JP2009111282A - Hole-clogging structure for outer cover - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a hole-clogging structure for outer cover, capable of preventing a cap member from detaching from a hole, using a simple configuration, even if a force is applied from the outside to the cap member and of contributing to improvement of safety. <P>SOLUTION: The hole 26 is scheduled to be used and formed on the back surface cover 25 as the outer cover to be set to an apparatus body (not shown), and the hole 26 is closed by the cap member 28, integrally molded by a resin with the back surface cover 25 via a plurality of thin connection parts 27. On the inner surface of the cap member 28, a projection part 29 which is to be abutted against the front surface 11a of a bracket 11 for connector attachment fixed on the apparatus body side for backing up the cap member 28 is integrally molded. When the hole 26 is used, the cap member 28 is cut off by cutting the connection parts 27 with nippers, or the like. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention provides an exterior cover that provisionally closes a hole that is planned to be used in an exterior cover of an apparatus, such as an optional connector hole, in an OA device such as an image forming apparatus, a printing machine, and a copying machine until the time of use. This relates to the hole closing structure.

In general, option 2 (a tape marker is illustrated in FIG. 14) of the OA device 1 such as a printing machine or a copying machine may be attached to the outside of the OA device 1 as shown in FIG. The connector 4 of the interface cable 3 for controlling the option 2 is in the hole 6 opened in the back cover 5 that forms a part of the exterior cover of the OA device 1, and the connector 8 of the relay harness 7 in FIG. 15. , The electrical signal from the OA device 1 is transmitted to the option 2.
As shown in FIG. 16, the option 2 is attached by removing the back cover 5 from the OA device 1, connecting the connector 9 of the relay harness 7 to the MPU board side connector 10 of the OA device 1, and connecting the connector of the OA device 1. The connector 8 of the relay harness 7 is fixed to the mounting bracket 11 (which is simplified for easy explanation. Actually, it has a complicated shape with a large number of components attached) with screws 12. In FIG. 16, the code | symbol 13 has shown the inner side board of the OA apparatus 1. FIG.
FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional view of the back cover 5 as viewed from above when attached to the OA device 1.

Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 18, the connector 4 of the interface cable 3 of the option 2 attached outside the OA device 1 is connected to the connector 8 of the relay harness 7.
If option 2 is not attached, the cost of OA device 1 will increase if relay harness 7 is assembled to OA device 1, so relay harness 7 is an optional product along with option 2 as shown in FIG. The
Therefore, when the option 2 is not attached, the relay harness 7 is not attached to the OA device 1, so that the hole 6 in the back cover 5 is kept open as shown in FIG.
When the hole 6 is left open as described above, there is a possibility that a finger is inserted through the hole 6 and touches the inside of the OA device 1 as shown in FIG. There is a risk of electric shock when touching parts.

As a method for closing the hole 6 in the back cover 5, there is a method using a cap. As shown in FIG. 22, the cap 14 is fixed to the connector mounting bracket 11 with screws 15, and the back cover 5 is set. FIG. 23 is a cross-sectional view showing a state where the hole 6 is closed by the cap 14.
As shown in FIG. 24, a structure in which the hook cap 16 is engaged by elastic deformation is also known. The hook cap 16 is pushed in and attached to the back cover 17 in which the concave portion 17a that engages with the hook portion 16a of the hook cap 16 is formed, and the back cover 17 is set on the OA device main body. FIG. 25 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the hole is closed with the hook cap 16.
As a method for closing the hole 6 in the back cover 5, as shown in FIG. 26, the back cover 18 and a cap 20 connected to the back cover 18 by a plurality of thin bridge-shaped connecting portions 19 (in this case, the cap is There is a cap / cover integrated type system (not a separate part, but integrated with a cover) (Patent Document 1, etc.).
FIG. 27 is a cross-sectional view when the cap-integrated back cover 18 is set in the OA device main body. A gap 21 necessary for connector mounting is secured between the back cover 18, the cap 20 connected in a thin bridge shape, and the connector mounting bracket 11.
In order to attach the option 2, when the cap 20 connected in the shape of a thin bridge is removed from the cap-integrated back cover 18, as shown in FIG. 28, the cap 20 is cut off with a nipper 22 or the like to create a connector opening.

JP 2001-257484 A

In the closing method shown in FIG. 22, the component costs of the cap 14 and the screw 15 are added, and the man-hour for fixing the cap 14 with the screw 15 is also added, leading to an increase in the cost of the OA device 1.
In the method shown in FIG. 24, the cost of parts of the hook cap 16 is added and the man-hour for setting the hook cap 16 on the cover is also added, leading to an increase in the cost of the OA device 1.
In the cap-cover integrated molding method shown in FIG. 26, as shown in FIG. 29, some impact 23 from the outside of the cover (in the case of FIG. 29, the corner of the load of the carriage accidentally hits the cap 16) is When the cap 20 is joined, the thin bridge-shaped connecting portion 19 is broken, and the cap 20 is detached from the back cover 18, thereby causing the above-described danger due to leaving the hole open. .
In addition, it is possible not to satisfy mechanical strength standards such as UL (Underwriters Laboratories) safety standards, CSA (Canadian Standards Association) safety standards, or domestic product standards according to these safety standards. There is sex.
That is, for example, in an impact test in which an iron ball 24 as shown in FIG. 30 is made to collide with each other in a predetermined condition based on the UL safety standard or the CSA safety standard, the iron ball 24 is hung. When it is swung counterclockwise at 30 and collided with the cap 20, the cap 20 is detached from the back cover 18, and there is the above-mentioned danger due to leaving the hole open. It may be judged and not authorized.

The present invention provides a hole closing structure for an exterior cover in which a hole opened in an exterior cover of an OA device such as an image forming apparatus, a printing machine, and a copying machine is closed with a cap member, and even if force is applied to the cap member from the outside. It is an object of the present invention to provide a hole closing structure for an exterior cover that can prevent the cap member from being removed from the hole in the configuration and can contribute to an improvement in safety.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an outer cover hole closing structure that can suppress an increase in cost due to an increase in the number of components and can suppress an appearance of a cap member that forms a part of the outer cover.

  In order to achieve the above object, according to the first aspect of the present invention, the cap member is provided with a hole formed in the exterior cover of the apparatus to be used, and a cap member that temporarily closes the hole. Is a hole closing structure of the exterior cover provided so as to be removable by being separated or pushed into the exterior cover, and on the inner surface of the cap member located on the inner side of the exterior cover, the cap member is attached to the cap member. When a force is applied from the outside, it has a convex portion that abuts on a device constituent member existing inside the exterior cover and supports the cap member.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the outer cover hole closing structure according to the first aspect, the cap member is connected to the outer cover at a plurality of thin connecting portions and is integrally formed with the outer cover. And
According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the outer cover hole closing structure according to the second aspect, the convex portion is integrally formed with the cap member and the outer cover.
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the outer cover hole closing structure according to the second or third aspect, the connecting portion protrudes inward from the inner side of the outer cover so as to be cut off, and also serves as the convex portion. And

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the hole closing structure of the outer cover according to the fourth aspect, there is no gap between the hole and the cap member (a range in which the mold insert is not damaged). It is characterized by.
In the invention of claim 6, in the hole closing structure of the exterior cover according to any one of claims 2 to 5, a rib for suppressing a weld line during molding is formed on the inner surface of the cap member, The rib also serves as the convex portion.
According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, in the outer cover hole closing structure according to any one of the first to sixth aspects, the device constituent member is a connector mounting bracket.

According to the present invention, the cap member that temporarily closes the hole of the exterior cover can be supported with a simple configuration. Therefore, the cap member can be prevented from falling off when an external force is applied to the cap member, and safety can be improved.
Further, the appearance of the cap member due to the generation of the weld line can be suppressed, and the configuration can be simplified by using the rib as a convex portion.
In addition, the cutting operation of the connecting portion can be facilitated, and the appearance of the exterior cover can be suppressed from being inferior by reducing the gap between the hole and the cap member.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
First, a first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. The same parts as those of the above-described conventional example are denoted by the same reference numerals, and unless otherwise specified, the description of the configuration and functions already described is omitted, and only the main parts will be described (the same applies to other embodiments below).
FIG. 1 is a view of a back cover 25 that forms a part of an exterior cover used in the OA device 1 and the like shown in FIG. 14, and FIG. 2 is a view of the back cover 25 viewed from the outside.
A hole 26 formed to be used in the side plate 25a of the back cover 25 is connected to a plurality of thin bridge-shaped connecting portions 27 so that a flat cap member 28 is flush with the side plate 25a. It has been.
At the four corners of the inner surface of the cap member 28 located on the inner side of the back cover 25, columnar convex portions 29 that protrude substantially horizontally toward the inner side of the back cover 25 are formed.
The back cover 25, the connecting portion 27, the cap member 28, and the convex portion 29 are integrally formed by resin molding.

As shown in FIG. 3 (horizontal sectional view in a state where the back cover 25 including the cap member 28 is set in the OA device main body), the convex portion 29 has a tip at the front surface (opposing surface) 11a of the connector mounting bracket 11. Has a protruding length in contact with or in close proximity.
For this reason, even if a force 30 that pushes the cap member 28 inward from the outside of the cap member 28 is applied, the cap member 28 is supported by the convex portion 29 that is in contact with the front surface 11a of the connector mounting bracket 11. The portion 27 is not damaged and the cap member 28 is not detached from the hole 26.
That is, the cap member 28 abuts on the connector mounting bracket 11 as a device constituent member via the convex portion 29 and has structural rigidity with respect to the external force 30.
FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an operation of separating the cap member 28 from the hole 26. The tip of the nipper 22 is inserted into the gap between the cap member 28 and the side plate 25a from the outside of the back cover 25, and each connecting portion 27 is cut.
By separating the cap member 28, the convex portion 29 that is integral with the cap member 28 is also removed, and as shown in FIG. 3, a gap 31 necessary for connector attachment is secured.
By utilizing the fact that the cap member 28 is backed up by the convex portion 29, the thickness (strength) of the connecting portion 27 can be removed by pushing the cap member 28 with a finger or the like without using a tool such as the nipper 22. It can also be set to a degree.

In the present embodiment, the convex portion 29 is integrally formed with the cap member 28. However, the convex portion 29 may be attached to the cap member 28 as a separate member.
Further, although the exterior cover (back cover 25) and the cap member 28 are integrally formed, the cap member 28 may be attached to the exterior cover by means such as adhesion.

A second embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.
As shown in FIG. 5, ribs 33 that extend diagonally and intersect and protrude inward are integrally formed on the inner surface of the cap member 32 in the present embodiment. The rib 33 suppresses generation of a weld line that is a molding defect that causes a decrease in the appearance and strength of the cap member 32, and also functions as a convex portion.
FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining the generation of a weld line 34 that is a molding defect. When molding is performed using a mold, the melted resin P flows into the cap member 32 from the flow path at the site of the connecting portion 27 (FIGS. 6A and 6B). Since the temperature of the resin starts to solidify at the front end of the resin that flows in, the front ends of the resin do not melt together, and a line is generated in the appearance (FIG. 6C). This line is a weld line 34.

As a countermeasure for weld lines that are defective in molding, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of weld lines by providing ribs in the weld line part, or to reduce the degree from clear lines to inconspicuous lines, extreme weld lines It is known to prevent a decrease in strength of the part. When the rib is provided, the resin whose temperature starts to be lowered and flows into the rib shape flows into the rib shape. Therefore, the melted resin whose temperature is not lowered can easily flow on the surface, thereby suppressing the generation of weld lines.
In the present embodiment, by utilizing this forming characteristic, the rib 33 suppresses the generation of the weld line and the rib 33 itself has the function of the convex portion 29.
FIG. 7 is a horizontal cross-sectional view of the state in which the back cover 25 including the cap member 32 is set in the OA device main body. The rib 33 plays the same role as the convex portion 29 in the first embodiment. That is, since the rib 33 contacts the front surface 11 a of the connector mounting bracket 11, the cap member 32 is backed up by the rib 33 against an impact from the outside. Thereby, the connecting portion 27 is not damaged, and the cap member 32 is not detached from the back cover 25.

A third embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.
As shown in FIG. 8, in this embodiment, a plurality of C-shaped connecting portions 36 projecting inward of the back cover 25 are integrally formed across the inner surface of the cap member 35 and the inner surface of the side plate 25 a. The connecting portion 36 is formed from the viewpoint of facilitating cutting with a nipper or the like.
The advantages of this embodiment over the method of forming the connecting portion in the space (gap) between the hole and the cap member will be described below.
FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an operation of cutting the connecting portion 27 shown in FIG.
The connecting portion 27 is installed between the inner surface A of the back cover 25 and the thickness t of the back cover 25, so that foreign matter does not enter the gap g between the back cover 25 and the integrally formed cap member 28. Narrow is desirable. Since the gap g affects the appearance of the back cover 25 of the OA device 1, the smaller the gap g, the better.
When the gap g is narrow, when cutting the connecting portion 27, the nipper 22 cannot be cut at a time, and as shown in FIG. 9A, the nipper 22 is inserted from the inner surface A side, and the connecting portion 27 is cut in half. Then, as shown in FIG. 9B, the laborious work of inserting the nipper 22 from the outer surface B side and cutting the remaining half of the connecting portion 27 is performed.

10 and 11 are diagrams illustrating an operation of cutting the connecting portion 36 according to the present embodiment with the nipper 22.
The connecting portion 36 is cut from the inside of the back cover 25. In this cutting operation, it is not necessary to put the tip of the nipper 22 into the gap between the cap member 28 and the hole 26, and the connecting portion 36 can be cut at a broken line CL in a wide space inside the back cover 25 at a time.
Since the gap g between the cap member 28 and the hole 26 is irrelevant to the cutting operation by the nipper 22, the gap g is within a range in which the cap member 35 can be removed from the side plate 25a after cutting the connecting portion 36. In addition, the mold can be reduced as long as the insert of the mold is not damaged.
FIG. 12 shows a state where the connecting portion 36 is cut and the cap member 35 is separated from the back cover 25.
FIG. 13 is a horizontal sectional view of a state in which the back cover 25 integrally provided with the cap member 35 is set on the OA device main body. Since the connection part 36 protrudes inside, it plays the role similar to the convex part 29 in 1st Embodiment. That is, since the connecting portion 36 contacts the front surface 11 a of the connector mounting bracket 11, the cap member 35 is backed up by the connecting portion 36 against an impact from the outside.
Thereby, the connection part 36 is not damaged, and the cap member 35 is not detached from the back cover 25.

It is the principal part perspective view which looked at the inner side which shows the hole closing structure of the exterior cover which concerns on the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is the principal part perspective view seen from the outer side. It is a general | schematic horizontal sectional view when an exterior cover is set to the apparatus main body. It is a perspective view which shows the operation | movement which cuts off a cap member. It is the principal part perspective view which looked at the inner side which shows the hole closing structure of the exterior cover which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. It is a process figure which shows the generation state of the weld line at the time of shaping | molding. It is a general | schematic horizontal sectional view when an exterior cover is set to the apparatus main body. It is the principal part perspective view which looked at the inner side which shows the hole closing structure of the exterior cover which concerns on 3rd Embodiment. It is a horizontal sectional view showing cap member separation operation at the time of providing a connection part in a crevice between a hole and a cap member. It is a perspective view which shows the operation | movement which cuts off the cap member which concerns on 3rd Embodiment. It is a horizontal sectional view showing the state before cutting of a connecting part in the separation operation of a cap member concerning a 3rd embodiment. It is a perspective view in the state where a cap member concerning a 3rd embodiment was cut off. It is a general | schematic horizontal sectional view when an exterior cover is set to the apparatus main body. It is a perspective view which shows the attachment state of the option goods in OA equipment. It is a perspective view which shows the attachment state of the bracket for connector attachment etc. in OA apparatus. It is a perspective view which shows the positional relationship of the hole of the exterior cover in the past, and the connector by the side of OA apparatus. It is the horizontal sectional view. It is a perspective view which shows the positional relationship of the connector of an option goods side, and the hole of an exterior cover. It is a figure which shows the bundling relationship between the option goods and the harness connector provided in the inner side of an exterior cover. It is a perspective view which shows that the hole is an open state in the exterior cover of OA equipment. It is a horizontal sectional view which shows the state which put the finger | toe from the hole of the exterior cover. It is a perspective view of the prior art example which plugs the hole of an exterior cover with a screwing type cap. It is a horizontal sectional view in the state where the exterior cover was set. It is a perspective view of the prior art example which plugs the cap of an engaging claw system into the hole of an exterior cover. It is a horizontal sectional view in the state where the exterior cover was set. It is a perspective view of the prior art example of the system which integrally molds an exterior cover and a cap. It is a horizontal sectional view in the state where the exterior cover was set. It is a perspective view which shows the operation | movement which cuts off a cap in the exterior cover. In OA equipment which has the exterior cover, it is a perspective view showing the state where an object hits a cap and a cap removed. It is a perspective view which shows the iron ball collision test in a safety standard in OA apparatus which has the exterior cover.

Explanation of symbols

11 Connector mounting bracket 25 Exterior cover 26 Hole 27, 36 Connecting portion 28, 32, 35 Cap member 29 Convex portion 33 Rib

Claims (7)

A hole formed in the exterior cover of the apparatus intended to be used and a cap member that temporarily closes the hole, the cap member being provided so as to be removable by detaching or pushing into the exterior cover In the closed cover hole closing structure,
The cap member is brought into contact with an inner surface of the outer cover of the cap member when a force is applied to the cap member from the outer side of the outer cover so that the cap member is in contact with an apparatus constituent member existing on the inner side of the outer cover. A structure for closing a hole in an exterior cover, characterized by having a convex portion to support. In the hole closing structure of the exterior cover according to claim 1,
The cap cover is connected to the outer cover at a plurality of thin connecting portions, and is integrally formed with the outer cover. In the outer cover hole closing structure according to claim 2,
A hole closing structure for an exterior cover, wherein the convex portion is integrally formed with the cap member and the exterior cover. In the hole closing structure of the exterior cover according to claim 2 or 3,
The joint cover has a hole closing structure, wherein the joint portion protrudes inwardly so as to be cut out from the inside of the exterior cover, and also serves as the convex portion. In the outer cover hole closing structure according to claim 4,
A hole closing structure for an outer cover, wherein the outer cover is set to have almost no gap between the hole and the cap member. In the hole closing structure of the exterior cover according to any one of claims 2 to 5,
A hole closing structure for an exterior cover, wherein a rib for suppressing a weld line during molding is formed on an inner surface of the cap member, and the rib also serves as the convex portion. In the hole closing structure of the exterior cover according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
A hole closing structure for an outer cover, wherein the device constituent member is a connector mounting bracket.

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