JP2020013040A - Image forming apparatus and method for supporting adjustment work of image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

To reliably reproduce an attitude state during machine assembly during installation of an apparatus.SOLUTION: An image forming apparatus comprises: a housing; and a plurality of built-in units in which the mutual positional relationship changes according to the attitude state of the housing, and after the plurality of built-in units are fixed inside the housing and assembled, the image forming apparatus is installed at a predetermined place. The image forming apparatus includes an attitude state recording unit, such as a laser level or a pendulum that allows recording of the attitude state of the housing during the assembly, and the attitude of the housing is adjusted during the installation by using casters, with marks recorded by the attitude state recording unit as standards.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 10

Description

  The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus and an adjustment operation support method for the image forming apparatus, and more particularly, to an image forming apparatus in which a plurality of built-in units whose relative positions change in accordance with a posture state of a housing are fixed in a housing, and The present invention relates to an adjustment work support method for supporting an adjustment work when installing the image forming apparatus.

  2. Description of the Related Art Image forming apparatuses such as MFPs (Multi-Functional Peripherals) have become larger and heavier as printing speeds have increased. Therefore, the housing holding the built-in unit is distorted, and the position of the built-in unit is moved or tilted.

  Since the distortion of the housing changes according to the posture state (inclination) of the MFP, the position and inclination of the built-in unit also change according to the posture state. In addition, the relative position and inclination of the built-in unit vary due to variations in the posture of the MFP during mechanical assembly. Therefore, when installing the MFP, it is necessary to individually adjust the built-in units one by one. In particular, in an electrophotographic system in which a photosensitive drum is irradiated with a laser beam to form a latent image, the positional relationship between the photosensitive drum and a plurality of built-in units such as an exposure device (PH: Print Head) must be precisely adjusted. Therefore, there is a problem that it takes time to perform the adjustment work at the time of installation.

  Regarding such a technique for detecting the inclination of the MFP, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2003-133873 discloses a detection unit that detects the inclination of the image forming apparatus main body based on the presence or absence of electrical conduction, and a notification that notifies a detection result by the detection unit. An image forming apparatus with a level provided with a level as means is disclosed.

  Further, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H11-163,097 includes a carrier on which a toner image is carried, a transfer unit for transferring the toner image carried on the carrier onto a recording material, and the carrier and the transfer unit. A main body installed on a predetermined installation surface, a detector for detecting a state of the main body other than the inclination of the main body with respect to the installation surface, and an installation surface of the main body based on a detection result of the detector. An image forming apparatus including an inclination detecting unit that detects an inclination with respect to the image forming apparatus is disclosed.

JP-A-64-40855 JP 2006-215091 A

  As described above, the position and inclination of the built-in unit change depending on the posture state of the MFP (that is, the posture state of the housing). Required. Therefore, it is important to reproduce the posture state at the time of installation when the machine is assembled. However, even if the MFP is installed horizontally by using the conventional technology, the posture state at the time of assembling the machine cannot be reproduced, so that the position and inclination of the built-in unit are different from those at the time of assembling. In particular, if the positional relationship between the photosensitive drum and the exposure device changes, image inclination occurs, and the image must be checked repeatedly by printing many times. Has become one.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and a main object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus capable of reliably reproducing a posture state at the time of installation when a machine is assembled, and an adjustment work support for the image forming apparatus. It is to provide a method.

  One aspect of the present invention includes a housing, and a plurality of built-in units whose positional relationship changes with each other according to a posture state of the housing, and assembles the plurality of built-in units in the housing by fixing the plurality of built-in units. After that, the image forming apparatus installed at a predetermined place includes an attitude state recording unit that can record an attitude state of the housing at the time of the assembling, and a mark recorded by the attitude state recording unit at the time of the installation. By adjusting the posture of the housing with reference to the above, the posture state of the housing at the time of the assembling is reproduced.

  One aspect of the present invention is an adjustment work support method for an image forming apparatus, comprising: a housing; and a plurality of built-in units whose positional relationship changes according to a posture state of the housing. An assembling step of fixing the plurality of built-in units to the image forming apparatus, a recording step of recording a posture state of the housing at the time of the assembling, and placing the image forming apparatus after the assembly in a predetermined place. Performing an installation step of installing, and in the installation step, the attitude state of the housing at the time of assembly is reproduced by adjusting the attitude of the housing based on the mark recorded in the recording step. It is characterized by doing.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to the image forming apparatus and the adjustment work support method of the image forming apparatus of the present invention, it is possible to reliably reproduce the posture state at the time of installation when the machine is assembled.

  The reason is that a housing and a plurality of built-in units whose relative positions change according to the posture state of the housing are provided. In the image forming apparatus to be installed in, the posture state recording unit that can record the posture state of the housing at the time of assembly is provided, at the time of installation, using a caster or the like, based on the mark recorded by the posture state recording unit This is because the posture of the housing is adjusted.

FIG. 1 is a front view illustrating an example of a structure of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a mounting structure of a built-in unit of the image forming apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a front view and a side view schematically showing the arrangement of the built-in units in the image forming apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a side view schematically illustrating a posture state of the image forming apparatus during mechanical assembly and installation (in a case where the image forming apparatus is inclined during installation). FIG. 4 is a side view schematically illustrating a posture state of the image forming apparatus during mechanical assembly and installation (when inclined during mechanical assembly). FIG. 9 is a side view schematically illustrating a posture state (another example in a case where the image forming apparatus is inclined at the time of mechanical assembly) during mechanical assembly and installation of the image forming apparatus. FIG. 2 is a side view schematically illustrating the posture states of the image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention during mechanical assembly, installation (before adjustment), and installation (after adjustment). FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a deviation of a marking position between the time of mechanical assembly and the time of installation of the image forming apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating a method for preventing the influence of unevenness on the floor surface when installing the image forming apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating a posture state recording unit provided in the image forming apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention. It is a figure explaining the adjustment method of the posture state using the laser beam concerning one example of the present invention. It is a figure explaining the adjustment method of the posture state using the pendulum concerning one example of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a procedure for adjusting a posture state in the image forming apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention.

  As described in the background art, image forming apparatuses such as MFPs have become larger and heavier as the printing speed has increased. Therefore, the housing holding the built-in unit is distorted, and the position of the built-in unit is moved or tilted.

  Since the distortion of the housing changes according to the posture state of the MFP, the position and inclination of the built-in unit also change according to the posture state. For example, a built-in unit (for example, a photosensitive drum, a charging device, and a developing device) disposed near the center of the apparatus when viewed from the front due to a change in the posture state, and a built-in unit disposed near the end of the apparatus. The degree of parallelism with a unit (for example, an exposure apparatus) changes. Since the change in the position and the inclination of the built-in unit disposed with reference to the rotation axis of the photosensitive drum is a change in the relative position and the inclination between the photosensitive drum and the exposure device (PH), the image position to be printed is changed. It also shifts.

  In addition, the relative position and inclination of the built-in unit vary due to variations in the posture of the MFP during mechanical assembly. For example, the housing of the MFP is not always assembled perpendicularly to the floor due to assembly variations. In addition, the arrangement between the photosensitive drum and the built-in units such as the exposure apparatus (PH) also varies from machine to machine due to variations in component dimensions, postures, and distortions caused by these.

  For this reason, when installing the MFP, it is necessary to individually adjust the built-in units one by one, and it takes time to perform the adjustment work. In order to simplify the individual adjustment work at the time of installation, it is important to reproduce the posture state at the time of installation when the machine is assembled. Since the posture state at the time cannot be reproduced, the position and inclination of the built-in unit are different from those at the time of assembly. In particular, if the positional relationship between the photosensitive drum and the exposure device changes, the image will be tilted, and the image must be confirmed by repeating printing many times.

  Therefore, in an embodiment of the present invention, the posture state at the time of machine assembly can be reproduced at the time of installation. Specifically, a housing and a plurality of built-in units whose relative positions change according to the posture state of the housing are provided, and after a plurality of built-in units are fixed and assembled in the housing, a predetermined In an image forming apparatus installed in a place, a posture level recording unit such as a laser level and a pendulum that enables recording of the posture state of the housing at the time of assembly (synonymous at the time of mechanical assembly) is provided, and at the time of installation, a caster or the like is used Then, the posture of the housing is adjusted based on the mark recorded by the posture state recording unit.

  For example, since the positional relationship between the top plate and the bottom plate clearly indicates the posture state of the housing, a laser level or a pendulum is used as the posture state recording unit, and during assembly, laser light is emitted from a predetermined position on the top plate in the direction of gravity. The irradiation position of the laser beam on the bottom plate and the pointing position of the pendulum are recorded by irradiating or hanging the pendulum. Then, at the time of installation, similarly, irradiate the laser light or hang the pendulum, and adjust the posture of the housing so that the irradiation position of the laser light and the designated position of the pendulum match the position recorded on the bottom plate Then, the posture state at the time of assembly is reproduced.

  In order to explain the above-described embodiment of the present invention in more detail, an image forming apparatus and an adjustment work supporting method of the image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. . FIG. 1 is a front view showing an example of the structure of the image forming apparatus of the present embodiment, FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a mounting structure of a built-in unit, and FIG. It is a front view and a side view schematically shown. FIGS. 4 to 6 are side views schematically showing postures of the image forming apparatus during mechanical assembly and installation. FIG. 7 is a side view illustrating the image forming apparatus according to the present embodiment during mechanical assembly and installation. It is a side view which shows typically the attitude | position state at the time of (before adjustment) and at the time of installation (after adjustment). FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a deviation of a marking position between the mechanical assembly and the installation of the image forming apparatus. FIG. 9 shows a method for preventing the influence of unevenness of the floor surface when the image forming apparatus is installed. It is a schematic diagram. FIG. 10 is a perspective view illustrating a posture state recording unit provided in the image forming apparatus according to the present embodiment. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating a method of adjusting the posture state using a laser beam. FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining a method of adjusting a posture state using a slash. FIG. 13 is a flowchart illustrating a procedure for adjusting a posture state in the image forming apparatus according to the present embodiment.

  Hereinafter, an image forming apparatus will be described as an example of an apparatus to which the adjustment work support method according to the present embodiment is applied. This image forming apparatus forms an image by superimposing colors on paper based on image data obtained by reading a document or image data input from an external information device via a communication network.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the image forming apparatus includes a housing 11 serving as a skeleton, an adjustment unit 12 for adjusting the posture of the housing 11, yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C), and black. The photoconductor drum 20, the charging device 30, the exposure device 40, the developing device 50, the cleaning device 60, the primary transfer roller 70, the intermediate transfer unit 80, the fixing device 90, and the like are provided corresponding to the four colors (K). And a plurality of built-in units. Then, after a plurality of built-in units are fixed and assembled in the housing 11, they are transported to a predetermined place and installed. Hereinafter, each component will be described.

  The housing 11 includes a plurality of columns extending in the horizontal direction and the vertical direction, plate members (a top plate, a bottom plate, a side plate, and the like) fixed to the plurality of columns, and fixed members for fixing each built-in unit to the columns and the plate members. It is composed of members and the like. A posture state recording unit such as a laser level and a pendulum that enables recording of the posture state of the housing 11 (hereinafter, simply referred to as posture state) is attached to the housing 11 (for example, a top plate). This posture state recording unit will be described later.

  The adjustment unit 12 is a caster or a level foot having a height adjustment function, and is arranged at a predetermined position (for example, at four corners) of the bottom plate of the housing 11.

  The photosensitive drum 20 of each color component Y, M, C, K has an organic photosensitive layer (OPC) provided with an overcoat layer as a protective layer on the outer peripheral surface of a cylindrical metal base made of aluminum material. Image carrier. The photosensitive drum 20 is rotated in a counterclockwise direction in FIG. 1 by being driven by an intermediate transfer belt described later in a grounded state.

  The charging device 30 for each of the color components Y, M, C, and K is of a scorotron type, and is disposed close to the corresponding photosensitive drum 20 with its longitudinal direction along the rotation axis direction of the photosensitive drum 20. Thus, a uniform potential is applied to the surface of the photosensitive drum 20 by corona discharge having the same polarity as the toner.

  The exposure device 40 for each of the color components Y, M, C, and K scans in parallel with the rotation axis of the photosensitive drum 20 using, for example, a polygon mirror or the like, and forms image data on the uniformly charged surface of the photosensitive drum 20. The electrostatic latent image is formed by performing image exposure on the basis of.

  The developing device 50 for each of the color components Y, M, C, and K contains a two-component developer composed of a toner having a small particle diameter of the corresponding color component and a magnetic material, and is disposed close to the corresponding photosensitive drum 20. The developer is conveyed to the surface of the photosensitive drum 20, and the electrostatic latent image carried on the photosensitive drum 20 is visualized by the developer.

  The primary transfer rollers 70 of the respective color components Y, M, C, and K press the intermediate transfer belt against the photosensitive drum 20 and superimpose the respective color toner images formed on the corresponding photosensitive drum 20 sequentially to form a primary transfer on the intermediate transfer belt. Transcribe.

  The cleaning device 60 for each of the color components Y, M, C, and K is disposed close to the corresponding photoconductor drum 20, and collects residual toner remaining on the photoconductor drum 20 after the primary transfer. A lubricant application mechanism (not shown) is provided adjacent to the cleaning device 60 on the downstream side in the rotation direction of the photosensitive drum 20, and applies a lubricant to the photosensitive surface of the photosensitive drum 20.

  The intermediate transfer unit 80 includes an endless intermediate transfer belt 81 serving as a transfer object, a support roller 82, a secondary transfer roller 83, and the like. The intermediate transfer belt 81 is stretched around a plurality of support rollers 82. . When the intermediate transfer belt 81 on which the toner images of each color are primarily transferred by the primary transfer rollers 70Y, 70M, 70C, and 70K is pressed against the sheet by the secondary transfer roller 83, the toner image is secondarily transferred to the sheet, and the fixing device 90.

  The fixing device 90 includes a heating roller 91 and a fixing roller 92 serving as heat sources, and a fixing belt 93 and a pressure roller 94 wrapped around the heat roller 91 and the pressure roller 94. The pressure roller 94 is pressed against the fixing roller 92 via the fixing belt 93. The press contact portion forms a nip portion. Then, the paper passing through the nip is heated and pressed by the fixing belt 93 heated by the heating roller 91 and the respective rollers, thereby fixing the unfixed toner image formed on the paper.

  The sheet on which the toner image has been fixed by the fixing device 90 is discharged to a discharge tray outside the apparatus by a discharge device having a discharge roller.

  Of the above components, the charging device 30, the developing device 50, the primary transfer roller 70, and the cleaning device 60 are arranged close to the photosensitive drum 20, and the exposing device 40 is located at a position away from the photosensitive drum 20. And each is fixed to a different part of the housing 11 that forms the skeleton of the image forming apparatus 10.

  2A and 2B are views for explaining a positional relationship between the photosensitive drum 20 and the exposure device 40 in the built-in unit of the image forming apparatus 10, wherein FIG. 2A shows a state where a cover is attached, and FIG. The state where the cover was removed is shown. The photoconductor drum 20, the charging device 30, the developing device 50, the primary transfer roller 70, the cleaning device 60, the intermediate transfer unit 80, and the like (here, the photoconductor drum 20) and the exposure device 40 are arranged at positions separated from each other. Therefore, it is fixed to different parts of the housing 11. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, the photosensitive drum 20 is directly attached to the housing 11, and the exposure device 40 is fixed to the housing 11 via a fixing member 11a.

  Here, at the time of assembling the image forming apparatus 10, the bottom plate is installed so as to be horizontal with respect to the floor, and a skeleton of a machine is assembled with the bottom plate to form a housing 11. A built-in unit is attached. For example, as shown in FIG. 3, the photosensitive drum 20 and the exposure device 40 (PH41) are fixed as built-in units inside the housing 11.

  At that time, if all parts are manufactured without displacement, place a level in a place that is easy to measure at the time of installation and reproduce the posture state at the time of assembly by performing horizontal adjustment using the level It is possible. For example, as shown in FIG. 4A, the image forming apparatus 10 is assembled by supporting the bottom plate with a support 111 so as to be parallel to the floor surface 110 during machine assembly, and then as shown in FIG. By placing a level on the bottom plate and using the level to adjust the height of the adjustment unit 12 such as casters and level feet so that the bottom plate is horizontal, the posture state at the time of assembly can be reproduced. Can be.

  However, in practice, the horizontal and vertical positions of the housing 11 are not maintained due to variations in component dimensions and variations during assembly. Therefore, even if the horizontal adjustment is performed with a level or the like at the time of installation, the image forming apparatus 10 is not moved horizontally. It is not always possible to install the camera at the same time, and the posture at the time of assembly cannot always be reproduced. For example, as shown in FIG. 5A, when the image forming apparatus 10 is assembled in a state where the bottom plate is inclined due to a variation in component dimensions or a variation in the assembly during mechanical assembly, the image is illustrated in FIG. 5B. Thus, even if the level is arranged on the bottom plate and the bottom plate is leveled using the level, the posture state at the time of assembly cannot be reproduced. As shown in FIG. 6A, when the image forming apparatus 10 is assembled in a state where the bottom plate is tilted due to deformation of the housing 11 at the time of mechanical assembly, as shown in FIG. Even if a level is arranged on the bottom plate and the bottom plate is leveled using the level, the posture state at the time of assembly cannot be reproduced.

  To solve this problem, if the posture state at the time of assembling (preferably after assembling adjustment) is recorded based on the relative angle between the bottom plate and the top plate with respect to the direction of gravity, the posture state is adjusted at the time of installation with reference to the direction of gravity. And the posture state at the time of assembly can be reproduced. For example, as shown in FIG. 7A, the bottom plate is inclined at the time of assembling. In this state, marking is performed on the position where the bottom plate is irradiated with the laser beam. If this device is installed using a spirit level so that the bottom plate is horizontal, the position of the bottom plate irradiation of the laser beam is shifted as shown in FIGS. I understand. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 7C, the posture of the housing 11 is adjusted by using the height adjustment mechanism of the adjustment unit 12 so that the irradiation position of the bottom plate of the laser beam matches the marking position. Reproduce the posture state at the time of assembly.

  As shown in FIG. 9A, the floor surface 110 has irregularities of about ± several millimeters and has poor flatness. Therefore, when the installation position of the image forming apparatus 10 shifts, the posture state changes. In such a case, as shown in FIG. 9B, a spreading plate 112 such as a metal plate capable of ensuring flatness may be arranged, and the image forming apparatus 10 may be installed on the spreading plate 112. By laying the laying plate 112 in this manner, even when the image forming apparatus 10 is inclined, the flatness can be ensured. Therefore, even if the installation position of the image forming apparatus 10 is slightly shifted, the posture state at the time of installation is kept constant. Can be.

  Hereinafter, a specific configuration for reproducing a posture state at the time of mechanical assembly will be described. FIG. 10 shows a case where a laser level 101 is used as the posture state recording unit 100. The amount of distortion and the distortion direction of the housing 11 of the image forming apparatus 10 change depending on the posture state. Therefore, the relative position and angle of the built-in units such as the photosensitive drum and the exposure device held by the housing 11 change depending on the posture at the time of installation. Therefore, in order to record the posture state at the time of mechanical assembly, a laser oscillator (referred to as a laser level 101) capable of irradiating a laser beam in a predetermined direction is arranged at a predetermined position on the top plate, and the laser is driven in the gravity direction. The light 102 is irradiated, a dot (point) of the laser light 102 is transferred to a predetermined position of the bottom plate (preferably, a region where a plane near the adjustment unit 12 is secured), and a mark is made at that position.

  This marking method is optional. For example, as shown in FIG. 11, by applying a marking label 103 in which a concentric circle is drawn around the dot position of the laser beam 102, the irradiation position of the laser beam 102 (reference position) ) Can be marked. Thus, at the time of installation, the laser level 101 is arranged at the same position as that at the time of mechanical assembly, and the posture of the housing 11 is adjusted so that the laser beam 102 is irradiated on the center of the label 103 for marking. The posture state at the time can be reproduced.

  In FIG. 10, the laser beam 102 is irradiated in the direction of gravity. However, the laser level 101 is arranged at a predetermined position on the bottom plate, and the laser beam 102 is irradiated in the direction opposite to the direction of gravity, and The dots (points) of the laser beam 102 may be photographed, and marking may be performed at that location. In addition, a laser light irradiation surface member (for example, a member coated with a fluorescent material that emits laser light) is fixed near the adjustment unit 12 such as a caster or a level foot on the bottom plate, and the irradiation position of the laser light 102 is visually checked. It can be easier. In addition, a sensor for detecting the laser beam 102 is installed on the bottom plate, and the position detected by the sensor is recorded. At the time of installation, the posture of the housing 11 is set so that the sensor detects the laser beam 102 at the recorded position. The posture state at the time of assembly can also be reproduced by adjusting.

  Further, when the dot position of the laser beam 102 is shifted, it is difficult to know which adjustment unit 12 should be adjusted in height and how much. For example, as shown in FIG. 8, when the dot position (bottom irradiation position) of the laser beam 102 is shifted rightward with respect to the marking position, which of the four casters supporting the four corners of the bottom plate is It is difficult to know whether the level should be raised or lowered. Therefore, a manual describing which height of the adjustment unit 12 should be increased or lowered with respect to the displacement of the dot position of the laser beam 102 is prepared, or the operation panel of the image forming apparatus 10 is prepared. By displaying the information, the installer can easily confirm the adjustment procedure.

  10 and 11 illustrate the case where the laser level 101 is used as the posture state recording unit 100, the posture state recording unit 100 can record the posture state at the time of assembly (preferably after assembly adjustment). For example, as shown in FIG. 12, a pendulum 104 having a weight attached to the end of a thread as the posture state recording unit 100 may be arranged at a predetermined position on the top plate as shown in FIG. When the pendulum 104 is used, a positioning member 105 (for example, a C-shaped ring provided with a notch) having a hole through which the thread of the pendulum 104 is used is used to position the pendulum 104 at a position where the thread of the pendulum 104 passes through the hole during assembly. The member 105 is fixed. By adjusting the posture of the housing 11 so that the thread of the pendulum 104 passes through the hole of the positioning member 105 at the time of installation, the posture state at the time of assembly can be reproduced.

  In FIGS. 10 to 12, the thread of the laser level 101 and the pendulum 104 is fixed to the top plate, but the column of the laser level 101 and the pendulum 104 is hardly deformed by dropping during transportation. By fixing the thread, the posture state at the time of assembly can be reproduced more reliably. 10 to 12, one laser level 101 and one pendulum 104 are used as the posture state recording unit 100. However, in order to improve the accuracy of the posture adjustment, a plurality of laser levels 101 and A plurality of pendulums 104 (or one or a plurality of laser levels 101 and one or a plurality of pendulums 104) are used, and the housing 11 is so arranged that the laser beam irradiation position and the pointing position of the pendulum 104 match the respective marking positions. May be adjusted.

  The mechanism for reproducing the posture state at the time of machine assembly has been described above. Hereinafter, the timing for performing the posture adjustment will be described.

  When the image forming apparatus 10 is installed after transportation, the housing 11 may be fixed by a fixing bracket or the like during transportation, or may be in a different load state from that at the time of installation due to lifting by a forklift. That is, the machine weight is applied to the casters and the level foot at the time of installation, but the machine weight is applied to the bottom plate surface and the like at the time of transportation because of the packing material and the lock member, which is different from the load condition in the installed state. Therefore, after lowering the image forming apparatus 10 at the installation location, the image forming apparatus 10 is left for a predetermined time (until the distortion of the housing 11 is stabilized), and the posture is adjusted after the predetermined time has elapsed.

  In a factory or the like, the position of an image is adjusted by printing a plurality of sheets. Therefore, in order to reproduce the posture state at the time of assembly adjustment, a plurality of sheets are similarly printed at the time of installation, the temperature in the image forming apparatus 10 is increased (that is, the warm-up operation is performed), and the influence of thermal expansion is obtained. Also need to be approximated. Therefore, the posture adjustment is performed after the following three warm-up operations.

[First warm-up operation]
After the machine is installed, about 30 sheets are continuously printed, and then the posture is adjusted.

[Second warm-up operation]
The actual printing is not performed, and the driving units such as the paper conveyance motor and the drum driving motor are rotated for a predetermined time, and the heater of the fixing device is turned on to generate a temperature rise corresponding to the actual printing. I do.

[Third warm-up operation]
The posture adjustment is performed according to the posture adjustment instruction procedure. For example, as shown in the flowchart of FIG. 13, the posture adjustment instruction procedure is displayed on the operation panel, and when the installer instructs to start the posture adjustment mode (S101), the image forming apparatus 10 performs the second warm-up operation. To perform the operation of increasing the temperature inside the machine (S102). Then, when the internal temperature of the machine has reached the predetermined temperature (Yes in S103), the image forming apparatus 10 ends the internal temperature raising operation (S104), and instructs the installer to perform the posture adjustment (S105).

  As described above, the image forming apparatus 10 is provided with the posture state recording unit 100 such as the laser level 101 and the pendulum 104 capable of recording the posture state of the housing 11 at the time of assembly. By using the unit 12 to adjust the posture of the housing 11 with reference to the mark recorded by the posture state recording unit 100, the posture state at the time of assembly can be reliably reproduced, and the installation adjustment work can be performed. Can be easier.

  It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and its configuration and control can be appropriately changed without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

  For example, in the above-described embodiment, the photosensitive drum 20 and the exposure device 40 are illustrated as the built-in units. However, the built-in units only need to change their positional relationship according to the posture state of the housing 11. The photoconductor drum 20 and the photoconductor drums 20 of the intermediate transfer belt 81 and YMCK may be used.

  Further, in the above-described embodiment, the image forming apparatus using the four color toners of YMCK is illustrated, but the adjustment work support method of the present invention is similarly applied to any image forming apparatus using the toner of at least one color. can do.

  Further, in the above embodiment, the case where the adjustment work support method of the present invention is applied to the image forming apparatus has been described. However, a plurality of cases, in which the positional relationship between the cases changes according to the posture state of the cases. The adjustment work support method of the present invention can be similarly applied to any device including the built-in unit.

  The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus in which a plurality of built-in units whose positional relationship changes in accordance with a posture state of a housing are fixed in a housing, and an adjustment work support for assisting an adjustment work when installing the image forming apparatus. Available to the method.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Image forming apparatus 11 Housing 11a Fixing member 12 Adjustment part 20, 20Y, 20M, 20C, 20K Photoconductor drum 30, 30Y, 30M, 30C, 30K Charging device 40, 40Y, 40M, 40C, 40K Exposure device 41 PH
50, 50Y, 50M, 50C, 50K Developing device 60, 60Y, 60M, 60C, 60K Cleaning device 70, 70Y, 70M, 70C, 70K Primary transfer roller 80 Intermediate transfer unit 81 Intermediate transfer belt 82 Support roller 83 Secondary transfer roller REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 90 fixing device 91 heating roller 92 fixing roller 93 fixing belt 94 pressure roller 100 attitude recording unit 101 laser level 102 laser beam 103 marking label
104 Pendulum 105 Positioning member 110 Floor surface 111 Support base 112 Laying plate

Claims (21)

A housing, comprising a plurality of built-in units whose positional relationship changes according to the posture state of the housing, after fixing and assembling the plurality of built-in units in the housing, at a predetermined location In the image forming apparatus to be installed,
An attitude state recording unit that can record an attitude state of the housing at the time of the assembly,
At the time of the installation, based on the mark recorded by the posture state recording unit, by adjusting the posture of the housing, the posture state of the housing at the time of the assembly is reproduced,
An image forming apparatus comprising: The built-in unit includes a photosensitive drum and an exposure device,
By adjusting the posture state of the housing at the time of the installation to the same state as at the time of the assembling, the positional relationship between the photosensitive drum and the exposure device is maintained.
The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: The posture state recording unit is a laser level that can irradiate a laser beam in the direction of gravity or the direction opposite to the direction of gravity,
At the time of the assembling, a reference position on the housing to which the laser light is irradiated is recorded, and at the time of the installation, the posture of the housing is adjusted so that the laser light irradiates the reference position,
The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: The posture state recording unit includes a sensor that detects the laser beam,
At the time of the assembling, the position at which the sensor detects the laser light is recorded as the reference position, and at the time of installation, the posture of the housing is adjusted so that the sensor detects the laser light at the reference position. ,
The image forming apparatus according to claim 3, wherein: The posture state recording unit is a pendulum,
At the time of the assembling, a reference position indicated by the pendulum is recorded, and at the time of the installation, the posture of the housing is adjusted so that the pendulum indicates the reference position.
The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: The posture state recording unit includes a positioning member having a hole through which the thread of the pendulum passes,
At the time of the assembling, the positioning member is fixed at a position where the thread of the pendulum passes through the hole, and during the installation, the posture of the housing is adjusted so that the thread of the pendulum passes through the hole of the positioning member. adjust,
The image forming apparatus according to claim 5, wherein: The housing includes a vertically extending column,
The laser level or the pendulum is installed on the top of the pillar,
The image forming apparatus according to claim 3, wherein: The attitude state recording unit is a plurality of the laser level or a plurality of the pendulum,
The laser light emitted from each of the laser levels irradiates each of the reference positions, or adjusts the posture of the housing so that each of the pendulums indicates each of the reference positions,
The image forming apparatus according to claim 3, wherein: A housing, and a plurality of built-in units whose positional relationship changes with each other according to the posture state of the housing, an adjustment work support method for an image forming apparatus, comprising:
Assembling the image forming apparatus by fixing the plurality of built-in units in the housing;
A recording step of recording a posture state of the housing during the assembling,
Performing an installation step of installing the image forming apparatus after assembly in a predetermined place,
In the setting step, based on the mark recorded in the recording step, by adjusting the posture of the housing, to reproduce the posture state of the housing at the time of the assembly,
An adjustment work support method characterized in that: The built-in unit includes a photosensitive drum and an exposure device,
In the installation step, by adjusting the posture state of the housing at the time of the installation to the same state as at the time of the assembling, the positional relationship between the photosensitive drum and the exposure apparatus is maintained,
The adjustment work support method according to claim 9, wherein: In the recording step, using a laser level that can irradiate the laser light in the direction of gravity or in the direction opposite to the direction of gravity, record a reference position on the housing where the laser light is irradiated,
In the setting step, the posture of the housing is adjusted so that the laser light irradiates the reference position,
The adjustment work support method according to claim 9 or 10, wherein: In the recording step, using a sensor that detects the laser light, the position where the sensor has detected the laser light is recorded as the reference position,
In the setting step, the posture of the housing is adjusted so that the sensor detects the laser beam at the reference position,
The adjustment work support method according to claim 11, wherein In the recording step, the reference position is recorded in a region where a plane near a caster or a level foot of the bottom plate forming the housing is secured,
The adjustment work support method according to claim 11 or 12, wherein In the recording step, a reference position specified by the pendulum is recorded,
In the setting step, the posture of the housing is adjusted so that the pendulum indicates the reference position,
The adjustment work support method according to claim 9 or 10, wherein: In the recording step, using a positioning member having a hole through which the pendulum thread passes, fixing the positioning member at a position where the thread of the pendulum passes through the hole,
In the setting step, the posture of the housing is adjusted so that the thread of the pendulum passes through the hole of the positioning member.
The adjustment work support method according to claim 14, wherein: In the recording step, a plurality of the reference position is recorded using a plurality of the laser level or a plurality of the pendulum,
In the installation step, the laser light emitted from each of the laser levels irradiates each of the reference positions, or the posture of the housing so that each of the pendulums indicates each of the reference positions. Adjust the
The adjustment work support method according to any one of claims 11 to 15, wherein: In the setting step, a position to be irradiated by the laser light, or, in accordance with a shift between the position instructed by the pendulum and the reference position, to display a posture adjustment procedure of the housing,
The adjustment work support method according to any one of claims 11 to 16, wherein: In the installation step, on a floor on which the image forming apparatus is installed, a laying board capable of securing flatness is arranged, and the image forming apparatus is installed on the laying board.
The adjustment work support method according to any one of claims 9 to 17, wherein: In the recording step, the assembly of the plurality of built-in units is completed, and after adjusting the positions of the plurality of built-in units, the posture state of the housing is recorded.
The adjustment work support method according to any one of claims 9 to 18, wherein: In the installation step, after installing the image forming apparatus, after a predetermined time has elapsed, adjust the posture of the housing,
20. The adjustment work support method according to claim 9, wherein: In the installing step, the image forming apparatus is installed, and the image forming apparatus is warmed up for a predetermined time, and then the posture of the housing is adjusted.
21. The adjustment work support method according to claim 9, wherein:

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