Electrophotography – Internal machine environment – Temperature
Reexamination Certificate
2000-05-01
2001-06-05
Grainger, Quana M. (Department: 2852)
Electrophotography
Internal machine environment
Temperature
C399S092000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06243550
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to an image formation system such as an electrophotographic color copier or a color laser-beam printer and in particular to an image formation system making the effective use of the space therein.
To place parts required for the image formation operation, such as a fuser and units for feeding and transporting recording sheets in a paper feed tray, in an image formation system, it is necessary to make it possible to miniaturize the image formation system making the effective use of space and facilitate maintenance of the image formation system.
To miniaturize the image formation system, the parts such as the fuser and the paper feed and transport units need to be placed with good space efficiency within the limited volume range of the image formation system.
The following related art (J01) is known as an art for placing the parts so as not to waste space in an image formation system:
(J01) (art described in the Unexamined Japanese Patent Application Publication No. Hei 5-338832)
FIG. 5
is a schematic representation of the art described in the Unexamined Japanese Patent Application Publication No. Hei 5-338832.
The apparatus illustrated in
FIG. 5
includes paper feed trays
02
a
and
02
b
below image support
01
. The paper feed tray
02
a
is located above paper feed tray
02
b
and has a length which is approximately one-half the length of paper feed tray
02
b.
The non-paper feed end parts (left end parts in the figure) opposite to the paper feed side end parts (right end parts in the figure) of the smaller paper feed tray
02
a
and the normal paper feed trays
02
b
are placed so as to overlap each other up and down. Therefore, a space Sg is formed on the paper feed side of the small paper feed tray
02
a.
Sheet passages
03
a
and
03
b
are connected to the paper feed side end parts of the small paper feed tray
02
a
and the normal paper feed tray
02
b
respectively, and the sheet passage
03
b
to the normal paper feed tray
02
b
connects to a merging passage
04
.
The sheet passage
03
a
to the paper feed tray
02
a
at the top stage is bent and connects to the merging passage
04
and a sheet transport passage
07
at a merging point
06
in the space Sg.
A recording sheet (not shown) sent out from the small paper feed tray
02
a
at the top stage in the arrow direction shown in
FIG. 5
is transported on the sheet passage
03
a
through the merging point
06
to the sheet transport passage
07
.
the merging point
06
is placed in the space Sg on the paper feed side of the small paper feed tray
02
a,
whereby if paper feed trays are placed at multiple stages as much as possible within the limited volume range of the image formation system, the curvature radius of the bent part of the sheet passage
03
a
to the paper feed tray
02
a
connecting to the merging part
06
can be enlarged and when a card with large friction, a firm film, etc., passes through along the sheet passage
03
a,
a jam, etc., is prevented from occurring.
The following related art (J02) is known as an art devising placement of the parts of an image formation system for miniaturizing the image formation system and facilitating maintenance thereof:
(J02) (art described in the Unexamined Japanese Patent Application Publication No. Hei 6-138744)
In this art described here, a plurality of color developing units are placed vertically in overlapped relation below an intermediate transfer belt placed in an image formation system and a belt-like image support opposed to the developing units and vertically extending is placed. The effective use of space in the image formation system is made because of the placement, etc., for making the image formation system compact and facilitating maintenance thereof.
The following related art (J03) is known as an art for placing the parts of an image formation system laying emphasis on easy maintenance of the parts in the image formation system:
(J03) (art described in the Unexamined Japanese Patent Application Publication No. Hei 7-199678)
In this art described here, an intermediate transfer body unit for holding an intermediate transfer body is placed detachably in an image formation system. An intermediate transfer body cleaning device for collecting residue toner on the intermediate transfer body is placed detachably in the intermediate transfer body unit. At the maintenance time, if the intermediate transfer body unit is drawn out from the image formation system, the intermediate transfer body cleaning device is also drawn out together, saving trouble to adjust the contact position between the intermediate transfer body cleaning device and the intermediate transfer body after the termination of the maintenance.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore a first object of the invention to provide a compact image formation system adapted to form an image on paper through an intermediate transfer body and fix the formed image and in particular to a compact image formation system having a developing unit for developing a toner image and a fuser for fixing a toner image transferred to paper.
It is a second object of the invention to provide a compact image formation system having components placed therein with good weight balance thereof, thereby lessening image degradation caused by banding etc.
(Problems involved in (J01) to (J03))
The object of the related art (J01) is as follows: If paper feed trays are placed as many as possible in the image formation system, when a card with large friction, a firm film, etc., is sent out and transported to the sheet passage
03
a,
a jam, paper feed failure, etc., is prevented from occurring. Thus, the weight balance of the image formation system is not considered for placing the parts in the image formation system. Therefore, if the weight balance of the image formation system is bad, stability of the image formation system is degraded and banding easily occurs.
In the related arts (J02) and (J03) like the related art (J01), the weight balance of the image formation system is not considered for placing the parts in the image formation system. Therefore, stability of the image formation system is degraded and banding easily occurs. The stability at the move or transport time of the image formation system worsens, causing a problem to arise in safety.
The inventors have examined a placement method of parts considering the weight balance of an image formation system for stabilizing the image formation system so as not to waste space in the image formation system.
To place paper feed trays at multiple stages in an image formation system, the length of the paper feed tray for storing small-sized recording sheets in the paper feed direction is fairly shorter than the length of the paper feed tray for storing recording sheets of the maximum size in the paper feed direction (normally, about a half). Therefore, if the paper feed tray for storing small-sized recording sheets is placed at the top stage and to one side of the image formation system, a parts placement space can be formed on the side of the paper feed tray at the top stage. If the parts such as an image support, a transport device, and an intermediate transfer body are placed in a space above the paper feed tray at the top stage placed to one side of the image formation system and a developing unit and a fuser are placed on the opposite side, the weight balance of the image formation system is achieved.
It is therefore an object of the invention to place parts so as to make the effective use of space in an image formation system and keep the weight balance of the image formation system (O01).
It is another object of the invention to place parts so as to make the effective use of space in an image formation system and enable miniaturization of the image formation system (O02).
(The invention)
To solve the problems, the image system of the invention comprises the following requirements:
(Aspect 1)
An image formation system comprising:
an image support having a rotating surface for supporting a toner image thereon;
a d
Fuchiwaki Takashi
Funato Hitoshi
Furusawa Fumio
Hattori Ryuji
Ishii Yasutomo
Fuji 'Xerox Co., Ltd.
Grainger Quana M.
Oliff & Berridg,e PLC
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