JP2021004978A - Image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide an image forming apparatus that can regulate the angle of insertion of a cable-side connector into a substrate-side connector.SOLUTION: A receptacle connector 300 is mounted on a first substrate 400, and comprises: a plurality of pin terminals 300b that extend in an arrow Z direction orthogonal to a mounting surface 400a of the first substrate 400 and are arranged in parallel to an arrow Y direction orthogonal to the arrow Z direction; a wall 300a3; a wall 300a4; and an electrolytic capacitor 600. When the length in the arrow Z direction of the wall 300a3 is K1, the length in the arrow Z direction of the wall 300a4 is K2, the length in the arrow Z direction of a regulation plate 700a3 is K3, the length in the arrow Z direction of the electrolytic capacitor 600 is K4, the distance in the arrow Y direction between the wall 300a3 and the regulation plate 700a3 is K5, and the distance in the arrow Y direction between the wall 300a4 and the electrolytic capacitor 600 is K6, and when K3≤50 mm and K4≤25 mm, K5≤(K3-K1)/tan65° and K6≤(K4-K2)/tan65° are satisfied.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 9

Description

The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus such as an electrophotographic copying machine and an electrophotographic printer (for example, a laser beam printer, an LED printer, etc.).

In an image forming apparatus, a configuration in which an electronic board such as a controller board or a power supply board is electrically connected by a cable via a connector is widely known (for example, Patent Document 1).

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2006-154076

When the board-side connector is mounted on the electronic board, the terminals of the board-side connector are generally provided so as to extend in a direction orthogonal to the mounting surface of the electronic board. When the cable-side connector is inserted obliquely with respect to the direction orthogonal to the mounting surface of the electronic board with respect to such a board-side connector, the terminals of the board-side connector and the cable-side connector interfere with each other. In this case, an unintended force may be applied to the terminals of the board-side connector to deform the terminals, and the electrical connection between the board-side connector and the cable-side connector may not be performed normally.

Therefore, in view of such a current situation, an object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus capable of regulating the insertion angle of the cable-side connector with respect to the substrate-side connector.

A typical configuration of the image forming apparatus according to the present invention for achieving the above object is electrically connected to a first substrate arranged on the back side of the image forming apparatus and the first substrate via a cable. A board-side connector to which the second board and the cable-side connector of the cable are connected, which is mounted on the first board and extends in a first direction orthogonal to the mounting surface of the first board. A housing that accommodates a plurality of terminals arranged in parallel in a second direction orthogonal to one direction and the plurality of terminals, and is arranged on one side of the plurality of terminals in the second direction. A first wall having a length in one direction longer than the length in the first direction of the plurality of terminals, and the other side of the plurality of terminals having a length in the first direction of the plurality of terminals. A board-side connector having a housing having a second wall longer than the length in the first direction, and a board-side connector having the second wall, arranged adjacent to the first wall of the board-side connector in the second direction, the first direction. The length of the first regulating member is longer than the length of the first wall in the first direction and regulates the insertion angle of the cable-side connector with respect to the board-side connector, and the board-side connector in the second direction. Arranged adjacent to the second wall, the length of the first direction is longer than the length of the first direction of the second wall, and the insertion angle of the cable-side connector with respect to the board-side connector is restricted. A second regulating member is provided, the length of the first wall in the first direction is K1, the length of the second wall in the first direction is K2, and the length of the first regulating member is the first. The length in the direction is K3, the length of the second regulating member in the first direction is K4, the distance between the first wall and the first regulating member in the second direction is K5, and the second. The distance between the wall and the second regulating member in the second direction is K6, and when K3 ≦ 50 mm and K4 ≦ 25 mm, K5 ≦ (K3-K1) / tan65 ° and K6 ≦ (K4). It is characterized by satisfying −K2) / tan65 °.

According to the present invention, it is possible to regulate the insertion angle of the cable-side connector with respect to the substrate-side connector in the image forming apparatus.

It is sectional drawing of the image forming apparatus. It is a perspective schematic view of an image forming apparatus. It is a perspective view of a plug connector and a receptacle connector. It is a front view, a side view, a rear view, and an upper view of a receptacle connector. It is a front view, a side view, a rear view, and a bottom view of a plug connector. It is a schematic diagram which shows how the plug connector is inserted into a receptacle connector. It is a schematic diagram which shows how the plug connector is inserted into a receptacle connector. It is a schematic diagram which shows the structure of the regulation plate. It is a schematic diagram which shows the structure of the regulation plate and an electrolytic capacitor. It is a table which shows the layout drawing and specifications of a receptacle connector.

(First Embodiment)
<Image forming device>
Hereinafter, the overall configuration of the image forming apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings together with the operation at the time of image forming. It should be noted that the dimensions, materials, shapes, relative arrangements, etc. of the components described below are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention to those, unless otherwise specified.

The image forming apparatus A according to the present embodiment is an intermediate tandem method in which four color toners of yellow Y, magenta M, cyan C, and black K are transferred to an intermediate transfer belt, and then the image is transferred to a sheet to form an image. It is an image forming apparatus of. In the following description, Y, M, C, and K are added as subscripts to the members that use the toners of each color, except that the composition and operation of each member differ in the color of the toner used. Since they are substantially the same, the subscripts are omitted as appropriate unless a distinction is required.

FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the image forming apparatus A. As shown in FIG. 1, the image forming apparatus A includes an image forming unit that transfers a toner image onto a sheet S to form an image. The image forming unit includes a photosensitive drum 1 (1Y, 1M, 1C, 1K), a charging roller 2 (2Y, 2M, 2C, 2K), and a developing device 3 (3Y, 3M, 3C, 3K). It also includes a primary transfer roller 5 (5Y, 5M, 5C, 5K), a laser scanner unit 98, an intermediate transfer belt 6, a secondary transfer roller 16, a secondary transfer opposed roller 12, a drive roller 17, and the like.

Further, on the front side (front side) of the image forming apparatus A, an operation unit 9 capable of setting related to image formation by operation is provided. The operation unit 9 has a display unit (display screen) for displaying information, a numeric keypad for inputting numerical values, a clear key for canceling input by the numeric keypad, a start key for executing image formation, and stopping image formation. It has a stop key for. An operation unit that displays the ten keys, clear keys, start keys, and stop keys as hard keys on the touch panel type display unit as soft keys may be used for the image forming apparatus A. The user can make settings related to image formation such as the type of the sheet S, the output size of the image, and the number of images to be formed by operating the numeric keypad to input numerical values. Here, the front side of the image forming apparatus A is the side on which the user normally stands to operate the operation unit 9. Further, in the image forming apparatus A, the back side is, for example, the side opposite to the front side via a metal or resin frame body that supports the image forming portion. The left side of the image forming apparatus A is the left side when viewed from the front side, and the right side is the right side when viewed from the front side.

Further, an image reading unit 8 for reading an image of a document is provided on the upper part of the image forming apparatus A. The image reading unit 8 is composed of a reader 8a and an AFD 8b. The reader 8a optically reads an image of a document placed on a reading surface (not shown) formed of a glass plate and converts it into image data. The ADF8b automatically conveys the document loaded on the document tray and reads the image. The ADF8b is rotatably supported, and the reading surface of the reader 8a can be accessed by rotating the ADF8b and opening it upward.

Next, the image forming operation by the image forming apparatus A will be described. When forming an image, an image forming job signal is first input to a control unit (not shown). As a result, the feeding roller 11 and the conveying roller 85 rotate, and the sheet S loaded and stored in the sheet cassette 10 is sent out to the resist roller 86. Next, the sheet S is fed by the resist roller 86 to the secondary transfer portion formed by the secondary transfer roller 16 and the secondary transfer opposing roller 12 at a predetermined timing.

On the other hand, in the image forming unit, the surface of the photosensitive drum 1Y is first charged by the charging roller 2Y. After that, the laser scanner unit 98 irradiates the surface of the photosensitive drum 1Y with laser light in response to a drive signal generated based on the image of the document read by the image reading unit 8, and creates an electrostatic latent image on the surface of the photosensitive drum 1Y. Form. After that, the yellow toner is adhered to the electrostatic latent image formed on the surface of the photosensitive drum 1Y by the developing device 3Y, and the yellow toner image is formed on the surface of the photosensitive drum 1Y. The toner image formed on the surface of the photosensitive drum 1Y is first transferred to the intermediate transfer belt 6 by applying the primary transfer bias to the primary transfer roller 5Y.

By the same process, magenta, cyan, and black toner images are formed on the photosensitive drums 1M, 1C, and 1K. Then, by applying the primary transfer bias to the primary transfer rollers 5M, 5C, and 5K, these toner images are transferred superimposed on the yellow toner image on the intermediate transfer belt 6. As a result, a full-color toner image corresponding to the image signal is formed on the surface of the intermediate transfer belt 6.

After that, the intermediate transfer belt 6 is transmitted a driving force from the driving roller 17 and moves around, so that a full-color toner image is sent to the secondary transfer unit. Then, by applying the secondary transfer bias to the secondary transfer roller 16 in the secondary transfer unit, the full-color toner image on the intermediate transfer belt 6 is transferred to the sheet S.

Next, the sheet S to which the toner image is transferred is heated and pressurized in the fixing device 15, whereby the toner image on the sheet S is fixed to the sheet S. After that, the sheet S on which the toner image is fixed is discharged to the discharge unit 7 by the discharge roller 13.

<Control board>
Next, the control board mounted on the image forming apparatus A will be described.

FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of the image forming apparatus A as viewed from the back side. In FIG. 2, in order to show the internal configuration of the image forming apparatus A, the exterior covers on the back surface and the left side surface of the image forming apparatus A are omitted. As shown in FIG. 2, the rear side plate 100, which is the frame body of the image forming apparatus A, is provided with stays 101, 102, 103, and 104 for reinforcing the rear side plate 100. The rear side plates 100 and stays 101 to 104 are frames on the back side of the image forming apparatus A, which are arranged on the back side of the image forming apparatus A with respect to the image forming portion such as the photosensitive drum 1.

A metal electrical box 700 (accommodating member) is fixed to the stays 101 and 102 by screws 90. In FIG. 2, the metal lid of the electrical box 700 is omitted in order to show the internal configuration of the electrical box 700. A first substrate 400 (first substrate) is housed inside the electrical box 700. The first substrate 400 is fixed to the electrical box 700 by screws 91. That is, the first substrate 400 is fixed to the frame on the back side of the image forming apparatus A via the electrical box 700, and in order to suppress the influence of external noise on the following image processing as much as possible, in order to suppress the influence of external noise on the following image processing as much as possible. Further, in order to shield radiation noise that can be radiated to the outside by the following image processing or the like as much as possible, it is housed and shielded in a metal electrical box 700. The electrical box 700 of the present embodiment is a box obtained by bending a single sheet metal (steel plate). The side wall of the first substrate 400 is bent from the mounting surface on which the first substrate 400 is mounted by screws 91. A lid (cover member) that covers the first substrate 400 may be attached to the electrical box 700.

The first board 400 is a controller board provided in the image forming apparatus A in order to control the power supply board 420, perform image data processing (image processing), and communicate with an external device such as a PC, tablet, or smartphone. .. Image processing is executed in which the image of the original document read by the image reading unit 8 on the first substrate 400 is converted into image data. In addition, image processing for generating image data based on an image input from an external device is executed on the first substrate 400. The image processing includes a process of converting RGB into YMCK, a density correction, a magnification correction, a color shift correction process, and the like. Further, on the first substrate 400, the image data is converted into the drive signal. In order to fulfill the above functions, many electronic components such as a controller IC, an electrolytic capacitor 600, and an ASIC are mounted on the mounting surface 400a of the first substrate 400. A total of six receptacle connectors 300 to 305 (board-side connectors) are mounted on the first substrate 400.

A second substrate 410 (second substrate) is fixed to the stays 103 and 104 located below the electrical box 700 by screws 92. The second substrate 410 is an engine substrate provided in the image forming apparatus A for controlling a motor (not shown) for driving a roller for conveying the sheet S and other drive systems. Drive targets in other drive systems include a charging roller 2 (2Y, 2M, 2C, 2K), a developing roller included in a developing device 3 (3Y, 3M, 3C, 3K), and a primary transfer roller 5 (5Y, 5M,). 5C, 5K) and the like are included. Further, the drive target in the other drive system includes a drive motor for rotating the rotary multifaceted mirror included in the laser scanner unit 98, an intermediate transfer belt 6, a secondary transfer roller 16, a secondary transfer opposed roller 12, and the like. In order to fulfill the above functions, many electronic components such as a controller IC and an ASIC are mounted on the mounting surface 410a of the second substrate 410. A receptacle connector 306 (board-side connector) is mounted on the mounting surface 410a of the second board 410.

The first substrate 400 and the second substrate 410 are electrically connected by a cable 230, and both are configured to be communicable. An electric signal for transmitting the timing of starting or stopping the drive of the drive system described above is transmitted from the first substrate 400 to the second substrate 410 via the cable 230. The cable 230 crawls from the first substrate 400 to the second substrate 410 through the opening 700a1 formed in the wall 700a of the electrical box 700. A plug connector 200 (cable-side connector) connected to the receptacle connector 300 mounted on the first board 400 is attached to one end of the cable 230. A plug connector 203 (cable-side connector) connected to the receptacle connector 306 mounted on the second board 410 is attached to the other end of the cable 230.

Further, a power supply board 420 is provided on the front side of the rear side plate 100 of the image forming apparatus A. The power supply board 420 is provided in the image forming apparatus A in order to supply power to each unit of the image forming apparatus A (an image forming unit, a fixing device, a roller driving source for conveying a sheet, and an image reading unit). There is. The first board 400 and the power supply board 420 are electrically connected by cables 221 and 222. Power for operating the first board 400 is transmitted from the power supply board 420 to the first board 400 via the cable 221. A power supply control signal is transmitted from the first board 400 to the power supply board 420 via the cable 222. The cables 221 and 222 are crawled from the first substrate 400 to the power supply substrate 420 through the openings 700a1 formed in the electrical box 700 and the openings 100a formed in the rear side plate 100. Further, plug connectors 201 and 202 connected to the receptacle connectors 301 and 302 mounted on the first substrate 400 are attached to one end of the cables 221 and 222, respectively. A plug connector 204 connected to the receptacle connector 307 mounted on the power supply board 420 is attached to the other end of the cables 221 and 222.

Similar to the receptacle connectors 300 to 302, the plug connector (not shown) attached to the end of the cable (not shown) is also connected to the receptacle connectors 303 to 305 mounted on the first board 400. Will be done. The receptacle connector 303 is a connector to which a cable for communicating with the image reading unit 8 and the operating unit 9 is connected. The receptacle connector 304 is optionally mounted on the image forming apparatus A, and is a connector to which a cable for communicating with a FAX unit for transmitting and receiving FAX is connected. The receptacle connector 305 is a connector to which a cable for communicating with Bluetooth (registered trademark) or NFC, which is optionally mounted on the image forming apparatus A, is connected. In this way, the first substrate 400 is electrically connected to the other unit described above via the cable.

<Plug connector and receptacle connector>
Next, the configurations of the plug connector and the receptacle connector will be described. The plug connectors 200 to 204 are the same type of connectors, and the configurations other than the number of poles of the terminals and each dimension are the same. The receptacle connectors 300 to 307 are the same type of connectors, and the configurations other than the number of poles of the terminals and each dimension are the same. Therefore, the configurations of the plug connector 200 and the receptacle connector 300 will be described below.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the plug connector 200 and the receptacle connector 300. 4A and 4B are views showing the receptacle connector 300, FIG. 4A is a front view, FIG. 4B is a side view, FIG. 4C is a rear view, and FIG. 4D is an upper view. is there. 5A and 5B are views showing the plug connector 200, FIG. 5A is a front view, FIG. 5B is a side view, FIG. 5C is a rear view, and FIG. 5D is a bottom view. ..

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the receptacle connector 300 has a pin terminal 300b which is an electrical contact portion. The pin terminals 300b are arranged at equal intervals and in parallel with each other, and are composed of 17-pole pins extending in the arrow Z direction (first direction) orthogonal to the mounting surface 400a of the first substrate 400. The length of each pin terminal 300b in the arrow Z direction is the same. Further, one end portion 300b1 of the pin terminal 300b is bent along the mounting surface 400a of the first substrate 400, and is soldered to a conductor pattern (land pattern) (not shown) formed on the first substrate 400.

Further, the receptacle connector 300 has a lock plate 300c extending in the direction of arrow Z. The lock plate 300c is formed with an engaging hole 300c1 recessed in the arrow X direction orthogonal to the arrow Y direction (second direction) and the arrow Z direction, which are parallel directions of the pin terminals 300b.

These pin terminals 300b and lock plate 300c are housed in the housing 300a. The housing 300a has a wall 300a1 arranged on one side of the pin terminal 300b and a wall 300a2 arranged on the other side in the direction of arrow X. Further, the housing 300a has a wall 300a3 (first wall) arranged on one side of the pin terminal 300b and a wall 300a4 (second wall) arranged on the other side in the arrow Y direction.

The length of the portion of the wall 300a1 facing the pin terminal 300b in the arrow Z direction is longer than the length of the pin terminal 300b in the arrow Z direction. The length of a part of the wall 300a2 facing the pin terminal 300b in the arrow Z direction is shorter than the length of the pin terminal 300b in the arrow Z direction. Further, a part of the wall 300a2 facing the pin terminal 300b is cut out. The length of the portion of the walls 300a3 and 300a4 facing the pin terminal 300b in the arrow Z direction is longer than the length of the pin terminal 300b in the arrow Z direction.

In the direction of arrow Z, the walls 300a2, 300a3, and 300a4 have a portion shorter than the length of the wall 300a1 and longer than the length of the pin terminal 300b. When the plug connector 200 is connected to the receptacle connector 300, a part of the housing 200a of the plug connector 200 is exposed from these parts. The operator who performs maintenance can easily pull out the plug connector 200 from the receptacle connector 300 by grasping the exposed portion of the plug connector 200.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, a cable storage hole 200a3 is formed in the housing 200a of the plug connector 200. A terminal 200d having a claw portion 200d1 (FIG. 6) is provided in the vicinity of the cable storage hole 200a3. The assembling worker stores the cable 230 (FIG. 6) in the cable storage hole 200a3, and causes the claw portion 200d1 of the terminal 200d to bite into the insulating coating of the stored cable 230 with a tool. As a result, the claw portion 200d1 of the terminal 200d comes into contact with the lead wire inside the insulating coating of the cable 230, and both become conductive.

Further, a through hole 200a1 is formed on the bottom surface of the housing 200a of the plug connector 200 so as to penetrate the bottom surface of the housing 200a in the direction of arrow Z. When the plug connector 200 is inserted into the receptacle connector 300, the pin terminal 300b of the receptacle connector 300 enters the through hole 200a1. As a result, the plug connector 200 is guided to move in the arrow Z direction by the pin terminal 300b. When the plug connector 200 is inserted, the pin terminal 300b and the terminal 200d come into contact with each other, and the receptacle connector 300 and the plug connector 200 are electrically connected.

Further, a convex portion 200a2 (engagement portion) protruding in the direction of arrow X is formed on the outer surface of the housing 200a of the plug connector 200. The convex portion 200a2 engages with the engaging hole 300c1 (engaged portion) formed in the lock plate 300c of the receptacle connector 300. As a result, the movement of the plug connector 200 connected to the receptacle connector 300 in the arrow Z direction is restricted, the displacement of the plug connector 200 with respect to the receptacle connector 300 is suppressed, and the electrical connection between the two is stabilized. Further, since a click feeling is generated when the convex portion 200a2 engages with the engaging hole 300c1, the operator can confirm that the plug connector 200 has been inserted.

<Issues when inserting and removing the plug connector>
Next, problems at the time of inserting and removing the plug connector 200 with respect to the receptacle connector 300 will be described.

FIG. 6 is a schematic view of how the plug connector 200 is inserted into the receptacle connector 300 as viewed from the direction of arrow Y. FIG. 7 is a schematic view of how the plug connector 200 is inserted into the receptacle connector 300 as viewed from the direction of arrow X. Here, FIGS. 6A and 7A show how the plug connector 200 is inserted from the direction of arrow Z. FIG. 6B shows how the plug connector 200 is inserted from a direction inclined by 25 ° toward the arrow X direction with respect to the arrow Z direction. FIG. 7B shows how the plug connector 200 is inserted from a direction inclined by 25 ° toward the arrow Y direction with respect to the arrow Z direction.

As shown in FIGS. 6A and 7A, when the plug connector 200 is inserted from the arrow Z direction, the pin terminal 300b of the receptacle connector 300 is inserted from the extending direction, so that the plug connector 200 penetrates. The inner wall of the hole 200a1 and the pin terminal 300b do not interfere with each other. Therefore, a force in an unintended direction is not applied from the plug connector 200 to the pin terminal 300b, and the pin terminal 300b is not deformed. Therefore, the pin terminal 300b and the terminal 200d are in stable contact with each other, and the electrical connection between the plug connector 200 and the receptacle connector 300 is stably performed.

As shown in FIG. 6B, when the plug connector 200 is inserted obliquely from the arrow X direction side, the pin terminal 300b of the receptacle connector 300 interferes with the inner wall of the through hole 200a1 of the plug connector 200. Similarly, as shown in FIG. 7B, when the plug connector 200 is inserted diagonally from the arrow Y direction side, the pin terminal 300b of the receptacle connector 300 interferes with the inner wall of the through hole 200a1 of the plug connector 200. .. If the plug connector 200 is forcibly inserted in this state, a force in an unintended direction is applied from the plug connector 200 to the pin terminal 300b, and the pin terminal 300b is deformed. In this case, the pin terminal 300b of the receptacle connector 300 and the terminal 200d of the plug connector 200 may not come into good contact with each other, and the electrical connection between the two may not be performed normally. Similarly, when the plug connector 200 is pulled out from the receptacle connector 300 at an angle, the pin terminal 300b may be deformed.

Further, when the plug connector 200 is inserted in a state where the pin terminal 300b of the receptacle connector 300 and the inner wall of the through hole 200a1 of the plug connector 200 interfere with each other, the plug connector 200 is scraped by the pin terminal 300b. In this case, the scraped powder 800 (FIG. 6B) enters between the terminal 200d of the plug connector 200 and the pin terminal 300b of the receptacle connector 300, and the terminals 200d and the pin terminal 300b do not come into contact with each other and the electricity of both is electric. Target connection may not be performed normally.

That is, in order to stabilize the electrical connection between the plug connector 200 and the receptacle connector 300, it is desirable that the plug connector 200 is not inserted and removed diagonally, but is inserted and removed from the direction of arrow Z. As described above, in the housing 300a of the receptacle connector 300, the length of the wall 300a1 in the arrow Z direction is longer than the length of the pin terminal 300b in the arrow Z direction, and the length of a part of the wall 300a2 in the arrow Z direction is the pin terminal 300b. It is configured to be shorter than the length in the Z direction of the arrow. Therefore, when the plug connector 200 is inserted / removed diagonally from the side in the direction of arrow X, it is particularly easy to insert / remove from the side where the wall 300a2 is arranged with respect to the pin terminal 300b.

<Regulatory members>
The image forming apparatus A includes a regulating member that regulates the insertion angle of the plug connector 200 with respect to the receptacle connector 300. Hereinafter, the configuration of the regulating member will be described.

First, a configuration of a regulating member that restricts the plug connector 200 from being inserted diagonally from the arrow X direction side will be described. FIG. 8 is a schematic view showing the configuration of the regulation plate 700a2 as the regulation member. Here, the regulation plate 700a2 is a part of the side wall 700a of the electrical box 700 shown in FIG. That is, in this embodiment, the electrical box 700 provided as a noise countermeasure is used as a regulating member.

As shown in FIG. 8, the regulation plate 700a2 is arranged at a position adjacent to the wall 300a2 of the housing 300a of the receptacle connector 300 in the direction of arrow X. The regulating plate 700a2 is configured so that the length in the direction orthogonal to the mounting surface 400a of the first substrate 400 (arrow Z direction) is longer than the length in the same direction of the pin terminal 300b.

Here, in the direction of arrow Z, the length of the pin terminal 300b is L1 and the length of the regulation plate 700a2 is L2. The length of the pin terminal 300b referred to here as L1 means the length of a portion of the pin terminal 300b that extends in the arrow Z direction and comes into contact with the terminal 200d of the plug connector 200. Further, in the arrow X direction, the distance between the portion of the pin terminal 300b extending in the arrow Z direction and the regulation plate 700a2 is L3. Further, when the plug connector 200 is inserted obliquely from the arrow X direction side with respect to the receptacle connector 300, the limit angle at which the electrical connection between the two is guaranteed to be normally performed is set to θ1. At this time, L1, L2, L3, and θ1 are configured to satisfy the following condition 1.

(Condition 1)
L3 ≦ (L2-L1) / tan (90-θ1) °

With such a configuration, when the operator tries to insert the plug connector 200 into the receptacle connector 300 from an oblique direction from the limit angle θ1, the regulation plate 700a2 comes into contact with the plug connector 200 and the insertion is hindered. Further, when the operator tries to pull out the plug connector 200 from the receptacle connector 300 in a direction obliquely from the limit angle θ1, the regulation plate 700a2 comes into contact with the plug connector 200 and the pulling out is hindered. That is, the insertion / removal angle of the plug connector 200 with respect to the receptacle connector 300 is regulated within a normal range by the regulation plate 700a2. Therefore, the deformation of the pin terminal 300b of the receptacle connector 300 is suppressed, and the electrical connection between the two can be stabilized.

Here, in the present embodiment, the limit angle θ1 at the time of inserting the plug connector 200 is assumed to be 25 °, and more preferably 15 °. Further, when mounting the receptacle connector 300, the length L1 of the pin terminal 300b is predetermined by the specifications. The length of the pin terminal 300b is often 1 mm ≦ L1 ≦ 10 mm. Further, the height of the wall 700a of the electrical box 700 is predetermined, and considering the overall size of the image forming apparatus A, the length is 10 mm ≦ L2 ≦ 50 mm as a guide. In this case, the distance L3 is set so as to satisfy the following condition 2 when the receptacle connector 300 is mounted or when the first substrate 400 on which the receptacle connector 300 is mounted is mounted on the image forming apparatus A.

(Condition 2)
L3 ≦ (L2-L1) / tan65 °

When the size of the electrical box 700 can be selected, the length L2 of the regulation plate 700a2 can be arbitrarily set. If the distance L3 is too long, it is difficult to regulate the insertion angle of the plug connector 200 even if the length L2 of the regulating plate 700a2 is long, and it is desirable that 5 mm ≦ L3 ≦ 25 mm. In this case, the length L2 of the regulation plate 700a2 is set so as to satisfy the following condition 3.

(Condition 3)
L2 ≧ L3tan 65 ° + L1

In this way, L1, L2, and L3 are set so as to satisfy the above conditions 2 and 3. As a result, even when the plug connector 200 is inserted diagonally from the X direction side, the insertion angle can be suppressed to 25 ° or less, which is the limit angle θ1. Therefore, the deformation of the pin terminal 300b of the receptacle connector 300 is suppressed, and the electrical connection between the two can be stabilized.

In the present embodiment, all the pin terminals 300b of the receptacle connector 300 and the regulation plate 700a2 are configured to overlap each other when viewed from the direction of the arrow X. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the above effect can be obtained if at least a part of the pin terminal 300b and the regulation plate 700a2 overlap when viewed from the direction of arrow X.

Next, a configuration of a regulating member that restricts the plug connector 200 from being inserted diagonally from the Y direction side of the arrow will be described. FIG. 9 is a schematic view showing the configuration of the regulation plate 700a3 and the electrolytic capacitor 600 as the regulation members. Here, the regulation plate 700a3 is a part of the side wall 700a of the electrical box 700 shown in FIG. That is, in the present embodiment, the electronic components mounted on the electrical box 700 and the first substrate 400, which are provided as noise countermeasures, are used as the regulating members.

As shown in FIG. 9, the regulation plate 700a3 (first regulation member) is arranged at a position adjacent to the wall 300a3 of the housing 300a of the receptacle connector 300 in the arrow Y direction. The length of the regulation plate 700a3 in the arrow Z direction is configured to be longer than the length of the pin terminal 300b in the arrow Z direction. The electrolytic capacitor 600 (second regulating member) is arranged at a position adjacent to the wall 300a4 of the housing 300a of the receptacle connector 300 in the Y direction of the arrow. The length of the electrolytic capacitor 600 in the arrow Z direction is configured to be longer than the length of the pin terminal 300b in the arrow Z direction.

Here, in the direction of arrow Z, the length of the wall 300a3 of the housing 300a of the receptacle connector 300 is K1, the length of the wall 300a4 is K2, the length of the regulation plate 700a3 is K3, and the length of the electrolytic capacitor 600 is K4. .. The lengths K1 and K2 of the wall 300a3 and the wall 300a4 of the housing 300a here mean the length of the portion of the wall 300a3 and the wall 300a4 having the longest length in the arrow Z direction. Further, in the direction of the arrow Y, the distance between the wall 300a3 of the housing 300a and the regulation plate 700a3 is K5, and the distance between the wall 300a4 of the housing 300a and the electrolytic capacitor 600 is K6. Further, in the insertion angle of the plug connector 200 with respect to the receptacle connector 300, the limit inclination angle that guarantees that the electrical connection is normally performed when the plug connector 200 is inserted diagonally from the arrow Y direction is defined as the limit angle θ2. At this time, K1 to K6 and θ2 are configured to satisfy the following conditions 4 and 5.

(Condition 4)
K5 ≦ (K3-K1) / tan (90-θ2) °

(Condition 5)
K6 ≦ (K4-K2) / tan (90-θ2) °

With such a configuration, when the operator tries to insert the plug connector 200 into the receptacle connector 300 from an oblique direction from the limit angle θ2, the regulation plate 700a3 or the electrolytic capacitor 600 comes into contact with the plug connector 200 to prevent the insertion. Will be done. Further, when the operator tries to pull out the plug connector 200 from the receptacle connector 300 in a direction obliquely from the limit angle θ2, the regulation plate 700a2 or the electrolytic capacitor 600 comes into contact with the plug connector 200 and the pulling out is hindered. That is, the insertion / removal angle of the plug connector 200 with respect to the receptacle connector 300 is regulated within a normal range by the regulation plate 700a2 or the electrolytic capacitor 600. Therefore, the deformation of the pin terminal 300b of the receptacle connector 300 is suppressed, and the electrical connection between the two can be stabilized.

Here, in the present embodiment, the limit angle θ2 at the time of inserting the plug connector 200 is assumed to be 25 °, and more preferably 15 °. When mounting the receptacle connector 300, the length K1 of the wall 300a3 and the length K2 of the wall 300a4 of the housing 300a are predetermined by the specifications. The length of the wall 300a3 and the length of the wall 300a4 are often 4 mm ≦ K1 ≦ 20 mm and 4 mm ≦ K2 ≦ 20 mm. Further, the height of the wall 700a of the electrical box 700 is predetermined, and considering the overall size of the image forming apparatus A, the length is 10 mm ≦ K3 ≦ 50 mm as a guide. The length K4 of the electrolytic capacitor 600 is predetermined by the specifications, and 10 mm ≦ K4 ≦ 25 mm is a guide. In this case, when the receptacle connector 300 is mounted or when the first substrate 400 on which the receptacle connector 300 is mounted is mounted on the image forming apparatus A, the distances K5 and K6 are set so as to satisfy the following conditions 6 and 7. ..

(Condition 6)
K5 ≦ (K3-K1) / tan65 °

(Condition 7)
K6 ≦ (K4-K2) / tan65 °

When the size of the electrical box 700 can be selected, the length K3 of the regulation plate 700a3 can be arbitrarily set. When the specifications of the electrolytic capacitor 600 can be selected, the length K4 of the electrolytic capacitor 600 can be arbitrarily set. If the distances K5 and K6 are too long, it is difficult to regulate the insertion angle of the plug connector 200 even if the length K3 of the regulation plate 700a3 and the length K4 of the electrolytic capacitor 600 are long, and 1 mm ≦ K5 ≦ 25 mm, 1 mm ≦. It is desirable that K6 ≦ 15 mm. The length K3 of the regulation plate 700a3 and the length K4 of the electrolytic capacitor 600 are set so as to satisfy the following conditions 8 and 9.

(Condition 8)
K3 ≧ K5tan 65 ° + K1

(Condition 9)
K4 ≧ K6tan 65 ° + K2

In this way, K1 to K6 are set so as to satisfy the above conditions 8 and 9. As a result, even when the plug connector 200 is inserted diagonally from the Y direction side, the insertion angle can be suppressed to 25 ° or less, which is the limit angle θ2. Therefore, the deformation of the pin terminal 300b of the receptacle connector 300 is suppressed, and the electrical connection between the two can be stabilized.

In this embodiment, when viewed from the direction of arrow Y, all parts of the wall 300a3 of the receptacle connector 300 and the regulation plate 700a3 are configured to overlap each other. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the above effect can be obtained if at least a part of the wall 300a3 and the regulation plate 700a3 overlap when viewed from the direction of arrow X. Further, the above effect can be obtained if at least a part of the wall 300a4 and the electrolytic capacitor 600 overlap when viewed from the arrow Y direction.

Further, in the present embodiment, a part of the wall of the electrical box 700 or the electrolytic capacitor 600 mounted on the first substrate 400 is used as the regulating member, but the present invention is not limited to this. That is, instead of the regulation plate 700a2, the regulation plate 700a3, and the electrolytic capacitor 600, other electronic components mounted on the first substrate 400 may be used as the regulation member. Further, instead of the regulation plate 700a2, the regulation plate 700a3, and the electrolytic capacitor 600, another member may be provided as a regulation member in the vicinity of the mounting surface 400a of the first substrate 400 or the first substrate 400. As an example of the regulating member provided on the mounting surface 400a of the first substrate 400, a wire saddle that restrains the cable 230 can be considered. Even with such a configuration, the same effect as described above can be obtained.

<Arrangement of receptacle connector>
Next, the arrangement of the receptacle connectors 300 to 305 will be described.

FIG. 10A is a layout drawing of the receptacle connectors 300 to 305. Here, FIG. 10A is a front view of the first substrate 400 in a state of being fixed to the stays 101 and 102, which are the frames of the image forming apparatus A, via the electrical box 700, and is a top and bottom view of the paper surface. The direction indicates the vertical direction, and the left-right direction indicates the horizontal direction. FIG. 10B is a table showing the lengths of the receptacle connectors 300 to 305 in the longitudinal direction, the number of poles of the pin terminals 300b, and the number of engagement holes 300c1. Here, the longitudinal direction of the receptacle connectors 300 to 305 is the parallel direction of these pin terminals.

As shown in FIG. 10, the mounting surface 400a of the first substrate 400 forms an end portion of the mounting surface 400a, and has a side 400a1 (first side) extending in the horizontal direction and a side 400a1 facing the side 400a1. It has a side 400a2 (third side) extending in parallel. Further, the mounting surface 400a forms an end portion of the mounting surface 400a, and has a side 400a3 (second side) extending in the vertical direction and a side 400a4 (fourth side) facing the side 400a3 and extending parallel to the side 400a1. Has.

Here, when a receptacle connector having a large number of pin terminals and a long length in the longitudinal direction is arranged on the mounting surface 400a so that the longitudinal direction and the vertical direction are aligned with each other, the operator can use the plug connector in the vertical direction. The plug connector will be gripped and inserted so that it is aligned with. When the plug connector is gripped in this way, the visibility of both ends of the receptacle connector in the longitudinal direction is deteriorated, and the orientation of the wrist is such that it is difficult to maintain the insertion angle of the plug connector with respect to the receptacle connector. Therefore, the plug connector can be easily inserted into the receptacle connector at an angle with respect to the direction orthogonal to the mounting surface 400a of the first substrate 400. In particular, in a receptacle connector having a long length in the longitudinal direction and having a plurality of engaging holes, it is conceivable that an operator fits the convex portions of the plug connector into the engaging holes one by one in order. Therefore, the plug connector can be easily inserted at an angle with respect to the direction orthogonal to the mounting surface 400a of the first substrate 400.

Therefore, in the present embodiment, the receptacle connectors 300, 303, and 305 having 15 or more poles of pin terminals are arranged so that their longitudinal directions are aligned with the horizontal direction in which the sides 400a1 and 400a2 extend. Specifically, the receptacle connector 300 is mounted around the side 400a1 on the mounting surface 400a of the first substrate 400, and is arranged so that the longitudinal direction thereof and the direction in which the side 400a1 extends are aligned. Further, the receptacle connector 303 is mounted at a position adjacent to the receptacle connector 300 in the direction in which the side 400a1 extends on the mounting surface 400a of the first substrate 400, and is arranged so that the longitudinal direction thereof and the direction in which the side 400a1 extends are aligned. Further, the receptacle connector 305 is mounted around the side 400a2 on the mounting surface 400a of the first substrate 400, and is arranged so that the longitudinal direction thereof and the direction in which the side 400a2 extends are aligned. These receptacle connectors 300, 303, and 305 are receptacle connectors having a length of 20 mm or more in the longitudinal direction, and are also plug connectors having a plurality of engaging holes. In the present embodiment, the receptacle connectors 300, 303, 305 are arranged so that the longitudinal direction of the receptacle connectors 300, 303, 305 and the horizontal direction in which the sides 400a1 and 400a2 extend are parallel, but they are displaced within the tolerance range. You may.

Further, the receptacle connectors 301, 302, and 304 having pin terminals having 2 or more poles and less than 15 poles are arranged so that their longitudinal directions are aligned with the vertical direction in which the sides 400a3 and 400a4 extend. Specifically, the receptacle connector 301 is mounted around the side 400a3 on the mounting surface 400a of the first substrate 400, and is arranged so that the longitudinal direction thereof and the direction in which the side 400a3 extends are aligned. Further, the receptacle connector 302 is mounted at a position adjacent to the receptacle connector 301 in the direction in which the side 400a3 extends on the mounting surface 400a of the first substrate 400, and is arranged so that the longitudinal direction thereof and the direction in which the side 400a3 extends are aligned. Further, the receptacle connector 304 is mounted around the side 400a4 on the mounting surface 400a of the first substrate 400, and is arranged so that the longitudinal direction thereof and the direction in which the side 400a4 extends are aligned. These receptacle connectors 301, 302, 304 are receptacle connectors having a length of less than 20 mm in the longitudinal direction, and are also plug connectors having one engaging hole. In the present embodiment, the receptacle connectors 301, 302, 304 are arranged so that the longitudinal direction of the receptacle connectors 301, 302, 304 is parallel to the vertical direction in which the sides 400a3, 400a4 extend, but they are displaced within a tolerance range. You may.

By arranging the receptacle connectors 300 to 305 in this way, it is possible to prevent the plug connector from being inserted into the receptacle connector at an angle with respect to the direction orthogonal to the mounting surface 400a of the first substrate 400. Therefore, deformation of the pin terminals of the receptacle connectors 300 to 305 and the terminals of the plug connector inserted therein can be suppressed, and the electrical connection between the two can be stabilized.

200 ... Plug connector (cable side connector)
230 ... Cable 300 ... Receptacle connector (board side connector)
300a ... Housing 300a3 ... Wall (first wall)
300a4 ... Wall (second wall)
300b ... Pin terminal 400 ... First board (first board)
410 ... Second board (second board)
700 ... Electrical box (accommodation member)
700a3 ... Regulatory plate (first regulatory member)
600 ... Electrolytic capacitor (second regulatory member)
A ... Image forming device

Claims (6)

The first substrate arranged on the back side of the image forming apparatus and
A second board that is electrically connected to the first board via a cable,
A board-side connector mounted on the first board and to which the cable-side connector of the cable is connected, extending in a first direction orthogonal to the mounting surface of the first board, and orthogonal to the first direction. A housing that accommodates a plurality of terminals arranged in parallel in two directions and the plurality of terminals. The housing is arranged on one side of the plurality of terminals in the second direction, and the length in the first direction is A first wall longer than the length of the plurality of terminals in the first direction and the other side of the plurality of terminals, the length of the first direction is greater than the length of the plurality of terminals in the first direction. A housing with a long second wall, a board-side connector with, and
The cable-side connector is arranged adjacent to the first wall of the board-side connector in the second direction, and the length of the first direction is longer than the length of the first wall of the first wall. A first regulating member that regulates the insertion angle with respect to the board-side connector,
Arranged adjacent to the second wall of the board-side connector in the second direction, the length of the first direction is longer than the length of the first direction of the second wall of the cable-side connector. A second regulating member that regulates the insertion angle with respect to the board-side connector,
With
The length of the first wall in the first direction is K1, the length of the second wall in the first direction is K2, the length of the first regulating member in the first direction is K3, and the first. 2 The length of the regulating member in the first direction is K4, the distance between the first wall and the first regulating member in the second direction is K5, and the second wall and the second regulating member When the distance between the two in the second direction is K6 and K3 ≦ 50 mm and K4 ≦ 25 mm,
K5 ≦ (K3-K1) / tan65 ° and K6 ≦ (K4-K2) / tan65 °
An image forming apparatus characterized by satisfying. The first substrate arranged on the back side of the image forming apparatus and
A second board that is electrically connected to the first board via a cable,
A board-side connector mounted on the first board and to which the cable-side connector of the cable is connected, extending in a first direction orthogonal to the mounting surface of the first board, and orthogonal to the first direction. A housing that accommodates a plurality of terminals arranged in parallel in two directions and the plurality of terminals. The housing is arranged on one side of the plurality of terminals in the second direction, and the length in the first direction is A first wall longer than the length of the plurality of terminals in the first direction and the other side of the plurality of terminals, the length of the first direction is greater than the length of the plurality of terminals in the first direction. A housing with a long second wall, a board-side connector with, and
The cable-side connector is arranged adjacent to the first wall of the board-side connector in the second direction, and the length of the first direction is longer than the length of the first wall of the first wall. The first regulating member that regulates the insertion angle with respect to the board-side connector, and
Arranged adjacent to the second wall of the board-side connector in the second direction, the length of the first direction is longer than the length of the first direction of the second wall of the cable-side connector. A second regulating member that regulates the insertion angle with respect to the board-side connector,
With
The length of the first wall in the first direction is K1, the length of the second wall in the first direction is K2, the length of the first regulating member in the first direction is K3, and the first. 2 The length of the regulating member in the first direction is K4, the distance between the first wall and the first regulating member in the second direction is K5, and the second wall and the second regulating member When the distance between the two in the second direction is K6 and K5 ≦ 25 mm and K6 ≦ 15 mm,
K3 ≧ K5 tan 65 ° + K1 and K4 ≧ K6 tan 65 ° + K2
An image forming apparatus characterized by satisfying. A metal accommodating member for accommodating the first substrate is provided.
The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the first regulating member is a part of a wall of the accommodating member. The image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the second regulating member is an electronic component mounted on the first substrate. The image forming apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the electronic component is a capacitor. The board-side connector has an engaged portion and has an engaged portion.
The cable-side connector is characterized by having an engaging portion that engages with the engaged portion and restricts the cable-side connector connected to the substrate-side connector from moving in the first direction. The image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

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