulled out from the device body, a first connector that is electrically connectable to the memory of the cartridge when the cartridge is attached to the drawer; a second connector that is electrically connectable to the first connector, includes a connector substrate, and is electrically connectable by contacting the main body connector; a drawer including a temperature sensor that is disposed on the connector board and is electrically connectable to the connector board.

2. the connector board has a surface on which a drawer-side contact that contacts the main body connector is disposed, and a back surface opposite to the surface; The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the temperature sensor is disposed on the rear surface of the connector board.

3. a main body side contact of the main body connector that comes into contact with the connector board is configured by a pogo pin; 2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the drawer side contact of the connector board that comes into contact with the main body connector is configured by an electrode.

4. the device body includes a first frame, a second frame positioned at an interval in a width direction perpendicular to a direction in which the drawer is pulled out, and a fan positioned in the first frame for discharging air within the device body to the outside; 4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the connector board is located closer to the second frame than the first frame in the width direction.

5. A control board for controlling an operation of the image forming apparatus is provided, The image forming apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the control board is located on the first frame.

6. the device body includes a first frame, a second frame positioned at an interval in a width direction perpendicular to a direction in which the drawer is pulled out, and a fan positioned in the first frame for discharging air within the device body to the outside; the connector board includes a first end and a second end that is closer to the second frame than the first end in the width direction; the temperature sensor is located at the second end of the connector board; An image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a contact corresponding to the temperature sensor at a drawer side contact that contacts the main body connector of the connector board is located at the second end of the connector board.

7. the drawer includes a support for supporting the second connector; the device body includes a first frame, a second frame positioned at an interval in a width direction perpendicular to a direction in which the drawer is pulled out, and a fan positioned in the first frame for discharging air within the device body to the outside; 4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the support member is located between the fan and the second connector in the width direction and has a side wall facing in the width direction.

8. the drawer includes a support for supporting the second connector; the temperature sensor is located in a space surrounded by the back surface of the connector board on which the temperature sensor is disposed and the support material; The image forming apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the space is in communication with an outside of the space.

9. the apparatus body is located above the second connector and includes an inlet through which air flows in a direction parallel to the pull-out direction of the drawer, 4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the connector board has a thickness direction aligned with a flow direction of air flowing into the inlet.

10. a photosensitive drum provided in the drawer or the cartridge on which a toner image is formed; a developing roller provided in the cartridge and movable between a contact position where the developing roller contacts the photosensitive drum and a spaced position where the developing roller is spaced from the photosensitive drum, and supplies toner to the photosensitive drum; The drawer includes: a power supply contact that comes into contact with a power supply terminal provided in the device body; a development switching unit that switches the developing roller between the contact position and the separated position by contacting the device main body; a memory contact for the memory of the cartridge; 4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the power supply contact, the development switching section, the memory contact, and the second connector are arranged in this order from bottom to top.

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