초록 ▼

An image forming apparatus of the present invention includes a plurality of components that form image forming means and should be mounted or dismounted in a preselected order. Following one of the components with respect to the preselected order cannot be dismounted from the apparatus until precedi

An image forming apparatus of the present invention includes a plurality of components that form image forming means and should be mounted or dismounted in a preselected order. Following one of the components with respect to the preselected order cannot be dismounted from the apparatus until preceding one of the same has been dismounted. The components are mounted to the apparatus in the reverse order. The components unremovable from the apparatus and positioned above the removable components in a preselected dismounting direction are retractable.

대표청구항 ▼

What is claimed is: 1. An image carrier unit comprising: an image carrier around which a developing device, a cleaning device and a charging device are arranged as components of an image forming apparatus; a holder including at least three projections extending from one end of the image carrier suc

What is claimed is: 1. An image carrier unit comprising: an image carrier around which a developing device, a cleaning device and a charging device are arranged as components of an image forming apparatus; a holder including at least three projections extending from one end of the image carrier such that at least two of the projections touch a surface on which the image carrier is disposed when the image carrier is removed from the image carrier unit; a handle disposed on the image carrier; and means for inputting power for driving the image carrier, wherein part of the components is removable from the image forming apparatus by being moved upward in a preselected direction in a preselected order, any one of the components is unable to be dismounted from the image forming apparatus until another component having priority with respect to the preselected order has been dismounted from the image forming apparatus, and the component unremovable from the image forming apparatus and arranged at a position above the components removable in the preselected direction is retractable from the position. 2. An image carrier unit comprising: an image carrier around which a developing device, a cleaning device and a charging device are arranged as components of an image forming apparatus; a holder including at least three projections extending from one end of the image carrier such that at least two of the projections touch a surface on which the image carrier is disposed when the image carrier is removed from the image carrier unit; a handle disposed on the image carrier; and means for inputting power for driving the image carrier, wherein part of the components is mountable to the image forming apparatus by being moved in a preselected direction in a preselected order, any one of the components is unable to be mounted to the image forming apparatus until another component having priority with respect to the preselected order has been mounted to the image forming apparatus, and the component unremovable from the image forming apparatus and arranged at a position above the components removable in the preselected direction is retractable from the position. 3. An image carrier unit comprising: an image carrier around which a developing device, a cleaning device and a charging device are arranged as components of an image forming apparatus; a holder including at least three projections extending from one end of the image carrier such that at least two of the projections touch a surface on which the image carrier is disposed when the image carrier is removed from the image carrier unit; and a handle disposed on the image carrier, wherein part of the components is removable from the image forming apparatus by being moved upward in a preselected direction in a preselected order, any one of the components is unable to be dismounted from the image forming apparatus until another component having priority with respect to the preselected order has been dismounted from the image forming apparatus, and the components unremovable from the image forming apparatus and arranged at a position above the component removable in the preselected direction is retractable from the position. 4. An image carrier unit comprising: an image carrier around which a developing device, a cleaning device and a charging device are arranged as components of an image forming apparatus; a holder including at least three projections extending from one end of the image carrier such that at least two of the projections touch a surface on which the image carrier is disposed when the image carrier is removed from the image carrier unit; and a handle disposed on the image carrier, wherein part of the components is mountable to the image forming apparatus by being moved in a preselected direction in a preselected order, any one of the components is unable to be mounted to the image forming apparatus until another component having priority with respect to the preselected order has been mounted to the image forming apparatus, and the component unremovable from the image forming apparatus and arranged at a position above the components removable in the preselected direction is retractable from the position. 5. An image carrier unit comprising: a developing device, a cleaning device and a charging device disposed around an image carrier as components of an image forming apparatus, wherein a first one of the components is configured so as to be unable to be dismounted from the image carrier unit until a second one of the component having priority with respect to a preselected order has been dismounted from the image carrier unit, the first one of the components is arranged at a position adjacent the second one of the components and is configured to be retracted from the position, and the first one of the components comprises one of the developing device and the cleaning device, and the second one of the components comprises the image carrier. 6. An image carrier unit comprising: a developing device, a cleaning device and a charging device disposed adjacent an image carrier as components of an image forming apparatus, wherein a first one of the components is configured so as to be unable to be mounted to the image carrier unit until a second one the component having priority with respect to a preselected order has been mounted to the image carrier unit, the first one of the component is arranged at a position adjacent the second one of the components and is configured to be retracted from the position, and the first one of the components comprises the image carrier and the second one of the components comprises the cleaning device. 7. An image carrier unit comprising: components comprising a developing device, a cleaning device and a charging device disposed around an image carrier, wherein a first one of the components is configured to be unable to be dismounted from the image carrier unit until a second one of the component has been dismounted from the image carrier unit, the first one of the components is arranged at a position adjacent the second one of the components and is configured to be retracted from the position, and the first one of the components comprises one of the developing device and the cleaning device, and the second one of the components comprises the image carrier. 8. An image carrier unit comprising: components comprising a developing device, a cleaning device and a charging device disposed around an image carrier, wherein a first one of the components is configured to be unable to be mounted to the image carrier unit until a second one the component has been mounted to the image carrier unit, the first one of the component is arranged at a position adjacent the second one of the components and is configured to be retracted from the position, and the first one of the components comprises the image carrier and the second one of the component comprises the cleaning device. 9. An image carrier unit, comprising: components comprising a developing device, a cleaning device and a charging device disposed around an image carrier, wherein a first one of the components is configured to be unable to be dismounted from the image carrier unit until a second one of the component has been dismounted from the image carrier unit, the first one of the components is arranged at a position adjacent the second one of the components and is configured to be retracted from the position, and the first one of the components comprises one of the developing device, the cleaning device, and the charging device and the second one of the components comprises the image carrier. 10. An image carrier unit comprising: components comprising a developing device, a cleaning device and a charging device disposed around an image carrier, wherein a first one of the components is configured to be unable to be dismounted from the image carrier unit until a second one of the component has been dismounted from the image carrier unit, the first one of the components is arranged at a position adjacent the second one of the components and is configured to be retracted from the position, and the first one of the components comprises one of the image carrier and the developing device, and the second one of the components comprises one of the cleaning device and the charging device. 11. An image carrier unit comprising: components comprising means for developing, means for cleaning and means for charging disposed around means for carrying an image, wherein a first one of the components is configured to be unable to be dismounted from the image carrier unit until a second one of the component has been dismounted from the image carrier unit, and the first one of the components is arranged at a position adjacent the second one of the components and is configured to be retracted from the position, and the first one of the components comprises one of the means for developing and the means for cleaning, and the second one of the components comprises the means for carrying an image. 12. The image carrier unit according to claim 11, wherein the means for developing comprises a developing device, the means for cleaning comprises a cleaning device, and the means for charging comprises a charging device. 13. The image carrier unit according to claim 12, wherein the means for carrying an image comprises an image carrier. 14. The image carrier unit according to claim 11, wherein the means for carrying an image comprises an image carrier. 15. An image carrier unit comprising: components comprising means for developing, means for cleaning and means for charging disposed means for carrying an image, wherein a first one of the components is configured to be unable to be mounted to the image carrier unit until a second one the component has been mounted to the image carrier unit, the first one of the component is arranged at a position adjacent the second one of the components and is configured to be retracted from the position, and the first one of the components comprises the means for carrying an image and the second one of the components comprises means for cleaning. 16. The image carrier unit according to claim 15, wherein the means for developing comprises a developing device, the means for cleaning comprises a cleaning device, and the means for charging comprises a developing device. 17. The image carrier unit according to claim 16, wherein the means for carrying an image comprises an image carrier. 18. The image carrier unit according to claim 15, wherein the means for carrying an image comprises an image carrier. 19. An image forming apparatus comprising: a main body, an image carrier, and a developing device, wherein the developing device is configured to be dismounted from the main body of the image forming apparatus after the image carrier has been removed from the main body, and wherein the image carrier is associated with a member comprising first, second, and third holders protruding from one end of a surface portion of the image carrier, the holders protruding such that at least two of the holders touch a surface on which the image carrier is disposed when the image carrier is removed from the image forming apparatus. 20. A developing device configured to be mounted to and dismounted from an image carrier unit, comprising: a body configured to store a toner; and a roller configured to deliver the toner to an image carrier to develop an image, wherein the developing device is configured to be dismounted from the image carrier unit before a cleaning device configured to clean the image carrier and after the image carrier is dismounted from the image carrier unit. 21. A developing device configured to be mounted to and dismounted from an image carrier unit, comprising: a body configured to store a toner; and a roller configured to deliver the toner to an image carrier to develop and image, wherein the developing device is configured to be dismounted from the image carrier unit before a cleaning device configured to clean the image carrier and a charging device configured to charge the image carrier, and the developing device is configured to be dismounted from the image carrier unit after the image carrier. 22. A developing device configured to be mounted to and dismounted from an image carrier unit, comprising: a body configured to store a toner; and a roller configured to deliver the toner to an image carrier to develop an image, wherein the developing device is configured to be dismounted from the image carrier unit before the image carrier and after a charging device configured to charge the image carrier. 23. The developing device configured to be mounted to and dismounted from an image carrier unit, comprising: a body configured to store a toner; and a roller configured to deliver the toner to an image carrier to develop an image, wherein the developing device is configured to be dismounted from the image carrier unit before the image carrier, and the developing device is configured to be dismounted from the image carrier unit after a unit comprising a cleaning device configured to clean the image carrier and a charging device configured to charge the image carrier. 24. A developing device configured to be mounted to and dismounted from an image carrier unit, comprising: a body configured to store a toner; and a roller configured to deliver the toner to an image carrier to develop an image, wherein the developing device is configured to be dismounted from the image carrier unit in a unit comprising the image carrier before a unit comprising a cleaning device configured to clean the image carrier and a charging device configured to charge the image carrier. 25. An image carrier configured to be mounted to and dismounted from an image carrier unit, comprising: a drum configured to have an image formed thereon; and a bearing on which the drum is configured to rotate, wherein the image carrier is configured to be dismounted from the image carrier unit before a developing device configured to develop the image on the image carrier, a cleaning device configured to clean the image carrier, and a charging device configured to charge the image carrier. 26. An image carrier configured to be mounted to and dismounted from an image carrier unit, comprising: a drum configured to have an image formed thereon; and a bearing on which the drum is configured to rotate, wherein the image carrier is configured to be dismounted from the image carrier unit after a developing device configured to develop the image on the image carrier and a unit comprising a cleaning device configured to clean the image carrier and a charging device configured to charge the image carrier. 27. An image carrier configured to be mounted to and dismounted from an image carrier unit, comprising: a drum configured to have an image formed thereon; and a bearing on which the drum is configured to rotate, wherein the image carrier is configured to be dismounted from the image carrier unit in a unit comprising a developing device configured to develop the image on the image carrier after a unit comprising a cleaning device configured to clean the image carrier and a charging device configured to charge the image carrier. 28. A charging device configured to be mounted to and dismounted from an image carrier unit, comprising: a roller configured to charge an image carrier; and a bearing on which the roller is configured to rotate, wherein the charging device is configured to be dismounted from the image carrier unit after the image carrier, a developing device configured to develop an image on the image carrier, and a cleaning device configured to clean the image carrier. 29. A charging device configured to be mounted to and dismounted from an image carrier unit, comprising: a roller configured to charge an image carrier; and a bearing on which the roller is configured to rotate, wherein the charging device is configured to be dismounted from the image carrier unit in a unit comprising a cleaning device configured to clean the image carrier before the image carrier and a developing device configured to develop an image on the image carrier. 30. A charging device configured to be mounted to and dismounted from an image carrier unit, comprising: a roller configured to charge an image carrier; and a bearing on which the charging roller is configured to rotate, wherein the charging device is configured to be dismounted from the image carrier unit in a unit comprising a cleaning device configured to clean the image carrier before a unit comprising the image carrier and a developing device configured to develop an image on the image carrier. 31. A cleaning device configured to be mounted to and dismounted from an image carrier unit, comprising: a blade configured to remove toner from an image carrier; and a member configured to direct the toner removed by the blade, wherein the cleaning device is configured to be dismounted from the image carrier unit before a charging device configured to charge the image carrier and after the image carrier. 32. A cleaning device configured to be mounted to and dismounted from an image carrier unit, comprising: a blade configured to remove toner from an image carrier; and a member configured to direct the toner removed by the blade, wherein the cleaning device is configured to be dismounted from the image carrier unit before a charging device configured to charge the image carrier, and the cleaning device is configured to be dismounted from the image carrier unit after the image carrier and a developing device configured to develop an image on the image carrier. 33. A cleaning device configured to be mounted to and dismounted from an image carrier unit, comprising: a blade configured to remove toner from an image carrier; and a member configured to direct the toner removed by the blade, wherein the cleaning device is configured to be dismounted from the image carrier unit in a unit comprising a charging device configured to charge the image carrier before the image carrier and a developing device configured to develop an image on the image carrier. 34. A cleaning device configured to be mounted to and dismounted from an image carrier unit, comprising: a blade configured to remove toner from an image carrier; and a member configured to direct the toner removed by the blade, wherein the cleaning device is configured to be dismounted from the image carrier unit in a unit comprising a charging device configured to charge the image carrier before a unit comprising the image carrier and a developing device configured to develop an image on the image carrier.