Electrophotography – Having particular structure – Modular or displaceable
Reexamination Certificate
2001-07-25
2002-12-24
Chen, Sophia S. (Department: 2852)
Electrophotography
Having particular structure
Modular or displaceable
C399S111000, C399S113000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06498916
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus, such as a color photocopier and a color printer, of the electrophotographic type or the electrostatic recording type.
2. Related Background Art
FIG. 5
is a schematic sectional view of an image forming apparatus for better understanding of the present invention.
As shown in
FIG. 5
, an image scanning unit
101
emits light A such as laser light, so that a photosensitive drum of a process cartridge
102
is irradiated with the light A. The light A, which irradiates the photosensitive drum, forms a latent image on the photosensitive drum, thereby allowing a toner image formed by specified development means to be transferred onto an endless intermediate transferring unit one after another.
The process cartridge unit
102
incorporates means for charging the photosensitive drum, or development means for forming the toner image. The toner-supplying container
104
is disposed for supplying the process cartridge
102
with toner.
A toner-supplying container
104
of larger volume requires less frequent replacement of the container; however, it ends up requiring a larger image forming apparatus. For this reason, the toner-supplying container
104
is disposed between two adjacent image scanning units
101
so that space in the apparatus can be utilized effectively.
The toner-supplying container
104
disposed between two adjacent image scanning units
101
is detachably mounted in the apparatus, since the container needs to be replaced with a new one when toner in the cartridge is used up. The toner-supplying container
104
is inserted into the image forming apparatus along the mount plate
103
for mounting the image scanning unit
101
, and is mounted in the apparatus by supporting means (not shown). As described above, the toner-supplying container
104
is mounted in the apparatus by using a guide plate, for example, the mount plate
103
, as a guide member, for mounting the image scanning unit
101
.
In an apparatus for forming a color image by superimposing one toner on another of a plurality of colors, the positional relationship among the image forming stations for different colors is critical. It is, however, extremely difficult to have a positional relationship within a desired limit among image scanning units, if a plurality of image scanning units
101
are mounted on separate mount plates
103
as in the above-described image forming apparatus. The failure of having the positional relationship within a desired limit may cause a color aberration.
Therefore, it is envisioned that the positioning accuracy of the plurality of image scanning units is improved by mounting them on a single supporting member. However, a color image forming apparatus having a plurality of image forming stations in a tandem manner generally includes three to four image scanning units, thereby giving rise to such a problem that the supporting member becomes large accordingly, and thus it is difficult to keep enough stiffness of the supporting member.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the above-described problem, it is an object of the present invention to provide an image forming apparatus with high mounting accuracy of image scanning units.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an image forming apparatus with high frame stiffness.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an image forming apparatus having: a plurality of image forming stations for forming an image, each of the image forming stations comprising an image scanning unit and toner cartridges, the toner cartridges being detachably mountable on a main assembly of the apparatus; a supporting member for supporting the image scanning units; and a plurality of guide members for guiding the toner cartridges, wherein the plurality of guide members are fixed to the supporting members.
Further objects of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiments with reference to the attached drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5818506 (1998-10-01), Yamaguchi et al.
patent: 5848329 (1998-12-01), Aoyama et al.
patent: 6236820 (2001-05-01), Nakazato et al.
patent: 6301456 (2001-10-01), Horrall et al.
Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
Chen Sophia S.
Fitzpatrick ,Cella, Harper & Scinto
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