Electrophotography – Machine operation – Having power supply
Reexamination Certificate
2002-02-28
2004-06-29
Ngo, Hoang (Department: 2852)
Electrophotography
Machine operation
Having power supply
C399S090000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06757504
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to image forming apparatus such as electrophotographic copiers, printers, word processors, facsimile machines, and so on for forming an image on a recording medium and, more particularly, to image forming apparatus equipped with an interface portion.
2. Description of the Related Art
A laser printer will be described below as an example of the image forming apparatus adopting the electrophotographic method and other recording methods.
FIG. 10
is a sectional view of a conventional laser beam printer, in which a recording material is conveyed almost horizontally from sheet feeding means
102
via transferring means
109
to fixing means
111
, in which there are provided image forming means including a process cartridge
107
and others and light source means
105
including a laser scanner and others above the conveyed surface of the recording material, and which is constructed to feed the recording material, transfer a toner image onto the recording material, and thermally fix the toner image on the recording material.
Further, an electrical portion
115
, in which power supplies for supplying AC, DC, and a high voltage for the apparatus and a control circuit for controlling the operation of the entire apparatus are integrated, is located in the lower part of the apparatus, and is connected through connectors
115
a
and
130
c
to an interface portion
130
for exchanging image signals with a computer or a network outside the apparatus through cable
132
so as to process or prepare image data. The image data processed and prepared at this interface portion
130
is sent via the electrical portion
115
to the light source means
105
connected through cable
118
, whereby a photosensitive body
108
is exposed to scanning light modulated according to the image data to form a latent image thereon.
FIG. 11
is another sectional view obtained at another position in a direction normal to the plane of the drawing in FIG.
10
and shows a mounted state of an add-on such as a memory card
133
or the like on the interface portion
130
. The user is allowed to open an access cover
134
, provided on the back side of an exterior housing
113
, around a hinge shaft
134
a
and load or unload the memory card
133
through an aperture
113
a
onto or out of the interface portion
130
.
The user can also mount or dismount a process cartridge
107
by opening a door
116
around a shaft
116
a,
as shown in FIG.
12
.
At this time, in order to protect the user, supply of power from the electrical portion
115
is halted in synchronism with the opening action of the door
116
by an unrepresented interlock mechanism.
However, the conventional image forming apparatus as shown in
FIGS. 10
to
12
involves a possibility that the loading/unloading work of the add-on is carried out even during supply of power in the main body of the apparatus, so that the interface portion
130
can be electrically broken during the work. In order to avoid it, it was necessary to provide an interlock switch interlocked with the access cover, in addition to the interlock mechanism interlocked with the opening/closing action of the door
116
, and this resulted in the disadvantage of cost increase.
There was another problem of poor workability, because the add-on such as the memory card
133
or the like had to be loaded or unloaded through the narrow aperture
113
a
onto or out of the interface portion
130
.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A first object of the present invention is to provide image forming apparatus that can enhance the loading/unloading workability of the add-on, prevent the electrical breakage of the interface portion, and ensure the user's safety.
A second object of the present invention is to provide image forming apparatus comprising an interface portion for processing image information, power supply means for supplying power to the interface portion, an opening/closing member capable of opening or closing relative to a main body of the apparatus, and a cover capable of exposing the interface portion, wherein the supply of power from the power supply means to the interface portion is shut off in an open state of the opening/closing member and wherein opening of the cover is prohibited in a close state of the opening/closing member.
A third object of the present invention is to provide image forming apparatus comprising an interface portion for processing image information, power supply means for supplying power to the interface portion, an opening/closing member capable of opening or closing relative to a main body of the apparatus, and a cover capable of exposing the interface portion, wherein the supply of power from the power supply means to the interface portion is shut off in an open state of the opening/closing member and wherein closing of the opening/closing member is prohibited in an open state of the cover.
Further objects of the present invention will become apparent by the description which follows.
REFERENCES:
patent: 6032004 (2000-02-01), Mirabella, Jr. et al.
Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
Fitzpatrick ,Cella, Harper & Scinto
Ngo Hoang
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