Abstract:
An aid tool used for aiding in replacement operation of a part to be replaced in an image forming apparatus. This aid tool includes: a part holding unit for holding a part to be replaced; and a mounting portion for removably mounting the part holding unit on an image forming apparatus. The part holding unit is for example a part housing container for housing a part, and may also serve as a packaging container which houses a new replacing part. The part housing container may include, for example, a main body for receiving the part to be replaced, and a lid for openably closing the main body.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to an aid tool for aiding in replacement operation of a part to be replaced of an image forming apparatus, and also relates to an image forming apparatus to which this aid tool can be attached. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     Removably attached to an image forming apparatus such as a facsimile or the like are a number of parts such as an image forming unit including a photoreceptor drum and a developing roller, a toner cartridge for supplying toner, and the like. 
     The toner cartridge is arranged to supply, as necessary, toner to the developing device. When the toner in the developing device is fully consumed, the emptied toner cartridge is replaced with a new toner cartridge, causing the toner therein to be supplied. For replacing the used toner cartridge, the operator opens, for example, the shell of the main body of the image forming apparatus. Then, the operator takes out the used toner cartridge from the predetermined cartridge fitting portion to the outside of the main body of the image forming apparatus, and then mounts a new toner cartridge on the cartridge fitting portion. This means that the used toner cartridge is temporarily placed around the image forming apparatus. 
     Toner is sticking to the used toner cartridge at its outer surface. Accordingly, when the used toner cartridge is placed around the image forming apparatus, this involves the likelihood that the articles therearound are made dirty with the toner. Further, in the course of the used toner cartridge from the removal to the placement, toner falls from the toner cartridge to the outside of the main body of the image forming apparatus. This results in contamination of the articles around the image forming apparatus. 
     Further, the longer is the path from the cartridge fitting portion to the place where the used toner cartridge is temporarily put, the higher is the possibility of the toner contaminating the articles around the path and the fingers and clothes of the operator. In particular, when there is no suitable temporarily putting place around the image forming apparatus, it is very hard to avoid toner contamination. 
     As to the replacement of other part to be replaced such as an image forming unit or the like, too, when there is no suitable temporarily putting place around the image forming apparatus, the replacement cannot be executed with high efficiency. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is an object of the present invention to provide an aid tool for successfully aiding in replacement operation of a part to be replaced of an image forming apparatus, and also to provide an image forming apparatus in which a part to be replaced can successfully be replaced. 
     The aid tool according to the present invention comprises: a part holding unit for holding a part to be replaced; and a mounting portion for removably mounting the part holding unit on an image forming apparatus (at its main body for example). 
     According to the arrangement above-mentioned, when the mounting portion of this aid tool is mounted on an image forming apparatus, the part holding unit is attached thereto. Accordingly, when the aid tool is attached to the image forming apparatus at the time of part replacement, a place where the part to be replaced is to be temporarily put, can be prepared in the vicinity of the image forming apparatus. More specifically, the part to be replaced as removed from the image forming apparatus or a replacing part to be attached thereto, can be held by the part holding unit. This advantageously shortens the distance by which the part to be replaced is moved. Further, even though a suitable part temporarily putting place cannot be assured around the image forming apparatus, the part replacement can efficiently be executed. 
     The part to be replaced may be a toner cartridge. In this case, at the time of cartridge replacement, the used toner cartridge taken out from the image forming apparatus, can be held by the part holding unit attached thereto. This prevents the circumference around the image forming apparatus from being contaminated by the toner at the time of replacement of the toner cartridge. 
     The part to be replaced may be an image forming unit having a photoreceptor and a developing unit. 
     The part to be replaced may be a fixing roller for fixing a transferred toner image onto paper, or a recovery tank disposed at the toner recovery unit of the image forming unit for accumulating the toner collected from the photoreceptor. Often, toner is sticking to the outer surface of such a part as taken out from the image forming apparatus. Accordingly, when such a part is placed outside of the image forming apparatus, this contributes to contamination by toner. The present invention can also be applied to an aid tool for aiding in replacement of other part to be replaced than those above-mentioned, as far as such a part is removably attached to the image forming apparatus. 
     Preferably, the part holding unit is a part housing container having a housing space for housing the part to be replaced. According to the arrangement above-mentioned, the part to be replaced is housed in the housing space formed in the part housing container at the time of part replacement. 
     In the arrangement above-mentioned, the part housing container preferably also serves as a packaging container for housing a new replacing part. In this case, at the time of part replacement, the operator can attach, to the image forming apparatus, the part housing container from which a new part has been taken out, and can put the used part in the housing space thus emptied. More specifically, the used part can be held by the container in which a new part has been packaged. This enables part replacement to be executed without the circumference around the image forming apparatus contaminated. 
     Preferably, the part housing container comprises a main body for receiving the part to be replaced, and a lid which openably closes the housing space with respect to the main body, and the mounting portion is disposed at the main body. 
     According to the arrangement above-mentioned, when the mounting portion disposed at the main body is mounted on the image forming apparatus, the part housing container is attached thereto. At the time of part replacement, the part to be replaced is received by the main body. 
     Preferably, the part housing container also serves as a packaging container in which a new replacing part is housed. In this case; the part housing container having a housing space opened after the new part has been taken out, can be attached, as it is,to the image forming apparatus. This enables part replacement to be more rapidly executed. 
     By closing the lid after the used part has been housed, the used part can be handled with no trouble of toner contamination. 
     Preferably, the aid tool further comprises a reception portion arranged such that when the aid tool is attached to the image forming apparatus, the reception portion receives, under the path of the part to be replaced from the fitting portion of the part to be replaced in the image forming apparatus to the part holding unit, a thing falling from the part to be replaced. 
     According to the arrangement above-mentioned, even though a falling thing such as toner or the like falls from the part to be replaced while the same is moved from the fitting portion of the image forming apparatus to the part holding unit, this reception portion receives such a falling thing. This prevents the circumference around the image forming apparatus from being contaminated by a falling thing at the time of part replacement. 
     The reception portion may be disposed at the main body, and the mounting portion may be disposed at the reception portion. 
     An image forming apparatus of the present invention comprises an engagement portion engageable with and disengageable from the mounting portion of the part-replacement aid tool above-mentioned. 
     According to the arrangement above-mentioned, the mounting portion of the part-replacement aid tool is engaged with the engagement portion of the image forming apparatus such that the part holding unit is attached thereto. Accordingly, when the part holding unit is attached to the image forming apparatus at the time of replacement of the part to be replaced, there can be provided, in the vicinity of the image forming apparatus, a place where the part to be replaced is temporarily put. More specifically,the part holding unit can hold the part to be replaced as taken out from the image forming apparatus or the new replacing part to be attached thereto. This advantageously not only shortens the distance by which the part to be replaced is moved, but also enables part replacement to be efficiently executed even though a suitable part temporarily putting place cannot be assured around the image forming apparatus. 
     Preferably, the engagement portion is fixed to the image forming apparatus at least at the time of replacement of the part to be replaced. 
     According to the arrangement above-mentioned, when the part-replacement aid tool is attached to the engagement portion, a part temporarily putting place can securely be provided in the vicinity of the image forming apparatus. 
     The engagement portion may be disposed at the main body housing of the image forming apparatus. 
     The engagement portion may be disposed at a unit which is removably attached to the main body housing of the image forming apparatus and which has a fitting portion for the part to be replaced. 
     When the part to be replaced is a toner cartridge, the unit having the fitting portion for the part to be replaced, may be an image forming unit which has a photoreceptor and a developing unit and on which a toner cartridge can be mounted. 
     Preferably, the engagement portion is disposed such that the part holding unit is positioned in the vicinity of the fitting portion for the part to be replaced. In this case, the part holding unit is positioned, in the image forming apparatus, in the vicinity of the fitting portion for the part to be replaced. More specifically, the distance by which the part to be replaced is moved from the fitting portion to the part holding unit at the time of part replacement, is short. Thus, the part to be replaced can readily be held by the part holding unit. Further, the contamination by toner or the like can be minimized. 
     One of the mounting portion and the engagement portion may be a hook, and the other of the mounting portion and the engagement portion may be an engagement hole with which the hook is engaged. 
     According to the arrangement above-mentioned, the engagement of the hook with the engagement hole enables the part holding unit to be attached to the image forming apparatus. 
     Preferably, the engagement hole comprises a fitting hole extending in one direction, and a coming-out preventing hole having a narrow width and extending from the fitting hole in a direction substantially at a right angle to the direction in which the fitting hole extends. Preferably, the hook to be engaged with the fitting hole, comprises a standing portion extending substantially upright from the top surface of the image forming apparatus, and a bent portion which is bent from the tip of the standing portion. 
     Preferably, the mounting portion of the part holding unit is an engagement hole, and the engagement portion of the image forming apparatus is a hook. This is because it is easier to form an engagement hole than to form a hook when the part holding unit is made by machining a sheet. 
     These and other features, objects and advantages of the present invention will be more fully apparent from the following detailed description set forth below when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating the arrangement of the external appearance of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of the image forming apparatus in FIG. 1 with the shell of the main body housing thereof opened; 
     FIG. 3 is a section view of main portions of the image forming unit of the image forming apparatus in FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a housing container; 
     FIG. 5 is a perspective view illustrating how to attach the housing container to the main body housing; 
     FIG. 6 is an enlarged plan view of portions of the housing container attached to the main body housing; 
     FIG. 7 is a section view, illustrating the attachment of the housing container to the main body housing; 
     FIG. 8 is a view illustrating another embodiment of the present invention; and 
     FIG. 9 is a view illustrating a further embodiment of the present invention. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an image forming apparatus  1  according to an embodiment of the present invention. This image forming apparatus  1  is of the multifunctional type which is basically used as a facsimile machine and which also serves as a printer or a copying machine. The image forming apparatus  1  comprises a main body housing  2  and a document reading unit  3  disposed at an upper portion of the main body housing  2 . The document reading unit  3  is provided on the top thereof with an operation board  4  on which ten-keys, function keys, a display and the like are arranged. A document setting tray  5  projects in front of the document reading unit  3  (toward this side at the right hand in FIG.  1 ). Documents placed on the document setting tray  5  are to be taken in one by one in a so-called sheet-through manner, and then received, after the contents thereof have been read, by a document receiving tray  7  disposed at the rear side. 
     The top surface of the main body housing  2  positioned under the document setting tray  5  serves as a discharge stand  8  for receiving paper having thereon a reproduced image. 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the main body housing  2  with its shell  9  opened. An image forming unit  10  is removably attached inside of the main body housing  2 . 
     Referring to FIG. 3, the image forming unit  10  comprises a photoreceptor drum  11  on which an electrostatic latent image is to be formed, a main charger  12  for electrically charging the surface of the photoreceptor drum  11 , a developing roller  13  for developing the electrostatic latent image on the surface of the photoreceptor drum  11  with toner, and a toner recovery unit  14  for collecting the toner stuck onto the surface of the photoreceptor drum  11 . This image forming unit  10  is removably attached to the main body housing  2 . A toner cartridge  52  (a part to be replaced) is removably mounted on the image forming unit  10 . To write an electrostatic latent image on the surface of the photoreceptor drum  11  uniformly electrically charged by the main charger  12 , a laser scanning unit (not shown) is disposed in the main body housing  2 . 
     The image forming unit  10  may comprise at least the photoreceptor drum  11  and the developing roller  13 , and other component elements such as the main charger  12  and the like may be disposed at the main body housing  2  of the image forming apparatus  1 . 
     Referring to FIG. 2, the image forming unit  10  has a fitting portion  53  on which a toner cartridge  52  is mounted. As shown in FIG. 2, the toner cartridge  52  mounted on the fitting portion  53  is exposed at its upper part when the shell  9  is opened. 
     This image forming apparatus  1  is arranged such that with the shell  9  opened, the image forming unit  10  or the toner cartridge  52  can be replaced and paper jam can be solved. 
     The toner cartridge  52  is removably mounted on the fitting portion  53  for supplying, as necessary, toner to the developing roller  13 . When the toner in the image forming unit  10  is fully consumed, the emptied toner cartridge  52  is replaced with a new toner cartridge  52 A (See FIG.  4 ). 
     This embodiment is characterized in that at the time of replacement of the toner cartridge  52 , a housing container  58  from which a new toner cartridge  52 A has been removed (See FIGS.  4  and  5 ), is attached to the main body housing  2  such that the used toner cartridge  52  is to be held by this housing container  58 . 
     The main body housing  2  is provided on the top surface  2   a  thereof with a pair of engagement portions  55  with the use of which the housing container  58  is attached to the main body housing  2 . 
     Each of the engagement portions  55  is a hook comprising a standing portion  56  extending substantially upright from the top surface  2   a  of the main body housing  2 , and a bent portion  57  extending from the tip of the standing portion  56  to the inner part of the main body housing  2 . 
     FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustrating the housing container  58 . 
     The new toner cartridge  52 A is housed, as packed in the housing container  58 , in a housing box  59 . 
     The housing container  58  is formed by machining a polyethylene sheet, and comprises a main body  61  for receiving the toner cartridge  52 A, and a lid  62  held by an edge  61   a  of the main body  61  in a manner rotatable around this edge  61   a.    
     The main body  61  has a first receiving portion  63  which is concaved and opened at its top, and a reception portion  64  extending substantially horizontally from the upper edge  63   a  of the first receiving portion  63 . The lid  62  has a second receiving portion  66  swelling in the upward direction, and an extending portion  67  extending from the edge  66   a  of the second receiving portion  66  toward the circumference thereof. The housing container  58  is arranged such that when the lid  62  is closed with respect to the main body  61 , the first receiving portion  63  and the second receiving portion  66  define a space for housing the toner cartridge  52 A. 
     In the vicinities of the both ends of the reception portion  64 , there are formed a pair of mounting portions  68  which are engaged with the engagement portions  55  when the housing container  58  is attached to the main body housing  2 . Each of the mounting portions  68  is an engagement hole substantially in the L shape. Each mounting portion  68  of the housing container  58  is made in the form of an engagement hole for the following reason. In the housing container  58  formed by machining a sheet body, it is easier to form an engagement hole than to form a hook. 
     Each mounting portion  68  comprises a fitting hole  70  which extends in one direction and in which the bent portion  57  is to be fitted, and a coming-out preventing hole  71  which extends from the rear end  70   a  of the fitting hole  70  in the direction substantially at a right angle to the fitting-hole extending direction and which has such a width as to prevent the bent portion  57  from passing through. 
     In the vicinities of the pair of mounting portions  68 , the reception portion  64  has a plurality of (four in this embodiment) engagement projections  72  for holding the lid  62  as closed. The extending portion  67  has a plurality of engagement grooves  73  which are to be fitted to and engaged with the engagement projections  72  when the lid  62  is closed. 
     At the time of toner cartridge replacement, a new toner cartridge  52 A housed in the housing box  59  is first taken out as packed in the housing container  58 . Then, the engagement grooves  73  are disengaged from the engagement projections  72 , the lid  62  is rotated such that the housing space is opened, and the toner cartridge  52 A housed in the first receiving portion  63  of the main body  61  is taken out in the upward direction. The new toner cartridge  52 A thus taken out is once placed, for example, at a suitable position around the image forming apparatus  1 . There is no possibility of this new toner cartridge  52 A contaminating the circumference around the image forming apparatus  1  because the toner housing space is hermetically sealed. Then, the housing container  58  is attached to the main body housing  2 . 
     FIG. 5 is a perspective view illustrating how the housing container  58  is attached to the main body housing  2 . With the lid  62  opened after the toner cartridge  52 A has been taken out, the housing container  58  is attached to the main body housing  2 . The operator positions the housing container  58  such that the mounting portions  68  are opposite to the engagement portions  55  of the main body housing  2 . Then, the operator hooks the mounting portions  68  on the corresponding engagement portions  55 . More specifically, the fitting holes  70  of the mounting portions  68  are fitted to the bent portions  57  of the engagement portions  55 , and the housing container  58  is then slid in one direction (shown by a white arrow in FIG.  5 ). 
     FIG. 6 is an enlarged plan view of portions of the housing container  58  as attached to the main body housing  2 . When the housing container  58  is slid leftwards, the standing portions  56  of the engagement portions  55  are fitted in the coming-out preventing holes  71 . The coming-out preventing holes  71  have such a width as to prevent the bent portions  57  of the engagement portions  55  from passing through. This securely prevents the engagement portions  55  from coming out from the mounting portions  68 . At this time, both the tips of the bent portions  57  and the rear end of the top surface  2   a  of the main body housing  2 , come in contact with the reception portion  64 , as shown in FIG.  7 . This achieves the attachment of the housing container  58  to the main body housing  2 . 
     After the housing container  58  has been attached to the main body housing  2 , the used toner cartridge  52  mounted on the fitting portion  53  is removed therefrom and put in the housing space of the housing container  58 . More specifically, the operator holds the used toner cartridge  52 , removes the same from the main body housing  2 , and put the same in the first receiving portion  63  of the housing container  58  attached to the main body housing  2 . 
     As shown in FIG. 7, when the used toner cartridge  52  is moved from the fitting portion  53  to the first receiving portion  63 , the reception portion  64  is operated to receive, under the toner-cartridge path from the fitting portion  53  to the first receiving portion  63 , toner particles falling from the toner cartridge  52 . Accordingly, at the time of cartridge replacement, the main body housing  2  and the articles therearound are not made dirty by falling toner particles. 
     After the used toner cartridge  52  is set to the first receiving portion  63 , the new toner cartridge  52 A previously placed around the image forming apparatus  1  is mounted on the fitting portion  53 . 
     On the other hand, in the housing container  58 , the lid  62  is rotated to close the housing space. The engagement projections  72  are engaged with and fitted to the engagement grooves  73  such that the lid  62  is joined to the main body  61 . Then, the mounting portions  68  are disengaged from the engagement portions  55 , and the used toner cartridge  52  is collected as packed in the housing box  59 . 
     According to the arrangement above-mentioned, at the time of the replacement of toner cartridge, the new toner cartridge  52 A can be mounted with the used toner cartridge  52  removed from the main body housing  2  being held by the housing container  58  attached to the main body housing  2 . More specifically, it is not required to temporarily place the used toner cartridge  52  removed from the main body housing  2  on the floor or the like around the image forming apparatus  1 . This prevents the circumference around the image forming apparatus  1  from being contaminated by toner particles at the time of the replacement of toner cartridge. 
     Further, the replacement of the used toner cartridge  52  is executed with the used toner cartridge  52  removed from the main body housing  2  being temporarily placed in the first receiving portion  63  located in the vicinity of the fitting portion  53 . Thus, the moving distance of the used toner cartridge  52  is short. This not only facilitates the replacement of toner cartridge, but also minimizes the contamination of operator&#39;s fingers and clothes by toner particles. 
     In the embodiment in FIG. 2, the engagement portions  55  are disposed at the top surface of the main body housing  2 . As shown in FIG. 8, however, the engagement portions may be disposed at an image forming unit  10 A which is mounted on the main body housing  2  at least at the time of cartridge replacement. In the embodiment in FIG. 8, the mounting portions  68  of the housing container  58  can be engaged with the engagement portions  55 A disposed at the image forming unit  10 A to attach the housing container  58  to the main body housing  2 . This enables the used toner cartridge  52  to be held by the housing container  58  attached to the main body housing  2  at the time of cartridge replacement. 
     In the embodiments above-mentioned, the mounting portions  68  of the housing container  58  are made in the form of engagement holes and the engagement portions  55 ,  55 A are made in the form of hooks. However, the engagement portions  55 ,  55 A may be made in the form of engagement holes and the mounting portions  68  may be made in the form of hooks. 
     Each of the embodiments above-mentioned is arranged such that the housing container  58  is attached to the main body housing  2  by the combination of the hooks with the engagement holes. However, such an attachment may be made with the use of hook-and-loop fasteners. 
     As shown in FIG. 9, a slit-like concaved portion  74  may be formed in the main body housing  2 , and a portion of a housing container  58 B may be inserted into this concaved portion  74  such that the housing container  58 B is attached to the main body housing  2 . 
     In each of the embodiments above-mentioned, the housing container  58 ,  58 B is a packaging container which houses the new toner cartridge  52 A. However, provision may be made such that there is prepared, in addition to the packaging container, an aid tool which is to be removably held by the image forming apparatus  1  and which offers a place where the used toner cartridge  52  is to be put. 
     Further, the present invention can be applied to a container for housing the image forming unit  10 . 
     Often, there are instances where toner particles are sticking to the outer surface of the fixing roller, the recovery tank or the like. Thus, the present invention can also be applied to a container for housing such a component part which is not desired to be directly placed on the floor or the like. It is enough that the aid tool can hold a part to be replaced which is attached to the image forming apparatus. Thus, the aid tool is not necessarily made in the form of a container, but may be made in the form of a tray. 
     Embodiments of the present invention have been discussed in detail, but these embodiments are mere specific examples for clarifying the technical contents of the present invention. Therefore, the present invention should not be construed as limited to these specific examples. The spirit and scope of the present invention are limited only by the appended claims. 
     This application claims priority benefits under 35 USC §119 of Japanese Patent Application Serial No. 11-209488, filed on Jul. 23, 1999, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.