Electrophotography – Diagnostics – Unit or part identification
Reexamination Certificate
2003-02-26
2004-10-19
Royer, William J. (Department: 2852)
Electrophotography
Diagnostics
Unit or part identification
C399S227000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06807381
ABSTRACT:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application is based on application No. 2002-55196 filed in Japan, contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a color image forming apparatus such as a color copying machine or a color printer used to obtain color images, and more particularly to a color image forming apparatus in which multiple developing devices that house toners of various colors are held by support members that are disposed at prescribed locations on a rotatable support unit, and which performs development by rotating the rotatable support unit to sequentially lead each developing device to a position facing an image carrier.
2. Description of the Related Art
Color image forming apparatuses such as color copying machines and color printers that obtain color images using multiple developing devices housing toners of different colors have been in use in recent years.
As one such color image forming apparatus, an apparatus has been in use in which four developing devices
10
a
-
10
d
, each of which houses a toner of a different color, are held by prescribed support members
21
a
-
21
d
on a rotatable support unit
20
, the rotatable support unit
20
is rotated to sequentially lead each developing device
10
a
-
10
d
to a position facing an image carrier P, and the different color toners are sequentially supplied to the image carrier P from the toner carriers
11
a
-
11
d
of the developing devices
10
a
-
10
d
to develop a full-color image, as shown in FIG.
1
.
The color image forming apparatus described above gives rise to the problem, however, that unless the developing devices
10
a
-
10
d
are held by the prescribed support members
21
a
-
21
d
, respectively, on the rotatable support unit
20
, toner of the wrong color is supplied to the image carrier P, resulting in a failure to obtain an image having the desired coloring.
Therefore, in the conventional art, as shown in
FIG. 1
referred to above, for example, verification protrusions
23
a
-
23
d
are disposed on a partition member
22
that separates the support members
21
a
-
21
d
on the rotatable support unit
20
such that the positions of the verification protrusions differ for each support member
21
a
-
21
d
, and verification concavities
12
a
-
12
d
are disposed in the developing devices
10
a
-
10
d
such that the verification concavities
12
a
-
12
d
correspond to the verification protrusions
23
a
-
23
d
on the support members
21
a
-
21
d
, respectively, so that each developing device
10
a
-
10
d
can be held by a prescribed support member
21
a
-
21
d
of the rotatable support unit
20
by engaging the verification protrusion
23
a
-
23
d
of the support member
21
a
-
21
d
with the verification concavity
12
a
-
12
d
of the developing device
10
a
-
10
d
.
However, manufacturing must be carried out using molds corresponding to each of the developing devices
10
a
-
10
d
in order to ensure that verification concavities
12
a
-
12
d
are disposed at different locations on the developing devices
10
a
-
10
d
, which leads to a higher manufacturing cost, and the developing devices
10
a
-
10
d
cannot be used for any other colors but the originally designated toner color, resulting in a lack of versatility.
In addition, because verification concavities
12
a
-
12
d
are disposed in the developing devices
10
a
-
10
d
as described above, the volume of the interior of each developing device
10
a
-
10
d
decreases, reducing the amount of toner in each developing device
10
a
-
10
d
.
OBJECTS AND SUMMARY
An object of the present invention is to resolve the problems identified above in a color image forming apparatus in which multiple developing devices housing toners of different colors are held by support members that are disposed at prescribed locations on a rotatable support unit, and which performs development by rotating the rotatable support unit to sequentially lead each developing device to a position facing an image carrier. rotatable support unit to sequentially lead each developing device to a position facing an image carrier.
In other words, an object of the present invention is, in the color image forming apparatus described above, to have the developing devices easily held by prescribed support members on the rotatable support unit while using developing devices having the same configuration, without the need to dispose a verification concavity in each developing device at a different location for each developing device as in the conventional art, resulting in a lower manufacturing cost and increased versatility for each developing device, as well as in eliminating the reduction in the interior volume of each developing device, enabling a sufficient amount of toner to be housed in each developing device.
In order to attain the above object, the color image forming apparatus pertaining to the present invention comprises a color image forming apparatus in which multiple developing devices housing toners of different colors are held by support members disposed at prescribed locations on a rotatable support unit, and which performs development by rotating the rotatable support unit to sequentially lead each developing device to a position facing an image carrier, wherein a guide member is mounted to one side end of each developing device, and engaging members of different configurations are disposed in each guide member such that each of the multiple developing devices is held by a support member at a prescribed location on the rotatable support unit through engagement of the engaging members of the guide members mounted to adjacent developing devices.
Where a guide member is mounted to one side end of each developing device, and engaging members having different configurations are disposed in each guide member such that the engaging members of the guide members mounted to adjacent developing devices are made to engage with each other, as in the color image forming apparatus of the present invention, if during placement of the developing devices on the support members of the rotatable support unit a developing device is placed on the support member at a wrong location, the engaging members of the guide member mounted to the developing device do not engage with the engaging members of the guide members mounted to the adjacent developing devices, and as a result the developing device is prevented from being placed on the support member at a wrong location.
In addition, in the color image forming apparatus of the present invention, because a verification concavity need not be disposed in each developing device such that the verification concavity in each developing device is disposed at a different location for each developing device as in the conventional art, the interior volume of the developing devices does not decrease, enabling each developing device to house a sufficient amount of toner, and at the same time, because developing devices of the same configuration can be used, the developing device manufacturing cost can be reduced, and a toner different from the original toner can be housed in a given developing device, thereby increasing the versatility of the developing device.
In the color image forming apparatus of the present invention, when the multiple developing devices are placed on support members at prescribed locations on the rotatable support unit, one developing device is first placed on a support member at a prescribed location on the rotatable support unit, and subsequently the other developing devices are placed on the support members at prescribed locations on the rotatable support unit by engaging the engaging members of the guide members mounted to the developing devices, as described above.
It is preferred that a positioning member that enables at least one developing device to be placed on its corresponding support member on the rotatable support unit be included in order to ensure that the first developing device is placed on the support member at a p
Minolta Co. , Ltd.
Morrison & Foerster / LLP
Royer William J.
LandOfFree
Color image forming apparatus having multiple developing... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Color image forming apparatus having multiple developing..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Color image forming apparatus having multiple developing... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3310666