JP2005265979A - Image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To solve the following problems; a workability is poor in a mechanism of replacing consumables and removing jammed paper through an opening/closing door arranged on the top face or the side face of an image forming apparatus, and also, in the case of an apparatus where the consumables can be replaced and the jammed paper can be removed by constituting the housing so as to be opened/closed separating into the upper and lower part, a mechanism for joining the upper and lower housings and supporting the housing, while opening the upper housing, is required. <P>SOLUTION: The image forming apparatus housing is separated into the upper housing and the lower housing, when the upper housing is made in an open state, the self-weight is supported by a supporting leg arranged on the side face of the upper housing in a state where the leg comes in contact with the floor face or the lower housing. Then, the upper housing stably stands on by itself, then, a maintenance work can be safely performed. Further, the weight of the upper housing is not applied on a hinge, then, the strength of the hinge can be reduced, and the installation of an upper housing supporting mechanism is not required, then, the cost reduction of the hinge can be attained. Besides, the opening area between the upper and lower housings is largely exposed, then, working efficiency in replacing the consumables and removing the jammed paper is enhanced. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus such as a laser printer.

In conventional image forming apparatuses, replacement of consumables such as a photosensitive drum and developer, replacement of a failed part, or removal of recording paper (so-called jammed paper) that has caused a conveyance failure in the middle of a conveyance path during printing. The following two mechanisms are known.
(1) A mechanism in which an opening / closing door is provided on the upper surface or side surface of the casing of the image forming apparatus, and consumables or faulty parts are exchanged or jammed paper is removed therefrom. (For example, see Patent Documents 1 and 2)
(2) The housing of the image forming apparatus can be separated into two so that one housing (hereinafter referred to as a lower housing) placed on the floor or the like serves as a base and the other housing (Hereinafter referred to as the upper case) is connected with a hinge, etc., so that the upper case can be opened and closed. Consumables and faulty parts are exchanged from the opening when the upper case is opened, and jammed paper is removed. A mechanism to do. (For example, see Patent Documents 3, 4, and 5)
Of these, the mechanism (1) only needs to be provided with an opening / closing section that is large enough to allow consumables and parts to pass through. The mechanism is simple and suitable for cases where the consumables and parts are relatively small. ing.

On the other hand, the mechanism (2) has a wide opening when the upper casing is opened, and even when consumables and parts are arranged in the inner part of the image forming apparatus, consumables and faulty parts can be removed. Easy to replace. Therefore, this mechanism is suitable when the consumables and parts are relatively large or when a large number of consumables and parts are arranged in the image forming apparatus.
JP-A-9-269625 JP 2001-166555 A JP-A-9-160333 JP 2002-311662 A JP-A-11-153893

  By the way, in the case of the mechanism shown in (1) above, when consumables and parts are arranged in the inner part of the housing of the image forming apparatus, the door part that opens and closes is small, and the workability of the replacement work is good. There was a drawback of not.

  In the case of the mechanism shown in (2), when exchanging consumables and faulty parts, the upper casing and the lower casing are held in order to keep the upper casing of the two separated casings open. It is necessary to use a complicated hinge mechanism with a damper function and a stopper function for the part that joins the housing, or to use a support member for supporting the upper housing to the lower housing, This was a factor in increasing the cost of the image forming apparatus.

  Further, in order not to use such a hinge mechanism or a supporting member, an image forming apparatus is configured in a case where a simple lid is used for reducing the weight without arranging parts in the upper housing portion. All parts to be installed must be placed on the lower housing side. In that case, in order to replace consumables and faulty parts, or to remove jammed paper, it is necessary to take out the parts arranged on the lower housing side first, and the workability becomes very bad. there were.

  SUMMARY An advantage of some aspects of the invention is that it provides an image forming apparatus capable of easily exchanging consumables and faulty parts or removing jammed paper.

  An image forming apparatus according to the invention described in claim 1 made to solve such a problem is an image forming apparatus in which image forming means for forming an image on a recording medium is housed in a housing. The casing includes a first casing and a second casing that are coupled to each other via a coupling means, and the second casing is in an open state with respect to the first casing. At this time, it is characterized in that it has an abutting portion that abuts against the opening end of the first casing or the floor surface on which the first casing is placed and supports its own weight.

  When the casing is configured in this way, when the second casing is in the open state, the second casing is in contact with the opening end or the floor surface of the first casing and the second casing is stabilized. Since it becomes independent in a state, the second housing can be safely operated during the maintenance work without falling down.

  In addition, when the second casing is in the open state, the weight of the second casing is supported by the contact portion with the opening end of the first casing or the floor surface. The weight of the casing is not applied, and the strength of the coupling means can be reduced.

  Further, unlike the conventional image forming apparatus, it is not necessary to provide the coupling means with a mechanism for holding the second housing in an open state, such as the stopper described above, and the structure of the coupling means is simplified. Thus, the cost of the image forming apparatus can be reduced.

  Further, when the second housing is in the open state, the lower surface of the second housing (the front surface when opened approximately 90 ° and the upper surface when opened approximately 180 °) and the upper surface of the first housing are opened. Therefore, the exchange operation of the stored components and the removal operation of the jammed paper are facilitated, and the work efficiency of the maintenance operation can be improved.

Here, as described in claim 2, the contact portion may be configured to include a support foot protruding from the second housing.
According to this configuration, when the second casing is in the open state, the support leg is the opening end of the first casing or the first casing even if the side shape of the second casing is not flat. The second housing can be stably supported by contacting the floor surface on which is placed.

Further, when the support foot is formed of an elastic body having a high coefficient of friction such as rubber or sponge, when the second casing is in an open state, the second casing is stably prevented from slipping with the floor surface. I can support it.
The number of support legs may be plural, but even one can support the weight of the second casing when the second casing is opened.

  Here, when the second housing is in the open state, the weight of the second housing is usually applied to the coupling means and the support foot. When the second housing is in the open state, when viewed from the coupling means side and arranged so as to be outside of the perpendicular drawn from the weight center of gravity of the second housing, the weight of the second housing is Since it mainly hangs on the support leg, the weight applied to the coupling means is reduced, and the coupling means can be simplified.

  In addition, when the second housing is in the open state, when the contact portion is in contact with the opening end of the first housing, the second housing is In the opened state, the coupling means prevents the part of the second casing located in the opening direction from the coupling means from protruding outward from the first casing. The body and the second housing may be coupled so as to be openable and closable.

  When the first housing and the second housing are coupled in this way, the second housing does not come out of the first housing when the second housing is opened. The image forming apparatus can be placed close to a wall or the like, and the area efficiency of the placement place can be improved.

The coupling means for coupling the first casing and the second casing is a support for rotatably supporting the second casing with respect to the first casing. It is good to have an axis.
As a result, the housing can be opened and closed with a simple coupling means having only a support shaft.

  By the way, when the first casing and the second casing are coupled so as to be openable and closable only with the support shaft, it may be difficult to smoothly open and close the second casing. In such a case, the coupling means may be configured to include a guide shaft that moves around the support shaft and a guide groove through which the guide shaft is inserted.

  That is, as described in claim 6, the guide shaft is arranged on the side wall of one of the first and second housings so as to move around the support shaft when the housing is opened and closed. Fix it to be parallel. In addition, the guide groove is formed on the side wall of the other casing of the first and second casings where the guide shaft is not mounted. The coupling means is configured to support the guide shaft so that the guide shaft can move around the support shaft by the guide groove.

  Thus, by providing the guide means with the guide shaft and the guide groove through which the guide shaft is inserted around the support shaft, the first housing and the second housing can be opened and closed only by the support shaft. Compared to the case, the second housing can be opened and closed smoothly.

  By the way, when the coupling means is constituted by a guide shaft and a guide groove, the guide shaft is opposed to each other in one of the first and second housings. A guide groove is formed on each of the two side walls facing the guide shaft in the other housing where the guide shaft is not mounted, and the support mounting portion of the first housing is the second mounting portion. The support shaft may be formed so as to be able to move downward when the housing is open.

  When the guide shaft and the guide groove of the coupling means are configured in this way, the second housing can be moved downward after the second housing is opened and brought into contact with the opening end of the first housing. It becomes possible, and the second casing can be stably stood in the opened state. Therefore, the replacement work of consumables and units or the removal work of jammed paper can be performed safely.

  By the way, when the second casing is configured to open and close by rotating approximately 90 ° about the support shaft, the support shaft is closed by the casing as described in claim 8. When in the state, when viewed from the axial direction of the support shaft, the support shaft is inclined at an angle of approximately 45 ° with respect to the floor surface from the upper corner of the second housing located in the opening direction of the support shaft. It may be arranged so as to be positioned above the virtual line drawn to the side.

  In this way, by limiting the position of the support shaft, it is possible to prevent the second housing from protruding from the first housing in a state where the second housing is opened approximately 90 °. The image forming apparatus can be placed close to a wall or the like, and the area efficiency of the placement place can be improved.

  Furthermore, when the second casing is opened to approximately 90 ° so that no portion protrudes outward from the first casing, the casing is closed as described in claim 9. In some cases, when viewed from the axial direction of the support shaft, the upper corner of the second housing located in the opening direction of the support shaft is connected to the arc that contacts the side surface of the first housing with the support shaft as the center. It is good to form so that it may not protrude outside.

When formed in this manner, the second casing does not have a portion protruding outward from the first casing, and the image forming apparatus can be placed in close contact with a wall or the like.
By the way, when the coupling means is constituted by a guide shaft and a guide groove, in claim 8, the guide groove is formed to be movable around the support shaft. However, the guide grooves are formed in directions orthogonal to each other. Alternatively, the guide shaft may be formed so as to be fitted in the orthogonal linear guide groove.

  That is, as described in claim 10, linear two formed in directions orthogonal to each other on each of two wall surfaces facing each other in one of the first and second casings. One guide groove is formed, and the other casing where the guide groove is not formed is fixed to two side walls opposed to the guide groove so as to be fitted in each guide groove. Two guide shafts that move along the guide groove are formed.

  In this way, the guide groove of the coupling means is simplified, and the smoothness at the time of opening and closing the second casing is less than when the guide groove is formed so that the guide shaft can be moved around the support shaft. Although it is inferior, it becomes possible to make the second housing stable and independent in an open state with a simple structure.

Moreover, you may make it form a coupling means with a side plate, a guide groove, and a guide shaft.
That is, as described in claim 11, two side plates are arranged along two side walls facing each other in the first and second casings. Then, two linear guide grooves are formed on the side plate in directions orthogonal to each other. Further, the first guide shaft is formed so that the side walls of the first and second housings corresponding to the side plates are connected to be movably fitted in the guide grooves of the side plates, and the second guide shaft is formed. Each of the two side walls facing the side plate of the second casing is formed so as to be fitted into the guide groove of the guide groove where the first guide shaft is not fitted. The first and second guide shafts are moved along the guide grooves when the casing is opened and closed.

In this way, when the second casing is opened, the first casing comes out forward, so that the components housed in the first casing can be easily replaced. Become.
In this case, as described in claim 12, the first casing is provided with support means for supporting the first casing in a movable manner with respect to the floor surface at a contact portion with the floor surface. If one of the guide grooves is formed to be parallel to the floor surface, when the housing is opened, the first housing protrudes in front of the housing to the floor surface. Therefore, it is possible to easily replace the components housed in the first housing.

  The image forming unit includes at least one photosensitive member, an exposure unit that forms an electrostatic latent image by irradiating light to the charged photosensitive member, and the photosensitive member. Developing means for supplying a developer to the electrostatic latent image formed on the photosensitive member to make it appear, and transfer means for transferring the developer image made visible on the photoreceptor directly to the recording medium via an intermediate transfer member And the second casing may house an exposure scanning device as an exposure means.

  As described above, when the exposure scanning device as the exposure unit is accommodated in the second housing, the exposure scanning device is attached to the first housing when the second housing is opened. Since it does not remain, the image forming means other than the exposure scanning device in the first housing can be easily accessed without being disturbed by the exposure scanning device, and maintenance work can be easily performed. It becomes.

  The image forming unit includes at least one photoconductor, an exposure unit that forms an electrostatic latent image by irradiating light to the charged photoconductor, and a photosensitive unit. Developing means for supplying a developer to the electrostatic latent image formed on the body to make it appear, and transfer means for transferring the developer image made visible on the photoreceptor directly or via an intermediate transfer body to a recording medium The image forming apparatus may be configured to form an image on a recording medium, and the developing unit may be housed in the second housing.

  As described above, when the developing unit is stored in the second casing, the developing unit does not remain in the first casing when the second casing is opened. It is possible to easily access other image forming means (for example, a photoconductor, a transfer means, or a recording medium) other than the developing means in the first housing without being disturbed by the maintenance work. It can be easily performed.

The second housing may be configured to open at least a part of a path through which the recording medium is conveyed when in the open state.
With such a configuration, at least a part of the path through which the recording medium is conveyed is opened with the second housing opened, so that the jammed paper can be easily removed.

The second housing may be provided with a document reading device as described in claim 16.
In this case, when the second casing is opened, the image forming means in the first casing can be easily accessed without being disturbed by the document reading apparatus, and maintenance can be performed. Work can be done easily.

  The image forming unit includes a plurality of photoconductors, an exposure unit that forms an electrostatic latent image by irradiating light to the charged photoconductors, and a photosensitive unit. A plurality of developing means for developing the developer by supplying different colors of developer to the electrostatic latent image formed on the body, and a developer of the plurality of colors appearing on the photosensitive member directly or via an intermediate transfer member And a transfer means for transferring the image on the recording medium so as to form a color image on the recording medium, and the second housing is provided with a plurality of developing means externally when in the open state. It is good to be opened and closed with a surface that can be attached and detached as a boundary.

  In this way, for example, in a so-called tandem color image forming apparatus in which a plurality of image forming units are arranged in the printing direction, a plurality of developing units each having a different color developer are opened in the second housing. It can be easily replaced in the state.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
(Example 1)
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the main part of a color laser printer 1 to which the present invention is applied. FIG. 1A shows a state during operation of the color laser printer 1, and FIG. Shows the state.

  As shown in FIG. 1A, the housing of the color laser printer 1 includes a lower housing 10 serving as a base, and an upper housing 11 coupled to the lower housing 10 by a hinge 21 so as to be opened and closed. It is configured and used in a state of being placed on the floor.

  The lower housing 10 includes a paper feed tray 31 for accumulating the recording paper 30, a paper feed roller 32 provided above one end of the paper feed tray 31, and a position above the paper feed roller 32 to the paper feed roller 32. On the other hand, a conveyance roller 33 provided on the downstream side in the conveyance direction of the recording paper 30 and an endless track shape that receives the supply of the recording paper 30 from the conveyance roller 33 and conveys the recording paper 30 while being pressed against a photosensitive drum 41 described later. A conveyance belt 34 and a conveyance belt driving roller 35 that drives the conveyance belt are provided.

  Further, the upper casing 11 has four image forming units each having a developer of yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C), and black (K) for transferring a color image to the recording paper 30. Units 40 (Y), 40 (M), 40 (C), and 40 (K), and four exposure units 42 that form an electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive drum 41 that is a component of these image forming units 40 ( Y), 42 (M), 42 (C), 42 (K), a fixing unit 43 for fixing the image to the recording paper 30 by heating and pressing the image transferred to the recording paper 30, and fixing of the image Is provided with a paper discharge tray 45 for accumulating the recording paper 30 that has been finished.

  Here, the image forming unit 40 includes a photosensitive drum 41 that carries an electrostatic latent image, a charger (not shown) that charges the photosensitive drum 41 disposed around the photosensitive drum 41, and a photosensitive drum. And a developing unit 44 that attaches the developer to the body drum 41 and forms a developer image.

In the image forming unit 40, the photosensitive drum 41 is charged by a charger, and an electrostatic latent image is formed on the surface of the photosensitive drum 41 by the exposure unit 42. The electrostatic latent image is developed by the developing unit 44. The developer is applied to form a developer image on the surface of the photosensitive drum 41. Note that, on the opposite side of the image forming unit 40 with the conveyance belt 34 interposed therebetween, the developer image formed on the photosensitive drum 41 is recorded on the recording paper conveyed by the conveyance belt 34 at a position facing the photosensitive drum 41. Although a transfer roller for transferring the image onto the recording medium 30 is provided, the illustration is omitted here for convenience. (The following embodiments are also the same)
The exposure unit 42 is a so-called laser scanner unit (exposure scanning device). The exposure unit 42 emits laser light corresponding to one color of image data input from the outside from a light source and is output by a polygon motor. The surface of the photosensitive drum 41 is formed with an electrostatic latent image by scanning the laser beam with a mirror surface of a polygon mirror that is driven to rotate and irradiating the surface of the photosensitive drum 41.

  Further, the developing unit 44 includes a developer hopper that stores the developer, a supply roller that supplies the developer, and a developing roller (none of which is shown) as a developer carrying member, and the developing unit hopper accommodates the developing hopper. The developer is applied from the developer hopper to the developing roller by the supply roller, and the developer on the developer roller is further applied to the electrostatic latent image formed on the surface of the photosensitive drum 41, whereby the photosensitive drum 41 is coated. A developer image is formed on the surface.

  The recording paper 30 accumulated in the paper feed tray 31 is carried out of the paper feed tray 31 by the paper feed roller 32 and is supplied to the transport belt 34 by the transport roller 33 provided on the downstream side in the transport direction. . The recording paper 30 is attracted to the transport belt 34 by static electricity and is transported while being in close contact with the belt surface. Since the conveyance belt 34 is rotationally moved by the conveyance belt driving roller 35, the recording paper 30 is also conveyed along with the movement of the conveyance belt 34.

  While the recording paper 30 is being transported, yellow (Y), magenta (in order from four image forming units 40 (Y), 40 (M), 40 (C), and 40 (K) arranged in a row. M), cyan (C), and black (K) developer images are transferred to the surface of the recording paper 30, and a color image is formed on the surface of the recording paper 30.

Next, the recording paper 30 on which the color image is formed is conveyed to the fixing unit 43.
The fixing unit 43 heats and presses the surface of the recording paper 30 to fix the color image on the recording paper 30.

Then, the recording paper 30 on which the color image has been fixed is transported to the paper discharge tray 45 and stored.
In this way, the image forming process by the color laser printer 1 is performed.

  As described above, the color laser printer 1 is used in a state where the upper casing 11 is integrated with the lower casing 10 and closed when operating. However, the consumables and malfunctions stored in each casing are used. At the time of maintenance work such as replacing the unit or removing the jammed paper, the upper housing 11 is opened approximately 90 ° around the hinge 21 as shown in FIG.

That is, the lower housing 10 and the upper housing 11 are formed in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, and are placed so that the upper housing 11 substantially overlaps the lower housing 10 in a closed state.
And the upper housing | casing 11 is a processus | protrusion extended to the lower end part of both sides | surfaces in the end of the lower end part of the near side and back side in the figure (right lower end part in the near side face in the figure). Part 13 is provided. The projecting portion 13 is in a state where the upper housing 11 is placed on the lower housing 10, at one end side (in the drawing) of both side surfaces (front and back side surfaces in the drawing). It overlaps with the right side of the front side surface.

The lower housing 10 and the upper housing 11 are coupled to each other by a hinge 21 at the lower end portion of the protrusion 13.
Next, the right end surface of the upper housing 11 (the rightmost surface of the upper housing in the figure) is brought into contact with the floor surface when the upper housing 11 is in an open state, and the weight of the upper housing 11 is reduced. Supporting feet 12 for supporting are attached. This support foot 12 is formed by fixing rubber formed in a columnar shape to the upper housing 11 with a screw.

  As described above, the upper casing 11 is coupled to the lower casing 10 at the lower end portions of both side surfaces thereof, and therefore, when the upper casing 11 is in an open state (approximately 90 ° clockwise in the figure). When it is rotated), the upper housing 11 is self-supporting in a state where the support legs 12 on the side surfaces thereof are in contact with the floor surface.

  When the upper housing 11 is in a self-supporting state, most of the lower surface of the upper housing 11 (which is the left surface in the figure in the self-supporting state) is an opening. The replacement work of the image unit 40, the exposure unit 42, and the fixing unit 43 is facilitated, and the work efficiency of the maintenance work of the color laser printer 1 can be improved.

  Similarly, since the entire upper surface of the lower housing 10 is an opening, the replacement operation of the transport belt 34 and the transport roller 33 housed in the lower housing 10 or the recording paper jammed in the middle of the transport path 30 (hereinafter referred to as jammed paper) can be easily removed, and the work efficiency of the maintenance work of the color laser printer 1 can be improved.

  Furthermore, the upper casing 11 is supported by the supporting feet 12 that are in contact with the floor surface, and is independent in a stable state. Therefore, the maintenance work of the color laser printer 1 can be performed safely.

  Further, since the weight of the upper casing 11 is supported by the support legs 12, it is necessary to provide the hinge 21 with a stopper function for holding the upper casing 11 in the open state as in a conventional color laser printer. As a result, the hinge 21 can be simplified, and as a result, the cost of the color laser printer can be reduced.

  When the upper housing 11 is in the open state, the support legs 12 are located on the end surface of the upper housing 11 so as to be outside the vertical line drawn from the weight center of gravity of the upper housing 11 when viewed from the hinge 21. Is attached. For this reason, most of the weight of the upper housing | casing 11 concerning the support foot 12 and the hinge 21 will be supported by the support foot 12, the weight concerning the hinge 21 will be reduced, and the hinge 21 can be simplified. .

  Here, the support foot 12 is formed by fixing rubber formed in a columnar shape to the end surface of the upper housing 11 with a screw, but is formed using another material having a high friction coefficient. Alternatively, the upper casing 11 may be formed by integral molding and a part of the end surface may be molded into a protruding shape.

  By the way, in the color laser printer 1 of the first embodiment, when the upper housing 11 is opened approximately 90 °, the weight of the upper housing 11 is supported by the support legs 12 provided on the end surface of the upper housing 11. 2B, as shown in FIG. 2B, when the upper casing 11 is opened approximately 180 °, the weight of the upper casing 11 is supported by the support legs 12. Also good.

  That is, as shown in FIG. 2 (a), the lower casing 10 is connected to the casing from one end of the upper end of the front side and the rear side in the figure (upper right end in the front side in the figure). A protrusion 14 is formed so as to extend obliquely upward and outward, and the upper housing 11 has one end of a lower end portion on the front side and the back side in the drawing (on the side on the front side in the drawing). At the lower right end), a formed protrusion 13 is provided that extends obliquely downward to the outside of the housing. Then, when the upper housing 11 is placed on the lower housing 10 so as to substantially overlap, the protruding portion 14 of the lower housing 10 and the protruding portion 13 of the upper housing 11 overlap so that the overlapping portion is The upper casing 11 is rotatably coupled to the lower casing 10 by being connected by a hinge 21.

  When the upper housing 11 and the lower housing 10 are combined in this way, the upper housing 11 can be rotated about the hinge 21 as shown in FIG. 2B. Therefore, when the upper housing 11 is rotated from the operating state (in other words, the closed state) by approximately 180 ° in the clockwise direction in the drawing, the upper housing 11 is placed on the floor surface by the support legs 12. , Its own weight will be supported.

  Thus, the stability of the upper housing 11 is further increased when the upper housing 11 is open at about 180 °, compared to the case where the upper housing is self-standing at about 90 °, as described above. It will not fall down. Therefore, the maintenance work of the color laser printer 1 can be performed more safely.

  Further, in the color laser printer 1 of the present embodiment, the support leg 12 is in contact with the floor surface, so that the weight of the upper housing 11 is supported, but as shown in FIG. The support foot 12 may be configured to abut the end of the upper surface of the lower housing 10 and support the weight of the upper housing 11.

  That is, the lower housing 10 is formed to be larger than the upper housing 11 in the left-right direction by the length of the width of the end surface of the upper housing 11. Then, from the end surface (the right end in the drawing) of the both side surfaces (the front side and the back side surface in the drawing) of the lower housing 10 upward to the left position substantially by the length of the end surface of the upper housing 11. Protrusions 14 that are formed to be extended are provided, and protrusions that are formed to extend obliquely downward to the outside of the housing on both side surfaces (in the drawing, the lower right corner of the side surface). A portion 13 is provided. Then, the upper housing 11 is placed on the lower housing 10 so that the projecting portion 13 and the projecting portion 14 overlap with each other, and the projecting portion 13 and the projecting portion 14 are connected by a hinge 21, thereby 11 and the lower housing 10 are coupled so as to be rotatable.

  When the upper housing 11 and the lower housing 10 are combined in this way, the upper housing 11 is in an approximately 90 ° open state, and the side support legs 12 abut against the upper right end of the lower housing 10 so that the upper housing 11 is supported, and the same effect as that obtained when the support foot 12 abuts against the floor surface and supports the own weight of the upper housing 11 is obtained.

  In this case, the upper casing 11 does not protrude from the right side surface of the lower casing 10 while the upper casing 11 is in the open state. Accordingly, the right side surface of the lower housing 10 can be installed in close contact with a wall or the like.

By the way, in the color laser printer 1 described above, the casing is divided into upper and lower parts of the lower casing 10 and the upper casing 11, but the casing may be divided into front and rear.
That is, as shown in FIG. 4A, the color laser printer 1 is configured such that the housing of the color laser printer 1 is substantially overlapped with the front housing 51 having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape whose vertical direction is the longitudinal direction. And a rear housing 50 having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, and a protrusion 13 formed to extend to the left at the lower left end in the drawing on both the front and back sides of the rear housing 50 in the drawing. The protrusion 13 is overlapped so as to sandwich the lower end of the front casing 51, and the overlapping portions are coupled by the hinge 21, so that the front casing 51 is pivotally coupled to the rear casing 50. To do.

  The rear housing 50 houses a paper feed tray 31, a paper feed roller 32, a transport roller 33, an image forming unit 40, a fixing unit 43, and a paper discharge tray 45. Further, only the transport belt 34 and the transfer roller (not shown) are accommodated in the front housing 51.

  In this way, since the lower end portion of the front case 51 is coupled by the hinge 21 with the protrusion 13 provided at the lower end portion of the rear case 50, the front case 51 is in the open state (the hinge 21 is The support foot 12 provided on the side surface of the front housing 51 is placed in contact with the floor surface (when rotated about 90 ° counterclockwise in the figure as the center of rotation).

In this way, when the front housing 51 is in the open state, it does not fall down. Therefore, the maintenance work of the color laser printer 1 can be performed safely.
Furthermore, the rear end surface of the rear housing 50 can be brought into close contact with a wall surface or the like, and the color laser printer 1 can be installed in close contact with the wall or the like.

  Next, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, only the transport belt 34 is stored in the front housing 51. However, as shown in FIG. When the image unit 40 and the fixing unit 43 are housed, the image forming unit 40 is exposed when the front housing 51 is opened as shown in FIG. Becomes easier.

In addition, as shown in FIG. 6A, the same effect can be obtained even when only the exposure unit 42 is accommodated in the front housing 51.
(Example 2)
Next, Example 2 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the main part of the color laser printer 1 to which the present invention is applied. (A) shows a state during operation of the color laser printer 1, and (b) to (e) show a maintenance state in which the upper housing 11 is opened from an operating state (in other words, a closed state) to about 90 ° (a closed state). In other words, FIG.

In the second embodiment, the components and operations of the color laser printer 1 are the same as those described in the first embodiment, and thus the description thereof is omitted.
As shown in FIG. 7A, the housing of the color laser printer 1 is placed on the lower housing 10 so as to substantially overlap the lower housing 10 as a base, and the hinge mechanism. The upper housing 11 is connected to the lower housing 10 so as to be openable and closable by 60, and is used while being placed on the floor surface.

  The lower housing 10 houses a paper feed tray 31, a paper feed roller 32, a transport roller 33, a transport belt 34, and a transport belt drive roller 35. The upper housing 11 stores an image forming unit 40, An exposure unit 42 and a fixing unit 43 are accommodated.

  The hinge mechanism 60 includes two pins (a first pin 61 and a second pin 62) attached to both front and back side surfaces of the upper housing 11 in the figure, and both sides of the lower housing 10. It consists of a wall surface 63 formed on one end of the surface, and a first groove 64 and a second groove 65 formed on the wall surface 63.

  The first pin 61 is attached to the upper part of one end (right end in the drawing) of both side surfaces of the upper housing 11, and the second pin 62 is below the first pin 61 (in the drawing, on the side surface). It is attached to the lower right corner.

Further, the wall surface 63 is extended in a rectangular shape toward the upper side with a width approximately the same as the height of the upper housing on one end side (right end portion side in the drawing) of both side surfaces of the lower housing 10. Is formed.
The first groove 64 is formed from the lower end to the upper end of the wall surface 63 in a direction perpendicular to the end portion (right end in the drawing) of the wall surface 63, and the second groove 65 is formed on the wall surface 63 in the first direction. A vertical groove formed vertically from the lower end to the upper end of the wall surface 63 at the end opposite to the groove 64 (left end in the figure), and the lower end on the end surface side of the wall surface 63 from the upper end of the vertical groove (lower right end in the figure) The arc groove portion formed in an arc shape drawn with the first pin 61 as the center.

  Here, when the upper housing 11 is in the closed state, the first pin 61 is inserted into the upper end of the first groove 64, and the second pin 62 is inserted into the lower right end of the arc groove portion of the second groove 65. Has been. The first pin 61 and the first groove 64 and the second pin 62 and the second groove 65 couple the upper housing 11 to the lower housing 10 and also open and close the upper housing 11. The direction of the rotation operation of the upper housing 11 is guided so that the smoothness is smooth.

  That is, when the upper housing 11 is changed from the closed state shown in FIG. 7A to the open state of about 90 ° shown in FIG. 7D, the upper housing 11 holds the first pin 61. It rotates clockwise in the figure as the center of rotation. Since the first pin 61 is not fixed to the first groove 64 during the rotation of the upper housing 11, the first pin 61 tends to slide downward due to its own weight. For this reason, there is a concern that the rotation center of the upper housing 11 is shifted downward, and the rotation operation of the upper housing 11 is not performed smoothly. At this time, as shown in FIGS. The second pin 62 inserted into the second groove 65 slides clockwise along the arc groove portion of the second groove 65 in the upper left direction in FIG. Since it supports with an edge, the rotation operation | movement of the top housing | casing 11 is performed smoothly.

  And when the upper housing | casing 11 will be in a substantially 90 degree open state (in other words standing state), the 1st pin 61 and the 2nd pin 62 are each located in the upper end of each groove | channel. Thereafter, the upper casing 11 is lowered downward by the weight of the upper casing 11 along the vertical groove portions of the first groove 64 and the second groove 65 while maintaining an upright state. Then, as shown in FIG. 7E, the support legs 12 of the upper housing 11 abut on the upper surface of the lower housing 10 to support the upper housing 11.

  Thus, when the upper housing 11 is in the open state, its own weight is supported by the support legs 12 on the end surface. Further, the first groove 64 and the second groove 65 support the force applied to the upper housing 11 in the lateral direction. Therefore, even if some lateral force is applied to the upper casing 11 during the maintenance work of the color laser printer 1, the upper casing 11 will not fall down and will always stand in a stable state. Therefore, the maintenance work of the color laser printer 1 can be performed safely.

  Further, since the upper casing 11 does not protrude from the rear end portion of the lower casing 10 during the rotation operation, the side surface of the lower casing 10 can be brought into close contact with a wall surface or the like, and the color laser printer 1 is placed on the wall. It can be installed in close contact.

  Furthermore, since the lower surface of the upper housing 11 (which is the front surface in a self-standing state) is largely exposed, the replacement operation of the image forming unit 40 is facilitated. Therefore, the work efficiency of the maintenance work of the color laser printer 1 can be improved.

  In addition, since the upper surface of the lower housing 10 is completely exposed, it is easy to replace the conveying belt 34 and the conveying roller 33 and to remove the recording paper 30 (so-called jammed paper) jammed in the middle of the conveying path. Become. Therefore, the work efficiency of the maintenance work of the color laser printer 1 can be improved.

  By the way, in the case of the present Example 2, the 2nd groove | channel 65 was formed in the wall surface 63 from the lower end of the wall surface 63 to the upper end perpendicularly | vertically to the end (left end side in the figure) opposite to the 1st groove | channel 64. The vertical groove portion and the circular groove portion formed in an arc shape from the upper end of the vertical groove toward the lower right end of the wall surface 63, the second groove 65 is formed as shown in FIG. You may form in the lower end part of the wall surface 63 so that the 1st groove | channel 64 may be made at right angle (in other words, it may form an L shape with a 1st groove | channel).

  That is, as shown in FIGS. 8B to 8D, when the upper housing 11 is opened, the first pin 61 and the second pin 62 are respectively connected to the first groove 64 and the first groove 64. The opening operation of the upper housing 11 is guided while sliding the two grooves 65 linearly.

In this way, although the smoothness of the opening operation of the upper housing 11 is somewhat reduced, the structure of the hinge mechanism 60 is simplified, and the cost of the image forming apparatus can be reduced.
Further, in this case, as shown in FIG. 9, the lower end of the first groove 64 and the left end of the second groove 65 may be cut downward. In this way, after the upper casing 11 is opened approximately 90 °, the upper casing 11 is lowered by its own weight, and the support legs 12 come into contact with the upper surface of the lower casing 10, so that the upper casing 11 Supports its own weight.

If it does in this way, the force applied to the horizontal direction of the upper housing | casing 11 will be supported in the part of a notch, and it will become possible to support the upper housing | casing 11 in the stable state. Accordingly, the safety during the maintenance work of the color printer 1 is increased.
(Example 3)
FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the main part of the color laser printer 1 to which the present invention is applied. (A) shows a state during operation of the color laser printer 1, and (b) and (c) are diagrams sequentially showing until the upper housing 11 is in a maintenance state in which the upper housing 11 is in an open state of approximately 90 °. is there.

In the third embodiment, the components and operations of the color laser printer 1 are the same as those described in the first embodiment, and thus the description thereof is omitted.
As shown in FIG. 10A, the housing of the color laser printer 1 includes a side plate 3 that is placed on the floor and serves as a base, a lower housing 10 that is connected to the side plate 3 and slides on the floor, and a lower housing. The upper housing 11 is connected to the side plate 3 and the lower housing 10 by a hinge mechanism 60 so as to be freely opened and closed at the top of the body 10 and used in a state of being placed on the floor.

  The lower housing 10 stores a paper feed tray 31, a paper feed roller 32, a transport roller 33, a transport belt 34, and a transport belt drive roller 35. The lower surface of the lower housing 10 is in contact with the floor surface. A caster 67 is mounted that rolls on the floor while supporting its own weight.

The upper casing 11 houses an image forming unit 40, an exposure unit 42, a fixing unit 43, and a paper discharge tray 45.
And the lower housing | casing 10 and the upper housing | casing 11 are couple | bonded with the side plate 3 with the hinge mechanism 60 so that it can open and close mutually.

  The hinge mechanism 60 includes a first pin 61 attached to both side surfaces of the upper housing 11, a second pin 62 attached to both side surfaces of the lower housing 10, and penetrating both side surfaces of the upper housing 11. A through hole 69 through which the second pin 62 passes, a side plate 3 formed in a substantially triangular shape facing the outside of both side surfaces of the lower housing 10, and the side plate 3. It consists of two grooves (a first groove 64 and a second groove 65).

  The first pin 61 is attached to the upper end (upper right end in the drawing) of both side surfaces of the upper housing 11, and the second pin 62 is the end surface side of both side surfaces of the lower housing 10. It is attached to the lower end (the lower right end in the figure).

Further, the through hole 69 is provided at the lower left end of both side surfaces of the upper housing 11 so that the second pin 62 penetrates.
The first groove 64 is formed in the vertical direction on the vertical end side (right end side in the drawing) of the side plate 3, and the second groove 65 is formed in the horizontal direction on the lower end side of the side plate 3.

  The first pin 61 is inserted into the first groove 64, and the second pin 62 passes through the through hole 69 at the lower left side of the upper housing 11 and is inserted into the second groove 65. Is done. Then, the upper housing 11 and the lower housing 10 are coupled by the pins and the grooves so that the lower housing 10 can be opened and closed in conjunction with the opening and closing operation of the upper housing 11.

  That is, as shown in FIG. 10 (b), when the upper casing 11 is operated so as to be opened to about 90 °, the component force generated in the vertical direction (in other words, the weight of the upper casing 11). The first pin 61 slides from the upper end to the lower end of the first groove 64 and is applied to the lower casing 10 by a component force generated in the horizontal direction (a component force in the horizontal direction of the force for rotating the upper casing 11). The attached second pin 62 slides from the right end of the second groove 65 to the left end. As the second pin 62 slides, the lower housing 10 to which the second pin 62 is attached is guided by the second groove 65 and pushed out in the horizontal left direction.

  When the upper housing 11 is opened approximately 90 °, as shown in FIG. 10C, the upper housing 11 is supported by its own weight by the support legs 12 on the side surfaces (bottom surface in the opened state). And become independent in a stable state.

  As described above, the upper casing 11 is self-supported in the open state with the side support legs 12 in contact with the floor surface, and thus the weight of the upper casing 11 is supported by the support legs 12. Furthermore, since the horizontal movement is supported by the first groove 64 and the second groove 65, the horizontal movement does not occur even when a horizontal force is applied during the maintenance work of the laser printer 1. Therefore, the maintenance work of the laser printer 1 can be performed safely.

  Further, since the upper casing 11 does not protrude from the rear end face of the lower casing 10 until the upper casing 11 is in the open state, the rear end face of the lower casing 10 can be brought into close contact with a wall surface or the like. The color laser printer 1 can be installed in close contact with the wall.

  Further, since the lower surface of the upper housing 11 (the left side surface in the figure in the open state) is an opening, the replacement operation of the image forming unit 40 is facilitated, and the work efficiency of the maintenance work of the color laser printer 1 is improved. be able to.

  Similarly, since the upper surface of the lower housing 10 is an opening, it is easy to replace the conveying belt 34 and the conveying roller 33 and to remove the recording paper 30 (so-called jammed paper) jammed in the middle of the conveying path. The work efficiency of the maintenance work of the color laser printer 1 can be improved.

  By the way, in the first to third embodiments described above, the present invention is a direct transfer system in which the developer image is directly transferred to the tandem color laser printer 1, in particular, the recording paper 30 transported by the transport belt 34. However, in addition to this, an intermediate transfer system in which a developer image is once transferred to an intermediate transfer belt and then re-transferred from the intermediate transfer belt to a recording sheet. It may be a four-cycle color printer.

In addition to the color laser printer 1, a so-called LED printer in which exposure is performed by an LED (light emitting diode) may be used.
Furthermore, as long as the apparatus uses an image forming apparatus, the document reader 70 is not limited to a printer having only a printing mechanism. For example, as shown in FIG. The same effects as described above can be obtained by applying the present invention even to a copying apparatus provided or a facsimile apparatus provided with communication means.

  Further, even in a printer using an ink jet method or a heat sensitive method as an image forming unit, the present invention can be applied to make maintenance work more efficient as described above.

1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a configuration of a main part of a color laser printer 1 according to a first embodiment to which the present invention is applied. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing a state where the upper housing 11 of the color laser printer 1 is opened 180 degrees from a closed state. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a state where the upper housing 11 of the color laser printer 1 is opened 90 degrees on the lower housing 10 from a closed state. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram when the casing of the color laser printer 1 is divided into front and rear. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of the color laser printer 1 in a case where a transport belt 34, an image forming unit 40, and a fixing unit 43 are housed in a front housing 51. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of the color laser printer 1 when only the exposure unit 42 is housed in a front housing 51. It is a schematic diagram which shows the structure of the principal part of the color laser printer 1 of Example 2 to which this invention was applied. It is a schematic diagram of the color laser printer 1 when the hinge mechanism is constituted by pins and grooves. It is a schematic diagram of the color laser printer 1 when the groove of the hinge mechanism is formed in two straight lines. It is a schematic diagram which shows the structure of the principal part of the color laser printer 1 of Example 3 to which this invention was applied. 1 is a schematic diagram of a copying apparatus including a document reading device that electronically reads a document.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Color laser printer, 3 ... Side plate, 10 ... Lower housing | casing, 11 ... Upper housing | casing, 12 ... Supporting leg, 13, 14 ... Projection part, 21 ... Hinge, 30 ... Recording paper, 31 ... Paper feed tray, 32 ... Paper feed roller 33 ... Conveying roller 34 ... Conveying belt 35 ... Conveying belt driving roller 40 ... Image forming unit 41 ... Photosensitive drum 42 ... Exposure unit 43 ... Fixing unit 44 ... Developing unit 45 ... Paper discharge tray, 50 ... rear housing, 51 ... front housing, 60 ... hinge mechanism, 61 ... first pin, 62 ... second pin, 64 ... first groove, 65 ... second groove, 67 ... Caster, 69 ... Through hole, 70 ... Document reading device

Claims (17)

An image forming apparatus in which image forming means for forming an image on a recording medium is housed in a housing,
The case is composed of a first case and a second case that are connected to each other via a connecting means so as to be opened and closed.
When the second casing is in an open state with respect to the first casing, the second casing is in contact with an opening end of the first casing or a floor surface on which the first casing is placed. An image forming apparatus comprising a contact portion for supporting its own weight.   The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the contact portion includes a support leg protruding from the second casing.   When the second leg is in the open state, the support foot has a contact position that abuts against the opening end of the first casing or the floor surface when viewed from the coupling means side. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the image forming apparatus is disposed so as to be located outside a perpendicular line dropped from the weight center of gravity of the housing. The second housing is configured such that the contact portion contacts the opening end of the first housing when in the open state,
In the coupling means, when the second casing is in an open state, a part of the second casing located in the opening direction with respect to the coupling means protrudes outward from the first casing. 4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first housing and the second housing are coupled so as to be openable and closable so as not to occur.   5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the coupling unit includes a support shaft that rotatably supports the second housing with respect to the first housing. 6. apparatus. The coupling means includes
A guide shaft fixed to a side wall of one of the first and second housings so as to be parallel to the support shaft and moving around the support shaft when the housing is opened and closed;
A guide groove formed on a side wall of the other casing to which the guide shaft is not mounted among the first and second casings, and supporting the guide shaft movably around the support shaft;
The image forming apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising: The guide shaft is mounted on two side walls facing each other in one of the first and second housings,
The guide groove is formed on each of two side walls facing the guide shaft in the other housing to which the guide shaft is not mounted,
The mounting portion of the support shaft in the first housing is formed so as to be able to move the support shaft downward when the second housing is in an open state. The image forming apparatus described in 1. The second casing is configured to open and close the casing by rotating approximately 90 ° about the support shaft.
When the housing is in a closed state, the support shaft is formed on the floor surface from an upper corner portion of the second housing that is positioned in an opening direction relative to the support shaft when viewed from the axial direction of the support shaft. It is arrange | positioned so that it may be located upwards with respect to the virtual line pulled out to the said spindle side at the angle of substantially 45 degrees with respect to it. Image forming apparatus.   When the housing is in the closed state, the upper corner of the second housing located in the opening direction relative to the support shaft as viewed from the axial direction of the support shaft is centered on the support shaft. The image forming apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the image forming apparatus is formed so as not to protrude outward from an arc contacting the side surface of the first housing. The coupling means includes
Two linear guide grooves formed in directions orthogonal to each other on each of two wall surfaces facing each other in one of the first and second housings;
In the other casing in which the guide groove is not formed, it is fixed to two side walls opposed to the guide groove so as to be fitted in the guide grooves, and along the guide grooves when the casing is opened and closed. Two guide shafts to move;
The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: The coupling means includes
Two side plates each having two linear guide grooves that are arranged along two side walls facing each other in the first and second housings and formed in directions orthogonal to each other;
A first guide shaft that connects side walls of the first and second housings corresponding to the side plate, and is movably fitted in a guide groove of the side plate;
The second side wall of the second casing that is opposed to the side plate is fitted to the second guide groove that is not fitted with the first guide shaft among the guide grooves. A guide shaft;
With
The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first and second guide shafts move along the guide groove when the casing is opened and closed. The first housing includes support means for supporting the first housing in a movable manner with respect to the floor surface at a contact portion with the floor surface.
The image forming apparatus according to claim 11, wherein one of the guide grooves is formed horizontally with a floor surface. The image forming unit includes at least one photosensitive member, and an exposing unit that forms an electrostatic latent image by irradiating light to the charged photosensitive member;
Developing means for supplying a developer to the electrostatic latent image formed on the photosensitive member to make it manifest;
Transfer means for transferring the developer image made visible on the photosensitive member to the recording medium directly or via an intermediate transfer member;
Is configured to form an image on the recording medium,
The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein an exposure scanning device as the exposure unit is accommodated in the second casing. The image forming unit includes at least one photosensitive member, and an exposing unit that forms an electrostatic latent image by irradiating light to the charged photosensitive member;
Developing means for supplying a developer to the electrostatic latent image formed on the photosensitive member to make it manifest;
Transfer means for transferring the developer image made visible on the photosensitive member to the recording medium directly or via an intermediate transfer member;
Is configured to form an image on the recording medium,
The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the developing unit is housed in the second casing.   The said 2nd housing | casing is comprised so that at least one part of the channel | path through which the said recording medium is conveyed may be open | released when it is in an open state. The image forming apparatus described in 1.   The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second casing includes a document reading device. The image forming means includes a plurality of photoconductors,
Exposure means for forming an electrostatic latent image by irradiating light to the charged photoreceptor;
A plurality of developing means for making the electrostatic latent images formed on the photosensitive member manifest by supplying developers of different colors;
A transfer unit configured to transfer a plurality of color developers manifested on the photosensitive member directly or via an intermediate transfer member onto the recording medium, thereby forming a color image on the recording medium; Configured,
The said 2nd housing | casing is opened and closed by making into a boundary the surface which makes the said several image development means detachable from the outside when it is in an open state. Image forming apparatus.