Image forming apparatus including components mounted and/or dismounted in selected order

In an image forming apparatus comprising at least an image carrier, charging means, exposing means and developing means, at least one of said charging means, said exposing means and said developing means is inhibited from being dismounted from said image forming apparatus when said image carrier is present on said image forming apparatus or is allowed to be dismounted from said image forming apparatus when said image carrier is absent on said image forming apparatus.

In an image forming apparatus comprising at least an image carrier, charging means, exposing means and developing means, at least one of said charging means, said exposing means and said developing means is unlocked from said image forming apparatus after said image carrier has been dismounted from said image forming apparatus.

In an image forming apparatus comprising at least an image carrier, charging means, exposing means and developing means, at least one of said charging means, said exposing means and said developing means is allowed to be mounted to or dismounted from said image forming apparatus after said image carrier has been dismounted from said image forming apparatus away from said charging means, said exposing means, and said developing means.

In an image forming apparatus comprising at least an image carrier, charging means, exposing means and developing means, at least one of said charging means, said exposing means and said developing means is allowed to be mounted to or dismounted from said image forming apparatus after said image carrier has been dismounted from said image forming apparatus,

• wherein indication means indicative of a dismounting order is provided on said charging means, said exposing means and said developing means.

In an image forming apparatus comprising at least an image carrier, charging means, exposing means and developing means, said image carrier is allowed to be mounted to said image forming apparatus after said charging means, said exposing means and said developing means each have been mounted to a preselected position of said image forming apparatus.

In an image forming apparatus comprising at least an image carrier, charging means, exposing means and developing means, said image carrier is allowed to be mounted to said image forming apparatus after at least one of said charging means, said exposing means and said developing means has been mounted to said image forming apparatus,

• wherein indication means indicative of a dismounting order is provided on said charging means, said exposing means and said developing means.

In an image forming apparatus comprising at least an image carrier, charging means, exposing means and developing means, said image carrier is allowed to be mounted to said image forming apparatus after said charging means, said exposing means and said developing means each have been locked to a preselected position of said image forming apparatus.

In an image forming apparatus forming apparatus comprising at least an image carrier, charging means, exposing means and developing means, said image carrier is allowed to be mounted to said image forming apparatus after at least one of said charging means, said exposing means and said developing means has been locked to said image forming apparatus,

• wherein indication means indicative of a dismounting order is provided on said charging means, said exposing means and said developing means.

In an image forming apparatus for forming an image on an image carrier with a developing device and transferring said image from said image carrier to a recording means, said image carrier is mounted to or dismounted from said image forming apparatus independently of said developing device, and

• said developing device is locked to said image forming apparatus when said image carrier is mounted to or dismounted from said image forming apparatus.

In an image forming apparatus for forming an image on an image carrier with a developing device and transferring said image from said image carrier to a recording means, said image carrier and said developing device are mounted to or dismounted from said image forming apparatus independently of each other, and

• said developing device is unable to be dismounted from said image forming apparatus before said image carrier.

A method of dismounting an image carrier and a developing device from an image forming apparatus, said method comprising the steps of:

• dismounting the image carrier from the image forming apparatus to thereby unlock said developing device from said image forming apparatus;
• and
• dismounting the developing device from the image forming apparatus.

A method of mounting an image carrier and a developing device to an image forming apparatus, said method comprising the steps of:

• mounting the developing device to the image forming apparatus and locking said developing device to said image forming apparatus;
• and
• mounting the image carrier to the developing device locked to the image forming apparatus.

In an image forming apparatus comprising image forming means for forming an image on an image carrier, at least one of means constituting said image forming means is locked to said image forming apparatus when said image carrier is present on said image carrier or allowed to be unlocked from said image forming apparatus when said image carrier is absent on said image forming means, and

• said image forming means is positioned around said image carrier at a side opposite to a side where said image carrier is to be dismounted.

In an image forming apparatus comprising image forming means for forming an image on an image carrier, at least one of means constituting said image forming means is inhibited from being dismounted from said image forming apparatus when said image carrier is present on said image forming apparatus or allowed to be dismounted when said image carrier is absent on said image forming apparatus, and

• said image forming means is positioned at a side around said image carrier opposite to a side where said image carrier is to be dismounted.

In an image forming apparatus comprising image forming means for forming an image on an image carrier, at least one of means constituting said image forming means is unlocked from said image forming apparatus after said image carrier has been unlocked from said image forming apparatus or unlockable from said image forming apparatus when said image carrier is absent on said image forming apparatus, and

• said image forming means is positioned at a side around said image carrier opposite to a side where said image carrier is to be dismounted.

In an image forming apparatus comprising image forming means for forming an image on an image carrier, at least one of means constituting said image forming means is unlocked from said image forming apparatus after said image carrier has been dismounted from said image forming apparatus or unlockable from said image forming apparatus when said image carrier is absent on said image forming apparatus, and

• said image forming means is positioned at a side around said image carrier opposite to a side where said image carrier is to be dismounted.

In an image forming apparatus comprising image forming means for forming an image on an image carrier, said image forming means is positioned at a side around said image carrier opposite to a side where said image carrier is to be dismounted, and at least one of said image forming means is removable from said image forming apparatus after said image carrier has been dismounted from said image forming apparatus away from all of said image forming means.

In an image forming apparatus comprising image forming means for forming an image on an image carrier, said image forming means is positioned at a side around said image carrier opposite to a side where said image carrier is to be dismounted, and at least one of means constituting said image forming means is removable from said image forming apparatus after said image carrier has been dismounted from said image forming apparatus,

• wherein said image forming means comprises at least a charger and a developing device, and
• wherein said developing device is mounted to said apparatus via a body when said image carrier is mounted to or dismounted from said apparatus, said image carrier being mounted to said apparatus via said body.

In an image forming apparatus comprising image forming means for forming an image on an image carrier, said image forming means is positioned at a side around said image carrier opposite to a side where said image carrier is to be dismounted, and at least one of means constituting said image forming means is removable from said image forming apparatus after said image carrier has been dismounted from said image forming apparatus,

• wherein said image forming means comprises at least a charger, a developing device, discharging means, and cleaning means, and
• wherein said developing device is removable from said apparatus, and
• connecting/disconnecting means is provided for disconnecting, when said developing device is dismounted from said apparatus, a developer path connecting said apparatus and said developing device at a joint between said apparatus and said developing device or connecting said developer path when said developing device is mounted to said apparatus.

In an image forming apparatus comprising image forming means for forming an image on an image carrier, said image forming means is positioned at a side around said image carrier opposite to a side where said image carrier is to be dismounted, at least one of means constituting said image forming means is removable from said image forming apparatus after said image carrier has been dismounted from said image forming apparatus, a cleaning device for removing a developer left on an image carrier after image transfer, and connecting/disconnecting means for disconnecting, when said cleaning device is dismounted from said apparatus, a developer path connecting said apparatus and said cleaning device to convey the developer removed by said cleaning device toward said apparatus at a joint between said apparatus and said cleaning device or connecting, when said developing device is mounted to said apparatus, said developer path at said joint,

• wherein said image forming means comprises at least a charger, a developing device, discharging means, and cleaning means.

In an image forming apparatus comprising image forming means for forming an image on an image carrier, said image forming means is positioned at a side around said image carrier opposite to a side where said image carrier is to be dismounted, and at least one of means constituting said image forming means is removable from said image forming apparatus after said image carrier has been dismounted from said image forming apparatus,

• wherein assuming that said image carrier comprises a photoconductive drum, the side opposite to the side where said image carrier is to be dismounted is a region adjoining said photoconductive drum and downstream of said side where said image carrier is to be dismounted with respect to a plane that is perpendicular to a dismounting direction of said photoconductive drum and contains an axis of said photoconductive drum.

In an image forming apparatus comprising image forming means for forming an image on an image carrier, said image forming means is positioned at a side around said image carrier opposite to a side where said image carrier is to be dismounted, and at least one of means constituting said image forming means is removable from said image forming apparatus after said image carrier has been dismounted from said image forming apparatus,

• wherein an image transferring device faces said image carrier at a side opposite to a side where said image forming means is positioned with respect to said image carrier, and said image transferring device is constructed integrally with a roller, which feeds a recording medium to said image transferring device, and angularly movable about an axis of said roller to thereby retract from a position above a dismounted direction of said image carrier.

In an image forming apparatus comprising image forming means whose components are at least an image carrier and a developing device, a cleaning device and an image transferring device arranged around said image carrier, part of said components is removable from said image forming apparatus by being moved upward in a preselected direction in a preselected order,

• any one of said components is unable to be dismounted from said image forming apparatus until the other component having priority with respect to the preselected order has been dismounted from said image forming apparatus, and
• the components unremovable from said image forming apparatus and arranged at a position above the components removable in the preselected direction each are retractable from said position.

In an image forming apparatus comprising image forming means whose components are at least an image carrier and a developing device, a cleaning device and an image transferring device arranged around said image carrier, part of said components is mountable to said image forming apparatus by being moved in a preselected direction in a preselected order,

• any one of said components is unable to be mounted to said image forming apparatus until the other component having priority with respect to the preselected order has been mounted to said image forming apparatus, and
• the components unremovable from said image forming apparatus and arranged at a position above the components removable in the preselected direction each are retractable from said position.

In a method of assembling an image forming apparatus, a developing device is mounted to a body of said image forming apparatus, a cleaning device is mounted to said developing device mounted to said body, and an image carrier unit is mounted to said developing device, wherein said image carrier unit cannot be mounted to said developing device unless said cleaning device is previously mounted to said developing device.

In a method of assembling an image forming apparatus, positioning members each including a support portion for supporting a developing device and a support portion for supporting drive means, which drives an image carrier, are mounted to a body of said image forming apparatus, said developing device is mounted to said positioning members, and then an image carrier unit is mounted.