JPH0862918A - Electronic equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To realize mutual electric connection between electric parts without using a printed circuit board by integrally providing a conductive path for mutually electrically connecting between the electric parts with the insulating structural part itself of the electronic equipment. CONSTITUTION: A base plate 10 functioning as the structural member of the electronic equipment, for example, a printer has insulating property, and is singly made of synthetic resin or made of the mixture of synthetic resin. The conductive path 20 having conductivity is integrally provided on one surface of the base plate 10. Namely, the insulating structural member of the printer to which the electric parts are attached is utilized and the conductive path 20 is provided on the structural member. The conductive path 20 is made of copper excellent in the conductivity, so that a power source and the electric parts such as a motor are electrically connected. The structural member includes not only the base plate 10 but also a main body side plate, a housing, an outside cover or a supporting body.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an electronic device provided with a plurality of electric parts at different installation positions.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art O for copying machines, printers, facsimiles, etc.
In electronic devices such as the A-apparatus, various home appliances, and audio equipment, various electric parts are assembled to structural members such as a main body side plate, a base plate, a housing, and an outer cover.

Conventionally, a wire bundle (harness) has been used to electrically connect electrical components to each other. For example, at the time of manufacturing an electronic device, various wirings were performed while attaching a wire bundle to a structural member. When the wires are put together, a wire bundle is passed through the wire duct to make such a wire. However, in such a conventional connection method, there are problems as listed below. is there.

(1) The size of electronic equipment increases. (2) The number of parts increases, and the device cost and the device weight increase. (3) The number of assembling steps is increased and the productivity is reduced. (4) As the use of electric wires, electric wire bundles, connectors, etc. increases, electrical reliability decreases.

Among various kinds of electronic equipment, particularly in a large-sized electronic equipment such as a copying machine, the assembly of the electric wire bundle at the time of manufacturing has to rely on a considerable amount of people, and the work efficiency is very high. Has become a bad thing. The production of the wire bundle itself has been highly automated, but the assembly of the wire bundle still had to rely on manual work. In addition, when crawling the wire bundle inside the machine, in order to avoid scratching the wire bundle, it is necessary to crawl the wire bundle avoiding "burrs" such as moving parts and sheet metal, The complexity of wiring work was great.

As a technique for electrically connecting electric parts with a bundle of electric wires, for example, Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 63-122349 is used.
No., Actual Kaihei 1-123860, Actual Kaihei 4-10964
The publications in each issue have already been proposed.

Besides this, without using a wire bundle (harness),
A printed circuit board which is attached to a structural member is also disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 62-57266 and Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 63-2.
No. 36052, No. 1-136943, No. 2-
Proposals have been made in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 64951 and Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2-181163, etc., but these tend to increase the size of electronic devices, increase the number of parts, and increase the device cost and device weight. It becomes easier. Moreover, the number of assembling steps tends to increase.

[0008]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide an electric component without crawling a bundle of electric wires or using a printed circuit board or the like which causes an increase in cost and an increase in weight of the apparatus. An object of the present invention is to provide an electronic device capable of mutually electrically connecting the two.

[0009]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention provides an electronic device having a plurality of electric parts at different installation positions, the insulating structural member itself of the electronic device comprising: A structure is proposed in which a conductive path for electrically connecting the electric components to each other is integrally provided.

At this time, it is effective that the conductive paths are provided on both surfaces of the structural member.

It is also effective that the conductive paths are covered with an insulating layer.

At this time, it is advantageous that the insulating layer and the structural member are made of the same material.

It is also advantageous if the conductive paths are embedded inside the insulating structural member.

[0014]

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a part of a structural member provided in an electronic apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention and provided with a conductive path, and FIG. 2 is a plan view of a part of the structural member. is there. On the other hand, FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a printer which is an example of an electronic device.

The printer shown in FIG. 3 is of the electrophotographic type, and in the figure, the reference numeral 1 is a drum-shaped image carrier made of a photoconductor. Around the image carrier 1, a charging roller 2, an exposure device 3, a developing device 4, a transfer device including a transfer roller 5, and a cleaning device 6 are sequentially arranged. It is also possible to configure the printer using an image carrier made of a dielectric material. A paper feed roller 8 for feeding the paper 7 a in the paper feed cassette 7 is provided on the lower side of the developing device 4. In addition, a fixing device 11 is provided in the paper conveyance path from the transfer roller 5 to the paper discharge tray 9.
And a pair of discharge rollers 12 are provided.

Here, during the image forming operation, the image carrier 1 is driven to rotate in the direction of the arrow shown, and at the time of this rotation, the surface of the image carrier 1 is uniformly charged by the charging roller 2. It Then, by the exposure device 3, the image carrier 1
By performing optical writing on the charged surface of
A predetermined electrostatic latent image is formed on the surface of the image carrier. The electrostatic latent image thus formed is visualized as a toner image by the developing device 4. On the other hand, the paper 7 is sent from the paper feed cassette 7 toward the image carrier 1 by the paper feed roller 8, and the toner image on the image carrier is transferred to the paper by the action of the transfer roller 5. After that, the transfer toner image on the paper is fixed while the paper passes through the fixing device 11. After the fixing, the paper discharge roller pair 12 discharges the transferred toner image onto the paper discharge tray 9.

In such a printer, a base plate 10 arranged horizontally and a main body side plate 13 arranged vertically are provided inside the printer. These are the structural members of the printer. On the other hand, the casing 15 and other exterior covers (not shown) are also structural members.

For example, electric components such as a power source 17 and a motor 18 are fixedly installed on the base plate 10 at different installation positions. A rotation system such as the image carrier 1, the developing roller 4A of the developing device 4, the paper feeding roller 8, the fixing device 11, the paper discharging roller pair 12 is rotationally driven by a motor 18 as a driving source.

The fixing device 11 includes a pair of rollers 11A and 11B.
And a heater 14 serving as a heat source for fixing is provided in the upper roller 11A. Further, although not shown, a circuit board for controlling the operation of each process unit is provided in the printer body.

The above-mentioned heater 14, power supply 17, motor 18, circuit board and the like correspond to electric parts provided at different installation positions, and these electric parts are used for various purposes. Depending on the mounting position, the base plate 10, the main body side plate 13, and the housing 1 are selected.
5 and a structural member such as a part of an exterior cover (not shown).

Here, the base plate is taken as an example of the structural member of the electronic device, and the structure will be described below.

FIG. 1 is an enlarged sectional view of a part of the base plate 10. The base plate 10 has an insulating property and is made of, for example, a synthetic resin alone or in a mixture thereof, and an electrically conductive path 20 is integrally provided on one surface thereof. FIG. 2 is a plan view of a part of the base plate 10, and a plurality of conductive paths 20 are provided on the base plate 10 at intervals.
It should be noted that in FIG.
Is shaded.

The conductive path 20, which will be touched later, is made of copper or the like having good conductivity, and electrically connects the power source 17 and the motor 18 shown in FIG. 3, for example. A drive voltage is applied to the motor 18 via the conductive path 20,
The motor is driven to rotate.

As described above, the features of this example are as follows.
The point is that an electrically conductive path 20 for electrically connecting the electric parts to each other is integrally provided on the insulating structural member itself of the printer. The conductive path 20 is provided on the structural member for mounting the electric component. Such structural members are
Of course, as described above, not only the base plate 10
The main body side plate 13, the housing 15, the exterior cover, a support (not shown), and the like are included.

Here, in FIG. 3, a wire bundle (harness) is conventionally used to electrically connect the electric components such as the power source 17 and the motor 18 provided on the base plate 10 to each other. According to this, when the electronic device is manufactured, the wire crawling work and the wiring work are very troublesome, and the number of assembling steps increases and the productivity tends to decrease. In addition, the electrical reliability is likely to decrease as the use of electric wires and connectors increases. Further, the number of parts increases, the device cost and the device weight are likely to increase, and the electronic device itself tends to increase in size.

On the other hand, even in the case of using a printed circuit board, since such a thing is required exclusively, similarly, the number of assembling steps tends to increase, the electronic equipment tends to increase in size, or This may lead to an increase in weight.

In the structure of this embodiment, the electric components are electrically connected to each other without crawling the electric wire bundle or using a printed circuit board or the like which causes an increase in cost and an increase in the weight of the apparatus. Connection can be made. This makes it possible to reduce the size and weight of the electronic device itself and reduce the number of parts. Also, since it is possible to eliminate the crawling of the wire bundle,
Assemblability improves, cost reduction including productivity,
It is possible to further improve safety.

Here, the base plate 10 will be typically referred to as a "structural member" hereinafter, as a main body side plate, a housing, an exterior cover and the like can be substituted.

As shown in FIG. 4, a plurality of conductive paths 20 may be provided on both sides of the insulative structural member 10. By doing so, the mounting density of the conductive paths can be increased, and as a result, the electronic paths can be mounted. The device can be further downsized, and the degree of simplification of the wire bundle can be further increased.

For the insulating structural member 10, the conductive path 20 is provided.
The conductive pieces constituting the can be integrated, for example by gluing or by printing. It is also possible to apply a conductive material onto the insulating structural member 10 to integrate them and form the conductive path 20 with the conductive material. Alternatively, when the structural member is made of resin,
At the time of molding, it is also possible to integrally mold the conductive piece forming the conductive path 20 and the structural member.

In addition to the base plate described above, an insulating structural member 1 which is also configured as a main body side plate, a casing, an exterior cover, etc.
0 is composed of any one thermosetting resin such as a phenol resin, an epoxy resin, a polyimide resin, a fluorine resin, a polyester resin, or at least two of these thermosetting resins. If it is made of a mixture, the following effects can be obtained.

Such a resin material generally has a high heat-resistant temperature, is difficult to conduct heat, and is unlikely to be deformed due to the influence of temperature and humidity. Even if it is attached to a member, it can be made difficult to deteriorate. Moreover, since such a structural member has a strength capable of withstanding mechanical stress even when mechanical stress is applied to the structural member, the durability of the electronic device can be improved in combination with the above-mentioned characteristics such as heat resistance. The life can be kept long. By providing the conductive path 20 integrally with such a structural member 10, its durability can be enhanced.

On the other hand, the structural member 10 is made of a thermoplastic resin such as a polycarbonate resin, a polybutylene terephthalate resin, a polyphenylene oxide resin, a polyphenylene safar side resin, a polyamide resin, a polyamideimide resin, or a ceramic or It can also be made of glass.

When such a material is used for the structural member, such a material has a high heat-resistant temperature, is difficult for heat to conduct, and is less likely to undergo thermal deformation. The durability of the electronic device can be improved, and the life of the electronic device can be kept long.
Further, the structural member made of such a material can be used in a place where flexibility is required. In addition to these, there are materials that can be advantageously used as the exterior cover, and it is possible to use not only a flat structural member but also an uneven structural member. These shapes can be easily determined by, for example, molding. A conductive path 20 is provided in such a structural member 10, and the conductive path can be used together with the structural member 10 for a long period of time.

Further, the structural member 10 is made of paper, glass fiber,
It may be configured by mixing or laminating at least two kinds of materials such as a base material such as ceramics, a thermosetting resin, and a thermoplastic resin, and integrating them.

When such a material is used for the structural member, the heat resistance is good, and therefore even if an electric component that generates heat is attached to the structural member, it is possible to prevent the structural member from deteriorating. Further, by using such a material for a structural member having an electric component or a conductive path to which a high voltage is applied or a high current flows, its durability can be improved.
As a result, safety is also ensured and the life of the electronic device itself can be kept long.

By the way, when the plurality of conductive paths 20 shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 are exposed and this portion is in a place where it is easy to contact a person's hand, as shown in FIG.
It is safe to cover the entire 0 with the insulating layer 30.

As described above, the structural members include the side plate of the main body,
It goes without saying that the base plate, the support, the exterior cover, etc. are included, but at a position where the operator can easily touch them directly with hands, for example, an insulating layer on the conductive path of the structural member of the exterior cover. Covering 30 is particularly effective in terms of safety. As the insulating layer 30, for example, an insulating resin is used, which is coated from above the conductive path 20,
By integrating these, the conductive path 20 can be covered.

In the example shown in FIG. 4, a plurality of conductive paths 20 are formed on both surfaces of the structural member 10. However, an insulating layer 30 is formed on the surface of each conductive path 20 on both surfaces as shown in FIG. It may be formed, and thereby, the same effect as that shown in FIG. 5 can be obtained.

In the example shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the insulating layer 3
When the material of No. 0 is the same as the material of the structural member 10, the purchase unit price of the material can be reduced, and the parts management cost can be reduced. Further, it is possible to reduce the production process, the processing process, the production facility, etc., to improve the productivity and the processability of the entire electronic device, and further to reduce the total cost of the electronic device. As the material of the insulating layer, various materials of the above-described structural member can be selected and applied according to the intended use.

Further, as described above, at the time of molding the structural member 10, the conductive part forming the conductive path 20 can be integrally molded with the structural member 10 to integrate the two. When the conductive path 20 is buried inside the insulating structural member 10, the conductive path 20 is housed inside the structural member 10, and the conductive path 20 is not exposed to the outside. Accordingly, even if the conductive path 20 is not coated with an insulating layer, it is possible to prevent the operator from directly touching the conductive path 20 and ensure safety.

Regarding the material of the conductive path 20 shown in FIGS. 1, 4, 5, and 6, for example, one of conductive materials such as copper, aluminum, iron, nickel, zinc, tin, etc., having good conductivity is used. It is composed of materials or alloys of those materials. Alternatively, these metal materials are surface-treated with a conductive material. Further, it may be composed of a carbon-based conductor. As the surface treatment, for example, a method of plating solder, nickel, gold, silver or the like on the conductive path of the metal material is optimal. By such plating treatment, the conductive path made of the above-mentioned metal material can be protected, its surface can be prevented from deterioration, and its durability can be extended.

By using the above-mentioned material for the conductive path 20 and changing its width, length, thickness, number, etc. according to its application, it becomes possible to use it in a place where a high current is required. Even if a high current is applied to the road, it is possible to prevent the structural member from deteriorating and improve its durability. Further, by changing the intervals of the plurality of conductive paths and increasing the intervals, it is possible to prevent leaks and to use the parts at a high voltage.

Further, with respect to a structural member having a conductive path through which an electric signal and a minute current flow, such a minute current can be flowed without trouble by plating the conductive path with the above-mentioned metal. The resistance tends to increase at the connection contact portion of the conductive path, which may adversely affect the minute current. However, by plating such a portion with metal, the resistance can be reduced and The adverse effect on the current can be prevented.

Further, by forming a conductive path in a large area of aluminum, iron, etc., the shield effect and the heat dissipation effect against the radio waves from other equipment are improved, and the EM
As a countermeasure against I, it is possible to further suppress the temperature rise of the structural member. In addition, the conductive paths are not necessarily parallel, and may be meandering or bending.

FIG. 7 shows a concrete example in which electric parts are mounted, and this figure shows a concrete arrangement of the conductive paths 20. In the figure, reference numeral 21 indicates an IC
Further, reference numeral 22 denotes a resistor, a capacitor, etc., which are integrally fixed on the structural member. The conductive path 20 and these electric parts are connected to each other by, for example, soldering.

It goes without saying that the electronic devices of the present invention include not only the printers described above, but also office machines, home appliances, and other electronic devices. Further, it can be applied to various devices (units) inside the electronic device.

[0049]

According to the structure of the first aspect of the present invention, the electric power can be obtained without crawling the bundle of electric wires or using a printed circuit board or the like which causes an increase in cost and an increase in the weight of the apparatus. It is possible to provide an electronic device that can mutually electrically connect components.

According to the second aspect of the invention, the mounting density of the conductive paths can be increased, whereby the electronic equipment can be further downsized, and the simplification of the wire bundle can be further improved. .

According to the third aspect of the present invention, safety can be ensured even if the structural member is located in a place where it is easily contacted by a person.

According to the structure described in claim 4, even if the insulating layer is provided, the cost increase of the electronic device can be suppressed and the manufacturing thereof can be simplified.

According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, the safety for the operator can be ensured and the structure can be simplified and the cost can be reduced without covering the surface of the conductive path with the insulating layer.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a part of a structural member provided with an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present invention and provided with a conductive path.

2 is a plan view of a part of the structural member shown in FIG. 1. FIG.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a printer which is an example of the electronic device of the invention.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a structural member having conductive paths formed on both sides.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a structural member in which the surface of a conductive path is covered with an insulating layer.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a structural member in which the surfaces of the conductive paths on both sides are covered with an insulating layer.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a specific mounting state of a conductive path, electric parts, and the like.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10 Structural member 20 Conductive path 30 Insulating layer

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. An electronic device provided with a plurality of electric components at different installation positions, and an electrically conductive structure for electrically connecting the electric components to the insulating structural member itself of the electronic device. An electronic device characterized by an integrated path. 2. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the conductive paths are provided on both surfaces of the structural member. 3. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the conductive path is covered with an insulating layer. 4. The electronic device according to claim 3, wherein the insulating layer and the structural member are made of the same material. 5. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the conductive path is embedded inside the insulating structural member.