IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS

• US 20180095405A1
• Filed: 09/15/2017
• Published: 04/05/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/04/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Iwai, Hitoshi, Hosoi, Shinichiro, Ishidate, Takehiro
• Granted Patent: US 10,591,867 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/04054 by LED arrays
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/326 by application of light, e.g. using a LED array
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 21/00 Arrangements not provided for by groups G03G13/00 - G03G19/00, e.g. cleaning, elimination of residual charge
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 21/1633 using doors or covers G03G21/1638 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 21/1666 for the exposure unit
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 21/169 for the cleaning unit
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2215/0409 Light-emitting diodes, i.e. LED-array
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2221/1654 Locks and means for positioning or alignment
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2221/169 Structural door designs

Abstract

An image forming apparatus includes: an LED print head exposing a photosensitive drum with light; a door arranged on one end side of the LED print head; a support portion for the LED print head operating in conjunction with opening and closing movements of the door, positioning the LED print head at a first position for exposing the photosensitive drum when the door is closed, and positioning the LED print head at a second position more apart from the photosensitive drum than the first position when the door is open; and a guide portion formed on the door and guiding a cleaning member to the LED print head, the guide portion having a first inclined surface which is lowered toward the LED print head so that the cleaning member is continuously held in contact with the LED print head under a state in which the door is open.

Claims

1. An image forming apparatus, comprising:

a photosensitive drum;

an LED print head arranged along a longitudinal direction of the photosensitive drum and configured to expose the photosensitive drum with light;

a door arranged on one end side of the LED print head in a longitudinal direction of the LED print head and opened and closed when performing maintenance;

a support portion for the LED print head, the support portion configured to operate in conjunction with opening and closing movements of the door, configured to cause the LED print head to be positioned at a first position for exposing the photosensitive drum with the light under a state in which the door is closed, and configured to cause the LED print head to be positioned at a second position more apart from the photosensitive drum than the first position under a state in which the door is open; and

a guide portion formed on the door and configured to guide a cleaning member for cleaning the LED print head to the LED print head, the guide portion having a first inclined surface which is lowered toward the LED print head so that the cleaning member, which moves in the longitudinal direction of the LED print head, is continuously held in contact with the LED print head under a state in which the door is open and the LED print head is positioned at the second position.

2. An image forming apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein a standing wall portion which includes the guide portion is formed on the door,

wherein an end portion of the support portion and an end portion of the standing wall portion of the door are connected to each other through intermediation of a connection rod which is connected to the support portion and the standing wall portion,

wherein the support portion has an inclined surface along which the LED print head placed on the support portion moves,

wherein, when the door is opened from the closed state, the support portion moves in a direction of approaching the door so that the LED print head placed on the support portion is lowered from the first position along the inclined surface of the support portion to move to the second position, and

wherein, when the door is closed from the open state, the support portion moves in a direction of separating from the door so that the LED print head placed on the support portion is raised from the second position along the inclined surface of the support portion to move to the first position.

3. An image forming apparatus according to claim 2,

wherein the guide portion has a groove portion into which the cleaning member is inserted,

wherein the groove portion has a first inclined surface, and

wherein a distal end of the cleaning member proceeds in the groove portion along the first inclined surface to be brought into contact with an end portion of the LED print head, which is opposed to the door.

4. An image forming apparatus according to claim 2,

wherein the guide portion has a groove portion into which the cleaning member is inserted,

wherein the groove portion has a horizontal surface, which is arranged on an inlet side of the groove portion into which the cleaning member is inserted, and the first inclined surface connected to the horizontal surface, and

wherein a distal end of the cleaning member proceeds in the groove portion along the first inclined surface to be brought into contact with an end portion of the LED print head, which is opposed to the door.

5. An image forming apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the cleaning member includes a handle portion and non-woven fabric which is arranged at a distal end of the handle portion and is configured to wipe off dirt on the LED print head.

6. An image forming apparatus according to claim 5,

wherein the groove portion of the guide portion has a reverse T-shaped cross section, and

wherein the handle portion of the cleaning member has a reverse T-shaped cross section to enable insertion into the groove portion.

7. An image forming apparatus according to claim 6,

wherein the LED print head comprises:

a plurality of LEDs configured to emit light;

a lens configured to image light emitted from the plurality of LEDs onto the photosensitive drum; and

a support member configured to support the plurality of LEDs and the lens,

wherein the support member has a second inclined surface which is arranged at an end portion thereof opposing to the door, with which the non-woven fabric of the cleaning member guided by the guide portion is contact, and which is configured to guide the non-woven fabric to the lens, and

wherein the second inclined surface is raised toward a direction of separating from the guide portion.

8. An image forming apparatus according to claim 7, wherein a force of urging the non-woven fabric toward the lens by the first inclined surface and the second inclined surface is larger than a force of urging the handle portion toward the lens by the first inclined surface and the second inclined surface.

9. An image forming apparatus according to claim 8,

wherein the support member has wall portions, which extend toward the photosensitive drum, on both sides of the lens in a short direction of the lens, and which are configured to regulate deviation of the cleaning member in a horizontal direction orthogonal to a proceeding direction of the cleaning member.