US 8,948,651 B2 · Image forming apparatus

Abstract

An image forming apparatus having an improved structure of simply executing contact or separation between developing rollers and photoconductors is provided. The image forming apparatus includes a cover opening and closing a side of a main body, a photoconductor unit including a photoconductor, a laser scanning unit irradiating the photoconductor to form an electrostatic latent image and including a light source generating light and an optical window transmitting the light generated from the light source, a developing unit supplying a developer to the photoconductor and including a developing roller contacting or separated from the photoconductor, and a shutter unit operable in connection with the cover, opening the optical window when the cover closes the side of the main body, and closing the optical window when the cover opens the side of the main body.

Claims27

Dependent claims

An image forming apparatus comprising:

a main body;
a cover opening and closing a side of the main body;
at least one photoconductor unit arranged within the main body and including a photoconductor;
a laser scanning unit irradiating light onto the photoconductor to form an electrostatic latent image, and including a light source generating light and at least one optical window transmitting the light generated from the light source;
at least one developing unit supplying a developer to the photoconductor on which the electrostatic latent image is formed to form a visible image, and including a developing roller contacting or separated from the photoconductor;
and
a shutter unit operable in connection with the cover, opening the at least one optical window when the cover closes the side of the main body, and closing the at least one optical window when the cover opens the side of the main body,
wherein the shutter unit applies pressure to the at least one developing unit to execute contact between the developing roller and the photoconductor during a process of opening the at least one optical window, and releases pressure applied to the at least one developing unit to execute separation between the developing roller and the photoconductor during a process of closing the at least one optical window.

5 more elements

An image forming apparatus comprising:

a main body;
a photoconductor arranged within the main body;
a laser scanning unit irradiating light onto the photoconductor;
at least one developing unit including a developing roller contacting the photoconductor to supply a developer to the photoconductor;
and
a shutter unit opening and closing the laser scanning unit, applying pressure to the at least one developing unit to execute contact between the developing roller and the photoconductor during a process of opening the laser scanning unit, and releasing pressure applied to the at least one developing unit to execute separation between the developing roller and the photoconductor during a process of closing the laser scanning unit.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Image forming apparatus

Life of this patent

Image forming apparatus

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims27