Patent ID: 9042782
Filing Date: 2015-05-26
Classification: G03G

Abstract:
1. A neutralization device configured to irradiate a surface of an electrically charged image carrier with neutralization light to discharge electricity of the image carrier, the neutralization device comprising: a housing; a substrate connected to the housing, said substrate being a structurally separate element with respect to the housing; a plurality of light emitting portions mounted on the substrate and configured to emit neutralization light; a first end engagement portion engaged with a first end portion, which is an end portion of the substrate opposite to the image carrier; a partitioning member disposed to interpose the substrate between the partitioning member and the housing, said partitioning member connected to the housing on an end side of the partitioning member so as to form an opened portion that is opened to face the surface of the image carrier; and a plurality of restriction protrusions arranged at a base plate portion of the housing along an axial direction of the image carrier, said restriction protrusions being configured to be spaced away from a second end portion opposite to the first end portion of the substrate towards the image carrier and to project from the base plate portion downwardly to the partitioning member, wherein the first end engagement portion is disposed in a central portion of an arrangement of the plurality of restriction protrusions, wherein the arrangement of the plurality of restriction protrusions curves in an overall view along an imaginary line showing the second end portion of the substrate that curves when attached to the housing, such that a restriction protrusion at the central portion of the arrangement in the axial direction is closer to the image carrier than restriction protrusions at both end portions of the arrangement in the axial direction, wherein the plurality of light emitting portions are arranged along the axial direction of the image carrier, and wherein the plurality of restriction protrusions and the plurality of light emitting portions are alternately arranged in the axial direction of the image carrier.