JP2020015205A - Image formation device - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide an image formation device capable of preventing a USB memory or a USB cable from becoming a hindrance, when rotating an operation display part.SOLUTION: An image formation device A includes an operation display part 61 provided on the front 20b of a device body 20, and provided protrusively furthermore to the side of the device body 20 than the device body 20, and a USB port 90 arranged on the furthermore rear than a rear end part of the operation display part 61 positioned on a position having the smallest angle to a horizontal plane of the display part 61, relative to a cross direction of the device body 20, which is a USB port 90 provided on the right side face 20a which is a side face on the side close to the operation display part 61 in the device body 20.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

  The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus such as an electrophotographic copying machine, an electrophotographic printer, and an ink jet printer.

  2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, image forming apparatuses include a portable terminal connected via a USB cable, an image stored in a USB memory, and an image read by an image forming apparatus stored in a USB memory. Are known.

  Patent Document 1 describes a configuration in which an operation display unit is provided on a front portion of an apparatus main body of an image forming apparatus, and an insertion port for inserting an external memory such as a USB memory is provided on a side surface portion.

JP 2017-205875 A

  2. Description of the Related Art In an image forming apparatus, in order to improve operability and visibility of an operation display unit, a configuration in which the operation display unit is rotatable is widely known. Here, as in the configuration described in Patent Document 1, when there is a USB port near the operation display unit, when the operation display unit is rotated, the USB memory or the USB cable inserted into the USB port is held by the user's hand. May obstruct the turning operation of the operation display unit.

  Accordingly, the present invention has been made in view of such a situation, and provides an image forming apparatus capable of preventing a USB memory or a USB cable from being in the way when rotating an operation display unit. With the goal.

  A typical configuration of the image forming apparatus according to the present invention for achieving the above object includes a display section for displaying information, and an operation section for performing settings related to image formation, and is provided on a front surface of the apparatus body of the image forming apparatus. A rotatable operation display unit, wherein the operation display unit is provided so as to protrude to the side of the device main body from the device main body, and a side surface of the device main body on a side close to the operation display unit. A provided USB port, with respect to the front-rear direction of the device main body, a USB port arranged rearward of a rear end of the operation display unit located at a position where an angle of the display unit with respect to a horizontal plane is the smallest, It is characterized by having.

  According to the present invention, in the image forming apparatus, it is possible to prevent the USB memory and the USB cable from being in the way when rotating the operation display unit.

FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of the image forming apparatus. FIG. 2 is a schematic front view of the image forming apparatus. FIG. 2 is a schematic sectional view of the image forming apparatus. It is the front view and right side view of an operation display part. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a part of a right side surface of the image forming apparatus. FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of the image forming apparatus. FIG. 2 is a schematic front view of the image forming apparatus. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a part of a right side surface of the image forming apparatus.

(1st Embodiment)
<Image forming apparatus>
Hereinafter, the overall configuration of the image forming apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described together with the operation at the time of image formation with reference to the drawings. The dimensions, materials, shapes, relative arrangements, and the like of the components described below are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention only to them unless otherwise specified.

  The image forming apparatus according to the present exemplary embodiment is an electrophotographic type in which four color toners of yellow Y, magenta M, cyan C, and black K are transferred to an intermediate transfer belt, and then an image is transferred to a sheet to form an image. An image forming apparatus. In the following description, members using the toners of the respective colors are given subscripts of Y, M, C, and K, except for the configuration and operation of each member except that the color of the toner used is different. Since they are substantially the same, suffixes are omitted as appropriate unless necessary to distinguish them.

  1 and 2 are a schematic perspective view and a schematic front view, respectively, of the image forming apparatus A. FIG. 3 is a schematic sectional view of the image forming apparatus A. FIG. 3 is a diagram in which an image reading device 21 and an operation display unit 61 described later are omitted.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the image forming apparatus A includes an image forming unit 50 that transfers a toner image to a sheet to form an image, and a sheet feeding unit 51 that supplies a sheet to the image forming unit 50. And a fixing device 15 which is a fixing unit for fixing the toner image on the sheet. An image reading device 21 that reads an image of a document is provided on an upper portion of the apparatus main body 20 of the image forming apparatus A.

  The image forming unit 50 includes a process cartridge 4 (4Y, 4M, 4C, 4K), a primary transfer roller 5 (5Y, 5M, 5C, 5K), a laser scanner unit 8, and an intermediate transfer unit 7. The process cartridge 4 includes a photosensitive drum 1 (1Y, 1M, 1C, 1K), a charging roller 2 (2Y, 2M, 2C, 2K) for charging the surface of the photosensitive drum 1, and a developing device 3 (3Y, 3M, 3C, 3K).

  The intermediate transfer unit 7 includes an intermediate transfer belt 6, a secondary transfer roller 9, a secondary transfer opposing roller 12, an idler roller 19, a tension roller 18, and the like. The intermediate transfer belt 6 is an endless belt stretched around the secondary transfer opposing roller 12, the idler roller 19, and the tension roller 18, and the secondary transfer opposing roller 12 is rotated by the driving force of the driving source. Follows and moves around.

  The image reading device 21 includes a flatbed scanner 22 and an automatic document feeder 23. The flatbed scanner 22 optically reads an image of a document placed on a platen (not shown) and converts the image into image data. The automatic document feeder 23 automatically conveys the document stacked on the document tray 24 and reads an image. The automatic document feeder 23 is rotatably supported, and can access a platen (not shown) by rotating the automatic document feeder 23 and opening it upward.

  Further, on the front surface 20b of the apparatus main body 20 of the image forming apparatus A, an operation display section 61a including an operation section 61b for displaying information and an operation section 61b for performing settings relating to image formation such as the number of images to be formed is provided. The operation display section 61 is rotatably supported with respect to the apparatus main body of the image forming apparatus A in order to ensure visibility in response to illumination reflection, a user's height difference, and the like. When the image forming apparatus A is viewed from the front, the operation display unit 61 is disposed on the right side, and the discharge unit 17 for discharging the sheet S on which the image is formed is disposed on the left side.

  The operation display section 61 is provided so as to protrude to the side of the apparatus main body 20 more than the apparatus main body 20. Specifically, the right side surface of the operation display section 61 protrudes from the right side surface 20a of the apparatus main body 20 by the length L1 shown in FIG. In the present embodiment, L1 is about 10 mm to 20 mm. The right side surface of the operation display section 61 is an end surface in a direction perpendicular to the vertical direction and the front-rear direction of the apparatus main body 20, and is an end surface protruding to the side of the apparatus main body 20.

  Next, the image forming operation will be described. First, when a control unit (not shown) receives an image forming job signal, the sheet S stacked and stored in the sheet cassette 81 by the feed roller 11, the transport roller 13, and the registration roller 14 faces the secondary transfer roller 9 and the secondary transfer roller. The sheet is sent to a secondary transfer section formed by the roller 12. The sheet cassette 81 is configured to be detachable from the image forming apparatus A main body by gripping and pushing and pulling the grip portion 10.

  On the other hand, in the image forming section 50, first, the surface of the photosensitive drum 1 is uniformly charged by the charging roller 2. Thereafter, a laser scanner unit 8 as an exposure unit irradiates a laser beam from a light source (not shown) to the surface of the photosensitive drum 1 for each color in accordance with image data transmitted from an external device (not shown). To form an electrostatic latent image.

  Thereafter, the toner of each color is attached to the electrostatic latent image formed on the surface of the photosensitive drum 1 by the developing device 3 to form a toner image on the surface of the photosensitive drum 1. The toner image formed on the surface of the photosensitive drum 1 is primarily transferred to the intermediate transfer belt 6 by applying a bias to the primary transfer roller 5. As a result, a full-color toner image is formed on the surface of the intermediate transfer belt 6.

  Thereafter, the toner image is sent to the secondary transfer section by the intermediate transfer belt 6 moving around. When a bias is applied to the secondary transfer roller 9 in the secondary transfer section, the toner image on the intermediate transfer belt 6 is transferred to the sheet S.

  Next, the sheet S to which the toner image has been transferred is subjected to a heating and pressing process in the fixing device 15, whereby the toner image on the sheet S is fixed to the sheet S. After that, the sheet S on which the toner image is fixed is discharged to the discharge unit 17 by the discharge roller 16.

<Operation display section>
Next, the configuration of the operation display unit 61 will be described.

  FIG. 4 is a front view and a right side view of the operation display unit 61. As shown in FIG. 4, the operation display unit 61 displays various information such as an operation screen and receives a user operation. The display unit 61a is a touch panel type liquid crystal display. With key.

  First, keys provided on the surface of the operation display unit 61 on which the display unit 61a is arranged will be described. The ten keys 61b1 are used to input numbers such as the number of images to be formed. The setting registration key 61b2 switches display / non-display of setting registration. The power saving key 61b3 is used to shift to or return to a mode with low power consumption. The clear key 61b4 clears the entered numbers and characters. The start key 61b5 starts the operation of each job. The stop key 61b6 stops the job started by the start key 61b5. The reset key 61b7 resets all settings in each function. The authentication key 61b8 performs authentication and logs out of the authentication state.

  The keys (operation buttons) provided on the right side of the operation display section 61 will be described. The counter confirmation key 61b9 displays the status of the counter on the display unit 61a. The brightness adjustment key 61b10 adjusts the brightness of the screen of the display unit 61a. The volume control key 61b11 causes the display unit 61a to display a screen on which items related to volume control are put together.

  Various LEDs 61c (61c1 to 61c3) are provided on the surface of the operation display unit 61 on which the display unit 61a is arranged. The execution memory LED 61c1 blinks during the operation of the image forming job, and lights when there is a document waiting in the memory (not shown). The error LED 61c2 lights or blinks when an error occurs. The main power LED 61c3 is turned on when the main power of the image forming apparatus A is turned on.

<Arrangement of operation display section and USB port>
Next, the arrangement of the operation display unit 61 and the USB port 90 will be described.

  FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a part of the right side surface of the image forming apparatus A. As shown in FIG. 5, the operation display unit 61 rotates around a rotation shaft 61d. In FIG. 5, the operation display section 61 indicated by a solid line is located at the upward position where the angle of the display section 61a of the operation display section 61 with respect to the horizontal plane is the smallest. The two-dot chain line operation display section 61 is a position where the angle of the display section 61a of the operation display section 61 with respect to the horizontal plane is the largest, and is located at a forward position which is a position rotated by about 50 degrees from an upward position. That is, the operation display unit 61 rotates about 50 degrees about the rotation shaft 61d between the forward position and the upward position.

  A USB port 90 into which a USB memory, a USB cable, or the like is inserted is provided on a right side surface 20a of the apparatus main body 20 of the image forming apparatus A, which is a side surface close to the operation display unit 61. Further, on the right side surface 20a, below the rotation axis 61d of the operation display section 61, a power switch 71 for turning on / off the power supply to the image forming apparatus A is provided.

  The power switch 71 includes a translucent cover 71b and a seesaw-type switch body 71a disposed inside the cover 71b. By providing the translucent cover 71b in this manner, the ON / OFF state of the switch body 71a can be easily visually recognized, and the switch body 71a can be prevented from being pressed by mistake. The power switch 71 is disposed at a position between the rotation shaft 61d of the operation display unit 61 and the USB port 90 in the front-rear direction (the direction of the arrow X) of the apparatus main body 20.

  In addition, by inserting the USB memory into the USB port 90, the user can output an image of a document, image data, or the like recorded in the USB memory by operating the operation display unit 61 without using a personal computer. By connecting one end of a USB cable to the USB port 90, data communication with an external device connected to the other end can be performed.

  Here, when the user rotates the operation display unit 61, in order to prevent the user from unintentionally pressing various keys of the operation unit 61b, the user often grasps a portion of the operation display unit 61 without a key on the side surface. Conceivable. Further, when the right side surface of the operation display unit 61 protrudes laterally with respect to the apparatus main body 20 as in the configuration of the present embodiment, it is considered that the protruding right side surface is often gripped. Further, since it is difficult to apply a force when gripping the vicinity of the rotation shaft 61d of the operation display unit 61, it is considered that the front or back side of the rotation shaft 61d is often gripped. That is, when rotating the operation display unit 61, it is considered that the user often grips the front side or the back side of the rotation shaft 61d on the right side surface of the operation display unit 61.

  When the operation display unit 61 is rotated in this manner, when the front and rear sides of the rotation shaft 61d are gripped on the right side surface of the operation display unit 61, depending on the arrangement of the USB port 90, a USB memory or the like may be used. There is a possibility that a USB cable or the like may hit the user's hand and hinder the rotation operation.

  Therefore, in the present embodiment, the USB port 90 is disposed on the right side surface 20a of the apparatus main body 20 behind the rear end of the operation display unit 61 located at the upward position in the front-rear direction of the apparatus main body 20. That is, the USB port 90 is disposed behind the virtual line V extending vertically downward from the rear end of the operation display unit 61 in the front-rear direction of the device main body 20. By arranging the USB port 90 in this way, it is possible to prevent the USB memory or USB cable inserted into the USB port 90 from hitting the user's hand and hindering the rotation operation when the operation display unit 61 is rotated. can do.

  The USB port 90 is disposed above the power switch 71 in the vertical direction, and is disposed behind the apparatus main body 20 in the front-rear direction. As described above, the USB port 90 is arranged at a position where the USB port 90 does not overlap the power switch 71 in the front-rear direction of the device main body 20 and in the vertical direction. This can prevent the USB memory and the USB cable inserted into the USB port 90 from interfering with the operation of the power switch 71.

  Further, in the front-rear direction of the apparatus main body 20, a distance from the rotation shaft 61d of the operation display unit 61 to the power switch 71 is defined as L2, and a distance from the power switch 71 to the USB port 90 is defined as L3. At this time, the power switch 71 and the USB port 90 are easily visible from the front of the image forming apparatus A by reducing L2 and L3, and the operability is improved by reducing the operation range of the user. On the other hand, by increasing L2 and L3, there is a possibility that the power switch 71 may be erroneously operated when the operation display unit 61 is rotated, or the USB memory or the USB port inserted into the USB port 90 may interfere. Is less likely. Therefore, in the present embodiment, L2: L3 ≒ 1: 2.2 in consideration of the balance between the above advantages.

(2nd Embodiment)
Next, the configuration of an image forming apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. The same parts as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof is omitted.

  6 and 7 are a schematic perspective view and a schematic front view, respectively, of the image forming apparatus A according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, in the present embodiment, an external sheet feeding device 91 is attached to the lower part of the image forming apparatus A in the configuration of the first embodiment, and This is a configuration in which an external finisher 92 is mounted in the vicinity of 17. Further, the arrangement of the power switch 71 and the USB port 90 on the right side surface 20a of the apparatus main body 20 are slightly changed from the configuration of the first embodiment. Other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment.

  The operation display unit 61 of the present embodiment is also provided so as to protrude to the side of the apparatus main body 20 with respect to the apparatus main body 20, as in the first embodiment. That is, the right side surface of the operation display unit 61 protrudes from the right side surface 20a of the apparatus main body 20 by the length L1 (about 10 mm to 20 mm in the present embodiment) shown in FIG. Note that the right side surfaces of the image reading device 21, the device main body 20, and the sheet feeding device 91 are substantially aligned when viewed from the vertical direction.

  The sheet feeding device 91 includes the same members as the sheet feeding unit 51, and feeds the sheets S stacked and stored in the sheet cassette 95 to the image forming unit 50 by a feeding roller (not shown) and a conveying roller (not shown). And send it out. Further, the user can open a door 96 at a lower portion of the sheet cassette 95 and store an arbitrary object therein. The bottom surface of the sheet feeding device 91 has a larger area than the upper surface to prevent the sheet from falling down, and is further provided with wheels (not shown) and stoppers (not shown). The wheels move the image forming apparatus A on which the sheet feeding device 91 is mounted. The stopper locks the wheel by rotating the screw-shaped shaft to make contact with the installation surface and lifting the wheel from the installation surface.

  The finisher 92 shift sorts and staples the sheet S on which an image is formed. The finisher 92 includes two discharge trays 99a and 99b, and can select one of the discharge destinations of the sheet S according to, for example, a copy output, a print output, and a facsimile output.

  FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a part of the right side surface of the image forming apparatus A. In FIG. 8, the operation display unit 61 indicated by a solid line is located at an upward position where the angle of the operation display unit 61 with respect to the horizontal plane of the display unit 61a is the smallest. The operation display section 61 indicated by the two-dot chain line is the position where the angle of the display section 61a of the operation display section 61 with respect to the horizontal plane is the largest, and is located at the forward position which is a position rotated about 50 degrees from the upward position. That is, the operation display unit 61 rotates about 50 degrees about the rotation shaft 61d between the forward position and the upward position.

  As shown in FIG. 8, a USB port 90 and a power switch 71 are provided on a right side surface 20 a which is a side surface of the apparatus main body 20 of the image forming apparatus A which is close to the operation display unit 61.

  The power switch 71 is disposed at the same position as the rotation axis 61d of the operation display unit 61 in the front-rear direction (the direction of the arrow X) of the apparatus body 20 and below the rotation axis 61d of the operation display unit 61 in the vertical direction. .

  The USB port 90 is disposed at a position behind the power switch 71 in the front-rear direction of the apparatus main body 20 and at the same position as the rotation shaft 61d of the operation display unit 61 in the vertical direction.

  As described above, the USB port 90 is arranged at a position where the USB port 90 does not overlap the power switch 71 in the front-rear direction of the device main body 20 and in the vertical direction. This can prevent the USB memory and the USB cable inserted into the USB port 90 from interfering with the operation of the power switch 71.

20: Device body (device body of image forming apparatus)
20a: Front surface (front surface of the device body)
20b ... right side surface (side surface on the side close to the operation display unit in the apparatus main body)
61 operation display section 61a display section 61b operation section 71 power switch 90 USB port A image forming apparatus

Claims (3)

A rotatable operation display unit provided with a display unit for displaying information and an operation unit for performing settings related to image formation, provided on a front surface of the apparatus main body of the image forming apparatus, wherein the apparatus main body is more than the apparatus main body. An operation display unit protruding to the side of the
A USB port provided on a side surface of the device main body that is adjacent to the operation display unit, wherein the operation display unit is located at a position where the angle of the display unit with respect to a horizontal plane is smallest with respect to the front-rear direction of the device main body. A USB port located behind the rear end of the
An image forming apparatus comprising: A power switch that switches on and off power supply to the image forming apparatus;
The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the power switch is disposed at a position between the rotation port of the operation display unit and the USB port on the side surface in the front-rear direction.   An operation button is provided on an end surface of the operation display unit in a direction perpendicular to the vertical direction and the front-rear direction, and on an end surface protruding to the side of the apparatus main body. 3. The image forming apparatus according to 1 or 2.

Images