JPH05165264A - Outside case member for image forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To reduce cost by changing the specification of a reinforcing member and an outside case member which are attached to an image forming device. CONSTITUTION:Plural main body panels 1A and 1A' which are opposingly erected at a distance apart from each other and an outside case and reinforcing member 21 which couples and reinforces the panels 1A and 1A' are integrally attached to constitute the main body skeleton 1C of the image forming device 18, which serves also as the outside case. The member 21 is worked by using a steel sheet material to which surface treatment is performed in advance.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to cost reduction of an image forming apparatus, and more particularly to cost reduction means for a reinforcing member attached to a main body and an exterior member.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, in an electrophotographic image forming apparatus such as a copying machine or an image scanner, a platen on which a document is placed, a document irradiation lamp reciprocating below the platen, a reflection mirror and a fixed projection lens. And a reflection mirror, a photoconductor drum that is endlessly rotated by a predetermined potential charged by a band electrode, and an electrostatic latent image formed on the photoconductor drum surface by the scan optical system. A developing device for applying toner to the image to develop the image, a transfer pole for transferring the toner surface image onto the surface of the recording paper, which is a transfer material, which is conveyed below the surface of the photosensitive drum, a separation electrode and a removing electrode. And a fixing device for fixing the toner image transferred on the surface of the recording paper, and a cleaning device for removing the toner, paper dust, etc. remaining on the surface of the photoconductor after the transfer. .

Then, desired toner images are successively recorded on the surface of the recording paper which is intermittently conveyed along a predetermined conveying path. The main body of an image forming apparatus of the related art has a structure in which a plurality of panels, which are spaced apart from each other and are erected so as to be opposed to each other, and a reinforcing member that couples and reinforces the panels are integrally attached to form a skeleton of the main body. The process members, the drive mechanism section, and the like are accommodated, and an exterior member formed of, for example, a synthetic resin material is attached around the main body skeleton. FIG. 4 shows the mounting state of the main body skeleton and the exterior of the upper document table of the image forming apparatus as an example. In the figure, the reinforcing members 1B are integrally formed at both end portions of the main body panel 1A (1A '). The main body skeleton 1C is attached and the exterior member 20 is attached around the main body skeleton 1C provided with the reinforcing member 1B.

[0004]

The plurality of panels and the reinforcing members that form the main frame of the image forming apparatus are relatively large members formed of, for example, steel plate materials, and the exteriors mounted around them. The members are also large-sized members that are molded using, for example, a synthetic resin material, and both are expensive members in terms of cost structure of the image forming apparatus. Generally, cost reduction has become an important issue in popular image forming apparatuses.
There is a strong demand for cost reduction of the exterior skeleton and the main body skeleton provided with a reinforcing member, which are relatively expensive. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide an exterior member of an image forming apparatus that can solve the above problems and change the specifications of the exterior member and the reinforcing member to reduce the cost.

[0005]

The object of the present invention is to provide a main body of an image forming apparatus, which is composed of a plurality of panels which are spaced apart from each other and which are erected to face each other, a reinforcing member for joining and reinforcing the panels, and an exterior member. In the above, the exterior member of the image forming apparatus is characterized in that the exterior member also serves as the reinforcing member.

[0006]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS One embodiment of the present invention is a side sectional view showing a mounted state of an exterior / reinforcement member of FIG. 1, a top view showing attachment of a main body panel and an exterior / reinforcement member of FIG. 2, and FIG. A side sectional view showing the configuration of the image forming apparatus will be described. However, the present invention is not limited to this embodiment. It should be noted that members having the same functions as conventional ones are represented by the same symbols.

As shown in FIG. 3, an electrophotographic image forming apparatus
Reference numeral 18 denotes a platen glass P for placing the original M on the upper surface of the main body 1.
The scanning optical system 2 is provided below the platen glass P in the main body 1. The scanning optical system 2 comprises a reciprocating document irradiation lamp 2a, a first mirror 2d, second and third mirrors 2c forming a V-shape, a fixed lens 2d and a fourth mirror 2e. A photoconductor drum 3 is rotatably provided in the center of the main body 1 in the direction of the arrow, and a belt electrode 4 and a toner replenishing device 5 are provided around the photoconductor drum 3 to uniformly charge the photoconductor 3a along the rotation direction. The developing device 6 which is replenished with toner by the above and has the developing sleeve 6a built therein, the transfer electrode 7, the separation electrode 8, the charge eliminating electrode 9 and the cleaning device 10 are arranged in order. Paper cassette 11,1
Two types of recording papers having different sizes are stored in 1'and set in the main body 1. 12 is a paper cassette 11
Is a first paper feed roller that feeds the recording paper stored in to a standby position before the second supply roller 13, and stops with a roller 12a that is rotated via a belt to prevent double feeding of the recording paper. And a roller (also referred to as a separating roller) 12b. A reference numeral 13 temporarily stops the recording paper fed by the first paper feed roller 12 at the standby position, and then the photoconductor 3a.
The second paper feed roller 14 that feeds paper again toward the transfer position at an appropriate timing so that the upper end of the visible image and the recording paper coincide with each other at the transfer position, 14 is fed by the first paper feed roller 12. A guide plate for guiding the recording paper to the position of the second paper feed roller 13. Reference numeral 15 denotes a conveying device that conveys the recording paper after transfer to the fixing position, and the fixing device 16 includes a heating roller 16a and a pressure roller 16b. Reference numeral 17 denotes a paper discharge roller that discharges the recording paper after fixing to the outside of the main body.

In the above apparatus, when the copy button is operated, the original M is exposed and scanned by the scanning optical system 2 on the platen glass P, and an electrostatic latent image of the original M is formed on the photosensitive member 3a of the photosensitive drum 3. It This electrostatic latent image is developed by the developing device 6.
To form a visible image, and this visible image is transferred by the transfer electrode 7 to the recording paper fed from one of the paper feed cassettes 11 and 11 'of the main body 1. After the transfer, the recording paper is separated from the photoconductor 3a by the separation electrode 8 and is fixed by the conveying device 15
The sheet is conveyed to 16 and is ejected by the sheet ejection roller 17 fixed there.

In this way, desired toner images are successively recorded on the recording paper surface.

In the present invention, the exterior member of the image forming apparatus is constructed as follows, eliminating the above-mentioned problems. It should be noted that an embodiment of the present invention will be described with an example of a main body skeleton and an exterior member that form the periphery of a document table arranged on the upper portion of the image forming apparatus.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the image forming apparatus 18
The main body panels 1A and 1A 'constituting the main body skeleton 1C are provided upright from a bottom surface portion (not shown) so as to face each other with a predetermined space therebetween across the width of the recording paper to be conveyed. The upper portion of each main body panel 1A, 1A 'is bent at a right angle in a direction opposite to each other with an appropriate width, and both end portions of the bent upper surface are connected to each other to serve as an exterior and a reinforcement member. Members 21 are integrally attached to the left and right ends of the body panels 1A and 1A ', respectively.

Although not shown, a reinforcing member is attached to the bottom surface and, if necessary, an appropriate position in the middle of the body panels 1A and 1A 'in the standing direction. The main body skeleton 1C of the image forming apparatus 18 is configured and a part of the exterior (side surface portion shown in FIG. 1) is formed.
The exterior / reinforcement member 21 is processed using a steel plate material (for example, vinyl top steel plate) having a plate thickness of 1.0 to 1.2 mm which has been subjected to surface treatment in advance, and its shape is as shown in the figure for each main body panel 1A, 1A 'is bent at a right angle according to the shape of the upper left and right sides, and the main body panels 1A, 1
It has a length capable of connecting between A '. Further, as shown in FIG. 1, the exterior / reinforcing member 21 has ribs 21A which are reinforced at appropriate angles on the upper surface and side surfaces bent at right angles.
Are provided respectively and serve as mounting surfaces for the upper surface side and the side surface side of each body panel 1A, 1A '. The exterior / reinforcing member 21 is provided on each body panel 1 as shown in FIGS.
The ribs 21A are attached to the left and right ends of A and 1A 'integrally with each other by welding, screwing or the like.

As shown in FIG. 1, an exterior member 22 made of, for example, a synthetic resin material is provided at a predetermined portion above the image forming apparatus 18.
Is mounted so as to overlap a part of the exterior / reinforcement member 21, and the exterior is formed by both of them. Therefore, around the upper side surface portion of the image forming apparatus 18, the exterior / reinforcement member 21 is exposed as it is and serves as an exterior. In this way, the conventionally provided reinforcing member 1B is omitted and a relatively inexpensive reinforcing member that also serves as an exterior is provided by using, for example, a vinyl top steel sheet material, so that the cost of the image forming apparatus can be significantly reduced. .

The exterior / reinforcement member 21 is not limited to being applied to the upper portion of the image forming apparatus 18 described above, but may be applied to other exterior portions as a reinforcement, and may be appropriately set according to its specifications.

[0015]

As described above, since the reinforcing member which also serves as the exterior is attached to the main body skeleton of the image forming apparatus by using the steel sheet material which has been surface-treated in advance according to the present invention, the exterior is formed without deteriorating the strength of the main body of the apparatus. The cost of the image forming apparatus could be significantly reduced.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side sectional view showing a mounted state of an exterior and reinforcing member according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a top view showing a mounting relationship between a main body panel and an exterior / reinforcement member according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a side sectional view showing the configuration of the image forming apparatus.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a mounting state of a conventional reinforcing member and an exterior member.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 main body 1A main body panel 1A 'main body panel 1B reinforcing member 1C main body skeleton 2 scanning optical system 3 photoconductor drum 4 belt electrode 6 developing device 7 transfer electrode 10 cleaning device 16 fixing device 18 image forming device 20 exterior member 21 exterior and reinforcement member 22 Exterior material

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A main body of an image forming apparatus, comprising: a plurality of panels, which are spaced apart from each other and stand upright to each other, a reinforcing member for joining and reinforcing the panels, and an exterior member, wherein the exterior member is An exterior member for an image forming apparatus, which also serves as a reinforcing member.