OPC unit exchanging apparatus

An OPC unit exchanging apparatus of a printer includes an organic photo conductor (OPC) unit; a developing cartridge including a developing roller and contacting the OPC unit; a separating unit to separate the OPC unit and developing cartridge by a predetermined distance; a locking unit to settle the developing cartridge at the predetermined distance away from the OPC unit; an unlocking unit to unlock the developing cartridge locked by the locking unit; and a returning unit to return the developing cartridge so that the developing cartridge contacts the OPC unit.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 2002-38052 filed Jul. 2, 2002 in the Korean Industrial Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a printer, and more particularly, to an organic photo conductor (OPC) unit exchanging apparatus of an electro-photographic printer, which allows a user to exchange the OPC unit with ease.

2. Description of the Related Art

Generally, a printer has an organic photo conductor (OPC) unit to receive a digital image signal from a laser scanning unit (LSU) and to form an elelctrostatic latent image, a developing cartridge including a developing roller to develop the electrostatic latent image of the OPC unit using toner, a transfer belt to transfer the developed image of the OPC unit on a recoding paper, a printer body to protect these parts, and an upper cover and a rear cover.

The OPC unit has to be exchanged after being used for a while. When the OPC unit is pulled upwardly to be exchanged, the OPC unit is caught by the transfer belt and the developing cartridge of the upper part of the OPC unit. For the OPC unit to be easily exchanged, both the transfer belt and the developing cartridge should be a predetermined distance apart from the OPC unit.

As shown inFIG. 1, a printer includes an OPC unit87with an OPC handle88, a developing cartridge82having a developing roller83contacting the OPC unit87, a body81, an upper cover80and a rear cover84covering these parts.

Therefore, for a user to exchange the OPC unit87in a conventional printer, the user has to open the upper cover80and the rear cover84disposed at the rear of the developing cartridge82. After that, the user has to retreat the developing cartridge82with his or her hand and leave a space from the OPC unit87in order to prevent the OPC unit87from being caught when the OPC unit87is pulled upwardly. Next, the user has to separate the transfer belt86and the OPC unit87by grabbing the OPC handle88.

As described so far, in the conventional printer the developing cartridge82should be retreated and spaced apart from the OPC unit87when the OPC unit87is exchanged. At this time, the user has to open the rear cover84and pull the developing cartridge82with his or her hand. Thus, the user has been inconvenienced by necessarily having to open the rear cover84of the developing cartridge82and pull the developing cartridge82with his or her hand to exchange the OPC unit87.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention has been made to overcome the above-mentioned problem of the related art. Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an OPC unit exchanging apparatus capable of enhancing a user's convenience as the exchanging operation is simplified when the user exchanges the OPC unit of a printer.

According to the present invention, the above and or other objects are accomplished by an OPC unit exchanging apparatus of a printer, including: an organic photo conductor (OPC) unit; a developing cartridge including a developing roller and contacting with the OPC unit; a separating unit to separate the OPC unit and the developing cartridge by a predetermined distance; a locking unit to settle the developing cartridge away from the OPC unit by a predetermined distance; an unlocking unit to unlock the developing cartridge locked by the locking unit; and a returning unit to return the developing cartridge so that the developing cartridge contacts the OPC unit.

The separating unit comprises an OPC handle movably disposed at the OPC unit and a plurality of first members, each first member having one side fixed at a developing roller shaft and the other side protruding towards the OPC handle.

The locking unit comprises a lever having a locking recession, a resilient body disposed at one lower end of the lever and pushing that side of the lever upwardly, and a guide roller disposed at one side of the developing cartridge and settled by being locked at the locking recession.

The unlocking unit comprises second members movably disposed at an upper frame and a protrusion protruding downwardly at a lower side of the upper cover. The returning unit comprises resilient members disposed at one side of the developing cartridge.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Reference will now be made in detail to an embodiment of an OPC unit exchanging apparatus. The present invention is described in greater detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout.

FIGS. 2 through 5are front and perspective views schematically showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2is a front view of an OPC unit exchanging apparatus of a color printer according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown inFIG. 2, the color printer having the OPC unit exchanging apparatus includes an OPC unit10, a developing cartridge20having a developing roller22contacting with the OPC unit10, resilient members16, an OPC handle12, a protrusion32formed on an inner part of an upper cover30covering the respective parts, a lever18, first members14, and second members24.

An OPC handle12is disposed in sides of the OPC unit10. The end of the OPC handle12is hinged at a frame13protecting an OPC drum11. The OPC handle12is able to swing on a hinge area12a.

The developing roller22is disposed at one end of the developing cartridge20, and resilient members16are disposed at the other end. Certain ends of the first members14are fixed at the opposite ends of a developing roller shaft, while the free ends of the first members14are extended towards the OPC unit10. In addition, guide rollers21are disposed at both sides of the developing cartridge20.

The center of the lever18is settled and moved at a frame (not shown) placed at the both sides of the developing cartridge20in the printer body28, and a spring17is disposed at one lower end of the lever18. The spring17is supported at a protruding area of a side frame (not shown) of the printer.

The second members24are movably disposed at an upper frame31, and a protrusion32is protruding downwardly towards the upper part of the second members24from the inner part of the upper cover30.

The OPC unit exchanging apparatus is divided into a separating unit, a locking unit, an unlocking unit, and a returning unit.

As shown inFIGS. 2 and 3, the separating unit comprises the OPC handle12and the first members14. The locking unit comprises the guide rollers21, the lever18, and the spring17.

The unlocking unit comprises the second members24and the protrusion32protruding towards the second members24from the inner part of the upper cover30. The returning unit comprises of resilient members16disposed at one side of the developing cartridge20.

FIGS. 4 and 5are front views showing operation of the OPC unit exchanging apparatus according to the present invention. As shown inFIG. 4, when the upper cover30of the printer is opened and the OPC handle12hinged at the frame13is pulled upwardly about the hinge area12ato exchange the OPC unit10, the OPC handle12pushes a side of the first members14which are fixed at their opposite side to the developing roller22. Accordingly, the developing cartridge20is pushed with the developing roller22.

When the developing cartridge20is pushed by a predetermined distance, the position of the developing cartridge20becomes fixed as the guide rollers21are locked at a locking unit19formed at the lever18by the recovery force of the spring17disposed at one lower end of the lever18. When the developing cartridge20and OPC unit10are pushed away by a predetermined distance, the resilient members16disposed at one side of the developing cartridge20are compressed as shown inFIG. 4, and the user can lift the OPC unit10after removing a transfer belt26.

When the user inserts a new OPC unit10, replaces the transfer belt26, and closes the upper cover30as shown inFIG. 5, the protrusion32protruding downwardly at the upper cover30hits one side of the second members24. The second members24are pushed downwardly and hit the upper part of the lever18and the guide rollers21locked at the locking unit19are separated.

When the locking is released, the developing cartridge20is moved towards the OPC unit10due to a recovery force of the resilient members16compressed at one side of the developing cartridge20, and the OPC unit10contacts the OPC drum11.

The OPC unit exchanging apparatus according to the present invention can improve the reliability and the convenience of the product as the exchanging operation is simplified when the user exchanges the OPC unit of a printer.

Although a few preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the present invention should not be limited to the described preferred embodiment, but various changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Accordingly, the scope of the present invention is not limited within the described range but the scope of the invention is defined in following claims and their equivalents.