Image forming apparatus, drum unit, and manufacturing method for the image forming apparatus

• US 10,372,057 B2
• Filed: 01/25/2019
• Issued: 08/06/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Tsukada, Takamasa, Yokoi, Junichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Bolduc, David J
• Application Number:
  US16/257,803
• Publication Number:
  US 20190155185A1
• Time in Patent Office: 193 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/04054 by LED arrays
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 21/1647 Mechanical connection means
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 21/1666 for the exposure unit

Abstract

An image forming apparatus, having a photosensitive drum assembly, an exposure head, and a bearing, is provided. The photosensitive drum assembly includes a photosensitive drum and a flange disposed at an end of the photosensitive drum in an axial direction of an axis of the photosensitive drum. The flange contacts an inner surface of the photosensitive drum. The exposure head includes a plurality of light emitters aligned along the axial direction of the photosensitive drum, a lens array focusing light from the light emitters on the photosensitive drum, and a head frame to support the light emitters and the lens array. The bearing has a first contact face to contact the exposure head to define a distance between the lens array and the photosensitive drum along a direction of an optical axis of the light.

Claims

1. An image forming apparatus, comprising:

a drum unit comprising a photosensitive drum; and

an exposure head, comprising;

a plurality of light emitters aligned along an axial direction of an axis of the photosensitive drum;

a lens array for focusing light from the light emitters on the photosensitive drum;

a first frame supporting the light emitters and the lens array;

a second frame supporting the first frame; and

a spacer arranged between the second frame and the drum unit,

wherein the second frame comprises a first supporting face supporting the first frame and a second supporting face supporting the spacer, and

wherein the second supporting face is located to be farther than the first supporting face from the axis of the photosensitive drum.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first supporting face supports the first frame on a side of the first frame facing toward the photosensitive drum.

3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the exposure head comprises a spring configured to press the first frame against the first supporting face.

4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the second frame includes a protrusive portion protruding to be closer to the photosensitive drum than the lens array, and

wherein the protrusive portion is located at a position coincident at least partly with the first supporting face with regard to the axial direction.

5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 4, wherein a dimension of the protrusive portion in a sub-scanning direction is greater than a dimension of the lens array in the sub-scanning direction, the sub-scanning direction being orthogonal to the axial direction.

6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the spacer comprises a solid spacer arranged to face toward the second supporting face, the spacer being configured to contact the drum unit.

7. The image forming apparatus according to claim 6,

wherein the spacer comprises a sheet-like spacer interposed between the second supporting face and the solid spacer.

8. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a dimension of the spacer in a sub-scanning direction declines to be smaller toward the photosensitive drum, the sub-scanning direction being orthogonal to the axial direction.

9. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a distance from the axis of the photosensitive drum to an end face of the spacer facing toward the photosensitive drum is smaller than a distance from the axis of the photosensitive drum to the first supporting face.

10. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the exposure head and the photosensitive drum are placeable at an exposable position, in which the photosensitive drum is exposed to the light from the light emitters, and a retracted position, in which the exposure head is apart farther from the photosensitive drum than the exposure head being in the exposable position.

11. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the drum unit further comprises a bearing supporting the photosensitive drum rotatably, and

wherein the spacer is configured to contact the bearing.

12. The image forming apparatus according to claim 11,

wherein the drum unit further comprises a flange disposed at an end of the photosensitive drum in the axial direction, the flange contacting an inner surface of the photosensitive drum, and

wherein the bearing directly supports the flange rotatably.

13. An image forming apparatus, comprising:

a drum unit comprising a photosensitive drum;

an exposure head, comprising;

a plurality of light emitters aligned along an axial direction of an axis of the photosensitive drum;

a lens array for focusing light from the light emitters on the photosensitive drum;

a first frame supporting the light emitters and the lens array; and

a second frame supporting the first frame; and

a gap-adjusting member arranged between the second frame and the drum unit,

wherein the second frame comprises a first face contacting the first frame in a first direction and a second face contacting the gap-adjusting member in the first direction, the first direction being an optical direction of the light from the light emitters, and

wherein the second face is located to be farther than the first face from the axis of the photosensitive drum.

14. The image forming apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the first face contacts the first frame on a side of the first frame facing toward the photosensitive drum.

15. The image forming apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the gap-adjusting member comprises a solid spacer arranged to face toward the second face, the gap-adjusting member being configured to contact the drum unit.

16. The image forming apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the gap-adjusting member comprises a sheet-like spacer interposed between the second face and the solid spacer.

17. The image forming apparatus according to claim 13, wherein a distance from the axis of the photosensitive drum to an end face of the gap-adjusting member facing toward the photosensitive drum is smaller than a distance from the axis of the photosensitive drum to the first face.

18. The image forming apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the exposure head and the photosensitive drum are placeable at an exposable position, in which the photosensitive drum is exposed to the light from the light emitters, and a retracted position, in which the exposure head is apart farther from the photosensitive drum than the exposure head being in the exposable position.

19. The image forming apparatus according to claim 13,

wherein the drum unit further comprises a bearing supporting the photosensitive drum rotatably, and

wherein the gap-adjusting member is configured to contact the bearing.

20. The image forming apparatus according to claim 19,

wherein the drum unit further comprises a flange disposed at an end of the photosensitive drum in the axial direction, the flange contacting an inner surface of the photosensitive drum;

and

wherein the bearing directly supports the flange rotatably.