Photosensitive belt receiving case

Abstract: There is provided a photosensitive belt receiving case (200) including a sidewall (201) having a predetermined shape, an outer wall (203) which extends from the edge of the sidewall (201), and on which a plurality of grooves (220) are formed at opposing sides of a portion combined with the sidewall (201), and an inner wall (203) extending from the sidewall (201) parallel to the outer wall (202) inside the outer wall (202), and having a plurality of grooves (220) which face the grooves (220) of the outer wall (202), wherein a photosensitive belt (300) is received between the outer and inner walls and the edge of the photosensitive belt (300) is partially exposed through the grooves (220).

Description: The present invention relates to a case for receiving a photosensitive belt in a printer or a photocopying machine. A general printing apparatus such as a printer or a photocopying machine, as shown in Figure 1, includes a photosensitive belt 10 having a surface on which an image to be printed is formed by a developing unit 20 while circulating while being supported by a plurality of rollers 11, 12 and 13 installed in the main body of the printing apparatus. If the photosensitive belt 10 is used for a long time, the accuracy of the formed picture is lowered. Thus, the photosensitive belt 10 used for a predetermined time must be replaced with a new belt. During such a replacement, in the prior art, the photosensitive belt 10 is manually combined with the rollers 11, 12 and 13. Accordingly, the replacement is difficult because of the significantly flexible photosensitive belt. Furthermore, the photosensitive belt may not be properly replaced, so a malfunction of the printing apparatus may occur. With a view to solve or reduce the above problems, it is an aim of preferred embodiments of the present invention to provide a photosensitive belt receiving case which can facilitate the replacement and installation of the photosensitive belt. US-A-4,811,839 discloses a belt case having inner and outer walls and access means, as set forth in the precharacterising portion of claims 1 and 6. According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a photosensitive belt receiving case comprising: a sidewall having a predetermined shape; an outer wall which extends from the edge of said sidewall, and on which access means are provided; and an inner wall extending from said sidewall said inner wall being arranged inside and spaced apart from said outer wall, and having access means, wherein a photosensitive belt is received between said outer and inner walls and the edge of said photosensitive belt is partially exposed through said access means; characterised in that: said access means of said outer wall are formed at a portion of said outer wall remote from said sidewall, and comprise at least one groove formed in the outer wall. Preferably, said inner wall and said outer wall are disposed generally parallel to each other. Preferably, said access means of said inner wall comprises at least one groove formed therein, the position of said at least one groove of said inner wall being substantially in alignment with the access means of said outerwall. Preferably, a knob hole is provided for grabbing said photosensitive belt receiving case formed on said sidewall. Preferably, a coverlid is provided to cover said outer wall. According to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a method for deploying a photosensitive belt onto apparatus requiring such a belt, the method comprising: supplying said photosensitive belt in a belt receiving case, said belt receiving case comprising an inner wall, over which said belt rests, an outer wall which extends around a general external periphery of said belt, and a side wall from which said inner and outer walls extend, at least part of an edge region of said photosensitive belt being partially exposed from said case by access means; offering up said case to said apparatus and associating said case with said apparatus by means of a guide portion of said apparatus cooperating with said access means; detecting that the belt receiving case is in position; activating clamping means of said apparatus to grip said exposed edge region of said belt; and withdrawing said case from said apparatus following actuation of said clamping means so as to deploy said belt within said apparatus; characterised in that: in the supplying step, the access means comprises at least one groove formed at a portion of said outer wall remote from said sidewall. For a better understanding of the invention, and to show how embodiments of the same may be carried into effect, reference will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a photosensitive belt installed inside a general printing apparatus; Figure 2 is a perspective view of a photosensitive belt receiving case according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view, taken along line III-III, of Figure 2; and Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view for illustrating a procedure for loading a photosensitive belt in the main body of a printing apparatus using the photosensitive belt receiving case according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to Figures 2 and 3, a photosensitive belt receiving case 200 according to the present invention has one open side 204, an oval sidewall 201, an external wall 202 extending from the edge of the sidewall 201, and an internal wall 203 formed parallel to the inner surface of the external wall 202. The photosensitive belt 300 is inserted between the external and internal walls 202 and 203. A plurality of access means comprising corresponding grooves 220 are formed on opposite edges of the external and internal walls 202 and 203 at the open side 204. Thus, the edges of the received photosensitive belt 300 is exposed through the grooves 220. A knob hole 201a for picking up the case 200 manually is formed on the sidewall 201. Also, the photosensitive belt receiving case can further include a coverlid 210 coupled to the open side 204 to cover the external wall 202 in order to protect the photosensitive belt 300 received in the case. The photosensitive belt received in the photosensitive belt receiving case according to the present invention is loaded in a printing apparatus including a photosensitive belt loading device shown in Figure 4. Referring to the drawing, the photosensitive belt loading device included in a main body 100 of a printing apparatus comprises a guide portion in the form of a protrusion 120 which is formed in the main body 100 of the printing apparatus and inserts into the groove 220 formed on the inner wall 203 of the photosensitive belt receiving case 200 (see Figure 2), and clamping means comprising a solenoid cylinder 130 facing the guide protrusion 120. Here, during loading of the photosensitive belt 300, the solenoid cylinder 130 clamps the end of the photosensitive belt 300 which is exposed through the groove 200. Reference numeral 140 denotes a sensor for detecting entry of the photosensitive belt 300. When a new photosensitive belt is loaded in the main body 100 of the printing apparatus, the photosensitive belt receiving case 200 having the photosensitive belt 300 is inserted into the main body 100 of the printing apparatus through an opening 110, as shown in Figure 4. Here, the guide protrusion 120 is inserted into the groove 220 (see Figure 3) formed on the inner wall 203 of the case 200, to thus set the case 200. Also, the end of the photosensitive belt 300 exposed through the groove 220 is placed on the upper surface of the guide protrusion 120. The position of the photosensitive belt 300 in this state is detected by the sensor 140. In such a state, the solenoid cylinder 130 is lowered to press the upper surface of the end of the photosensitive belt 300 exposed through the groove 220 against the guide protrusion 120. Here, when the case 200 is pulled out of the main body 100 of the printing apparatus through the opening 110, the photosensitive belt 300 is clamped by the guide protrusion 120 and the solenoid cylinder 130 and then slides out of the case 200. Then, the solenoid cylinder 130 returns to its original position, thereby completing the loading of the photosensitive belt 300. As described above, the photosensitive belt receiving case according to the present invention receives a flexible photosensitive belt in a fixed shape. Thus, during replacement and loading of the photosensitive belt, only the case is inserted into the main body of the printing apparatus, so that the photosensitive belt can be simply loaded.

Claims: A photosensitive belt receiving case (200) comprising: a sidewall (201) having a predetermined shape; an outer wall (202) which extends from the edge of said sidewall (201), and on which access means are provided; and an inner wall (203) extending from said sidewall (201) said inner wall (203) being arranged inside and spaced apart from said outer wall (202), and having access means, wherein a photosensitive belt (300) is received between said outer (202) and inner (201) walls and the edged of said photosensitive belt (300) is partially exposed through said access means; characterised in that : said access means of said outer wall (202) are formed at a portion of said outer wall remote from said sidewall, and comprise at least one groove (220) formed in the outer wall. A photosensitive belt receiving case (200) according to claim 1, wherein said inner wall (203) and said outer wall (202) are disposed generally parallel to each other. A case according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said access means of said inner wall (203) comprises at least one groove (220) formed therein, the position of said at least one groove (220) of said inner wall (203) being substantially in alignment with the access means of said outer wall (202). A photosensitive belt receiving case as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein a knob hole (201a) for grabbing said photosensitive belt receiving case (200) is formed on said sidewall (201). A photosensitive belt receiving case as claimed in any of the preceding claims, further comprising a coverlid (210) combined to cover said outer wall (202). A method for deploying a photosensitive belt (300) onto apparatus (100) requiring such a belt, the method comprising: supplying said photosensitive belt (300) in a belt receiving case (200), said belt receiving case (200) comprising an inner wall (203), over which said belt (300) rests, an outer wall (202) which extends around a general external periphery of said belt (300), and a side wall (201) from which said inner and outer walls (202, 203) extend, at least part of an edge region of said photosensitive belt (300) being partially exposed from said case (200) by access means (220); offering up said case (200) to said apparatus (100) and associating said case (200) with said apparatus by means of a guide portion (120) of said apparatus cooperating with said access means (220); detecting that the belt receiving case (200) is in position; activating clamping means (130) of said apparatus (100) to grip said exposed edge region of said belt (300); and withdrawing said case from said apparatus (100) following actuation of said clamping means (130) so as to deploy said belt within said apparatus; characterised in that: in the supplying step, the access means comprises at least one groove formed at a portion of said outer wall remote from said sidewall. The method of claim 6, wherein in the supplying step, said access means of said inner wall (203) comprises at least one groove (220) formed therein, the position of said at least one groove (220) of said inner wall (203) being substantially in alignment with the access means of said outer wall (202).

Inventors: PARK GEUN-YONG, PARK, GEUN-YONG
Applicants: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO LTD, SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
Application year: 1998
Main classification: G03G15
IPC codes: G03G15, G03G21