Canon Kabushiki Kaisha

Hiroki Takano

Takehiro Ishidate

Ryoichi Kawasumi

Shoichi Zensai

Tomofumi Kawamura

Koji Suzuki

Hisashi Tsukijima

Takatoshi Chiba

Makoto Adaniya

An image forming apparatus includes an exposure unit that exposes a photoconductor; and an exposure support member that includes a support portion that detachably supports the exposure unit and is moved integrally with the exposure unit in a first direction orthogonal to an axial direction of the photoconductor, wherein the exposure unit includes a first engagement portion that is formed on an opposing portion facing the support portion of the exposure support member in the first direction so as to protrude toward the exposure support member and further formed to extend in the axial direction of the photoconductor orthogonal to a protruding direction, the exposure support member includes a second engagement portion that is formed on the support portion facing the exposure unit at a position corresponding to the first engagement portion and engages with the first engagement portion.

Image forming apparatus

An image forming apparatus includes: a rotatable photoconductor; an exposure portion including a substrate on which a plurality of chips each including a plurality of light emitting portions that emit light for exposing the photoconductor is mounted, and a support portion configured to support the substrate; a fan configured to generate an airflow for cooling the exposure portion; and a duct configured to communicate with the fan and to communicate with the support portion to guide the airflow generated by the fan to the substrate.

Image forming apparatus including duct structure that supports light emitting elements for exposing a photoconductor

An image forming apparatus includes: a photoconductor; a charging portion that charges a surface of the photoconductor; an exposure portion including a substrate including a plurality of light emitting portions for exposing the photoconductor; a developing portion that develops a latent image formed on the surface of the photoconductor with toner; a fan that generates an airflow for cooling the exposure portion; and a duct that communicates with the fan and communicates with the support portion, the duct guiding the airflow generated by the fan to the substrate; in which a part of the duct is formed by a charging support portion that supports the charging portion, a developing support portion that supports the development, and a duct portion, and a space between the duct portion and the charging support portion and a space between the duct portion and the developing support portion are sealed by a sealing member.

Image forming apparatus that cools an exposure device

An image forming apparatus includes: a photoconductor; an exposure unit that forms a latent image on the photoconductor by a substrate that is long in a rotational axis direction of the photoconductor and a plurality of light emitting elements arranged in a longitudinal direction of the substrate; a connector for energizing the exposure unit, the connector being arranged at a position biased to one end side from the center in the longitudinal direction of the substrate; and an exposure cooling unit that causes an airflow to flow through an opening formed in the exposure unit to cool the exposure unit, in which in the longitudinal direction of the substrate, the opening is located on the other end side from the connector, and a shielding wall is provided between the opening and the connector.

Image forming apparatus including exposure unit and exposure cooling unit

An image forming apparatus having front and rear surfaces, a photoreceptor having a rotation axis extending in a first direction, an exposure unit, and a cooling unit. The exposure unit includes a substrate having a longitudinal axis extending in the first direction, a first surface and a second surface. A plurality of light emitting elements that emit light toward the photoreceptor are mounted on the first surface of the substrate. The cooling unit includes an intake port that sucks air from outside of the image forming apparatus. The intake port is disposed at an intake port distance in the first direction to the rear surface. The intake port distance is shorter than a distance in the first direction of a center of the substrate to the rear surface. The cooling unit cools the substrate by blowing air sucked by the intake port onto the second surface of the substrate.

Image forming apparatus with cooling configuration

An image forming apparatus comprising: a plurality of photoconductors; a plurality of exposure unis each corresponding to a different one of the plurality of photoconductors, each of the plurality of exposure units including a substrate on which a plurality of light emitting portions configured to emit light to expose the photoconductors, and a duct configured to guide an airflow that cools the substrate along the substrate; a fan configured to generate the airflow that cools the substrate; and a duct unit configured to communicate with the ducts of the plurality of exposed portions via different ones of a plurality of openings, wherein an area of a first opening that is a longest flow path from the fan among the plurality of openings is larger than an area of a second opening that is a shortest flow path from the fan among the plurality of openings.

An image forming including: a photoconductor; an exposure unit including a substrate provided with a plurality of light emitting portions configured to emit light to expose the photoconductor, and a first duct configured to guide an airflow that cools the substrate from one side to another side in a longitudinal direction of the substrate along the substrate; an IC mounted on the substrate; a fan configured to generate an airflow that cools the substrate; and a second duct configured to communicate with the first duct through a first opening portion, and guide the airflow generated by the fan, the first opening portion is located on the one side with respect to the center of the substrate in the longitudinal direction of the substrate, and the IC is located between the center of the substrate in the longitudinal direction and the first opening portion.

An image forming apparatus includes: a photoconductor that rotates about a first axis; an exposure portion that includes a substrate that includes a plurality of light emitting portions for exposing a surface of the photoconductor, and a support portion for supporting the substrate, and that moves between an exposure position where the photoconductor is exposed and a retracted position where the photoconductor is retracted from the exposure position; and a rotational member that has a second axis along the first axis, and that moves the exposure portion between the retracted position and the exposure position by rotation about the second axis.

Image forming apparatus including retractable exposure portion

An image forming apparatus includes: a photoconductor; an exposure portion that exposes the photoconductor; a fan that generates an airflow for cooling the exposure portion; a duct portion that communicates with the fan; and an elevating duct that relatively moves with respect to the duct portion integrally with the exposure portion, in which the elevating duct includes a rib protruding in a direction away from the exposure portion in a vertical direction, the duct portion includes a sealing member surrounding an opening portion that communicates with the elevating duct, when the elevating duct is located at an exposure position, a surface of the rib intersecting a rotation axis of the photoconductor is in contact with the sealing member, and when the elevating duct is located at a retracted position, a surface of the rib intersecting with the rotation axis of the photoconductor is in contact with the sealing member.

A developer discharging method includes inserting a shielding member into a second communication portion via an inserting opening of a developer container to shift the second communication portion from an opening state for opening the second communication portion to a shielding state for shielding the second communication portion, and discharging the developer from a developing device via a developer discharging portion by rotatably driving a first conveying screw in a direction opposite to a direction of rotatably driving the first conveying screw during a developing operation of developing an electrostatic image formed on an image bearing member when the shielding member is inserted into the second communication portion and by rotatably driving the second conveying screw in a direction opposite to a direction of rotatably driving the second conveying screw during the developing operation when the shielding member is inserted into the second communication portion.

Developer discharging method of developing device and developing device

A developing device includes a developer container including first and second chambers, first and second communication portions to permit the developer to communicate with the first and second chambers, first and second screws provided in the first and second chambers, respectively, and a developer discharging portion. The developer discharging portion is provided in a passage continuous with the first chamber and downstream of the first communication portion. In the developing device, a discharging method includes a step for inserting a shielding member into the second communication portion via an inserting opening of the developer container, and a step for discharging the developer from the developing device via the developer discharging portion, by rotating the first and second screws in a same direction as a direction of rotating during a developing operation in a state where the shielding member is inserted into the second communication portion.

Disclosed is a sheet feeding apparatus configured to be attached to an image forming apparatus. The sheet feeding apparatus includes a frame body and a locking member provided on an upper part of the frame body, the locking member being configured to be movable between a locking position where the frame body is locked to the image forming apparatus and a releasing position where the locking of the frame body is released, wherein in attaching the heating unit to an attaching position of the frame body, the locking member is configured to restrict a movement of the heating unit to the attaching position by interfering with the heating unit when the locking member is located at the releasing position and to allow a movement of the heating unit to the attaching position when the locking member is located at the locking position.

Growing community of inventors

Abiko, Japan

Hiroki Takano