JP2020040308A - Support device of image formation device and image formation device - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a support device which can inhibit the plastically deformed support device from hindering user's action even if external force is applied to an image formation device to cause plastic deformation of the support device.SOLUTION: An overturn prevention device 70 includes: a second bending part 74 serving as an attachment part which is attached to a bottom surface of a device body 30; a facing part 72 formed by a metal plate and facing an installation surface of an image formation device A; an inclined edge 73a extending upward in a vertical direction relative to the facing part 72, protruding to the outer side further than an outer shell of the bottom surface of the device body 30 in a horizontal direction, formed by a metal plate; and a cover member 90 covering at least the inclined edge 73a and made of a resin.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

  The present invention relates to a supporting device for supporting an image forming apparatus such as an electrophotographic copying machine and an electrophotographic printer.

  2. Description of the Related Art In an image forming apparatus, a configuration is known in which a supporting device for supporting the apparatus and preventing the apparatus from falling down can be mounted. For example, in Patent Literature 1, one end of a support leg formed of a steel plate is attached to a side surface of an image forming apparatus as a support device, and the other end of the support leg is brought into contact with a floor surface to thereby allow the image forming apparatus to be mounted. A configuration for preventing a fall is described.

JP 2009-157152 A

  However, in the configuration described in Patent Document 1, when an unexpected and excessive external force is applied to the image forming apparatus, the edge portion of the support leg may be plastically deformed, and a user's clothes or the like may be caught on the plastically deformed portion. In this case, the operation of the user may be hindered.

  In view of the above situation, the present invention suppresses the user's operation being hindered by the plastically deformed support device even when the support device is plastically deformed by an unexpected external force applied to the image forming apparatus. It is an object of the present invention to provide a supporting device which can be used.

  In order to achieve the above object, a typical configuration of the supporting device according to the present invention is mounted on a bottom surface of the apparatus main body of the image forming apparatus, and supports the image forming apparatus by contacting an installation surface on which the image forming apparatus is installed. A mounting device mounted on the bottom surface of the device body, a facing portion formed of a metal plate, facing the installation surface, and extending vertically upward with respect to the facing portion, and horizontally It is characterized in that it comprises: a projecting portion made of a metal plate projecting outside the outer contour of the bottom surface of the apparatus main body in the direction; and a cover member made of a resin covering at least the projecting portion.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, even if it is a case where an external force is applied to an image forming apparatus and a plastic deformation of the support device is carried out, it can suppress that the user's operation | movement is inhibited by the plastically deformed support device.

FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of the image forming apparatus. It is a perspective view of a fall prevention device. It is an exploded perspective view of a fall prevention device. It is a figure of the state where the sub steel plate was assembled to the main steel plate. It is the perspective view which looked at the cover member from the bottom side. It is an outline perspective view of a pedestal unit and a fall prevention device. FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of a fall prevention device when mounted on a pedestal unit. It is sectional drawing of a pedestal unit and a fall prevention device. FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram illustrating a behavior of the fall prevention device when a force is applied to the image forming apparatus.

(1st Embodiment)
<Image forming apparatus>
Hereinafter, an overall configuration of an image forming apparatus including the support device according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings together with an operation at the time of image formation. Note that the dimensions, materials, shapes, relative arrangements, and the like of the components described below are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention only to them unless otherwise specified.

  The image forming apparatus according to the present exemplary embodiment is an electrophotographic type in which four color toners of yellow Y, magenta M, cyan C, and black K are transferred to an intermediate transfer belt, and then an image is transferred to a sheet to form an image. An image forming apparatus. In the following description, members using the toners of the respective colors are given subscripts of Y, M, C, and K, except for the configuration and operation of each member except that the color of the toner used is different. Since they are substantially the same, suffixes are omitted as appropriate unless necessary to distinguish them.

  FIG. 1 is a schematic sectional view of the image forming apparatus. As shown in FIG. 1, an image forming apparatus A includes an image forming unit that transfers a toner image to a sheet to form an image, a sheet feeding unit that supplies a sheet to the image forming unit, and a toner image And a fixing unit for fixing the image.

  Further, the image forming apparatus A is provided with an opening / closing cover 60 that can be opened / closed by being rotated about a rotation shaft 61 with respect to the apparatus main body 30. The opening / closing cover 60 supports the double-sided conveyance path 16 and the secondary transfer roller 9 that are the conveyance paths of the sheet S when forming images on both sides of the sheet S. When the cover 60 is opened, the conveyance path of the sheet S is exposed to the outside. Therefore, when the sheet S is jammed, the sheet S can be easily removed by opening the cover 60.

  Further, a pedestal unit 20 that feeds the sheet S toward the image forming unit is mounted below the image forming apparatus A. That is, the device main body 30 means the entire device including the pedestal unit 20. The details of the pedestal unit 20 will be described later.

  The image forming section includes a photosensitive drum 1 (1Y, 1M, 1C, 1K), a charging roller 2 (2Y, 2M, 2C, 2K) for charging the surface of the photosensitive drum 1, and a developing device 3 (3Y, 3M, 3C, 3K). Further, it includes a primary transfer roller 5 (5Y, 5M, 5C, 5K), a laser scanner unit 8, an intermediate transfer belt 6, a secondary transfer roller 9, a secondary transfer opposing roller 7, and the like.

  Next, the image forming operation will be described. First, when a control unit (not shown) receives an image forming job signal, the sheet S stacked and stored in the sheet cassette 13 by the pickup roller 10, the feeding roller 11, and the transport roller 12 is opposed to the secondary transfer roller 9 and the secondary transfer roller. The sheet is sent to a secondary transfer section formed by the roller 7. The sheet cassette 13 is configured to be detachable from the apparatus main body 30.

  On the other hand, in the image forming section, first, the surface of the photosensitive drum 1 is uniformly charged by the charging roller 2. Thereafter, the laser scanner unit 8 irradiates a laser beam from a light source (not shown) to the surface of the photosensitive drum 1 of each color in accordance with image data transmitted from an external device or the like (not shown), and an electrostatic latent image is formed on the surface of the photosensitive drum 1. Form an image.

  Thereafter, the toner of each color is attached to the electrostatic latent image formed on the surface of the photosensitive drum 1 by the developing device 3 to form a toner image on the surface of the photosensitive drum 1. The toner image formed on the surface of the photosensitive drum 1 is primarily transferred to the intermediate transfer belt 6 by applying a bias to the primary transfer roller 5. As a result, a full-color toner image is formed on the surface of the intermediate transfer belt 6.

  Thereafter, the toner image is sent to the secondary transfer section by the intermediate transfer belt 6 moving around. When a bias is applied to the secondary transfer roller 9 in the secondary transfer section, the toner image on the intermediate transfer belt 6 is transferred to the sheet S.

  Next, the sheet S to which the toner image has been transferred is subjected to a heating and pressing process in the fixing device 15, whereby the toner image on the sheet S is fixed to the sheet S. Thereafter, the sheet S on which the toner image has been fixed is discharged to the discharge unit 17 by the discharge roller 18.

  When an image is formed on both sides of the sheet S, the sheet S that has passed through the fixing device 15 is conveyed to a reversing roller 22 that can rotate forward and reverse. Thereafter, the reversing roller 22 is rotated in the opposite direction, and the sheet S is reversed by the switchback method. Thereafter, the sheet S is conveyed again to the secondary transfer section through the double-sided conveyance path 16. Thereafter, image formation is performed on the back surface of the sheet S in the same manner as described above.

<Pedestal unit>
Next, the pedestal unit 20 will be described.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the pedestal unit 20 is provided with two sheet cassettes 23 each of which stores and stores sheets S, and which is detachable from the pedestal unit 20, two pickup rollers 24, and two feeding rollers 25. The sheets S stacked and stored in the sheet cassette 23 are sent by a pickup roller 24 and a feed roller 25 to a secondary transfer section formed by the secondary transfer roller 9 and the secondary transfer opposing roller 7.

  In addition, four casters 52 are provided on a bottom plate 51 which is a bottom surface of the pedestal unit 20. The four casters 52 move the image forming apparatus A, and stop the image forming apparatus A by locking wheels by a rotation preventing mechanism (not shown).

  The pedestal unit 20 further includes a right door 62 that can be opened and closed by rotating about a rotation shaft 63 with respect to the main body of the pedestal unit 20. When the right door 62 is opened, the conveyance path of the sheet S in the pedestal unit 20 is exposed to the outside. For this reason, by opening the right door 62 when the sheet S is jammed, the sheet S can be easily removed.

  Here, the conveyance path of the sheet S of the image forming apparatus A including the pedestal unit 20 is located on the right side when the image forming apparatus A is viewed from the front, so that the center of gravity of the apparatus main body 30 is biased rightward. The position of the center of gravity of the apparatus main body 30 is further deviated to the right when the openable cover 60 and the right door 62 are opened. In this state, when an external force for moving the device main body 30 to the right is applied, the device main body 30 is likely to fall to the right.

  When the sheet cassettes 13 and 23 are pulled out in a state where the sheets S are fully loaded on the sheet cassettes 13 and 23, the position of the center of gravity of the apparatus main body 30 is biased to the front side. Therefore, when an external force for moving the device main body 30 to the front side is applied, the device main body 30 is likely to fall to the front side.

  Therefore, in order to support the image forming apparatus A when the image forming apparatus A is tilted and to prevent the image forming apparatus A from falling, a fall prevention device 70 as a support device is provided on the bottom surface of the pedestal unit 20 (the bottom surface of the apparatus main body 30). Installed.

<Tipping prevention device>
Next, the overturn prevention device 70 will be described.

  FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the overturn prevention device 70, and FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view thereof. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a state in which the sub steel plate 80 is assembled to the main steel plate 71 of the fall prevention device 70. FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the cover member 90 of the fall prevention device 70 as viewed from the bottom surface side.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the fall prevention device 70 includes a main steel plate 71 (metal plate) formed of a thin steel plate, a sub steel plate 80 (other metal plate) formed of a thin steel plate, and a main steel plate. 71 and a resin cover member 90 that covers the sub steel plate 80.

  In the main steel plate 71, both ends of the facing portion 72 facing the floor, which is the installation surface on which the image forming apparatus A is installed, and both ends of the facing portion 72 in the width direction W of the fall prevention device 70 are bent substantially vertically. It includes two (a pair of) first bent portions 73 (first bent portions). In the present embodiment, the interval L in the width direction W between the first bent portions 73 in the facing portion 72 is 100 mm.

  The first bent portion 73 is positioned so as to be fitted to a sloping edge 73 a cut so as to decrease in height toward a distal end portion in a depth direction V orthogonal to the width direction W, and a boss 91 of a cover member 90 described later. It has a hole 73b.

  The inclined edge 73a is a protruding portion that extends upward in the vertical direction with respect to the facing portion 72 and that protrudes outside the outer contour of the bottom surface of the pedestal unit 20 (the bottom surface of the apparatus main body) in the horizontal direction (see FIG. 1). That is, the protruding portion is a region where the surface of the metal plate formed at a position protruding outside the outer contour of the bottom surface of the pedestal unit 20 in the first bending portion 73 is not continuous, and is inclined with respect to the horizontal plane. . By providing the inclined edge 73a in this manner, the height decreases as the distance from the outer contour of the device increases. , And hindrance to the operation of the user can be suppressed.

  Further, the main steel plate 71 includes two second bent portions 74 (second bent portions) in which the upper ends of the two first bent portions 73 are bent in the vertical direction, that is, in parallel with the facing portion 72. . Further, the main steel plate 71 includes two third bent portions 75 which are bent so that both end portions in the width direction W of the two second bent portions 74 are vertical, that is, parallel to the first bent portion 73. .

  The second bent portion 74 is a mounting portion mounted on a fixing member 53 (mounted portion) described later provided on the bottom plate 51 of the pedestal unit 20. The second bent portion 74 is provided with an engagement hole 74a that engages with a snap-fit portion 53d of the fixing member 53 described later.

  Further, the main steel plate 71 includes a reinforcing bent portion 76 in which one end of the facing portion 72 in the depth direction V is bent vertically so as to contact one end surface of the two first bent portions 73 in the depth direction V. The reinforcing bending portion 76 suppresses the deformation of the first bending portion 73 when a strong stress is applied to the first bending portion 73.

  Further, the main steel plate 71 includes a protection bending portion 77 in which the other end of the facing portion 72 in the depth direction V is bent in the vertical direction so as to face the reinforcing bending portion 76. The protective bending portion 77 suppresses the deformation of the facing portion 72 and also makes the edge portion of the main steel plate 71 rounded to prevent the user's clothes or the like from being caught and hindering the user's operation.

  The sub steel plate 80 is a member for suppressing the first bent portion 73 of the main steel plate 71 from being deformed. The sub steel plate 80 includes a base portion 81 parallel to the facing portion 72 of the main steel plate 71, and an inclined bent portion 82 in which one end of the base portion 81 in the depth direction V is bent in parallel with the inclination angle of the inclined edge 73a. A hook groove 82a and a hook hole 82b that engage with a part of a cover member 90 described later are formed in the slope bending portion 82.

  In addition, the sub steel plate 80 includes a bending portion 83 in which both ends in the width direction W of the base portion 81 and the slope bending portion 82 are bent downward. As shown in FIG. 4, the sub steel plate 80 is disposed so as to be sandwiched between the two first bent portions 73 of the main steel plate 71, and the main steel plate is fastened by three screws 65 (65 a to 65 c) at the bending fastening portion 83. 71 is connected to the first bent portion 73.

  The cover member 90 covers at least an edge portion of the main steel plate 71 and the sub-steel plate 80, particularly, a portion protruding outside a contour of the bottom plate 51, which is a bottom surface of the pedestal unit 20, so as not to be exposed to the outside. By covering the edge portion of the main steel plate 71 such as the inclined edge 73a and the edge portion of the sub steel plate 80, the clothes of the user are caught by the edge portion of the main steel plate 71 and the sub steel plate 80, and the walking motion of the user and the like are prevented. Suppress inhibition.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the cover member 90 includes a boss 91 that fits into the positioning hole 73 b of the main steel plate 71 and determines the position of the cover member 90 in the depth direction V. Further, when the fall prevention device 70 is detached, a finger hook 92 is provided for the user to hook a finger.

  Further, four projections 93 are provided on the bottom surface of the cover member 90. The projection 93 contacts the floor surface prior to the main steel plate 71 and the sub steel plate 80 when the overturn prevention device 70 contacts the floor surface. For this reason, the metal part of the image forming apparatus A is prevented from coming into contact with another metal. For example, when the image forming apparatus A is installed on a metal base, the metal part is connected via the main steel plate 71 and the sub steel plate 80. Transmission of noise to the metal base can be suppressed.

  The cover member 90 includes a first hook portion 94 that engages with the catch groove 82a of the sub steel plate 80 and a second hook portion 95 that engages with the catch hole 82b. The first hook portion 94 and the second hook portion 95 are engaged with the hook groove 82a and the hook hole 82b, so that the movement of the cover member 90 in the height direction H with respect to the sub steel plate 80 is restricted.

  The cover member 90 includes a plurality of ribs 96 extending inward from the inner surface. The rib 96 sandwiches the two first bent portions 73 of the main steel plate 71 from outside. This makes it difficult for the position of the cover member 90 to shift when an impact is applied to the cover member 90, such as when the user's foot hits the cover member 90.

<Mounting configuration of fall prevention device>
Next, the mounting configuration of the fall prevention device 70 will be described.

  FIG. 6 is a schematic perspective view of the pedestal unit 20 and the overturn prevention device 70. FIG. 7 is an enlarged perspective view of the overturn prevention device 70 when mounted on the pedestal unit 20. FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the pedestal unit 20 and the overturn prevention device 70.

  As shown in FIGS. 6 to 8, a fixing member 53 (mounted portion) to which the overturn prevention device 70 is mounted and fixed is provided on the bottom plate 51 which is the bottom surface of the pedestal unit 20. The fixing member 53 has a U-shaped U-shaped portion 53 a and a screw fixing portion 53 b fixed to the bottom plate 51 of the pedestal unit 20 by a screw 67.

  The U-shaped portion 53a is arranged with a gap with the bottom plate 51, and the gap is an insertion portion 53c into which the overturn prevention device 70 is inserted. Specifically, the second bent portion 74 of the main steel plate 71 of the fall prevention device 70 is inserted into the insertion portion 53c. At this time, the insertion direction of the second bent portion 74 is guided by the third bent portion 75 being in surface contact with the inner side surface of the fixing member 53. As a result, the fall prevention device 70 is mounted on the fixing member 53 and mounted on the bottom surface of the apparatus main body 30 of the image forming apparatus A.

  The U-shaped portion 53a is provided with a snap-fit portion 53d. When the second bent portion 74 of the fall prevention device 70 is inserted into the insertion portion 53c, an emboss (not shown) formed in the snap-fit portion 53d has a slight play in the engagement hole 74a of the second bent portion 74. Engage. This makes it difficult for the fall prevention device 70 to come off from the fixing member 53 and determines the position of the fall prevention device 70 in the depth direction V with respect to the fixing member 53.

  The position of the fall prevention device 70 in the width direction W with respect to the fixing member 53 is determined by the outer surfaces of the two third bent portions 75. The position of the fall prevention device 70 in the height direction H with respect to the fixing member 53 is determined by the height of the third bent portion 75.

  When the not-shown emboss of the snap-fit portion 53d contacts the second bent portion 74 of the main steel plate 71 in the process of inserting the fall prevention device 70 into the fixing member 53, the snap-fit portion 53d is elastically deformed, and the elastic force of the snap-fit portion 53d is generated. The frictional force against the second bent portion 74 increases. Thereafter, when the unillustrated emboss fits into the engagement hole 74a of the second bent portion 74, the elastically deformed portion of the snap fit portion 53d returns to its original position, and the frictional force decreases. As described above, when the tipping prevention device 70 is inserted, a click feeling accompanying the change in the frictional force is given, so that the user can be made aware of the completion of the tipping prevention device 70 insertion.

<Behavior of the fall prevention device>
Next, the behavior of the fall prevention device 70 when a force is applied to the image forming apparatus A will be described.

  FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram illustrating the behavior of the fall prevention device 70 when a force is applied to the image forming apparatus A. As shown in FIG. 9A, when a force is applied to the image forming apparatus A, the pedestal unit 20 tilts, and the tip side of the fall prevention device 70 hits the floor. As a result, the main steel plate 71 and the sub steel plate 80 of the fall prevention device 70 start elastically deforming.

  The facing portion 72 of the main steel plate 71 does not contact the floor surface in a normal state, and has a certain gap. Therefore, when the fall prevention device 70 is attached and detached, no frictional force is generated between the fall prevention device 70 and the floor surface, so that the fall prevention device 70 can be easily attached and detached.

  Here, in the present embodiment, when a force of 20% of the sum of the weight of the image forming apparatus A and the weight of the pedestal unit 20 is applied in the horizontal direction at the highest position of the image forming apparatus A, the main steel plate 71 And the sub steel plate 80 are set to have a rigidity that can be accommodated within the elastic deformation. Hereinafter, a case where a force greater than this force is applied and the main steel plate 71 and the sub steel plate 80 are plastically deformed will be described.

  First, as described above, the upper part of the first bent portion 73 of the main steel plate 71 is connected to the sub steel plate 80 by the screws 65b and 65c. The third bent portion 75 of the main steel plate 71 is in contact with the inner surface of the fixing member 53. Therefore, the first bent portion 73 is not easily deformed in a direction away from the sub steel plate 80 (a direction opposite to the bending direction).

  At the inclined edge 73a of the first bent portion 73, the distal end portion where the main steel plate 71 is connected to the sub steel plate 80 with the screw 65a and the base end portion on the second bent portion 74 side are less likely to be deformed. . On the other hand, the vicinity of the center of the inclined edge 73a is not fixed with a screw or the like between the members near the inclined edge 73a, so that the inclined edge 73a is easily deformed. Therefore, when a force is applied to the image forming apparatus A and an excessive force is applied to the fall prevention device 70, the vicinity of the center of the inclined edge 73a may be plastically deformed, and a bump G (see FIG. 9B) may be formed. .

  As described above, when the vicinity of the center of the inclined edge 73a is plastically deformed and the bump G is formed, since the inclined edge 73a protrudes outward from the outer contour of the bottom surface of the apparatus main body 30, clothes and the like of the user are caught on the bump G. There is a possibility that walking motion may be hindered. Further, in the main steel plate 71 and the sub steel plate 80, it is also possible to perform a facing process for crushing corners and burrs of an edge portion that can be touched by a user and rounding the edge portion. However, in the case where the center of the inclined edge 73a is plastically deformed and the bump G is formed, even when the inclined edge 73a is subjected to the facing process, the roundness of the edge is extended, which may hinder the operation of the user as described above. There is.

  Here, by increasing the plate thickness of the inclined edge 73a or forming the drawn shape, the strength of the inclined edge 73a can be increased to suppress the occurrence of bumps G. However, if the strength of the inclined edge 73a is too strong, the periphery of the second bent portion 74 may be plastically deformed, which may hinder the attachment and detachment of the fall prevention device 70.

  Therefore, in the present embodiment, the inclined edge 73a is covered with the cover member 90. Accordingly, even when a force is applied to the image forming apparatus A and the inclined edge 73a is plastically deformed, it is possible to suppress the user or the user's clothes from touching the plastically deformed inclined edge 73a. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent the user's operation from being hindered by the plastically deformed inclined edge 73a.

  In the present invention, the portion covered by the cover member 90 is not necessarily limited to only the inclined edge 73a. That is, the same effect as described above can be obtained as long as the main steel plate 71 and the sub steel plate 80 cover at least a portion that protrudes outside the outer periphery of the bottom surface of the pedestal unit 20.

  Further, the rib 96 of the cover member 90 is arranged so as not to contact the central portion of the inclined edge 73a. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the cover member 90 from being damaged by plastic deformation of the central portion of the inclined edge 73a.

  In the present embodiment, the cover member 90 is arranged at a position further away from the floor than the main steel plate 71 and the sub steel plate 80. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the cover member 90 may be arranged at a position closer to the floor than the main steel plate 71 and the sub steel plate 80. In this case, when a force is applied to the image forming apparatus A, the cover member 90 is elastically deformed until the main steel plate 71 and the sub-steel plate 80 come into contact with the floor surface. The steel plate 80 is configured to receive a force. This can prevent the cover member 90 from being damaged due to excessive force applied to the cover member 90.

30. Device body (device body of image forming apparatus)
51 Bottom plate (bottom of device body)
53: fixing member (mounting part)
53d: Snap fit part 70: Fall prevention device (supporting device)
71 ... Main steel plate (metal plate)
72: opposed portion 73: first bent portion (first bent portion)
73a: inclined edge (inclined surface, protrusion)
74: second bent portion (second bent portion, mounting portion)
74a: engagement hole 80: sub steel plate (other metal plate)
90: cover member 96: rib A: image forming apparatus

Claims (7)

A support device mounted on the bottom surface of the apparatus main body of the image forming apparatus and supporting the image forming apparatus in contact with an installation surface on which the image forming apparatus is installed,
A mounting portion mounted on the bottom surface of the device main body,
An opposing portion formed of a metal plate and opposing the installation surface,
A projecting portion made of a metal plate, extending vertically upward with respect to the facing portion, and projecting outward in a horizontal direction from an outer periphery of a bottom surface of the apparatus main body;
A cover member made of a resin that covers at least the protrusion,
A support device comprising: The metal plate is bent with respect to the pair of first bent portions such that both ends of the facing portion are bent substantially vertically, and the pair of first bent portions are respectively parallel to the facing portion. Having a second bent portion,
The said mounting part is provided in the said 2nd bending part, The support apparatus of Claim 1 characterized by the above-mentioned.   The protruding portion is a region where the surface of the metal plate formed at a position protruding outside the outer contour of the bottom surface of the device main body in the pair of first bending portions is not continuous, and is inclined with respect to a horizontal plane. The support device according to claim 2, wherein the support device is provided.   The said 2nd bending part is provided with the engagement hole for the snap fit part provided in the to-be-attached part in which the said support apparatus in the said apparatus main body is attached is engaged. 4. The support device according to 2 or 3. The metal plate further includes another metal plate provided inside the pair of first bent portions and connected to the pair of first bent portions,
The support device according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the cover member covers the protrusion and the other metal plate.   The said cover member is provided with several ribs in the inner surface, and this rib pinches the said 1st bending part of the said metal plate from the outer side, The Claims any one of Claims 2 thru | or 5 characterized by the above-mentioned. Support device. An image forming unit for forming an image,
The support device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the support device is mounted on a mounting portion on a bottom surface of the device body.
An image forming apparatus comprising: