JP2023111165A - Image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide an image forming apparatus that has an electrical substrate supported on a rotatable substrate support member, wherein a bundle wire connected with the electrical substrate hardly contacts the electrical substrate.SOLUTION: A bundle wire 224 connected with a DC power unit is guided from one face side to a second face side of a substrate support plate 205 of a device controller unit 200, and wired along the second face side. The bundle wire 224 is then returned from the second face side to the first face side. With this configuration, even if the device controller unit 200 is rotated, the bundle wire 224 does not contact a transformer element, a switching element, and a heat sink on an electrification high-voltage substrate 203 supported on the one face side of the device controller unit 200. That is, physical interference between the bundle wire 224 and these components is prevented. In this way, even if the device controller unit 200 is rotated, the bundle wire 224 does not contact the electrification high-voltage substrates (202, 203), and thus the electrification high-voltage substrates (202, 203) are not broken and the bundle wire 224 is not disconnected.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

The present invention relates to image forming apparatuses such as printers, copiers, facsimiles, and multi-function machines.

The image forming apparatus includes, for example, a main control board that controls the overall operation of the image forming apparatus, a drive control board that controls the driving of a rotating body such as a photosensitive drum by a motor, and various voltages for charging, development, or transfer by a power supply. Equipped with an electrical board such as a high-voltage board that A photosensitive drum, which is frequently attached and detached for periodic replacement, cleaning, paper jams, etc., is arranged in a housing (also called an apparatus main body) so that an operator can attach and detach it from the front (front) of the apparatus main body. On the other hand, the electrical board is arranged on the rear side of the apparatus main body so that the user using the image forming apparatus does not access it by mistake and does not get in the way when the photosensitive drum or the like is attached or detached.

Conventionally, a board supporting member that supports a control board is rotatably provided in a housing, and an operator rotates the board supporting member to turn a drive unit (for example, A device that allows access to a motor, etc.) has been proposed (Patent Document 1).

JP-A-2001-347723

By the way, the electrical boards are connected by bundled wires in which a plurality of signal lines are bundled. When the substrate supporting member rotates or does not rotate, the bundled wire is not forcedly bent, and the bundled wire can be easily moved when the substrate supporting member is rotated, and the stress associated with the movement is generated in the bundled wire. The bundled wire is wired with a sufficient extra length secured so that it does not come loose. Conventionally, however, when the board support member is rotated, the wire bundle hits the electrical board, which may break the electrical board or break the wire bundle.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In view of the above problems, it is an object of the present invention to provide an image forming apparatus in which an electrical board is supported by a rotatable board support member and in which bundled wires connected to the electrical board are less likely to come into contact with the electrical board.

An image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention is an image forming apparatus that forms an image on a recording material, comprising: a housing; a power supply provided in the housing; an electrical board for controlling the power supply; A plate-shaped support member that is rotatable with respect to the housing and supports the electrical board on one surface side; and, the bundled wire is a series of wiring portions extending from the power source to the electrical board, and is connected to the power source and extends toward the rotation axis side of the plate-shaped support member in the width direction of the image forming apparatus. a first wiring portion wired to face, a second wiring portion wired from the housing to the plate-like support member on the rotation axis side of the plate-like support member, and the one surface side of the plate-like support member a third wiring portion wired from an end portion of the plate-shaped support member from the end portion of the plate-shaped support member to the two-surface side opposite to the one surface; a fourth wiring portion wired on the two-surface side; It is characterized by having a fifth wiring portion wired from the end portion of the plate-like support member from the two-surface side to the one-surface side, and a sixth wiring portion connected to the electrical board.

According to the present invention, the electrical board is supported by the rotatable plate-shaped support member, and the bundled wires connected to the electrical board are less likely to come into contact with the electrical board.

1 is a schematic diagram showing an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment; FIG. FIG. 2 is a block diagram for explaining a control system of the image forming apparatus; (a) A rear view showing the image forming apparatus, (b) A top view showing the rear side of the image forming apparatus. (a) A rear view showing the image forming apparatus with the controller box unit opened, (b) A top view showing the image forming apparatus with the controller box unit opened. (a) A rear view showing the image forming apparatus with the D-con unit open, (b) A top view showing the image forming apparatus with the D-con unit open. The perspective view which shows the D-con unit seen from the back side. (a) A perspective view showing the vicinity of the second rotation shaft of the D-con unit, (b) A diagram showing an example of a wire bundle. FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining how to wire bundles, (a) a perspective view of the D-con unit seen from the back side, (b) an exploded perspective view of the D-con unit seen from the back side; FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining how to wire bundles, (a) a perspective view of the D-con unit as seen from the front side, and (b) an exploded perspective view of the D-con unit as seen from the front side. FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining a wiring holding member, (a) a perspective view of a state in which the D-con unit is closed, and (b) a perspective view of a state in which the D-con unit is open.

<Image forming apparatus>
The present embodiment will be described below. First, an overview of the image forming apparatus of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 1, the image forming apparatus 1 is an electrophotographic full-color printer and has a housing 1A (also referred to as an apparatus main body). The housing 1A is provided with a document reading device 160 for reading image information of a document, a display section capable of displaying various types of information, an operation section 80 having keys for inputting various types of information according to user operations, and the like. there is In this specification, the side on which the user stands when operating the operation unit 80 is called "front (or face)", and the opposite side is called "back (or rear)". Also, the left when viewed from the back is referred to as "left", and the right when viewed from the back is referred to as "right". FIG. 1 shows the image forming apparatus 1 viewed from the front.

The housing 1A is made of metal, and has a front plate on the front side, a rear plate provided on the rear side and supporting an image forming unit (to be described later) together with the front plate, a stay connecting the front plate and the rear plate, and supporting the front plate. It is composed of a plurality of frames such as pillars, and is attached with a resin exterior cover.

In the image forming apparatus 1 of the present embodiment, the image forming units SY, SM, SC, and SK for forming toner images of yellow, magenta, cyan, and black accommodated in the housing 1A (inside the housing) are connected to an intermediate transfer belt 7. This is an intermediate transfer type full-color printer placed facing the The image forming apparatus 1 forms a toner image on the recording material S according to image data from a document reading device 160 provided above the housing 1A or from an external device (not shown) such as a personal computer. Examples of the recording material S include sheet materials such as paper, plastic film, and cloth. Note that the image forming units SY to SK may be provided in the housing 1A so that the user can attach and detach them from the front.

A conveying process of the recording material S in the image forming apparatus 1 will be described. The recording materials S are accommodated in one or more (here, three) sheet cassettes 4 in a stacking manner, and supplied one by one by a supply roller 5 in accordance with image formation timing. The recording material S supplied by the supply roller 5 is conveyed to the registration rollers 36 arranged in the middle of the conveying path 64 . Then, skew correction and timing correction of the recording material S are performed by the registration rollers 36, and the recording material S is sent to the secondary transfer portion ST. The secondary transfer portion ST is formed by a secondary transfer inner roller 34 and a secondary transfer outer roller 35 facing each other with the intermediate transfer belt 7 interposed therebetween. It is a nip portion for transferring a toner image onto the recording material S from the recording material S.

A process of forming an image sent to the secondary transfer portion ST at the same timing as the above-described process of conveying the recording material S to the secondary transfer portion ST will be described. First, the image forming units SY to SK will be described. However, since the image forming units SY to SK for each color are basically the same except for the color of the toner, the black image forming unit SK will be described below as a representative example.

The image forming unit SK mainly includes a photosensitive drum 3K as a photosensitive member, a charging device 10K, a developing device 20K, a drum cleaner 35K, and the like. The surface of the photosensitive drum 3K rotated by a drum driving unit (see FIG. 2 described later) is uniformly charged in advance by a charging device 10K, and then electrostatically charged by an exposure device 2K driven based on image data. A latent image is formed. Next, the electrostatic latent image formed on the photosensitive drum 3K is visualized through toner development by the developing device 20K. The developing device 20K develops the electrostatic latent image with toner contained in the developer to form a toner image on the photosensitive drum 3K.

After that, a predetermined pressure and a primary transfer voltage are applied by a primary transfer roller 30K arranged to face the image forming unit SK with the intermediate transfer belt 7 interposed therebetween, and the toner image formed on the photosensitive drum 3K is transferred to the intermediate transfer belt. 7 is primarily transferred. The primary transfer residual toner remaining on the photosensitive drum 3K after the primary transfer is collected by the drum cleaner 35K.

The intermediate transfer belt 7 is stretched by a tension roller 32, a drive roller 33, and a secondary transfer inner roller 34, and is moved by the drive roller 33 rotated by a motor or the like at a speed corresponding to the rotation speed of the photosensitive drums 3Y to 3K. It is an endless belt that The image forming process of each color, which is processed in parallel by the image forming units SY to SK for each color described above, is performed at the timing of sequentially superimposing on the toner image of the color primarily transferred onto the intermediate transfer belt 7 upstream in the movement direction. As a result, a full-color toner image is finally formed on the intermediate transfer belt 7 and conveyed to the secondary transfer portion ST. Secondary transfer residual toner remaining on the intermediate transfer belt 7 after passing through the secondary transfer portion ST is collected from the intermediate transfer belt 7 by a belt cleaner device 39 . Note that the primary transfer rollers 30Y to 30K, the intermediate transfer belt 7, the tension roller 32, the drive roller 33, the inner secondary transfer roller 34, the belt cleaner device 39, and the like may be integrally provided as an intermediate transfer belt unit 800. FIG.

With the above conveying process and image forming process, the timing of the recording material S and the full-color toner image is matched at the secondary transfer portion ST, and the toner image is transferred from the intermediate transfer belt 7 to the recording material S for secondary transfer. is done. After that, the recording material S is conveyed to the fixing device 8 , and the toner image is fixed on the recording material S by applying heat and pressure in the fixing device 8 .

In the case of a single-sided mode in which a toner image is formed only on one side of the recording material S, the recording material S on which the toner image is fixed by the fixing device 8 is guided to the discharge conveying path 65, and is discharged outside the housing 1A by the discharge roller 37. be. On the other hand, in the case of a double-sided mode in which toner images are formed on both sides of the recording material S, the recording material S on which the toner images are fixed by the fixing device 8 is turned upside down in a reversing conveying path 66, and then passes through a double-sided conveying path 67. It is conveyed toward the registration rollers 36 . Thereafter, the recording material S undergoes the same process as in the single-sided mode, a toner image is formed on the other side of the recording material S by the fixing device 8 , and then is guided to the discharge conveying path 65 . It is discharged outside the body 1A. In the case of this embodiment, the finisher unit 150 that performs post-processing such as stapling on the recording material S ejected from the housing 1A is connected to the housing 1A. S is placed on the discharge tray 154 .

<Control system>
Next, a control system of the image forming apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 1 and FIG. The image forming apparatus 1 includes a large number of electrical boards. The electrical board is, for example, a board on which a CPU, memory, electronic components, electrical components, connectors, and the like are mounted. The electrical boards include, for example, the system controller 111, the device controller 201, the charging high-voltage board (202, 203), the development high-voltage board 217, the primary transfer high-voltage board 218, the paper feed/conveyance driver board 219, etc. These boards transmit electric signals. Connected for sending and receiving.

In this embodiment, the system controller 111 and the device controller 201 operate in coordination with each other in timing, so that the image forming operation on the recording material S can be controlled. The system controller 111 is a main control board that receives a voltage supply from the DC power supply unit 221 and operates to integrally control the entire image forming apparatus including the device controller 201 . The system controller 111 includes, for example, a CPU 112, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 113 that stores various programs, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 114 that temporarily stores data, and an external interface (external I/F) 115 that inputs and outputs signals. have A CPU (Central Processing Unit) 112 is a microprocessor that controls overall control of the image forming apparatus 1 , and is the main body of the system controller 111 . A storage device 122 (SSD/HDD, etc.) capable of storing electronic data is connected to the system controller 111, and the storage device 122 stores an image processing program, image data, and the like.

As the image forming program is executed, the system controller 111 causes the video circuit 216 to convert image data obtained from, for example, the document reading device 160 (see FIG. 1) or an external device connected via the external interface 115 into exposure data. After that, the system controller 111 can control the exposure devices 2Y to 2K to expose the photosensitive drums 3Y to 3K based on the exposure data. Further, the system controller 111 can expose the photosensitive drums 3Y to 3K based on exposure data obtained by converting the image data read from the storage device 122. FIG.

The system controller 111 is connected to the supply roller 5 that conveys the recording material S, the registration roller 36, the discharge roller 37 (collectively referred to as a sheet conveying device 170), the document reading device 160 (see FIG. 1), and the like. It is These document reading device 160 and sheet conveying device 170 are supplied with voltage from a DC power supply unit 221 via a device controller 201 connected by a signal line for power supply (referred to as a power line).

The device controller 201 has a CPU 252, a ROM 253, and a RAM 254, and controls the finisher unit 150 connected via the connector section 207a and other post-processing devices connected via the connector section 207b. The device controller 201 is connected to the DC power supply unit 221 . By issuing a command to the DC power supply unit 221, the device controller 201 can supply the DC voltage from the DC power supply unit 221 to each unit at the optimum timing according to the control. That is, the DC power supply unit 221 is connected to the AC power supply unit 222 by a power line. The AC power supply unit 222 AC-connects commercial power input from a power outlet to the DC power supply unit 221 via a filter (not shown).

The DC power supply unit 221 has a 12V generation circuit 221a, a 24V generation circuit 221b, and a 38V conversion circuit 221c. The DC power supply unit 221 converts the AC voltage supplied from the AC power supply unit 222 into a DC voltage, and operates various devices using a 12V generation circuit 221a, a 24V generation circuit 221b, and a 38V conversion circuit 221c. to generate a DC voltage of In addition, the DC power supply unit 221 has a relay board 221d, and the relay board 221d is connected to each electrical board by a power line in order to distribute voltage to each electrical board to be described later. Note that the relay board 221d also has a function of controlling a cooling fan (not shown) that draws outside air into the apparatus main body, the fixing device 8, and the like. It is

The device controller 201 is also connected to the charging high-voltage boards (202, 203), the development high-voltage board 217, the primary transfer high-voltage board 218, the paper feed/conveyance driver board 219, and the like. Further, the device controller 201 is connected to, for example, the drum driving units 40Y to 40K, development driving units (41, 42), and the like. The device controller 201 receives commands from the system controller 111 and controls them. The drum driving units 40Y to 40K as driving units are, for example, motors for rotating the photosensitive drums. The development drive units (41, 42) are, for example, motors that rotate the development sleeves of the development devices 20Y to 20K. The charging high-voltage substrates (202, 203), the development high-voltage substrate 217, and the primary transfer high-voltage substrate 218 generate high voltages necessary for charging, developing, and transferring steps. The charging high-voltage board 202 supplies voltage to the charging devices 10Y to 10C, and the charging high-voltage board 203 supplies voltage to the charging device 10K. The paper feed/conveyance driver board 219 controls the supply roller 5 for conveying the recording material S, the registration roller 36, the discharge roller 37, and the like (see FIG. 1).

In this embodiment, an example in which the paper feed/conveyance driver board 219 is connected to the DC power supply unit 221 via the device controller 201 is shown, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a driver board (not shown) may be provided for each of the supply roller 5 , the registration roller 36 , and the discharge roller 37 , and each driver board may be connected to the DC power supply unit 221 .

The device controller 201 and system controller 111 may be connected via an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit). Also, the device controller 201 and the relay board 221d may be connected via an ASIC.

Next, the rear configuration of the image forming apparatus 1 of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2 and FIGS. 3(a) to 5(b). 3A is a rear view of the image forming apparatus 1 as seen from the rear of the apparatus main body (housing 1A), and FIG. 3B is a top view of the rear side of the image forming apparatus 1. FIG.

As shown in FIG. 3A, a controller box unit 100 and a device controller unit (hereinafter referred to as a D-con unit) 200 are rotatably mounted on the housing 1A above the rear surface of the image forming apparatus 1, as will be described later. is provided. A controller box unit 100 as a first electrical unit is rotatable about a first rotating shaft 101, and a D control unit 200 as a second electrical unit is rotatable about a second rotating shaft 102. is provided in On the other hand, below the rear surface of the image forming apparatus 1, the above-described DC power supply unit 221 and AC power supply unit 222 are arranged inside the housing 1A. The image forming apparatus 1 can operate when the controller box unit 100 and the D-con unit 200 are closed.

As shown in FIG. 3B, the upper rear portion of the image forming apparatus 1 can be broadly divided into three layers (Lev. . In the case of this embodiment, the first layer (Lev. 1) includes drum drive units 40Y to 40K, development drive units (41, 42), and a power supply for supplying a high voltage necessary for charging, developing, and transferring processes. An electrical contact portion (not shown) and the like are arranged. The drum drive units 40Y to 40K and development drive units (41, 42) have physical interfaces for the photosensitive drums 3Y to 3K and the developing devices 20Y to 20K. to 3K and adjacent to the developing devices 20Y to 20K.

On the second layer (Lev. 2), there is a device controller 201 that controls and supplies voltage to each drive unit arranged on the first layer, and a charging high-voltage board (202, 203) are arranged. These electrical boards are supported by a board support plate 205 so as to be positioned adjacent to each other at the shortest possible distance for connection to each drive unit arranged on the first floor. In this embodiment, the board support plate 205 supports the electrical board only on one side, and does not support the electrical board on the two sides opposite to the one side. Also, the substrate support plate 205 is a conductor.

A substrate support plate 205 as a plate-shaped support member is supported at the left and right ends of the housing 1A so as to cover the entire area of the housing 1A in the left-right direction (width direction). The device controller 201 and the charging high-voltage substrates (202, 203) are arranged so as to line up in a plane on one side of the substrate support plate 205, which is the back side of the apparatus. The D control unit 200 is composed of the substrate support plate 205, the device controller 201, and the charging high voltage substrates (202, 203). Thus, the D-con unit 200 has charged high-voltage substrates (202, 203) on the surface facing the controller box unit 100 when the controller box unit 100 and the D-con unit 200 are closed. In addition, in the D-con unit 200 of the present embodiment, as will be described later, the substrate support plate 205 is roughly divided into a first support plate 205a as a first support member and a second support plate 205b as a second support member. (See Figure 6).

In the third layer (Lev. 3), a system controller 111, a storage device 122, a metal controller box 110 that accommodates and supports the system controller 111, and the like are arranged. The system controller 111 is likely to generate noise due to its characteristics of simultaneous high-speed processing of image data processing and commands from the operation unit 80 . Therefore, the system controller 111 is accommodated in a metal controller box 110 so that other electrical boards are not affected by noise. The system controller 111 , storage device 122 and controller box 110 constitute the controller box unit 100 . The controller box unit 100 has a system controller 111 on the surface facing the D-con unit 200 when the controller box unit 100 and the D-con unit 200 are closed.

In this manner, space saving is achieved in both the left-right direction and the front-rear direction so as not to increase the size of the image forming apparatus 1, and a dense arrangement is realized on the rear side. However, the increased density makes it difficult for workers to access the drum drive units 40Y to 40K and the development drive units (41, 42) arranged on the first floor. Therefore, the D-con unit 200 and the controller box unit 100 are rotatably provided so that the operator can access the units on the first layer in a few steps. The D-con unit 200 and the controller box unit 100 can be rotated without disconnecting the signal lines connected to them. The controller box unit 100 and the D-con unit 200 are each fixed to the housing 1A with screws or the like in a closed state so that they do not naturally open.

In the image forming apparatus 1, by arranging the user operation system such as the operation unit 80 collectively on the front side, an operator can go around to the back side of the image forming apparatus 1 and operate the back side of the image forming apparatus 1 when, for example, recovery work is performed when a paper jam occurs. I'm trying to avoid having to do the work from the beginning. Since the user operation system is collectively arranged on the front side, the driving system for applying driving force to each part of the device and the electrical system for electrical control are collectively arranged on the rear side. The electrical system referred to here includes, for example, electrical boards such as power supply boards, high-voltage boards, control boards, and drive system boards, as well as wire systems such as bundles of signal lines that electrically connect them. included.

The DC power supply unit 221 and the AC power supply unit 222 are heavy because they have relatively heavy objects such as transformer elements. A power cord 223 is connected to the AC power supply unit 222 for supplying power from a power outlet. Since the power cord 223 is strictly protected with a safety film, it is relatively heavy. is not preferable because it acts in the direction of removal. Therefore, it is preferable to arrange the power supply system units such as the DC power supply unit 221 and the AC power supply unit 222 in the lower area of the housing 1A.

On the other hand, electrical units such as high-voltage boards, control boards, and drive boards are placed near their respective loads, and the length of bundled wires (bundle length) that bundles multiple signal wires is shortened. It is desirable to place it in the upper region of the housing 1A in the vicinity of the image forming units SY to SK.

The controller box 110 accommodates an electric circuit board such as a system controller 111 that is especially susceptible to noise among electric system units. The controller box 110 is formed in a box-like shape with a metal plate to surround and shield the system controller 111, which is vulnerable to noise, and is electrically connected to the housing 1A to match the ground level with the housing 1A. , noise resistance is ensured. Also, the controller box 110 accommodates a storage device 122 connected to the system controller 111 .

The controller box unit 100 is rotatable with respect to the housing 1A while the signal line is connected around the first rotation shaft 101 . This is because the operator may perform maintenance on the image forming apparatus 1 while the controller box unit 100 is being rotated, and is used, for example, for initial diagnosis of a failure location. By rotating the controller box unit 100, an operator can access various units arranged on the back side of the housing 1A from the controller box 110 without removing the controller box 110 from the housing 1A. be able to.

4A and 4B show the image forming apparatus 1 with the controller box unit 100 opened. As shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, the controller box unit 100 is , is provided so as to be openable and closable with respect to the housing 1A by rotating around the first rotating shaft 101. As shown in FIG. In this embodiment, when the image forming apparatus 1 is viewed from the back (rear) side, the first rotation shaft 101 is provided at a position closer to the right end than the center of the housing 1A in the horizontal direction. With the controller box unit 100 open, the operator connects the system controller 111 on the third level (Lev. 3), the two charged high-voltage boards (202, 203) on the second level (Lev. have access.

5A and 5B show the image forming apparatus 1 with the D-con unit 200 further opened. As shown in FIGS. 5(a) and 5(b), the D-con unit 200 is a controller box in a closed state with respect to the orthogonal direction (horizontal direction) perpendicular to the first rotation shaft 101 of the controller box unit 100. The unit 100 is provided so as to be openable and closable with respect to the housing 1A by rotating around a second rotating shaft 102 disposed substantially parallel to the first rotating shaft 101 on the opposite side of the first rotating shaft 101 of the unit 100. ing. In this embodiment, when the D-con unit 200 is closed, the D-con unit 200 is positioned inside the closed controller box unit 100 so as to overlap the controller box unit 100 . The D control unit 200 is arranged so as to be rotatable about the second rotation shaft 102 when the controller box unit 100 is open.

With the D control unit 200 open, the operator operates the drum drive units 40Y to 40K and the development drive unit on the first floor (Lev. (41, 42) can be accessed. As a result, the operator can access each unit of the first layer (Lev. 1) with less work, so maintenance can be performed efficiently. For example, even if the image forming apparatus 1 is in operation, if the purpose is to check the operation of each unit, only the controller box unit 100 on the third layer (Lev.3) is rotated to access the device controller 201. can be verified by When the unit on the first layer (Lev. 1) malfunctions, the operator further rotates the D-converter unit 200 on the second layer (Lev. 2) to prevent the unit from malfunctioning. can easily access the units in the first hierarchy (Lev.1) that produce

FIG. 6 shows the D-con unit 200. As shown in FIG. FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the D-con unit 200 viewed from the rear side. In the D-con unit 200 shown in FIG. 6, the charged high-voltage boards (202, 203) as the first electrical board are arranged on the first support plate 205a closer to the second rotation shaft 102, and the device controller 201 is arranged on the second support plate 205b farther from the second rotation shaft 102. As shown in FIG. A third rotating shaft 206 is provided so that the second supporting plate 205b can rotate with respect to the first supporting plate 205a. The D control unit 200 includes a first support plate 205a that rotates around a second rotation shaft 102, and a second rotation shaft 205a on the opposite side of the first support plate 205a to the second rotation shaft 102 in the left-right direction. 102 and a second support plate 205b that rotates around the third rotation shaft 206 with respect to the first support plate 205a. The third rotating shaft 206 is a rotating shaft different from the second rotating shaft 102 provided on the rotating end side of the first support plate 205a. When the D-con unit 200 is opened, the second support plate 205b rotates with respect to the first support plate 205a so that the rotating end side is bent inward.

The D control unit 200 may have a configuration in which the first support plate 205a and the second support plate 205b do not rotate, that is, a configuration in which the third rotation shaft 206 is not provided. However, if the second support plate 205b is rotatable with respect to the first support plate 205a about the third rotation shaft 206, the operator can easily open and close the D control unit 200, which is preferable.

Next, the wiring of the wire bundle 224 that electrically connects the electrical substrate supported by the DC unit 200 and the DC power supply unit 221 will be described with reference to FIGS. A) to FIG. 10B will be used for explanation. In the present embodiment, in order to facilitate understanding of the description, an example will be described in which the charging high voltage boards (202, 203) and the device controller 201 are electrically connected to the DC power supply unit 221 via a bundle 224. do. FIG. 7(a) is a perspective view showing the vicinity of the second rotation shaft 102 of the D-con unit 200, and FIG. 7(b) is a diagram showing an example of bundled wires.

As shown in FIG. 7A, the bundled wire 224 is not wired to the charging high-voltage boards (202, 203) or the device controller 201 at the shortest distance from the DC power supply unit 221, and is located near the second rotation shaft 102. is wired up to The bundled wire 224 is wired toward the D-con unit 200 along the second rotation shaft 102 .

Here, in FIG. 7(a), the wire bundle 224 is shown as a single cylindrical line, but the actual wire bundle 224 has a plurality of signal wires as shown in FIG. 7(b). It is bundled. In the case of this embodiment, the wire bundle 224 includes a thick power wire that supplies the DC voltage of “24V, 12V” generated by the DC power supply unit 221 to various devices through the device controller 201, and control of the timing and distribution of voltage supply. It has a control signal line for transmitting a signal. In this embodiment, the power line is an electric wire with a diameter of about "2 mm" in which a thick conductor portion with a large current capacity is covered with an insulator with a thickness of about "0.4 mm". On the other hand, the signal line for control is an electric wire having a diameter of about "1 mm", which has a relatively small current capacity and has a thin conductor covered with an insulator having a thickness of about "0.4 mm".

The image forming apparatus 1 has a plurality of voltage supply systems, and a bundle 224 bundles a plurality of signal lines required for each of these supply systems with a binding band 231. 15 mm". Since the bundled wire 224 in which a plurality of signal wires are bundled has high rigidity, it becomes a cause of hindrance to the wiring work performed by an operator during assembly or maintenance of the image forming apparatus 1 . Moreover, if the wire bundle 224 is forcibly bent for wiring, stress is applied to the wire bundle 224 itself, which damages the coating and lowers the insulation, or breaks some of the signal wires due to the forcible bending. There is a risk that Therefore, it is preferable that the wire bundle 224 be wired so that the radius of curvature R of the wire bundle 224 does not become “4 to 6 times” or less than the diameter as a guideline. 60 mm”.

As shown in FIG. 7( a ), charging high voltage substrates ( 202 , 203 ) are arranged in the vicinity of the second rotation shaft 102 of the D control unit 200 . The charging high-voltage substrates (202, 203) include transformer elements 203a and switching elements 203b (power transistors, etc.) for generating voltages to be supplied to the charging devices 10Y to 10K (see FIG. 1), and heat sinks 203c for suppressing temperature rise of these elements. is implemented. The cable bundle 224 is guided from the DC power supply unit 221 to the second rotation shaft 102 side and then wired toward the D converter unit 200 so that the D converter unit 200 can rotate while the cable bundle 224 is wired ( 4(a) and 5(a)).

The bundled wire 224 needs to be wired at a position away from the transformer element 203a and the switching element 203b for electrical insulation. That is, since a high voltage is periodically generated in the transformer element 203a and the switching element 203b, the wire bundle 224 is wired away from them in order to prevent electrical interference with the wire bundle 224 due to noise generated by them. need to Further, since the heat sink 203c is made by cutting an aluminum member or the like, it has sharp edges. Therefore, if the wire bundle 224 comes into contact with the heat sink 203c, the coating may be damaged or the signal line may be disconnected.

The bundled wire 224 is wired in the vicinity of the charged high voltage substrates (202, 203) with respect to the D-con unit 200 that supports the charged high voltage substrates (202, 203) for space saving. However, the radius of curvature R of the wire bundle 224 must be maintained at about "40 mm to 60 mm" as described above. However, in such a case, conventionally, although it is possible to suppress the stress applied to the wire bundle 224 and ensure electrical insulation from the transformer element 203a and the switching element 203b, it has been difficult to suppress physical interference with the heat sink 203c. . This is because by setting the radius of curvature R of the bundled wire 224 to about 40 mm to 60 mm, the bundled wire 224 moves as the D-con unit 200 rotates and easily comes into contact with the heat sink 203c. In order to suppress such contact with the heat sink 203c, the wire bundle 224 should be short.

In this way, conventionally, it is possible to suppress the stress applied to the wire bundle 224, ensure electrical insulation from the transformer element 203a and the switching element 203b, and suppress physical interference with the heat sink 203c. The wire bundle 224 was not routed. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the wiring of the bundled wire 224 is proposed so that the bundled wire 224 does not come into contact with the charged high-voltage substrates (202, 203) while ensuring the curvature radius R of the bundled wire 224 to be about "40 mm to 60 mm".

<Wiring bundles>
As shown in FIGS. 8A to 9B, the wire bundle 224 has a series of wiring portions from the DC power supply unit 221 to the DC unit 200. As shown in FIG. In the case of this embodiment, the wire bundle 224 has a first wiring portion 224a, a second wiring portion 224b, a third wiring portion 224c, a fourth wiring portion 224d, a fifth wiring portion 224d, and a fifth wiring portion 224d in order from the side closer to the DC power supply unit 221 according to the wiring position. It is divided into a wiring portion 224e and a sixth wiring portion 224f.

The first wiring portion 224a is connected to the DC power supply unit 221 and wired toward the second rotation shaft 102 side (rotation axis side) of the substrate support plate 205 . The second wiring portion 224b is wired upward along the second rotation shaft 102 arranged substantially parallel to the vertical direction as much as possible (see FIG. 5A). Thus, as described above, the wire bundle 224 is guided from the DC power supply unit 221 to the second rotating shaft 102 side and then routed toward the D converter unit 200 . In this way, the amount of movement and deformation of the wire bundle 224 when the D-con unit 200 rotates around the second rotation shaft 102 can be minimized. Also, the operator can rotate the D-con unit 200 without removing the cable bundle 224 .

The third wiring portion 224c extends from one side of the substrate support plate 205 that supports the charged high-voltage substrates (202, 203) and the device controller 201 to the two sides opposite to the one side in the vertical direction of the substrate support plate 205. routed via the side edge (edge). The fourth wiring portion 224d is wired from the second rotation shaft 102 side (left side) to the device controller 201 side (right side) in the left-right direction on the two sides of the substrate support plate 205 . That is, the bundled wire 224 led from one surface side to the second surface side of the substrate support plate 205 is wired on the back side of the charged high voltage substrates (202, 203) with the substrate support plate 205 interposed therebetween.

In this way, since the bundled wire 224 passes through the end of the substrate support plate 205 from one side to the second side, it passes through a position away from the transformer element 203a and the switching element 203b (see FIG. 7A). do. This can prevent electrical interference with the wire bundle 224 due to the electric field generated by the transformer element 203a and the switching element 203b. Also, the bundled wire 224 is separated from the transformer element 203a, the switching element 203b, and the heat sink 203c mounted on the charged high voltage substrate (202, 203) by the substrate support plate 205. FIG. In this way, the substrate support plate 205 can ensure electrical insulation and suppress physical interference between the bundle 224, the transformer element 203a, the switching element 203b, and the heat sink 203c.

The fifth wiring portion 224e is wired from the end portion (edge portion) of the substrate support plate 205 from the two surface side to the one surface side of the substrate support plate 205 . However, in the case of the present embodiment, a notch portion 205c is formed by notching a part of the end portion of the substrate support plate 205, and the wire bundle 224 passes through the notch portion 205c. Wired from one side to one side. The notch 205c is formed closer to the device controller 201 (right side) than the transformer element 203a, the switching element 203b, and the heat sink 203c on the charging high-voltage board 203 in the left-right direction when viewed from the rear side. Accordingly, even if the D-con unit 200 is rotated, the wire bundle 224 does not contact the transformer element 203a, the switching element 203b, the heat sink 203c, and the like.

The sixth wiring portion 224f is connected to the charging high voltage substrates (202, 203) and the device controller 201, and is branched midway so as to be connected to the charging high voltage substrates (202, 203) and the device controller 201. In this embodiment, the wire bundle 224 is wired such that the sixth wiring portion 224 f is overlapped with a portion of the charging high-voltage board 203 and reaches the device controller 201 when viewed from the rear side.

The notch 205c is preferably formed to prevent the guide member 232 from protruding vertically downward from the substrate support plate 205 and to secure the curvature radius R of the wire bundle 224. If so, if the guide member 232 can be allowed to protrude from the substrate support plate 205 and the curvature radius R of the wire bundle 224 is sufficiently ensured, the notch 205c may not be formed.

As shown in FIGS. 8(a) to 9(b), the wire bundle 224 is held by a guide member 232, and the guide member 232 can be attached to the D-con unit 200 while holding the wire bundle 224. As shown in FIGS. In the case of this embodiment, the guide member 232 is formed in the shape of a wiring path for wiring the wire bundle 224 around the charged high voltage substrates (202, 203). In order to wire the wire bundle 224, the guide member 232 holds the wire bundle 224 from the third wiring portion 224c to at least the fifth wiring portion 224e, more preferably up to the sixth wiring portion 224f, and holds the substrate support plate 205 ( Specifically, it is fixed to the first support plate 205a).

The guide member 232 has a first guide portion 232a that holds and guides the third wiring portion 224c, a second guide portion 232b that holds and guides the fourth wiring portion 224d, and a fifth wiring portion 224e that holds and guides. It has a third guide portion 232c. Further, the guide member 232 has a fourth guide portion 232d that holds and guides the sixth wiring portion 224f.

The first guide portion 232a and the third guide portion 232c extend in the front-rear direction so as to straddle the board support plate 205 at positions separated from each other in the left-right direction. The second guide portion 232b has one end continuous with the first guide portion 232a and the other end continuous with the third guide portion 232c in the left-right direction, and is bent in the left-right direction on two sides of the substrate support plate 205. It is extended without A sufficient curvature radius R of the wire bundle 224 is ensured at a location where the second guide portion 232b and the first guide portion 232a and the third guide portion 232c are continuous. The fourth guide portion 232d is positioned so as to overlap with a portion of the charging high-voltage board 203 on the D-con unit 200 when viewed from the rear side so as to move from the third guide portion 232c toward the device controller 201 without being vertically bent. deferred.

In this manner, the guide member 232 guides the wire bundle 224 from one surface side to the second surface side of the substrate support plate 205 by the first guide portion 232a, and after wiring along the two surface side by the second guide portion 232b, Wiring is carried out so as to return from the two-surface side to the one-surface side by means of the three guide portions 232c. The guide member 232 described above can provide a wiring path in which the radius of curvature R of the wire bundle 224 is sufficiently secured three-dimensionally. The guide member 232 serves to protect the bundled wires 224 from the charged high voltage substrates (202, 203) and to protect the components mounted on the charged high voltage substrates (202, 203) from the stiff bundled wires 224. ing.

In the case of the present embodiment, the first guide portion 232a to the third guide portion 232c with respect to the substrate support plate 205 are aligned by fitting the third guide portion 232c into the notch portion 205c of the substrate support plate 205 described above. The relative position is determined.

<Wiring holding member>
As described above, the third wiring portion 224c to the sixth wiring portion 224f of the wire bundle 224 are wired while being protected by being held by the guide member 232 (the first guide portion 232a to the fourth guide portion 232d). On the other hand, as shown in FIGS. 10(a) and 10(b), in the first wiring portion 224a and the second wiring portion 224b on the side connected to the DC power supply unit 221, the bundle wire 224 related to rotation In order to minimize the stress of , a free section D with less restraint is provided. In the free section D, a wiring holding member 234 that movably holds the wire bundle 224 is installed so as to allow vertical movement E and rotational movement C of the wire bundle 224 (see FIG. 10B). It is provided on the body 1A.

The wiring holding member 234 is provided on the housing 1A so as to protrude toward the rear side. Specifically, when the D-con unit 200 is rotated to the open position where the D-con unit 200 is opened to the maximum, the wiring holding member 234 is positioned at the delivery position of the wire bundle 224 on the side of the D-con unit 200 in the guide member 232, that is, the second position. It is positioned below one guide portion 232a. The wire holding member 234 is attached to the rotating shaft support sheet metal 230 of the housing 1A that supports the second rotating shaft 102 that is the center of rotation of the D-con unit 200 . Further, in the front-rear direction, it is arranged at substantially the same height as the body-side holding portion 235 that holds the wire bundle 224 (first wiring portion 224a) on the housing 1A side. The body-side holding portion 235 holds the wire bundle 224 together with the wire holding member 234 so as to sufficiently secure the curvature radius R of the wire bundle 224 even when the D-con unit 200 is in the open position. The wiring holding member 234 is provided on the rotating shaft supporting sheet metal 230 in order to prevent the rotating shaft supporting sheet metal 230 from damaging the wire bundle 224 . That is, when the D control unit 200 rotates, the wire bundle 224 can be protected from the rotating shaft supporting sheet metal 230 by ensuring the distance from the rotating shaft supporting sheet metal 230 via the wiring holding member 234 . ing.

In this way, the wire bundle 224 is allowed to move in the vertical direction and the rotational direction in the free section D, thereby absorbing torsional deformation when the D-con unit 200 is rotated. In other words, the minimum restraint by the wire holding member 234 makes it possible to rotate the D-con unit 200 while protecting the wire bundle 224 without applying excessive stress to the wire bundle 224 . In addition, the wire holding member 234 and the body side holding portion 235 are provided in the housing 1A so as to sufficiently secure the curvature radius R of the wire bundle 224 even when the D-con unit 200 is in the open position. By doing so, the moving amount and the deformation amount of the wire bundle 224 can be reduced, so that the restoring force for returning the D-con unit 200 from the open position to the closed state is also reduced, and maintenance work by the operator is not hindered. .

As described above, in this embodiment, the wire bundle 224 connected to the DC power supply unit 221 is guided from one surface side of the D-con unit 200 (more specifically, the board support plate 205) to the two surface side, and is guided to the two surface side. wired along. The bundled wire 224 is wired so as to be returned from the two-surface side of the D-con unit 200 to the one-surface side. As a result, even when the D-con unit 200 is rotated, the wire bundle 224 does not come into contact with the charged high-voltage board 203 supported on one side, more specifically, the transformer element 203a, the switching element 203b, the heat sink 203c, and the like. In other words, physical interference between the wire bundle 224 and the transformer element 203a, the switching element 203b, and the heat sink 203c is suppressed. In this way, since the wire bundle 224 does not hit the charging high voltage substrates (202, 203), the charging high voltage substrates (202, 203) are not broken or the wire bundle 224 is not disconnected. Also, during the wiring work of the wire bundle 224 or the replacement work of the charged high-voltage boards (202, 203), etc., the operator can move the guide member 232 unitized with the wire bundle 224 without damaging the wire bundle 224. Appropriate wiring can be easily performed only by mounting.

Reference Signs List 1 image forming apparatus 1A housing 3Y (3M, 3C, 3K) photoreceptor (photosensitive drum) 102 rotating shaft (second rotating shaft) 201 electrical board (second electrical board, Device controller), 202, 203... Electrical board (first electrical board, charged high-voltage board), 205... Plate-like support member (substrate support plate), 205a... First support member (first support plate), 205b... Second Supporting member (second supporting plate) 205c Notch portion 206 Another rotating shaft (third rotating shaft) 221 Power source (DC power supply unit) 224 Wire bundle 224a First wiring portion , 224b... second wiring part 224c... third wiring part 224d... fourth wiring part 224e... fifth wiring part 224f... sixth wiring part 232... guide member 232a... first guide part 232b... Second guide portion 232c... Third guide portion S... Recording material

Claims (10)

An image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording material,
a housing;
a power source provided in the housing;
an electrical board that controls the power supply;
a plate-shaped support member provided rotatably with respect to the housing and supporting the electrical board on one side;
a bundled wire that bundles a plurality of signal wires that electrically connect the power supply and the electrical board,
The bundled wire is a series of wiring portions extending from the power source to the electrical board, and is connected to the power source and wired toward the rotation axis side of the plate-shaped support member in the width direction of the image forming apparatus. one wiring portion, a second wiring portion wired from the housing to the plate-like support member on the rotation axis side of the plate-like support member, and from the one surface side of the plate-like support member opposite to the one surface A third wiring portion wired from the end of the plate-like support member to the two-side side of the plate-like support member, a fourth wiring portion wired to the two-side side, and from the two-side side of the plate-like support member A fifth wiring portion wired from an end portion of the plate-shaped support member to one surface side, and a sixth wiring portion connected to the electrical board,
An image forming apparatus characterized by: The plate-like support member has a notch portion through which the fifth wiring portion passes from the two surface side to the one surface side,
2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: A guide member that holds at least the third wiring portion, the fourth wiring portion, and the fifth wiring portion and guides the bundle,
2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: The guide member has a first guide portion that guides the third wiring portion, a second guide portion that guides the fourth wiring portion, and a third guide portion that guides the fifth wiring portion,
4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 3, wherein: The plate-shaped support member has a notch portion cut out so as to fit with the third guide portion,
5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 4, wherein: The plate-shaped support member includes a first support member that is rotatable on the housing about the rotation shaft and supports the first electrical board, and a rotation end side of the first support member. a second support member that is rotatable on the first support member about another rotation shaft and supports the second electrical board;
The guide member is arranged on the first support member,
The sixth wiring part is branched so as to be connected to the first electrical board and the second electrical board,
6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 3, wherein: Some of the signal lines branched from the sixth wiring portion of the bundle are connected to the first electrical board,
7. The image forming apparatus according to claim 6, wherein: The first electrical board is a high-voltage board having an electronic component that generates a high voltage and a heat sink that suppresses temperature rise of the electronic component.
8. The image forming apparatus according to claim 6, wherein: The power supply is arranged inside the plate-shaped support member in the housing when viewed from above,
The image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized by: The power supply is arranged below the plate-shaped support member,
10. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

Images