Electrophotography – Having particular structure – Modular or displaceable
Reexamination Certificate
1999-12-28
2001-05-22
Brase, Sandra (Department: 2852)
Electrophotography
Having particular structure
Modular or displaceable
Reexamination Certificate
active
06236823
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a photosensitive belt cartridge which receives, in a continuous loop belt state, the photosensitive belt installed in an electrophotographic printer for convenience of replacement and safe storage thereof, and a photosensitive belt replacing apparatus employing the same and a method thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
An electrophotographic printer such as a color laser printer is provided with a photosensitive belt
10
supported by and circulating around a plurality of rollers
11
,
12
and
13
installed in a main body of the printer as shown in FIG.
1
. An image to be printed is developed on a surface of the photosensitive belt
10
by a predetermined developing unit
15
, and after the developed image is dried while passing through a drying unit
16
, the image is printed on a paper
1
at a transfer unit
14
including a transfer roller
14
a
and a fuser roller
14
b.
Here, a unit in which the photosensitive belt
10
circulates is called a belt unit. In addition, the roller
11
of the rollers
11
,
12
and
13
is a drive roller which is connected to a driving source and circulates the photosensitive belt
10
, the roller
12
is a backup roller for the transfer roller
14
a,
and the roller
13
acts as a steering roller for preventing lateral movement of the photosensitive belt
10
.
However, as such a photosensitive belt is used for a long time, the precision of a developed image deteriorates gradually. Therefore, when a predetermined use life has passed, the photosensitive belt must be replaced with a new one so as to continuously develop a clear image. However, in a conventional method for such replacement, a photosensitive belt formed as a continuous loop belt as mentioned above is replaced with a new one in a manner in which the photosensitive belt is adjusted to an installment position in the main body and inserted into the position directly by hand. To this end, one of the rollers
11
,
12
and
13
, that is, the steering roller
13
is installed to be movable as shown by an imaginary line in
FIG. 1
, the steering roller
13
is moved to a position shown by the imaginary line to loosen the tension of the photosensitive belt
10
during replacement, and then the photosensitive belt
10
is removed. Thereafter, the new photosensitive belt is inserted by hand, and then the steering roller
13
is moved to the original position to tighten the tension of the photosensitive belt
10
.
However, since the photosensitive belt
10
has no rigid shape and is flexible, it is very troublesome and difficult in itself to replace the photosensitive belt
10
with a new one by adjusting the photosensitive belt
10
to the installation position and inserting it into the position by hand, and in addition there is a problem in that the possibility of improper installation of the new photosensitive belt may be high depending on the worker performing the replacement job. In addition, since the worker must put his hand into the printer, hold the photosensitive belt
10
and pull it out directly by hand when the photosensitive belt
10
is removed from the printer, the hand of the worker may be injured by interference with various structural members in the tight inner space of the printer.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
To solve the above problems, it is an objective of the present invention to provide a photosensitive belt cartridge which is adapted so that a worker can perform the replacement of the photosensitive belt in a safe, simple and fast manner, an apparatus for replacing a photosensitive belt which employs the same, and a method thereof.
Accordingly, to achieve the above objective, there is provided a photosensitive belt cartridge of an electrophotographic printer for receiving a photosensitive belt to be installed in the electrophotographic printer including: a main cartridge which has a hollow shape, one side surface of which is open, and in which the photosensitive belt is received as a continuous loop belt; and a removable cartridge removably assembled to the main cartridge so that when the photosensitive belt is installed at a circulation position in the printer, the removable cartridge can be separated from the main cartridge and installed with the photosensitive belt in the printer, and provided with a belt recovering mechanism therein for winding the photosensitive belt from the circulation position when necessary.
In addition, to achieve the above objective, there is provided a photosensitive belt replacing apparatus of an electrophotographic printer for replacing a photosensitive belt installed in a belt unit of the printer comprising: a main cartridge receiving the photosensitive belt to be replaced and installed as a continuous loop belt, and allowing the received photosensitive belt to be installed in the belt unit by being moved into an installation position of the photosensitive belt within the printer while hanging on and sliding along insertion rails provided at the belt unit; a belt separating mechanism installed at the belt unit, and binding the photosensitive belt to the belt unit by applying a tight tension to the photosensitive belt of the main cartridge moved into the installation position and therefore allowing the photosensitive belt to remain installed in the belt unit when the main cartridge is removed from the installation position; a belt cutting mechanism installed in the printer for cutting the photosensitive belt which has been installed in the belt unit as a continuous loop belt and has been used so that the photosensitive belt can be removed; and a belt recovering mechanism for winding the photosensitive belt cut by the belt cutting means and removing the photosensitive belt from the belt unit.
In addition, to achieve the above objective, there is provided a method of replacing a photosensitive belt of an electrophotographic printer for replacing the photosensitive belt which circulates around a continuous loop track while supported by a belt unit within the printer, and on which a predetermined image is developed by a developing unit and which transfers the image to a transfer unit, including the steps of: outputting a message informing a user that it is time to replace the photosensitive belt; confirming whether the user has started to replace the photosensitive belt with respect to the message; cutting the photosensitive belt by moving a cutting blade installed in the printer so as to move across the photosensitive belt when the user selects start of replacement of the photosensitive belt; driving a removable cartridge provided with a hollow cylinder and a revolver rotatably installed in the hollow cylinder and installed in the belt unit to move and causing the revolver to wind the cut photosensitive belt between the outer circumferential surface of the revolver and the inner surface of the cylinder according to the rotation of the revolver; and removing the removable cartridge having wound the photosensitive belt from the printer. The method further comprises preparing a main cartridge in which the new photosensitive belt is received as a continuous loop belt and to which a new removable cartridge to be installed in the belt unit is removably assembled together with the photosensitive belt; inserting the main cartridge into an installation position in the printer; locking the main cartridge to the installation position; binding the received photosensitive belt to the belt unit by moving a steering roller installed in the belt unit and applying tight tension to the photosensitive belt received in the main cartridge; unlocking the main cartridge and locking the removable cartridge; and causing the photosensitive belt and the removable cartridge to be separated from the main cartridge and to remain installed in the belt unit when the main cartridge is removed from the printer.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4766455 (1988-08-01), Carter
patent: 5400121 (1995-03-01), Foote
patent: 5417322 (1995-05-01), Jeran et al.
patent: 6014535 (2000-01-01), Zenk et al
Brase Sandra
Samsung Electronics Co,. Ltd.
Sughrue Mion Zinn Macpeak & Seas, PLLC
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