Image-forming apparatus

• US 20060140674A1
• Filed: 12/27/2005
• Published: 06/29/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Sato, Shougo
• Granted Patent: US 7,463,847 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 399/119
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/01 for producing multicoloured copies colour correction in photography G03C; colour correction in printing plate production
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 21/1647 Mechanical connection means
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 21/1676 for the developer unit
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2221/1684 using extractable subframes, e.g. on rails or hinges
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2221/169 Structural door designs
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2221/1869 Cartridge holders, e.g. intermediate frames for placing cartridge parts therein

Abstract

An image-forming apparatus includes: a main body; at least one photosensitive member; an exposing unit; a plurality of developing units; a transferring unit; and a first holding unit. The photosensitive member has an axis. The first holding unit holds the plurality of developing units that are arranged in a row along a first removal direction that is orthogonal to the axis of the photosensitive member and that is substantially horizontal. The first holding unit is accommodated at a first accommodating position in the main body and is capable of being moved, independently from the photosensitive member, to a first removal position that is separate from the first accommodating position in the first removal direction.

Claims

1. An image-forming apparatus, comprising:

a main body;

at least one photosensitive member, the photosensitive member having an axis;

an exposing unit that forms electrostatic latent images on the surface of the photosensitive member;

a plurality of developing units, each developing unit having a developer-accommodating section that accommodates developer and a developer-carrying member that develops a corresponding electrostatic latent image formed by the exposing unit on the photosensitive member into a visible image by supplying developer from the developer-accommodating section onto the surface of the photosensitive member;

a transferring unit that transfers the visible images formed on the photosensitive member to a recording medium; and

a first holding unit that holds the plurality of developing units that are arranged in a row along a first removal direction that is orthogonal to the axis of the photosensitive member and that is substantially horizontal, the first holding unit being accommodated at a first accommodating position in the main body and being capable of being moved, independently from the photosensitive member, to a first removal position that is separate from the first accommodating position in the first removal direction.

2. An image-forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first holding unit is capable of moving from the first accommodating position to the first removal position through a standby position, the standby position is defined at a location between the first accommodating position and the first removal position and is separate from the first accommodating position in a vertical direction;

and

the first accommodating position and the standby position are located between the photosensitive member and the exposing unit.

3. An image-forming apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a moving unit that moves the first holding unit between the first accommodating position and the standby position.

4. An image-forming apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising:

a first guiding unit providing a path along which the first holding unit moves;

a door positioned along the path of the first holding unit and enabling the first holding unit to move from the first accommodating position to the first removal position when opened; and

a linking unit that links the door to the moving unit, the linking unit controlling the moving unit to move the first holding unit from the first accommodating position to the standby position when the door is opened, the linking unit controlling the moving unit to move the first holding unit from the standby position to the first accommodating position when the door is closed.

5. An image-forming apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the first guiding unit enables the first holding unit to move between the standby position and the first removal position.

6. An image-forming apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the first guiding unit enables the first holding unit to be separated from the main body when the first holding unit is moved to the first removal position.

7. An image-forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a second holding unit that holds the photosensitive member and that is accommodated at a second accommodating position in the main body; and

a second guiding unit that enables the second holding unit to move between the second accommodating position and a second removal position that is separate from the second accommodating position in a second removal direction that is substantially horizontal.

8. An image-forming apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the first removal direction and the second removal direction are substantially identical.

9. An image-forming apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the main body includes:

a pair of opposite walls that are distant from each other in a direction in which the axis of the photosensitive member extends, the pair of opposite walls having a pair of engaging portions; and

a pair of urging members that are provided on the pair of opposite walls and that urge both of longitudinal ends of the axis of the photosensitive member to the pair of engaging portions when the second holding unit is in the second accommodating position.

10. An image-forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an image-reading unit that is disposed above the main body, that reads an image formed on a document, and that generates image data based on the image;

wherein the exposing unit forms the electrostatic latent images on the photosensitive member based on the image data generated by the image-reading unit.

11. An image-forming apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising a recording medium accommodating section that is disposed between the main body and the image-reading unit and that accommodates the recording medium that has been formed with the visible images thereon.

12. An image-forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the developer-accommodating section has an opening formed in the top thereof and supplies developer accommodated in the developer-accommodating section externally through the opening;

the developer-carrying member is disposed near the opening; and

the first holding unit has a box shape having a bottom wall and a side wall extending from a periphery of the bottom wall.

13. An image-forming apparatus according to claim 12, wherein each developer-carrying member comprises a protruding part;

and

the side wall of the first holding unit has cutout parts, with which the protruding parts of the developer-carrying member are engaged.

14. An image-forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least one photosensitive member includes a plurality of photosensitive members in one to one correspondence with the plurality of developing units, each photosensitive member having an axis;

wherein the exposing unit forms electrostatic latent images on the surfaces of the photosensitive members;

wherein the developer-carrying member of each developing unit develops the electrostatic latent image formed by the exposing unit on a corresponding photosensitive member into a visible image by supplying developer from the developer-accommodating section onto the surface of the photosensitive member;

wherein the transferring unit transfers the visible images formed on the photosensitive members to a recording medium;

wherein the first removal direction is orthogonal to the axes of the photosensitive members; and

wherein the first holding unit is capable of being moved, independently from the photosensitive members, to the first removal position.