JP2001297811A - Connector holder, option device and image forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a connector holder that is of low cost with simple construction and easy in assembly and disassembly. SOLUTION: The connector and the holder are installed on the bracket by inserting the axis 3 of the connector holder 1 into the through hole 12 of the connector 10 and then by filling the top end of the positioning portion 4 into the round hole 31 of the bracket 30, and by connecting the nail portion 7 with the square hole 32 of the bracket. The elastic deformation portion 5 has a biasing force to open the nail portion 7, 7 toward outside, and securely connects the chin of the nail portions 7, 7 with the square hole 32.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a connector holder for holding an electrical connector, an optional device detachable from a main unit, and an image forming apparatus.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art For example, some image forming apparatuses such as copying machines, printers, and facsimile machines have a fixing device and an image forming device provided as a detachable unit with respect to a main body. In addition, there is an apparatus configured such that an optional sheet feeding apparatus, sheet processing apparatus, or the like can be attached to the main body. When these detachable units (modules) and options (hereinafter collectively referred to as optional devices) are attached to the main unit, in order to secure a predetermined positional relationship between related components and the optional devices, the optional devices are connected to the main unit. It is necessary to mechanically and accurately position between the main bodies by using pins and holes. Furthermore, it is necessary to position the contact portions of the electrical connectors provided on the optional device and the main body, respectively, on the main body side and the optional device side. Simultaneous mechanical positioning and connector positioning requires excessive mechanical accuracy. Therefore, generally, one of the connectors (one of a pair of connectors) is held in a floating manner, and the mechanical positioning means secures the accuracy. However, the connection of the connector is configured to follow the mechanical positioning means.

[0003]

Conventionally, a stepped screw has been used to attach a floating connector to a bracket or the like. In addition, the fixed connector was fixed with ordinary screws. Since these operations are all operations using a driver, there is a problem that workability at the time of attaching a connector is not good. Naturally, the workability when disassembling or removing the optional device for the purpose of repair or recycling is not good.

[0004] When a screw is used, a step of cutting a tap (female screw) on the mounting member is necessary, and the production of a stepped screw causes an increase in cost. Furthermore, when the component on which the female screw is provided is made of resin, the screw may be loosened by heat, and a brass insert screw is used in a heat fixing device or the like in an image forming apparatus. In this case, there is a problem that the cost is increased, and from the viewpoint of recycling, different types of materials are contained and the processing is difficult. Conventionally, if the orientation of the holder is wrong, the connector cannot be attached, and attention has to be paid to the orientation of the holder during the assembly operation, resulting in poor workability.

Some image forming apparatuses such as copiers, printers, and facsimile machines are configured so that an optional paper feeder, sheet processing apparatus, and the like can be mounted on the main body.

For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Hei 9-142716 discloses an image forming apparatus in which a bin tray (partition member) for vertically separating a paper discharge storage section is detachably provided. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Hei 9-315645 discloses an image forming apparatus having a copying function and a facsimile function, in which a discharge unit is divided according to each function, and a copy sheet discharge unit is configured to be detachable.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 8-157082 discloses an image forming apparatus in which an optional sheet feeder can be added to a lower portion of the apparatus main body. However, in the image forming apparatus described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Hei 9-142716, it is easy to attach / detach the partition member, but there is no description about attaching / detaching the paper ejection device which is an optional device. It is unclear whether or not it can be attached and detached, and it can be inferred that no consideration has been given to easy attachment and detachment.

In the image forming apparatus described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Hei 9-315645, of the two upper and lower sheet discharge units, the upper one is specified as a copy sheet discharge unit, and a copy function is required. Although the configuration is such that the image forming apparatus is detached when the image forming apparatus is not installed, the structure is such that when the image forming apparatus is removed, the height of the image forming apparatus is changed. Such an operation in which the main body structure is changed exceeds the operation range of a general user, and does not enable easy attachment and detachment of the optional device.

Further, in the image forming apparatus described in JP-A-8-157082, a special component such as a lock plate or a lock pin is used for mounting and connecting the main body and the sheet feeder, and the mounting operation is complicated. In addition, the cost of parts for locking is high, and the economic burden on the user is large.

An object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems in the conventional connector holder, and to provide a connector holder which is inexpensive with a simple structure, and which is easy to assemble and disassemble.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an image forming apparatus in which optional devices and the like can be easily attached and detached.

[Means for Solving the Problems]

According to the present invention, there is provided a connector holder for holding a connector and mounting the connector on a member to be mounted. And a fixed portion for fixing the fixed-side connector by being inserted into a through-hole provided in the floating-side connector and holding the floating-side connector in a floating manner or being inserted into a through-hole provided in the fixed-side connector. The fixing portion has a fixing jaw projecting outside the holder, and the fixing portion is provided at a base of the connector holder via an elastic deformation portion; Is solved by forming the connector holder so as to urge the fixing portion to the outside of the holder when the connector holder is mounted on the mounted member.

Further, in order to solve the above-mentioned problem, the present invention proposes to provide a deformation assisting portion between the elastically deforming portion and the fixed portion, which assists the deformation of the elastically deforming portion. Further, in order to solve the above-mentioned problem, the present invention proposes that the present invention is formed integrally with a resin material.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an optional device detachably mountable to a main device, a connector for electrically connecting the optional device to the main device, and a connector for connecting the optional device to the main device. Grounding member, and locking means for locking the optional device to the main unit, and engaging portions for positioning the optional device with respect to the main unit are provided on the near side and the back side in the attaching / detaching direction. When attaching optional devices to the main unit,
The engagement by the engagement portion and the grounding by the grounding member are performed, and then the electrical connection is performed by the connector,
Thereafter, it is proposed that the locking by the locking means be performed.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, the present invention proposes that the engaging portion and the locking means are integrally formed with a structural member of the optional device. In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, the present invention proposes that the locking means can lock the optional device to the main body device by pushing the optional device in a mounting direction.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a fixing unit in which the locking means engages with a mounted member of a main body device to fix the unit, and an elastic deformation unit for urging the fixing unit. And a deformation assisting portion that assists the deformation of the elastic deformation portion.

Further, in order to solve the above-mentioned problem, the present invention proposes that the locking means is provided on the near side in the attaching / detaching direction of the optional device. According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image forming apparatus including a connector holder configured to hold a connector and mount the connector on a member to be mounted. A positioning portion for performing positioning, a fixing portion for engaging and fixing the mounted member, and a holding portion which is inserted into a through hole provided in the floating-side connector to hold the floating-side connector in a floating manner or to the fixed-side connector; A holding portion that is inserted into the provided through-hole to hold the fixed-side connector in a fixed manner, wherein the fixed portion has a fixing jaw projecting outside the holder, and the fixed portion is elastically deformed. It is proposed that the elastic deformation portion is provided on a base portion of the connector holder via a portion, and is formed so as to urge the fixing portion to the outside of the holder when the connector holder is mounted on the member to be mounted.

According to another aspect of the present invention, an optional device mounted on the image forming apparatus includes a floating-side or fixed-side connector mounted by the connector holder. It is proposed that the image forming apparatus is provided with a fixed-side or floating-side connector corresponding to the above, and that the optional device can be attached to the image forming apparatus.

Further, in order to solve the above-mentioned problem, the present invention proposes that the optional device is a paper discharge device, and a main part of the paper discharge device and a paper discharge tray portion can be separately attached and detached. .

In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, the present invention proposes that the attachment / detachment direction of the connector for mounting the optional device and the image forming apparatus is in the front-back direction when viewed from the operation surface of the image forming apparatus. I do.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention proposes that the connector holder can be mounted on any of the mounted members on which the floating-side or fixed-side connectors are mounted.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image forming apparatus, comprising: an engagement portion for positioning the optional device and the image forming apparatus; It is proposed that each of the engaging portions is configured to be engaged before the connector of the optional device and the connector of the image forming device are electrically connected to each other when the image forming device is mounted on the image forming device.

According to another aspect of the present invention, a grounding device provided on the optional device after the engagement of each of the engaging portions is performed when the optional device is mounted on the image forming apparatus. It is proposed that the member be grounded to the image forming device, and then the connector of the optional device and the connector of the image forming device be configured to be coupled in an electrically conductive relationship.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image forming apparatus comprising: an image reading unit disposed at an upper portion of the image forming apparatus; a paper discharge unit space is formed below the image reading unit; It is proposed that the optional device is provided so as to be attachable.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention is directed to the present invention, wherein the optional device is provided with a locking means for locking the optional device to the main unit, and a front and a rear side in the mounting / removing direction of the optional device. Having an engaging portion for positioning with respect to the main body device, when the optional device is mounted on the main body device, engagement by the engaging portion and grounding by a grounding member provided in the optional device are performed,
It is proposed that the electrical connection by the connector be made and then the locking by the locking means.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, the present invention provides a locking device for the optional device, which is provided on the near side in the attaching / detaching direction, and which can be opened and closed to cover a locked member to which the locking device is locked. It is proposed that a cover be provided on the front side of the image forming apparatus.

[0027]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing how a floating-side connector is attached to a bracket by a connector holder according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The connector holder 1 shown in this figure is provided with shafts 3 and 3 (holding portions) protruding from a concave substrate 2. Positioning portions (introduction portions) 4, 4 having a smaller diameter than the shafts 3, 3 are provided at the tips of the shafts 3, 3. The distal end of the positioning portion 4 is formed in a sharp shape so as to be easily inserted into a through hole of a connector and a circular hole of a bracket, which will be described later. “U” -shaped portions 5, 5 (elastically deformed portions) are formed outward from both shoulders of the concave substrate 2, and flat plates 6, 6 follow the “U” -shaped portions 5, 5. Is provided. In the middle of the flat plate portions 6, finger hook portions 9, 9 (deformation assisting portions) are formed. Furthermore, claw portions 7 and 7 (fixed portions) are formed at the tips of the flat plate portions 6 and 6. The length of the flat plate portions 6, 6 is larger than the length of the shafts 3, 3, and the positions of the claws 7, 7 are located forward of the shafts 3, 3.

Reference numeral 10 in FIG. 1 denotes a floating connector. The floating-side connector 10 has through holes 12, 12 near both ends of the base 11. A connecting portion 13 is provided on one side surface of the base 11, and a harness holding portion 16 is provided on the other side surface of the base 11 so as to protrude. Pins 14 and 1 are provided at both ends of the upper side of the connection portion 13.
4 are provided, and receiving holes (15, 15), which will be described later, are provided at both ends of the lower side of the connection portion 13, respectively. The harness holding section 16 has two upper and lower receiving shelves 17, 1.
8 are provided.

Here, the through holes 12, 12 of the connector 10
Is larger than the diameters of the shafts 3 and 3 of the connector holder 1 and is set to a size having an appropriate play. Also,
The width of the base 11 of the connector (the width in the X direction in the figure) is the holder 1
The width is smaller than that between the flat plate portions 6. further,
The width of the connection portion 13 of the connector is formed smaller than the width of the concave cutout 8 (the concave portion of the substrate 2) of the holder 1.

Reference numeral 30 in FIG. 1 is a bracket for attaching a connector. The bracket 30 is a member to which a connector (connector holder) is mounted. The bracket 30 is fixedly or integrally provided on a main body of an image forming apparatus or the like, or on a unit detachable from the main body. The bracket 30 has a pair of circular holes (positioning holes) 31, 31. Square holes 32, 32 are provided on both outer sides of the circular holes 31, 31, respectively. A notch 33 is provided inside the pair of circular holes 31. A pair of circular holes 3
Reference numerals 1 and 31 are used to insert the positioning portions 4 and 4 of the connector holder 1. In addition, a pair of square holes 32, 32
The tip claws 7, 7 of the flat plate portions 6, 6 of the connector holder 1 are to be inserted. The size of the notch 33 is
It is larger than the harness holding portion 16 of the connector 10.

In the connector holder 1, the floating connector 10 and the bracket 30 thus configured, the connector holder 1 is inserted into the pair of through holes 12, 12 of the connector 10.
Shafts 3 and 3 are inserted through. At this time, the connector 10
The connection part 13 is formed by the notch part 8 of the concave connector holder 1.
Fit in. Then, the positioning portions 4 of the connector holder project from the through holes 12. With the connector holder 1 holding the connector 10, the tips of the positioning portions 4, 4 of the connector holder are inserted into the circular holes 31, 31 of the bracket 30. The tip claw portions 7, 7 of the flat plate portions 6, 6 of the connector holder are connected to the square holes 32 of the bracket 30,
32, the jaws of the claws 7, 7 are attached to the bracket 30.
The connector 10 is mounted on the bracket 30 via the connector holder 1 (see FIG. 3A). At this time, it goes without saying that the harness holding portion 16 of the connector 10 fits into the notch 33 of the bracket 30.

The positioning portions 4 and 4 of the connector holder 1 and the circular holes 31 and 31 of the bracket 30 constitute a positioning member, and perform the mechanical positioning of the connector holder 1 and the bracket 30. The positioning parts 4 and 4 are
Since the diameter is smaller than 3 and the tip is sharp, it can serve as an introduction member when the shafts 3, 3 which are holding portions for holding the connector, are inserted into the through holes 12, 12 of the connector 10. The shafts 3 and 3 of the connector holder 1 can be easily inserted into the through holes 12 and 12.

Next, FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing how the fixed connector is attached to the bracket by the connector holder 1. FIG. The connector holder 1 shown in FIG. 2 is exactly the same as that of FIG. In addition, the fixed-side connector 10B
This is basically the same as the floating connector 10 of FIG.
The difference between the fixed connector 10B and the floating connector 10 is that the diameter of the through hole 12b of the fixed connector 10B is smaller than the diameter of the through hole 12 on the floating connector. That is, in the present embodiment, the through holes 12b,
The diameter of 12b is substantially equal to the diameter of the shafts 3 and 3 of the connector holder 1. When the fixed connector 10B is held by the holder 1, the shafts 3 and 3 fit into the through holes 12b and 12b, and the connector 10B is fixed. Is to be maintained In the floating-side connector 10, the connector is held by the connector holder 1 in a floating manner (so that the connector can be slightly moved).

As can be seen from the shape of the harness holding portion 16 of the connector, when the connector 10 shown in FIG. 1 is rotated by 180 degrees, the positional relationship is the same as that of the connector 10B in FIG. In FIG. 1, the pin 14 on the upper side of the connecting portion 13 of the connector 10 is located on the lower side of the connecting portion 13 in the connector 10B of FIG.
In FIG. 1, it is on the lower side of the connection part 13 (not visible in the figure)
The receiving hole 15 is located on the upper side of the connecting portion 13 in FIG. When the floating connector 10 and the fixed connector 10B are connected, the pins 14 of the respective connectors are fitted into the receiving holes 15 of the mating connector.

The bracket 30B in FIG. 2 is basically the same as the bracket 30 shown in FIG. 1, except that the shape of the notch 33 is different. 1 and 2 denote a harness connector and a harness (flat cable), respectively. Temporarily floating connector 1
0 is attached to the main unit and the fixed connector 10B is attached to a unit detachable from the main unit, the harness 41 in FIG. 1 extends from the electrical unit of the main unit, and the harness 41 in FIG. Is connected to the electrical load of the unit. Harness connector 4
0 is the receiving shelves 17, 18 of the harness holding portion 16 of each connector.
, And connected to a connection portion (not shown) at the back of the receiving shelves 17 and 18. Thereby, each harness 41 is connected to and held by each connector via the harness connector 40. By connecting the floating-side connector 10 and the fixed-side connector 10B, the electrical unit of the main unit and the load of the unit are electrically connected.

FIG. 3 shows a state in which the floating connector 10 and the fixed connector 10B are mounted on the brackets 30 and 30B via the connector holder 1, respectively. FIG. 3A shows the idle side and FIG. 3B shows the fixed side.

In FIG. 3A, the floating-side connector 10
Through holes 12 and 12 provided in the base 11 of the (see FIG. 1)
The shafts 3 and 3 of the connector holder 1 are inserted into the brackets 3, and the positioning portions 4 and 4 protrude from the circular holes 31 and 31 of the bracket 30 (see FIG. 1). At this time, the claw portions 7, 7 of the flat plate portions 6, 6 at both ends of the connector holder 1 enter the square holes 32, 32 (see FIG. 1) of the bracket 30, and the jaws of the claw portions 7, 7 are attached to the bracket 30. It is hung on the wall (plate surface) of. Thereby, the floating side connector 10
Is mounted on the bracket 30 via the connector holder 1.

As described above, the diameters of the through holes 12, 12 of the floating-side connector 10 are larger than the shafts 3, 3 of the connector holder 1, and have a predetermined play. Therefore, the floating-side connector 10 mounted on the bracket 30 via the connector holder 1 is held so as to be able to slightly move in an arbitrary direction within a plane parallel to the bracket 30. The size of each part is set so that the connection part 13 of the connector 10 can move in the notch 8 of the connector holder 1 and the harness holding part 16 of the connector 10 can move in the notch 33 of the bracket 30. Is formed. Therefore, the connection portion 13 and the harness holding portion 16 do not hinder the movement of the connector 10 movably held by the connector holder 1.

On the other hand, in FIG. 3B, through holes 12b, 12b provided in the base 11 of the fixed connector 10B are shown.
The shafts 3 and 3 of the connector holder 1 are inserted into the connector holder 1 (see FIG. 2), and the positioning portions 4 and 4 are inserted into the circular holes 3 of the bracket 30B.
1, 31 (see FIG. 2). Similarly to the idle side, the jaws of the claws 7, 7 of the connector holder 1 are hooked on the wall surface (plate surface) of the bracket 30B and are prevented from falling off. On the fixed side, the diameters of the through holes 12b, 12b are substantially the same as the shafts 3, 3 of the connector holder 1, and
The fixed-side connector 10 attached to the bracket 30B is fixedly held therethrough.

As described above, the connectors 10 and 10B mounted on the bracket 30 and the bracket 30B by the connector holder 1, respectively, have one fixed-side connector 10B fixedly held and the other floating-side connector 10 loosely moved. Is held. Pins 14, 14 and corresponding receiving holes 15, 15 are provided on the connection surface of each connector, and the pins 14, 14 and the receiving holes 15, 15 are fitted when both connectors are connected. . As described above, the fixed-side connector 10B is fixedly mounted on the bracket 30B, but the floating-side connector 10 is loosely mounted on the bracket 30.

Therefore, for example, the floating connector 10 is attached to the main body of the image forming apparatus, and the fixed connector 10B is attached to a unit (for example, a paper discharge unit) that is attached to and detached from the main body.
Is mounted, each connector is positioned and provided with predetermined accuracy to the main unit and the unit. This allows the floating connector 10 to move slightly following the position of the fixed connector 10B when the unit is mounted at a predetermined position of the main unit, thereby requiring strict positioning accuracy between the connectors. Connection is possible without being connected. Therefore, for example, in an image forming apparatus or the like,
No excessively high precision is required for component accuracy or assembly accuracy.

In the present embodiment, the flat plate portions 6, 6 are provided from the substrate 2 of the connector holder 1 via the "U" -shaped portions 5, 5, which are elastically deformable portions. The claws 7, 7 are provided so as to spread slightly outward. That is, the connector holder 1 is mounted on the brackets 30, 3
When not set to 0B, the flat plate portions 6 and 6 are not parallel to the shafts 3 and 3 and the tip claw portions 7 and 7 are slightly opened outward. When the connector holder 1 is set on the bracket 30 or 30B, the finger hooks 9 can be grasped from both sides by hand or pressed from the outside with fingers, so that the tip claws 7, 7 can be easily inserted into the holes 32, 32 of the bracket.
(See FIGS. 1 and 2). The finger hook 9 assists the deformation of the elastically deforming portions 5, 5, and the claw portions 7, 7 are inserted into the holes 3 of the bracket.
It is a deformation assisting part for easily inserting into 2, 32.

The claws 7, 7 have jaws (jaws) protruding from the flat plates 6, 6 on both outer sides, and the "U" -shaped portions 5, 5, which are elastically deformable portions, are provided. Since the pawls 7, 7 have a biasing force to slightly open outward, when the pawls 7, 7 are inserted into the holes 32, 32 of the bracket, the pawls 7, 7 return to their initial positions. The jaws of the claws 7, 7 are caught on the plate surface of the bracket as a solder, and the connector holder 1 is prevented from coming off from the bracket 30 or 30B and is securely held.

On the other hand, when removing the connectors 10 and 10B and the connector holder 1 from the brackets 30 and 30B,
If the user grips the finger hook 9 from both sides or pushes it from the outside with his fingers, the "U" -shaped parts 5, 5 are elastically deformed and the claws 7,
7 can be easily removed from the bracket. The finger hook 9 is a deformation assisting portion for assisting the deformation of the elastically deforming portions 5, 5 and for easily removing the claws 7, 7 from the holes 32, 32 of the bracket.

As described above, according to the connector holder of the present embodiment, it is not necessary to use a driver or the like to pry the fixing portion unlike the conventional connector holder, and it is not necessary to loosen the screws. Therefore, removal of the connector and disassembly of the connector and the holder are easy, and maintenance workability can be improved. In addition, since the disassembling / removing work at the time of recycling is easy, recyclability can be improved.

FIG. 4 is a front view showing a connection surface of the floating connector 10 and the fixed connector 10B. This figure is
FIG. 3 shows a state in which the connection surfaces of both connectors can be seen when bent at the middle between (a) and (b) (folded along a horizontal line). Therefore, the fixed connector 1 shown in FIG.
The connection surface of 0B is upside down.

As shown in FIG. 4, each connector 10 and 1
0B is provided with pins 14, 14 and receiving holes 15, 15, respectively. When the connectors are connected to face each other, the pins 14, 14 are fitted into the receiving holes 15, 15. The floating connector 10 is provided with a contact 19, and the fixed connector 10B is provided with a contact 19b correspondingly.
Is provided. Further, the floating connector 10 is provided with a contact 20, and correspondingly, the fixed connector 10 is provided.
B is provided with a contact 20b. When the two connectors are connected to face each other, the contact 19 is connected to the contact 19b, the contact 20 is connected to the contact 20b, and an electrical connection is made between the two connectors.

FIG. 5 is a plan view showing a state in which the floating connector 10 and the fixed connector 10B are completely connected. Assuming that the bracket 30 to which the floating-side connector 10 is attached is the main unit side and the bracket 30B to which the fixed-side connector 10B is attached is the unit side, the unit is attached to the main unit and both are electrically connected by the connectors 10 and 10B. It is connected. In this figure, a harness 41 is connected to each connector. Each harness is shown in Fig. 1,
As shown in FIG. 2, the harness is held by the harness holding portion 16 by the harness connector 40. These harnesses 41 (and the harness connector 40) are maintained as they are once set, regardless of whether the connectors 10 and 10B are connected or disconnected.

Further, as shown in FIG. 6, the through holes 12, 12 in the floating-side and fixed-side connectors 10, 10B are provided.
A and b are distances from the line connecting the centers of the contacts 12 and 12b to the outside of the housing of the contacts 19 and 20 and 19b and 20b of the connector. Then, as shown in FIG. 7, the distance from the line connecting the centers of the shafts 3 and 3 of the connector holder 1 to the bottom of the notch 8 is represented by c.

At this time, when c is smaller than either a or b, the direction in which the connectors 10 and 10B are attached to the connector holder 1 is limited. Suppose a
> C, b <c, the b side of the connector (the side of the distance b) can be fitted into the notch 8 of the connector holder 1 and attached, but the a side of the connector (the side of the distance a)
Cannot fit in the notch 8 of the holder 1 and the connector cannot be attached to the holder. Therefore, the mounting direction is limited.

However, in this embodiment, a <c and b <
By setting to c, the connectors 10 and 10B can be attached to the connector holder 1 in either direction, and conversely, the connectors 10 and 10B can be held in either direction of the connector holder 1, and the holder Can be used in any direction without being reversed upside down. For this reason, when attaching the connector to the image forming apparatus and a unit or an optional device to be mounted on the image forming apparatus, it is not necessary to pay special attention to the up and down direction of the connector holder, and the working efficiency can be improved.

Incidentally, the connector holder 1 in the present embodiment is an integrally molded product made of resin, for example, engineering plastic such as polyacetal. Therefore, manufacturing is easy and the cost is low. In addition, since they are integrally molded, shape accuracy can be ensured. For example, the shapes and positions of the shafts 3 and 3, the flat plate portions 6 and 6, the claw portions 7 and the like are accurate.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing an example in which the fixed side connector 10B is provided in the sheet processing apparatus 50 which is an optional unit of the image forming apparatus. The sheet processing apparatus 50 is mounted at a predetermined set position of an image forming apparatus main body to be described later, and the fixed connector 10B is connected to the floating connector 1.
Connected to 0. Of course, the fixed connector 10B may be provided in the main body device, and the floating connector 10 may be provided in the unit side.

Next, another embodiment of the connector holder of the present invention will be described. In the connector holder 21 shown in FIG. 9, the shafts 3 and 3 (holding portions)
Are provided to protrude. Positioning portions (introduction portions) 4, 4 having a smaller diameter than the shafts 3, 3 are provided at the tips of the shafts 3, 3. Further, an elastically deforming portion of a “U” shape is formed outward from both sides of the shafts 3, 3, a flat plate portion is provided following the elastically deforming portion, and a claw portion is provided at the tip of the flat plate portion. 7 and 7 (fixed portions) are formed in the same manner as the connector holder 1 of the embodiment. 9 refer to FIG. 1 for the U-shaped elastically deformed portions (5, 5), flat portions (6, 6), and finger hooks 9, 9, which are not denoted by reference numerals in FIG. The difference from the connector holder 1 of the above embodiment is that the substrate 22 is formed in a square frame shape surrounding the notch 8.

The connector holder 21 of the present embodiment
Then, with respect to a line CL connecting the centers of the shafts 3 and 3 on both sides, a fixing portion (for fixing the connector holder 21 to the brackets 30 and 30B) from the elastic deformation portions (5 and 5) to the claws 7 and 7 is provided. The fixing portion) and the notch 8 are provided symmetrically. The height d of the notch 8 is determined by the connectors 10, 10
B is larger than the sum of the distances a and b (FIG. 6) at B. In the present embodiment, since the notch 8 is symmetrical with respect to the center line CL, the notch 8 extends from the center line CL.
The distance from the center line CL to the upper side or the lower side of the notch 8 is equal to the distance a, in the connectors 10 and 10B, respectively.
greater than b.

Therefore, the connector 10 or 10B can be held regardless of the vertical direction of the connector holder 21 (whether the connector holder 21 is in the direction of FIG. 9 or rotated 180 degrees in FIG. 9). The mounting work can be performed without worrying about the vertical direction.

Further, the connector holder 21 of the present embodiment
In this case, since the substrate 22 has a frame shape that is continuous around the notch 8, the strength of the holder can be improved.

FIGS. 10 and 11 show an embodiment of an image forming apparatus provided with the connector holder according to the present invention, and show a state before the sheet processing apparatus 50 of the optional unit shown in FIG. FIG. 10) and a state after the mounting (FIG. 11).

In the image forming apparatus 100 shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, an image forming section 101 is disposed substantially at the center of the apparatus main body. Further, a paper feeding unit 102 is provided at the bottom of the apparatus main body. In the image forming apparatus 100, the sheet feeding units 102 can be stacked and added as needed. Above the image forming unit 101, an internal paper discharge space 104
The image reading unit 103 is provided with the image reading unit 103 interposed therebetween. The bottom surface of the internal paper discharge space 104 is formed as a paper discharge tray 105,
A recording medium on which an image is formed (hereinafter, referred to as paper) is ejected and stored.

In the image forming section 101, a charging device for charging the surface of the photoconductor around the drum-shaped photoconductor 106, an exposure device for irradiating the surface of the photoconductor with laser light, A developing device for visualizing an electrostatic latent image formed by exposing the surface, a transfer device for transferring a toner image developed on the photoreceptor to paper, and a cleaning device for removing and collecting toner remaining on the photoreceptor surface after transfer Etc. are respectively arranged. A fixing device 107 for fixing the toner on the paper on which the toner image has been obtained is disposed downstream of the image forming unit 101 (downstream of the paper transport path). The sheet that has passed through the fixing device is discharged and stored in a discharge storage unit 104 by a discharge roller 108.

In the paper feeding section 102, the paper feeding cassette 1
Unused paper is stored at 09, and the spring presses the bottom plate rotatably supported so as to press the uppermost paper against the paper feed roller 110. Due to the rotation of the paper feed roller, the uppermost paper is fed out of the paper feed cassette,
It is transported to 1. The registration roller 111 is controlled so as to temporarily stop the conveyance of the sheet and to start rotating at a timing so that the positional relationship between the toner image on the photoreceptor surface and the leading end of the sheet becomes a predetermined position.

In the image reading section 103, in order to scan a document (not shown) placed on the contact glass, a reading traveling body including a light source for document illumination and a mirror reciprocates. Image information scanned by the reading traveling body is read as an image signal by a CCD provided behind the lens group. The read image signal is digitized and processed. Based on the image-processed signal, an electrostatic latent image is formed on the surface of the photoconductor 106 by emission of a laser diode (not shown) of the exposure device. The optical signal from the LD reaches the photoconductor via a known polygon mirror or lens. Although not shown, an automatic document feeder for automatically feeding a document onto the contact glass is attached above the reading unit 3.

The image forming apparatus of this embodiment scans and reads a document as described above, digitizes the document, and copies it on paper. In addition to the function as a so-called digital copying machine, a control device (not shown) controls the image of the document. This is a multifunctional image forming apparatus having a facsimile function of transmitting and receiving information to and from a remote place, and a so-called printer function of printing image information handled by a computer on paper. The image formed by any of the functions is stored in the paper discharge storage unit 104 or the receiving tray 1.
14 (FIG. 11). The paper stacked in the paper output storage section is in a state where the image side faces down,
The processing order of originals handled by copying, facsimile and printer is 1
Even if printing is performed from a page, the first page is at the top when taken out of the paper discharge storage unit, and the user is free from work such as aligning the pages again. As shown in FIG. 12 which is an overall perspective view, copy and printed matter can be taken out of the paper discharge storage section from the front of the apparatus, and the paper feed cassette 109 for replenishing paper can be operated from the front of the apparatus.

In the case of a multi-function image forming apparatus, there may be inconveniences due to the fact that there is only one discharge storage section for copy prints. For example, an image by a facsimile requiring urgency may be mixed into another copy and printed matter, or in a case where the image forming apparatus is used by many people, another person may carry away the copied and printed matter. In consideration of such a problem, the second paper storage unit 104 is provided separately from the paper discharge storage unit 104 of the image forming apparatus main body.
Can be mounted.

An internal cover 112 for mounting the second paper output device 50 (FIG. 8) is provided in the paper output storage section 104. Further, a concave portion 113 into which the receiving tray 114 (FIG. 11) is inserted is also provided in the paper discharge storage portion 104.

The second paper output storage section 104B formed by mounting the receiving tray 114 can be used as a paper output section in the case of a normal copying function, and can be recorded by a facsimile or printer function. It can also be used as a paper output storage unit for output.
That is, the second paper storage unit 104B is not a paper storage unit specified for the image forming function. Receiving tray 1
When 14 is mounted, about 125 sheets can be stored in the second paper discharge storage section 104B, and about 125 sheets of the same amount can be stored in the paper discharge storage section 104 of the main body. When the second paper output device 50 (and the receiving tray 114) is not mounted, about 250 sheets can be stored in the paper output storage unit 104.

FIG. 11 shows the image forming apparatus 100 with the second sheet discharging device 50 mounted. The configuration of the second paper ejection device 50 will be described later in detail, but the switching guide G, which is swingably supported, is switched by a solenoid 115 as shown by a double arrow, so that the paper conveyance direction is changed to the paper ejection storage unit 104 or the receiving tray 114.
Can be switched to

In this embodiment, the second sheet discharging device 50
A switching guide G located downstream of the paper discharge roller 108 of the image forming apparatus main body is rotatably supported in the direction of the arrow. In response to an instruction of the operator, for a specific copy printed matter, the discharge is switched to the second discharge device or is set in advance. When the paper discharge is set to the second paper discharge device 50 side, the switching guide G receives a signal when the paper passes a sensor (not shown) for controlling the stop / rotation of the registration rollers. The solenoid 115 for rotating the shaft is operated. A connecting part is used between the solenoid 115 and the guide G, and FIG.
Reference numeral 15 denotes a state of operation (suction), and the sheet passes through the conveyance path 116, is discharged in the direction of the arrow by the discharge roller 117, and is stacked on the receiving tray 114 with the image surface facing downward. .

When the solenoid 115 is not operated, the switching guide is rotated counterclockwise from the state shown in FIG. 11 by a spring described later, and the paper discharged from the paper discharge roller 108 is stacked on the paper discharge storage portion 105. You.

FIG. 13 is an exploded perspective view showing a main part of the second sheet discharging device 50. The transport path 116 (FIG. 11) is constituted by transport guide members 118 and 119. In the transport path 116, both transport guide members 118 and 119 are united by respective pivotal support parts 121 and 122 by a rotation pin 120. It is constituted by doing. This union is performed between the upper and lower shaft support portions 122 of the guide member 119.
8, the upper and lower shaft support portions 121 enter, the rotation pin 120 penetrates all the holes of the shaft support portions, and the engagement portions 123, 124, and 12 of the two conveyance guide members 118, 119.
It is configured when 5 and 126 are engaged.

In order to incorporate the second sheet discharging device 50 into the image forming apparatus main body shown in FIG. 10, an image is formed in a state where both transport guide members 118 and 119 are combined (closed) as shown in FIG. Set from the front (operation surface) of the forming apparatus.
A small cover of the image forming apparatus (6 in Fig. 12)
0), the inner cover 112 is removed, and the guide pin 127 at the end of the transport guide member 118 is inserted into the image forming apparatus main body. When the cover 112 is removed, the bracket BK1 is removed, and when the cover 60 is removed, the bracket BK3 is removed.
(See FIGS. 14 and 15), and the paper discharge device 50 can be received.

More specifically, a bracket BK1 having a hole 127A for receiving the guide pin 127 is provided on the rear side of the image forming apparatus main body, and a hole for receiving the guide pins 128 (two) and a fixing hole are provided on the front side of the image forming apparatus main body. Brackets BK3 each having an internal female screw are provided. When the paper ejection device 50 has been pushed out, the fixing screw is inserted into the hole 129.
And fix it to the main unit.

The order in which the guide pins 127 and 128 are inserted into the mating holes is such that the length of the pins is set such that 127 first enters 127A, and then the pin 128 on the near side enters the hole of BK3. When the pins are slightly in each hole, the connection of the connector has not been made yet,
The conductive spring 130 for grounding is preferably in contact with the bracket BK1. At this time, since the paper discharge device 50 is already supported by the guide pins, the hand holding it may be released. When the paper ejection device 50 is further pushed in, the connector is electrically connected. If the ground is made before the electrical connection is made, the generation of electrical noise can be suppressed even if a spark occurs. In the example of the present case, the pin 127 is also 1
Although 28 is also two, one may be 127. In that case, the hole 127A may be a single round hole.

FIG. 14 shows a state in which the sheet discharging device 50 is set in the main body of the image forming apparatus, and FIG. 15 shows a state in which the transport guide member 119 is opened. 14 and 15, the cover 131 is used.
Illustration of FIG. 13 is omitted. In FIG. 14, the paper placed on the receiving tray is indicated by virtual lines.

In FIG. 13, mounting portions 133 and 134 for holding the charge removing member 132 are formed on the upper surface of the transport guide member 118. Static elimination member 1
32 holds a conductive brush, a thin plate, and the like on the substrate 135, and is a known member. Hole 13 in substrate 135
6,137 are opened, and the mounting portion 133,
It is attached to the distal end portions 138 and 139 of 134. One of the attachment portions 139 prevents the static elimination member 132 from coming off,
A conductive elastic member 140 for conducting to the metal bracket BK2 supporting the drive motor MO and the like is attached. 141 is 139, 142 is a metal shaft 1
43 (metal bracket BK2).
A conductive spring 130 is fixed to the metal bracket BK2 by screwing or caulking.

When the sheet discharging device 50 is attached to the main body, the conductive spring 130 comes into contact with the member BK1 of the main body, and a conductive relationship is established between the neutralizing member 132 and the bracket BK1 which is a member of the main body. Accordingly, the charge of the sheet discharged from the sheet discharging device 50 is eliminated, and the sheet is stacked on the receiving tray 114.

The cover 1 is provided on the upper surface of the transport guide member 118.
31 is attached. It is fixed to a screw hole (not shown) of the conveyance guide member 118 with a screw from the hole 144. When the guide pin 127 is guided by the hole 127A of the other party (the bracket BK1 which is a member on the image forming apparatus main body side), the connection connector CN for transmitting and receiving electric signals and the like.
2 is also connected to the connector CN1 on the image forming apparatus main body side.

In FIG. 13, for the sake of simplicity, the connectors CN1 and CN2 are shown with the connector and the connector holder being integrated, but in more detail, each of the connector holders 1 (see FIGS. 2), the connector CN1 is held by the bracket BK1 and the connector CN2 is held by the bracket BK2.

In the example shown in FIG. 13, a common holder 1 is used for mounting the connectors CN1 and CN2. This is because the plate thicknesses of the brackets BK1 and BK2 are the same. If the values are extremely different, separate holders may be used. Alternatively, a screw may be used to attach the fixed connector. Although not shown, signal lines output from electrical components such as the control board 150 and the open / close detection sensor 151 are collectively connected to the connector CN2.

The receiving tray 114 is also set from the front (operation surface) of the image forming apparatus. The cover 145 on the back side of the image forming apparatus main body has a concave portion 113 for receiving one end of the receiving tray, and a portion 114a at one end is inserted therein (FIGS. 14 and 15).

The receiving tray 114 is separate from the paper discharge device (paper transport unit) 50 and can be set alone. Therefore, the receiving tray 114 must be held by hand when the paper discharge device (paper transport unit) 50 is assembled. It is easy to handle, and the setting direction is the same, so that it can be easily set without turning around the image forming apparatus.

A plurality of rib-shaped guides 146 are formed integrally with the transport guide member 118 to guide the paper in direct contact with the paper. The discharge roller 117 is rotatably supported at one end by a bearing (not shown), and has a gear 147 at the end. The paper discharge roller 117 is driven by the gear 148 and the idle gear 149 of the output shaft of the motor MO.
The control board 150 is mounted on the BK2. Further, an opening / closing detection sensor 151 is disposed on the transport guide member 118.

The conveyance guide member 118 is fixed to the main body of the image forming apparatus, while the other conveyance guide member 119 is rotatable around a rotation pin (shaft) 120 as a rotation center.
6 can be opened. To release, the user grips the finger hook 152 in front of the conveyance guide member 119 and pulls it in the left direction.
When opened, it will be in the state shown in FIG.
Maintenance work is facilitated. Transport guide member 119
Is open, the protrusion 153 is separated from the open / close detection sensor 151, the internal circuit of the open / close detection sensor 151 opens, prohibiting the operation of the electric components such as the motor MO, and appropriately displaying the display unit (the operation panel or the host). On the computer display).

A plurality of rib-shaped guides 154 for guiding a sheet are formed integrally with the transport guide member 119.
The driven roller 155 is a holder 156 that functions as a leaf spring.
(FIG. 16) is rotatably held by the discharge roller 1 of the other party.
17 and conveys the sheet. Transport guide member 119
The solenoid 1 in the solenoid housing 157 at one end of the
15 are attached. The connecting part 159 is attached to the plunger 158. One end of the tension spring 160 is supported by a part of the solenoid housing part 157, and the stopper 161 is also connected to the solenoid housing part 157.
It contacts a part of 57. And this connecting part 159
One end 162 of the switch guide G is a pin 165 at one end.
(FIG. 16).

As shown in a perspective view (FIG. 16) of the guide member 119 viewed from the 118 side, the switching guide G has a plurality of claw portions 163 for guiding the paper. The shafts 164 at both ends are supported at the lower part of the transport guide member 119. The pin 165 is connected to the solenoid 1 together with the connecting part 159.
By interlocking with the reciprocation of the 15 plungers 158, the switching guide G rotates.

A paper sensor 166 disposed on the transport guide member 119 detects that the paper is discharged and stacked in the second paper discharge device. Then, the display unit (FIG. 12)
L2). L1 in the figure is a display section that lights up when a sheet is present on the sheet discharge storage section 105 in FIG.

Next, with reference to FIGS. 17 to 24, another example of the attachment portion between the optional device and the image forming apparatus main body will be described. In the case of the above-described mounting portion, when the paper discharge device (sheet processing device) 50 shown in FIG. 8 is mounted on the main device, the guide pin 127 on the back side of the paper discharge device 50 is attached to the bracket BK1 of the main device. When the paper discharge device 50 is pushed in so as to be inserted into the hole 127A, the fixing screw is inserted into a hole 129 provided on the front side of the paper discharge device 50 and fixed to the main body. 17 to 21
In the case of the attachment portion shown in FIG. 7, a lock member 170 is provided on the front side of the paper discharge device 50B.
Is mounted on a bracket of the main body device to be fixed to the main body. The description of the same parts as those in the previous example will be omitted.

The paper discharging device 50B shown in FIG.
It is the same as the paper discharge device 50 of FIG. The lock member 170 has a “U” -shaped portion 5, a flat plate portion 6, a claw portion 7, and a finger hook portion 9 similarly to the connector 1 of FIGS. In addition, members corresponding to the shaft 3 and the introduction portion 4 of the connector 1 are guide pins 128 in FIG.

In FIG. 18, for the sake of simplicity of the drawing, the connectors CN1 and CN2 are shown with the connector and the connector holder integrally shown, but more specifically, each of the connector holders 1 (see FIGS. 1 and 2). By connector CN
1 is the bracket BK1 and the connector CN2 is the bracket B
It is held at K2. In addition, connectors CN1 and CN
A common holder 1 is used for mounting the bracket 2 because the thicknesses of the brackets BK1 and BK2 are the same. If the thicknesses of both brackets are extremely different, a separate holder may be used. Alternatively, a screw may be used to attach the fixed connector. Although not shown, the control board 150 and the open / close detection sensor 15 are connected to the connector CN2.
1, signal lines from electrical components such as the printed circuit board 171 are collectively connected.

In order to assemble the second sheet discharging device 50B into the image forming apparatus main body shown in FIG. 10, an image is formed in a state where the two conveying guide members 118 and 119 are combined (closed) as shown in FIG. Set from the front (operation surface) of the forming apparatus. The small cover of the image forming device must be prepared in advance (Fig. 12
60) and the inner cover 112 is removed, and the guide pin 127 at the end of the conveyance guide member 118 is inserted into the image forming apparatus main body.

As shown in FIG. 19, the cover 60 is rotatably supported on the main body by a hinge portion 61. When the cover 60 is closed, the bracket BK is fixed by a fixing means (not shown) such as a magnet catch or a snap fit.
3 is held. Since the inner cover 112 of the main body is fixed to the structure of the main body by snap fitting, it can be easily removed. When the cover 112 is removed, the bracket BK1 is exposed, and when the cover 60 is opened, the bracket BK3 is exposed, and the paper discharge device 50B can be received.

The cover 60 is provided with a removing piece 62. The removal piece 62 is held by three support portions 63. This portion is a portion that interferes with the upper cover 131 (FIG. 18) when the paper discharge devices 50 and 50B are mounted on the main body, and the paper discharge devices 50 and 50B are mounted after removing the removing piece 62 in advance. The support portion 63 is thin and thin so that the removal piece 62 can be easily removed. Then, the height H of the space after removing the removal pieces 62 is the height h of the cover 131 of the paper discharge devices 50 and 50B.
It is configured to be slightly larger than (FIG. 17).

The bracket BK3 has a guide pin 128 projecting from the transport guide member 118 of the sheet discharging device 50B.
Hole 171 and lock member 17 for receiving (two)
There is a hole 172 into which the claw 7 at the leading end of 0 is inserted.

The mounting operation of the paper discharge device 50B will be described with reference to FIGS. Guide pins 127 and 128
Are inserted in the holes of the mating bracket as shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 0, the length of the pins is set such that 127 first enters 127A (FIG. 18), and then the pin 128 on the near side enters the hole of BK3. As shown in FIG. 21, when the pins are slightly inserted into the respective holes, the connectors CN1 and CN2 are not yet connected, but the conductive spring 130 for grounding (FIG. 18) preferably contacts the bracket BK1. . At this time, since the paper discharging device 50B is already supported by the guide pins, the supporting hand may be released. When the paper ejection device 50B is further pushed in, the electrical connection of the connector is made. If the ground is made before the electrical connection is made, the generation of electrical noise can be suppressed even if a spark occurs. As shown in FIG.
When the discharge device 50B is completely pushed, the lock member 170 is pressed.
The claw portion 7 at the tip enters the hole 172 of the bracket BK3, and is fixed to the main unit and prevented from falling off.

In this example, there are two pins 127 and 128, but one pin 127 may be used. In that case hole 127A
May be one round hole. As shown in FIG. 18, the lock member 170 having the claw 7 and the finger hook 9
As in the case of 7 and 128, it is provided integrally with a resin-made transport guide member 118. The lock member 170 can be bent at the “U” -shaped portion 5, and when the claw portion 7 is removed from the hole 172 of the bracket BK 3, the finger hook portion 9 may be pinched and slightly bent.

FIG. 23 shows a state in which the sheet discharging device 50B is set in the image forming apparatus main body, and FIG. 24 shows a state in which the transport guide member 119 is opened. 23 and 24 both cover 131
Illustration of FIG. 18 is omitted. In FIG. 23, the paper placed on the receiving tray 114 is indicated by virtual lines.

Referring to FIG. 18 again, detection of a sheet discharged to the sheet discharge unit will be described. As shown in FIG.
A bracket 180 on which the sensors 181 and 182 are mounted is fixed to a lower portion of the transport guide member 119. Sensor 1
Reference numeral 81 denotes a sensor that detects a sheet on the sheet discharge storage unit 105 (FIGS. 10 and 11) of the main body. The sensor 182 is a sensor that detects a sheet on the receiving tray 114. An opening 183 is provided in the transport guide member 119 so that the sensor 182 can detect a sheet. The sensor 182 has a light emitting / receiving part facing upward, and the sensor 181 has a light emitting / receiving part facing downward. The light emitting section (L
O) and the light receiving portion (LR) are located at the opening 1 of the transport guide member 119.
83. These types of sensors are reflection-type sensors, and a control is employed for determining that a sheet is present when the light emitted from the light emitting unit hits the sheet and the reflected light reaches the light receiving unit.

When a signal indicating that paper is present is output from the sensor,
LED lamps L1 and L2 incorporated in substrate 171
Lights up. The combination of sensor and LED lamp is 1
81 and L1, 182 and L2 form a pair. Substrate 17
1 is fixed to the side surface of the conveyance guide member 118, and LEs 1 through windows 184 and 185 provided beside the cover 131.
Light emitted from the D lamps L1 and L2 is emitted. When the sheet conveying device is incorporated in the image forming apparatus main body, these windows face the operation surface as shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 11, the receiving tray 114 is located above the paper discharge storage section 105 of the main body. According to this positional relationship, the LED lamps L1. The position of L2 is also L2 on the upper side. This is for making it easy to understand in which tray the recorded paper exists. Changing the emission color of the lamp between L1 and L2 is also effective for discriminating the corresponding tray. In addition to this notification method, there is a method of notifying a part of the image forming apparatus directly with light but also notifying the connected host computer. Since the LED lamp is not provided on the cover 60, it does not come into contact with electric wires or the like when the cover is opened and closed, and the paper transport device 50B
Is easy to attach and detach.

Although the use examples of the connector holder have been described above with reference to the sheet discharging device and the image forming apparatus main body, the present invention can be applied to a case where the sheet feeding device and the image forming device are connected. In addition, the present invention can be applied to detachable units and modules that require electrical connection between units. When the present invention is applied to a detachable fixing device, it is desirable to use a heat-resistant resin for the material of the connector holder.

Although the connector holder and the image forming apparatus of the present invention have been described with reference to the illustrated embodiments, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments. For example, the connector holding portions (shafts 3 and 3) provided on the connector holder 1 are not limited to cylindrical shafts, but may have any shape such as a square shape. In such a case, the shape and size of the floating-side connector are such that the connector is held in a floating manner and the fixed-side connector is fixedly held in the connector. In addition, there is no limitation on which of the main unit and the unit to be attached / detached to which the floating-side connector is mounted and which of the fixed-side connector is mounted.

Further, the shafts 3, 3 on both sides of the connector holder
Is not limited to a square shape. For example, in a case where the notch 8 is open as in the first embodiment shown in FIG. 7, the shape of the substrate 2 can be configured as a semicircle or a semiellipse. In the case where the notch 8 is surrounded as in the second embodiment shown in FIG. 9, the shape of the substrate 22 can be circular or elliptical. In these cases, the shape of the notch may be semi-circular or semi-elliptical, circular or elliptical. In short, the shape of the board and the notch of the connector holder may be any shape that can hold the connector.

[0104]

As described above, according to the connector holder of the present invention, a positioning portion for positioning to a mounted member, a fixing portion for engaging and fixing the mounted member, and a floating side A holding portion that is inserted into a through-hole provided in the connector and is inserted into a through-hole provided in the floating connector so as to freely hold or move the floating-side connector and holds the fixed-side connector in a fixed manner, The fixing portion has a fixing jaw projecting to the outside of the holder, and the fixing portion is provided at a base portion of the connector holder via an elastic deformation portion, and the elastic deformation portion mounts the connector holder to a member to be mounted. Since the fixing portion is sometimes formed so as to urge the outside of the holder, each connector can be securely held. A connector holder that can easily hold the floating-side connector or the fixed-side connector inexpensively with a simple configuration without using a stepped screw or the like, and has excellent workability during assembly and disassembly. Can be provided.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, since the deformation assisting portion for assisting the deformation of the elastically deformable portion is provided between the elastically deformable portion and the fixed portion, the work of attaching and detaching the connector holder to and from the mounted member is facilitated. Mounting and removal of the connector can be easily and reliably performed.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, since the holder is formed of a resin material by integral molding, the manufacturing is easy and the cost is low. In addition, since it is integrally molded, shape accuracy can be ensured.

According to the structure of the fourth aspect, when the optional device is mounted on the main unit, first, the engagement by the engaging portion and the grounding by the grounding member are performed, then the electrical connection is performed by the connector, and then the locking device is used. Since the locking is performed, the positioning of the optional device with respect to the main body device is easy, no electrical noise is generated at the time of connection, and the secure fixing (locking) becomes possible.

According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, since members relating to positioning and fixing are integrally formed with the structural member, it is easy to secure the positional accuracy of the optional device, and the number of parts can be reduced.

According to the configuration of claim 6, when the optional device is mounted, the locking operation is performed by simply pressing the optional device in the mounting direction, so that the mounting operation can be facilitated. In addition, locking is easily performed without using screws or the like.

According to the configuration of claim 7, it is possible to realize reliable locking of the locking means and simple release of locking.
According to the configuration of the eighth aspect, since the locking means is provided on the near side in the attaching / detaching direction, the attaching / detaching operation of the optional device can be easily performed.

According to the image forming apparatus of the ninth aspect, it is possible to provide an image forming apparatus which is easy to attach / detach a connector and has excellent workability at the time of disassembly. According to the tenth aspect, it is possible to provide an image forming apparatus in which an optional device can be easily attached and detached.

According to the eleventh aspect of the present invention, the main part of the paper ejection device and the paper ejection tray can be individually attached and detached, so that the paper ejection device can be easily attached and detached. According to the configuration of claim 12, when the optional device is attached to and detached from the image forming apparatus, it is possible to attach and detach the optional device in the front-rear direction when viewed from the operation surface,
Work becomes easier. Also, less work space is required.

According to the thirteenth aspect of the present invention, the connector holder can be mounted on any of the mounted members to which the floating-side or fixed-side connector is mounted, so that the floating-side and fixed-side connectors can be mounted with one kind of holder. It is possible to improve the production and management efficiency by reducing the number of component types.

According to the fourteenth aspect, when the unit is mounted on the image forming apparatus, before the connector of the unit and the connector of the image forming apparatus are connected in an electrically conductive relationship, each of the engaging portions on the front side and the back side is connected. Is performed, the connectors are connected in a state where the unit is mechanically positioned, and the connectors are smoothly and reliably engaged.

According to the fifteenth aspect, since the unit is grounded before the connector is electrically connected, the generation of electrical noise is suppressed even if a spark is generated. According to the configuration of the sixteenth aspect, since the unit can be mounted in the paper discharge unit space formed below the image reading unit, the function expansion by the unit can be realized without increasing the installation space. For example, when the unit mounted on the image forming apparatus is a paper discharging device, an additional paper discharging unit is formed in a space below the image reading unit, and the paper discharging tray does not protrude from the main body, so that the installation area does not increase.

According to the seventeenth aspect of the present invention, it is possible to provide an image forming apparatus in which the optional device can be easily positioned with respect to the main body device, does not generate electric noise at the time of connection, and can be securely fixed (locked).

According to the structure of the eighteenth aspect, the cover provided on the front side of the image forming apparatus can be opened to lock or unlock the locking means, thereby facilitating the attachment / detachment work of the optional device. In addition, the optional device can be easily attached and detached even in an image forming apparatus which is installed in close contact with a side wall and a rear wall.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing how a floating-side connector is attached to a bracket by a connector holder according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing a state in which a fixed connector is attached to a bracket by the connector holder.

FIG. 3 is a plan view showing a state in which a floating-side connector and a fixed-side connector are respectively mounted on brackets via a connector holder.

FIG. 4 is a front view showing connection surfaces of a floating side connector and a fixed side connector.

FIG. 5 is a plan view showing a state in which the floating connector and the fixed connector are completely connected.

FIG. 6 is a front view illustrating the size of the floating-side connector and the fixed-side connector centered on a through shaft.

FIG. 7 is a front view illustrating a size around a shaft that is a holding member of the connector holder.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view illustrating an example in which a fixed-side connector is provided in a paper discharge device that is an optional device mounted on the image forming apparatus.

FIG. 9 is a front view of a connector holder for explaining another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional configuration diagram illustrating an example of an image forming apparatus according to the invention.

FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional configuration diagram illustrating a state in which a paper discharge device is mounted on the image forming apparatus.

FIG. 12 is a perspective view illustrating an appearance of the image forming apparatus.

FIG. 13 is an exploded perspective view showing the configuration of the sheet discharging device of FIG.

FIG. 14 is a partial plan view showing a state in which the paper discharge device is mounted on an image forming apparatus.

FIG. 15 is a partial plan view showing a state in which a part of the paper discharge device is opened.

FIG. 16 is a partial perspective view showing the vicinity of a switching guide of the sheet discharging device.

FIG. 17 is a perspective view showing another example of the paper discharge device.

FIG. 18 is an exploded perspective view showing a configuration of the paper discharging device.

FIG. 19 is a perspective view showing a cover that covers a bracket to which the sheet discharging device is locked.

FIG. 20 is a partial plan view for explaining the mounting operation of the paper discharge device, showing an initial state of the mounting operation.

FIG. 21 is a partial plan view for explaining the mounting operation of the paper ejection device, showing an intermediate state of the mounting operation.

FIG. 22 is a partial plan view for explaining the mounting operation of the paper ejection device, showing a state where the mounting operation is completed.

FIG. 23 is a partial plan view showing a state in which the sheet discharging device is mounted on an image forming apparatus.

FIG. 24 is a partial plan view showing a state in which a part of the paper discharge device is opened.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1, 21 Connector holder 2, 22 Holder substrate 3 Shaft (holding part) 4 Introducing part (positioning part) 5 "U" -shaped part (elastic deformation part) 6 Flat plate part 7 Claw part (fixing part) 9 Finger hook part (deformation assisting) 10) Floating-side connector 10B Fixed-side connector 13 Connection part 16 Harness holding part 12 Through hole 30, 30B Bracket (attached member) 31 Circular hole 32 Square hole 50, 50B Paper ejection device (optional device) 60 Cover 100 Image formation Device 170 Locking member

Claims (18)

[Claims] 1. A connector holder for holding a connector and mounting the same to a member to be mounted, comprising: a positioning part for positioning the member to be mounted; and a fixing part for engaging and fixing the member to be mounted. A holding portion inserted into a through-hole provided in the floating-side connector to hold the floating-side connector in a floating manner or inserted into a through-hole provided in the fixed-side connector to hold the fixed-side connector in a fixed manner; The fixing portion has a fixing jaw projecting outside the holder, and the fixing portion is provided at a base portion of the connector holder via an elastic deformation portion, and the elastic deformation portion is mounted with the connector holder. A connector holder, wherein the connector is formed so as to urge the fixing portion to the outside of the holder when mounted on a member. 2. The connector holder according to claim 1, further comprising a deformation assisting portion provided between the elastically deforming portion and the fixed portion to assist the deformation of the elastically deforming portion. 3. The connector holder according to claim 1, wherein the connector holder is formed by integral molding of a resin material. 4. An optional device detachable from the main device, a connector for electrically connecting the optional device to the main device, a grounding member for grounding the optional device to the main device, and Locking means for locking the optional device; and engaging portions for positioning the optional device with respect to the main unit are provided on the near side and the back side in the attaching / detaching direction. The engagement by the joining portion and the grounding by the grounding member are performed, and then the electrical connection by the connector is performed.
An optional device characterized by being locked by the locking means. 5. The optional device according to claim 4, wherein said engaging portion and said locking means are integrally formed with a structural member of said optional device. 6. The optional device according to claim 4, wherein the locking means can lock the optional device to the main body device by pushing the optional device in a mounting direction. 7. A fixing portion in which the locking means engages with a member to be mounted of the main body device to fix, a resilient deformation portion for urging the fixing portion, and a deformation assisting the deformation of the resilient deformation portion. The optional device according to claim 4, further comprising an auxiliary unit. 8. The optional device according to claim 4, wherein the locking means is provided on the near side in the attaching / detaching direction of the optional device. 9. An image forming apparatus comprising: a connector holder for holding a connector and mounting the connector on a member to be mounted, wherein the connector holder includes a positioning part for positioning the member on the mounted member; A fixing portion that engages with the mounting member to fix the connector, and is inserted into a through hole provided in the floating connector to hold the floating connector in a floating manner or inserted into a through hole provided in the fixed connector. A holding portion for fixedly holding the fixed-side connector, and the fixing portion has a fixing jaw projecting outside the holder,
The fixing portion is provided at a base of the connector holder via an elastic deformation portion, and the elastic deformation portion is formed so as to urge the fixing portion to the outside of the holder when the connector holder is mounted on the member to be mounted. An image forming apparatus comprising: 10. An optional device mounted on the image forming apparatus includes a floating-side or fixed-side connector mounted by the connector holder, and a fixed-side or floating-side connector corresponding to the connector of the optional device is formed on the image forming apparatus. The image forming apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the apparatus is provided, and the optional device can be mounted on the image forming apparatus. 11. The image forming apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the optional device is a paper discharge device, and a main part of the paper discharge device and a paper discharge tray unit are individually detachable. 12. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a connector for mounting the optional device and the image forming apparatus is attached and detached in a front-rear direction when viewed from an operation surface of the image forming apparatus.
0. The image forming apparatus according to item 0. 13. The connector holder according to claim 9, wherein the connector holder can be mounted on any of the mounted members to which the floating-side or fixed-side connector is mounted.
An image forming apparatus according to claim 1. 14. An engaging portion for positioning the optional device and the image forming apparatus is provided on a front side and a rear side in a unit attaching / detaching direction, and when the optional device is mounted on the image forming apparatus, 11. The connector according to claim 10, wherein each of the engagement portions is engaged before the connector and the connector of the image forming apparatus are electrically connected to each other.
An image forming apparatus according to claim 1. 15. When the optional device is mounted on the image forming apparatus, a grounding member provided on the optional device is grounded to the image forming device after the engagement of the engaging portions is performed. 15. The image forming apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the connector of the apparatus and the connector of the image forming apparatus are configured to be coupled in an electrically conductive relationship. 16. An image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein an image reading section is disposed at an upper portion of the apparatus, a paper discharge section space is formed below the image reading section, and the optional apparatus is provided in the space section. The image forming apparatus according to claim 10, wherein: 17. The optional device according to claim 1, wherein the optional device includes a lock unit for locking the optional device to the main unit, and an engaging unit provided on the front side and the back side in the attaching / detaching direction of the optional unit for positioning with respect to the main unit. When the optional device is mounted on the main device, the engagement by the engaging portion and the grounding by the grounding member provided on the optional device are performed, and then the electrical connection is performed by the connector, and then the lock is performed. The image forming apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the image forming apparatus is locked by means. 18. An image forming apparatus, wherein a lock means of the optional device is provided on the near side in the attaching / detaching direction, and an openable cover for covering a locked member to which the lock means is locked is provided on the front side of the image forming apparatus. The image forming apparatus according to claim 17, wherein: