# US 11,442,401 B2 · Protection member, replacement component with protection member, and image forming apparatus > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,442,401 B2 - Document ID: US11442401B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/157,103 - Filed: 2021-01-25 - Published: 2022-03-31 - Granted: 2022-09-13 - Earliest claimed: 2020-09-30 - Assignees: FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corp. - Applicants: FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corp. - Inventors: Toshio Takiguchi - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11442401B2 ## CPC - G03G 21/168: {for the transfer unit} - G03G 21/1685: {for the fixing unit} - G03G 2221/1609: protective arrangements for preventing damage - G03G 2221/1639: for the fixing unit - G03G 2221/1642: for the transfer unit - G03G 2221/1846: using a handle for carrying or pulling out of the main machine - G03G: ELECTROGRAPHY; ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHY; MAGNETOGRAPHY ## Abstract A protection member for attachment to a replacement component before the replacement component is inserted into a body of an apparatus, to protect the replacement component, the replacement component being to be inserted into the body of the apparatus so as to act as a part of the apparatus, the protection member includes: a contact portion configured to come into contact with the body of the apparatus at a stage where a portion of the replacement component on a front side in an insertion direction is inserted into the body of the apparatus while the protection member is attached to the replacement component, in which the protection member is removed at the stage where the portion is inserted into the body of the apparatus, so as to allow further insertion of the replacement component. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A protection member comprising: a contact protrusion configured to contact an image forming apparatus if a portion of a replacement component, which is attached to the contact protrusion, is inserted into a body of the image forming apparatus in an insertion direction, wherein the contact protrusion is provided at a front end of the protection member in the insertion direction, wherein the contact protrusion protrudes primarily in the insertion direction, wherein the protection member is removable after the portion is inserted into the body, so as to allow further insertion of the replacement component, and wherein the protection member comprises: one or more windows arranged in the insertion direction. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The protection member according to claim 1, wherein the protection member is configured to not cover the contact protrusion and to leave the contact protrusion exposed. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The protection member according to claim 2, further comprising: a handle disposed on a rear side of the protection member in the insertion direction, the handle being configured to receive a removal operation. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The protection member according to claim 3, wherein the replacement component comprises a plurality of unit parts extending in the insertion direction, the unit parts being arranged in a width direction intersecting the insertion direction, and wherein the one or more windows is a plurality of windows, wherein the protection member comprises: a protrusion on a surface of a window frame that separates adjacent windows, wherein the surface of the window frame faces the replacement component, and wherein the protrusion is between adjacent ones of the unit parts. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) A replacement component comprising: the protection member according to claim 4, wherein the replacement component is configured to be inserted into the body so as to act as a part of the image forming apparatus and to allow the image forming apparatus to operate to form a toner image, and transfer and fix the toner image on a sheet. ### Claim 6 (depends on 3) A replacement component comprising: the protection member according to claim 3, wherein the replacement component is configured to be inserted into the body so as to act as a part of the image forming apparatus and to allow the image forming apparatus to operate to form a toner image, and transfer and fix the toner image on a sheet. ### Claim 7 (depends on 2) The protection member according to claim 2, wherein the replacement component comprises a plurality of unit parts extending in the insertion direction, the unit parts being arranged in a width direction intersecting the insertion direction, and wherein the one or more windows is a plurality of windows, wherein the protection member comprises: a protrusion on a surface of a window frame that separates adjacent windows, wherein the surface of the window frame faces the replacement component, and wherein the protrusion is between adjacent ones of the unit parts. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) A replacement component comprising: the protection member according to claim 7, wherein the replacement component is configured to be inserted into the body so as to act as a part of the image forming apparatus and to allow the image forming apparatus to operate to form a toner image, and transfer and fix the toner image on a sheet. ### Claim 9 (depends on 2) A replacement component comprising: the protection member according to claim 2, wherein the replacement component is configured to be inserted into the image forming apparatus so as to act as a part of the image forming apparatus and allow the image forming apparatus to form a toner image, and transfer and fix the toner image on a sheet. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The protection member according to claim 1, further comprising: a handle disposed on a rear side of the protection member in the insertion direction, the handle being configured to receive a removal operation. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The protection member according to claim 10, wherein the replacement component comprises a plurality of unit parts extending in the insertion direction, the unit parts being arranged in a width direction intersecting the insertion direction, and wherein the one or more windows is a plurality of windows, wherein the protection member comprises: a protrusion on a surface of a window frame that separates adjacent windows, wherein the surface of the window frame faces the replacement component, and wherein the protrusion is between adjacent ones of the unit parts. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) A replacement component comprising: the protection member according to claim 11, wherein the replacement component is configured to be inserted into the body so as to act as a part of the image forming apparatus and to allow the image forming apparatus to operate to form a toner image, and transfer and fix the toner image on a sheet. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) A replacement component comprising: the protection member according to claim 10, wherein the replacement component is configured to be inserted into the body so as to act as a part of the image forming apparatus and to allow the image forming apparatus to operate to form a toner image, and transfer and fix the toner image on a sheet. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The protection member according to claim 1, wherein the replacement component comprises a plurality of unit parts extending in the insertion direction, the unit parts being arranged in a width direction intersecting the insertion direction, and wherein the one or more windows is a plurality of windows, wherein the protection member comprises: a protrusion on a surface of a window frame that separates adjacent windows, wherein the surface of the window frame faces the replacement component, and wherein the protrusion is between adjacent ones of the unit parts. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) A replacement component comprising: the protection member according to claim 14, wherein the replacement component is configured to be inserted into the body so as to act as a part of the image forming apparatus and to allow the image forming apparatus to operate to form a toner image, and transfer and fix the toner image on a sheet. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) A replacement component comprising: the protection member according to claim 1, wherein the replacement component is configured to be inserted into the image forming apparatus so as to act as a part of the image forming apparatus and allow the image forming apparatus to form a toner image, and transfer and fix the toner image on a sheet. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The replacement component according to claim 16, wherein the replacement component is a component comprising an image carrier configured to be subject to the formation of the toner image and temporarily carry the toner image until the toner image is transferred to a transfer body. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The replacement component according to claim 17, wherein the replacement component is a component in which a plurality of image carriers are arranged in a width direction intersecting the insertion direction, and wherein the protection member is a component that extends over the plurality of arranged image carriers. ### Claim 19 An image forming apparatus comprising: a body; and a replacement component configured to be inserted into the body so as to act as a part of the image forming apparatus and allow the image forming apparatus to operate to form a toner image, and transfer and fix the toner image on a sheet, wherein the body comprises: a falling-off prevention structure configured to prevent the replacement component from falling off from the body if an own weight of the replacement component acts in a state where a portion of the replacement component on a front side in an insertion direction is inserted into the body, wherein the image forming apparatus further comprises a protection member configured to be attached to the replacement component before the replacement component is inserted into the body, to protect the replacement component, wherein the protection member comprises a contact protrusion configured to contact the body if the portion of the replacement component on the front side in the insertion direction is inserted into the body while the protection member is attached to the replacement component, wherein the contact protrusion is provided at a front end of the protection member in the insertion direction, wherein the contact protrusion protrudes primarily in the insertion direction, wherein the protection member is removable after the replacement component is inserted into the body so as to allow further insertion of the replacement component, and wherein the protection member comprises: one or more windows arranged in the insertion direction.