Patent Publication Number: US-8971759-B2

Title: Image forming apparatus

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims the benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2011-0136506, filed on Dec. 16, 2011, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
     BACKGROUND 
     1. Field 
     The embodiments of the present disclosure relate to an image forming apparatus having a structure to protect a developing cartridge from an outside impact. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     An image forming apparatus is an apparatus configured to form an image on a printing medium according to a signal which is input, and includes a printer, a photocopying apparatus, a facsimile, and a multi-functional apparatus having the functions of the printer, the photocopying apparatus, and the facsimile consolidated therein. 
     An electro-photographic image forming apparatus, which is a type of an image forming apparatus, is provided therein with a developing cartridge, which has an image carrier and a developing apparatus, and a laser scanning unit. The laser scanning unit scans laser on an image carrier charged with a predetermined electric potential and forms a latent electrostatic image on the surface of the image carrier, and the developing apparatus supplies a developer on the image carrier, at which the latent electrostatic image is formed, to form a visible imagery. 
     In order to maintain a constant quality of images, the developing apparatus is needed to be disposed at a constant position at an inside portion of the body of the image forming apparatus at all times, and thus, at an inside portion of the body of the image forming apparatus is provided therein with a supporting unit, which is configured to support the developing apparatus as to have the developing apparatus disposed at a designated position at all times. 
     An outside impact that may occur in the process of the image forming apparatus being transported, a potion of the developing apparatus, which is formed of material having relatively weaker strength than the supporting unit, may be damaged as the developing apparatus repeatedly comes into contact with the supporting unit and moves away from the supporting unit that supports the developing apparatus. In a case when a portion of the developing apparatus is damaged, the developing apparatus is then deviated from the designated position, and particularly, the position of a component that is needed to be provided with a precise position control, such as an image carrier, is also being deviated from the designated position, thereby resulting in a reduced quality of the image. 
     SUMMARY 
     Therefore, it is an aspect of the present disclosure to provide an image forming apparatus capable of preventing a developing cartridge mounted at the image forming apparatus from being damaged by an outside impact. 
     Another aspect of the present disclosure is to provide an image forming apparatus capable of detecting whether a member, which is configured to prevent the damage of a developing cartridge, is removed prior to starting an initial printing operation of the image forming apparatus. 
     Additional aspects will be set forth in part in the description which follows and, in part, will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the disclosure. 
     In accordance with one aspect, an image forming apparatus includes a body, a cover, a tray, at least one developing cartridge, at least one supporting frame, and at least one buffer member. The cover may be configured to open/close one side of the body. The tray may be movably mounted at the body in a sliding manner through the one side of the body that is open/closed by the cover. The at least one developing cartridge may be mounted at an inside the body, the at least one developing cartridge each having an image carrier to form an image. The at least one supporting frame may be configured to support the at least one developing cartridge installed inside the body. The at least one buffer member may be configured to ease impact that occurs between the at least one developing cartridge and the at least one supporting frame by being disposed in between the at least one developing cartridge and the at least one supporting frame. Wherein, the at least one buffer member provided to be removed before the at least one developing cartridge starts an initial printing operation. 
     The at least one buffer member may be provided in a form of a strap. 
     The at least one buffer member may be mounted at the body together with the tray and the at least one developing cartridge while in a state of being coupled to the tray. 
     The buffer member may be disposed at a left side and a right side at an inner portion of the tray with respect to a mounting direction of the tray such that the buffer member makes contact with opposite ends of the at least one developing cartridge in a state that the at least one developing cartridge is accommodated at the tray. 
     The at least one developing cartridge may include a supporting block to support opposite ends of the image carrier such that the image carrier is rotated. The at least one supporting frame may include an accommodating groove configured to accommodate and support the supporting block. At least one portion of the at least one buffer member may be disposed in between the supporting block and the accommodating groove, so that impact that occurs between the supporting block and the accommodating groove is eased. 
     The at least one buffer member may be provided in a shape corresponding to a lower end portion of the at least one developing cartridge. 
     The at least one supporting frame, in a state when the buffer member is removed, may be configured to make direct contact with a lower end portion of the at least one developing cartridge, to determine a developing position of the at least one developing cartridge. 
     A high voltage board, which is configured to supply voltage to drive the at least one developing cartridge mounted at the body, may be disposed at one side of the body. The at least one developing cartridge, in order to be supplied with voltage from the high-voltage board, may be provided at one side thereof with at least one connecting terminal. 
     The image forming apparatus may further include at least one blocking member, which is positioned in between the high-voltage board and the at least one connecting terminal to block the electrical connection between the high-voltage board and the at least one connecting terminal, the at least one blocking member provided to be removed before the at least one developing cartridge starts an initial printing operation. 
     The image forming apparatus may further include a detection unit to detect an electrical connection status between the high-voltage board and the at least one connecting terminal. The detection unit, in a case when the high-voltage board is electrically connected to the at least one connecting terminal, may enable a printing operation to be performed, and in a case when the high-voltage board is electrically blocked from the at least one connecting terminal, enable a printing operation not to be performed. 
     The at least one blocking member may be integrally connected to the buffer member, and may be removed together with the buffer member before the at least one developing cartridge starts an initial printing operation. 
     The at least one buffer member may be mounted at the body together with the tray and the at least one developing cartridge while in a state of being coupled to the at least one developing cartridge. 
     The at least one buffer member may be provided in a form that surrounds an outer side of one end portion of the developing cartridge. 
     In accordance with another aspect, an image forming apparatus may include a body, at least one developing cartridge, a tray, at least one supporting frame, and at least one buffer member. The at least one developing cartridge each may have an image carrier mounted at an inside the body to form an image and a supporting block to rotatively support the image carrier. The tray may be detachably coupled at the body while accommodating the at least one developing cartridge. The tray may have a plurality of supporting units, which supports the at least one developing cartridge, and a plurality of opening units formed in between the plurality of supporting units. The at least one supporting frame may be configured to support the supporting block, which is exposed through the plurality of opening units, while coupled to opposite sides of the body, and to determine a position of the image carrier. The at least one buffer member may have at least a portion thereof positioned between the supporting block and the at least one supporting frame to ease impact that occurs between the supporting block and the at least one supporting frame, the at least one buffer member provided to be removed before the at least one developing cartridge starts an initial printing operation. 
     The at least one buffer member may be provided in a form of a strap, and may be mounted at the body together with the tray and the at least one developing cartridge while in a state of being supported by the plurality of supporting units. 
     The at least one supporting frame may include an accommodating groove configured to accommodate and support the supporting block, while at least a portion of the at least one buffer member is disposed in between the supporting block and the accommodating groove, so that the impact that occurs between the supporting block and the accommodating groove is eased. 
     The at least one buffer member may be provided in a form of a strap, and may be mounted at the body together with the tray and the at least one developing cartridge while in a state of being coupled to the at least one developing cartridge. 
     The image forming apparatus may include a high voltage board, at least one connecting terminal and at least one blocking member. The high voltage board may be disposed at one side of the body and configured to supply voltage to drive the at least one developing cartridge mounted at the body. The at least one connecting terminal may be provided at one side of the at least one developing cartridge to be supplied with power by making contact with the high-voltage board. The at least one blocking member may be positioned in between the high-voltage board and the at least one connecting terminal to block a contact between the high-voltage board and the at least one connecting terminal while being provided to be removed before the at least one developing cartridge starts an initial printing operation. 
     The at least one blocking member may be integrally connected to the buffer member, and may be removed together with the buffer member before the at least one developing cartridge starts an initial printing operation. 
     As described above, the embodiments of the present disclosure, a phenomenon of reduced quality of an image, due to a developing cartridge mounted at an image forming apparatus is damaged by an outside impact that occurs in the transporting process of the image forming apparatus, may be prevented. 
     In addition, a malfunction that may occur by driving an image forming apparatus without removing a buffer member may be prevented in advance. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       These and/or other aspects will become apparent and more readily appreciated from the following description of the embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of which: 
         FIG. 1  is a drawing schematically illustrating a structure of an image forming apparatus in accordance with one embodiment. 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of an exterior appearance of an image forming apparatus in accordance with one embodiment. 
         FIG. 3  is a drawing illustrating a developing cartridge being mounted at a body. 
         FIG. 4  is a drawing illustrating a developing cartridge being supported by a supporting frame. 
         FIG. 5  is a side view illustrating a developing cartridge being supported by a supporting frame. 
         FIG. 6  illustrates a buffer member in accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure, the buffer member being coupled to a tray prior to an initial printing operation. 
         FIG. 7  is a drawing illustrating a buffer member being mounted at a body. 
         FIG. 8  is a side view illustrating a developing cartridge being supported by a supporting frame while a buffer member is coupled to a tray and is mounted at a body. 
         FIG. 9  illustrates a buffer member in accordance with one embodiment, the buffer member being coupled to a developing cartridge prior to an initial printing operation. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Reference will now be made in detail to the embodiments, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout. 
       FIG. 1  is a drawing schematically illustrating a structure of an image forming apparatus in accordance with one embodiment, and  FIG. 2  is a perspective view of an exterior appearance of an image forming apparatus in accordance with one embodiment. 
     As illustrated on  FIG. 1 , an image forming apparatus  1  includes a body  1 , a printing medium supply unit  20 , a laser scanning unit  30 , a developing cartridge  40 , a transfer unit  50 , a fusing unit  60 , and a printing medium discharging unit  70 . 
     The body  10  forms an exterior of the image forming apparatus  1 , and supports various components installed at an inside the body  10 . In addition, at one side of the body  10 , a cover  11  is rotatively installed. The cover  11  is configured to open/close one portion of the body  10 . A user, through the cover  11 , approaches to an inside the body  10 , and may attach/detach a compartment such as the developing cartridge  40 . 
     The printing medium supply unit  20  includes a cassette  21  in which a printing medium S is stored, a pick-up roller  22  configured to pick up the printing medium S stored at the cassette  21  one sheet at a time, and a transporting roller  23  configured to transport the printing medium, which is picked up, toward the transfer unit  50 . 
     The laser scanning unit  30  is disposed at an upper portion of the developing cartridge  40  to emit the laser, which corresponds to the imagery information, to an image carrier  41 , and forms a latent electrostatic image on the surface of the image carrier  41 . 
     The developing cartridge  40  includes four developing cartridges  40 Y,  40 M,  40 C, and  40 K in which the developers having different colors to each other, for example, yellow Y, magenta M, cyanide C, and black K, are accommodated, respectively. 
     The each of the developing cartridges  40 Y,  40 M,  40 C, and  40 K is provided thereto with the image carrier  41 , a charging roller  42 , a developing roller  43 , and a supplying roller (not shown). On the surface of the image carrier  41 , a latent electrostatic image is formed by the laser scanning unit  30 . The charging roller  42  transfers the image carrier  41  in a predetermined electric potential. The supplying roller (not shown) supplies a developer to the developing roller  43 , and the developing roller  43  attaches a developer on the surface of the image carrier  41 , on which a latent electrostatic image is formed, to form a visible imagery. 
     The transfer unit  50  includes a transfer belt  51  configured to drive in a circulating manner while making contact with the each of the developing cartridges  40 Y,  40 M,  40 C, and  40 K, a driving roller  53  configured to drive the transfer belt  51 , a tension roller  55  providing a constant tension to the transfer belt  51 , and a plurality of transfer roller  57  configured to transfer the visible image, which is developed on the each image carrier  41  of the each of the developing cartridges  40 Y,  40 M,  40 C, and  40 K, to a printing medium P. 
     A fusing unit  60  includes a heating roller  61  having a heat source, and a pressing roller  62  installed while corresponding to the heating roller  61 . When a printing medium passes through in between the heating roller  61  and the pressing roller  62 , by the heat delivered from the heating roller  61  and the pressure applied in between the heating roller  61  and the pressing roller  62 , an image is fused on the printing medium. 
     The printing medium discharging unit  70  includes a plurality of delivery rollers  71  to discharge a printing medium passed through the fusing unit  60  to an outside the body  10 . 
     The each of the developing cartridges  40 Y,  40 M,  40 C, and  40 K, is mounted at an inside the body  10  while being accommodated at a tray  80 , which is movably coupled to the body  10  in a sliding manner. The tray  80  includes a plurality of supporting units  82  ( FIG. 6 ) supporting the developing cartridges  40 Y,  40 M,  40 C, and  40 K, and a plurality of opening units  84  ( FIG. 6 ) formed in between the plurality of supporting units  82 . 
     At one side of the body  10 , a high-voltage board  90  is disposed to supply power to drive the each of the developing cartridges  40 Y,  40 M,  40 C, and  40 K that are mounted at the body  10 . The power of the high-voltage board  90  is delivered to the image carrier  41 , the charging roller  42 , the developing roller  43 , and the supplying roller (not shown) by passing through linking terminals (refer to  86  in  FIG. 6 ) provided on the tray  80  and connecting terminals  47  respectively provided at one side of the each of the developing cartridges  40 Y,  40 M,  40 C, and  40 K. 
     At an inside the body  10 , a detection unit  94  is provided to detect the electrical connection status between the high-voltage board  90  and the each connecting terminals  47 . In a case when the high-voltage board  90  is electrically connected to the connecting terminals  47 , the detection unit  94  enables a printing operation to be performed, and in a case when the high-voltage board  90  is electrically blocked from the connecting terminals  47 , the detection unit  94  may enable a printing operation not to be performed. 
     A display unit  96  is configured to display information about the image forming apparatus  1  or an operation status of the image forming apparatus  1 . In a case when the detection unit  94  detects that the electrical connection between the high-voltage board  90  and the connecting terminals  47  is blocked, the display unit  96  displays to a user that the developing cartridges  40 Y,  40 M,  40 C, and  40 K are not normally mounted at the body  10 . 
       FIG. 3  is a drawing illustrating a developing cartridge is mounted at a body,  FIG. 4  is a drawing illustrating a developing cartridge being supported by a supporting frame, and  FIG. 5  is a side view illustrating a developing cartridge being supported by a supporting frame. 
     As illustrated on  FIGS. 1 to 5 , main frames  110   a  and  110   b  are provided at opposite sides of the body  10  to support various components that structures the image forming apparatus  1 , and a supporting frame  120   a  and a supporting frame  120   b  are coupled to corresponding inner sides of the main frames  110   a  and  110   b , respectively, to support the each of the developing cartridges  40 Y,  40 M,  40 C, and  40 K mounted at an inside the body  10 . 
     The supporting frames  120   a  and  120   b  are coupled to the corresponding inner sides of the main frames  110   a  and  110   b  in a direction of the tray  80  being attached/detached at the body  10 , and by supporting the both end portions of the each of the developing cartridges  40 Y,  40 M,  40 C, and  40 K, the supporting frame  120   a  and  120   b  determine the developing position of the each of the developing cartridges  40 Y,  40 M,  40 C, and  40 K. As illustrated on  FIG. 1 , in order to maintain the uniform quality of images, a certain distance between the image carrier  41  and the plurality of transfer rollers  57  is needed to be maintained, and in order to maintain a certain distance between the image carrier  41  and the plurality of transfer rollers  57 , the each of the developing cartridges  40 Y,  40 M,  40 C, and  40 K is needed to be disposed at a constant position at an inside the body  10  at all times. The supporting frame  120   a  and  120   b  support the each of the developing cartridges  40 Y,  40 M,  40 C, and  40 K, so that the each of the developing cartridges  40 Y,  40 M,  40 C, and  40 K may perform a developing operation at a constant developing position. 
     The each of the developing cartridges  40 Y,  40 M,  40 C, and  40 K includes a supporting block  49  that supports both end portions of the image carrier  41  so as to rotate the image carrier  41 . The supporting frames  120   a  and  120   b , includes an accommodating groove  122  configured to accommodate and support the supporting block  49 , which is exposed through the opening unit  84  in a state of the each of the developing cartridges  40 Y,  40 M,  40 C, and  40 K being mounted at the body  10   
     The supporting block  49  is configured to support the center of rotation of the image carrier  41 , and the position of the center of rotation of the image carrier  41  is determined according to the position of the supporting block  49  being settled at the accommodating groove  122 . The quality of images is maintained at a constant manner when the position of the center of rotation of the image carrier  41  is constant at all times. 
     In a state of shipping and transporting the image forming apparatus  1  while the each of the developing cartridges  40 Y,  40 M,  40 C, and  40 K is being mounted at the body  10 , by the impact and the vibration of an outside, a contact impact between the supporting block  49  and the accommodating groove  122  may occur, and thereby the supporting block  49  or the accommodating groove  122  may be damaged. In a case when the supporting block  49  is formed with plastic material, which is relatively weaker in strength than the supporting frames  120   a  and  120   b  formed with metallic material, the supporting block  49 , when compared to the supporting frames  120   a  and  120   b , is more likely to be damaged. The damage of the supporting block  49  refers to the state of the position of the center of rotation of the image carrier  41  being diverged from the originally determined position, and the above leads into poor quality of images. 
     Thus, prior to an initial printing operation, a buffer member  140  is mounted to prevent the supporting block  49 , which determines the positions of the developing cartridges  40 Y,  40 M,  40 C, and  40 K, and more particularly, the image carrier  41  that is directly linked to the quality of images, from being damaged from an outside impact that may occur in the process of shipping and transporting the image forming apparatus  1 . 
       FIG. 6  illustrates a buffer member in accordance with one embodiment, and is a drawing illustrating the buffer member being coupled to a tray prior to an initial printing operation,  FIG. 7  is a drawing illustrating a buffer member being mounted at a body, and  FIG. 8  is a side view illustrating a developing cartridge being supported by a supporting frame while a buffer member is coupled to a tray and is mounted at a body. 
     As illustrated on  FIGS. 6 to 8 , the buffer member  140  is provided in a shape corresponding to a lower end portion of the developing cartridges  40 Y,  40 M,  40 C, and  40 K and is positioned in between the developing cartridges  40 Y,  40 M,  40 C, and  40 K and the supporting frames  120   a  and  120   b  prior to an initial printing operation to ease the impact that may occur between the developing cartridges  40 Y,  40 M,  40 C, and  40 K and the supporting frames  120   a  and  120   b.    
     In particular, at least one portion of the buffer member  140  is provided in a form that corresponds to the supporting block  49 , and is positioned in between the supporting block  49  and the accommodating groove  122  to ease the impact that may occur in between the supporting block  49  and the accommodating groove  122 , thereby preventing the supporting block  49  from being damaged by an outside impact. And thus, in the process of the image forming apparatus  1  performing a printing operation after the buffer member  140  is removed, the center of rotation of the image carrier  41  that is supported by the supporting block  49  may be disposed at a constant position. 
     The buffer member  140  may be disposed beforehand at a left side and at a right side of an inside the tray  80  with respect to a direction of the tray  80  being mounted, so that the buffer member  140  may be able to make contact with the opposite ends of each of the developing cartridges  40 Y,  40 M,  40 C, and  40 K in a state that the developing cartridges  40 Y,  40 M,  40 C, and  40 K are accommodated at the tray  80 . The buffer member  140  is supported by the plurality of supporting units  82  and by a rear end of the tray  80 . A hook unit  144  is provided at one end of the buffer member  140  so that the buffer member  140  may be supported by the rear end of the tray  80 . 
     The buffer member  140  may be provided in a form of a strap, providing a user a convenience in removing the buffer member  140  easily, as the form thereof is easily modified, and includes a handle unit  146 , which is protruded to an outside the tray  80 , so that a user may be able to grip the buffer member  140  easily. 
     In the process of shipping and transporting the image forming apparatus  1 , the buffer member  140  is mounted at the body  10  while being coupled to the tray  80 , and is positioned in between the developing cartridges  40 Y,  40 M,  40 C, and  40 K and the supporting frames  120   a  and  120   b.    
     The buffer member  140  is needed to be removed prior to an initial printing operation, so that a normal printing operation of the image forming apparatus  1  may take place, and in a case when the image forming apparatus  1  is operated without removing the buffer member  140 , a normal printing operation of the image forming apparatus  1  may not take place, and thereby poor quality of images may occur. As the above, in order to prevent the malfunction of the image forming apparatus  1  beforehand as a result of not removing the buffer member  140 , a blocking member  160  is provided for a user to remove the buffer member  140  prior to an initial printing operation is started. 
     The blocking member  160 , prior to an initial printing operation, is positioned at least at one of the linking terminals  86  and the connecting terminals  47 , and blocks the electrical connection between the high-voltage board  90  and the connecting terminals  47 . 
     The blocking member  160  may be integrally connected to the buffer member  140 , and is mounted at the body  10  together with the buffer member  140  while being coupled to the tray  80 , and is removed together with the buffer member  140  prior to an initial printing operation is started at the image forming apparatus  1 . 
     In a case when a user operates the image forming apparatus  1  while the buffer member  140  is not removed, the detection unit  94  detects that at least one electrical connection of the high-voltage board  90  and the connecting terminals  47  is blocked by the blocking member  160 , and enables a printing operation not to be performed, and the display unit  96  displays to a user that the developing cartridges  40 Y,  40 M,  40 C, and  40 K are not normally mounted at the body  10  or that the buffer member  140  is present, so that a user may be able to remove the buffer member  140 . 
       FIG. 9  illustrates a buffer member in accordance with one embodiment, and is a drawing illustrating the buffer member being coupled to a developing cartridge prior to an initial printing operation. 
     As illustrated on  FIG. 9 , a buffer member  240  is provided at an outer side of the developing cartridges  40 Y,  40 M,  40 C, and  40 K in a shape of corresponding to the developing cartridges  40 Y,  40 M,  40 C so that the buffer member  240  may be able to surround at least an outer side of one end of the developing cartridges  40 Y,  40 M,  40 C, and  40 K, and is positioned in between the developing cartridges  40 Y,  40 M,  40 C, and  40 K and the supporting frames  120   a  and  120   b  prior to an initial printing operation to ease the impact that may occur between the developing cartridges  40 Y,  40 M,  40 C, and  40 K and the supporting frames  120   a  and  120   b.    
     At least one portion of the buffer member  240  is provided with a form that corresponds to the supporting block  49 , and is positioned in between the supporting block  49  and the accommodating groove  122  to ease the impact that may occur in between the supporting block  49  and the accommodating groove  122 , thereby preventing the supporting block  49  from being damaged by an outside impact, and thus, in the process of the image forming apparatus  1  performing a printing operation, the center of rotation of the image carrier  41  that is supported by the supporting block  49  may be disposed at a constant position. 
     The buffer member  240  may be provided in a form of a strap, providing a user a convenience in removing the buffer member  140  easily, as the form thereof is easily modified. 
     The buffer member  240 , while in a state of being coupled to the developing cartridges  40 Y,  40 M,  40 C, and  40 K, is mounted at the body  10  along with the tray  80  and with the developing cartridges  40 Y,  40 M,  40 C, and  40 K, which are accommodated at the tray  80 , and is removed prior to an initial printing operation. 
     Although a few embodiments have been shown and described, it would be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes may be made in these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the disclosure, the scope of which is defined in the claims and their equivalents.