JP2002137490A - Electrical equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an electrical equipment whose specifications are shared, thereby enabling to restrict manufacturing costs low or restrict transportation costs low, and in which an a.c.-d.c. conversion unit is prevented from obstructing to turn an electric cord. SOLUTION: A wiring board 12 in a casing (rear cover) 13 and the electric cord 20 are separated. A connector 22 to be set/detached to an a.c. power source outlet, and the a.c.-d.c. conversion unit having externally exposed terminals 23 and 24 are set to a terminal end and a base end of the electric cord 20 respectively. A unit mounting part 14 is formed to the casing 13. Contact terminals 32 and 33 of the board side connected to the wiring board are arranged to the unit mounting part 14. The contact terminals 32 and 33 of the board side are brought in contact with the externally exposed terminals 23 and 24 of the a.c.-d.c. conversion unit 21 by mounting the a.c.-d.c. conversion unit 21 to the unit mounting part 14.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an electric device including an ink jet printer and the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In an electric apparatus such as an image forming apparatus such as an ink jet printer, a facsimile apparatus, a copying machine, and a scanner, and an audio apparatus such as a video tape recorder and a radio cassette recorder, which operates at a predetermined DC voltage. It is necessary to use an AC power outlet as a power source, convert the AC voltage into a DC voltage corresponding to the operating voltage, and input the converted DC voltage.

Therefore, conventionally, as shown in FIGS. 4 to 6, an AC / DC conversion unit 1 commonly called a so-called DC adapter is used. In the example of FIG. 4, the electric cord 3 is led out of the housing 2 from the AC / DC conversion unit 1 built in the housing 2 of the electric device, and a connector 4 attached to and detached from an AC power outlet is provided at the end of the electric cord 3. Is attached.
In the example shown in FIG. 5, a jack 5 is provided on the housing 2 of the electric device, and a plug 6 attached to and detached from the jack 5 is provided at a base end of the electric cord 3 with a connector detachably connected to an AC power outlet. 4 is attached, and the AC / DC conversion unit 1 is interposed in an intermediate portion of the electric cord 3.
In the example of FIG. 6, the housing 2 of the electric device is provided with the jack 5, and the AC / DC converter unit 1 is attached to the end of the electric cord 3 having the plug 6 attached to and detached from the jack 5 at the base end. The AC / DC conversion unit 1 is provided with a function of attaching and detaching to and from an AC power outlet.

On the other hand, Japanese Patent Publication No. 7-79018 discloses that
There is a description of a measure for ensuring that a battery as a power supply can be securely attached to and detached from an electronic device such as a video camera-integrated video tape recorder. Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 5-50859 discloses a facsimile apparatus in which a recording unit and a power supply unit are unitized, and the mounting position of each unit with respect to the facsimile body can be changed.
There is a description of a technique for enabling selection of a paper discharge direction. Further, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 6-250459 describes a technology relating to an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, in which a power supply unit is disposed outside the exterior of a main body so that the influence of heat generation of the power supply unit is hardly affected on the image forming unit. There is.

[0005]

However, in the electric equipment described with reference to FIG. 4, since the AC / DC conversion unit 1 is built in the housing 2, the specifications of the AC / DC conversion unit 1 are different for each destination having different AC power supply specifications. However, there is a drawback that the manufacturing cost of the electric device itself is high because it is necessary to adapt the device.

In the electric equipment described with reference to FIG. 5 and FIG. 6, since the AC / DC conversion unit 1 is separated from the electric equipment, there is no need to manufacture the electric equipment in accordance with the specification of the AC power supply at the destination. Although the specification can be shared, there is an advantage that the manufacturing cost of the electric equipment is reduced accordingly, but for the user, since the AC / DC conversion unit 1 is attached to the middle part or the end part of the electric cord 3. When the electric equipment is installed, there is a disadvantage that the AC / DC conversion unit 1 gets in the way and it is difficult to route the electric cord. When a manufacturer transports an electric device to a destination, the electric cord 3 having the AC / DC conversion unit 1 occupies a large space in the transport container in addition to the electric device itself. There is a disadvantage that the cost is high. In addition, as shown in detail in FIG. 7, it is necessary to attach the jack 7 to the housing 2 side, so that there is a drawback that the cost of the electric equipment is increased in proportion to the installation cost of the jack 7. . Further, when the plug 6 provided on the electric cord 3 having the AC / DC conversion unit 1 having a different output voltage can be commonly connected to the jack 5 provided on the housing 2 of the electric device. In many cases, the plug 6 provided in the electric cord having the AC / DC conversion unit 1 that does not conform to the specifications of the electric device is erroneously connected to the jack 5, and the electric device may be damaged or the predetermined performance of the electric device may be deteriorated. There was a possibility that it would not be exhibited.

With the techniques described in the above publications, it is not possible to eliminate the drawbacks for the user or the manufacturer and the drawbacks associated with the installation of the jack 7 described with reference to FIGS.

The present invention has been made under the above circumstances, and eliminates the need to manufacture electrical equipment in accordance with the specifications of an AC power supply at a destination, and can share the specifications of electrical equipment. In addition, to provide an electrical device in which the AC / DC conversion unit does not interfere with the routing of the electric cord, or the AC / DC conversion unit occupies a large space in the container during transportation and increases the transportation cost. With the goal.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an electric device which does not require a jack.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an electric device which is unlikely to cause an erroneous connection of an electric cord having an AC / DC conversion unit which does not conform to the specifications of the electric device.

[0011]

In the electric apparatus according to the present invention, a carriage on which an ink cartridge is mounted moves between a printing area and a retreat area beside the printing area. Inkjet printers are included.

In the present invention applied to the ink jet printer, the circuit of the wiring board housed in the housing of the ink jet printer is separated from the electric cord for connecting this circuit to an AC power outlet. It is necessary that a connector to be attached to and detached from the AC power outlet be attached to the end of the cord.

An AC / DC conversion unit having an externally exposed terminal is attached to a base end of the electric cord, and the AC / DC conversion unit is provided in the housing and operates the AC / DC conversion unit from outside. It is necessary that the board-side contact terminal directly connected to the circuit of the wiring board be in contact with the externally exposed terminal of the AC / DC conversion unit. .

With this configuration, it is necessary to manufacture the portion excluding the electric cord to which the AC / DC conversion unit and the connector are attached, that is, the main body portion including the housing of the ink jet printer, in accordance with the AC power supply specification of the destination. It is possible to standardize the specifications of the main part. That is, since the main body does not include the AC / DC conversion unit, the specifications of the main body can be shared. In addition, the AC / DC conversion unit attached to the electric cord side is mounted on the unit mounting part of the housing of the main unit, so when loading the container for transportation, the AC / DC conversion unit occupies the main unit. Since it is loaded in the space, the AC / DC conversion unit itself does not occupy the space in the container. Therefore, transportation costs are low. Further, since the board-side contact terminals directly connected to the circuit of the wiring board housed in the housing are in contact with the externally exposed terminals of the AC / DC conversion unit,
There is no need to attach a separate jack to the main body,
This makes it easier to reduce costs. Further, since the AC / DC conversion unit is not interposed at the middle or end of the electric cord, the electric cord can be easily routed for the user.

In the present invention, it is desirable that the unit mounting portion is formed at a position behind the retreat area.
According to this, the empty space behind the print area is
Since the space for mounting the AC / DC converter is effectively used, there is an advantage that the size of the housing of the inkjet printer is not increased.

In the present invention, it is preferable that the external exposure terminal is formed on an outer surface of the AC / DC conversion unit.
When this configuration is employed, the substrate-side contact terminals can be formed at low cost by a conductor made of a metal piece. Preferably, the AC / DC conversion unit is a switching power supply unit. Switching power supply unit
Since it is cheaper than the DC adapter explained at the beginning,
Inkjet printers will be cheaper. Furthermore, by adopting a configuration in which the externally exposed terminals are formed on the outer surface of the AC / DC conversion unit as described above, the plug 6 described with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6 may be erroneously connected. Is no longer happening,
Useful for preventing electrical equipment from being damaged.

The electric device according to the present invention is not limited to an ink jet printer. For example, an electronic apparatus such as an image forming apparatus such as a facsimile apparatus, a copying machine, and a scanner, and an audio apparatus such as a video tape recorder and a radio-cassette are also targeted.

That is, according to the present invention, the circuit of the wiring board housed in the housing and the electric cord for connecting the circuit to the AC power outlet are separated, and the terminal of the electric cord is provided with the AC power. It is intended for electrical equipment equipped with a connector that can be attached to and detached from a power outlet.

In the present invention applied to such an electric device, an AC / DC conversion unit having an externally exposed terminal is attached to the base end of the electric cord, and the AC / DC conversion unit is mounted on the housing. At the same time, the board-side contact terminals connected to the circuit of the wiring board are in contact with the externally exposed terminals of the AC / DC conversion unit. In this case, it is preferable that the housing is provided with a unit mounting portion capable of operating and removing the AC / DC conversion unit from the outside of the housing, and the AC / DC conversion unit is mounted on the unit mounting portion. Preferably, the externally exposed terminals are formed on an outer surface of the AC / DC conversion unit, and further, the board-side contact terminals are directly connected to the wiring board.

[0020]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of an ink jet printer which is an example of the electric equipment according to the present invention will be described below.

FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view of an ink jet printer, FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of a main part, and FIG. 3 is a schematic side view of a main part.

In the ink jet printer shown in FIG. 1, the carriage 11 on which the ink cartridge is
And a retreat area H beside the print area. Further, the wiring board 12 is arranged in an upright state along the moving path of the carriage 11. The housing containing the carriage 11 and the wiring board 12 is a front cover (not shown) or a rear cover 13.
The rear cover 13 is shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. A unit mounting portion 14 having an open rear is formed on one side of the rear cover 13, and the unit mounting portion 14 is provided with an AC / DC conversion unit 21 described later.
Can be attached and detached by inserting and removing from the rear outside. A terminal holder 21 is mounted on the front side of the unit mounting section 14. The terminal holder 21 holds board-side contact terminals 22 and 23 which are soldered to a circuit (not shown) of the wiring board 12 and rise up rearward from the wiring board 12. The board-side contact terminals 32 and 33 are connected to the unit mounting section 2 described above.
1 protrudes inside.

As shown in FIG. 2, the electric cord 20 is separated from the circuit of the wiring board 12 and has a plug type connector 2 attached to and detached from an AC power outlet at an end thereof.
2 are installed. An AC / DC conversion unit 21 is attached to the base end of the electric cord 20. The AC / DC conversion unit 21 is formed in a substantially rectangular shape in a side view, and has externally exposed terminals 23 and 24 on its outer surface. When the AC / DC conversion unit 21 is inserted into the unit mounting portion 14 of the rear cover 13 and mounted as shown in FIG. 3, the board-side contact terminals 32 and 33 respectively elastically contact the externally exposed terminals 23 and 24. Thus, electrical continuity is achieved.

While a groove 25 extending in the front-rear direction is formed on the upper surface of the AC / DC conversion unit 21, a rib 15 is formed on the upper inner surface of the unit mounting portion 14. While a groove (not shown) extending in the front-rear direction is formed on the lower surface of the AC / DC conversion unit 21, a rib 16 is formed on the lower inner surface of the unit mounting portion 14. These ribs 15 and 16 and the AC / DC conversion unit 2
The groove 25 on the first side exerts a function of preventing the AC-DC conversion unit 21 from being inserted into the unit mounting portion 14 in an inappropriate posture. Therefore, erroneous insertion of the AC / DC conversion unit 21 is prevented beforehand by the ribs 15 and 16 and the groove 25 on the AC / DC conversion unit 21 side.

According to the electric apparatus constituted by the ink jet printer described in this embodiment, the AC / DC conversion unit 21
It is not necessary to manufacture the part except the electric cord 20 to which the connector 22 is attached, that is, the main part of the inkjet printer according to the AC power supply specification of the destination, and the specification of the main part can be shared. become. That is, since the main body does not include the AC / DC conversion unit, the specifications of the main body can be shared. Further, the AC / DC conversion unit 21 attached to the electric cord 20 side is connected to the unit mounting portion 1 of the main body.
4, the AC / DC conversion unit 21 is loaded into the space occupied by the main body when the ink jet printer is loaded into a container for transportation. Is never occupied. Therefore, transportation costs are low. Furthermore, since the board-side contact terminals held by the terminal holder 21 are in contact with the externally exposed terminals 23 and 24 of the AC / DC conversion unit 21, there is no need to separately attach a jack to the main body portion, so that cost can be easily reduced. Become. Furthermore, since the AC / DC conversion unit 21 is not interposed at the middle portion or the end portion of the electric cord 20, the electric cord 20 can be easily routed to the user.

In this embodiment, the unit mounting section 14
Are formed behind the retreat area H described with reference to FIG. Since the rear part of the retreat area H is a part where the mechanical parts of the ink jet printer are not provided,
Usually it is an empty space. In this embodiment,
Utilizing such an empty space, the unit mounting portion 14
Is formed, the size of the ink jet printer does not increase due to the formation of the unit mounting portion 14. Further, there is an advantage that the externally exposed terminal can be formed by a conductor made of an inexpensive metal piece. Further, in this embodiment, the AC / DC conversion unit 21 employs a switching power supply unit that is less expensive than a DC adapter.

Although this embodiment exemplifies an ink jet printer, the present invention can be applied to an image forming apparatus other than the ink jet printer, for example, an image forming apparatus such as a facsimile machine, a copying machine, and a scanner. Further, the present invention can also be applied to electric equipment such as an audio device such as a video tape recorder and a radio cassette recorder.

[0028]

As described above, according to the present invention, there is no need to manufacture electrical equipment in accordance with the specifications of the AC power supply at the destination, and the specifications of the electrical equipment can be shared, so that manufacturers can Can reduce the manufacturing cost. In addition, since it is unlikely that the AC / DC conversion unit occupies a large space in the container at the time of transportation and increases the transportation cost, the transportation cost for the manufacturer can be reduced at this point. Further, since the AC / DC conversion unit does not hinder the routing of the electric cord, it does not occur that the user has difficulty in routing the electric cord when installing the electric equipment. In addition, according to the AC / DC conversion unit having the externally exposed terminals formed on the outer surface, a situation in which the AC / DC conversion unit having an incompatible specification is erroneously connected may not occur, so that the effect of improving the safety is provided. Is played.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view of an ink jet printer as an example of an electric device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of a main part.

FIG. 3 is a schematic side view of a main part.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of a conventional electric device.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of another type of conventional electric device.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory view of still another type of conventional electric device.

FIG. 7 is a schematic side view showing a jack attachment portion of a conventional electric device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 Carriage 12 Wiring board 13 Rear cover (housing) 14 Unit mounting part 20 Electric code 21 AC / DC conversion unit 22 Connector 23, 24 External exposure terminal 32, 33 Board side contact terminal P Print area H Evacuation area

Claims (8)

[Claims] 1. An ink jet printer in which a carriage on which an ink cartridge is mounted moves between a print area and a retreat area beside the print area, and is housed in a housing of the ink jet printer. The circuit of the wiring board is separated from an electric cord for connecting the circuit to an AC power outlet, and an electric cord having a connector attached to and detached from the AC power outlet at an end of the electric cord. In the device, an AC / DC conversion unit having an externally exposed terminal is attached to a base end of the electric cord, and the AC / DC conversion unit is provided in the housing, and the AC / DC conversion unit is externally operated and detached. The wiring substrate is mounted on a unit mounting portion capable of performing Electrical apparatus, characterized in that directly connected to the substrate-side contact terminals to the circuit is in contact. 2. The electric device according to claim 1, wherein the unit mounting portion is formed at a position behind the retreat area. 3. The electric device according to claim 1, wherein the external exposure terminal is formed on an outer surface of the AC / DC conversion unit. 4. The electric device according to claim 1, wherein the AC / DC conversion unit is a switching power supply unit. 5. A circuit of a wiring board housed in a housing and an electric cord for connecting the circuit to an AC power outlet are separated from each other, and attached to and detached from the AC power outlet at an end of the electric cord. An electrical device to which a connector to be attached is attached, an AC / DC converter unit having an externally exposed terminal is attached to a base end of the electric cord, and the AC / DC converter unit is attached to the housing. An electric device, wherein a board-side contact terminal connected to the circuit of the wiring board is in contact with the externally exposed terminal of the AC / DC conversion unit. 6. The unit according to claim 1, wherein the housing is provided with a unit mounting portion capable of operating and removing the AC / DC conversion unit from outside the housing, and the AC / DC conversion unit is mounted on the unit mounting portion. Item 6. An electric device according to item 5. 7. The electric device according to claim 5, wherein the external exposure terminal is formed on an outer surface of the AC / DC conversion unit. 8. The electric device according to claim 5, wherein said board-side contact terminal is directly connected to said wiring board.