Processing unit for image forming apparatus
AssigneesKabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorEiji Gunbe
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
According to an embodiment of the invention, slide rails guided by guide rails of a body frame are provided on an EPU frame. A slidable bolt is provided on a belt unit frame. When the belt unit is attached to or removed from the body frame, the bolt is fitted into an insertion port of the EPU frame and the EPU frame is connected with the belt unit frame. The slide rails of the EPU frame are used to integrally attach and remove the belt unit and the EPU to and from the body frame.
Claims18
A processing unit for an image forming apparatus comprising:
- an electrophotographic process unit that has an image carrier and a first process mechanism acting on the image carrier, that is attachable to and removable from an image forming apparatus body, and that forms a toner image on the image carrier;
- a belt unit that has a second process mechanism acting on the image carrier, that is attachable to and removable from the image forming apparatus body, and that forms the toner image formed on the image carrier onto a recording medium;
- a regulating member that is provided on the electrophotographic process unit and regulates a direction of attachment to and removal from the image forming apparatus body;
- and
- an operating section that actuates a junction member which connects or disconnects the electrophotographic process unit and the belt unit.
An image forming apparatus comprising:
- a body frame;
- an electrophotographic process unit that has an image carrier and a first process mechanism acting on the image carrier, that has a regulating member regulating a direction of attachment to and removal from the body frame, that is attachable to and removable from the body frame, and that forms a toner image on the image carrier;
- a belt unit that has a second process mechanism acting on the image carrier, that is attachable to and removable from the body frame, and that forms the toner image formed on the image carrier onto a recording medium;
- an operating section that actuates a junction member which connects or disconnects the electrophotographic process unit and the belt unit;
- and
- a guide member that is provided on the body frame and guides the regulating member.
A method of attaching and removing a processing unit, comprising:
- connecting an electrophotographic process unit that forms a toner image on an image carrier with a transfer belt unit on which the toner image formed on the image carrier is transferred;
- guiding a regulating member provided on the electrophotographic process unit by a guide member provided on a body frame, and attaching and removing the electrophotographic process unit and the transfer belt unit that are connected with each other, to and from the body frame;
- and
- guiding the regulating member provided on the electrophotographic process unit by the guide member provided on the body frame, and attaching and removing only the electrophotographic process unit is attached to and removed from the body frame when the electrophotographic process unit and the transfer belt unit are not connected with each other.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.