JP5497672B2 - Image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, a printer, a facsimile machine, and a multifunction machine.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventional image forming apparatuses such as copying machines, printers, facsimiles, and multifunction machines using an electrophotographic system have a medium cassette that stores a print medium at the lower part of the apparatus, and a guide member for making the medium cassette detachable Are provided on both sides, and an apparatus main body such as a printing unit attached to the frame is mounted on the upper part of the guide member (see, for example, Patent Document 1), and the frame is fastened on the upper part of the guide member. Is common.

JP 2002-179257 A (paragraph “0003”, paragraph “0018”, FIGS. 1, 10, and 12)

However, in the above-described conventional technology, the main body of the apparatus mounted on the guide member when the height of the guide member is increased by increasing the amount of print medium accommodated in the medium cassette or when a scanner or the like is mounted on the multifunction peripheral. When the weight increases, there is a problem that the strength of the fastening portion between the guide member and the frame is insufficient due to deformation of the guide member and the frame.
An object of the present invention is to solve such a problem, and an object of the present invention is to obtain sufficient strength at a fastening portion between a guide member and a frame.

For this reason, the present invention has a frame comprising a horizontally disposed central frame and side frames attached in an upright position on both sides of the central frame, and a foot portion in contact with the floor surface. attached to parts, a guide member for detachably guiding the medium cassette containing the print medium, it has an engaging portion, and a expansion tray for accommodating the printing media, by bending the lower end of each side frame A bent portion is formed, the respective bent portions are arranged on the side of the respective guide members and above the foot portions, and the engaging portions of the additional trays are fitted on the bottom surfaces of the respective guide members. A mating engaged portion is formed, and the engaged portion is formed so as to pass through a vertical extension line orthogonal to the central frame of each of the side frames .

  According to the present invention thus configured, an effect that a sufficient strength can be obtained at the fastening portion between the guide member and the frame is obtained.

Sectional drawing which shows the structure of the flame | frame of the image forming apparatus in 1st Example 1 is a schematic side sectional view showing a configuration of an image forming apparatus in a first embodiment. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a configuration of a frame of an image forming apparatus according to a first embodiment. The side view which shows the guide member in 1st Example The front view which shows the guide member in 1st Example The perspective view which shows the modification of the guide member in 1st Example. Sectional drawing which shows the structure of the flame | frame of the image forming apparatus in 2nd Example. The perspective view which shows the guide member in 2nd Example. The perspective view which shows the expansion tray in 2nd Example

  Embodiments of an image forming apparatus according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 2 is a schematic sectional side view showing the configuration of the image forming apparatus in the first embodiment.
In FIG. 2, a printer 100 as an image forming apparatus includes a medium cassette 102 on which a print medium 103 is placed, a paper feed unit 101 that feeds and transports the print medium 103, transport rollers 106 and 107, and a print medium 103. The developing device 130 and the transfer roller 113 for forming and transferring the toner image, the image fixing device 110 for fixing the toner image transferred to the printing medium 103 with heat and pressure, and the printing medium 103 on which the toner image is fixed are discharged. A discharge roller 116, a discharge roller 119, and a stacker 120 that stores the discharged print medium 103 are provided. The paper supply unit 101, the conveyance rollers 106 and 107, the developing device 130, the transfer roller 113, and an image fixing device. 110 and the discharge roller 116 and the discharge roller 119 are attached to the frame 200. .

In FIG. 2, the right side is the front side of the printer 100 and the left side is the back side of the printer 100, and the medium cassette 102 is configured to be detachable on the front side of the printer 100.
The printer 100 is communicably connected to a host device such as a PC (Personal Computer). The printer 100 includes a microcomputer such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) to supply voltage from the power supply unit to each unit. Operations of the entire apparatus, such as driving of a motor for rotation and printing control based on information from each sensor, are controlled based on a control program (software) stored in a storage unit configured by a memory or the like.

When the printer 100 acquires image data from the host device, the image data is stored in the storage unit, and the control unit controls the paper supply unit 101 to feed the print medium 103 deposited on the medium cassette 102.
The printing medium 103 is fed by the paper feeding unit 101, and the conveyance roller 106 and the conveyance roller 107, the photosensitive drum 109 of the developing device 130, the transfer roller 113, the discharge roller 116, and the image fixing are controlled by the control unit. The heating roller 111 and the pressure roller 112 of the vessel 110 start to rotate.

  The print medium 103 fed by the paper feed unit 101 is transported downstream of the medium transport path by the rotation of the transport roller 106, and is further transported downstream of the medium transport path by the rotation of the transport roller 107. When the toner reaches the passage sensor actuator 108, a toner image based on the image data held in the storage unit is formed on the surface of the photosensitive drum 109 of the developing device 130 under the control of the control unit.

When the print medium 103 is transported between the photosensitive drum 109 and the transfer roller 113, the toner image formed on the surface of the photosensitive drum 109 is transferred onto the print medium 103 by the transfer roller 113.
The toner image transferred onto the print medium 103 is fixed by the heating roller 111 and the pressure roller 112 of the image fixing device 110 and then conveyed by the rotating discharge roller 116 and the discharge roller 119. It is discharged onto a stacker 120 provided on the upper surface. Thereby, the printing process by the printer 100 is completed.

  FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the frame of the image forming apparatus in the first embodiment, and FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the frame of the image forming apparatus in the first embodiment. FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of the frame and the media cassette as viewed from the front of the printer.

  In FIG. 1 and FIG. 3, the frame 200 includes a side frame (L: Left) 214, a side frame (R: Right) 215, and a medium transport frame 216, and a side frame (L ) 214 and a side frame (R) 215 as a right side frame are attached to and disposed on the medium conveyance frame 216 in a standing position with a medium conveyance frame 216 as a central frame arranged horizontally. ing. The side frame (L) 214, the side frame (R) 215, and the medium transport frame 216 are formed of plate-like members, and the medium transport frame 216 forms the lower surface of the medium transport path through which the print medium is transported. .

Both ends of the medium transport frame 216 are fixed by being screwed to the side frame (L) 214 and the side frame (R) 215, and the cross-sectional shape of the frame 200 is formed in an H shape as shown in FIG. Yes.
As shown in FIG. 1, each of the side frame (L) 214 and the side frame (R) 215 is formed with a bent portion whose lower end is bent outward in an L-shape. A cover 208 to be formed is provided, and covers the bent (lower end) portions of the side frame (L) 214 and the side frame (R) 215 that are bent outward in an L shape.

The guide member (L) 217 and the guide member (R) 218 are formed in an elongated shape, and are attached along the depth direction inside the side frame (L) 214 and the side frame (R) 215 to accommodate the print medium. The medium cassette 102 to be detachably guided is detachable.
The guide member (L) 217 and the guide member (R) 218 are bent from the inside of the side frame (L) 214 and the side frame (R) 215, respectively, from the inside of the side frame (L) 214 and the side frame (R) 215, respectively. It is fitted toward the lower end where the portion is formed, and is screwed and fixed to the side frame (L) 214 and the side frame (R) 215, respectively, and fastened.

Further, a foot part 211 is formed below the guide member (L) 217 and the guide member (R) 218 so as to contact the floor surface and support the printer. A rubber part is formed on the contact surface of the foot part 211 with the floor surface. A foot 219 and a rubber foot 220 are attached to each other.
Therefore, the bent portions obtained by bending the lower ends of the side frame (L) 214 and the side frame (R) 215 of the frame 200 into L-shapes are on the side of the guide member (L) 217 and the guide member (R) 218, respectively. And above the foot 211.

  The foot 211 is integrally formed with the guide member (L) 217 and the guide member (R) 218, and is bent outward in an L shape of the side frame (L) 214 and the side frame (R) 215. The lower end surface of the side frame (L) 214 and the side frame (R) 215 is provided so as to protrude toward the floor surface side so that the lower end surface does not contact the floor surface.

The operation of the above configuration will be described.
First, the frame will be described with reference to FIGS.
In FIG. 1 and FIG. 3, the protrusions 206 formed on both sides of the medium cassette 102 engage with the grooves 231 formed on the guide member (L) 217 and the guide member (R) 218, and the medium cassette 102 is 3 is slidable in the direction indicated by arrow A in FIG. 3 and is detachable from the printer 100.

  The side frame (L) 214 and the side frame (R) 215 extend to the vicinity of the installation surface (floor surface) of the printer 100, and are folded by bending the sheet metal of the side frame (L) 214 and the side frame (R) 215. Since the legs 211 of the guide member (L) 217 and the guide member (R) 218 are disposed between the curved portion and the installation surface, the two side frames (L) 214 and the side frames (R) 215 are arranged. Thus, the weight of the printer 100 can be supported.

Next, the guide member will be described with reference to FIGS.
FIG. 4 is a side view showing the guide member in the first embodiment, and FIG. 5 is a front view showing the guide member in the first embodiment. 4 and 5 show the guide member (L) 217 in FIGS. 1 and 3.

  4 and 5, the protrusion 206 of the medium cassette 102 shown in FIG. 1 easily enters the groove 231 of the guide member (L) 217 when the medium cassette is mounted on the printer. As described above, the upper inclined portion 205 and the lower inclined portion 212 are formed so that the entrance of the groove portion 231 is widened. The inclined portion 212 is formed so that the entrance of the groove portion 231 is lowered, so that when the medium cassette is attached to the printer, the protrusion portion of the medium cassette is smoothly attached without contacting the guide member (L) 217. be able to.

  However, if the inclined portion 212 of the guide member (L) 217 is formed so that the entrance of the groove portion 231 becomes excessively low, the lower portion of the guide member (L) 217 may come into contact with the floor surface and be damaged. The lower surface of the front end portion of the entrance into which the medium cassette of the member (L) 217 is inserted has the same height as the lower surface of the foot portion 211, that is, the floor surface, the lower surface of the front end portion of the guide member (L) 217, and the guide. It is desirable that the distance between the lower surface of the foot portion 211 of the member (L) 217 is substantially the same distance. In this embodiment, the distance a between the floor surface and the lower surface of the tip end portion of the guide member (L) 217 and the lower surface of the foot portion 211 of the guide member (L) 217 is the thickness of the rubber foot 220 (about 1 mm). And the same distance.

4 and 5, the guide member (L) 217 has been described, but the guide member (R) 218 is the same as the guide member (L) 217.
As described above, the guide member (L) 217 is provided between the bent portion obtained by bending the lower end portions of the side frame (L) 214 and the side frame (R) 215 of the frame 200 into an L shape and the installation surface of the printer. Further, by providing the foot portion 211 of the guide member (R) 218, sufficient strength can be obtained at the fastening portion between the guide member (L) 217 and the guide member (R) 218 and the frame 200.

  The guide member (L) 217 and the guide member (R) 218 can be reduced in size by providing only necessary minimum functions such as a groove 231 and a foot 211 for attaching / detaching the media cassette to / from the printer. it can. By reducing the size of the guide member (L) 217 and the guide member (R) 218, the molding die can be reduced in size and the number of sliding portions can be reduced, thereby reducing the manufacturing cost and improving the component accuracy. be able to. Although the guide member (L) 217 and the guide member (R) 218 may be warped when they are thinned, the occurrence of the warp is suppressed by screwing a plurality of screws along the sheet metal of the side frame. Therefore, an advantageous effect that the assembling accuracy can be improved is obtained.

  In the present embodiment, the lower portion of the side frame (L) 214 and the side frame (R) 215 shown in FIG. 1 is bent outward in an L shape to give strength, but FIG. As shown in FIG. 4, the lower portions of the side frame (L) 214 and the side frame (R) 215 may be bent inwardly into an L shape. By bending inward as described above, there is no protrusion of the plate material to the outside, and it is possible to ensure the safety when assembling the printer, and it is possible to obtain an advantageous effect that the size of the printer can be reduced.

As described above, in the first embodiment, the side frame (L) of the frame and the lower end of the side frame (R) are bent in an L shape between the bent portion and the installation surface of the printer. By arranging the feet of the guide member (L) and the guide member (R), there is an effect that sufficient strength can be obtained at the fastening portion between the guide member (L) and the guide member (R) and the frame. can get.
Further, by reducing the size of the guide member (L) and the guide member (R), it is possible to obtain the effects that the apparatus can be reduced in size and weight, the manufacturing cost can be reduced, and the component accuracy can be improved.

The configuration of the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.
7 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the frame of the image forming apparatus in the second embodiment, FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing a guide member in the second embodiment, and FIG. 9 shows an extension tray in the second embodiment. It is a perspective view. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the frame, the media cassette, and the extension cassette as viewed from the back of the printer. Further, since the configuration of the printer is the same as that of the first embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the same reference numerals are given and description thereof is omitted, and other parts similar to those of the first embodiment described above are also included. The same reference numerals are given and description thereof is omitted.

In FIG. 7 to FIG. 9, reference numeral 250 denotes an additional tray that accommodates print media. By mounting the printer 100 on the expansion tray 250 formed in a cube shape, the print medium stored in the expansion tray 250 can be fed by a paper feeding unit (not shown).
Positioning protrusions 251, 252, and 253 are formed on the upper surface of the extension tray 250 as shown in FIG. 9, and positioning protrusions are formed on the lower surface of the guide member (L) 217 of the printer 100 as shown in FIGS. A positioning hole 222 that fits the portion 252, a positioning hole 221 that fits the positioning projection 251, and a positioning hole 223 that fits the positioning projection 253 are formed on the lower surface of the guide member (R) 218.

  The positioning projection 251 of the extension tray 250 is fitted into the hole 221 of the guide member (R) 218, and the positioning projection 252 of the extension tray 250 is fitted to the hole 222 of the guide member (L) 217, whereby the printer 100 and the extension tray are fitted. The print medium accommodated in the expansion tray 250 is determined by being electrically coupled by a connector or the like (not shown) and rotating a paper feed roller (not shown) provided in the extension tray 250 to send out the print medium. Can be fed.

The effect | action of the structure mentioned above is demonstrated based on FIGS.
When the printer 100 is placed on the extension tray 250, the protrusions 251, 252, and 253 of the extension tray 250 are fitted in the holes 221, 222, and 223 of the guide member (L) 217 and the guide member (R) 218 on the printer 100 side, respectively. By combining, the positions of the printer 100 and the expansion tray 250 are determined.

  Here, the holes 221, 222, and 223 of the guide member (L) 217 and the guide member (R) 218 are fitted into the protrusions 251, 252, and 253 of the extension tray 250, so that the guide member (L) 217 and the guide Even if the gap with the member (R) 218 is shifted due to deformation of the frame 200 or the like, the guide member (L) 217 and the guide member (R) 218 are corrected by the side frame (L) 214 and the side frame (R) 215. Therefore, the opening (interval) between the lower portion of the side frame (L) 214 and the lower portion of the side frame (R) 215 is regulated, and an advantageous effect that the strength of the frame 200 is further increased can be obtained.

As described above, in the second embodiment, in addition to the effects of the first embodiment, the protrusions of the extension trays are fitted into the holes of the guide member (L) and the guide member (R), so that the side The effect that the space | interval of the lower part of a frame (L) and the lower part of a side frame (R) is controlled and the intensity | strength of a flame | frame can further be acquired is acquired.
In the first and second embodiments, the image forming apparatus has been described as a printer. However, the image forming apparatus is not limited thereto, and may be a copier, a facsimile machine, a multifunction machine, or the like.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100 Printer 101 Paper supply unit 102 Medium cassette 103 Print medium 106, 107 Conveyance roller 116, 119 Ejection roller 110 Image fixing device 113 Transfer roller 120 Stacker 130 Developing device 200 Frame 206 Projection part 208 Cover 211 Foot part 214 Side frame (L)
215 Side frame (R)
216 Medium transport frame 217 Guide member (L)
218 Guide member (R)
219, 220 Rubber feet 221, 222, 223 Holes 231 Grooves 250 Additional trays 251, 252, 253 Protrusions

Claims (6)

A frame consisting of a horizontally arranged central frame and side frames mounted upright on both sides of the central frame;
Has a foot portion in contact with the floor surface, the attached at the bottom of each side frame, a guide member for detachably guiding the medium cassette containing the print medium,
An engaging tray having an engaging portion and containing a print medium ;
A lower end of each side frame is bent to form a bent portion, and each bent portion is disposed on a side of each guide member and above the foot portion ;
On the bottom surface of each of the guide members, an engaged portion into which the engaging portion of the additional tray is fitted is formed,
The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the engaged portion is formed so as to pass through a vertical extension line orthogonal to the central frame of each of the side frames . The image forming apparatus according to claim 1.
The central frame and the side frame are formed of plate-like members,
The image forming apparatus, wherein the guide member is formed in a long shape and is attached along a depth direction of each of the side frames. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 or 2,
The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a foot portion of the guide member protrudes toward a floor surface from a lower end portion of the side frame. The image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The image forming apparatus, wherein the foot is formed integrally with the guide member. The image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
The image forming apparatus, wherein the central frame forms a medium conveyance path through which a print medium is conveyed. The image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
The engaging portion is a protrusion,
The engaged portion is a positioning hole,
An image forming apparatus, wherein the protrusion is fitted in the positioning hole to regulate the interval between the side frames.

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