JP3850774B2 - Image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
[Industrial application fields]
The present invention is a copying machine provided with electrical units having a plurality of electrical component mounting board such a printer, a facsimile, an image forming apparatus such as a complex machine thereof.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, a printer, and a facsimile, a plurality of electrical boards such as a power supply device, a composite high-voltage power supply, and an engine board are used to start and control electrical components such as a motor and a sensor. . These electrical boards are accompanied by maintenance work during abnormal operation of the image forming apparatus, but are arranged at different locations of the image forming apparatus due to the layout of the apparatus. For this reason, at the time of maintenance of the electrical boards, it is troublesome to access and remove the necessary electrical boards from various directions of the image forming apparatus.
In such a background, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-334725 discloses that an electrical component formed by integrating a plurality of electrical components can be opened and closed in the vertical direction, and a holding member is used to connect the electrical component to the device. An image forming apparatus that can be held open is described.
[0003]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
In the image forming apparatus described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-334725, a plurality of electrical components as electrical boards are gathered in an electrical part that can be opened and closed in the vertical direction, and are opened with respect to the apparatus by a holding member. The device is not detachable. For this reason, depending on the arrangement | positioning location of the electrical component of an electrical equipment part, there exists a part which becomes a shadow of an electrical equipment part or an apparatus, and the subject that a maintenance operation | work is difficult is included.
Even if the image forming apparatus has the same mechanical configuration, different controllers may be used depending on the specifications, usage region, and the like, and good workability when replacing the controller is also required.
The image forming apparatus is provided with a plurality of drive motors and control sensors, which are arranged in various parts and wired to the respective electrical boards, so that the electrical boards are removed from the apparatus main body. In this case, the wiring must be removed from the respective substrates, which is troublesome, and there is a risk of wiring mistakes during reconnection. In particular, when the user himself / herself performs a maintenance work, there is a concern that such a mistake may occur because the user does not know the configuration of the apparatus as well as the service staff.
SUMMARY An advantage of some aspects of the invention is that it provides an electrical unit and an image forming apparatus that can be easily maintained. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus that can easily perform maintenance work and can reduce wiring errors.
[0004]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
To achieve the above object, in claim 1, and a plurality of image forming cartridge disposed inclined from the lower side of the apparatus body upward of the plurality of image forming cartridges when viewed from the upper side of the apparatus main body An electrical unit having a plurality of electrical boards arranged such that a part thereof does not overlap in the inclined direction, and a control unit detachable from the electrical unit, the electrical unit and the control unit DOO by configuring as one unit detachable against the apparatus main body from one of the apparatus main body, each of the electrical substrate such the electrical unit to be exposed upon removal of said unit from said apparatus body It is characterized by.
[0005]
According to a second aspect of the present invention , the image forming cartridge includes a plurality of image forming cartridges arranged to be inclined upward from the lower side of the apparatus main body, and a plurality of electrical boards arranged in a stepped manner so as to descend in the inclination direction of the image forming cartridge. By comprising an electrical unit and a control unit that can be attached to and detached from the electrical unit, and configuring the electrical unit and the control unit as a single unit that can be attached to and detached from the device body from one direction of the device body. The electric boards of the electric unit are exposed when the unit is removed from the apparatus main body.
[0006]
According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the image forming apparatus according to the first or second aspect, the control unit is detachable from the same direction as the direction in which the electrical unit is removed.
[0007]
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the image forming apparatus according to the third aspect of the present invention, the control unit includes a controller board that is replaced more frequently than the electrical boards of the electrical unit .
[0008]
According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the image forming apparatus according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, the plurality of electrical boards attached to the electrical unit are at least a power supply apparatus, a composite high-voltage power supply, and an engine board. It is said.
[0009]
6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the electrical unit is attached to or detached from a portion of the electrical unit located outside the apparatus body when the electrical unit is attached to the apparatus body. It is characterized in that a handle is provided for the operator to grip during work. For this reason, it becomes easy to hold the electrical unit, and even if the electrical unit is heated, the operator does not have to hold it directly.
[0016]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows an internal schematic configuration of a color printer as an image forming apparatus. In the color printer, a paper feed cassette 2 serving as a paper feed unit for storing paper 3 as a recording material is disposed below the apparatus main body 20. The paper 3 in the paper feed cassette 2 is conveyed into the apparatus main body 20 by a paper feed roller 4 disposed in the vicinity of the paper feed cassette 2. In the apparatus main body 20, a writing unit 1 and a drum-shaped photoconductor as an image carrier to which laser beams separated in each color component of yellow, cyan, magenta, and black in the unit 1 are respectively irradiated. Toner image forming cartridges 6B, 6C, 6M, and 6Y having 60B, 60C, 60M, and 60Y, and an intermediate transfer belt 7 that constitutes an intermediate transfer member to which toner images formed by the image forming cartridges are secondarily transferred; The transfer unit 8 transfers the toner image transferred to the intermediate transfer belt 7 to the paper 3, the fixing unit 9 fixes the transferred toner image to the paper 3, and the fixed paper 3 is placed outside the apparatus main body 20. And a discharge roller 10 to be conveyed. The transfer unit 8 includes an intermediate transfer belt 7 and a transfer roller 8A as a transfer member disposed to face the belt.
[0017]
When the laser beam from the writing unit 1 is irradiated to each photoconductor, a latent image is formed on each photoconductor. These electrostatic latent images are visualized by a developing device (not shown) disposed adjacent to each photoconductor, and are primarily transferred onto the intermediate transfer belt 7. The sheet 3 transported into the apparatus main body 20 by the paper feed roller 4 is transported at a delivery timing by a registration roller pair 5 provided in front of the transfer unit 8, and is transferred onto the intermediate transfer belt 7 by the transfer unit 8. The formed primary toner image is secondarily transferred. The sheet 3 on which the toner image has been transferred passes through the fixing unit 9 to be fixed, and is discharged by a discharge roller 10 to a sheet discharge unit 11 formed on the upper portion of the apparatus main body 20.
[0018]
In this embodiment, toner bottles 12Y, 12M, 12C, and 12B for supplying toner of each color to the image forming cartridges 6Y, 6M, 6C, and 6B are disposed below the paper discharge unit 11. Each of the toner bottles, the intermediate transfer belt 7 and each of the image forming cartridges are disposed so as to be inclined in the same direction with respect to the apparatus main body 20 and form an excess space on the back surface 20A side of the apparatus main body 20. In this embodiment, the writing unit 1 is similarly inclined and forms a surplus space with the paper feed cassette 2.
[0019]
The color printer includes an electrical unit 25 in the surplus space. 2 and 3, the electrical unit 25 includes a power supply unit (hereinafter referred to as “PSU”) 14, a composite high-voltage power source (hereinafter referred to as “HVP”) 15, an engine board (as shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3). (Hereinafter referred to as “BCU”) 16. The electrical unit 25 is configured as one unit in which each of the PSU 14, HVP 15, and BCU 16 can be attached to and detached from the apparatus main body 20 from the back surface 20 </ b> A side that is one direction of the apparatus main body 20. The electrical unit 25 includes a printer controller board 17 as a controller. An opening 19 for attaching and detaching the electrical unit 25 is formed on the back surface 20A. The color printer of this embodiment is provided with a hard disk drive 18 as storage means.
[0020]
As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the electrical unit 25 includes a plurality of brackets 22, 23, and 24 formed by sheet metal processing. Each bracket is made of metal. The bracket 22 has a step portion 22a in which one side of the flat plate protrudes upward and the inside thereof is a hollow portion 22b. The flat plate portion 22c and the stepped portion 22a of the bracket 22 are formed so as to be shifted in the attaching / detaching direction. The BCU 16 is detachably mounted on the flat plate portion 22c via a plurality of pedestals 32, and the bracket 23 is fixed to the stepped portion 22a. The bracket 23 has an L-shaped cross section, and its lower surface portion 23a is joined to the upper surface 22d of the step portion 22a. The HVP 15 is detachably mounted on the lower surface portion 23a via a plurality of pedestals 31. The PSU 14 is detachably mounted on the vertical wall portion 23b orthogonal to the lower surface portion 23a via a plurality of pedestals 30.
[0021]
The bracket 24 has an L-shaped cross section, and its lower surface portion 24a is placed on the flat surface portion 22e in the cavity portion 22b, and is movable in the attaching / detaching direction with respect to the cavity portion 22b. The bracket 24 is attached to the bracket 23 by fastening the upper portion of the vertical wall portion 24b orthogonal to the plane portion 24a to the vertical wall portion 23b with a fastening member, for example, a screw 40. The printer controller board 17 is detachably mounted on the lower surface portion 24a via a plurality of pedestals 33. The bracket 24 and the printer controller board 17 constitute a control unit 26. Each pedestal is made of an insulating member such as rubber. Although not shown, the hard disk drive 18 is attached to the bracket 24.
[0022]
As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, a seating surface member 21 is disposed at the lower portion of the apparatus main body 20. The seat member 21 has a flat surface 21a extending in the attaching / detaching direction, and supports the electrical unit 25 from below so as to be movable in the attaching / detaching direction. An attachment portion 35 for fixing the upper portion of the bracket 23 with, for example, a screw 41 which is a fastening member is formed at a portion of the back surface 20A located at the upper edge of the opening portion 19. The area of the opening 19 is substantially the same size as the areas of the vertical wall portions 23b and 24b constituting the back surface of the electrical unit 25. When the electrical unit 25 is mounted in the apparatus main body 20, the vertical wall It is comprised so that it may block | close with the parts 23b and 24b.
[0023]
In this embodiment, the HVP 15 and the BCU 16 are displaced in the attaching / detaching direction, and are arranged in parallel in a stepwise manner, with their respective board mounting surfaces facing upward. On the other hand, the PSU 14 is disposed perpendicularly to the vertical wall portion 23b that forms the vertical surface of the electrical unit 25, and the board mounting surface thereof is oriented sideways. That is, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 6, the electrical unit 25 is arranged so that the surfaces 14a, 15a, 16a of the electrical boards do not overlap each other, and the respective surfaces 14a, 15a, 16a are exposed. It is configured.
[0024]
The attaching / detaching operation of the electrical unit 25 configured as described above will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, the screw 41 is loosened in order to remove the electrical unit 25 in the mounted state in the apparatus main body 20. When the electrical unit 25 is pulled outward from the apparatus main body 20, the electrical unit 25 is pulled out of the apparatus main body 20 while sliding on the flat surface 21 a of the seat member 21 in the horizontal direction.
[0025]
To mount the electrical unit 25, the bracket 22 is inserted into the opening 19 from the BCU 16 side, and is slid horizontally on the flat surface 21a and pushed into the apparatus main body 20. Then, the screw 41 is fastened to the mounting portion 35 as shown in FIG.
[0026]
As described above, the PSU 14, HVP 15, and BCU 16, which are examples of the electrical boards used in the image forming apparatus, are combined in the vicinity of each other to form one unit, so that the operator can perform maintenance with an access method from one direction. It reaches the target substrate and is freed from complicated disassembly work at the time of maintenance, and the workability at the time of maintenance becomes easy. By removing the electrical unit 25 from the apparatus main body 20 during maintenance of the PSU 14, HVP 15, and BCU 16, these multiple boards can be removed from the apparatus main body 20 at once, and maintenance work can be performed by removing each part in the removed state. Workability at the time becomes easier.
[0027]
Since the surfaces 14a, 15a and 16a of the PSU 14, HVP 15 and BCU 16 constituting the electrical unit 25 are not overlapped with each other, the respective surfaces 14a, 15a and 16a are exposed. As a result, the maintenance work can be simplified and the workability at the time of maintenance can be made easier, the attachment / detachment of wrong members when attaching / detaching the board can be reduced, and the heat dissipation can be improved. Can do.
[0028]
Since the electrical unit 25 includes the control unit 26 together with the PSU 14, the HVP 15, and the BCU 16, the electrical unit 25 has a certain weight as a unit. Therefore, when removing the electrical unit 25, this weight becomes a load on the operator. However, as in this embodiment, the electrical unit 25 is moved in the horizontal direction with respect to the apparatus main body 20 so that the electrical unit 25 can be attached / detached. The load can be reduced, and the workability during maintenance becomes easier.
[0029]
Next, the attaching / detaching operation of the control unit 26 will be described. In order to remove the control unit 26 attached to the electrical unit 25, the screw 40 is loosened and the control unit 26 is pulled from the hollow portion 22b toward the outside of the apparatus main body 20. Then, the lower surface portion 24a of the bracket 24 is pulled out of the apparatus main body 20 while sliding horizontally on the flat surface portion 22e.
[0030]
In order to mount the control unit 26, the lower surface portion 24a of the bracket 24 is inserted into the inside of the cavity 22b, and is slid horizontally on the flat surface portion 22e and pushed into the inside of the cavity portion 22b. And it completes by fastening the screw 40 to the bracket 23.
[0031]
In this manner, by making the controller unit 26 with a high replacement frequency detachable from the electrical unit 26, the controller unit 26 can be detached from the electrical unit 25 when performing maintenance on the printer controller board 17 and the hard disk drive 18. The work of removing the electrical unit 25 can be eliminated, and the workability at the time of maintenance of the printer controller board 17 and the hard disk drive 18 is facilitated.
[0032]
The color printer as the image forming apparatus shown in FIG. 7 includes a relay board 31 in which a plurality of electrical components such as motors and sensors used in the apparatus are connected by a plurality of harnesses 34, and the electrical unit 25 is attached to and detached from the relay board 31. It is connected as possible. The relay substrate 31 is disposed on the back surface 20B side of the apparatus main body as viewed from the direction in which the paper feed cassette 2 is pulled out. The electrical unit 25 and the relay substrate 31 are respectively provided with connectors 32 and 33 serving as detachable joints used when connecting each other. Control signals and currents from the electrical unit 25 to each electrical component are sent via the relay board 31.
[0033]
In the case of such a configuration having the relay substrate 31, in order to remove the electrical unit 25 from the apparatus main body 20, the electrical unit 25 may be pulled out of the apparatus main body 20 after disconnecting the connectors 32 and 33. In order to attach the electrical unit 25 to the apparatus main body 20, the electrical unit 25 is pushed into the apparatus main body 20, and then the connector 32 is connected to the connector 33. Although omitted in FIG. 20 may be fastened.
[0034]
When the relay board 31 is provided in this way, when the electrical unit 25 is attached and detached, the harnesses 34 of the plurality of electrical components do not have to be removed one by one, and it is released from the complication of maintenance, and the work becomes easier. Wiring mistakes due to incorrect insertion of the harness 34 during maintenance can be prevented.
[0035]
FIG. 8 shows the electrical unit 25 provided with handle portions 29a and 29b that are gripped by the operator during the attachment / detachment operation. The handle portions 29 a and 29 b are provided on the bracket 23 which is a part of the electrical unit 25 located outside the apparatus body 20 when the electrical unit 25 is mounted on the apparatus body 20. The handle portions 29a and 29b are formed by cutting and raising the vertical wall portion 23b of the bracket 23, but are formed separately from the bracket 23 by being fitted to the screws, adhesive, or the bracket 23. May be. From the viewpoint of reducing the number of parts, it is preferable to cut and raise a part of the bracket 23. Since the electrical unit 25 has a certain amount of heat, it is preferable to mount a separate unit made of a resin or the like that is different from the bracket 23 from the viewpoint of heat countermeasures. In this embodiment, the two handle portions 29a and 29b are provided, but one rod-like member may be provided in the width direction of the apparatus main body 20 and both ends thereof may be fixed to the bracket 23 to form the handle portion.
[0036]
When the handle units 29a and 29b are provided in the electrical unit 25 as described above, when the electrical unit 25 is attached to or detached from the apparatus main body 20, the operator may attach and detach the electrical unit 25 with the handle units 29a and 29b. For this reason, when attaching and detaching, the electrical unit 25 can be easily held, and the workability at the time of maintenance becomes easier. Further, since the operator does not need to directly hold the electrical unit 25 when it has heat, the possibility that the electrical unit 25 is dropped and damaged is reduced, and the durability of the apparatus or unit is improved.
[0037]
【The invention's effect】
According to the present invention, the electrical boards used in the image forming apparatus are collectively arranged in the vicinity of each other so that the operator can reach the desired electrical board from one direction, and the electrical unit is installed during maintenance of the electrical boards. By detaching from the apparatus main body, a plurality of substrates can be removed from the apparatus main body at once, and the complicated division work at the time of maintenance is eliminated, and the maintenance work becomes easy.
[0038]
According to the present invention, even when the weight of the electrical unit becomes heavy, the electrical unit can be detached from the apparatus main body by moving it horizontally with respect to the apparatus main body. The burden on the operator is reduced, and maintenance work becomes easier.
[0039]
According to the present invention, by providing the handle portion in the electrical unit, the electrical unit can be easily held when the electrical unit is attached and detached, and the maintenance work is facilitated. Even when the electrical unit is heated, the operator does not have to hold the electrical unit directly, so that the possibility of dropping and damaging the electrical unit is reduced, and the durability of the device and unit is improved.
[0040]
According to the present invention, by arranging the surfaces of the electrical boards in the electrical unit so as to be exposed, the visibility of the electrical boards is improved during maintenance, and maintenance work can be simplified. In addition, it is possible to reduce the attachment / detachment of erroneous members when attaching / detaching the substrate, and it is also possible to improve heat dissipation.
[0041]
According to the present invention, a controller unit with a high replacement frequency can be attached to and detached from the electrical unit, so that during maintenance of the controller unit, it is only necessary to remove the controller unit alone without removing the electrical unit. Maintenance work is easier.
[0042]
According to the present invention, the relay board to which the plurality of electrical components used in the apparatus are connected and the electrical unit are detachably connected, so that when the electrical unit is detached from the apparatus body, the junction part and the junction with the relay board are connected. It is possible to attach and detach the electrical unit and the relay board simply by attaching and detaching the location, and it is freed from the complexity of the maintenance and the work becomes easier, and the wiring mistake at the time of maintenance can be prevented.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an internal configuration of an image forming apparatus including an electrical unit according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of a mounting state of the electrical unit.
FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the electrical unit.
FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view showing a configuration of an electrical unit.
FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a state in which the electrical unit is pulled out from the apparatus main body.
FIG. 6 is an enlarged cross-sectional view illustrating a state where the printer controller unit is removed from the electrical unit.
FIG. 7 is a partially broken perspective view illustrating a schematic configuration of an image forming apparatus including an electrical unit and a relay substrate.
FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing a mounting state of an electrical unit having a handle.
[Explanation of symbols]
14, 15, 16 Electrical boards 14a, 15a, 16a Surface 20 of electrical boards 20 Main body 25 Electrical unit 26 Controller units 29a, 29b Handle part 31 Relay board 32 Joint part

Claims (6)

A plurality of image forming cartridges arranged to be inclined upward from below the apparatus body ;
An electrical unit having a plurality of electrical boards arranged such that a part thereof does not overlap in the tilt direction of the plurality of image forming cartridges when viewed from above the apparatus body ;
A control unit detachable from the electrical unit is provided .
By configuring the electrical unit and the control unit as a single unit that can be attached to and detached from the apparatus body from one direction of the apparatus body , each electrical unit of the electrical unit is removed when the unit is removed from the apparatus body. An image forming apparatus in which substrates are exposed. A plurality of image forming cartridges arranged to be inclined upward from below the apparatus body ;
An electrical unit having a plurality of electrical boards arranged in a stepped manner so as to descend in the tilt direction of the imaging cartridge ;
A control unit detachable from the electrical unit is provided ,
By configuring the electrical unit and the control unit as a single unit that can be attached to and detached from the apparatus body from one direction of the apparatus body , each electrical unit of the electrical unit can be removed when the unit is removed from the apparatus body. An image forming apparatus in which substrates are exposed. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is detachable from the same direction as a direction in which the electrical unit is removed. The image forming apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the control unit includes a controller board having a higher replacement frequency than electrical boards of the electrical unit . 5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of electrical boards attached to the electrical unit are at least a power supply device, a composite high-voltage power supply, and an engine board. 6. The handle according to claim 1, further comprising a handle that is gripped by an operator at the time of attaching / detaching work, at a portion of the electrical unit located outside the device body when the electrical unit is attached to the device body. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1.

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