Image Forming Apparatus

• US 20150050043A1
• Filed: 10/31/2014
• Published: 02/19/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/26/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Sato, Shougo, Aoi, Yosuke
• Granted Patent: US 9,471,030 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 399/110
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 21/1633 using doors or covers G03G21/1638 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 21/1661 means for handling parts of the apparatus in the apparatus G03G21/1604, G03G21/1642 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 21/1666 for the exposure unit
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 21/185 the process cartridge being mounted parallel to the axis of the photosensitive member

Abstract

An image forming apparatus includes: a main apparatus body; an opening/closing member; a drum unit including a photosensitive drum and can be pulled out of an accommodating space along an axial direction of the photosensitive drum; an exposing member provided in the main apparatus body and movable between an exposure position and an evacuation position; and a movable mechanism including: a first movable member movable in accordance with an opening/closing operation of the opening/closing member; and a second movable member for moving the exposing member between the exposure position and the evacuation position in accordance with movement of the first movable member. The second movable member supports both end portions of the exposing member. The second movable member moves the exposing member to the exposure position or the evacuation position by the movement of the first movable member in accordance with the movement of the opening/closing member.

Claims

1. An image forming apparatus comprising:

a main apparatus body having an accommodating space partitioned therein and an opening connecting the accommodating space and an outside;

a drum unit comprising a photosensitive drum configured to carry a developer image and accommodated in the accommodating space;

an opening/closing member configured to rotate between an open position for opening the opening and a closed position for closing the opening, a rotation axis of the opening/closing member extending in a first direction perpendicular to an axial direction of the photosensitive drum;

an exposing member extending in a second direction parallel to the axial direction of the photosensitive drum and configured to expose the photosensitive drum to form a latent image thereon; and

a movable mechanism comprising;

a first movable member configured to move in accordance with an opening/closing operation of the opening/closing member; and

a second movable member configured to move the exposing member between an exposure position close to the photosensitive drum and a separated position separated from the photosensitive drum,

wherein the second movable member is configured to move the exposing member from the exposure position to the separated position by the movement of the first movable member in accordance with the movement of the opening/closing member from the closed position to the open position, and

wherein the second movable member is configured to move the exposing member from the separated position to the exposure position by the movement of the first movable member in accordance with the movement of the opening/closing member from the open position to the closed position.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the exposing member is disposed so as to face the photosensitive drum from a lower side, and

wherein the movable mechanism is provided below the exposing member.

3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of photosensitive drums corresponding to multiple colors is provided including the photosensitive drum such that one of the plurality of photosensitive drums is arranged in parallel with an adjacent one of the plurality of photosensitive drums with an interval therebetween.

4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the first movable member is configured to move between a first position where the first movable member is disposed when the opening/closing member is disposed at the closed position and a second position where the first movable member is disposed in a state where the opening/closing member is disposed at the open position, and

wherein the main apparatus body comprises a pressing member configured to press the first movable member from the first position toward the second position.

5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the first movable member is configured to contact the opening/closing member with receiving a pressing force from the pressing member when the first movable member is disposed at the first position.

6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the first movable member comprises a guide boss, and

wherein the main apparatus body comprises:

a guide part configured to guide the guide boss in the axial direction; and

a pressing member configured to press the guide boss in the axial direction.

7. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first movable member is configured to slide along the axial direction in accordance with an opening/closing operation of the opening/closing member.

8. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the first movable member comprises a contact portion, and

wherein the first movable member is configured to move in accordance with an opening/closing operation of the opening/closing member in response to the contact portion being contacted with the opening/closing member.

9. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first movable member is configured to move in a direction parallel to the second direction, the second direction being parallel to the axial direction of the photosensitive drum.

10. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the drum unit is configured be pulled out of the accommodating space along the axial direction of the photosensitive drum.