US 10,852,687 B2Granted

Image forming apparatus

AssigneeCanon Kabushiki Kaisha

InventorsShoichi Zensai, Tomofumi Kawamura, Hiroki Takano

Life of this patent

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Abstract

Provided is an image forming apparatus including: an apparatus main body; a plurality of units arranged adjacent to each other in the apparatus main body, and configured to be attachable to and detachable from the apparatus main body in the same insertion and removal direction; and a switching member 36 configured to be capable of taking any one of a first position in which attachment and detachment of one unit 4 of adjacent units among the plurality of units to and from the apparatus main body is allowed and attachment and detachment of another unit 5 of the adjacent units is restricted, and a second position in which the attachment and detachment of the one unit 4 is restricted and the attachment and detachment of the other unit 5 is allowed.

Claims8

Dependent claims

An image forming apparatus comprising:

an apparatus main body including a mounting portion and a switching member;
and
first and second units individually mountable on and detachable from the mounting portion of the apparatus main body,
wherein the switching member is configured to:
(i) move, with respect to the mounting portion, between a first position and a second position, the first position being a position where attachment and detachment of the first unit with respect to the mounting portion is allowed and attachment and detachment of the second unit with respect to the mounting portion is restricted, the second position being a position where the attachment and detachment of the first unit is restricted and the attachment and detachment of the second unit is allowed, and
(ii) remain, after the first unit is detached from the apparatus main body in a state that the switching member is in the first position, in the first position to restrict detachment of the second unit from the mounting portion.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 16/577,266Filed 20 Sep 2019 · continuation
Priority: JP 2016-2145501 Nov 2016
Published: US 2020/0012229 A19 Jan 2020
Granted: 1 Dec 2020
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification6 codes

G03G 21/1633
Means to access the interior of the apparatus: using doors or covers
G03G 15/0865
Arrangements for preparing, mixing, supplying or dispensing developer: arrangements for supplying new developer
G03G 21/1647
For connecting the different parts of the apparatus: mechanical connection means
G03G 21/185
For guiding and mounting the process cartridge, positioning, alignment, locks: the process cartridge being mounted parallel to the axis of the…

Family

Application15/794,273Parent of this continuation · filed 26 Oct 2017
US 2020/0012229 A1Pre-grant publication · published 9 Jan 2020
US 10,459,396 B2Parent of this continuation
US 2018/0120758 A1Published application
US 10,852,687 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.