Image forming apparatus
AssigneeOki Data Corporation
InventorMakoto Kitamura
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An image forming apparatus includes an apparatus main body, and a visible image forming unit that forms a developer image. The visible image forming unit includes a first unit, a second unit detachably mounted to the apparatus main body, and a third unit. An image forming apparatus further includes a first mechanism that causes the first unit and the second unit to move toward or away from each other, a moving member that moves the first mechanism, and a second mechanism that causes the second unit and the third unit to move toward or away from each other in conjunction with a movement of the first mechanism.
Claims20
An image forming apparatus, comprising:
- an apparatus main body;
- a image forming unit that forms a developer image, the image forming unit comprising a first unit, a second unit detachably mounted to the apparatus main body, and a third unit;
- a first mechanism that causes the second unit to move relatively toward and away from the first unit in only a substantially vertical direction;
- a moving member that moves the first mechanism;
- and
- a second mechanism that causes the third unit to move relatively toward and away from the second unit in only the substantially vertical direction in conjunction with a movement of the first mechanism.
An image forming apparatus, comprising:
- an apparatus main body;
- a image forming unit that forms a developer image, the image forming unit comprising a first unit, a second unit detachably mounted to the apparatus main body, and a third unit;
- a first mechanism that causes the first unit and the second unit to move toward or away from each other, the first mechanism including a beam member that supports the second unit;
- a moving member that moves the first mechanism;
- a linking lever member that includes a rotation support portion disposed at an end portion of the linking lever member, a mounting hole connected to the third unit, and an engagement hole provided between the rotation support portion and the mounting hole, the engagement hole receiving a force applied by the beam member, and that causes the third unit and the first mechanism to move in conjunction with each other, the third unit being rotatably connected to the linking lever member;
- and
- a movement restriction member that restricts a movement of the end portion of the linking lever member relative to the apparatus main body,
- wherein when the first mechanism moves, the beam member of the first mechanism applies the force on the engagement hole and causes the linking lever member to rotate about the rotation support portion, and moves the second unit and the third unit toward or away from each other, and
- wherein a moving amount of the third unit is larger than a moving amount of the second unit.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.