JP2021036337A - Image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide an image forming apparatus that can arrange a circuit board having a power supply element mounted thereon without increasing the size of an apparatus body.SOLUTION: A circuit board 100 is provided substantially in parallel with a conveyance path R for a recording material P that is arranged in the vertical direction on the back of the body of the image forming apparatus A, and a low-voltage power supply element part 110 and a high-voltage power supply element part 120 mounted on the circuit board 100 are stored in a space 19 formed between the conveyance path R and circuit board 100.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus such as a copier, a printer, and a facsimile apparatus.

The image forming apparatus is provided with a circuit board provided with electrical components such as an AC power supply and a DC power supply. In Patent Document 1, an electrical component is provided in the lower space of the recording material transport path extending in the oblique direction from the paper feed roller that feeds the recording material from the paper feed cassette to the fixing device. As a result, the path of the air flow generated by the heat generated from the electrical component is secured.

The heat generated from the fuser arranged on the upper part of the electrical component is discharged to the outside of the device from the louver portion provided on the exterior cover. By providing a space between the rear surface of the fuser and the exterior cover, airflow due to waste heat of the fuser is also generated in this portion. By providing a large space under the fuser and arranging the electrical component, it is possible to generate airflow for waste heat from the electrical component to the fuser without a cooling fan, etc., and the heat inside the image forming apparatus. It is possible to eliminate muffled air and prevent temperature rise.

JP 2001-235919

A plurality of electronic elements are mounted substantially perpendicular to the substrate on the circuit board provided with the electrical component. In order to accommodate these tall power devices in the device main body of the comparative example shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, it is necessary to secure a large space on the outside of the device main body of the side plate. Therefore, the main body of the device expands in the left-right longitudinal direction, and the device becomes large.

The present invention solves the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus capable of arranging a circuit board on which a power element is mounted without increasing the size of the apparatus main body.

A typical configuration of the image forming apparatus according to the present invention for achieving the above object is that a circuit board is provided substantially parallel to a transport path of a recording material, and is formed between the transport path and the circuit board. The electronic element mounted on the circuit board is housed in the space.

According to the present invention, the circuit board on which the power element is mounted can be arranged without increasing the size of the apparatus main body.

It is sectional drawing which shows the structure of 1st Embodiment of the image forming apparatus which concerns on this invention. It is a perspective explanatory view which saw the frame body structure of the image forming apparatus of 1st Embodiment from one side plate side. It is a perspective explanatory view which saw the frame body structure of the image forming apparatus of 1st Embodiment from the other side plate side. FIG. 5 is a perspective explanatory view showing a state in which a drive unit and an image signal line are attached to the main body of the image forming apparatus shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is a perspective explanatory view showing a state in which a drive unit and an image signal line are attached to the main body of the image forming apparatus shown in FIG. It is a perspective explanatory view which shows the structure of the drive unit of 1st Embodiment. It is a perspective explanatory drawing which shows the structure of the circuit board of 1st Embodiment. It is sectional drawing which shows the structure of the 2nd Embodiment of the image forming apparatus which concerns on this invention. It is sectional drawing which shows the structure of the image forming apparatus of a comparative example. It is a perspective explanatory view which shows the frame body structure of the image forming apparatus of a comparative example.

An embodiment of the image forming apparatus according to the present invention will be specifically described with reference to the drawings.

The configuration of the first embodiment of the image forming apparatus according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 7.

<Image forming device>
First, the configuration of the image forming apparatus A according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional explanatory view showing a configuration of a first embodiment of the image forming apparatus A according to the present invention. The image forming apparatus A shown in FIG. 1 is an example of an electrophotographic laser beam printer. A process cartridge B is detachably attached to the main body of the image forming apparatus A shown in FIG. The process cartridge B is integrally provided with a photosensitive drum 8 as an image carrier, a charging roller as a charging means (not shown), a developing device 1 as a developing means, a cleaner 2 as a cleaning means, and the like. Has been done.

An opening / closing door 13 is rotatably supported on the upper part of the image forming apparatus A main body. As shown by the broken line in FIG. 1, the process cartridge B becomes detachable from the image forming apparatus A main body by opening the opening / closing door 13. A laser scanner 3 serving as an exposure device (exposure means) is provided in the main body of the image forming apparatus A.

The surface of the photosensitive drum 8 uniformly charged by a charging roller (not shown) is irradiated with the laser beam L corresponding to the image information emitted from the laser scanner 3. As a result, an electrostatic latent image corresponding to the image information is formed on the surface of the photosensitive drum 8. The laser scanner 3 (exposure apparatus) forms an electrostatic latent image according to the image information on the surface of the photosensitive drum 8 (image carrier). Toner as a developer is supplied from a developing roller as a developer carrier (not shown) provided in the developing apparatus 1 to an electrostatic latent image formed on the surface of the photosensitive drum 8 to develop the toner image. ..

On the other hand, a feed tray 4 accommodating the recording material P is provided in the lower part of the main body of the image forming apparatus A. Further, the image forming apparatus A main body is provided with a transport path R for transporting the recording material P. The feeding roller 5, the transport roller 11 serving as a transport rotating body for transporting the recording material P, and the recording material P are transported to the transport path R along the transport direction of the recording material P indicated by the arrow D in FIG. A resist roller 6 is provided as a transport roller that serves as a transport rotating body.

Further, a transfer roller 7 is provided which is a transfer means for transferring the toner image formed on the surface of the photosensitive drum 8 (image carrier) to the recording material P and which is a transport rotating body for transporting the recording material P. Further, a heating roller 9a provided in the fixing device 9 serving as a fixing means for fixing the toner image (image) on the recording material P, and a transport rotating body provided facing the heating roller 9a and transporting the recording material P. A pressure roller 9b, a discharge roller 10, and the like, which serve as fixing rollers, are sequentially arranged.

<Frame structure>
Next, the frame structure of the image forming apparatus A will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 to 5. FIG. 2 is a perspective explanatory view of the frame body configuration of the image forming apparatus A as viewed from one side plate 15 side. FIG. 3 is a perspective explanatory view of the frame body configuration of the image forming apparatus A as viewed from the other side plate 16 side. FIG. 4 is a perspective explanatory view showing a state in which the drive unit 50 and the image signal lines 150 and 151 are attached to the main body of the image forming apparatus A shown in FIG. FIG. 5 is a perspective explanatory view showing a state in which the drive unit 50 and the image signal lines 150 and 151 are attached to the main body of the image forming apparatus A shown in FIG. The direction of the arrow M in FIGS. 2 to 5 is the longitudinal direction of the main body of the image forming apparatus A, and is the axial direction of each roller that conveys the recording material P such as the transfer roller 7.

The image forming apparatus A main body is provided with a transport guide 14 that constitutes a transport path R of the recording material P. Side plates 15 and 16 that are orthogonal to the transport guide 14 and face each other are provided at both ends of the transport guide 14 in the arrow M direction. The transport guide 14 and the side plates 15 and 16 are made of an integrated resin mold in order to reduce the size, weight and cost of the image forming apparatus A main body.

Guide rails 15a and 16a for guiding the movement of the process cartridge B when the process cartridge B is attached and detached are provided inside the image forming apparatus A main body of the side plates 15 and 16, respectively. The process cartridge B is positioned with respect to the side plates 15 and 16 by inserting engaging portions (not shown) provided at both ends of the process cartridge B in the longitudinal direction along the guide rails 15a and 16a.

The laser scanner 3 is fixedly supported by a fixing means such as a screw to the support stay 17 so as to be arranged in a direction substantially perpendicular to the installation surface of the image forming apparatus A. On the other hand, the support stay 17 is pulled and supported by a tension spring 17a serving as an urging means on the outside of the side plates 15 and 16.

One ends of the pair of tension springs 17a urging the support stays 17 are respectively locked to both ends in the longitudinal direction of the support stays 17. The other end of one tension spring 17a is locked to the sheet metal 52 shown in FIG. 4, and the other end of the other tension spring 17a is locked to the sheet metal 18 shown in FIG. ..

On the back side of the image forming apparatus A main body (main body of the image forming apparatus), the circuit board 100 is fixed and supported on the outside of the transport guide 14 by a fixing means such as a screw. The circuit board 100 is arranged substantially perpendicular to the installation surface of the image forming apparatus A. The circuit board 100 is arranged parallel to the arrow M direction of FIGS. 2 to 5. As shown in FIG. 1, the laser scanner 3 (exposure device) is arranged substantially perpendicular to the installation surface of the image forming device A. As a result, the laser scanner 3 (exposure apparatus) and the substrate surface 100a of the circuit board 100 are arranged substantially in parallel.

<Drive unit>
Next, the configuration of the drive unit 50 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 6 is a perspective explanatory view showing the configuration of the drive unit 50. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, a drive unit 50 is provided on the outside of the side plate 15. As shown in FIG. 6, a plurality of gears 12a to 12h are rotatably supported on the sheet metal 52 of the drive unit 50.

A motor 51 as a drive source is fixedly supported on the side plate 15 by a fixing member such as a screw (not shown). Drive gears 51a fixed to the drive shaft of the motor 51 are meshed with gears 12a and 12g, respectively. The gear 12a is meshed with the gear 12b, the gear 12b is meshed with the gear 12c, and the gear 12c is meshed with the gears 12d and 12f, respectively. Further, the gear 12d is meshed with the gear 12e. Further, the gear 12g is meshed with the gear 12h.

As a result, the rotational driving force of the motor 51 is increased by the gear train 12 composed of the plurality of gears 12a to 12h, which is the feeding roller 5, the transport roller 11, the resist roller 6, the photosensitive drum 8, the heating roller 9a, and the pressurizing roller shown in FIG. It is transmitted to each of 9b and the discharge roller 10.

<Image formation operation>
Next, the image forming operation of the image forming apparatus A will be described with reference to FIG. The surface of the photosensitive drum 8 that rotates clockwise in FIG. 1 is uniformly charged by a charging roller (not shown). The surface of the uniformly charged photosensitive drum 8 is irradiated with the laser beam L corresponding to the image information emitted from the laser scanner 3. As a result, an electrostatic latent image is formed on the surface of the photosensitive drum 8. Toner as a developer is supplied to the electrostatic latent image formed on the surface of the photosensitive drum 8 from a developing roller (not shown) which is a developer carrier provided in the developing apparatus 1. As a result, a toner image corresponding to the image information is formed on the surface of the photosensitive drum 8.

On the other hand, in accordance with the output timing of the laser beam L emitted from the laser scanner 3, the feeding roller 5 transmits the rotational driving force of the motor 51 by the driving unit 50 shown in FIG. 6 to accommodate the laser beam L in the feeding tray 4. The recording material P is fed out. After that, the recording materials P are separated and fed one by one in collaboration with a separating means (not shown).

After that, the recording material P is sandwiched and conveyed by the conveying roller 11, and the tip end portion of the recording material P is brought into contact with the nip portion of the resist roller 6 that has stopped. After being handled by the strength of the waist of the recording material P to correct the skew of the recording material P, the resist roller 6 rotates at a predetermined timing, and the recording material P is sandwiched between the resist rollers 6 and is a photosensitive drum. It is conveyed to the transfer nip portion N1 formed by the transfer roller 7 and the transfer roller 7.

As shown in FIGS. 2 to 5, transfer rollers 7 are rotatably supported at both ends of the transport guide 14 in the direction of arrow M via a pair of bearing members 7a. The transfer roller 7 is provided so as to apply a predetermined contact pressure to the surface of the photosensitive drum 8 by a pressing spring 7b attached to the bearing member 7a as an urging means.

The transfer roller 7 abuts on the surface of the photosensitive drum 8 to form the transfer nip portion N1. A transfer bias is applied to the transfer roller 7 from a transfer bias power supply (not shown). As a result, the toner image formed on the surface of the photosensitive drum 8 is transferred to the recording material P which has been sandwiched and conveyed by the resist roller 6. The transfer roller 7 provided on the transfer guide 14 is not connected to the gear train 12 shown in FIG. 6, and rotates in accordance with the rotation of the photosensitive drum 8.

In the transfer nip portion N1, the recording material P on which the toner image is transferred is transferred to the fixing device 9 via the transfer path R. The fixing device 9 is provided with a pressurizing roller 9b and a heating roller 9a that are rotatably supported by the frame body 9c. The frame body 9c of the fixing device 9 is fixed to the upper surface portions of the side plates 15 and 16 by fixing members such as screws (not shown). A drive gear (not shown) is fixed to one end of the rotary shaft of the pressurizing roller 9b in the longitudinal direction. The drive gear of the pressurizing roller 9b is meshed with the gear 12d of the gear train 12 shown in FIG. As a result, the rotational driving force from the motor 51, which is the drive source, is transmitted to the pressurizing roller 9b via the gear train 12, and the pressurizing roller 9b rotates.

In the transfer nip portion N1, the recording material P to which the toner image is transferred is heated and pressurized in the process of passing through the fixing nip portion N2 formed by the heating roller 9a and the pressurizing roller 9b, and the toner image is heated. It melts and is heat-fixed to the recording material P. After that, the recording material P on which the toner image is fixed is sandwiched and conveyed by the heating roller 9a and the pressure roller 9b, and further sandwiched and conveyed by the discharge roller 10 on the discharge tray 13a provided on the opening / closing door 13. It is discharged.

<Circuit board>
Next, the configuration of the circuit board 100 will be described with reference to FIG. 7. FIG. 7 is a perspective explanatory view showing the configuration of the circuit board 100. The circuit board 100 shown in FIG. 7 is provided with a low-voltage power element unit 110 that takes in AC power from an external commercial power source and converts it into DC power. Further, a high-voltage power device unit 120 for supplying the high voltage required for image formation to the process cartridge B and the transfer roller 7 is provided.

The circuit board 100 of the present embodiment integrally mounts an electronic element including a low-voltage power element unit 110 composed of a low-voltage power element and a high-voltage power element unit 120 composed of a high-voltage power element. The circuit board 100 shown in FIG. 7 is further provided with a plurality of transport sensors 130 for detecting the transport state of the recording material P transported along the transport path R. Further, a connector unit 140 or the like for connecting the image signal lines 150 and 151 shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 to send the image signal to the laser scanner 3 is mounted.

In the present embodiment, a plurality of electronic elements of the low-voltage power element unit 110 and the high-voltage power element unit 120 are mounted in the direction perpendicular to the substrate surface 100a of the circuit board 100. Among these plurality of electronic elements, the tallest electronic element protruding from the substrate surface 100a of the circuit board 100 is a low-voltage power transformer 111 which is a part of the low-voltage power element unit 110. Therefore, the tallest apex T protruding from the substrate surface 100a of the circuit board 100 of the low-voltage power transformer 111 is the most protruding portion in the vertical direction of the circuit board 100.

The circuit board 100 is provided substantially parallel to the transport path R of the recording material P arranged in the vertical direction of FIG. The circuit board 100 side of the transport path R is composed of transport guides 14 arranged in the vertical direction of FIG. A space 19 is formed between the substrate surface 100a of the circuit board 100 and the transport guide 14. The low-voltage power element unit 110 and the high-voltage power element unit 120, which are electronic elements mounted on the circuit board 100, are housed in a space 19 (inside the space) formed between the transfer guide 14 and the circuit board 100. ..

Here, points 6a, 7c, 9b1 in which the surface of at least one of the transfer roller 11, the resist roller 6, the transfer roller 7, and the pressure roller 9b is closest to the substrate surface 100a of the circuit board 100 is considered. Consider a plane V1 that passes through these points 6a, 7c, 9b1 and is parallel to the substrate surface 100a of the circuit board 100. The apex portion T of the low-voltage power transformer 111 is arranged so as to project so as to be closer to the transport path R side (right side in FIG. 1) than the surface V1.

That is, the circuit board 100 side (circuit board) on the surface of at least one of the transfer roller 11, the resist roller 6, the transfer roller 7, and the pressure roller 9b (fixing roller), which is a transfer rotating body provided in the transfer path R. Consider the closest part of the side). Consider a surface V1 that passes through the closest portion and is parallel to the substrate surface 100a of the circuit board 100. Then, among the plurality of electronic elements mounted on the circuit board 100, the apex portion T of the low-voltage power transformer 111, which is the tallest electronic element, is arranged so as to project toward the transport path R side (transport path side) from the surface V1. Will be done. As a result, it is not necessary to widen the front-rear direction (left-right direction in FIG. 1) of the image forming apparatus A in order to accommodate the low-voltage power transformer 111, and the image forming apparatus A can be miniaturized.

Further, the low-voltage power element unit 110 (electronic element) including the low-voltage power transformer 111 is centrally arranged below the transfer roller 7 shown in FIG. As a result, the center of gravity of the image forming apparatus A is located on the lower side. As a result, the influence of external vibration and the like can be reduced, and the image forming apparatus A main body can be stabilized.

Further, the low-voltage power element unit 110 including the low-voltage power transformer 111 can be separated from the fixing device 9 shown in FIG. As a result, it is possible to suppress malfunctions and the like due to the influence of heat generated in the fixing device 9. Further, even when heat is generated by the operation of the low-voltage power element unit 110, the air heated by the heat flow flows upward in FIG. 1 by natural convection in the space 19 formed between the transport guide 14 and the circuit board 100. .. As a result, efficient heat can be exhausted.

<Countermeasures against electromagnetic noise>
Next, countermeasures against electromagnetic noise of the image forming apparatus A will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5. The circuit board 100 can also be an electromagnetic noise generation source that generates electromagnetic noise. The generation of electromagnetic noise affects not only the inside of the image forming apparatus A but also the external equipment of the image forming apparatus A.

In particular, if the circuit board 100 is only fixedly supported by the transport guide 14 formed of an integrated resin mold that is a non-conductor as in the present embodiment, the shielding effect of the conductor cannot be expected. Therefore, there is a high possibility that the electromagnetic noise generated from the circuit board 100 is radiated to various places and spreads. In the present embodiment, the sheet metal 18 shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 having conductivity for shielding the electromagnetic noise generated from the circuit board 100 is provided on the outside of the circuit board 100.

The sheet metal 18 is fastened to the circuit board 100 and the conductive sheet metal 52 shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 by a fixing member (not shown) such as a screw. The sheet metal 18 and the sheet metal 52 are connected so as to be energized by a support stay 17 having conductivity and a tension spring 17a also having conductivity.

As a result, the sheet metal 18, the sheet metal 52, and the support stay 17, each of which has conductivity, are configured as a shield plate that covers the side surfaces of the image forming apparatus A main body in the four directions perpendicular to the installation surface of the image forming apparatus A. Will be done. This shields electromagnetic noise. As a result, electromagnetic noise from the outside of the image forming apparatus A does not affect the electrical operation of the circuit board 100. Further, electromagnetic noise generated from various power supply elements of the low-voltage power supply element unit 110 and the high-voltage power supply element unit 120 mounted on the circuit board 100 does not affect external devices and the like.

Further, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the sheet metal 18, the sheet metal 52, in which the image signal lines 150 and 151 connecting the connector portion 140 provided on the circuit board 100 and the laser scanner 3 are formed as a shield plate, It is arranged near the outside of the support stay 17. As a result, it is possible to suppress the influence of electromagnetic noise generated from the low-voltage power element unit 110 mounted on the circuit board 100 and various power elements of the high-voltage power element unit 120 on the image signal lines 150 and 151. As a result, the electrical operation of the laser scanner 3 is not affected by electromagnetic noise.

<Comparison example>
Next, the configuration of the comparative example will be described with reference to FIGS. 9 and 10. FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional explanatory view showing the configuration of the image forming apparatus A of the comparative example. FIG. 10 is a perspective explanatory view showing a frame structure of the image forming apparatus A of the comparative example. In the image forming apparatus A of the comparative example shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the recording material P passes through the transport path R from the feed tray 4 accommodating the recording material P by the feed roller 5, the transport roller 11, and the resist roller 6. Is sent to the transfer nip portion N1. Then, the toner image formed on the surface of the photosensitive drum 8 is transferred to the recording material P by the transfer roller 7. After that, the toner image transferred onto the recording material P is fixed by the fixing device 9. After that, the recording material P is discharged onto the discharge tray 13a by the discharge roller 10.

The image forming apparatus A main body of the comparative example is also provided with a transport guide 14 constituting the transport path R. Further, in the image forming apparatus A main body of the comparative example, a support stay 17 for fixing and supporting the laser scanner 3 is provided so as to extend parallel to the longitudinal direction (horizontal direction in FIG. 9) of the image forming apparatus A main body. ing.

Further, side plates 15 and 16 arranged to face each other are connected and supported at both ends of the transport guide 14 and the support stay 17 in the longitudinal direction. The drive unit 50 is arranged on the outside of the side plate 15, and the circuit board 100 is arranged on the outside of the side plate 16. The low-voltage power element unit 110 and the high-voltage power element unit 120 mounted on the circuit board 100 project from the substrate surface 100a of the circuit board 100 toward the outside of the image forming apparatus A main body. When the circuit board 100 is arranged in this way, the size of the image forming apparatus A is increased.

In the present embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the circuit board 100 on which a plurality of electronic elements of the low-voltage power element unit 110 and the high-voltage power element unit 120 are mounted is mounted on the back side of the image forming apparatus A main body and on the installation surface of the image forming apparatus A. Place it approximately perpendicular to. Then, the low-voltage power element unit 110 protruding from the substrate surface 100a of the circuit board 100, the tall power element of the high-voltage power element unit 120, and the like are arranged so as to project in front of the image forming apparatus A toward the transport path R side. To do.

These power supply elements are housed in the space 19 formed between the transport guide 14 and the circuit board 100. As a result, the main body of the image forming apparatus A does not increase in size in the front-rear direction (horizontal direction in FIG. 1). In comparison with the comparative examples shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, in the present embodiment, the miniaturization of the image forming apparatus A can be achieved.

Next, the configuration of the second embodiment of the image forming apparatus according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. It should be noted that the same components as those in the first embodiment are given the same reference numerals or the same member names even if the reference numerals are different, and the description thereof will be omitted. FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional explanatory view showing the configuration of the second embodiment of the image forming apparatus A according to the present invention. In the image forming apparatus A shown in FIG. 8, the apex portion T of the low-voltage power transformer 111 of the low-voltage power element unit 110 mounted on the circuit board 100 passes through the rotation center 7d of the transfer roller 7 and reaches the substrate surface 100a of the circuit board 100. It protrudes toward the transport path R side (right side in FIG. 8) from the parallel surface V2.

That is, the surface V2 that passes through the rotation center 7d of the transfer roller 7 that is the transfer rotating body provided in the transfer path R and is parallel to the substrate surface 100a of the circuit board 100 is considered. Then, among the plurality of electronic elements mounted on the circuit board 100, the apex portion T of the low-voltage power transformer 111, which is the tallest electronic element, is arranged so as to project toward the transport path R side from the surface V2.

As a result, the apex T of the low-voltage power transformer 111 of the low-voltage power element unit 110 mounted on the circuit board 100 is further projected toward the transport path R side than the first embodiment shown in FIG. As a result, even in the circuit board 100 on which the tall and large low-voltage power transformer 111 is mounted, the image forming apparatus A main body does not increase in size in the front-rear direction (horizontal direction in FIG. 8).

In this embodiment, an example of the surface V2 passing through the rotation center 7d of the transfer roller 7 has been described. In addition to the rotation center 7d of the transfer roller 7, the rotation center of the pressurizing roller 9b and the rotation center of the roller on the side of the resist roller 6 close to the circuit board 100 are also arranged according to various configurations of the image forming apparatus A. Consider the passing surface V2. Then, the apex T of the low-voltage power transformer 111 of the low-voltage power element unit 110 mounted on the circuit board 100 may be configured to protrude toward the transport path R side from the surface V2. Other configurations are configured in the same manner as in the first embodiment, and the same effect can be obtained.

A ... Image forming apparatus P ... Recording material R ... Transport path 19 ... Space 100 ... Circuit board 110 ... Low-voltage power element unit (low-voltage power element)
120 ... High-voltage power element (high-voltage power element)

A typical configuration of the image forming apparatus according to the present invention for achieving the above object is a process member that contributes to an image forming operation on a recording material, and an alternating current supplied from an external power source is converted into a direct current to convert the process member. In an image forming apparatus having a circuit board that outputs power for operating the circuit board, an electronic element mounted on the circuit board, and an apparatus main body in which an outlet for discharging a recording material is formed, the electronic element is provided. The circuit board is arranged so that the surface of the circuit board on which the is mounted is perpendicular to the horizontal plane and intersects the discharge direction in which the recording material is discharged from the discharge port, and is parallel to the surface of the circuit board. When viewed from a different direction, at least a part of the process member and the electronic element are overlapped with each other .

Claims (9)

A circuit board is provided substantially parallel to the recording material transport path.
An image forming apparatus, characterized in that an electronic element mounted on the circuit board is housed in a space formed between the transport path and the circuit board. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the circuit board is arranged on the back side of the main body of the image forming apparatus and substantially perpendicular to the installation surface of the image forming apparatus. Among the plurality of electronic elements mounted on the circuit board, the apex portion of the tallest electronic element passes through the closest portion of the transport rotating body provided on the transport path on the circuit board side and of the circuit board. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the image forming apparatus is arranged so as to project toward the transport path side from a surface parallel to the surface of the substrate. Among the plurality of electronic elements mounted on the circuit board, the apex portion of the tallest electronic element passes through the rotation center of the transport rotating body provided in the transport path and is parallel to the substrate surface of the circuit board. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the image forming apparatus is arranged so as to project from the surface to the transport path side. The transport rotating body is
A claim characterized in that it comprises at least one of a transport roller for transporting a recording material, a transfer roller for transferring a toner image formed on an image carrier to a recording material, and a fixing roller for fixing an image on the recording material. 3 or the image forming apparatus according to claim 4. The image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the electronic element comprises a low-voltage power supply element. The image forming apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the electronic element is arranged below the transfer roller. The image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the circuit board integrally mounts an electronic element including a low-voltage power supply element and a high-voltage power supply element. An exposure device for forming an electrostatic latent image on the image carrier is arranged substantially perpendicular to the installation surface of the image forming device, and the exposure device and the substrate surface of the circuit board are arranged substantially parallel to each other. The image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

Images