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EP-4141555-B1 - IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS

EP4141555B1EP 4141555 B1EP4141555 B1EP 4141555B1EP-4141555-B1

Inventors

  • TONOSU, Kenta
  • KASUYA, YOSUKE
  • KOBAYASHI, TAKAHIKO

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20220401

Claims (11)

  1. An image forming apparatus (10) comprising: a rotatable image carrier (32) on an outer circumferential surface of which an image is to be formed and that is movable in a rotation axis direction between an image forming position and a maintenance position; a light-emitting unit (41) including a base member (42) extending in the rotation axis direction of the image carrier (32), and a plurality of light-emitting devices (44) provided on the base member (42) and configured to apply light to the outer circumferential surface of the image carrier (32), the light-emitting unit (41) being configured to move together with the image carrier (32) in the rotation axis direction; and a supporting unit (129, 130) configured to move together with the image carrier (32) in the rotation axis direction and to support the light-emitting unit (41) when the image carrier (32) and the light-emitting unit (41) are at the maintenance position and the light-emitting unit (41) is disabled from being pressed to be positioned with respect to the image carrier (32); characterized in that the supporting unit (129, 130) serves as a pressing unit configured to press the light-emitting unit (41) in a direction of light emission, and the pressing unit includes a spring that presses the light-emitting unit (41) in the direction of light emission, and a cylindrical body that houses the spring, and when the image carrier (32) is at the maintenance position with a spring force of the spring being removed from the light-emitting unit (41), the pressing unit supports the light-emitting unit (41) at an end face of the cylindrical body.
  2. The image forming apparatus (10) according to Claim 1, wherein the supporting unit (129, 130) is a functional component having another function in addition to a function of supporting the light-emitting unit (41) that is disabled from being positioned with respect to the image carrier (32), the another function being exerted when the image carrier (32) is at the image forming position.
  3. The image forming apparatus (10) according to Claim 1, further comprising: an adjusting unit (130) configured to come into contact with the light-emitting unit (41) and to adjust a position of the light-emitting unit (41) in a direction parallel to a direction of light emission by moving the light-emitting unit (41) in the direction parallel to the direction of light emission; and a pressing unit provided across the light-emitting unit (41) from the adjusting unit (130) and configured to press the light-emitting unit (41) in the direction of light emission, wherein the supporting unit (129, 130) serves as the pressing unit or the adjusting unit (130).
  4. The image forming apparatus (10) according to Claim 1, wherein the light-emitting unit (41) and the pressing unit are separate bodies, and wherein the light-emitting unit (41) is detachable from the image forming apparatus (10) with the pressing unit remaining on the image forming apparatus (10).
  5. The image forming apparatus (10) according to Claim 2 or 3, wherein the functional component serves as an adjusting unit (130) configured to come into contact with the light-emitting unit (41) and to adjust a position of the light-emitting unit (41) in a direction parallel to a direction of light emission by moving the light-emitting unit (41) in the direction parallel to the direction of light emission, wherein the adjusting unit (130) includes a contact member configured to come into contact with the light-emitting unit (41) and that causes the light-emitting unit (41) to move in the direction parallel to the direction of light emission, and wherein the adjusting unit (130) or the adjusting unit (130) serving as the functional component supports the light-emitting unit at a contact surface of the contact member.
  6. The image forming apparatus (10) according to Claim 5, further comprising: a driving unit configured to move the contact member, wherein the driving unit is configured to move together with the image carrier (32) to the maintenance position.
  7. The image forming apparatus (10) according to Claim 1 or 2, further comprising: a first image carrier (32) to which light is applied from the light-emitting unit (41), the light-emitting unit (41) being positioned above the first image carrier (32) in a direction of gravity; a second image carrier (32) to which light is applied from another light-emitting unit (41) that is positioned below the second image carrier (32) in the direction of gravity; a first supporting unit (130) that supports the first image carrier (32); and a second supporting unit (129) that supports the second image carrier (32), wherein the first supporting unit (130) and the second supporting unit (129) are components that provide respectively different functions to the respective image carriers (32).
  8. The image forming apparatus (10) according to any one of Claims 1 to 7, further comprising: a positioning member provided on the base member (42) and that determines a position of the light-emitting unit (41) in a direction orthogonal to the direction of light emission.
  9. The image forming apparatus (10) according to Claim 1, further comprising: a separating unit connected to the light-emitting unit (41) and configured to move the light-emitting unit (41) away from the image carrier (32), the separating unit serving as the supporting unit (129, 130).
  10. The image forming apparatus (10) according to Claim 9, wherein when the image carrier (32) is at the maintenance position, the separating unit is allowed to perform a separating operation in which the light-emitting unit (41) is moved away from the image carrier (32).
  11. The image forming apparatus (10) according to Claim 10, further comprising: an adjusting unit (130) configured to come into contact with the light-emitting unit (41) and to adjust a distance between the light-emitting unit (41) and the outer circumferential surface of the image carrier (32) by moving the light-emitting unit (41) in a direction parallel to a direction of light emission; and a pressing unit provided across the light-emitting unit (41) from the adjusting unit (130) and configured to press the light-emitting unit (41) in the direction of light emission, wherein the adjusting unit (130) and the pressing unit are configured to move together with the image carrier (32) in the rotation axis direction.

Description

Background (i) Technical Field The present disclosure relates to an image forming apparatus. (ii) Related Art An image forming apparatus disclosed by Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2020-97169 includes an image-forming-apparatus body that houses an image forming unit, a covering member that is openably provided on the image-forming-apparatus body, and an opening-and-closing device that opens and closes the covering member. The opening-and-closing device includes a first locking member and a second locking member that lock the covering member to the image-forming-apparatus body, a first connecting member connected to the first locking member, and a second connecting member that connects the first connecting member and the second locking member to each other such that the second locking member moves toward the first locking member when the first connecting member is moved in such a direction that the locking by the first locking member is disabled. JP H09 101637 A discloses a color image forming device having plural developing devices for developing an exposed image on a photoreceptor by toner. US 2020/019083 A1 discloses a image forming apparatus with a print head to expose a drum to light, a first supporting unit supporting the print head and to move to mounting and extraction positions, a cable to supply a print head driving signal, an abutting portion, and a second supporting unit having a holding unit to hold the cable and to support the first supporting member. US 2008/145103 A1 discloses a image forming apparatus with an image holder; an exposure member that has an exposure portion exposing the image holder; a first positioning unit that determines a distance in a first direction, which is a direction of an optical axis of the exposure member, between the exposure member and the image holder; and a second positioning unit that determines a position of the exposure member. US 2015/268624 A1 discloses an image forming apparatus including an image forming apparatus main body, a detachable body that is detachably provided on the image forming apparatus main body, includes an image holding member, and moves along a predetermined moving path, and a light emitting member that performs a light emission to the image holding member. US 2018/101131 A1 discloses an image forming apparatus, including a cartridge with a photosensitive drum and a regulation portion; a light emitting device configured to emit light from a light emission surface to the photosensitive drum; and a movement unit configured to reciprocate the light emitting device between an exposure position and a retracted position, wherein the regulation portion regulates a cleaning member, which includes a cleaning portion configured to rub and clean the light emission surface. Summary Accordingly, it is an object of the present disclosure to provide an image forming apparatus that provides greater ease of maintenance work than an apparatus in which a light-emitting unit is to be supported by an operator during the maintenance work. The invention is defined by the appended claims. The following first and fourth aspects are parts of claim 1, the other aspects relate to preferred embodiments. According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided an image forming apparatus including: a rotatable image carrier on an outer circumferential surface of which an image is to be formed and that is movable in a rotation axis direction between an image forming position and a maintenance position; a light-emitting unit including a base member extending in the rotation axis direction of the image carrier, and a plurality of light-emitting devices provided on the base member and configured to apply light to the outer circumferential surface of the image carrier, the light-emitting unit being configured to move together with the image carrier in the rotation axis direction; and a supporting unit configured to move together with the image carrier in the rotation axis direction and to support the light-emitting unit when the image carrier and the light-emitting unit are at the maintenance position and the light-emitting unit is disabled from being pressed in the rotation axis direction to be positioned with respect to the image carrier. According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, in the image forming apparatus according to the first aspect of the present disclosure, the supporting unit is a functional component having another function in addition to a function of supporting the light-emitting unit that is disabled from being positioned with respect to the image carrier, the another function being exerted when the image carrier is at the image forming position. According to a third aspect of the present disclosure, the image forming apparatus according to the first aspect of the present disclosure further includes an adjusting unit configured to come into contact with the light-emitting unit and to adjust a position of