JP7296053B2 - Portable image forming apparatus and main body of portable image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a portable image forming apparatus and a portable image forming apparatus main body.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, portable image forming apparatuses are known that include a recording unit that records an image on a recording material.
For example, Patent Document 1 describes a portable image forming apparatus that has a recording unit on the bottom surface and is manually operated on a recording material.

In the portable image forming apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-200000, a relatively heavy battery is arranged on the upper portion of the portable image forming apparatus in parallel with the recording surface. In the configuration in which the battery is arranged at the top, the center of gravity is positioned at the top of the portable image forming apparatus, and the portable image forming apparatus tends to fall over, which poses a problem that the operability for the user may deteriorate. .

In order to solve the above-described problems, the present invention provides a portable image forming apparatus comprising a recording unit for recording an image on a recording material and an apparatus main body accommodating the recording unit therein, wherein the apparatus main body includes the above-described a recording surface facing a recording material; a first surface provided on the opposite side of the recording surface; and a second covering portion covering at least a part of the second surface. The battery is accommodated in the second covering portion . A control board is accommodated in the first covering portion .

According to the present invention, when the recording surface of the portable image forming apparatus faces downward, the portion of the cover member consisting of the first covering section and the second covering section that extends in the vertical direction of the portable image forming apparatus. The battery is placed on the second covering portion that becomes As a result, the battery, which is relatively heavy, can be placed on the side of the device body instead of above it, and the center of gravity of the device as a whole can be lowered. As a result, the image forming apparatus is less likely to tip over during printing, and operability for the user is significantly improved as compared with the portable image forming apparatus described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-200000.
Further, by improving the operability for the user in this way, it is possible to prevent the deterioration of the printed image caused by the deterioration of the operability of the portable image forming apparatus.

The external perspective view which looked at HMP from left back side upper direction. FIG. 4 is an external perspective view of the HMP with the capping unit attached. FIG. 4 is an external perspective view of the HMP with the capping unit removed. The external perspective view which looked at HMP from the diagonally downward direction. Bottom view of HMP. The schematic sectional drawing which looked at HMP from the left side. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing the positional relationship between the user's hand and the HMP when operating the HMP; FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing how an image is formed on a recording sheet P by HMP; FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing part of the electrical circuitry of the HMP; The appearance perspective view which looked at HMP from left front side upper direction. FIG. 3 is an external perspective view of the HMP with the upper unit opened. FIG. 4 is a perspective explanatory view of the HMP with the ink cartridge popped up; FIG. 12 is a side sectional view of the HMP shown in FIG. 11; FIG. 4 is a perspective explanatory view of the HMP with the ink cartridge taken out; FIG. 2 is a perspective explanatory view of a single ink cartridge; FIG. 13 is a side sectional view of the HMP shown in FIG. 12; 4 is a flow chart showing an outline of control for disconnecting electrical connection to the ink cartridge; Enlarged explanatory view of the cartridge contact portion. FIG. 14 is a side cross-sectional view of the HMP shown in FIG. 11 as seen from the nearer side than the cross-section shown in FIG. 13 ; FIG. 20 is a side cross-sectional view of the HMP in a state where an open state is detected while the upper unit is being closed from the state shown in FIG. 19; FIG. 20 is a side cross-sectional view of the HMP when the upper unit is closed from the state shown in FIG. 19 and the closed state is detected; FIG. 20 is a side cross-sectional view of the HMP in a state immediately before it is detected that the upper unit is closed from the state shown in FIG. 19; FIG. 11 is a side cross-sectional view of the HMP of Modification 1 with the upper unit in a closed state; FIG. 24 is a side cross-sectional view of the HMP of Modification 1 in which the upper unit is opened from the state shown in FIG. 23 ; FIG. 25 is a side cross-sectional view of the HMP of Modified Example 1 in which the ink cartridge is popped up from the state shown in FIG. 24; FIG. 11 is a side cross-sectional view of a state in which the upper unit of the HMP of Modification 2 is in an open state; FIG. 12 is an external perspective view of the HMP of Modification 3 as viewed from below on the right rear side; The front view of HMP of the modification 3. FIG. FIG. 12 is a rear view of the HMP of Modified Example 3; The right side view of HMP of the modification 3. FIG. The left side view of HMP of the modification 3. FIG. FIG. 11 is a top view of the HMP of Modified Example 3; FIG. 11 is a bottom view of the HMP of Modified Example 3; The front view of HMP of the modification 3 which mounted|worn with the spacer. The rear view of HMP of the modification 3 which mounted|worn with the spacer. The right side view of HMP of the modification 3 which mounted|worn with the spacer. The left side view of HMP of the modification 3 which mounted|worn with the spacer. The bottom view of HMP of the modification 3 which mounted|worn with the spacer. FIG. 11 is a front view of a state in which a capping unit is attached to the HMP of Modified Example 3; FIG. 11 is a rear view of the HMP of Modification 3 with a capping unit attached; FIG. 12 is a right side view of the HMP of Modified Example 3 with a capping unit attached. FIG. 11 is a left side view of the HMP of Modified Example 3 with a capping unit attached. FIG. 11 is a bottom view of the HMP of Modification 3 with a capping unit attached.

An embodiment in which the present invention is applied to a handy mobile printer (hereinafter referred to as "HMP"), which is a portable image forming apparatus, will be described below. First, the basic configuration of the HMP according to the embodiment will be described.

FIG. 2 is an external perspective view of the state in which the capping unit 8 is attached to the HMP 1 according to the embodiment, viewed obliquely from above.
FIG. 3 is an external perspective view showing a state in which the capping unit 8 is removed from the HMP 1, and is a perspective view of the HMP 1 and the capping unit 8 as seen from above on the right front side.

The HMP 1 according to this embodiment includes a capping unit 8 that can be attached. The capping unit 8 is made of resin such as ABS resin, and has a concave portion 81 formed on its inner wall surface. When the capping unit 8 is attached to the HMP 1, the protrusions 16 provided on the HMP 1 are hooked to the recesses 81 by snap fitting. As a result, the state in which the capping unit 8 is attached to the HMP 1 (the state shown in FIG. 2) is maintained.
When removing the capping unit 8 from the HMP 1, the user pulls the HMP 1 main body upward (Z-axis plus direction in the drawing) from the capping unit 8, so that the protrusion 16 that has been hooked by the snap fit is removed from the recess 81. Thereby, the capping unit 8 can be removed from the HMP1.

FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of the HMP 1 viewed from above on the left rear side, and FIG. 4 is an external perspective view of the HMP 1 viewed obliquely from below. FIG. 5 is a bottom view of HMP1.
As shown in FIGS. 1, 3 and 4, the HMP 1 is mainly composed of an upper unit 2 and a lower unit 3. As shown in FIG. The HMP 1 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape as a whole, and its length in the scanning direction (=printing direction: X-axis direction in the figure) is such that it can be grasped by the user's palm.

As shown in FIGS. 1, 3 and 4, the horizontal direction (transverse direction) of the main body of the HMP 1 is defined as the X-axis direction, and the longitudinal direction of the main body orthogonal thereto is defined as the Y-axis direction. In the printing operation using the HMP 1, the HMP 1 is moved in the X-axis direction (scanning direction) when characters, patterns, etc. are to be printed linearly. Then, a line feed is caused by moving HMP1 in the Y-axis direction.
However, the print operation using HMP1 is not limited to the operation described above. It is also possible to print by moving the HMP 1 in an oblique direction other than the X-axis direction or in a curved line, such as when arranging characters, pictures, and the like for design purposes. It is also possible to move the HMP1 in a direction other than the Y-axis direction for line feed.

FIG. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the HMP 1 as seen from the left side.
As shown in FIG. 6, the upper unit 2 has an L-shape including a horizontally extending portion 2a extending in the Y-axis direction and a vertically extending portion 2b extending in the Z-axis direction. Inside the vertically extending portion 2b of the upper unit 2, a battery 15, which is a power source for supplying power to each device of the HMP 1, is arranged. A control board 14 is arranged in the horizontally extending portion 2a, and the print button 5a and the power button 5b are connected to the control board 14. As shown in FIG. The power button 5b is a button for switching ON/OFF the power of the HMP 1, and the print button 5a is a button for operating the ink ejection timing.

The lower unit 3 includes an upper unit rotating shaft 3a that rotatably supports the upper unit 2, a position detection sensor 18 that is an optical sensor (reflective type) for detecting the presence or absence of a print target as well as detecting position coordinates, It has an FPC contact portion 13, an upper unit lock claw 11, a housing 80 for holding them, and the like. In addition, inside the housing 80 of the lower unit 3, an ink tank-integrated ink cartridge 40 (inkjet head) integrally including a recording unit 41 (image forming unit) and an ink tank is detachably attached to the housing 80. Contained. The ink cartridge 40 forms an image by ejecting ink droplets from a recording portion 41. When the HMP 1 is used, the recording portion 41 for ejecting ink droplets is directed downward in the vertical direction.
By rotating the upper unit 2 with respect to the lower unit 3 in the direction of arrow "B" in FIG. 40 can be removed. The "lower unit 3" described above corresponds to the "apparatus main body" in the claims, and the "upper unit 2" corresponds to the "cover member" in the claims.

In the HMP 1 of this embodiment, the battery 15 is arranged in the vertically extending portion 2b of the upper unit 2 positioned so as to cover the front side (right side in FIG. 6) of the lower unit 3, and the battery 15 is attached to the ink cartridge 40. It is positioned on the front 35 side. For this reason, the height of the HMP 1 is made lower than in the configuration in which the heavy battery 15 is positioned above the ink cartridge 40 . As a result, the center of gravity of the HMP 1 can be lowered, and overturning of the HMP 1 during the movement operation can be suppressed.

The size (apparatus width) of the HMP 1 in the scanning direction (X-axis direction) is only slightly wider than the ink cartridge 40 . By making the device width as small as possible, the range in which the HMP 1 can be moved in the scanning direction on the surface of the recording paper P can be widened, and the recordable range on the surface of the recording paper P can be widened as much as possible.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 to 6, the HMP 1 has a recording surface 30, which is a facing surface on which the recording portion 41 of the ink cartridge 40 faces a recording material such as paper. It also has an upper surface 31 opposite to the recording surface 30, a left side surface 32 extending in the scanning orthogonal direction (the Y-axis direction in the drawing) that is orthogonal to the scanning direction of the HMP 1, and the like. Furthermore, it has a right side surface 33 extending in the scanning orthogonal direction (Y-axis direction in the drawing), a rear surface 34 extending in the scanning direction (X-axis direction in the drawing), a front surface 35 extending in the scanning direction, and the like. . The HMP 1 is used with the recording surface 30 facing vertically downward and the upper surface 31 facing vertically upward.

A print button 5 a and a power button 5 b are provided within the outer edge (inside the frame) of the upper surface 31 . A USB connection port 9 is provided on the left side surface 32 of the upper unit 2 . The USB connection port 9 is for connecting a USB cable. By supplying electric power from an external power supply to a rechargeable battery 15 mounted in the HMP 1 through a USB cable connected to the USB connection port 9, the battery 15 can be charged.

As shown in FIGS. 1, 3 and 6, the L-shaped upper unit 2 is arranged so as to cover the upper surface 31 side and the front surface 35 side of the lower unit 3. The upper unit 2 is the lower unit. 3 has a wider width (length in the X-axis direction).
The surface on the upper surface 31 side of the lower unit 3 described above is the "first surface" in the claims, and the surfaces on the front 35 side, the left side surface 32 side, the right side surface 33 side, and the rear surface 34 side of the lower unit 3 are the "first surface" in the claims. It corresponds to the "second surface" in the item.
FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing the positional relationship between the user's hand H and the HMP 1 when the user operates the HMP 1. As shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 7, when the user moves the HMP 1 on the surface of the recording paper P in the scanning direction (the X-axis direction in the figure, the horizontal direction in FIG. 7) for image formation, the upper unit 2 is moved. Move HMP1 with it. By making the upper unit 2 wider than the lower unit 3, it becomes a shape that is easy for the user to hold by hand, and furthermore, the vertically extending portion 2b can be used as a storage portion for the battery 15. FIG. Further, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the left side 32 and the right side 33 of the lower unit 3 are formed with concave holding portions 39 . The grip portion 39 is formed at a position where the fingers of the hand H holding the upper unit 2 are applied (usually, the position where the thumb, middle finger, or ring finger is applied) when the user holds and uses the HMP 1 . ing. The user can stably hold the HMP 1 by placing fingers on the holding portions 39 on the left side 32 and the right side 33 and holding the HMP 1 therebetween.

The HMP 1 can be turned on and off (ON/OFF) by the user pressing and holding the power button 5b. When the power is turned on, image information can be acquired by the control board 14 provided in the upper unit 2 of the HMP 1 through wireless communication with a smartphone or the like using Bluetooth (registered trademark) or the like.

FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing how an image is formed on the recording paper P by the HMP1.
After obtaining the image information, the HMP 1 is placed on the surface of the recording paper P with the recording surface 30 facing the surface of the recording paper P. As shown in FIG. Thereafter, after pressing the print button 5a once, an image can be formed on the surface of the recording paper P by moving the HMP 1 along the scanning direction (X-axis direction) as shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 8, in the image formation by the HMP1, printing can be performed while confirming the printed portion W1 that has been printed and the print-scheduled portion W2 that is to be printed.

When the HMP 1 is moved forward (to the right in FIG. 8) in one of the scanning directions (X-axis direction in FIG. 8) and back in the other direction (to the left in FIG. 8) by the user's movement operation (manual scanning). An image can be formed on the surface of the recording paper P each time it is moved. The ejection of ink from the ink cartridge 40 may be performed continuously after the user presses and releases the print button 5a once, or may be performed only while the user is pressing the print button 5a.
The recording material is not limited to paper such as recording paper P, but includes OHP, cloth, cardboard, packaging container, glass, substrate, and the like.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the recording portion 41 of the ink cartridge 40 mounted in the lower unit 3 is exposed to the outside on the surface forming the recording surface 30 of the lower unit 3 (the lower surface of the housing 80). A discharge opening 30a is provided for the purpose. The recording portion 41 of the ink cartridge 40 has a plurality of ejection holes 41a, and ink droplets can be individually ejected from each of the ejection holes 41a by driving the piezoelectric element.
The width of the image recording area of the recording unit 41 (the length of the image in the direction perpendicular to the scanning direction (Y-axis direction)) is equal to the distance between the ejection holes 41a located at both ends of the plurality of ejection holes 41a in the Y-axis direction. Equivalent to.
The ink ejected from the recording unit 41 passes through the ejection opening 30a and reaches the recording paper P, and image formation is performed.

The ink cartridge 40 can use an electromechanical conversion element (piezoelectric actuator, etc.) using a laminated piezoelectric element, a thin film piezoelectric element, or the like as a drive source for ejecting ink. As another configuration of the drive source, an electrothermal conversion element such as a heating resistor, an electrostatic actuator including a diaphragm and a counter electrode, or the like can be used.

A well-known configuration can be applied to a so-called inkjet mechanism that performs recording by ejecting liquid such as ink from the ink cartridge 40 . Moreover, as an inkjet mechanism, if it can be mounted on HMP1, it can be suitably adopted. In the HMP 1 of this embodiment, the inkjet mechanism corresponds to the recording section 41 that records an image on the recording paper P, and this recording section 41 is housed in the housing 80 of the lower unit 3 .

The ink (liquid) ejected from the ejection holes 41a of the recording unit 41 is not particularly limited as long as the liquid has a viscosity and surface tension that can be ejected from the ejection holes 41a. However, it is preferable that the viscosity becomes 30 [mPa·s] or less under normal temperature and normal pressure or by heating or cooling. More specifically, the ink (liquid) includes solvents such as water and organic solvents, colorants such as dyes and pigments, functional imparting materials such as polymerizable compounds, resins and surfactants, DNA, amino acids, proteins, calcium and the like. They are solutions, suspensions, emulsions, etc. containing biocompatible materials, edible materials such as natural pigments, and the like. These can be used, for example, as inkjet inks, surface treatment liquids, liquids for forming components of electronic elements and light-emitting elements, liquids for forming electronic circuit resist patterns, material liquids for three-dimensional modeling, and the like.

A position detection sensor 18 as position detection means for detecting the position of the HMP 1 on the recording paper P in a non-contact manner is provided within the outer edge of the recording surface 30 . A detection opening 302 for exposing the detection portion of the position detection sensor 18 is formed in the lower surface of the housing 80 forming the recording surface 30 .
A contact type sensor using a rotary encoder or the like needs to be brought into contact with the print surface, and detection errors are likely to occur depending on the contact state. Specifically, when the detection part of the contact sensor moves away from the printing surface or slips, the actual movement distance differs from the movement distance calculated based on the detection result, resulting in a detection error. . On the other hand, by using an optical sensor as the position detection sensor 18 to detect the print surface in a non-contact manner, it is possible to perform highly accurate detection.

Further, a left first roller 37a, a left second roller 37b, a right first roller 38a, a right second roller 38b, etc., which are rotatably attached to the housing 80, are provided within the outer edge of the recording surface 30. there is The left first roller 37 a and the left second roller 37 b are fixed to a left rotating shaft 37 c , and the left rotating shaft 37 c is rotatably held with respect to the housing 80 . Similarly, the right first roller 38a and the right second roller 38b are fixed to the right rotating shaft 38c, and the right rotating shaft 38c is rotatably held with respect to the housing 80. As shown in FIG.

When the user moves the HMP 1 in the scanning direction, the four rollers (37a, 37b, 38a and 38b) in contact with the surface of the recording paper P rotate like tires. By providing such rollers, the user can move the HMP 1 straight along the scanning direction. When the HMP 1 moves straight in the scanning direction, only the four rollers (37a, 37b, 38a and 38b) provided on the HMP 1 come into contact with the surface of the recording paper P and the surface of the table on which the recording paper P is placed. , the recording surface 30 is kept out of contact with the surface of the recording paper P. Therefore, the user can move the HMP 1 straight along the scanning direction while maintaining a constant distance between the recording portion 41 of the ink cartridge 40 and the surface of the recording paper P, thereby forming a desired high-quality image. be able to. That is, the four rollers function as a movement assisting means that guides the movement of the HMP 1 in the scanning direction and assists the linear movement in the scanning direction.

The position detection sensor 18 is a sensor that detects the distance to the surface of the recording paper P, the surface condition (for example, unevenness), and the movement distance of the HMP 1. For example, an optical mouse (pointing device) of a personal computer. You can use the same one used in . The position detection sensor 18 irradiates light to the place (recording paper P) where it is placed, and reads the state of that portion as a "pattern". Then, by continuously capturing how the “pattern” moves with respect to the movement of the position detection sensor 18, the amount of movement is calculated. As the position detection sensor 18, it is sufficient if it can detect a change in position with respect to the recording paper P without contact, and a sensor other than an optical sensor such as an ultrasonic sensor can also be used. Further, the position detection means provided in the portable image forming apparatus such as the HMP 1 to which the present invention can be applied is not limited to a non-contact type sensor such as the position detection sensor 18, but a contact type sensor using a rotary encoder or the like. It's okay.

FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing part of the electrical circuitry of HMP1.
The control board 14 includes a CPU 55 that performs various arithmetic processing and program execution, a Bt board 52 for short-range wireless communication using Bluetooth (registered trademark), a RAM 53 and a ROM 54 that temporarily store data, a recording control unit 56, and the like. ing. The control board 14 is fixed inside the USB connection port 9 in the hollow of the upper unit 2 .

The Bt board 52 performs data communication with an external device such as a smart phone or a tablet terminal by short-range wireless communication. The ROM 54 stores firmware for hardware control of the HMP 1, drive waveform data for the ink cartridge 40, and the like. The recording control unit 56 also executes data processing for driving the ink cartridge 40 and generates driving waveforms.

The control board 14 is electrically connected to the gyro sensor 58, the position detection sensor 18, the temperature sensor 19, the LED lamp 59, the ink cartridge 40, the print button 5a, the power button 5b, the battery 15, and the like. The gyro sensor 58 detects the tilt and rotation angle of the HMP 1 using well-known technology, and transmits the result to the control board 14 . The LED lamp 59 is provided inside the exterior cover of the print button 5a made of a light-transmissive material, and causes the print button 5a to emit light.

When the power button 5b is pressed to turn on the power of the HMP 1, power is supplied to each module, and the CPU 55 starts booting based on the program stored in the ROM 54, and loads the program and each data in the RAM 53. When image data of an image to be formed is received from an external device by short-range wireless communication, the recording control unit 56 generates a drive waveform according to the received image data. Then, the ejection of ink from the ink cartridge 40 is controlled so as to form an image corresponding to the position on the surface of the recording paper P detected by the position detection sensor 18 .

The direction, speed, and distance of movement of the HMP 1 are detected by the position detection sensor 18, and the ink ejection amount and ejection position are adjusted based on the detection results, thereby printing a desired image. Also, the ejection start position can be adjusted using the sub-scanning guides 7 provided on the left side 32 and right side 33 of the housing 80 and the main scanning guide 10 provided on the rear surface 34 of the housing 80 . Specifically, the main scanning guide 10 is used to align the HMP 1 with respect to the recording paper P in the main scanning direction (the X-axis direction in the drawing), and the sub-scanning guide 7 is used to align the HMP 1 with respect to the recording paper P in the sub-scanning direction ( The ejection start position can be adjusted by aligning the positions in the Y-axis direction in the drawing.

Further, when the control board 14 acquires image data through short-range wireless communication with an external device, the LED lamp 59 blinks, thereby blinking the light-transmitting print button 5a. Upon seeing this, the user knows that the HMP 1 has finished obtaining the image data, places the HMP 1 on the recording paper P, and presses the print button 5a.

On the other hand, after starting blink control of the LED lamp 59, the control board 14 waits for the print button 5a to be pressed. Then, when the print button 5a is pressed, the LED lamp 59 is lit continuously, thereby causing the print button 5a to emit light continuously. Upon seeing this, the user starts moving the HMP 1 in the scanning direction (manual scanning).

After completing the movement operation (manual scanning) of the HMP 1, the user presses the print button 5a again. As a result, the control board 14 turns off the LED lamp 59 to stop the print button 5a from emitting light. In addition, the HMP 1 may be picked up from the recording paper P without pressing the print button 5a and placed on a desk as it is, or may be placed on a cover member covering the recording surface 30. FIG. In these cases, the position detection sensor 18 cannot detect the position when the HMP 1 is picked up from the recording paper P. The control board 14 turns off the LED lamp 59 at the timing when the position detection sensor 18 stops detecting the position, and stops the print button 5a from emitting light. The user who sees this can understand that the print processing of HMP1 has ended.

In the HMP 1 of this embodiment, it is not necessary to keep pressing the print button 5a during the movement operation (manual scanning). If the print button 5a is pressed and released prior to the movement operation, the print processing is continued until a predetermined timing. As the predetermined timing, the timing when the image forming process based on the detection result by the position detection sensor 18 ends the image formation, the timing when the print button 5a is pressed again, or the timing when the position detection by the position detection sensor 18 becomes impossible. be able to.

The capping unit 8 is attached to the HMP 1 when image formation is not performed, such as after image formation is completed. This can prevent drying of the ink in the ejection holes 41a.

Next, the shape of the upper unit 2 of HMP1 of this embodiment is demonstrated.
HMP 1 comprises lower unit 3 and upper unit 2 . The lower unit 3 is an apparatus main body having a recording section 41 . The upper unit 2 is a cover member that opens and closes the surface opposite to the recording unit (the opening at the top of the housing 80) on the opposite side of the recording unit arrangement surface (lower surface of the housing 80) on which the recording unit 41 is arranged in the lower unit 3. .

As shown in FIGS. 3 to 4 and 6, the upper unit 2 has an "L-shaped" shape with a horizontally extending portion 2a and a vertically extending portion 2b. The horizontally extending portion 2a is a first covering portion that covers the upper portion of the housing 80 opposite to the lower surface of the housing 80 in which the recording portion 41 of the lower unit 3 is arranged. The vertically extending portion 2b extends from the horizontally extending portion 2a to the side (downward) of the recording arrangement surface, and the side surfaces of the bottom surface and the top surface of the lower unit 3 (left side 32, right side 33, back 34 and A second cover covering at least part of the front surface 35).

As a portable image forming apparatus such as HMP1, manual scanning printers are already known for printing on books and notebooks that cannot be printed by conventional ink jet printers.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-200003 describes that a head cartridge unit, in which an ink tank and a head unit are integrated, is loaded into the main unit. Patent Document 1 does not describe a cover member for opening and closing a space for loading the head cartridge section in the main body section.
If the cover member is arranged only above the apparatus main body (lower unit 3 in this embodiment) that forms the space for loading the head cartridge section, the opening/closing force is applied by holding only the upper portion of the apparatus during the opening/closing operation. There is no choice but to give it, and there is a risk that the operability will deteriorate.

In the HMP 1 of this embodiment, the upper unit 2, which is a cover member, is L-shaped and has a vertically extending portion 2b extending from the horizontally extending portion 2a toward the recording surface side (downward). By having the vertically extending portion 2b, not only the horizontally extending portion 2a but also the vertically extending portion 2b can be used as a portion to be touched by a hand to apply an opening/closing force during the opening/closing operation. Therefore, one or both of the horizontally extending portion 2a on the opposite side of the recording surface 30 in the HMP 1 and the vertically extending portion 2b on the side of the recording surface 30 can be easily applied with an opening/closing force. The operation can be performed, and the operability of the opening/closing operation of the upper unit 2 can be improved.

Further, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-200011, a relatively heavy battery is arranged on the upper portion of the portable image forming apparatus in parallel with the recording surface. In the configuration in which the battery is arranged at the top, the center of gravity is located at the top of the portable image forming apparatus, and the portable image forming apparatus tends to fall over, which may deteriorate operability for the user.

On the other hand, in the HMP 1 of this embodiment, as shown in FIG. there is Thereby, the relatively heavy battery 15 can be arranged on the side of the lower unit 3 instead of above it. Also, the longitudinal direction of the battery 15 having a relatively large specific gravity can be arranged in the height direction of the HMP 1 . Therefore, the center of gravity of the entire device can be lowered, the HMP 1 is less likely to tip over, and a configuration in which the operability for the user is improved can be realized.
In this way, by improving the operability for the user, it is possible to prevent the deterioration of the printed image caused by the deterioration of the operability of the HMP1.

Here, the reason why the battery 15 is provided in the vertically extending portion 2b of the L-shaped upper unit 2 will be briefly described. In the HMP 1 according to the present invention, the following three locations are conceivable as installation locations for the battery 15 other than the vertically extending portion 2b.

First, the first location is "the front 35 side of the lower unit 3". This is a form in which the horizontally extending portion 2a and the vertically extending portion 2b of the upper unit 2 are separated, and the separated vertically extending portion 2b is arranged on the front face 35 side of the lower unit 3. FIG.
Next, the second location is "the upper surface 31 side of the lower unit 3". In this configuration, the battery 15 is provided on the horizontally extending portion 2a of the upper unit 2, and the control board 14 is provided on the vertically extending portion 2b. That is, the positions of the battery 15 and the control board 14 are exchanged.
Finally, the third point is "the rear surface 34 side of the lower unit 3".

However, each of these three installation locations has a demerit. The disadvantages of each installation location are explained below.

<Disadvantages of the first location (the front 35 side of the lower unit 3)>
The control board 14 and the battery 15 must be connected with a harness. Therefore, if the battery 15 is provided separately from the control board 14 at the rear end of the lower unit 3 (apparatus main body), the harness connecting the two is connected to the front end of the lower unit 3. The connection must be made through the shaft 3a. This increases the length of the harness and increases the cost of the harness itself.
In addition, the longer the harness, the more complex the wiring path of the harness, and the more man-hours required for assembly, resulting in an increase in cost. Furthermore, as described above, it is necessary to provide somewhere in the lower unit 3 a route for crawling the harness from the battery 15 at the rear end of the lower unit 3 to the upper unit rotating shaft 3a at the front end of the lower unit 3. Since the lower unit 3 is enlarged in order to secure the installation space, the HMP 1 itself is also enlarged.

<Disadvantages of Second Location (Upper Surface 31 Side of Lower Unit 3)>
When the battery 15 is installed in the horizontal extension part 2a of the upper unit 2 and the control board 14 is arranged in the vertical extension part 2b, the control board 14 and the print button 5a and the power button 5b are connected to the lower unit 3. Since the HMP 1 must be placed on the front side 35, the operability of the HMP 1 during printing is significantly deteriorated. In order to solve this problem, the control board for the print button 5a and the power button 5b needs to be separately arranged above the battery 15 arranged on the horizontal extension 2a (HMP in Patent Document 1 is just has this configuration). Therefore, it is necessary to increase the height of the upper unit 2 in order to secure an installation space for the control board 14. As a result, the height of the entire HMP 1 is increased, resulting in an increase in the size of the HMP 1.
Furthermore, since the position of the battery 15 is positioned above the HMP 1 as in Patent Document 1, the position of the center of gravity of the entire apparatus is raised, so that the operability is not deteriorated, such as the apparatus being easily overturned during the printing operation by the operator. will also invite

<Disadvantages of the third part (the back surface 34 side of the lower unit 3)>
Since the battery 15 and the control board 14 are separated from each other as in the case of the first point, the harness connecting them becomes long, and the upper unit rotating shaft 3a has to be passed through. Turning becomes complicated. This leads to an increase in cost due to an increase in the length of the harness and an increase in the number of assembly man-hours.
Also, the position of the head (printing position) is best arranged at the top in the longitudinal direction of the HMP 1 from the viewpoint of operability for the user. This is because the upper margin of the printed matter becomes smaller by setting the printing position to the upper portion in the longitudinal direction of the HMP1. In general, printed matter is often written in top alignment, and it is preferable to make the margin smaller at the top of the printed matter than at the bottom, so it is best to position the head (printing position) at the top in the longitudinal direction of the HMP1. is.

However, if the battery 15 is arranged at the front end of the lower unit 3, the longitudinal dimension of the HMP1 becomes large, and the printing position has to be relatively arranged in the central part of the HMP1 in the longitudinal direction. As a result, from the viewpoint of the operability of the user, the layout becomes uncomfortable, and the deterioration of the operability leads to the deterioration of the print image quality.

A portable image forming apparatus may be provided with a lock mechanism (upper unit lock claw 11 in this embodiment) for fixing the cover member to the apparatus main body so that the cover member does not open or close during the image forming operation. desirable. However, if the cover member is arranged only above the apparatus main body, the lock mechanism has a structure in which the operation portion of the lock mechanism is arranged on the side (right side, left side, front and rear) or upper surface of the apparatus main body. With this structure, the user can touch the operating portion of the lock mechanism while the device is placed on a sheet of paper. There is a risk that it will be lost.

In the HMP 1 of this embodiment, the lower end of the vertically extending portion 2b forms part of the recording surface 30, and the direction from the upper surface 31 side of the lower end of the vertically extending portion 2b toward the recording surface 30 side ( bottom) is the same as the bottom surface of the housing 80 . A discharge opening 30a is provided on the lower surface of the housing 80, and an upper unit lock claw 11, which is a lock mechanism, is arranged on the recording surface 30, which is the same surface as the discharge opening 30a. The upper unit lock claw 11 is an operating portion that is operated to unlock the upper unit 2 from the lower unit 3 .

The recording surface 30 on which the discharge openings 30a are provided is the lower surface of the HMP 1, and since the recording surface 30 faces the paper surface when the HMP 1 is placed on the paper surface, the upper unit lock claw 11 is arranged on the recording surface 30. can be prevented from coming into contact with the user. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the user from erroneously operating the upper unit lock claw 11 during the image forming operation (during the printing operation) and prevent the upper unit 2 from being released due to the erroneous operation.

In addition, by arranging the upper unit lock claw 11 on the lower surface of the HMP 1, the user is prevented from contacting the upper unit lock claw 11 at an unintended timing, such as when the user is idle, not only during the printing operation. can be prevented. As a result, it is possible to reduce the possibility that the upper unit 2 is released at unintended timing.

The configuration that can prevent the user from erroneously operating the lock mechanism during the image forming operation is not limited to the configuration in which the lower end of the vertically extending portion 2b is at the same position as the lower surface of the housing 80. FIG. In the case of a shape including the vertically extending portion 2b, by arranging a lock mechanism on the lower surface of the vertically extending portion 2b, or on the side surface of the housing 80 adjacent to this lower surface, A user can be prevented from contacting the locking mechanism. By inhibiting contact with the lock mechanism, it is possible to prevent the user from erroneously operating the lock mechanism during the image forming operation.

As shown in FIGS. 1, 3 (upper view) and FIG. 4, the left side 32 and the right side 33 are provided with grips 39, respectively. It is desirable that the gripping portion 39 be arranged at the center of gravity of the HMP 1 on the YZ plane. Specifically, the center of gravity of the HMP 1 on the YZ plane is positioned inside the holding portion 39 on the YZ plane. By providing the gripping portion 39 on which the user puts his or her fingers when gripping the HMP 1 at the center of gravity of the HMP 1, the user can operate the HMP 1 while holding it near the center of gravity. operation can be realized.

Next, the operation of taking out the ink cartridge 40 of the HMP 1 of this embodiment will be described.
10 is an external perspective view of the HMP 1 viewed from above on the left front side, and FIG. 11 shows the upper unit 2 rotated in the direction of arrow "B" in FIG. 6 with respect to the lower unit 3 from the state shown in FIG. It is a perspective view of HMP1 in the state which was made.
As shown in FIGS. 4, 5 and 6, an upper unit lock claw is provided near the boundary between the lower unit 3 (lower surface of the housing 80) and the upper unit 2 (lower surface of the vertically extending portion 2b) on the recording surface 30 of the HMP 1. 11 are placed. The upper unit 2 is unlocked from the lower unit 3 by operating the upper unit lock claw 11 to move in the direction of the arrow "C" in FIG. By rotating the upper unit 2 with respect to the lower unit 3 in the direction of the arrow "B" in FIG. is open.

As shown in FIG. 11, by opening the upper unit 2, the ink cartridge 40 and the cartridge attaching/detaching mechanism 12 are exposed. Further, as shown in FIG. 11, a head presser urging member 21 is fixed to the inner surface of the upper unit 2 for pressing and locking the ink cartridge 40 mounted in the lower unit 3 .

FIG. 12 is a perspective explanatory view of the HMP 1 in a state where the ink cartridge 40 is popped up by operating the attachment/detachment operation portion 12a of the cartridge attachment/detachment mechanism 12 of the HMP 1 shown in FIG.
12, the ink cartridge 40 pops up from the state shown in FIG. , the ink cartridge 40 can be taken out.

13 is a cross-sectional view of the HMP 1 shown in FIG. 11 viewed from the left side 32 side. The cross-section shown in FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view at the position of the inner wall surface of the wall on the left side surface 32 side of the housing 80 . FIG. 13(a) is a cross-sectional view of the entire HMP 1, and FIG. 13(b) is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a region "α" indicated by a dashed line in FIG. 13(a).

As shown in FIG. 13, the front side (right side in FIG. 13) of the ink cartridge 40 is pressed by the pressure part 12c of the cartridge attaching/detaching mechanism 12, so that the ink cartridge 40 is pressed as indicated by the arrow "E" in FIG. , pressurizes the ink cartridge 40 to the rear side (left side in FIG. 13). As a result, the contact of the ink cartridge 40 is pressurized to the FPC contact portion 13 fixed to the main body of the HMP1.

FIG. 14 is a perspective explanatory view of the HMP 1 in a state in which the upper unit 2 is opened and the ink cartridge 40 is taken out, as viewed obliquely from above on the front side. FIG. 14(a) is a perspective explanatory view of the entire HMP 1, and FIG. 14(b) is an enlarged perspective view of a region "β" indicated by a dashed line in FIG. 14(a).
As shown in FIG. 14, the FPC contact portion 13 is arranged on the inner wall surface on the back side of the space in which the ink cartridge 40 is arranged in the lower unit 3 .

FIG. 15 is a perspective explanatory view of the ink cartridge 40 alone. 15(a) is a perspective view of the ink cartridge 40 viewed from above on the left rear side, and FIG. 15(b) is a perspective view of the ink cartridge 40 viewed from below on the right rear side. As shown in FIG. 15, a cartridge contact portion 40b is arranged on the outer wall surface of the ink cartridge 40 on the back side.

When the ink cartridge 40 is attached to the lower unit 3 and the FPC contact portion 13 and the cartridge contact portion 40b are electrically connected, power is supplied to the ink cartridge 40 from the power supply (battery 15). Also, an electrical signal for controlling the ink cartridge 40 is transmitted to the ink cartridge 40 .

As shown in FIGS. 6, 11 and 15, a flexible flat cable 25 is arranged on the side of the rear surface 34 of the upper unit rotating shaft 3a to control the control board 14 in the upper unit 2 and the control board 14 in the lower unit 3. is connected to the FPC contact portion 13 of . The flexible flat cable 25 is deformable according to the opening/closing operation of the upper unit 2, and can maintain the connection state between the control board 14 and the FPC contact portion 13 even if the opening/closing operation of the upper unit 2 is repeated.

16 is a cross-sectional view of the HMP 1 shown in FIG. 12 viewed from the left side 32 side. 16 is a cross-sectional view at the position of the inner wall surface of the wall on the left side surface 32 side of the housing 80, similar to FIG.
By pulling the attachment/detachment operation portion 12a of the cartridge attachment/detachment mechanism 12 toward the front surface 35 as indicated by the arrow "D" in FIG. Rotate. At this time, the cartridge attaching/detaching mechanism 12 rotates to a position where the stopper protrusion 12 d provided on the cartridge attaching/detaching mechanism 12 fits into the stopper groove 83 provided on the housing 80 . By this rotation, the push-up lever 12b of the cartridge attaching/detaching mechanism 12 pushes up the flange 40a of the ink cartridge 40 from the state shown in FIG. 13, and the ink cartridge 40 pops up from the state shown in FIG. . As a result, the ink cartridge 40 can be taken out.

The HMP 1 of the present embodiment releases the upper unit 2 from the lower unit 3 by operating the upper unit lock claw 11 to open the upper unit 2 . Then, the ink cartridge 40 pops up by operating the cartridge attachment/detachment mechanism 12 that is exposed when the upper unit 2 is opened. The cartridge attachment/detachment mechanism 12 may be a mechanism that pops up the ink cartridge 40 in conjunction with the operation of opening the upper unit 2 .

When installing the ink cartridge 40 in the HMP 1 of this embodiment, the ink cartridge 40 is set in the hollow portion of the lower unit 3 of the main body of the HMP 1 with the upper unit 2 shown in FIG. 14 in the open state. At this time, the upper surface of the ink cartridge 40 is pushed and inserted to the state shown in FIG. 13, and the upper unit 2 is closed. As a result, image formation can be performed using the attached ink cartridge 40 .
Moreover, in the HMP 1 of this embodiment, the upper unit 2 can be closed in the state shown in FIG. 16 without being inserted to the state shown in FIG. In this case, the head presser urging member 21 of the upper unit 2 presses the upper surface of the ink cartridge 40 at the same position as when it popped up, and the ink cartridge 40 can be mounted at the position shown in FIG.

In the HMP 1 of this embodiment, the upper unit 2 is the only cover member that is opened when the ink cartridge 40 is attached or detached. Therefore, compared to a configuration having a plurality of cover members, the configuration can be simplified and the size of the apparatus can be reduced. work man-hours can be reduced, and operability can be improved.

13 and 16, the HMP 1 pops up the ink cartridge 40 while the FPC contact portion 13 and the cartridge contact portion 40b remain in contact with each other. Therefore, if all the electrical connections between the battery 15 and the ink cartridge 40 via the FPC contact portion 13 and the cartridge contact portion 40b are maintained during the pop-up, the following problems may occur. may occur. In other words, there is a possibility that the ink cartridge 40 or the main body of the HMP 1 will malfunction due to the occurrence of a short circuit due to unintended connection between the contacts.

The ink cartridge 40 of the HMP 1 of this embodiment includes a heater for ejecting ink and a control board for controlling this heater. power is supplied. Further, the distance between the contacts (terminals) of the cartridge contact portion 40b is only a little over 1 [mm]. Further, when the ink cartridge 40 is to be taken out, the attachment/detachment operation portion 12a is operated to pop up and take out.

The FPC contact portion 13 on the lower unit 3 side also has contacts (terminals). Then, when the ink cartridge 40 is lifted vertically, the ink cartridge 40 is lifted while the contact on the lower side of the cartridge contact portion 40b rubs against the contact on the FPC contact portion 13 side with which other contacts above it should contact. come. At this time, if the contact on the FPC contact portion 13 side with which the upper contact of the cartridge contact portion 40b is energized, the lower portion of the cartridge contact portion 40b, which is not to be electrically connected to this contact, will be energized. Power is supplied to the contact on the other side, and a short circuit may occur. For this reason, when removing the ink cartridge 40, it is desirable that the contact on the FPC contact portion 13 side, which may cause a short circuit, be in a state where no electricity is flowing.

In order to realize this, the HMP 1 of the present embodiment is configured such that when the user opens the upper unit 2, at least part of the electrical connection between the lower unit 3 and the ink cartridge 40 is cut off. When the ink cartridge 40 is to be taken out, the upper unit 2 must be opened. When the open state of the upper unit 2 is detected, at least a part of the electrical connection between the lower unit 3 and the ink cartridge 40 is interrupted to prevent a short circuit. prevent the occurrence of

The HMP 1 of this embodiment includes upper unit open/close detection means for detecting that the upper unit 2 has been opened. When it is detected that the upper unit 2 is open, at least part of the electrical connection from the battery 15 to the FPC contact portion 13 via the control board 14 is cut off. Specifically, it is configured to cut at least part of the electrical connection between the control board 14 and the plurality of contact points of the FPC contact portion 13 . As a result, at least part of the electrical connection indicated by the arrow "40d" in FIG. 9 is cut off.

With such a configuration, when the user opens the upper unit 2, at least part of the electrical connection between the lower unit 3 and the ink cartridge 40 can be cut off.
As the configuration for partially cutting off the electrical connection, it is desirable to cut off the electrical connection that supplies power to the heater, which consumes relatively large power among the members of the ink cartridge 40 .

FIG. 17 is a flow chart showing an outline of control for disconnecting the electrical connection to the ink cartridge 40 .
When the HMP 1 is "started" by turning the power "ON", as shown in step "S11" in FIG. 17, the control for determining whether the upper unit 2 is in the open state is repeatedly executed. If it is not in the open state ("No" in S11), the control for determining whether or not it is in the open state is repeated. On the other hand, if it is in the open state ("Yes" in S11), as shown in step "S12" in FIG.
In the HMP 1 of the embodiment, the control board 14, which is the control section, repeats the control of the flow chart shown in FIG.

FIG. 18 is an enlarged explanatory view of the cartridge contact portion 40b. Each square shown in FIG. 18 is a terminal on the side of the cartridge contact portion 40b, and the terminals on the side of the FPC contact portion 13 shown in FIG. connection is formed.

In addition to the temperature sensor 19 on the main body side of the HMP 1 shown in FIG. This is because the recording section 41, which is an inkjet head section, only ejects ink properly within a certain temperature range, so it is necessary to control the temperature of the head within a certain range using the temperature sensor on the cartridge side. is.

Of the plurality of terminals of the cartridge contact portion 40b shown in FIG. 18, the two terminals "S1" and "S2" positioned at the bottom are for supplying power to the cartridge-side temperature sensor. Therefore, even when detecting that the upper unit 2 is in an open state and disconnecting at least a part of the electrical connection between the control board 14 and the FPC contact portion 13, the two terminals "S1" and " S2” is configured to maintain electrical connection. Specifically, the configuration maintains electrical connection between two terminals on the side of the FPC contact portion 13 facing the two terminals “S1” and “S2” and the control board 14 . This is because the temperature control of the recording unit 41 becomes impossible when the electrical connection to the two terminals "S1" and "S2" is cut off.

When the ink cartridge 40 pops up with respect to the housing 80, the cartridge contact portion 40b moves in the arrow "F" direction in FIG. There are no terminals below the two terminals "S1" and "S2". Therefore, the two terminals on the side of the FPC contact portion 13 facing "S1" and "S2" do not come into contact with the other terminal on the side of the cartridge contact portion 40b at the time of pop-up. Therefore, even if the two terminals on the side of the FPC contact portion 13 facing "S1" and "S2" remain energized at the time of pop-up, no short circuit occurs. Furthermore, in the HMP 1 of the present embodiment, the voltage input to the two terminals "S1" and "S2" is a relatively low voltage of "3.3 [V]", so short circuits are unlikely to occur. Since no short circuit occurs when the upper unit 2 is opened, there is no need to cut off the electrical connection to the two terminals "S1" and "S2" even when the upper unit 2 is open. temperature control is possible.

Next, the upper unit opening/closing detection means for detecting that the upper unit 2 is opened will be described.
19 is a cross-sectional view of the HMP 1 shown in FIG. 11 as viewed from the left side 32 side, and is a cross section on the front side of the cross section shown in FIG. It is a cross-sectional view at the position of the wall surface. Therefore, in the sectional view shown in FIG. 19, the outer wall surface of the wall on the left side surface 32 side of the lower unit 3 can be visually recognized.

FIG. 20 is a cross-sectional view of the same cross section as FIG. 19, and is a cross-sectional view of a state in which the open state is detected while the upper unit 2 is being closed from the state shown in FIG. FIG. 20(a) is a cross-sectional view of the entire HMP 1, and FIG. 20(b) is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a region "γ" indicated by a dashed line in FIG. 20(a).
21 is a cross-sectional view of the same cross section as FIG. 19, and is a cross-sectional view of a state in which the upper unit 2 is closed from the state shown in FIG. 19 and the closed state is detected. FIG. 21(a) is a cross-sectional view of the entire HMP 1, and FIG. 21(b) is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a region "γ" indicated by a dashed line in FIG. 21(a).

The sequence of operations when closing the upper unit 2 in the open state is from the state shown in FIG. 19 to the state shown in FIG. 20, and then to the state shown in FIG. When the upper unit 2 is shifted to the closed state, the filler 22 rotatably locked to the upper unit 2 is pushed upward by the striker 82 provided in the lower unit 3 . The opened/closed state of the upper unit 2 can be detected by turning ON/OFF the open/close detection switch 23 connected to the control board 14 by the inserted filler 22 . Specifically, when the filler 22 comes into contact with the open/close detection switch 23 and further pushes it up (the state shown in FIG. 21), the open/close detection switch 23 is turned "ON", and it can be detected that the upper unit 2 is in the closed state.

By providing upper unit open/close detection means (striker 82, filler 22, open/close detection switch 23, and control board 14) for detecting opening/closing of the upper unit 2, the HMP 1 is powered on only when the upper unit 2 is closed. be able to. Further, when it is detected that the upper unit 2 has shifted from the closed state to the open state while the power is "ON", the power can be automatically turned "OFF". That is, in the open state, the power is always "OFF".
Further, by performing the control shown in FIG. 17, it is possible to prevent the ink cartridge 40 from being removed while the main body of the HMP 1 and the ink cartridge 40 are still electrically connected.

The power may be "ON" even in the open state, but in this case, the operation is controlled so that the print button 5a, which is an operation button, does not operate even if it is pressed. This prevents printing while the upper unit 2 is open.

In order to prevent a short circuit from occurring even if the ink cartridge 40 is attached or detached while the control board 14 is detecting the open state of the upper unit 2, the electrical connection between the ink cartridge 40 and the lower unit 3 is cut off. Not limited to things. For example, when removing the ink cartridge 40, the ink cartridge 40 may be slid in the direction in which the cartridge contact portion 40b separates from the FPC contact portion 13, and the ink cartridge 40 may be removed after the contacts are separated from each other.

FIG. 22 is a cross-sectional view of the same cross section as FIG. 19, showing the state immediately before the state shown in FIG. is a cross-sectional view of a state in which it is detected).
The opening “ε” shown in FIG. 22 serves as an access path for the attachment/detachment operating portion 12a of the cartridge attachment/detachment mechanism 12 shown in FIG. 11 and the like. However, the opening “ε” in the state immediately before the closed state is detected as shown in FIG. 22 (the open state is detected) is sufficiently narrow. Therefore, in a state where the closed state in which the opening "ε" is further narrowed is detected, the attachment/detachment operation portion 12a of the cartridge attachment/detachment mechanism 12 cannot be accessed. Therefore, when the upper unit 2 is in the closed state in which power is supplied to the ink cartridge 40 , the user cannot access the attachment/detachment operation portion 12 a of the cartridge attachment/detachment mechanism 12 . Therefore, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of a short circuit at the connecting position between the FPC contact portion 13 and the cartridge contact portion 40b.

In the HMP 1 of the present embodiment, when the upper unit 2 is detected to be closed, the striker 82 functions as an access route shielding member that narrows the opening "ε". As a result, in a state immediately before switching from the closed state to the open state, with a slight gap between the upper unit 2 and the lower unit 3, the user inserts his finger or the like into this gap to operate the cartridge attaching/detaching mechanism. 12 can be prevented from being operated. As a result, it is possible to prevent the ink cartridge 40 from being removed while power is being supplied to the ink cartridge 40, and to prevent the occurrence of a short circuit at the connection position between the FPC contact portion 13 and the cartridge contact portion 40b.

The HMP 1 of this embodiment is a mechanical upper unit opening/closing detection means using the filler 22 and the striker 82 . The upper unit opening/closing detection means is not limited to a mechanical configuration, and may be configured using a magnetic sensor or an optical sensor. However, by using the filler 22 and the striker 82 as the upper unit opening/closing detection means, it is possible to use them also as access route shielding members.

The HMP 1 of this embodiment includes an upper unit 2 that is an upper structure that holds a battery 15 that is a power supply and a control board 14 that is a board that controls the operation of the HMP 1 that is a manual scanning printer. The HMP 1 also includes a position detection sensor 18 that is a position detection mechanism for acquiring position information for controlling ink ejection, and a lower unit 3 that is a lower structure that holds an ink cartridge 40 . Further, the HMP 1 has an L-shaped upper unit 2 which is an upper structure. With such a configuration, the position of the center of gravity of the HMP 1 can be lowered, and overturning of the HMP 1 during the movement operation can be suppressed.

[Modification 1]
Next, as a first modified example, a modified example (hereinafter referred to as “modified example 1”) in which the position of the cartridge attaching/detaching mechanism 12 in the lower unit 3 is different from the above-described embodiment will be described.
23, 24 and 25 are cross-sectional views of the HMP 1 according to Modification 1 as viewed from the left side surface 32 side. 23 is a cross-sectional view of the upper unit 2 closed, FIG. 24 is a cross-sectional view of the upper unit 2 opened from the state shown in FIG. 23, and FIG. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of a state in which the cartridge 40 is popped up; These cross-sectional views are, like FIG. 13, taken at the position of the inner wall surface of the wall on the left side surface 32 side of the housing 80. As shown in FIG.

In the HMP 1 of the above-described embodiment, the attachment/detachment operation portion 12a of the cartridge attachment/detachment mechanism 12 is arranged near the end of the lower unit 3 on the front face 35 side, and the upper unit rotating shaft 3a is arranged at the end of the lower unit 3 on the back face 34 side. located near the part. That is, in the HMP 1 of the embodiment described above, the attachment/detachment operation portion 12a and the upper unit rotation shaft 3a are provided on opposite sides of the lower unit 3 in the Y-axis direction.

On the other hand, in the HMP 1 of Modified Example 1 shown in FIGS. 23 to 25, the attachment/detachment operating portion 12a of the cartridge attachment/detachment mechanism 12 is arranged on the side of the upper unit rotating shaft 3a. Configurations other than the arrangement of the cartridge attaching/detaching mechanism 12 are the same as those of the embodiment, so description of common configurations will be omitted as appropriate.
In the embodiment described above, the cartridge attaching/detaching mechanism 12 is provided with the pressurizing portion 12c as a cartridge pressurizing means for pressurizing the ink cartridge 40 on the FPC contact portion 13 side. On the other hand, in Modified Example 1, the pressure spring 45, which is the cartridge pressure means, is arranged on the side opposite to the upper unit rotating shaft 3a, and the pressure spring 45 presses the ink cartridge 40 toward the FPC contact portion 13 side. there is

As described above, in the HMP 1 of Modification 1, the cartridge attachment/detachment mechanism 12 is arranged on the side of the upper unit rotating shaft 3a. As a result, even if the opening angle of the upper unit 2 is the same, the access path to the cartridge attaching/detaching mechanism 12 and the access path to the cartridge attaching/detaching mechanism 12 are less than those of the embodiment in which the cartridge attaching/detaching mechanism 12 is provided on the opposite side of the upper unit rotation shaft 3a. The opening “ε” becomes smaller. This makes it more difficult to access the cartridge attaching/detaching mechanism 12 when the upper unit 2 is in the closed state, thereby preventing the occurrence of a short circuit at the FPC contact portion 13 .

[Modification 2]
Next, as a second modified example, a modified example (hereinafter referred to as "modified example 2") in which the cartridge mounting/dismounting mechanism 12 operates in conjunction with the opening/closing operation of the upper unit will be described.
FIG. 26 is a cross-sectional view of the state in which the upper unit 2 of the HMP 1 according to Modification 2 is in the open state, viewed from the left side surface 32 side. 26 is a cross-sectional view at the position of the inner wall surface of the wall on the left side surface 32 side of the housing 80, similar to FIG.

The HMP 1 shown in FIG. 26 has a configuration in which a torsion spring 20 is provided on the attachment/detachment mechanism rotating shaft 12e of the cartridge attachment/detachment mechanism 12, so that the cartridge attachment/detachment mechanism 12 rotates in conjunction with the movement of the upper unit 2 to the open state. It has become.
That is, the push-up lever 12b of the cartridge attaching/detaching mechanism 12 is held at a position where the ink cartridge 40 can be removed from the lower unit 3 as shown in FIG. is configured as follows.
Then, when the upper unit 2 is closed from the state in which the upper unit 2 is open as shown in FIG. 26, the bottom of the upper unit 2 comes into contact with the upper part of the ink cartridge 40, and the operation of closing the upper unit 2 is continued. Thus, the ink cartridge 40 is set in the lower unit 3 against the urging force of the torsion spring 20 . Then, the upper unit 2 is fixed to the lower unit 3 by the action of the upper unit lock claw 11 to maintain the closed state of the upper unit 2 .
Therefore, by unlocking the upper unit lock claw 11, the ink cartridge 40 can be popped up in conjunction with the movement of the upper unit 2 to the open state, and the ink cartridge 40 can be taken out. It is possible to reduce the number of man-hours for operations up to and including. Thereby, the operability for the user can be improved.

On the other hand, in the HMP 1 of the embodiment described above, the following two operations (1) and (2) are performed as operations for popping up the ink cartridge 40 .
(1) Open the upper unit 2 .
(2) The ink cartridge 40 is popped up by operating the cartridge attaching/detaching mechanism 12 .
Thus, the HMP 1 of the embodiment has a configuration that requires two steps to take out the ink cartridge 40 . By intentionally adopting a method that takes time in this manner, it is possible to reliably disconnect the electrical connection between the ink cartridge 40 and the main body of the HMP 1 before the ink cartridge 40 is popped up.

Further, in the HMP 1 of the embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 19 to 22, the striker 82 and the filler 22 are used as the upper unit opening/closing detection means. By using these, the opening “ε” can be made smaller, making it difficult to access the cartridge attaching/detaching mechanism 12 when the upper unit 2 is closed. Thus, it is possible to prevent the ink cartridge 40 from being taken out in a state where the ink cartridge 40 is not electrically cut off, and to prevent the occurrence of a short circuit at the connection position between the FPC contact part 13 and the cartridge contact part 40b.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 5, the recording surface 30 of the HMP 1 of the embodiment is formed with ejection openings 30a for exposing the recording portion 41 of the ink cartridge 40 mounted in the lower unit 3 to the outside. It has a discharge opening plane portion 301 . Further, the recording surface 30 has a detection opening flat portion 303 formed with a detection opening 302 for exposing the detection portion of the position detection sensor 18 as detection means for detecting the position of the HMP 1 on the recording paper P.

The detection opening plane portion 303 has a convex shape protruding in the printing surface direction (ink ejection direction) with respect to the ejection opening plane portion 301 . Further, around the detection opening 302 of the detection opening plane 303, a convex detection opening edge projection 304 further protruding in the printing surface direction (ink ejection direction) with respect to the detection opening plane 303 is provided. ing.
The discharge opening plane portion 301 , the detection opening plane portion 303 and the detection opening edge projection portion 304 are part of the lower surface of the housing 80 of the lower unit 3 .

If the recording paper P is partially lifted and the lifted portion is too close to the position detection sensor 18, the position detection sensor 18 may make an erroneous detection. The HMP 1 of the embodiment can press the raised portion of the recording paper P by the detection opening edge protrusion 304 to a distance that does not cause erroneous detection by the position detection sensor 18 . Therefore, the moving distance of the HMP 1 can be accurately detected by the position detection sensor 18, and the position detection accuracy can be improved.

[Modification 3]
Next, as a third modified example, a modified example (hereinafter referred to as "modified example 3") that is different from the above-described embodiment in the configuration for preventing the recording paper P from coming too close to the position detection sensor 18 will be described. .
FIG. 27 is an external perspective view of the HMP 1 of Modified Example 3 as viewed from below on the right rear side.
28 to 33 show six views of the HMP 1 of Modified Example 3. FIG. 28 is a front view, FIG. 29 is a rear view, FIG. 30 is a right side view, FIG. 31 is a left side view, FIG. 32 is a top view, and FIG. 33 is a bottom view.

HMP 1 of Modified Example 3 has a configuration in which sheet member 100 is attached to detection opening plane portion 303 of housing 80, which is a facing surface forming member, instead of detection opening edge projection portion 304 of the above-described embodiment. Except for the provision of the sheet member 100 in place of the detection opening edge protrusion 304, the HMP 1 is common to the HMP 1 of the above-described embodiment, so description of the common configuration will be omitted as appropriate. A perspective view of the HMP 1 of Modified Example 3 as viewed obliquely from above is the same as the embodiment described above, and is the same drawing as FIGS. Also, the drawing showing the usage state of the HMP 1 of Modification 3 is the same as in the above-described embodiment, and is the same drawing as FIGS. 7 and 8. FIG.

As shown in FIGS. 27 and 33 , in the HMP 1 of Modified Example 3, the sheet members 100 are arranged on both sides of the detection opening 302 in the printing direction (X-axis direction). The surface of the sheet member 100 is positioned to protrude further in the printing surface direction (ink ejection direction) with respect to the detection opening flat portion 303 . 28 to 31, the surface of the sheet member 100 on the side of the recording paper P is one of the members other than the rollers (37a, 37b, 38a, 38b) in contact with the surface of the recording paper P in the HMP1. , the protruding portion protruding most toward the recording paper P side.

As shown in FIGS. 27 and 33, by arranging the sheet member 100 on both the upstream side and the downstream side in the printing direction of the detection opening 302 exposing the position detection sensor 18, the recording paper P in the printing direction is Fluttering can be suppressed.

In the HMP 1 of the above-described embodiment, since the detection opening edge protrusion 304 is formed by protruding a part of the lower surface of the housing 80, the sliding load when the recording paper P contacts the detection opening edge protrusion 304 is reduced. depends on the material of the housing 80. Since the housing 80 supports each member that constitutes the lower unit 3, the material of the housing 80 is required to be a material with high rigidity, and it is difficult to improve the slidability with the same material.
Therefore, in the HMP 1 of the embodiment, the sliding resistance increases when the recording paper P contacts the detection opening edge projection 304, and the operation force required for operation in the printing direction increases, degrading operability. there is a risk of
Further, when the HMP 1 is scanned while the recording paper P is in contact with the detection opening edge protrusion 304, which is not very slidable, a rubbing sound is generated between the detection opening edge protrusion 304 and the recording paper P, and the operation is performed. It may make the user feel uncomfortable.

On the other hand, in the HMP 1 of Modified Example 3, the material of the sheet member 100 is made of a material having higher slidability than the material of the housing 80, so that when the sheet member 100 is in contact with the recording paper P, when the sheet member 100 is operated in the printing direction, Required operating force is reduced and operability is improved.
In addition, by using the sheet member 100 with high slidability, it is possible to suppress the rubbing noise when the recording paper P comes into contact with the recording paper P, thereby suppressing discomfort to the user who operates the sheet member 100. improve the feeling.

34 to 38 are explanatory diagrams of a state in which a spacer 60 is attached to the recording surface 30 of the HMP 1 of Modification 3. FIG. 34 is a front view, FIG. 35 is a rear view, FIG. 36 is a right side view, FIG. 37 is a left side view, and FIG. 37 is a bottom view. A top view of the HMP 1 of Modified Example 3 with the spacer 60 attached is the same drawing as FIG.

As shown in FIG. 38, the lower surface of the spacer 60 is provided with three contact protrusions 63, two front contact protrusions 63b and one rear contact protrusion 63a.
When the spacer 60 is attached to the recording surface 30 of the HMP 1, as shown in FIGS. The contact convex portion 63 protrudes.
As a result, when the HMP 1 is placed on the surface of the recording paper P, the contact convex portion 63 comes into contact with the recording paper P, and the roller does not come into contact with the recording paper P, thereby disabling the guide by the roller.

The spacer 60 has a magnet on its upper surface, and the magnet can be attached to the HMP 1 by magnetic force that attracts the magnet to an iron member arranged on the recording surface 30 of the HMP 1 .
As shown in FIG. 38, the spacer 60 has a spacer ejection opening 60a at a position facing the ejection opening 30a, and exposes the recording section 41 to the outside. Further, the spacer 60 has a spacer detection opening 60 b at a position facing the detection opening plane portion 303 . By providing these two openings, position detection by the position detection sensor 18 and image formation by the recording section 41 of the ink cartridge 40 can be performed with the spacer 60 attached.

39 to 43 are explanatory diagrams of a state in which the capping unit 8 is attached to the HMP 1 of Modification 3. FIG. 39 is a front view, FIG. 40 is a rear view, FIG. 41 is a right side view, FIG. 42 is a left side view, and FIG. 43 is a bottom view. The top view of the HMP 1 of Modification 3 with the capping unit 8 attached is the same as FIG.

Further, in the present embodiment, an example in which the present invention is applied to the HMP 1 of the inkjet system has been described, but the configuration of the present invention can also be applied to apparatuses using other image forming methods. For example, it can be applied to a suitable type recording apparatus such as a thermal type or a thermal transfer type.

What has been described above is only an example, and each of the following aspects has a unique effect.

(Aspect 1)
In a portable image forming apparatus such as HMP 1, which includes a recording unit such as recording unit 41 for recording an image on a recording material such as recording paper P, and a device main body such as lower unit 3 accommodating the recording unit inside, the apparatus main body has a recording surface such as the recording surface 30 facing the recording material, a first surface such as the upper surface 31 provided on the opposite side of the recording surface, and second surfaces (left side 32, right side 32) other than the recording surface and the first surface. 33, back surface 34, front surface 35, etc.), and the cover member such as the upper unit 2 is rotatably provided on the apparatus main body, and covers the first surface with the first covering portion such as the horizontally extending portion 2a. , and a second covering portion such as a vertically extending portion 2b covering at least a part of the second surface, and a battery such as the battery 15 is accommodated in the second covering portion. .
According to this, the center of gravity of the entire apparatus can be placed on the side of the recording surface, compared to a configuration in which a relatively heavy battery is arranged on the side opposite to the recording surface. Then, when the recording surface of the portable image forming apparatus is directed downward, the second cover member is a portion extending in the vertical direction of the portable image forming apparatus in the cover member composed of the first covering portion and the second covering portion. A battery is placed in the cover. As a result, the battery, which is relatively heavy, can be placed on the side of the device body instead of above it, and the center of gravity of the device as a whole can be lowered. As a result, the image forming apparatus is less likely to tip over during printing, and the operability for the user is significantly improved compared to the portable image forming apparatus described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-200310. In addition, by improving the operability for the user, it is possible to prevent the deterioration of the printed image caused by the deterioration of the operability of the portable image forming apparatus.
In the above-described embodiment, the configuration using the battery 15, which is a secondary battery that can be charged, has been described, but the battery is not limited to this, and a primary battery called a dry battery may be used.

(Aspect 2)
Aspect 1 is characterized in that the end portion of the second covering portion is positioned on the recording surface of the apparatus main body.
According to this, the center of gravity of the entire apparatus can be made closer to the recording surface side, and the operability for the user is further improved.

(Aspect 3)
Aspect 1 or 2 is characterized in that the cover member forms an L shape with the first covering portion and the second covering portion.
According to this, the extending direction of the second covering portion is perpendicular to the extending direction of the first covering portion, and the operability of the opening and closing operation of the cover member can be improved.

(Aspect 4)
In any one of modes 1 to 3, the recording surface is provided with a closing release operation part such as an upper unit lock claw 11 for releasing the closed state of the cover member.
According to this, since the recording surface facing the recording material during image formation has the closing release operation portion, when the portable image forming apparatus faces the recording material such as during image formation, the closing release operation portion can be closed. can prevent access to Accordingly, it is possible to prevent the closed state of the cover member from being released due to an erroneous operation by the user.

(Aspect 5)
In any one of modes 1 to 4, of the second surfaces provided on the device main body, opposing surfaces (left side 32, right side 33, etc.) that are not covered with the cover member are provided with grips 39, etc. It is characterized by providing a concave shape.
According to this, the user can hold the portable image forming apparatus by placing his/her fingers in a concave shape, so that the user can stably hold the portable image forming apparatus.

(Aspect 6)
Aspect 5 is characterized in that the concave shape is arranged in the vicinity of the center of gravity of the entire device viewed from the opposing surface.
According to this, the user can be encouraged to hold the position of the center of gravity of the portable image forming apparatus. can be improved.

(Aspect 7)
In any one of modes 1 to 6, when the cover member is in the closed state, the ink cartridge 40 or the like is electrically connected to the apparatus main body, and when the cover member is in the open state, the ink cartridge 40 or the like can be attached to and detached from the apparatus main body. It is characterized by comprising a unit and open/close detection means (striker 82, filler 22, open/close detection switch 23, control board 14, etc.) for detecting the open/close state of the cover member.
According to this, it is possible to detect that the cover member is in the open state when the detachable unit is attached or detached.
In the HMP 1 of the embodiment described above, the case where the removable unit is the ink cartridge 40 integrally including the recording section 41 and the ink tank has been described, but the removable unit is not limited to this. A detachable unit that allows one of the ink tank and the recording unit to be detachable from the apparatus main body, or a detachable unit that allows the other to be detachable from the apparatus main body may be used.

(Aspect 8)
Aspect 7 is characterized in that when the detachable unit is detached while the opening/closing detection means is detecting the open state, a short circuit does not occur at the electrical connection between the detachable unit and the apparatus main body.
According to this, when the detachable unit is attached and detached, it is possible to prevent a failure caused by a short circuit from occurring.

(Aspect 9)
Aspect 7 or 8 is characterized in that at least a part of the electrical connection between the apparatus main body and the detachable unit is cut off when the open/close detection means detects that it is in the open state.
According to this, the electrical connection to the detachable unit can be cut off even when the cover member is in the open state and the power is turned on. In addition, when the power is on, the electrical connection to the detachable unit can be interrupted in conjunction with the movement of the cover member from the closed state to the open state. Therefore, when the cover member is opened and the detachable unit is to be taken out, the electrical connection is cut off. Therefore, when the detachable unit is taken out, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of a short circuit at the electrical connection portion between the detachable unit and the apparatus main body (such as the contact portion between the FPC contact portion 13 and the cartridge contact portion 40b). As a result, when the detachable unit is attached or detached, it is possible to prevent a failure caused by a short circuit from occurring.

(Mode 10)
Aspect 8 or 9 is characterized by including a removal mechanism such as a cartridge attachment/detachment mechanism 12 for removing the attachment/detachment unit from the apparatus main body.
This facilitates removal of the detachable unit.

(Aspect 11)
In aspect 10, the operation part (the attachment/detachment operation part 12a, etc.) of the removal mechanism is the junction between the first surface and the second surface of the device main body (the corner between the upper surface 31 side and the front surface 35 side of the lower unit 3). Part) is characterized by being provided in the vicinity.
This facilitates the operation of the operation portion of the removal mechanism, and facilitates the removal of the detachable unit.

(Aspect 12)
Aspect 10 or 11 is characterized in that, when the opening/closing detection means detects that the open/close detection means is in the closed state, the operation portion (the attachment/detachment operation portion 12a, etc.) of the removal mechanism is covered with the cover member. .
According to this, it becomes difficult to visually recognize the operation part of the removal mechanism by being covered with the cover member, and it becomes difficult to operate the operation part. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the removal mechanism from being operated in a state where the electrical connection between the device main body and the detachable unit is not interrupted, and prevent the occurrence of a short circuit at the electrical connection between the detachable unit and the device main body. can.

(Aspect 13)
In any one of aspects 10 to 12, the cover member is rotatably held with respect to the apparatus main body around a rotation shaft such as the upper unit rotation shaft 3a, and the operation portion (attachment/detachment operation portion) of the removal mechanism 12a, etc.) are characterized by being arranged in the vicinity of the pivot shaft.
According to this, as described in Modification 1 above, compared to the configuration (configuration of the embodiment) in which the operation portion of the removal mechanism is located away from the rotation shaft, the operation portion of the removal mechanism is in the closed state. difficult to access. As a result, it is possible to prevent the removal mechanism from being operated in a state where the electrical connection between the device main body and the detachable unit is not interrupted, thereby preventing the occurrence of a short circuit at the electrical connection between the detachable unit and the device main body. can.

(Aspect 14)
Aspects 10 to 13 of any one of aspects 10 to 13 are characterized in that the removal mechanism operates in conjunction with the opening operation of the cover member.
According to this, as described in the modified example 2, the number of man-hours required for making the detachable unit ready to be taken out can be reduced, and the operability for the user can be improved.

(Aspect 15)
In any one of modes 10 to 14, the striker 82, filler 22, or the like blocks at least part of the access path through which the operation section of the removal mechanism can be accessed when the open/close detection means detects the closed state. It is characterized by comprising an access route shielding member.
According to this, the access path shielding member blocks access to the operation portion of the removal mechanism, and can prevent the removal mechanism from being operated in a state in which the electrical connection between the apparatus main body and the removable unit is not interrupted. . Therefore, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of a short circuit at the electrical connection portion between the detachable unit and the apparatus main body.

(Aspect 16)
In aspect 15, the opening/closing detection means includes a pressing portion such as a striker 82 arranged on one of the device main body and the cover member, and a filler 22 arranged on the other of the device main body and the cover member and displaced by being pressed by the pressing portion. and a displacement part such as a displacement part for detecting the open/closed state of the cover member based on the displacement of the displacement part, wherein at least one of the pressing part and the displacement part is an access route shielding member. is.
According to this, at least one of the pressing portion and the displacement portion obstructs access to the operation portion of the removal mechanism, and the removal mechanism is operated in a state in which the electrical connection between the device main body and the detachable unit is not interrupted. can be prevented. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of a short circuit at the electrical connection portion between the detachable unit and the apparatus main body. Moreover, since at least one of the pressing portion and the displacement portion can be used as an access route shielding member, the number of members can be reduced.

(Aspect 17)
In a portable image forming apparatus main body such as an HMP 1 main body to which a recording unit such as the recording unit 41 for recording an image on a recording material such as a recording paper P is detachable, the apparatus main body such as the lower unit 3 that accommodates the recording unit inside is , a reading surface such as a recording surface 30 facing the recording material, a first surface such as an upper surface 31 provided on the opposite side of the reading surface, and second surfaces other than the reading surface and the first surface (left side 32, right side 33, rear surface 34, front surface 35, etc.), and a cover member such as the upper unit 2 is rotatably provided on the apparatus main body, and includes a first covering portion such as a horizontally extending portion 2a that covers the first surface; and a second covering portion such as a vertically extending portion 2b covering at least a part of the second surface, and a battery such as a battery 15 is accommodated in the second covering portion. be.
According to this, as in Mode 1, the image forming apparatus is less likely to tip over during the printing operation, and operability for the user is remarkably improved compared to the portable image forming apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-200010. In addition, by improving the operability for the user, it is possible to prevent the deterioration of the printed image caused by the deterioration of the operability of the portable image forming apparatus.

1 HMP
2 Upper unit 2a Horizontal extension 2b Vertical extension 3 Lower unit 3a Upper unit rotating shaft 5a Print button 5b Power button 7 Sub-scanning guide 8 Capping unit 9 USB connection port 10 Main scanning guide 11 Upper unit lock claw 12 Cartridge attachment/detachment Mechanism 12a Attachment/detachment operation portion 12b Push-up lever 12c Pressurizing portion 12d Stopper convex portion 12e Attachment/detachment mechanism rotary shaft 13 FPC contact portion 14 Control board 15 Battery 16 Protrusion 18 Position detection sensor 19 Temperature sensor 20 Torsion spring 21 Biasing member 22 Filler 23 Open/close detection switch 25 Flexible flat cable 30 Recording surface 30a Discharge opening 31 Top surface 32 Left side 33 Right side 34 Back 35 Front 37a Left first roller 37b Left second roller 38a Right first roller 38b Right second roller 39 Grip 40 Ink cartridge 40a Collar portion 40b Cartridge contact portion 41 Recording portion 41a Ejection hole 45 Pressure spring 52 Bt substrate 56 Recording control portion 58 Gyro sensor 59 LED lamp 80 Housing 81 Concave portion 82 Striker 83 Stopper groove P Recording paper W1 Printing portion W2 Scheduled printing Department

JP 2001-315385 A

Claims (19)

A portable image forming apparatus comprising a recording unit for recording an image on a recording material and an apparatus body housing the recording unit inside,
The device main body includes a recording surface facing the recording material, a first surface provided on the opposite side of the recording surface, and a second surface other than the recording surface and the first surface,
The cover member is rotatably provided on the device main body, and is composed of a first covering portion that covers the first surface and a second covering portion that covers at least part of the second surface,
A portable image forming apparatus, wherein a battery is accommodated in the second covering portion , and a control board is accommodated in the first covering portion . The portable image forming apparatus of claim 1,
A portable image forming apparatus, wherein an end portion of the second covering portion is positioned on the recording surface of the apparatus main body. The portable image forming apparatus according to claim 1 or 2,
A portable image forming apparatus, wherein the cover member is formed in an L shape by the first covering portion and the second covering portion. The portable image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
A portable image forming apparatus, wherein a closing release operation section for releasing the closed state of the cover member is provided on the recording surface. The portable image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
1. A portable image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, of said second surface provided on said apparatus main body, each of opposing surfaces not covered by said cover member is provided with a concave shape. The portable image forming apparatus according to claim 5,
A portable image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said recessed shape is arranged in the vicinity of the center of gravity of the entire apparatus viewed from said facing surface. The portable image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
a detachable unit that is electrically connected to the apparatus main body when the cover member is in a closed state and is detachable from the apparatus main body by opening the cover member;
and open/close detection means for detecting an open/closed state of the cover member. The portable image forming apparatus according to claim 7,
A mobile phone according to claim 1, characterized in that when the detachable unit is detached while the open/close detection means is detecting the open state, no short circuit occurs at an electrical connection between the detachable unit and the device main body. type image forming device. The portable image forming apparatus according to claim 7 or 8,
A portable image forming apparatus, wherein at least a part of the electrical connection between the apparatus main body and the detachable unit is cut off when the open/close detecting means detects the open state. The portable image forming apparatus according to claim 8 or 9,
A portable image forming apparatus comprising a removal mechanism for removing the detachable unit from the apparatus main body. 11. The portable image forming device of claim 10,
A portable image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein an operation portion of the removal mechanism is provided near a joint portion between the first surface and the second surface of the apparatus main body. The portable image forming apparatus according to claim 10 or 11,
A portable image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein an operating portion of said removal mechanism is covered with said cover member in a state where said opening/closing detection means detects said closed state. The portable image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 10 to 12,
The cover member is held rotatably about a rotation shaft with respect to the apparatus main body,
A portable image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein an operation section of the removal mechanism is arranged in the vicinity of the rotation shaft. The portable image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 10 to 13,
A portable image forming apparatus, wherein the removal mechanism operates in conjunction with the opening operation of the cover member. The portable image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 10 to 14,
A portable image forming apparatus comprising: an access route shielding member that blocks at least a part of an access route through which an operation portion of the removal mechanism can be accessed when the opening/closing detection means detects the closed state. Device. 16. The portable image forming device of claim 15,
The opening/closing detection means includes a pressing portion arranged on one of the apparatus main body and the cover member, and a displacement portion arranged on the other of the apparatus main body and the cover member and displaced by being pushed by the pressing portion. , a configuration for detecting the open/closed state of the cover member based on the displacement of the displacement portion;
A portable image forming apparatus, wherein at least one of the pressing portion and the displacement portion is the access route shielding member. 17. The portable image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 16,
The control board is provided with a print button for instructing image formation,
A portable image forming apparatus, wherein the print button is arranged on the upper surface side of the first cover. A portable image forming apparatus comprising a recording unit for recording an image on a recording material and an apparatus body housing the recording unit inside,
The device main body includes a recording surface facing the recording material, a first surface provided on the opposite side of the recording surface, and a second surface other than the recording surface and the first surface,
The cover member is rotatably provided on the device main body, and is composed of a first covering portion that covers the first surface and a second covering portion that covers at least part of the second surface,
A portable image forming apparatus, wherein a battery is accommodated in the second covering portion, and a closure releasing operation portion for releasing the closed state of the cover member is provided on the recording surface. In a portable image forming apparatus main body in which a recording unit for recording an image on a recording material is detachable,
An apparatus body housing the recording unit therein has a recording surface facing the recording material, a first surface provided on the opposite side of the recording surface, and a second surface other than the recording surface and the first surface. Prepare and
The cover member is rotatably provided on the device main body, and is composed of a first covering portion that covers the first surface and a second covering portion that covers at least a portion of the second surface. 2. A main body of a portable image forming apparatus, wherein a battery is accommodated in the second covering portion, and a control board is accommodated in the first covering portion .

Images