Image device with control members for rollers

• US 6,999,698 B2
• Filed: 08/12/2004
• Issued: 02/14/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Masuda, Yoshiaki, Kida, Hiroshi, Yamauchi, Hirokazu
• Primary Examiner(s): Brase, Sandra L.
• Application Number:
  US10/916,456
• Publication Number:
  US 20050019068A1
• Time in Patent Office: 551 Days
• Field of Search: 399/107, 399/110, 399/121, 399/124, 399/125, 399/116, 399/316
• US Class Current: 399/121
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/167 at least one of the recording member or the transfer member being rotatable during the transfer

Abstract

A first control member is disposed in a drum shaft away from a photoconductive drum, and a second control member is disposed in a roller shaft away from a transfer roller. The first and second control members abut on each other at their circumferential surfaces. This helps reduce an amount of displacement resulting from an impact caused by insertion of a recording paper sheet in between the photoconductive drum and the transfer roller, and thereby reduce vibrations in the photoconductive drum. Consequently, a toner image formed on the photoconductive drum and an unfixed toner image transferred onto the recording paper sheet are not affected by vibrations.

Claims

1. An image forming apparatus comprising:

an image carrier for carrying a toner image;

image carrier supporting means for supporting the image carrier in such a way that the image carrier is rotatable about a first rotary shaft which is arranged substantially horizontally;

a transfer member for transferring the toner image carried on the image carrier onto a transfer material;

transfer member supporting means for supporting the transfer member in such a way that the transfer member is rotatable about a second rotary shaft which is arranged substantially parallel to the first rotary shaft; and

a guide member, arranged in close proximity to the transfer member, for guiding the transfer material to a transfer position in the transfer member, the guide member being supported by the transfer member supporting means;

wherein the transfer member supporting means and the guide member are each designed to be positioned with respect to the image carrier supporting means by abutting against the image carrier supporting means; and

wherein the guide member is supported by the transfer member supporting means so as to be oscillatable within a predetermined range of oscillation,

and wherein, when the transfer member supporting means is moved away from the image carrier supporting means, the guide member oscillates so as to be located in a position distant from the transfer member.

2. An image forming apparatus comprising:

an image carrier for carrying a toner image;

image carrier supporting means for supporting the image carrier in such a way that the image carrier is rotatable about a first rotary shaft which is arranged substantially horizontally;

a transfer member for transferring the toner image carried on the image carrier onto a transfer material;

transfer member supporting means for supporting the transfer member in such a way that the transfer member is rotatable about a second rotary shaft which is arranged substantially parallel to the first rotary shaft;

a cover member, arranged so as to be freely movable close to and away from the image carrier supporting means, for supporting the transfer member supporting means so that the transfer member supporting means is kept in a floating state in a substantially horizontal direction;

a guide member, arranged in close proximity to the transfer member, for guiding the transfer material to a transfer position in the transfer member;

a transfer member supporting means urging mechanism, disposed in the cover member, for resiliently urging the transfer member supporting means toward the image carrier supporting means; and

positioning means, disposed in part of the transfer member supporting means, for positioning the transfer member supporting means with respect to the image carrier supporting means by abutting against the image carrier supporting means,

wherein, in the transfer member supporting means is disposed a transfer member urging mechanism for resiliently urging the transfer member toward the image carrier, and

wherein a first urging pressure, which is exerted by the transfer member supporting means urging mechanism in a direction of the image carrier supporting means, is set to be greater than a second urging pressure exerted by the transfer member urging mechanism in the same direction.

3. The image forming apparatus of claim 2, wherein the first urging pressure is set to be 1.5 times or above greater than the second urging pressure.

4. The image forming apparatus of claim 2, further comprising:

charge removal means for removing charges remaining on the transfer material after the transfer process, the charge removal means being supported by the transfer member supporting means.

5. The image forming apparatus of claim 2, wherein the cover member includes means for freely moving the cover member close to and away form the image carrier supporting means in a horizontal direction.

6. An image forming apparatus comprising:

an image carrier for carrying a toner image;

image carrier supporting means for supporting the image carrier in such a way that the image carrier is rotatable about a first rotary shaft which is arranged substantially horizontally;

a transfer member for transferring the toner image carried on the image carrier onto a transfer material;

transfer member supporting means for supporting the transfer member in such a way that the transfer member is rotatable about a second rotary shaft which is arranged substantially parallel to the first rotary shaft;

a cover member, arranged so as to be freely movable close to and away from the image carrier supporting means, for supporting the transfer member supporting means in such a way that the transfer member supporting means is kept in a floating state in a substantially horizontal direction;

a guide member, arranged in close proximity to the transfer member, for guiding the transfer material to a transfer position in the transfer member;

a transfer member supporting means urging mechanism, disposed in the cover member, for resiliently urging the transfer member supporting means toward the image carrier supporting means; and

first positioning means, disposed in part of the transfer member supporting means, for positioning the transfer member supporting means with respect to the image carrier supporting means by abutting against the image carrier supporting means,

the image forming apparatus further comprising;

guide member supporting means for supporting the guide member on the transfer member supporting means; and

second positioning means, disposed in part of the guide member, for positioning the guide member with respect to the image carrier supporting means by abutting against the image carrier supporting means.

7. The image forming apparatus of claim 6, wherein an urging position in the transfer member supporting means urging mechanism is located in between the first positioning means and the second positioning means.

8. The image forming apparatus of claim 6, further comprising:

charge removal means for removing charges remaining on the transfer material after the transfer process, the charge removal means being supported by the transfer member supporting means.

9. The image forming apparatus of claim 6, wherein the cover member includes means for freely moving the cover member close to an away form the image carrier supporting means in a horizontal direction.