JP7159545B2 - Electronics - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to electronic equipment.

A process cartridge detachably provided in the apparatus main body, detachably provided in the apparatus main body, detachably connected to the process cartridge on the upstream side in the insertion direction of the process cartridge, and collecting toner discharged from the process cartridge. and a rotatable member rotatable in accordance with the attachment/detachment operation of the collection container, wherein when the collection container is in the mounting position, rotation is restricted by the collection container from a direction intersecting the insertion direction of the process cartridge. As a result, the process cartridge is rotated to the first position where movement in the detachment direction can be restricted, and when the recovery container is detached from the main body, the process cartridge is rotated to the second position where the regulation is released. (Patent Document 1).

In a printer having a housing, a detection rib biased to protrude from the bottom surface of the housing and an elastic printer lock member, which is a separate member, are provided. Also known is a printer holding mechanism having a structure in which the elastic behavior of the printer locking member is restricted by the detection ribs in a state in which the elastic behavior of the printer locking member is not hindered, and in a state in which the housing is floated ( Patent document 2).

JP 2015-102677 A Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-130616

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide an electronic device capable of preventing a detachable body or a paper tray from accidentally popping out due to tilting associated with movement of the device body.

In order to solve the above problems, the electronic device according to claim 1 includes:
the device body,
an engaging portion provided on the device body;
an engaged portion provided on a detachable body that is detachable from the device main body and engaged with the engaging portion to hold the detachable body at a mounting position;
A moving part that is attached to the device body and moves when the device body is tilted from the installed state, wherein in the installed state, the engaging part is deformed and the detachable body moves in a direction away from the device body. and a moving part that moves along with the inclination from the installed state to suppress deformation of the engaging part,
It is characterized by

The invention according to claim 2 is the electronic device according to claim 1,
the moving portion includes an allowance portion that allows the engagement portion to enter in the installed state;
a contact portion that moves along with inclination from the installation state and contacts the engagement portion so as to suppress deformation of the engagement portion.

The invention according to claim 3 is the electronic device according to claim 2,
The allowing portion and the contact portion are arranged adjacent to each other in the moving direction of the moving portion,
It is characterized by

The invention according to claim 4 is the electronic device according to any one of claims 1 to 3 ,
A rotating member having a rotating shaft on one end side, rotatably attached to the device body and hanging in a vertical direction, and having the other end side movably connected to the moving part,
By positioning the rotating member in a vertically suspended position in the installed state, the moving portion is held at a position that allows the engaging portion to enter.
It is characterized by

The invention according to claim 5 is the electronic device according to claim 4 ,
The rotating member has a protrusion projecting from the rotating shaft in a direction intersecting the rotating direction, and the protrusion restricts rotation of the rotating member when the moving part moves.
It is characterized by

According to the first aspect of the present invention, it is possible to prevent the detachable body or the paper tray from unexpectedly popping out due to the inclination caused by the movement of the device body.

According to the second aspect of the invention, the moving part can cause the engaging part to engage with the device main body, and the engagement can be easily released.

According to the third aspect of the invention, it is possible to allow and prevent deformation accompanying the linear movement of the moving part.

According to the fourth aspect of the invention, it is possible to control the engagement of the engaging portion with the device main body using gravity.

According to the fifth aspect of the invention, it is possible to prevent the moving part from falling off due to the inclination of the device body.

1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an internal configuration of an image forming apparatus as an example of an electronic device according to an embodiment; FIG. 1A is a partial cross-sectional front view showing the configuration of an image forming apparatus having an opening/closing portion, and FIG. 1B is a partial cross-sectional side view; FIG. FIG. 4 is a front view showing the configuration of an engagement mechanism of an opening/closing member; (a) is a schematic cross-sectional view along AA in FIG. 3, and (b) is a schematic cross-sectional view along BB. is. FIG. 4A is a plan view of the moving part, FIG. 4B is a bottom view, and FIG. FIG. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view for explaining the operation of the engagement mechanism when the apparatus main body is tilted toward the opening/closing door from the installed state; FIG. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view for explaining the action of the engagement mechanism when the device main body is tilted from the installation state to the side opposite to the opening/closing door. FIG. 5 is a partial cross-sectional side view showing the configuration of an image forming apparatus according to a second embodiment having a paper tray; FIG. 4 is a schematic partial cross-sectional view showing a paper tray and an engaging mechanism; FIG. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view for explaining the operation of the engagement mechanism when the device main body is tilted toward the paper tray from the installed state; FIG. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view for explaining the operation of the engaging mechanism when the device main body is tilted from the installed state to the side opposite to the paper tray;

Next, with reference to the drawings, the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to embodiments and specific examples, but the present invention is not limited to these embodiments and specific examples.
In addition, in the explanation using the drawings below, it should be noted that the drawings are schematic, and the ratio of each dimension is different from the actual one. Illustrations other than members are omitted as appropriate.

"First Embodiment"
(1) Image Forming Apparatus FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the internal configuration of an image forming apparatus 1, which is an example of an electronic device according to the present embodiment. The overall configuration of the image forming apparatus 1 will be described below with reference to the drawings.

An image forming apparatus 1 as an example of electronic equipment includes a control device 10 , a paper feeding device 20 , a photoreceptor unit 30 , a developing device 40 , a transfer device 50 , a fixing device 60 and a power supply device 70 . On the upper surface (Z direction) of the image forming apparatus 1, there is formed a discharge tray 1a for discharging and containing sheets of paper on which images are recorded.

The control device 10 includes an image forming device control section 11 that controls the operation of the image forming device 1, a controller section 12 that prepares image data according to a print processing request, an exposure control section 13 that controls lighting of the exposure device LH, and the like. have

The controller unit 12 converts print information input from an external information transmission device (for example, a personal computer, etc.) into image information for forming a latent image, and outputs a drive signal to the exposure device LH at preset timing. . The exposure apparatus LH of this embodiment is configured by an LED head in which a plurality of light emitting elements (LEDs: Light Emitting Diodes) are linearly arranged along the main scanning direction.

A paper feeding device 20 is provided at the bottom of the image forming apparatus 1 . The paper feeding device 20 has a paper tray T that can be opened and closed with respect to the main body of the device. Sheets P stacked on the sheet tray T are pulled out forward (in the X direction) one by one from the upper side by the sheet drawer 22 , and then transported to the nip portion of the registration roller pair 23 .

The photoreceptor units 30 are arranged in parallel above the paper feeding device 20 (in the Z direction), and include photoreceptor drums 31 as rotationally driven image carriers. A charging roller 32 , an exposure device LH, a developing device 40 , a primary transfer roller 52 and a cleaning blade 34 are arranged along the rotation direction of the photosensitive drum 31 . A cleaning roller 33 that cleans the surface of the charging roller 32 is arranged in contact with the charging roller 32 .

The developing device 40 has a developing housing 41 in which a developing agent made up of toner and carrier is accommodated. In the developing housing 41, a developing roller 42 arranged to face the photosensitive drum 31 and a pair of augers 44 and 45 for agitating and conveying the developer toward the developing roller 42 are arranged. A layer regulating member 46 that regulates the layer thickness of the developer is arranged close to the developing roller 42 .
Each developing device 40 has the same configuration except for the developer accommodated in the developing housing 41, and forms yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C), and black (K) toner images, respectively. .

The surface of the rotating photosensitive drum 31 is charged by the charging roller 32, and an electrostatic latent image is formed by latent image forming light emitted from the exposure device LH. The electrostatic latent image formed on the photosensitive drum 31 is developed as a toner image by the developing roller 42 .

The transfer device 50 has an intermediate transfer belt 51 onto which the toner images of each color formed by the photoreceptor drums 31 of the photoreceptor units 30 are multiple-transferred, and the toner images of each color formed by each photoreceptor unit 30 are transferred onto the intermediate transfer belt 51 . 51, and a secondary transfer roller 53 for collectively transferring (secondary transfer) the toner images of each color superimposed and transferred onto the intermediate transfer belt 51 onto the paper P. there is

Each color toner image formed on the photosensitive drum 31 of each photosensitive unit 30 is transferred to the intermediate transfer belt 51 by the primary transfer roller 52 to which a predetermined transfer voltage is applied from the power supply device 70 controlled by the image forming apparatus control section 11 . A superimposed toner image is formed by sequentially electrostatically transferring (primary transfer) onto the toner image, and the toners of the respective colors are superimposed.

As the intermediate transfer belt 51 moves, the superimposed toner image on the intermediate transfer belt 51 is conveyed to an area (secondary transfer portion) where the secondary transfer roller 53 is arranged. When the superimposed toner image is conveyed to the secondary transfer portion, the paper P is supplied to the secondary transfer portion from the paper feeding device 20 in accordance with the timing. A predetermined transfer voltage is applied to the secondary transfer roller 53 from the power supply 70 controlled by the image forming apparatus control section 11, and the intermediate transfer roller 53 is sent out from the registration roller pair 23 and transferred to the paper P guided by the conveyance guide. The multiple toner images on the transfer belt 51 are collectively transferred.

Residual toner on the surface of the photosensitive drum 31 is removed by the cleaning blade 34 and collected in the waste toner collection container TN (see FIG. 2). The surface of the photosensitive drum 31 is recharged by the charging roller 32 . Residue that cannot be completely removed by the cleaning blade 34 and adheres to the charging roller 32 is captured and accumulated on the surface of the cleaning roller 33 rotating in contact with the charging roller 32 .

The fixing device 60 has a heating module 61 having a heat source and a pressure module 62 , and a pressure contact area between the heating module 61 and the pressure module 62 forms a fixing nip portion N (fixing area).

The paper P onto which the toner image has been transferred by the transfer device 50 is transported to the fixing device 60 via a transport guide while the toner image is not yet fixed. A pair of heating module 61 and pressure module 62 presses and heats the sheet P conveyed to the fixing device 60 to fix the toner image thereon.
The paper P on which the fixed toner image is formed is discharged from the discharge roller pair 69 via the transport roller pair 68 to the discharge tray 1 a on the upper surface of the image forming apparatus 1 .

(2) Engagement Mechanism of Opening/Closing Member FIG. 2(a) is a partial cross-sectional front view showing the configuration of the image forming apparatus 1 having an opening/closing portion, (b) is a partial cross-sectional side view, and FIG. 3 is an engagement of the opening/closing portion. 4(a) is a schematic partial cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the engaging mechanism, (b) is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 3, and FIG. 5 shows the moving part 140. 1, (a) is a plan view, (b) is a bottom view, and (c) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in (a).
Hereinafter, the configuration of the engagement mechanism 100 of the opening/closing portion will be described with reference to the drawings.

(2.1) Opening/Closing Door As shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, the image forming apparatus 1 has a closing door that closes an opening formed in the main body of the image forming apparatus 1 (hereinafter referred to as the apparatus main body). It has an opening/closing door 105 as an example of an opening/closing portion provided movably between a position and an open position.
The opening/closing door 105 opens or closes the inside of the apparatus main body from the side of the image forming apparatus 1, and attaches to the apparatus main body the photoreceptor unit 30, the developing device 40, the waste toner collection container TN, etc., which are examples of detachable members. Putting on and taking off is done.

The opening/closing door 105 is opened and closed by rotating around the rotary shaft 111 in the installation state in which the apparatus main body is placed on a horizontal installation surface. In the following description, the installation state includes the state in which the image forming apparatus 1 is packed in a packing material at the time of shipment and the horizontal state at the time of transportation.

(2.2) Engagement Mechanism The engagement mechanism 100 of the exterior member 110 includes the exterior member 110, the engagement portion 120 provided in the exterior member 110, and the waste toner collection container TN as an example of the detachable body. , an engaged portion 130 that engages with the engaging portion 120 to hold the waste toner collecting container TN in the closed position, and a moving portion 140 that is attached to the exterior member 110 and moves according to the inclination of the apparatus body from the installed state. , one end of which is rotatably attached to the exterior member 110 and hangs down in the vertical direction, and the other end of which is movably connected to the moving portion 140 .

The engaging portion 120 is an elastically deformable plate-like member having an engaging claw 121 on the distal end side serving as a free end, and is provided integrally with the exterior member 110 . As shown in FIG. 4, the engaging portion 120 engages with the engaged portion 130 provided on the waste toner collecting container TN when the apparatus main body is placed on a horizontal installation surface. Accordingly, the opening/closing door 105 is positioned at the closed position.

As shown in FIG. 5, the moving part 140 has a block shape as a whole, and both sides 141, 141 are provided with axial parts 145, 145 projecting outward.
A guide groove 146 is formed on the upper surface 142 so as to move while being guided by the guide rail 112 provided on the exterior member 110 .
The bottom surface 143 includes a planar contact portion 143a that faces the engaging portion 120 and contacts the engaging portion 120 when incorporated in the exterior member 110, and a contact portion 143a that faces the engaging portion 120 and contacts the engaging portion 120 when the engaging portion 120 is deformed so as to bend as a whole. A recessed allowance portion 143b is formed to allow the engaging portion 120 to enter.

In the moving portion 140 configured in this manner, the guide groove 146 is guided by the guide rail 112 between the stepped portion 113 formed on the exterior member 110 and the rib 114 formed on the exterior member 110 so as to protrude. It is held so as to be slidable in the opening/closing direction of the opening/closing door 105 according to the inclination of the main body of the apparatus (see the arrow in the drawing).
Further, as shown in FIG. 5B, the contact portion 143a and the allowance portion 143b are arranged adjacent to each other in the moving direction of the moving portion 140 (see arrow R in the figure). As a result, the moving portion 140 accepts the engaging portion 120 in the allowing portion 143b as the moving portion 140 slides linearly to allow the deformation of the engaging portion 120, and the contact portion 143a moves toward the engaging portion. 120 to prevent deformation of the engaging portion 120 .

The rotating member 150 is a link member that has a rotating shaft 151 at one end and is composed of arm portions 152 that have elongated openings on both sides of the rotating shaft 151 . It is fitted in the bearing portion 115 and rotatably supported. The distal end side of arm portion 152 is rotatably connected to shaft portions 145 and 145 of moving portion 140 .

Rotating member 150 is positioned in a vertically suspended position due to its own weight, thereby holding moving part 140 in a position allowing engaging part 120 to enter in the installed state. As a result, the engagement portion 120 can enter the allowance portion 143b while being deformed, so that the waste toner collecting container TN can be easily attached and detached.

Further, the rotary shaft 151 is provided with a protrusion 151a that protrudes outwards intersecting with the direction of rotation (illustrated in FIG. 7B). When the moving part 140 slides, the protrusion 151a contacts the exterior member 110 to restrict the rotation of the rotating member 150, thereby preventing the moving part 140 from falling off due to the inclination of the apparatus main body. .

(3) Operation of Engagement Mechanism of Opening/Closing Member FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional schematic diagram illustrating the operation of the engagement mechanism 100 when the apparatus main body is tilted toward the opening/closing door 105 from the installed state, and FIG. 7 is the apparatus main body installed state. 10A and 10B are cross-sectional schematic diagrams for explaining the operation of the engaging mechanism 100 in a state in which the opening/closing door 105 is tilted from the top to the opposite side.
The operation of the engagement mechanism 100 when the apparatus main body is tilted will be described below with reference to the drawings.

(3.1) When the Apparatus Main Body Falls While Tilt toward the Opening/Closing Door As shown in FIG. When the image forming apparatus 1 is dropped, the entire image forming apparatus 1 is subjected to impact even if it is protected by a packing material.
When an impact force is applied while the apparatus main body is tilted, an external force acts on the waste toner collection container TN in a direction of jumping out of the main body of the image forming apparatus 1 over the engaging claw 121 of the engaging portion 120 .

In this way, when the apparatus main body is tilted, as shown in FIG. 6B, the moving portion 140 slides between the stepped portion 113 of the exterior member 110 and the rib 114 toward the tilted side of the apparatus main body. (Refer to arrow R in the drawing.) As a result, the engaging portion 120 comes into contact with the contact portion 143a formed on the bottom surface 143 of the moving portion 140 and cannot be deformed. Therefore, the engagement between the engaging claw 121 of the engaging portion 120 and the engaged portion 130 of the waste toner collection container TN is not released, and the waste toner collection container TN can be prevented from jumping out of the apparatus main body. As a result, unnecessary opening of the opening/closing door 105 is prevented.

As described above, when the main body of the apparatus is tilted toward the opening/closing door 105 and dropped during physical distribution, the moving portion 140 slides to a position where the engaging portion 120 is prevented from being deformed, and the waste toner collecting container TN is removed from the waste toner collecting container TN. In addition to preventing it from jumping out of the main body, as shown in FIG. 5, when the apparatus main body is in the installed state, the moving portion 140 allows the engaging portion 120 to be deformed and the waste toner collection container TN to be removed. , the user can remove the waste toner collecting container TN with normal operating force.

(3.2) When the Apparatus Main Body Falls While Tilt to the Side Opposite to the Open/Close Door As shown in FIG. When the apparatus falls in an inclined state and an impact force acts on the apparatus body in an inclined state, the engaged portion 130 of the waste toner collecting container TN and the engaging claw 121 of the engaging portion 120 are engaged with each other by the impact force. There is a possibility that the waste toner collection container TN is likely to move in the direction of popping out of the main body of the apparatus due to the temporary disengagement, and the opening/closing door 105 may be opened unnecessarily.

In this way, when the apparatus main body is tilted to the side opposite to the opening/closing door 105, as shown in FIG. By sliding to the inclined side (inside the apparatus main body) (see arrow R in the drawing), the engaging portion 120 comes into contact with the contact portion 143a formed on the bottom surface 143 of the moving portion 140 and cannot be deformed. Become. As a result, the engagement between the engaging claw 121 of the engaging portion 120 and the engaged portion 130 of the waste toner collection container TN is not disengaged, and the waste toner collection container TN can be prevented from jumping out of the apparatus main body.

Further, when the apparatus main body is tilted to the side opposite to the opening/closing door 105, as shown in FIG. 150 , movement of the moving portion 140 toward the inside of the apparatus main body is restricted, thereby preventing the moving portion 140 from coming off the exterior member 110 .
Further, when the moving portion 140 slides, the projection 151a of the rotating member 150 contacts the exterior member 110 and the rotation of the rotating member 150 is restricted. is prevented from falling off.

"Second Embodiment"
8 is a partial cross-sectional side view showing the configuration of an image forming apparatus 1A having a paper tray T, FIG. 9 is a partial cross-sectional schematic diagram showing a paper tray and an engaging mechanism 100A, and FIG. FIG. 11 is a schematic cross-sectional view for explaining the action of the engaging mechanism 100A in a state tilted to the T side, and FIG. It is a schematic diagram.

The image forming apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment includes a paper tray T that can be opened and closed with respect to the main body of the apparatus as an example of an opening/closing portion, and engages the outer packaging member 200 as the main body of the apparatus to engage the paper tray T with the main body of the apparatus. It has mechanism.
Hereinafter, the engagement mechanism 100A of the paper tray T will be described with reference to the drawings. Components common to those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

As shown in FIG. 8, the bottom of the image forming apparatus 1A is provided with a paper tray T that can be opened and closed with respect to the main body of the apparatus. The paper tray T has a paper stacking section 21 on which a large number of paper sheets P as recording media are stacked, and a handle section 25 for opening and closing the paper tray T with respect to the apparatus main body.

As shown in FIG. 9, the engagement mechanism 100A of the paper tray T is provided in the exterior member 200, the engagement portion 120 provided in the exterior member 200, and the paper tray T as an example of the opening/closing portion. An engaged portion 130 that engages with the portion 120 to hold the paper tray T at the mounting position, a moving portion 140 that is attached to the exterior member 200 and moves when the apparatus body is tilted from the installed state, and one end of which is the exterior member. The rotating member 150 is rotatably attached to 200 and hangs down in the vertical direction, and the other end is movably connected to the moving portion 140 . The engaging portion 120 may be an elastically deformable plate-shaped member having an engaging claw 121 on the distal end side, which is a free end, and may be provided integrally with the exterior member 200 .

In the image forming apparatus 1A having the engagement mechanism 100A for the paper tray T configured as described above, when the apparatus main body is in the installed state, the moving section 140 is engaged as shown in FIG. 9B. By deforming the portion 120 and permitting the operation of pulling out the paper tray T to the open position, the user can pull out the paper tray T with a normal operating force.

When the apparatus main body is dropped while being inclined toward the drawer side of the paper tray T, as shown in FIG. By sliding to the inclined side, the engaging portion 120 comes into contact with the contact portion 143a formed on the bottom surface 143 of the moving portion 140 and cannot be deformed. As a result, the engagement between the engaging claw 121 of the engaging portion 120 and the engaged portion 130 of the paper tray T is not released, and the paper tray T can be prevented from jumping out of the apparatus main body.

Similarly, when the apparatus main body is dropped while being inclined to the side opposite to the drawer side of the paper tray T, as shown in FIG. When the engaging portion 120 is slid to the inclined side of the apparatus body between the two, the engaging portion 120 abuts against the contact portion 143a formed on the bottom surface 143 of the moving portion 140 and cannot be deformed. As a result, the engagement between the engaging claw 121 of the engaging portion 120 and the engaged portion 130 of the paper tray T is not disengaged, and the paper tray T can be prevented from jumping out of the apparatus main body.

In the present embodiment, the movement section 140 is provided in the apparatus main body, and the sheet tray T as an example of the opening/closing section has been described as an example, but the present invention is not limited to this. The opening/closing portion may be an outer cover that is opened and closed with respect to the apparatus main body. As in the present embodiment, a movable portion 140 is attached to the exterior member 200 to move according to the inclination of the apparatus main body from the installed state, and the deformation of the engaging portion 120 that engages with the engaged portion of the exterior cover is allowed or prevented. By doing so, it is possible to prevent the exterior cover from being unintentionally opened.

In the first and second embodiments, the image forming apparatuses 1 and 1A are used as examples of electronic equipment, but the present invention is not limited to this, and can be applied to any electronic equipment having a detachable body. Applicable. Further, although the moving part 140 has been described using a mode in which it is provided in the apparatus main body, it may be provided in a detachable body or an opening/closing part.

Reference Signs List 1, 1A Image forming apparatus 10 Control device 20 Paper feeding device 30 Photoreceptor unit 40 Developing device 50 Transfer device 60 Fixing device 100 Engagement mechanism 105 Open/close door 110 Exterior member 111 Rotating shaft 112 Guide rail 113 Stepped portion 120 Engaging portion 130 Engaged portion 140 Moving part 141 Shaft part 142 Upper surface 143 Bottom surface 143a Contact part 143b Allowable part 150 Rotating member 151 Shaft part 151a Protrusion 152 Arm 200 Exterior member

Claims (5)

the device body,
an engaging portion provided on the device body;
an engaged portion that is provided on a detachable body that is detachable from the device body and that engages with the engaging portion to hold the detachable body at a mounting position;
A moving part that is attached to the device body and moves when the device body is tilted from the installed state, wherein in the installed state, the engaging part is deformed and the detachable body moves in a direction away from the device body. and a moving part that moves along with the inclination from the installed state to suppress deformation of the engaging part,
An electronic device characterized by: the moving portion includes an allowance portion that allows the engagement portion to enter in the installed state;
a contact portion that moves along with the inclination from the installation state and contacts the engagement portion so as to suppress deformation of the engagement portion;
The electronic device according to claim 1, characterized by: The allowing portion and the contact portion are arranged adjacent to each other in the moving direction of the moving portion,
3. The electronic device according to claim 2, characterized by: A rotating member having a rotating shaft on one end side, rotatably attached to the device body and hanging in a vertical direction, and having the other end side movably connected to the moving part,
By positioning the rotating member in a vertically suspended position in the installed state, the moving portion is held at a position that allows the engaging portion to enter.
4. The electronic device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The rotating member has a protrusion projecting from the rotating shaft in a direction intersecting the rotating direction, and the protrusion restricts rotation of the rotating member when the moving part moves.
5. The electronic device according to claim 4, characterized in that:

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