Tandem image forming device with reduced footprint
원문보기
IPC분류정보
국가/구분
United States(US) Patent
등록
국제특허분류(IPC7판)
B41J-002/435
G03G-015/01
출원번호
US-0642205
(2003-08-18)
우선권정보
JP-2002-2385081(2002-08-19)
발명자
/ 주소
Hattori,Tomoaki
출원인 / 주소
Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
대리인 / 주소
Oliff &
인용정보
피인용 횟수 :
3인용 특허 :
10
초록▼
A tandem color laser printer 1 is provided with a photosensitive drum unit 15, a developing unit 14, and a scanning unit 13 for each color. The developing units 14, each including a main developer unit 25 and a toner hopper 24, and the scanning units 13, which irradiate laser beam, are alternately
A tandem color laser printer 1 is provided with a photosensitive drum unit 15, a developing unit 14, and a scanning unit 13 for each color. The developing units 14, each including a main developer unit 25 and a toner hopper 24, and the scanning units 13, which irradiate laser beam, are alternately stacked vertically to overlap with each other in the vertical direction. This arrangement eliminates space required when arranging the developing units 14 and scanning units 13 side by side, thereby reducing the footprint of the color laser printer 1.
대표청구항▼
What is claimed is: 1. An image forming device comprising: a plurality of image forming units, each of the plurality of image forming units being provided for each of a plurality of colors, the plurality of image forming units being aligned vertically; and a casing that accommodates the plurality o
What is claimed is: 1. An image forming device comprising: a plurality of image forming units, each of the plurality of image forming units being provided for each of a plurality of colors, the plurality of image forming units being aligned vertically; and a casing that accommodates the plurality of image forming units, each of the plurality of image forming units comprising: a photosensitive member; an exposing device that exposes the photosensitive member to light to form electrostatic latent images thereon; and a developing device that develops the electrostatic latent images formed on the photosensitive member using developer to form developer images, wherein the developing device and the exposing device are aligned to overlap with each other in a vertical direction, when the casing is disposed in an orientation in which the casing is intended to be used; and wherein the exposing device includes: a deflecting unit that deflects a laser beam; and a drive unit that drives the deflecting unit, the drive unit and the developing device being aligned to overlap with each other in a horizontal direction. 2. The image forming device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the exposing device further includes a laser beam emitting unit that emits a laser beam; wherein the deflecting unit includes a polygon minor that reflects the laser beam emitted by the laser beam emitting unit; wherein the exposing device further includes a lens through which the laser beam reflected by the polygon minor passes; and wherein the polygon mirror, the lens, and a corresponding portion of the photosensitive member that is irradiated by the laser beam are arranged on a same plane, the laser beam that has passed through the lens being directly irradiated onto the corresponding portion of the photosensitive member. 3. The image forming device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the same plane is a horizontal plane. 4. The image forming device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the photosensitive member and the developing device are detachably mounted on the casing. 5. The image forming device as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least three image forming units are accommodated in the casing. 6. The image forming device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the developing device comprises: a developer accommodating unit that accommodates developer; a developer bearing member provided to confront the photosensitive member, the developer bearing member bearing developer; and a plurality of developer conveying members aligned substantially in a horizontal direction in the developer accommodating unit, the plurality of developer conveying members conveying developer to the developer bearing member. 7. The image forming device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the photosensitive member comprises a photosensitive-member-side positioning member, and the exposing device comprises an exposing-device-side positioning member, wherein the photosensitive-member-side positioning member directly engages the exposing-device-side positioning member. 8. The image forming device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the exposing device further includes: a laser beam emitting unit that emits a laser beam; wherein the deflecting unit deflects the laser beam emitted from the laser beam emitting unit; and wherein the exposing device further includes: a lens; and a support frame that supports the laser beam emitting unit, the deflecting unit, and the lens, wherein the exposing-device-side positioning member is formed integrally with the support frame. 9. The image forming device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the photosensitive member comprises: a photosensitive drum; and a shaft that supports the photosensitive drum, and wherein the photosensitive-member-side positioning member is the shaft. 10. The image forming device as claimed in claim 7, further comprising: a recording medium conveying device that conveys a recording medium, the recording medium conveying device being disposed on a side opposite from the exposing device with regard to the photosensitive member, wherein the recording medium conveying device presses the photosensitive member toward the exposing device. 11. The image forming device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising: a support unit that supports the exposing device, the support unit being fixed to the casing, wherein the exposing device is positioned by the support unit. 12. The image forming device as claimed in claim 11, wherein the support unit comprises a first adjusting unit that adjusts a position of the exposing device. 13. The image forming device as claimed in claim 12, wherein the first adjusting unit comprises: a support base member formed with a loose insertion hole; a first positioning member being inserted in the loose insertion hole; an urging member that applies an urging force to the first positioning member; and an adjusting member that adjusts a position of the first positioning member in the loose insertion hole, the adjusting member being movable into the loose insertion hole against the urging force of the urging member and movable out from the loose insertion hole toward a direction of the urging force of the urging member. 14. The image forming device as claimed in claim 12, wherein the support unit comprises a second adjusting unit that adjusts a position exposed to light by the exposing device on the photosensitive member. 15. The image forming device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising: a conveying belt that has a surface and conveys a recording medium while holding the recording medium in contact with the surface, the recording medium having a weight, wherein the surface of the conveying belt that contacts the recording medium is slanted by a predetermined angle from a gravitational direction, such that the weight of the recording medium is applied to the conveying belt. 16. The image forming device as claimed in claim 1, wherein a depressed portion is formed in the developing device for accommodating the drive unit. 17. An image forming device comprising: a plurality of image forming units, each of the plurality of image forming units being provided for each of a plurality of colors, the plurality of image forming units being aligned vertically; and a casing that accommodates the plurality of image forming units, each of the plurality of image forming units comprising: a photosensitive member; an exposing device that exposes the photosensitive member to light to form electrostatic latent images thereon; and a developing device that develops the electrostatic latent images formed on the photosensitive member using developer to form developer images, wherein the developing device and the exposing device are aligned to overlap with each other in a vertical direction, when the casing is disposed in an orientation in which the casing is intended to be used; and wherein the photosensitive member comprises a photosensitive-member-side positioning member, and the exposing device comprises an exposing-device-side positioning member, wherein the photosensitive-member-side positioning member directly engages the exposing-device-side positioning member. 18. The image forming device as claimed in claim 17, wherein the exposing device comprises: a laser beam emitting unit that emits a laser beam; a deflecting unit that deflects the laser beam emitted from the laser beam emitting unit; a lens; and a support frame that supports the laser beam emitting unit, the deflecting unit, and the lens, wherein the exposing-device-side positioning member is formed integrally with the support frame. 19. The image forming device as claimed in claim 17, wherein the photosensitive member comprises: a photosensitive drum; the photosensitive member-side positioning member includes a shaft that supports the photosensitive drum. 20. The image forming device as claimed in claim 17, further comprising: a recording medium conveying device that conveys a recording medium, the recording medium conveying device being disposed on a side opposite from the exposing device with regard to the photosensitive member, wherein the recording medium conveying device presses the photosensitive member toward the exposing device. 21. An image forming device comprising: a plurality of image forming units, each of the plurality of image forming units being provided for each of a plurality of colors, the plurality of image forming units being aligned vertically; and a casing that accommodates the plurality of image forming units, each of the plurality of image forming units comprising: a photosensitive member; an exposing device that exposes the photosensitive member to light to form electrostatic latent images thereon; a developing device that develops the electrostatic latent images formed on the photosensitive member using developer to form developer images; and a support unit that supports the exposing device, the support unit being fixed to the casing, wherein the exposing device is positioned by the support unit, wherein the developing device and the exposing device are aligned to overlap with each other in a vertical direction, when the casing is disposed in an orientation in which the casing is intended to be used; and wherein the support unit comprises a first adjusting unit that adjusts a position of the exposing device, the first adjusting unit includes: a support base member formed with a loose insertion hole; a first positioning member being inserted in the loose insertion hole; an urging member that applies an urging force to the first positioning member; and an adjusting member that adjusts a position of the first positioning member in the loose insertion hole, the adjusting member being movable into the loose insertion hole against the urging force of the urging member and movable out from the loose insertion hole toward a direction of the urging force of the urging member. 22. The image forming device as claimed in claim 21, wherein the support unit further comprises a second adjusting unit that adjusts a position exposed to light by the exposing device on the photosensitive member.
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