Image forming apparatus
An image forming apparatus includes: a top cover configured to cover a part of an opening of a housing; a front cover configured to cover a part of the remaining of the opening; a toner cartridge; and a drum cartridge, wherein in a state where the front cover is located at the opened position, the drum cartridge having the toner cartridge mounted thereto is mountable and demountable to and from the housing, whereas the drum cartridge is prevented from being mounted and demounted to and from the housing in a state where the front cover is located at the closed position, wherein when the top cover is located at the opened position, the toner cartridge is mountable and demountable to and from the drum cartridge, and wherein when the top cover is located at the closed position, the toner cartridge is prevented from being demounted from the drum cartridge.
1. An image forming apparatus comprising:
a housing having an opening;
a top cover configured to cover a part of the opening and movable between a closed position at which a part of the opening is covered and an opened position at which a part of the opening is opened;
a front cover configured to cover a part of the remaining of the opening and movable between a closed position at which a part of the remaining of the opening is covered and an opened position at which a part of the remaining of the opening is opened;
a toner cartridge having a case configured to accommodate therein toner;
a drum cartridge including a photosensitive drum and receiving the toner cartridge to be mountable thereto; and
a lock mechanism configured to lock the top cover to the closed position when the drum cartridge is demounted from the housing in a state where the top cover is located at the closed position,
wherein in a state where the front cover is located at the opened position, the drum cartridge having the toner cartridge mounted thereto is mountable and demountable to and from the housing through at least a part of the remaining of the opening,
wherein in a state where the front cover is located at the closed position, the drum cartridge having the toner cartridge mounted thereto is prevented from being mounted and demounted to and from the housing through a part of the opening or a part of the remaining of the opening,
wherein in a state where the top cover is located at the opened position, the toner cartridge is mountable and demountable to and from the drum cartridge through a part of the opening, in a state where the drum cartridge is mounted to the housing, and
wherein in a state where the top cover is located at the closed position, the toner cartridge is prevented from being demounted from the drum cartridge through a part of the opening, in the state where the drum cartridge is mounted to the housing.
2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein in a state where the front cover is located at the opened position and the top cover is located at the opened position, the drum cartridge is mountable and demountable to and from the housing through the opening.
3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the top cover is arranged at an upper surface of the image forming apparatus, and
wherein the front cover is arranged at a front surface of the image forming apparatus.
4. The image forming apparatus according claim 1 ,
wherein the toner cartridge includes a developing roller.
5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 4 ,
wherein the toner cartridge includes a first coupling configured to receive a drive force of driving the developing roller, and
wherein the image forming apparatus further comprises:
a second coupling movable between an engagement position at which the second coupling engages with the first coupling and drives the first coupling and a non-engagement position at which the engagement with the first coupling is released, and
a first movement mechanism configured to move the second coupling from the engagement position to the non-engagement position in correspondence to movement of the top cover from the closed position to the opened position.
6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 5 ,
wherein the first movement mechanism includes:
a first cam having a first cam surface for urging the second coupling toward the non-engagement position and being movable between a first position at which the second coupling is enabled to be located at the engagement position and a second position at which the second coupling is enabled to be located at the non-engagement position, and
a first link mechanism having at least one link and coupled to the top cover and the first cam.
7. The image forming apparatus according to claim 6 further comprising:
a second movement mechanism configured to move the second coupling from the engagement position to the non-engagement position, in correspondence to movement of the front cover from the closed position to the opened position.
8. The image forming apparatus according to claim 7 ,
wherein the second movement mechanism includes:
a second cam having a second cam surface for urging the second coupling toward the non-engagement position and being movable between the first position at which the second coupling is enabled to be located at the engagement position and the second position at which the second coupling is enabled to be located at the non-engagement position, and
a second link mechanism having at least one link and coupled to the front cover and the second cam.
9. The image forming apparatus according to claim 8 ,
wherein the first cam is movable in a state where the second cam is not moving, and
wherein the second cam is movable in a state where the first cam is not moving.
10. The image forming apparatus according to claim 6 further comprising:
a third movement mechanism having an urging member configured to move the second coupling from the non-engagement position toward the engagement position.
11. The image forming apparatus according to claim 6 further comprising:
a third link mechanism configured to move the top cover from the closed position to the opened position in correspondence to movement of the front cover from the closed position to the opened position,
wherein the third link mechanism has at least one link, and one end portion thereof is coupled to the front cover and the other end portion is coupled to the first link mechanism.
12. An image forming apparatus comprising:
a housing having an opening;
a top cover configured to cover a part of the opening and movable between a closed position at which a part of the opening is covered and an opened position at which a part of the opening is opened;
a front cover configured to cover a part of the remaining of the opening and movable between a closed position at which a part of the remaining of the opening is covered and an opened position at which a part of the remaining of the opening is opened;
a toner cartridge having a case configured to accommodate therein toner, the toner cartridge including a developing roller and a first coupling configured to receive a drive force of driving the developing roller;
a second coupling movable between an engagement position at which the second coupling engages with the first coupling and drives the first coupling and a non-engagement position at which the engagement with the first coupling is released;
a first movement mechanism configured to move the second coupling from the engagement position to the non-engagement position in correspondence to movement of the top cover from the closed position to the opened position; and
a drum cartridge including a photosensitive drum and receiving the toner cartridge to be mountable thereto,
wherein in a state where the front cover is located at the opened position, the drum cartridge having the toner cartridge mounted thereto is mountable and demountable to and from the housing through at least a part of the remaining of the opening,
wherein in a state where the front cover is located at the closed position, the drum cartridge having the toner cartridge mounted thereto is prevented from being mounted and demounted to and from the housing through a part of the opening or a part of the remaining of the opening,
wherein in a state where the top cover is located at the opened position, the toner cartridge is mountable and demountable to and from the drum cartridge through a part of the opening, in a state where the drum cartridge is mounted to the housing, and
wherein in a state where the top cover is located at the closed position, the toner cartridge is prevented from being demounted from the drum cartridge through a part of the opening, in the state where the drum cartridge is mounted to the housing.
13. The image forming apparatus according to claim 12 ,
wherein the first movement mechanism includes:
a first cam having a first cam surface for urging the second coupling toward the non-engagement position and being movable between a first position at which the second coupling is enabled to be located at the engagement position and a second position at which the second coupling is enabled to be located at the non-engagement position, and
a first link mechanism having at least one link and coupled to the top cover and the first cam.
14. The image forming apparatus according to claim 13 further comprising:
a second movement mechanism configured to move the second coupling from the engagement position to the non-engagement position, in correspondence to movement of the front cover from the closed position to the opened position.
15. The image forming apparatus according to claim 14 ,
wherein the second movement mechanism includes:
a second cam having a second cam surface for urging the second coupling toward the non-engagement position and being movable between the first position at which the second coupling is enabled to be located at the engagement position and the second position at which the second coupling is enabled to be located at the non-engagement position, and
a second link mechanism having at least one link and coupled to the front cover and the second cam.
16. The image forming apparatus according to claim 15 ,
wherein the first cam is movable in a state where the second cam is not moving, and
wherein the second cam is movable in a state where the first cam is not moving.
17. The image forming apparatus according to claim 13 further comprising:
a third movement mechanism having an urging member configured to move the second coupling from the non-engagement position toward the engagement position.
18. The image forming apparatus according to claim 13 further comprising:
a third link mechanism configured to move the top cover from the closed position to the opened position in correspondence to movement of the front cover from the closed position to the opened position,
wherein the third link mechanism has at least one link, and one end portion thereof is coupled to the front cover and the other end portion is coupled to the first link mechanism.
19. The image forming apparatus according to claim 12 further comprising:
a lock mechanism configured to lock the top cover to the closed position when the drum cartridge is demounted from the housing in a state where the top cover is located at the closed position.