Laser scanner protecting mechanism

摘要

A laser scanner protecting mechanism is provided for the laser scanning unit of a laser printer having an upper body and a lower body which divide, the sheet transport path defining a boundary therebetween. The printer permits the upper body to be pivoted away from the lower body to expose inner workings of the printer and to provide access to a process cartridge that is removably mounted into the upper body. The laser scanner unit, mounted in the upper body above the process cartridge, is protected from exposure to dust and solid materials in the air or the inadvertent contact of an operator's hand through an exposure opening by a cover adapted to be moved between a first position for covering the exposure opening of the laser scanner unit when the process cartridge is removed and a second position retracted from the first position when the process cartridge is mounted.