JP2009161184A - Image forming apparatus and its packing method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a packing method for reducing the configuration of a package by arranging a separately packed operating part in a dead space formed of a top board of an image forming apparatus body and an automatic document transfer unit, and to provide an image forming apparatus packed by the packing method. <P>SOLUTION: In the packing method for the image forming apparatus for transporting the image forming apparatus equipped with the automatic document transfer unit and a freely removable operating part in the same pack, the packing method for the image forming apparatus is characterized in that the operating part is packed in an individual packing member, and arranged on the top board on the front side of the image forming apparatus and in the space generated from a step in the height direction between the automatic document transfer unit placed on the top board and the top board. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an electrophotographic image forming apparatus such as a copying machine or a printer, and more particularly to a packaging method for an image forming apparatus that transports a detachable operation unit in a bundle and an image forming apparatus to which the packaging method is applied.

  An image forming apparatus having a functional portion protruding from the apparatus main body can be seen in a copying machine, a printer or the like equipped with an automatic document feeder ADF (Automatic Document Feeder).

  In recent years, image forming apparatuses having an operation panel that can be detached from the main body of the apparatus have started to be shipped, and in the future, it is expected that copiers, printers, etc., which are separate operation parts will become common. Is done.

  In the case of this type of image forming apparatus, as shown in FIG. 6, the operation unit is set in a relatively small package box, and the package box is placed on the pallet (via the lower plate). It is arrange | positioned at the back part of the mounted apparatus main body, and it has the form which covers a packaging box of an apparatus main body from the top by applying a block to several places inside. In such a packing form, the packing size increases as a whole, and extra space is transported. In addition, when the volume of a container serving as a transportation means is taken into account, the load quantity may decrease.

  FIG. 6 is a view of the image forming apparatus main body packed with a conventional packing member as viewed from the right side.

Conventionally, in order to eliminate such extra space as much as possible, a paper reversing type mechanism has been adopted so that the paper feed and paper discharge mechanism partially overhangs from the main body of the device and fits within the width and depth of the main body of the device. In addition, the reading mechanism is arranged in such a manner that the longitudinal direction of the document placing portion is oriented along the width direction of the apparatus housing, and the operation portion is arranged in front of the reading mechanism, thereby reducing the packing size at the time of shipment. An image forming apparatus that reduces the installation space has been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
JP 2005-252892 A

  The present invention provides a packing method for reducing the packing form of the apparatus main body by arranging an operation unit separately packed in a dead space formed by the top plate of the image forming apparatus main body and the automatic document feeder, and packing by the packing method An object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus.

  The above object is achieved by the following configuration.

  (1) In a packaging method of an image forming apparatus for transporting an image forming apparatus including an automatic document feeder and a detachable operation unit in a bundle, the operation unit is packed in an independent packing member, It is arranged on a top plate on the front side of the image forming apparatus, and in a space generated by a step in the height direction between the automatic document feeder and the top plate placed on the top plate. Image forming apparatus packaging method.

  (2) In a method of packing an image forming apparatus for transporting an image forming apparatus including an automatic document feeder and a detachable operation unit in a bundle, the operation unit is packed in an independent packing member, and the packing is performed. A method for packing an image forming apparatus, wherein a part of the member is inserted into a gap between a document tray and a paper discharge tray of the automatic document feeder.

  (3) An image forming apparatus which is packed by the packing method of (1) or (2).

  The packaging box of the image forming apparatus can be reduced, the floating of the automatic document feeder can be prevented during transportation, and the packaging member of the operation unit can be prevented from falling, thereby enabling stable transportation.

  FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an image forming apparatus packed by the packing method according to the present embodiment.

  In FIG. 1, an image forming apparatus A includes an automatic document feeder ADF, an apparatus main body A1, an operation panel OB that is an operation unit for operating driving of the apparatus main body A1, and the like.

  Next, the apparatus main body A1 includes an image reading device 1, a control unit 2, an image writing device 3, an image forming unit 4, a paper feed tray 5, a transport unit 6, a fixing device 7, a paper discharge unit 8, a re-transport unit 8A, and the like. It consists of

  The optical system of the image reading apparatus 1 includes an exposure unit 14 including a light source and a first mirror, a V mirror unit 15 including a second mirror and a third mirror, a lens 16, and a CCD image sensor 17.

  Document reading by the automatic document feeder ADF is performed at a position where the exposure unit 14 is stopped at the initial position below the slit exposure glass 13. The details of document conveyance by the automatic document conveyance device ADF will be described later.

  Reading a document on the platen glass 11 is performed while moving the exposure unit 14 and the V mirror unit 15.

  The image information of the original image read by the image reading apparatus 1 is subjected to image processing by the control means 2, converted into a signal as image data, and temporarily stored in the memory. Output light from a semiconductor laser (not shown) included in the image writing unit 3 is applied to the photosensitive drum 21 which is a photosensitive member to form an electrostatic latent image.

  In the image forming unit 4, the surface of the photosensitive drum 21 is charged by the charger 22, and an electrostatic latent image is formed by irradiation of laser light from the semiconductor laser of the image writing unit 3.

  Next, the developing device 23 develops the electrostatic latent image with toner to form a toner image. The toner image is transferred onto the paper P conveyed from the paper feed tray 5 by the transfer device 29A. The sheet P on which the toner image is transferred is peeled off from the surface of the photosensitive drum 21 by the separator 29B. Thereafter, the transfer residual toner on the photosensitive drum 21 is removed by the cleaning device 26. The sheet P on which the toner image has been transferred is conveyed by the conveying means 6, fixed by the fixing device 7 by the heating roller 71 and the pressure roller 72, and conveyed by the paper discharging means 8 to the paper discharge tray 81 outside the apparatus. .

  In the case of duplex copying, the paper P on which the image has been formed on the first surface is sent to the re-conveying means 8A by the conveying path switching plate 82, reversed, and again after image formation on the second surface in the image creating unit 4 Then, the paper is conveyed by a paper discharge means 8 to a paper discharge tray 81 outside the apparatus.

  The present invention provides a step between the automatic document feeder ADF and the apparatus main body A1 when the operation panel OB which can be removed from the apparatus main body A1 is bundled with the image forming apparatus A on which the automatic document feeder ADF is placed. This relates to a packaging method for the image forming apparatus A, in which the dead space generated in the above is used as a storage location for the automatic document feeder ADF.

  Hereinafter, document conveyance of the automatic document feeder ADF will be described with reference to FIG.

  FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of the automatic document feeder shown in FIG.

  FIG. 2A shows a cross section of the automatic document feeder viewed from the front side.

  In FIG. 2A, the automatic document feeder ADF is placed at a predetermined position on the top plate 10 above the apparatus main body A1, and can be opened and closed from the document table glass 11 (top plate 10) via a hinge (not shown). It has become. The document tray a can be rotated by a predetermined angle with a support shaft a1 supported by a support member (not shown) as a fulcrum, and the inclination angle of the document tray a can be changed. The document with the document surface set upward is fed by the feed roller b and the separating roller b1, and is read by the exposure slit 14 while being transported by the transport drum e and the guide roller e1. Thereafter, the paper is fed by the guide roller e2 and discharged from the paper discharge roller e3 to the paper discharge tray f.

  Conventionally, the image forming apparatus A1 equipped with the automatic document feeder ADF as described above has been conventionally operated on an operation panel disposed on the front side substantially on the same plane as the top plate 10. As described above, in recent years, the detachable operation panel OB has begun to be shipped together with the image forming apparatus, and the rear side is arranged by arranging the box 90 of the operation panel OB on the back side of the apparatus as shown in FIG. As a result, the entire packaging volume increases.

  According to the present invention, the operation panel OB that can be removed while keeping the entire packing volume as it is is used as a part of the packing member of the operation panel OB by utilizing the extra space (dead space) generated in the conventional packing state. Is inserted into the gap between the document tray and the paper discharge tray of the automatic document feeder and is stabilized by being clamped, and can be transported together with the image forming apparatus.

  That is, there is a step in the height direction with respect to the top plate 10 around the automatic document feeder ADF, and if the packaging box 9 is covered during transportation, dead spaces (extra space) S1, S2, etc. are generated. The enclosure of the operation panel OB can be stored in a predetermined place in these spaces.

  FIG. 2B illustrates a state in which the operation panel OB is housed in the bundling box and is disposed in the space S1 as viewed from the arrow X side in FIG.

  FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an operation panel for operating the image forming apparatus.

  In FIG. 3, the operation panel OB has a liquid crystal screen t1, a numeric keypad t2, a start button t3, and the like, and is detachable from the apparatus main body A1 via a mounting arm t4 (see FIG. 1). The communication cable t5 is always connected to the apparatus main body A1.

  FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a bundling box containing the operation panel.

  In FIG. 4, the box 90 is made of hard corrugated cardboard, and includes a storage portion 90A and a support portion 90B which is a part of the packing material. The operation panel OB has a liquid crystal screen t1 on the storage portion 90A. On the other hand, the communication cable t5 is housed in the state indicated by the dotted line in FIG. 2, and the communication cable t5 is exposed to the outside through the notch hole w1.

  FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a packaging state in which the enclosure of the operation panel is arranged in a dead space and covered with the packaging box.

  In FIG. 5, the packaging box 90, which is an independent packaging member that houses the operation panel OB, has a housing portion 90A located in the dead space S1, and a support portion 90B that is a part of the packaging member in the lowest position. The package box 90 is held in a gap w2 between a document tray a and a paper discharge tray f, and due to the weight of the operation panel OB, the package box 90 is prevented from dropping from an unstable state during transportation. In addition, the automatic document feeder ADF can be prevented from floating. In this state, the entire packaging box 9 is covered to cover the whole and is omitted in FIG. 5, but the lower part of the packaging box 9 has a configuration as shown in FIG.

  As described above, the communication cable t5 coming out of the notch hole w1 can be packed in a state in which it is always connected to the image forming apparatus main body, and is directly connected to the control unit 2, so that it is not necessary to bother to connect it during installation. Can shorten the installation time. In addition, a block member (not shown) for buffering the operation panel OB is placed in the bundling box 90, and also between the packing box 9, the apparatus main body A1 and the automatic document feeder ADF. A block member is disposed.

  As described above, in the dead space formed when the apparatus main body A1 and the automatic document feeder ADF are packed in the packing box 9, the packing box containing the operation panel OB and the like is arranged, and a part of the packing box is placed on the document tray. By inserting and pinching it in the gap between the paper tray and the paper discharge tray, there is no need to increase the volume of the packing box 9 for placement on the back side of the apparatus body as in the prior art, and the automatic document feeder ADF during transportation is used. Can be prevented, and the enclosure box can be prevented from falling, and stable transportation can be achieved. In addition, since it can be packed with the communication cable connected, there is an advantage that an effect of saving labor during installation can be obtained.

It is a figure which shows the image forming apparatus packed with the packing method in this Embodiment. FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of the automatic document feeder in FIG. 1. 2 is a perspective view of an operation panel for operating the image forming apparatus. FIG. It is a figure which shows the bundling box which accommodated the operation panel. It is a perspective view of the packing state which has arrange | positioned the enclosure box of an operation panel in dead space, and covered the packaging box. It is the figure which looked at the image forming apparatus main body of the state packed with the conventional packing member from the right side surface.

Explanation of symbols

9 Packing box 10 Top plate 90 Bundled box A Image forming apparatus A1 Apparatus main body ADF Automatic document feeder OB Operation panel S1, S2 Dead space a Document tray f Discharge tray

Claims (4)

In an image forming apparatus packaging method for transporting an image forming apparatus including an automatic document feeder and a detachable operation unit in a bundle, the operation unit is packed in an independent packing member, and the image formation is performed. An image forming apparatus comprising: a top plate on a front surface side of the apparatus; and a space formed by a step in a height direction between the automatic document feeder and the top plate placed on the top plate. How to pack the device. In an image forming apparatus packaging method for transporting an image forming apparatus including an automatic document feeder and a detachable operation unit in a bundle, the operation unit is packed in an independent packing member, A method for packing an image forming apparatus, wherein a part is inserted into a gap between a document tray and a paper discharge tray of the automatic document feeder. 3. The image forming apparatus packaging method according to claim 1, wherein the operation unit is packaged in a state of being connected to a main body of the image forming apparatus through a communication cable. An image forming apparatus that is packed by the packing method according to claim 1.

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