Image forming device

Abstract

To solve the problem in which: it is demanded a simple configuration to bring memory means of a cartridge and a contact part of an apparatus main body into electrical contact with each other.SOLUTION: A main body electrical contact unit receives an urging force from an urging member in a mounted state to be engaged with a cartridge and positioned at a first position, and when a part to be positioned of a holding member is positioned at a positioning part of a frame body in an unmounted state, the main body electrical contact unit is positioned to a second position. The second position is a position different from the first position in a direction intersecting with the direction of the urging force in the mounted state when seen in a direction orthogonal to a mounting direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an electrophotographic image forming apparatus that includes a cartridge that is detachably mountable to an apparatus main body. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art In electrophotographic image forming apparatuses, there are known those in which a photosensitive member and a process means acting on the photosensitive member are integrated into a cartridge that is detachably mountable to the main body of the apparatus.

[0003] Some of these cartridges are equipped with memory means for storing information such as the serial number, usage status, etc. By equipping the cartridge with memory means, it is possible to exchange information with the main body of the apparatus and change the control of the image forming process according to the usage status of the cartridge, thereby maximizing the performance of the image forming apparatus.

[0004] For communication between the memory means of the cartridge and the main body of the apparatus, a contact type is widely adopted in which a connector or spring material is used to bring the memory means into contact with a contact portion of the main body of the apparatus.

[0005] Patent Document 1 discloses a configuration in which a contact portion of the device main body moves to come into contact with a memory tag of the cartridge in conjunction with the opening and closing action of a cover member that opens and closes an opening for attaching and detaching a cartridge. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication 2015-11055 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] However, in Patent Document 1, a linking mechanism is required for moving the contact portion of the device body in conjunction with the opening and closing operation of the cover member, which poses a problem that the configuration tends to become complicated.

[0008] An object of the present invention is to provide a simple structure for electrically connecting the memory means of the cartridge and the contact portion of the main body of the apparatus. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] A first aspect of the present invention is an image forming apparatus having a main body and a cartridge that is detachably mountable to the main body in a mounting direction, the cartridge having a memory means for storing information, The apparatus main body includes a frame and a cartridge mounted in the apparatus main body. Before In electrical contact with the memory means Has electrical contacts A main body electrical contact portion and a portion to be positioned that holds the main body electrical contact portion And the rotation restricted portion a holding member having a first end and a second end, the first end being movable relative to the frame body; The electrical contact a biasing member for biasing the main body electrical contact unit so as to contact the memory means of the cartridge, one end and the other end of the biasing member being supported by the main body electrical contact unit and the frame body, respectively; ,before For the frame The main body electrical contact unit a positioning portion provided on the frame and configured to engage with the positioned portion of the holding member so as to determine a position; a rotation restricting portion provided on the frame body and configured to engage with the rotation restricted portion to restrict rotation of the main body electrical contact unit relative to the frame body in the unattached state; In the mounted state, the main body electrical contact unit 、 Receiving a biasing force from the biasing member By the cartridge is engaged with the cartridge and positioned at a first position, And the rotation restricted portion but each The positioning portion of the frame and the rotation restricting portion To Engageand the second position is a position different from the first position in a direction intersecting the direction of the biasing force in the mounted state when viewed in a direction perpendicular to the mounting direction. the law of nature, The main body electrical contact unit is configured such that, when viewed in the orthogonal direction in the attached state, the positioned portion does not come into contact with the positioning portion of the frame body, and the rotation restricted portion does not come into contact with the rotation restricting portion of the frame body. It is characterized by: Effect of the Invention

[0010] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a simple structure for electrically connecting the memory means of the cartridge and the contact portion of the main body of the apparatus. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a laser beam printer as an electrophotographic image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] (a) is a side view of the cartridge B according to the present embodiment; (b) is a perspective view of the longitudinal end of the cartridge B as seen from the side where the memory tag substrate is provided; [Diagram 3] (a) is a perspective view of a connector unit and a coil spring; (b) is an exploded perspective view of the connector unit and the coil spring; [Figure 4] Enlarged view showing the position of the connector unit when installed [Diagram 5] (a) A view of the memory tag holder, connector, and coil spring in the attached state from the X direction. (b) An enlarged view of the connector area in FIG. 5(a). (c) An E-E cross section of FIG. 5(a). [Figure 6] Enlarged view showing the position of the connector unit when not installed [Figure 7] (a) An enlarged view showing the positions of the memory tag board and connector unit just before the memory tag retaining portion of the cartridge engages with the connector unit. (b) An enlarged view showing the positions of the memory tag board and connector unit when the memory tag retaining portion of the cartridge begins to engage with the connector unit. (c) An enlarged view showing the positions of the memory tag board and connector unit when the memory tag retaining portion of the cartridge engages with the connector unit and the connector unit is in a first position. [Figure 8]Enlarged view showing the position of the connector unit when the developing unit is swung DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] Example 1 An image forming apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described.

[0013] <Image forming device> The overall structure of an image forming apparatus will be described. Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a laser beam printer as an electrophotographic image forming apparatus according to this embodiment. The image forming apparatus has an apparatus main body A and a process cartridge (hereinafter, referred to as cartridge B) configured to be detachably attached to the apparatus main body A. The apparatus main body A is the portion of the image forming apparatus excluding the cartridge B. The mounting direction of the cartridge B with respect to the apparatus main body A is the direction of arrow M in Fig. 1. Hereinafter, a state in which the cartridge B is mounted in the apparatus main body A will be referred to as a mounted state, and a state in which the cartridge B is not mounted in the apparatus main body A will be referred to as a non-mounted state.

[0014] The cartridge B has a drum unit 620 that rotatably supports the photosensitive drum 62, and a developing unit 320 that rotatably supports the developing roller 32. The developing unit 320 is supported by the drum unit 620 so as to be swingable between a position where the developing roller 32 is close to the photosensitive drum 62 and a position where the developing roller 32 is separated from the photosensitive drum 62.

[0015] The apparatus main body A is provided with an exposure device 3 (laser scanner unit) for forming a latent image on a photosensitive drum 62 serving as an image carrier of the cartridge B. In addition, a sheet tray 4 for storing a recording medium (hereinafter referred to as a sheet material PA) is provided below the cartridge B.

[0016] The apparatus main body A further includes a pickup roller 5a, a pair of feeding rollers 5b, a pair of conveying rollers 5c, a transfer roller 7, a fixing device 9, a pair of discharging rollers 10, and a discharging tray 11, which are arranged along the conveying direction D of the sheet material PA.

[0017] In this embodiment, the mounting direction M of the cartridge B is a direction perpendicular to the rotation axis of the photosensitive drum 62, but is not limited to this.

[0018] <Image formation process> The image forming process will be outlined below. Based on a print start signal, the photoconductor drum 62 is rotated in the direction of arrow R at a predetermined peripheral speed (process speed).

[0019] A charging roller (charging member) 66 to which a bias voltage is applied comes into contact with the outer peripheral surface of the drum 62 and charges the outer peripheral surface of the drum 62 uniformly.

[0020] The exposure device 3 outputs a laser beam L corresponding to image information. The laser beam L scans and exposes the outer peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum 62. As a result, an electrostatic latent image corresponding to the image information is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the drum 62.

[0021] On the other hand, the toner in the cartridge B is carried by the developing roller 32. Toner is supplied from the developing roller 32 to the photosensitive drum 62 in accordance with the electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive drum 52, and the electrostatic latent image is developed. As a result, the electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive drum 62 is visualized as a toner image.

[0022] 1, in synchronization with the output timing of the laser light L, the sheet material PA is transported from the sheet tray 4 to a transfer position between the drum 62 and the transfer roller 7 by the pickup roller 5a, the feeding roller pair 5b, and the transport roller pair 5c. At the transfer position, the toner image is transferred from the drum 62 to the sheet material PA.

[0023] The sheet material PA onto which the toner image has been transferred is separated from the drum 62 and transported to the fixing device 9. The sheet material PA is then subjected to a pressure and heat fixing process in a nip portion constituting the fixing device 9, and the toner image is fixed onto the sheet material PA. The sheet material PA which has undergone the toner image fixing process is transported to a pair of discharge rollers 10 and is discharged onto a discharge tray 11.

[0024] <Cartridge memory tag board> The memory tag substrate of the cartridge B will be described. FIG. 3(a) is a side view of the cartridge B according to this embodiment. FIG. 3(b) is a side view of the cartridge B as seen from the side where the memory tag substrate 103 is located. 3(a) and 3(b), the Z direction is perpendicular to the memory tag substrate 103, and the Y direction is perpendicular to the X and Z directions. The X direction in FIG. 3(b) is the direction of the rotation axis of the photosensitive drum 62.

[0025] 3(a), the cartridge B has a memory tag substrate 103 (memory means). The memory tag substrate 103 is held by a memory tag holder 1000 provided on the end face on the downstream side of the developing unit 320 in the mounting direction M (FIG. 1).

[0026] The memory tag substrate 103 has a cartridge contact 103a and a memory as a storage section. The memory stores information such as the cartridge serial number and usage status.

[0027] The memory tag holder 1000 has ribs 102a and 102b as positioning portions. The ribs 102a and 102b are aligned in the Y direction, and the memory tag substrate 103 is disposed between them. The ribs 102a and 102b are configured to extend in the Y direction and the Z direction.

[0028] <Connector unit> The connector unit 200 of the device main body A will be described. Fig. 3(a) is a perspective view of the connector unit 200 and the coil spring 203 according to this embodiment. Fig. 3(b) is an exploded perspective view of the connector unit 200 and the coil spring 203 according to this embodiment. Fig. 4 is an enlarged view showing the position of the connector unit 200 with respect to the memory tag board 103 in the attached state.

[0029] 3, the apparatus main body A has a connector unit 200 (main body electrical contact unit) and a coil spring 203 as a biasing means for biasing the connector unit 200 toward the memory tag substrate 103 of the cartridge B. The coil spring 203 in this embodiment is a compression coil spring, and is positioned so that the central axis C is parallel or approximately parallel to the Z direction (FIG. 4).

[0030] Connector unit 200 has connector 201 (main body electrical contact portion) and holding member 202 that holds connector 201. Connector 201 has main body electrical contact 201a and protrusions 204, 205 as positioned portions. Protrusion 204 has protrusions 204a and 204b that are spaced apart and aligned in the X direction. Protrusion 205 has protrusions 205a and 205b that are spaced apart and aligned in the X direction.

[0031] The holding member 202 holds the connector 201, and has a first hole 202a and a second hole 202b as a positioned portion, as shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4. Also, as shown in FIG. 3(b), the first hole 202a and the second hole 202b have a first inner circumferential surface 2021a and a second inner circumferential surface 2021b extending in the X direction, respectively. When viewed in the X direction, the first hole 202a is provided on the opposite side of the second hole 202b across the coil spring 203. The holding member 202 is fixed so as to be integrated with the connector 201. The holding member 202 can be fixed to the connector 201 by bonding the connector 201 to the connector 201 or by providing the holding member 202 with an elastically deformable claw portion to engage with the connector 201.

[0032] 4, the device main body A has a first shaft portion 206 (first boss) and a second shaft portion 207 (second boss) as main body positioning portions. The first shaft portion 206 and the second shaft portion 207 extend from a main body frame 2000 of the device main body A in a direction perpendicular to the Y direction and Z direction (X direction), and are located in a first hole portion 202a and a second hole portion 202b of the holding member 202, respectively.

[0033] 4, the movement of the connector unit 200 is restricted by a first inner circumferential surface 2021a of the first hole 202a and a second inner circumferential surface 2021b of the second hole 202b contacting the first shaft portion 206 and the second shaft portion 207, respectively. In this manner, the connector unit 200 is configured to be movable within a predetermined range in the Y direction and the Z direction relative to the main body frame 2000.

[0034] 4, in the attached state, the coil spring 203 biases the connector 201 in a direction in which the connector unit 200 approaches the memory tag substrate 103 of the cartridge B. One end and the other end of the coil spring 203 are supported by the connector 201 and a spring support portion 2001 of the frame body 2000. In the attached state shown in FIG. 4, the direction of the biasing force that the connector 201 receives from the coil spring 203 is designated as F.

[0035] <Connector unit position when cartridge is installed> The position and alignment of the connector unit 200 in the attached state will be described with reference to Figures 4 and 5. Figure 5(a) is a view of the memory tag holding section 1000, the connector 201, and the coil spring 203 in the attached state as viewed from the X direction. Figure 5(b) is an enlarged view of the vicinity of the connector 201 in Figure 5(a). Figure 5(c) is a cross section taken along line AA in Figure 5(a). In Figure 5, the holding member 202 is not shown so that the positioning structure can be more easily seen.

[0036] In the attached state, the connector unit 200 is positioned relative to the cartridge B by engaging with the memory tag holding portion 1000. The position of the memory tag at this time is referred to as a first position.

[0037] The positioning configuration of the connector unit 200 with respect to the memory tag holding part 1000 will be described. As shown in Fig. 5(c), the ribs 102 and 103 of the memory tag holding part 1000 fit into the gaps between the protrusions 204a and 204b and between the protrusions 205a and 205b of the connector 201, respectively. This determines the position of the connector unit 200 in the X direction. Furthermore, the portion (positioning part) between the faces 107a and 107b of the memory tag holding part 1000 fits into the gaps between the protrusions 204a and 205a and between the protrusions 204b and 205b of the connector 201, thereby determining the position in the Y direction.

[0038] In the attached state, the coil spring 203 biases the connector 201 in a direction in which the connector unit 200 (connector 201) approaches the memory tag substrate 103 of the cartridge B. This causes the connector 201 to abut against the end face of the memory tag holder 1000, and the position of the connector unit 200 in the Z direction is determined.

[0039] Incidentally, one end and the other end of the coil spring are supported by the connector 201 and the spring support portion 2001 of the main body frame 2000. Furthermore, the central axis C of the coil spring in the attached state is parallel or approximately parallel to the Z direction.

[0040] As described above, when the position of the connector unit 200 relative to the memory tag holding part 1000 is determined, the main body electrical contacts 201a of the connector 201 and the cartridge contacts 103a of the memory tag substrate 103 come into contact and are capable of electrical communication.

[0041] In addition, in the mounted state, the first inner peripheral surface 2021a of the first hole 202a and the second inner peripheral surface 2021b of the second hole 202b of the holding member 202 are not in contact with the first shaft portion 206 (first boss) and the second shaft portion 207 (second boss), respectively. This improves the positional accuracy of the connector unit 200 with respect to the memory tag substrate 103 of the cartridge B.

[0042] <Connector unit position when cartridge is not installed> The position of connector unit 200 in an unattached state, which is a feature of this embodiment, will be described below. Fig. 6 is an enlarged view showing the position of connector unit 200 in an unattached state.

[0043] The connector unit 200 in an unattached state waits at a position (second position) lower than the first position in a direction intersecting the central axis C when viewed in a direction (X direction) perpendicular to the attachment direction.

[0044] The second position of the connector unit 200 is a position where the memory retention portion 1000 of the cartridge B can easily engage with the connector unit 200 of the apparatus main body A in relation to the mounting trajectory of the cartridge B relative to the apparatus main body A. This will be described later.

[0045] The connector unit 200 is positioned in the main body frame 2000 in an unattached state. A first inner peripheral surface 2021a of the first hole 202a and a second inner peripheral surface 2021b of the second hole 202b of the holding member 202 contact the first shaft portion 206 and the second shaft portion 207, respectively, by the biasing force of the coil spring 203. This determines the positions of the connector unit 200 in the Y direction and the Z direction relative to the main body frame 2000. To explain in more detail, the cylindrical surface of the first shaft portion 206 contacts the first inner peripheral surface 2021a to determine the center position of the holding member 202, and the second shaft portion 207 contacts the second inner peripheral surface 2021b to restrict the rotation of the holding member 202 about the first shaft portion 206. In this way, the connector unit 200, with the holding member 202 positioned on the main body frame 2000, is positioned at a second position that is shifted downward from the first position in a direction perpendicular to (intersecting with) the central axis C (Z direction).

[0046] The direction of the central axis C is the same as the direction F of the biasing force that the connector 201 receives from the coil spring 203 in the attached state shown in Fig. 4. That is, the second position of the connector unit 200 in this embodiment is characterized in that it is a position different from the first position in a direction intersecting the direction F of the biasing force that the connector 201 receives from the coil spring 203 in the attached state.

[0047] Conventionally, in order to make the connector unit 200 wait at a position different from the position in the attached state in a direction intersecting the direction F of the biasing force that the connector 201 receives from the coil spring 203, it was necessary to adopt the following configuration. That is, a biasing member such as a tension spring is provided separately from the coil spring 203, and biases the connector unit in a direction intersecting the direction F of the biasing force. In this configuration, there is a problem that a force in an unnecessary direction continues to act on the connector unit because the main body electrical contact of the connector unit contacts the cartridge contact in the attached state. In contrast, in this embodiment, the position of the connector unit when not attached can be determined by a simple configuration using the coil spring 203, the holding member 202, the first shaft portion 206, and the second shaft portion 207. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the force in an unnecessary direction from acting on the connector unit when attached, and therefore it is possible to maintain a good contact state between the main body electrical contact and the cartridge contact.

[0048] <Cartridge installation trajectory and connector unit position> The following describes the mounting path of cartridge B relative to the apparatus main body A and the position of the connector unit 200. Fig. 7(a) is an enlarged view showing the positions of the memory tag substrate 103 and the connector unit 200 immediately before the memory tag holder 1000 of cartridge B engages with the connector unit 200. Fig. 7(b) is an enlarged view showing the positions of the memory tag substrate 103 and the connector unit 200 when the memory tag holder 1000 of cartridge B begins to engage with the connector unit 200. Fig. 7(c) is a view showing the positions of the memory tag substrate 103 and the connector unit 200 when mounting of cartridge B relative to the apparatus main body A is complete.

[0049] When cartridge B reaches the position shown in Fig. 7(a) when it is mounted in the apparatus main body A, it moves while changing its orientation in the direction of arrow R2 while being guided by the guide section of the apparatus main body A. At this time, the connector unit 200 waits in the second position. After that, as shown in Fig. 7(b), the connector unit 200 starts to engage with the memory tag holding section 1000, and moves while changing its orientation in the direction of arrow R1 as cartridge B moves in the direction of arrow R2, and reaches the first position shown in Fig. 7(c).

[0050] As described above, the connector unit 200 engages with the memory tag holding part 1000 midway as it moves and changes direction upward together with the cartridge B. Therefore, by having the connector unit 200 wait at the second position, which is lower than the first position in the direction intersecting the central axis C, the connector unit 200 and the memory tag holding part 1000 can easily engage with each other.

[0051] In this embodiment, the second position of the connector unit 200 is lower than the first position in the direction intersecting the central axis C, but may be a position different from the first position in the direction intersecting the central axis C.

[0052] <Oscillation of the development unit> FIG. 8 is an enlarged view showing the position of the connector unit 200 when the developing unit 320 in the cartridge B in the mounted state is swung relative to the drum unit 620. As shown in FIG.

[0053] A case will be described where the developing roller 32 separates from the photosensitive drum 62 and the memory tag board 103 of the cartridge B attempts to move in a direction (arrow H) away from the connector unit 200. Even if the developing unit 320 swings, the connector unit 200 maintains engagement with the memory tag board 103 because the coil spring 203 biases the connector 201 toward the memory tag board 103. The connector unit 200 moves in the direction of arrow I following the memory tag board 103, and the contact state between the main body electrical contact 201a and the cartridge contact 103a is maintained.

[0054] Although the coil spring in this embodiment is a compression coil spring, other biasing members such as a torsion coil spring may be used. Furthermore, even if the cartridge mounting trajectory differs from that in this embodiment due to the shape of the guide member of the main body of the apparatus, the present invention is effective. [Explanation of symbols]

[0055] 103 Memory tag board 103a Cartridge Contact 200 Connector Unit 201 Connector 201a Main body electrical contact 202 Retaining member 203 Coil spring 206 First shaft 207 Second shaft 1000 Memory tag holder 2000 Main body frame A Device body B Cartridge

Claims

1. An image forming apparatus having a main body and a cartridge that is detachably mountable to the main body in a mounting direction, said cartridge having memory means for storing information; The device body includes: A frame body, a main body electrical contact unit including: a main body electrical contact portion having electrical contacts that electrically contact the memory means when the cartridge is mounted in the apparatus main body; and a holding member that holds the main body electrical contact portion and has a positioned portion and a rotation restricted portion, the main body electrical contact unit being configured to be movable with respect to the frame; a biasing member for biasing the main body electrical contact unit so that the electrical contact of the main body electrical contact portion contacts the memory means of the cartridge in the mounted state, the biasing member having one end and the other end supported by the main body electrical contact unit and the frame, respectively; a positioning portion provided on the frame and configured to engage with the positioned portion of the holding member so that a position of the main body electrical contact unit relative to the frame is determined in an unmounted state in which the cartridge is not mounted to the apparatus main body; a rotation restricting portion provided on the frame body and configured to engage with the rotation restricted portion to restrict rotation of the main body electrical contact unit relative to the frame body in the unattached state; having The main body electrical contact unit includes: In the mounted state, the cartridge is engaged with the cartridge holder by receiving a biasing force from the biasing member, and is positioned at a first position. In the unattached state, the positioned portion and the rotation restricted portion of the holding member are engaged with the positioning portion and the rotation restricted portion of the frame body, respectively, to be positioned at a second position, the second position is a position different from the first position in a direction intersecting a direction of the biasing force in the mounted state when viewed in a direction perpendicular to the mounting direction, An image forming apparatus characterized in that the main body electrical contact unit is configured so that, when viewed in the orthogonal direction in the installed state, the positioned portion does not come into contact with the positioning portion of the frame body, and the rotation restricted portion does not come into contact with the rotation restricted portion of the frame body.

2. the positioning portion and the rotation restricting portion of the frame body are a first boss and a second boss extending in the perpendicular direction, the positioned portion and the rotation restricted portion of the holding member are each a first hole portion having a first inner circumferential surface extending in the perpendicular direction and a second hole portion having a second inner circumferential surface extending in the perpendicular direction, The main body electrical contact unit includes: In the unattached state, the first boss and the second boss are positioned at the second position by contacting the first inner circumferential surface and the second inner circumferential surface, respectively; In the mounted state, the first boss and the second boss do not contact the first inner circumferential surface and the second inner circumferential surface, respectively, and are engaged with the cartridge to be positioned at the first position.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1,

3. 3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the first hole portion of the holding member is provided on an opposite side to the second hole portion across the biasing member when viewed in the perpendicular direction.

4. 4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the biasing member is a compression coil spring, and the direction of the biasing force in the attached state is a central axis of the compression coil spring.

5. An image forming apparatus as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the biasing member directly biases the main body electrical contact portion.

6. The cartridge has a photosensitive drum, 6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the main body electrical contact portion is configured to be movable with respect to the photosensitive drum.

7. the cartridge includes a drum unit having a photosensitive drum, and a developing unit having a developing roller for supplying toner to the photosensitive drum, the developing unit being configured to be swingable relative to the drum unit; 6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the memory means is provided in the developing unit.

8. The developing unit is configured to be able to swing between a first position with respect to the drum unit and a second position at which the developing roller is farther from the photosensitive drum than the first position, 8. An image forming apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the main body electrical contact unit is configured so that the electrical contact comes into contact with the memory means of the cartridge regardless of whether the developing unit is in the first position or the second position.

Images