Replacement of a cartridge usable with image forming equipment
AssigneeRicoh Company, Ltd.
InventorsYoshiharu Manabe, Koji Sakamoto
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus applicable to an image forming apparatus allows an image carrier and a cartridge accommodating image forming process units therein to be readily positioned relative to each other and allows the cartridge to be replaced with ease. The equipment has a cover on which a positioning member is provided. When the cover is closed, the positioning member positions the image carrier and cartridge which are received in the equipment relative to each other to in turn set up a predetermined relative position of the image carrier and process units. In the event of replacement of the cartridge and image carrier, a guide member is used to guide the cartridge relative to the equipment.
Claims7
An apparatus for replacing a cartridge for use with image forming equipment which has a housing, a cover openably mounted on said housing, and an image carrier rotatably mounted on a shaft and having an end portion which is uncovered when said cover is opened, said apparatus comprising:
- a box-like cartridge accommodating at least one of a plurality of image forming process units which are to be positioned around and in a predetermined relative position to the image carrier, said cartridge being selectively coupled over and uncoupled from the image carrier;
- and
- positioning member provided on the cover for, when the cover is closed, engaging with the image carrier and said cartridge to position said image carrier and said cartridge such that the predetermined relative position is maintained.
An apparatus for replacing a cartridge usable with image forming equipment which has an image carrier rotatable about a shaft, comprising:
- a box-like cartridge accommodating at least one of image forming process units which are to be situated around the image carrier and being selectively mounted in and dismounted from a housing of the equipment relative to said image carrier;
- cartridge carrying means movable between inside and outside of the housing for moving said cartridge when said cartridge is mounted on said cartridge carrying means;
- and
- guide means for, when said cartridge mounted on said cartridge carrying means and the image carrier are mounted and dismounted relative to each other, guiding said cartridge while being held in end-to-end contact with said image carrier along the shaft.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.