JP5422486B2 - Image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus having an exterior cover that can be opened and closed.

  An image forming apparatus such as a printer, a facsimile machine, or a multifunction machine has an apparatus main body that performs image forming processing on paper, and the apparatus main body usually includes an operation panel for receiving a user's operation on the front portion thereof. . In addition to the operation panel, the apparatus main body further includes a manual feed tray and an openable / closable exterior cover for maintenance and the like on the front and side portions (for example, Patent Document 1).

  The image forming apparatus as disclosed in Patent Document 1 is configured so that the operation of the apparatus main body is turned on and off in conjunction with opening and closing of the exterior cover for safety reasons. That is, the apparatus main body is configured not to perform the image forming process when the exterior cover is opened.

JP 2002-72601 A

  However, in the image forming apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 1, an operation panel, a manual feed tray, an openable / closable exterior cover, and the like are provided on the front and side portions of the apparatus main body. It must be narrow. As a result, the degree of freedom in the external design of the image forming apparatus and the degree of freedom in designing the apparatus main body are reduced.

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In view of the above circumstances, an object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus capable of increasing the degree of freedom of arrangement of a power switch and the like for turning on and off the image forming apparatus.

In order to achieve the above object, an image forming apparatus according to the present invention operates by receiving power supply and performs an image forming process on paper, and is provided in the apparatus main body. A first switch for switching on and off the power supply, wherein the first switch takes a first posture when the device main body is turned on and takes a second posture when the device main body is turned off; An exterior cover that has a surface forming an exterior and a back surface on the back side of the surface, and is attached to the apparatus main body so as to be openable and closable. A second switch that can contact the first switch, and switches a posture of the first switch between the first posture and the second posture, and the second switch is a button member, and the exterior cover The button member has a recess, the button member has a button surface pressed by a user, and a protruding piece facing the back surface of the exterior cover, and the protruding piece and the exterior cover A first urging member that is arranged between the rear surface and that urges the protruding piece in a direction away from the rear surface, thereby imparting a moving force to the button member; When the switch is switched to the first position, the switch enters the recess, and the button surface is in an indented state with respect to the surface of the exterior cover and the biasing force of the first biasing member While the on-position is maintained, the button surface takes an off-position that is substantially flush with the surface of the exterior cover when the first switch is switched to the second position.

According to the image forming apparatus of the present invention, power supply to the apparatus main body is turned on / off by two independent switches, that is, a first switch provided in the apparatus main body and a second switch operable by the user. The second switch can contact the first switch. Therefore, in the image forming apparatus according to the present invention, the second switch can be provided on the exterior cover. Thereby, the freedom degree of arrangement | positioning of the power switch for turning ON / OFF the electric power supply to an apparatus main body can be raised. As a result, the degree of freedom in the appearance design of the image forming apparatus can be increased. Further, when the button member which is the second switch is in the ON position, the button member is moved by a predetermined distance in the recess of the exterior cover, so that the button surface is recessed as viewed from the surface of the exterior cover. Therefore, the user can easily recognize that the apparatus main body is in the on state.

  In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the first switch is configured to be able to maintain the first posture while being in non-contact with the second switch as the exterior cover is opened. Yes.

  According to this configuration, the apparatus main body is prevented from being turned off when the exterior cover is opened.

  In another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the first switch is a latch switch. By using a latch switch as the first switch, the first posture can be easily maintained even when the first switch is not in contact with the second switch.

In this case, the latch switch has a switch main body portion, a part of the second switch abutting, the first posture retracted into the switch main body portion, and the second posture protruding from the switch main body portion. And a second urging member that urges the latch piece in a direction protruding from the switch main body, and the urging force of the second urging member is applied to the first urging member. It is desirable that it is set larger than the power.

In the above-described configuration, the exterior cover includes a first cover and a second cover having a mounting surface for the first cover, the button member includes a button main body having a button surface, and the projecting piece is a circumferential surface. And the recess includes an accommodation hole formed in the first cover and an accommodation portion formed in the second cover, and the button main body portion includes the accommodation hole. Preferably, the cylindrical member is accommodated in the accommodating portion, and the button surface is recessed in the accommodating hole in the ON position.

  In still another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the apparatus main body has a front portion facing a user, and the exterior cover is attached to the front portion so as to be openable and closable.

  According to this configuration, since the exterior cover is attached to the front portion of the apparatus main body, the second switch is configured to face the user. Therefore, the user can easily recognize the position of the second switch.

  In still another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the apparatus main body includes a partition wall that separates the first switch and the exterior cover, and the partition wall has a size that does not allow a user's fingertip to enter. The second switch includes a rib piece having a size that allows the second switch to enter the window portion, and can be brought into contact with the first switch through the rib piece.

  According to this configuration, when the exterior cover is in the open state, it is possible to prevent the user's fingertip from touching the first switch by mistake. Moreover, the attitude | position of a 1st switch can be changed smoothly by providing the 2nd switch with the rib piece which can approach a window part.

  In still another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the image forming apparatus further includes a sensor capable of detecting an open / closed state of the exterior cover, and the exterior cover is in an open state based on the detection of the sensor. When the determination is made, the image forming process of the apparatus main body is temporarily stopped, and when the exterior cover is determined to be closed based on the detection of the sensor, the control unit that allows the image forming process by the apparatus main body Including.

  According to this configuration, when the control unit determines that the exterior cover is in the open state, the image forming process of the apparatus main body is temporarily stopped, so that the safety of the user can be ensured.

  According to the image forming apparatus of the present invention, it is possible to increase the degree of freedom of arrangement of a power switch and the like for turning on and off the image forming apparatus.

1 is a perspective view showing an external structure of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a perspective view which shows the external appearance structure of an image forming apparatus, and shows the open state of an exterior cover. FIG. 3 is a partially enlarged view of FIG. 2 showing an open state of the exterior cover. FIG. 4 is a diagram in which the waste toner bottle and the partition are omitted from FIG. FIG. 5 is a further enlarged view of FIG. It is a perspective view of a button member, and shows the state where a button member was removed from an exterior cover. It is a perspective view of a power switch. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view for demonstrating operation | movement of a button member and a power switch, and shows the state which the latch piece of a power switch has taken the protrusion attitude | position. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view for demonstrating operation | movement of a button member and a power switch, and shows the state which the latch piece of a power switch has taken the retracted attitude | position. It is an expansion perspective view of an exterior cover, and shows the state where a button member is an ON posture.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an external structure of a printer S (image forming apparatus) according to an embodiment of the present invention. The printer S generally includes a device main body 1 (device main body) having a substantially hexahedron housing structure. The apparatus main body 1 includes an operation panel 3, a manual feed tray 4 attached to the apparatus main body 1 so as to be openable and closable, and a USB port 5 provided at a side position of the manual feed tray 4. And have. A paper cassette 11 that can be inserted and removed from the front side is provided at the lower part of the apparatus main body 1. The paper cassette 11 is provided with a remaining amount indicator 13 indicating the remaining amount of paper. A paper discharge unit 12 that discharges a sheet on which a toner image is formed by an image forming unit, which will be described later, is provided at the top of the apparatus main body unit 1.

  The apparatus main body 1 further includes an exterior cover 20 that is attached to the apparatus main body 1 so as to be openable and closable from the front to the side. As shown in FIG. 2, the exterior cover 20 is a cover for storing a waste toner bottle 14 that collects toner that has not been used in the image forming unit. Further, the exterior cover 20 is provided with a button member 21 (second switch) that can be operated by the user to turn on / off the power supply to the apparatus main body 1.

  The apparatus main body 1 includes an image forming unit, a fixing unit, a paper conveyance path, and the like. The image forming unit forms an image by transferring a toner image onto a predetermined sheet supplied from the sheet tray 11 based on image data taken from an external personal computer or the like. The image forming unit includes a photosensitive drum carrying an electrostatic latent image, a charging unit for charging the surface of the photosensitive drum, and an exposure unit for forming an electrostatic latent image corresponding to a document image on the surface of the photosensitive drum by a laser beam or the like. A developing unit that forms a toner image by attaching a developer to the formed electrostatic latent image, a transfer roller that transfers the toner image onto a sheet, a static elimination unit that neutralizes the surface of the photosensitive drum after the toner image is transferred, and a surface of the photosensitive drum And a cleaning blade for removing the residual toner. The fixing unit includes a pair of fixing rollers for separating the sheet on which the toner image is transferred from the photosensitive drum and fixing the toner image on the sheet.

  The printer S according to the present embodiment is characterized in that a button member 21 for turning on and off the apparatus main body 1 is arranged on the exterior cover 20. Hereinafter, the configuration will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 3 is a partially enlarged view of FIG. 2 and shows an open state of the exterior cover 20. 4 is a view in which the waste toner bottle 14 and a partition wall 24 to be described later are omitted from FIG. FIG. 5 is a further enlarged view of FIG.

  The exterior cover 20 includes an upper cover 22 positioned on the side of the manual feed tray 4 and a lower cover 23 positioned on the side of the paper cassette 11. A protruding piece 32 protruding downward is formed on the lower edge of the upper cover 22, and an engaging piece 33 capable of engaging with the protruding piece 32 is formed on the upper edge of the lower cover 23. Has been. The upper cover 22 and the lower cover 23 open and close integrally with the apparatus main body 1 with the protruding piece 32 engaged with the engaging piece 33. In addition, a hinge 30 that supports the exterior cover 20 so as to be openable and closable is provided in the vicinity of the lower edge of the lower cover 23.

  An accommodation space S for accommodating the waste toner bottle 14 is defined between the exterior cover 20 and the apparatus main body 1. In the accommodation space S, a pedestal 29 for placing the waste toner bottle 14 is provided.

  The button member 21 is disposed on the lower cover 23 and can contact a power switch 26 (first switch) disposed at a position below the pedestal 29 in the apparatus main body 1. The power switch 26 is a switch for switching on / off the power supply to the apparatus main body 1 and is connected to the power supply board 15. The power supply substrate 15 is disposed on the back surface of the side surface portion to which the exterior cover 20 is attached, and converts the power input from the outside so that the apparatus main body portion 1 can be used. The apparatus main body 1 receives the supply of power from the power supply substrate 15 and performs image forming processing.

  A partition wall 24 is provided at a front position of the power switch 26, that is, a position on the front side of the apparatus main body 1. The partition wall 24 is for separating the power switch 26 from the outside when the exterior cover 20 is opened. An elongated window 25 is formed in the partition wall 24. The dimension of the window part 25 is set to such an extent that the user's fingertip is not allowed to enter.

  The apparatus main body 1 is provided with a sensor part P that can detect the open / closed state of the exterior cover 20. The sensor part P includes a light shielding plate 27 and a photo interrupter 28. The light shielding plate 27 is provided in the vicinity of the upper edge of the upper cover 22 and protrudes into the accommodation space S when the exterior cover 20 is closed. The photo interrupter 28 has a light emitting element and a light receiving element which face each other. The photo interrupter 28 detects that the exterior cover 20 is in a closed state when the light shielding plate 27 is positioned between the light emitting element and the light receiving element to shield light from the light emitting element. The photo interrupter 28 detects that the exterior cover 20 is in an open state when the light shielding plate 27 is separated from the light emitting element and the light receiving element and does not shield the light.

  The apparatus main body 1 has a control unit C connected to the sensor unit P in place. When the control unit C determines that the exterior cover 20 is in the open state based on the detection of the sensor unit P, the control unit C temporarily stops the image forming process of the apparatus main body 1 while determining that the exterior cover 20 is in the closed state. In this case, the image forming process by the apparatus main body 1 is permitted.

  Next, the configuration of the button member 21 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the button member 21 and shows a state where the button member 21 is removed from the exterior cover 20. The button member 21 includes a button main body 35 and a contact member 46. The button main body 35 is a substantially circular and flat member in a plan view, and the button surface 36 pressed by the user's fingertip is pressed. Have.

  The contact member 46 is provided to bring the button main body 35 into contact with the power switch 26, and has a cylindrical portion 47 (FIG. 8) protruding from the back surface (the surface opposite to the button surface 36) of the button main body 35. ) Is a cylindrical member disposed on the outer peripheral surface.

  The lower cover 23 has an accommodation hole 34 (concave portion) drilled from the front surface 23 a to the back surface 23 b, and the button main body 35 and the contact member 46 are accommodated in a movable manner with respect to the accommodation hole 34. As will be described later, the button main body 35 has an off posture in which the button surface 36 is substantially flush with the surface 23a of the lower cover 23, and an on state in which the button surface 36 enters the accommodation hole 34 by a predetermined distance. Can take with posture.

  The upper cover 22 has an attachment surface 22a to which the lower cover 23 is attached, and an accommodation portion for accommodating the contact member 46 is formed on the attachment surface 22a. The housing portion is configured by a housing groove 39 having a shape corresponding to the shape of the contact member 46. The contact member 46 is accommodated so as to be movable with respect to the accommodation groove 39.

  The contact member 46 has a plurality of protruding pieces 37 that protrude outward in the circumferential direction from the outer peripheral surface thereof. The protruding pieces 37 are located at equal intervals in the circumferential direction. Each projection piece 37 is provided with a spring member 38. The spring member 38 is provided to integrally move the button main body 35 and the contact member 46, one end is held by the protruding piece 37, and the other end is in contact with the back surface 23 b of the lower cover 23.

  Specifically, the cylindrical portion 47 of the button main body portion 35 has a locking claw 47a (FIG. 8) projecting radially outward at the tip portion, and the contact member 46 has an inner peripheral surface thereof. 8 has a locking projection 46a (FIG. 8) projecting radially inward. The spring member 38 always holds the locking protrusion 46 a on the locking claw 47 a of the cylindrical portion 47 by applying an urging force so as to separate the contact member 46 from the back surface 23 b of the lower cover 23. . Thereby, the button main-body part 35 and the contact member 46 can move integrally.

  Moreover, the contact member 46 has the rib piece 31 which protrudes outward from the accommodation groove | channel 39 as shown in FIG. 5 through the accommodation groove | channel 39 from the substantially concentric position with the cylindrical part 47 (FIG. 8). The rib piece 31 is set to such a size that it can enter the window portion 25 of the partition wall 24. The button member 21 can come into contact with the power switch 26 via the rib piece 31 when the exterior cover 20 is closed. On the other hand, when the exterior cover 20 is in the open state, the rib piece 31 is separated from the power switch 26 and is not in contact with the power switch 26.

  Next, the configuration of the power switch 26 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the power switch 26. The power switch 26 is a latch switch, and includes a block-shaped switch main body 41, a connection terminal 42, and a latch piece 43.

  The switch body 41 is fixed at a position below the pedestal 29 (FIG. 4) in the apparatus body 1. The connection terminal 42 is provided at one end of the switch body 41 and is connected to the power supply substrate 15.

  The latch piece 43 is provided at the other end of the switch body 41 and has an abutment groove 44 with which the rib piece 31 of the contact member 46 of the button member 21 can abut. The latch piece 43 is retracted into the switch main body 41 by the spring member 45 disposed in the switch main body 41 (first attitude) and protruded from the switch main body 41 (second attitude). And can take. As will be described later, when the latch piece 43 is in the retracted position, the power supply to the apparatus main body 1 is turned on, and when the latch piece 43 is in the protruding position, the power supply to the apparatus main body 1 is turned off. Become. Once the latch piece 43 takes the retracted posture, the retracted posture can be maintained until the latch piece 43 is switched to the projecting posture by the user. FIG. 7 shows a state in which the latch piece 43 is in the protruding posture.

  Next, referring to FIG. 8 and FIG. 9, on / off switching of power supply to the apparatus main body 1 will be described. FIG. 8 is a longitudinal sectional view for explaining the operation of the button member 21 and the power switch 26 and shows a state in which the latch piece 43 of the power switch 26 is in the protruding posture. FIG. 9 is a longitudinal sectional view for explaining the operation of the button member 21 and the power switch 26 and shows a state in which the latch piece 43 of the power switch 26 is in the retracted position.

  As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the tip of the rib piece 31 of the button member 21 is in contact with the latch piece 43 of the power switch 26 via the contact groove 44 when the exterior cover 20 is in the closed state. In FIG. 8, the latch piece 43 of the power switch 26 has a protruding posture, and the power supply to the apparatus main body 1 is in an off state. At this time, the button member 21 is in an off posture in which the button surface 36 is substantially flush with the surface 23 a of the lower cover 23. By setting the urging force of the spring member 45 of the power switch 26 to be larger than the urging force of the spring member 38 of the button member 21, the button member 21 takes an off posture when the latch piece 43 is in the protruding posture. be able to.

  When the button member 21 is pressed and moved in the accommodation hole 34 as shown in FIG. 9, the rib piece 31 in contact with the latch piece 43 presses the latch piece 43, and the posture of the latch piece 43 protrudes. Switch from posture to retracted posture. As a result, the power supply to the apparatus main body 1 is turned on, and the apparatus main body 1 can perform image forming processing on the paper. At this time, the button surface 36 enters the accommodation hole 34 by a predetermined distance, and is depressed as seen from the surface 23a of the lower cover 23 as shown in FIG.

  When the user presses the button member 21 in the state shown in FIG. 9, the latch piece 43 is switched from the retracted position to the protruding position shown in FIG. Thereby, the power supply to the apparatus main body 1 is turned off. Then, the button surface 36 of the button member 21 returns to a state substantially flush with the surface 23 a of the lower cover 23.

  As described above, when the button member 21 takes the on position, the latch piece 43 of the power switch 26 assumes the retracted position, and the power supply to the apparatus main body 1 is turned on, while the button member 21 is turned off. When the posture is taken, the latch piece 43 takes a projecting posture, and the power supply to the apparatus main body 1 is turned off.

  According to the image forming apparatus S according to the present embodiment described above, the power supply to the apparatus main body 1 is turned on / off by two independent switches, that is, the power switch 26 provided in the apparatus main body 1. The button member 21 is provided on the exterior cover 20 and can be operated by the user. The button member 21 can contact the latch piece 43 of the power switch 26 via the rib piece 31. Therefore, in the image forming apparatus S according to the present embodiment, the button member 21 can be provided on the exterior cover 20. Thereby, the freedom degree of arrangement | positioning of the power switch 26 for turning ON / OFF the electric power supply to the apparatus main body part 1 can be raised. As a result, the degree of freedom in the appearance design of the image forming apparatus S can be increased.

  In the image forming apparatus S according to the present embodiment, since the latch switch is used as the power switch 26, once the latch piece 43 is switched to the retracted position by the user, the retracted position is switched until the user switches to the protruding position. The posture can be maintained. This prevents the power supply to the apparatus main body 1 from being turned off even when the exterior cover 20 is opened when the latch piece 43 is in the retracted position.

  Furthermore, in the image forming apparatus S according to the present embodiment, since the exterior cover 20 is attached to the front portion of the apparatus main body 1, the button member 21 faces the user. Therefore, the user can easily recognize the position of the button member 21.

  Furthermore, in the image forming apparatus S according to the present embodiment, the button member 21 and the power switch 26 are in contact with each other via the rib piece 31 that can enter the window 25 that does not allow the user's fingertip to enter. It is possible. Therefore, when the exterior cover 20 is in the open state, it is possible to prevent the user's fingertip from touching the power switch 26 by mistake. Further, by providing the button member 21 with the rib piece 31 that can enter the window portion 25, the posture of the power switch 26 can be changed smoothly.

  Furthermore, in the image forming apparatus S according to the present embodiment, when the control unit C determines that the exterior cover 20 is in the open state based on the detection of the photo interrupter 28, the image forming process of the apparatus main body unit 1 is temporarily stopped. Therefore, the safety of the user can be ensured.

  Furthermore, in the image forming apparatus S according to the present embodiment, the button member 21 is provided on the exterior cover 20 that can be opened and closed from the front surface to the side surface of the device main body 1. The distance between the power supply substrate 15 disposed on the back surface of the side surface portion and the button member 21 can be reduced. Since the power board 15 is connected to the power switch 26 and the power switch 26 can contact the button member 21, the wire material for connecting the button member 21 and the power board 15 can be omitted.

1 Device Main Body 20 Exterior Cover 21 Button Member (Second Switch)
24 Bulkhead 25 Window 26 Power switch (first switch)
31 Rib piece 34 Accommodation hole (recess)
36 Button surface 43 Latch piece S Image forming apparatus

Claims (8)

An apparatus main body that operates with power supply and performs image forming processing on paper;
A first switch provided in the apparatus main body for switching on / off of the power supply to the apparatus main body, takes a first posture when the apparatus main body is turned on, and turns off the apparatus main body. A first switch that takes a second position when
An exterior cover having a surface forming an exterior and a back surface on the back side of the surface, the exterior cover attached to the apparatus main body so as to be opened and closed;
A second switch that is provided on the exterior cover so as to be operable by a user, is capable of contacting the first switch, and switches a posture of the first switch between the first posture and the second posture; , equipped with a,
The second switch is a button member;
The exterior cover has a recess for accommodating the button member,
The button member has a button surface pressed by the user, and a protruding piece facing the back surface of the exterior cover,
A first urging member that is disposed between the protruding piece and the back surface of the exterior cover and applies a moving force to the button member by urging the protruding piece in a direction away from the back surface; ,
The button member enters the recess when the first switch is switched to the first position, and the button member takes an on position in which the button surface is recessed with respect to the surface of the exterior cover. The on-position is maintained by the urging of the first urging member, while the button surface is substantially flush with the surface of the exterior cover when the first switch is switched to the second position. I take the,
Image forming apparatus. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1.
The image forming apparatus configured to be capable of maintaining the first posture in a state in which the first switch is not in contact with the second switch as the exterior cover is opened. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2.
The image forming apparatus, wherein the first switch is a latch switch. The image forming apparatus according to claim 3.
  The latch switch is
    Switch body,
    A latch piece that takes part in the first posture in which a part of the second switch abuts and retracts into the switch main body, and the second posture protruding from the switch main body,
    A second urging member that urges the latch piece in a direction protruding from the switch body,
  The image forming apparatus, wherein an urging force of the second urging member is set larger than an urging force of the first urging member. In the image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
  The exterior cover includes a first cover and a second cover having a mounting surface of the first cover,
  The button member includes a button main body portion having a button surface, and a cylindrical member in which the protruding piece protrudes from the peripheral surface,
  The recess includes an accommodation hole formed in the first cover and an accommodation portion formed in the second cover,
  The image forming apparatus, wherein the button main body is accommodated in the accommodation hole, the cylindrical member is accommodated in the accommodation portion, and the button surface is recessed in the accommodation hole in the on-position. The image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5 ,
The apparatus main body has a front portion facing the user,
The image forming apparatus, wherein the exterior cover is attached to the front portion so as to be openable and closable. In the image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6 ,
The apparatus main body has a partition that separates the first switch and the outer cover,
The partition has a window having a size that does not allow the user's fingertip to enter,
The image forming apparatus, wherein the second switch includes a rib piece having a size that allows the second switch to enter the window portion, and is capable of contacting the first switch via the rib piece. The image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7 ,
Further, when the sensor capable of detecting the open / closed state of the exterior cover and the exterior cover is determined to be open based on the detection of the sensor, the image forming process of the apparatus main body is temporarily stopped. On the other hand, an image forming apparatus comprising: a control unit that allows image forming processing by the apparatus main body when it is determined that the exterior cover is in a closed state based on detection of the sensor.

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