IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS

• US 20200133190A1
• Filed: 10/29/2019
• Published: 04/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Kamei, Yasuo
• Granted Patent: US 10,921,745 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/04054 by LED arrays
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 21/1619 Frame structures
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 21/1647 Mechanical connection means
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 21/1652 Electrical connection means
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 21/1666 for the exposure unit
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2221/1684 using extractable subframes, e.g. on rails or hinges
• 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 assembly and a drawer unit. The drawer unit includes a rotatable photosensitive drum, an optical print head, a relay substrate, a first wall portion, a second wall portion and a third wall portion continuously formed between an upstream end portion of the first wall portion and an upstream end portion of the second wall portion with respect to a drawing-out direction of the drawer unit from the main assembly. The relay substrate is provided on a surface of the third wall portion on an upstream side with respect to the drawing-out direction.

Claims

1. An image forming apparatus comprising:

a main assembly provided with an opening; and

a drawer unit capable of being mounted in and drawn out of said main assembly through the opening, wherein said drawer unit comprises,

a rotatable photosensitive drum,

an optical print head including a light emitting element configured to emit light to which said photosensitive drum is exposed,

a relay substrate connected to said optical print head with a cable to relay and transmit a driving signal for driving said optical print head from a main assembly substrate provided in said main assembly to said optical print head,

a first wall portion configured to support one end side of said optical print head with respect to a rotational axis direction of said photosensitive drum,

a second wall portion configured to support the other end side of said optical print head with respect to the rotational axis direction, and

a third wall portion continuously formed between an upstream end portion of said first wall portion and an upstream end portion of said second wall portion with respect to a drawing-out direction of said drawer unit from said main assembly and forming a part of an outer wall of said drawer unit in cooperation with said first wall portion and said second wall portion,

wherein said relay substrate is provided on a surface of said third wall portion on an upstream side with respect to said drawing-out direction.

2. An image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when said drawer unit is in a position where said drawer unit is drawn out of the main assembly, said relay substrate is positioned upstream of said opening with respect to the drawing-out direction.

3. An image forming apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said third wall portion is provided with a through hole, and

wherein said relay substrate and said optical print head are connected by a cable via a through hole.

4. An image forming apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said relay substrate and said optical print head are connected by a cable passing through an upper side of said third wall portion with respect to a vertical direction.

5. An image forming apparatus according to claim 2, wherein when said drawer unit is in a position where said drawer unit is mounted in said main assembly, said relay substrate is positioned upstream of said main assembly substrate with respect to the drawing-out direction, and

wherein when said drawer unit is in the position where said drawer unit is drawn out of said main assembly, said relay substrate is positioned downstream of said main assembly substrate with respect to the drawing-out direction.

6. An image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said cable is a flexible flat cable.

7. An image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said main assembly substrate and said relay substrate are connected by a flexible flat cable.

8. An image forming apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said relay substrate includes a first connector to which a cable connected to said optical print head is connected and a second connector to which a cable connected to said main assembly substrate is connected, and

wherein said first connector is positioned above said second connector with respect to a vertical direction.

9. An image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said optical print head is provided above said photosensitive drum with respect to a vertical direction.

10. An image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said optical print head exposes said photosensitive drum with light depending on irradiation data for forming an electrostatic latent image on said photosensitive drum, and

wherein said irradiation data is generated in said main assembly substrate.

11. An image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said light emitting element is a light emitting diode.

12. An image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said light emitting element is an organic light emitting diode.