JP3401214B2 - Frame structure of image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a frame structure for an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, a printer and a facsimile.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Inside an image forming apparatus, functional parts such as an image forming unit such as a photosensitive drum, a developing device (device), a transfer device (device), a fixing unit and the like are provided.
These functional parts are positioned so that the mutual positional relationship is a predetermined relationship. For this reason, a highly rigid frame is usually formed inside the outer wall that forms the appearance of the device.

The frame structure of this image forming apparatus is provided with, for example, a main body base and metal columns that are provided upright at the four corners of the main body base. The support column is a bottomed, substantially tubular member having a bottom surface formed by bending a sheet metal into a substantially U-shape and bending the sheet metal from the lower end edge thereof.
A through hole for attachment is formed on the bottom surface, and the pillar is fixed to the body base by screwing the bottom surface to the body base, and the functional component is attached to this frame.

[0004]

In the conventional frame structure of the image forming apparatus, the support is fixed to the main body base by screwing the bottom surface of the support and the main body base. There is a risk that In addition, the bottom surface formed by bending is not always flat, and therefore the height accuracy of the post after fixing is not sufficient.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a frame structure in which the support pillar is firmly fixed to the main body base, and the height of the fixed support pillar is high.

[0006]

Means for Solving the Invention and Effects of the Invention In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the invention of claim 1 comprises a main body base forming a bottom surface portion, and a metal strut erected on the main body base. In the frame structure including, the main body base is made of resin, and at the position where the metal post of the main body base is to be erected, a resin post for integrally mounting with the main body base is attached. are erected is a low mounting post, the mounting
The pillars are almost square pillars, and the two adjacent sides are the main body base.
Stand upright from the base and put the metal support on the base.
On the other hand, it is a reference side surface to stand vertically, and the remaining
The two side faces of the
It is tapered and the lower end of the metal column is
The inside is hollow and has a substantially rectangular tubular shape , and the adjacent inner surface is
They are orthogonal to each other, and the lower end portions of the substantially quadrangular cylinders are externally fitted to the mounting columns, and are adjacent to the reference side surface and the metal support columns.
Is 2 adhered to the inner surface in contact with the lower end edge, it is received <br/> in body base, the lower end is a frame structure of an image forming apparatus characterized by being fixed to the mounting posts. Claim 2
The invention described in claim 1 is a frame structure of an image forming apparatus according to claim 1.
Structure, and the mounting column and the metal column are screwed together.
And a frame structure of the image forming apparatus .

According to the present invention , in the frame structure of the image forming apparatus, the support pillar is erected on the main body base by being fitted into the low mounting pillar planted in the main body base. After standing, it is supported by the mounting pillars, so that the support pillars are firmly fixed to the main body base without wobbling. Also, since the support pillar is fixed with the lower end edge of the support pillar being received by the surface of the main body base, the height dimension of the support pillar from the main body base surface is determined only by the length of the substantially cylindrical support pillar. It As a result, the dimensional accuracy of the height of the post after being fixed is kept good.

Further, the two sides of the mounting post as a reference side, in two different directions, perpendicular relative to the body based on the surface of the strut is secured. Thereby, the support pillar can be erected perpendicularly to the surface of the main body base.

Further , after the screwing, the inner surface of the column is closely attached to the two side surfaces of the mounting column which stands upright from the surface of the main body base. By closely contacting the inner surfaces of the pillars orthogonal to each other to the two side surfaces, the perpendicularity of the pillars to the surface of the main body base is ensured in two different directions. This allows the pillar to be erected vertically more reliably.

[0010]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION An embodiment of the present invention will be specifically described below with reference to the drawings. Figure 1
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a configuration of an image forming apparatus 1 according to this embodiment. The image forming apparatus 1 is an apparatus that can be used as a copying machine. The image forming apparatus 1 includes an optical unit 2 including a reading mechanism for reading a document, a main body housing 3 that supports the optical unit 2, and a main body base 4 that forms a bottom portion of the image forming apparatus 1. There is.

The main body base 4 is made of resin having a substantially rectangular planar shape, and a paper cassette 5 is accommodated in the main body base 4. In the main body housing 3,
The paper receiving tray 8 provided in the middle of the main body housing 3 in the vertical direction, from the vicinity of the paper cassette 5 to the paper receiving tray 8
A transport unit (not shown) for transporting the sheet to the vicinity, an image forming unit 6 for forming an image on the sheet transported from the sheet cassette 5, and a fixing unit for fixing the image formed by the image forming unit 6 on the sheet. Functional parts such as 7 are provided. Since the sheet conveyed in the convey unit (not shown) is conveyed to the image forming unit 6 and the fixing unit 7, these functional components are positioned so that their mutual positional relations are in a predetermined relationship. Then, the fixed sheet is discharged to the sheet receiving tray 8. That is, the image forming apparatus 1 is a so-called in-body sheet discharge type in which the sheet is discharged into the main body housing 3.

A frame 11 is provided inside the outer wall 10 of the main body housing 3. One of the features of the present invention is the frame structure of the main body housing 3. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the frame structure of the image forming apparatus 1 as seen from the arrow A in FIG. Two metal columns 12, 12 are erected at two corners adjacent to each other along one lateral side 4a of the main body base 4, respectively. Two columns 1
The upper end portions 12a of the members 2 and 12 are connected to each other by a connecting member 13 made of metal.

A base 14 integrally formed with the main body base 4 is formed along the other side edge 4b of the main body base 4 in the width direction. The base 14 has a space formed by scribing the right end portion of FIG. 2, and a circuit board or the like can be accommodated in this space. The support side plate 15 is erected on the stand 14 in a fixed state. The support side plate 15 is made of metal, for example. Connection member 1
3, a metal reinforcing member 16 is provided between the left rear end portion 13a shown in FIG. 2 and the support side plate 15 near the upper end 15a. As the connecting member 13 and the reinforcing member 16, for example, a sheet metal processed into a substantially U-shaped cross section can be used.

That is, the frame 11 is constituted by the two columns 12, 12, the connecting member 13, the supporting side plate 15, the reinforcing member 16 and the main body base 4. Two columns 12 made of metal having high rigidity are erected on the main body base 4, and the upper end portions 12a of the columns 12 are made of metal.
Since the frames are connected by 3, the frame 11 has sufficient rigidity. Image forming apparatus 1 according to this embodiment
Since it is a so-called in-body discharge type as described above, as shown in FIG. 1, the upper right front side of the main body housing 3 is completely opened, and the user can freely reach from the right front side. Has been done. For this reason, the pillar 1 is on the right front side.
However, since the frame structure described above is adopted, it is possible to obtain sufficiently high rigidity without disposing the column 12 on the right front side.

Further, the fixing unit 7 having a heating roller can be attached to the two columns 12, 12. Specifically, each pillar 12 is formed with a hook 18 for hooking the fixing unit 7 and a screw hole 19 for fixing the fixing unit 7. The upper side of the engagement hole 20 formed in the side plate 7A of the fixing unit 7 is hooked on the hook 18, and in this state, the fixing screw 22 is passed through the through hole 21 formed in the side plate 7A of the fixing unit 7, The fixing unit 7 is fixed to the pillar 12 by being fastened to the screw hole 19 of the pillar 12. The fixing unit 7 may be attached to the column 12 only by passing the screw 22 through the through hole 21 formed in the side plate 7A of the fixing unit 7 and screwing the screw 22 into the screw hole 19. Further, as the mounting structure provided on the column 12, in addition to the above-mentioned hook 18 and screw hole 19, an engagement hole,
It may be a boss or something else.

Further, as shown by the alternate long and short dash line in FIG.
Image forming unit 6 including photoconductor drum and developing device
Also, similarly to the fixing unit 7, it is fixed to the two columns 12. Further, although not shown, the transport unit for transporting the paper pulled out from the paper cassette 5 is also fixed to the two columns 12 as in the case of the fixing unit 7. Since the mounting structure of the fixing unit 7 is provided on the two highly rigid columns 12 provided upright on the main body base 4, the fixing unit 7 can be firmly mounted in the image forming apparatus 1.

The fixing unit 7 is attached to the two columns 12.
Since the image forming unit 6 and the transport unit are fixed, the two columns 12 position the units so that the positional relationship between these units becomes a predetermined relationship.
In the above description, the reinforcing member 16 has been described as connecting the connecting member 13 and the supporting side plate 15, but it may be one that connects any one of the columns 12 and the supporting side plate 15. Also in this case, the frame 11 has sufficient rigidity.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a main part for explaining a structure for fixing the support column 12 to the main body base 4. Prop 1
Reference numeral 2 denotes a quadrangular tubular shape, a part of one surface of which is an upper end 12a.
To the lower end edge 12b, the cross section is substantially U-shaped. The remaining three surfaces are adjacent to each other and are orthogonal to each other. This prop 1
2 is formed by bending a sheet metal, and therefore the corner 29 of the column 12 swells, but the corner 29 of the column 12 is cut obliquely so that the lower end edge 12b becomes flat. The pillar 12 may be a casting formed by casting instead of bending.

On the main body base 4, mounting columns 24 integrally formed with the main body base 4 are erected at the standing positions of the columns 12. The lower end 12f of the column 12 is attached to the mounting column 24.
The pillar 12 is erected on the main body base 4 by externally fitting. The mounting column 24 is a substantially square column that is sufficiently lower than the column 12. Two adjacent side surfaces 24A, 24B (two front side surfaces shown in FIG. 3) of the side surfaces of the mounting column 24 are arranged along the depth direction shown in FIG. 3 and the width shown in FIG. The two side surfaces 24A and 24B are orthogonal to each other. The two side surfaces 24A, 24B rise vertically from the surface 4c of the main body base 4, and serve as reference side surfaces for vertically setting the support column 12 with respect to the main body base 4.

After the two side faces 12D, 12E (the two front side faces shown in FIG. 3) are positioned on the two side faces 24A, 24B of the mounting column 24, the lower end 12f of the column 12 is fitted into the mounting column 24, and the lower end is reached. The edge 12b is directly received by the surface 4c of the main body base 4. Two side surfaces 24A, 24B of the mounting pillar 24
Each has a small hole 25 formed therein, and in this state, the tapping screw 26 is attached to the two side surfaces 12D, 1 of the column 12.
The support 12 is fixed to the main body base 4 by passing through the through hole 27 formed in 2E and screwing into the small hole 25. Thereby, the column 12 is firmly fixed to the main body base 4 without wobbling.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view showing a state in which the column 12 is fixed to the main body base 4. FIG. 4 shows the support 12 fixed to the main body base 4 and then cut along the section line BB in FIG. After screwing in the tapping screw 26 and fastening the tapping screw to the main body base 4,
Two side surfaces 24 of the mounting column 24 in which the inner surfaces of the two side surfaces 12D and 12E of 2 rise vertically from the surface 4c of the main body base 4.
It is closely attached to A and 24B. As described above, the two side faces 24A, 24B of the mounting column 24 are reference side faces, and the inner faces of the two side faces 12D, 12E of the support column 12 that are orthogonal to each other are different from each other because the two side faces 24A, 24B are in close contact with each other. In two directions, the verticality of the pillar 12 with respect to the surface 4c of the main body base 4 is ensured. Thereby, the column 12 can be erected perpendicularly to the surface 4c of the main body base 4.

Furthermore, with the lower end edge 12b of the column 12 being received by the surface 4c of the main body base 4, the column 12 is supported.
Therefore, the height of the post 12 after the fixation from the surface 4c of the main body base 4 is determined only by the length of the substantially cylindrical post 12. As a result, the dimensional accuracy of the height of the post 12 after being fixed is kept good. By the way, referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, a plurality of holes 28 (four in this embodiment) extending from the upper end to the lower end in the longitudinal direction are formed from the upper surface 24C of the mounting column 24. In other words, the mounting column 24 has a structure in which ribs are formed inside the cylinder. This rib acts to reinforce the mounting post 24. As a result, the amount of resin used for molding the mounting column 24 is small, and the strength thereof is kept good.

Furthermore, of the side surfaces of the mounting column 24, two side surfaces 24D, 24E other than the above-mentioned two side surfaces 24A, 24B.
(Inner two side surfaces shown in FIG. 3) are tapered upward so that the die can be easily removed during molding. In the above description, the tapping screw 26 is attached to the small hole 2 of the mounting post 24.
Although the support 12 is fixed to the mounting post 24 by screwing into the mounting bracket 5, a metal fitting having a screw groove such as a bolt is embedded in the mounting post 24 by simultaneous molding, and a screw is fastened to this screw groove to support the support post. The structure may be such that 12 is fixed to the mounting column 24.

Further, the mounting column 24 may have a structure without the hole 28, and the two side surfaces thereof are the surface 4 of the main body base 4.
It does not have to rise vertically from c. further,
It may have a shape other than a square pole. By the way, when the image forming apparatus 1 is of a type to which a double-sided device can be attached, the double-sided device can be attached to the column 12. FIG. 5 is a sectional view schematically showing a state in which the double-sided device 31 is attached. The double-sided device 31 is provided with a double-sided path 32 and a pair of double-sided conveying rollers 33 for reversing the paper. The sheet conveyed through the double-sided path 32 is supplied from the outlet 37 of the double-sided device 31 to the inlet 38 of the image forming apparatus 1. Therefore, the outlet 37 of the double-sided device 31 needs to match the inlet 38 of the image forming apparatus 1.

The entrance 38 of the image forming apparatus 1 is included in a double-sided conveyance unit (not shown). This double-sided transport unit is fixed to the two columns 12 as in the above-described transport unit. On one side surface 34a of the housing 34 of the image forming apparatus 1, a pair of engaging projections 35 (only one is shown in FIG. 5) for attachment to the image forming apparatus 1 are provided, and each column 12 is provided. An engagement hole 36 (only one of which is shown in FIG. 5) that engages with the engagement protrusion 35 is formed. The double-sided device 31 is attached to the column 12 by fitting the engagement protrusions 35 into the engagement holes 36.

Since the double-sided device 31 is attached to the two columns 12 to which the double-sided transport unit is fixed, the double-sided device 3
The positioning of the first image forming apparatus 1 with respect to the inlet 38 can be performed. That is, the double-sided device 31 is favorably positioned so that the outlet 37 coincides with the inlet 38 of the image forming apparatus 1. Moreover, since the mounting structure of the double-sided device 31 is provided on the two highly rigid columns 12 provided upright on the main body base 4, the double-sided device 31 can be firmly mounted.

Besides, various design changes can be made within the scope of the matters described in the claims.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a configuration of an image forming apparatus according to this embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a frame structure of the image forming apparatus as seen from an arrow A in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a main part showing a state in which a support column is fixed to a main body base.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which a column is fixed to a main body base.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a state after the double-sided device is attached.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Image forming device 4 body base 4a surface 12 props 12b bottom edge 12f lower end 24 mounting posts 24A, 24B 2 side

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (56) Bibliography SHO 55-170235 (JP, U) FUKUAI Hei 3-41214 (JP, U) (58) Fields investigated (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) B41J 29/04 B41J 29/13 G03G 15/00 550

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] 1. A main body base forming a bottom portion and a main body base.
A frame structure including a metal post that is erected on over scan, body base is composed of resin, the position to be erected body base of the metal posts, the body base and integrally A low mounting pillar made of resin for mounting the pillar is planted, the mounting pillar is a substantially square pillar, and the two adjacent side surfaces stand upright from the main body base.
The metal columns vertically with respect to the main unit base.
Is the reference side surface for
Has an upward taper for easy die-cutting.
Ri, the lower end of the metal posts, inside a cylindrical hollow substantially rectangular, are orthogonal inner surfaces adjacent to each other, the tubular lower end portion of the substantially square is fitted to said mounting post , The reference side surface and the adjacent two inner side surfaces of the metal strut are
In close contact with the lower end edge, it is received by the main base, the frame structure of the image forming apparatus characterized by the lower end portion is fixed to the mounting posts. 2. A frame structure of an image forming apparatus according to claim 1 Symbol mounting, the frame structure of the image forming apparatus characterized by being attaching post and the metal post and screwed.