IMAGE-FORMING APPARATUS

• US 20110123217A1
• Filed: 06/08/2010
• Published: 05/26/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujifilm Business Innovation Corp. (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fuji Xerox Company Limited (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: ANDO, Hiroki, MATSUI, Toshiyuki, HONOBE, Satoshi, FUKUZAWA, Tsuneo, MAEKAWA, Fumiaki, SATO, Tomonori
• Granted Patent: US 8,170,446 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 399/107
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 21/1633 using doors or covers G03G21/1638 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2221/1609 protective arrangements for preventing damage
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2221/1684 using extractable subframes, e.g. on rails or hinges

Abstract

An image-forming apparatus includes: plural image-holding members, each image-holding member holding an image and being rotatable around a rotation shaft; a frame member that at least partially defines a space for accommodating the plural image-holding members therein; a cover provided to the frame member to open and close the space with respect to an outside, an inner side of the cover being formed with rotation shaft insertion holes each for receiving an end portion of the rotation shaft of a corresponding one of the image-holding members accommodated in the space; a supporting shaft that supports the cover such that the cover is pivotable with respect to the frame member; and a positioning mechanism that positions the cover with respect to the frame member when the cover closes the space, the positioning mechanism including at least two projections that project from one of the frame member and the cover and that are spaced apart from each other in a direction of an axis of the supporting shaft such that lengths of perpendicular line segments from the at least two projections to the axis of the supporting shaft are different from each other, and projection insertion holes provided to the other one of the frame member and the cover to receive corresponding projections when the cover closes the space.

Claims

1. An image-forming apparatus comprising:

a plurality of image-holding members, each image-holding member holding an image and being rotatable around a rotation shaft;

a frame member that at least partially defines a space for accommodating the plurality of image-holding members therein;

a cover provided to the frame member to open and close the space with respect to an outside, an inner side of the cover being formed with rotation shaft insertion holes each for receiving an end portion of the rotation shaft of a corresponding one of the image-holding members accommodated in the space;

a supporting shaft that supports the cover such that the cover is pivotable with respect to the frame member; and

a positioning mechanism that positions the cover with respect to the frame member when the cover closes the space, the positioning mechanism including at least two projections that project from one of the frame member and the cover and that are spaced apart from each other in a direction of an axis of the supporting shaft such that lengths of perpendicular line segments from the at least two projections to the axis of the supporting shaft are different from each other, and projection insertion holes provided to the other one of the frame member and the cover to receive corresponding projections when the cover closes the space.

3. The image-forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein one of the projection insertion holes, which receives one of the projections having a shortest length of the perpendicular line segment to the axis of the supporting shaft, is an elongated hole extending in a direction having a horizontal component.

4. The image-forming apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the one of the projection insertion holes has an oval or elliptic shape.

7. The image-forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the cover is moved toward a position for closing the space, the rotation shafts of the plurality of image-holding members are inserted sequentially into corresponding rotation shaft insertion holes formed in the cover, with the rotation shaft closest to one of the projections having a shortest length of the perpendicular line segment to the axis of the supporting shaft being inserted first, and the rotation shaft closest to another one of the projections having a greatest length of the perpendicular line segment to the axis of the supporting shaft being inserted last.

9. The image-forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each projection has a tapered end portion such that a diameter of the projection reduces toward an end of the projection.

2. An image-forming apparatus comprising:

a plurality of image-holding members, each image-holding member holding an image and being rotatable around a rotation shaft;

a first frame member and a second frame member opposed to the first frame member, the first and second frame members at least partially defining a space therebetween for accommodating the plurality of image-holding members;

a cover provided to the first frame member to open and close the space with respect to an outside, an inner side of the cover being formed with first rotation shaft insertion holes each for receiving an end portion of the rotation shaft of a corresponding one of the image-holding members accommodated in the space, and an inner side of the second frame member being formed with second rotation shaft insertion holes each for receiving an end portion of the rotation shaft of a corresponding one of the image-holding members accommodated in the space;

a supporting shaft that supports the cover such that the cover is pivotable with respect to the first frame member; and

a positioning mechanism that positions the cover with respect to the first frame member when the cover closes the space, the positioning mechanism including at least two projections that project from one of the first frame member and the cover and that are spaced apart from each other in a direction of an axis of the supporting shaft such that lengths of perpendicular line segments from the at least two projections to the axis of the supporting shaft are different from each other, and projection insertion holes provided to the other one of the first frame member and the cover to receive corresponding projections when the cover closes the space.

5. The image-forming apparatus according to claim 2, wherein one of the projection insertion holes, which receives one of the projections having a shortest length of the perpendicular line segment to the axis of the supporting shaft, is an elongated hole extending in a direction having a horizontal component.

6. The image-forming apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the one of the projection insertion holes has an oval or elliptic shape.

8. The image-forming apparatus according to claim 2, wherein when the cover is moved toward a position for closing the space, the rotation shafts of the plurality of image-holding members are inserted sequentially into corresponding rotation shaft insertion holes formed in the cover, with the rotation shaft closest to one of the projections having a shortest length of the perpendicular line segment to the axis of the supporting shaft being inserted first, and the rotation shaft closest to another one of the projections having a greatest length of the perpendicular line segment to the axis of the supporting shaft being inserted last.

10. The image-forming apparatus according to claim 2, wherein each projection has a tapered end portion such that a diameter of the projection reduces toward an end of the projection.