IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS INCLUDING OPTICAL PRINT HEAD

• US 20200133193A1
• 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: Suzuki, Takako
• Granted Patent: US 10,969,732 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 21/1623 Means to access the interior of the apparatus
• 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 21/1867 for electrically connecting the process cartridge to the apparatus, electrical connectors, power supply
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 21/1871 associated with a positioning function

Abstract

An image forming apparatus includes a main assembly, and a drawer unit. The drawer unit includes a rotatable photosensitive member, an optical print head including a light emitting element, a substrate, and an electroconductive member and includes a first grounding member. The accommodating portion includes a second grounding member configured to ground the electroconductive member in contact with the first grounding member when the drawer unit is positioned between an accommodated position and a drawn-out position.

Claims

1. An image forming apparatus comprising:

a main assembly; and

a drawer unit movable between an accommodated position where said drawer unit is accommodated in an accommodating portion provided in said main assembly and a drawn-out position where said drawer unit is drawn out of the accommodated position, wherein said drawer unit comprises,

a rotatable photosensitive member,

an optical print head including a light emitting element configured to emit light to which said photosensitive member is exposed, a substrate including said light emitting element, and an electroconductive member of metal which is provided separately from said substrate and is extending in a rotational axis direction of said photosensitive drum, and

a first grounding member connected to said electroconductive member,

wherein said accommodating portion includes a second grounding member configured to ground said electroconductive member in contact with said first grounding member when said drawer unit is positioned between the accommodated position and the drawn-out position.

2. 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.

3. An image forming apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said drawer unit includes a plurality of optical print heads arranged in a movement direction of said drawer unit movable between the accommodated position and the drawn-out position.

4. An image forming apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said first grounding member is provided along the movement direction on an upper side of said drawer unit with respect to the vertical direction and is connected to said electroconductive member provided to each of said optical print heads, and

wherein said second grounding member opposes said first grounding member at a position above said first grounding member with respect to the vertical direction.

5. An image forming apparatus according to claim 2, wherein when said drawer unit is in the accommodated position, said second grounding member is positioned downstream of said optical print head with respect to a movement direction of said drawer unit from the accommodated position to the drawn-out position, and

wherein when said drawer unit is in the drawn-out position, said second grounding member is positioned upstream of said optical print head with respect to the movement direction.

6. An image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said second grounding member is a leaf spring.

7. An image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said second grounding member is a rail-shaped metal member extending in a movement direction of said optical print head.

8. An image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said first grounding member and said second grounding member are always in a contact state during movement of said drawer unit between the accommodated position and the drawn-out position.

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

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