Packaging component

Abstract

The present application provides a packaging member capable of improving the use value and the replacement workability of a fuser. A packaging member (10) which packages a fuser (5) detachable with respect to an image forming apparatus (1). The packaging member (10) is configured to be capable of being held between the image forming apparatus (1) and the fuser (5) mounted on the image forming apparatus (1). Therefore, the packaging member (10) has: a cover portion (11a) which covers the fuser (5); a left holding portion (14) and a right holding portion (15) which are provided in a pair on the left and right of the cover portion (11a) and hold held portions (5c, 5c) formed on the fuser (5). The left holding portion (14) and the right holding portion (15) have a heat insulating material which insulates between an inner side surface and an outer side surface. The heat insulating material causes the inner side surface to be press-bonded to the held portion (5c) by pressing of the outer side surface.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a packaging component. Background Technology

[0002] Image forming apparatuses using electrophotographic methods, such as multifunction printers, include a fuser that fixes a toner image onto a recording medium such as paper. In such an image forming apparatus, a heater built into the fuser generates heat. The fuser pressurizes and heats the toner placed on the paper, fixing the toner as a toner image onto the paper surface.

[0003] The fuser is configured to be detachable from the image forming apparatus. For example, in the fuser described in Patent Document 1, a handle is integrally provided. Then, the used fuser is removed from the image forming apparatus by using the handle, and a new fuser is installed on the image forming apparatus to perform a replacement operation.

[0004] Furthermore, in the image forming apparatus described in Patent Document 2, a cooling unit is provided, and cooling air is always delivered to the handle of the fuser for cooling.

[0005] Existing technical documents

[0006] Patent documents

[0007] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 4-116678

[0008] Patent Document 2: (Japan) Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-12490 Summary of the Invention

[0009] The problem that the invention aims to solve

[0010] The following requirement exists: even during continuous printing or immediately after printing, when the fuser is still warm, it is desirable to replace the used fuser with a new one to resume subsequent printing as soon as possible.

[0011] It is possible to consider packaging the used fuser directly in the packaging unit that holds the new fuser during fuser replacement and then transporting it. When such packaging units are reused, the empty packaging units can be used without discarding the new fuser after it has been removed.

[0012] Previously, the fuser unit, which was in a high-temperature state, was removed from the image forming apparatus and then stuffed into the packaging component after it cooled down. Because the fuser unit had to be allowed to cool down, the changeover operation was time-consuming and inefficient.

[0013] In addition, the replacement of the fuser is not only performed by maintenance personnel who are familiar with the replacement operation, but sometimes it is also performed by users who are not familiar with the replacement operation.

[0014] In such situations, there is a risk that the operator may grab the fuser unit before it has cooled down sufficiently, or that the operator may inadvertently come into contact with the fuser unit. In addition, when the fuser unit comes into contact with the operator's hands or clothing, the toner from the fuser unit may sometimes adhere to the hands or clothing and become soiled, making the changeover process difficult.

[0015] In the case of a cooling unit for cooling the fuser, the fuser is always cooled by cooling air, which poses a risk of affecting the fixing performance of the toner. Therefore, further improvements are desired that allow for easy and inexpensive replacement of the fuser.

[0016] The objective of this invention is to provide a packaging component that can improve usability and make the replacement of the fuser easier.

[0017] Solution for solving the problem

[0018] That is, the above-mentioned problems of the present invention are solved by the following structure.

[0019] (1) The present invention is a packaging component that packages a fuser that is detachable from the image forming apparatus. The packaging component is positioned between the image forming apparatus and the fuser mounted on the image forming apparatus, so that a user can hold the fuser.

[0020] (2) The packaging component includes: a cover portion that covers the fuser; and a holding portion disposed on at least a portion of the cover portion that holds the holding portion formed on the fuser.

[0021] (3) The holding part has a heat insulation material, the heat insulation material insulates the inner side and the outer side, and the heat insulation material presses the inner side against the holding part by pressing the outer side.

[0022] (4) As described in (3), the thermal conductivity λ[W / mK] of the insulation material is less than 2.0.

[0023] (5) As described in (3), the thermal conductivity λ[W / mK] of the insulation material is less than 1.0.

[0024] (6) The packaging component as described in (3) has a thermal conductivity λ [W / mK] of the insulation material, which is less than 0.06.

[0025] (7) The packaging component as described in any one of (3) to (6), wherein the insulating material is molded pulp.

[0026] (8) The packaging component as described in (3) is provided such that the dimension between the inner side of the holding part and the outer wall of the held part is set to be smaller than the dimension between the inner side of the cover part and the outer wall of the fuser.

[0027] (9) The packaging component as described in (3) is provided with the thickness between the inner and outer sides of the gripping part being greater than the thickness between the inner and outer sides of the cover part.

[0028] (10) The packaging component as described in (2) is such that a pair of the grip portions are disposed off the ground and integrally connected between the grip portions and the cover portion.

[0029] (11) The packaging component as described in (2) is such that a pair of the grip portions are disposed off the ground, and the cover portion disposed around one of the grip portions extends toward the other grip portion.

[0030] (12) The packaging component as described in (2) has a marking that distinguishes it from other components.

[0031] (13) The packaging component as described in (12) wherein the mark is a concave finger recess.

[0032] (14) The packaging component as described in (11), wherein the mark is a window formed by cutting off a portion of the cover located outside the finger recess.

[0033] (15) The packaging component as described in any one of (12) to (14), wherein the marking distinguishes the color, texture or material from the other parts.

[0034] (16) The packaging component as described in (2) comprises: a first packaging component that covers more than half of the fuser along the mounting direction of the fuser; and other components that are separated from the first packaging component along the mounting direction of the fuser and cover a smaller portion of the fuser than the first packaging component. The first packaging component has the gripping portion provided at a central position in the mounting direction of the fuser.

[0035] Invention Effects

[0036] According to the present invention, the usability of packaging components can be improved, and the workability of fixing unit replacement can be enhanced. Attached Figure Description

[0037] Figure 1 This is a packaging component according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention, and is a perspective view illustrating the situation of removing the heated fuser from the image forming apparatus using the packaging component.

[0038] Figure 2This is a side view showing the fuser being held using a packaging component.

[0039] Figure 3 This is a perspective view illustrating the removal of the fuser from the box, which is covered by the packaging components.

[0040] Figure 4 This is a side view of the packaged components assembled along the installation direction to cover the fuser.

[0041] Figure 5 This is a perspective view showing the fuser being encased in packaging components.

[0042] Figure 6 This is an enlarged view showing the main part of the markings on the packaging components.

[0043] Figure 7 This is a 3D view of the packaging components that enclose the fuser.

[0044] Figure 8 The location of the fuser, which is encased in the packaging components, is shown along... Figure 7 A cross-sectional view at the location of line VIII-VIII in the middle.

[0045] Figure 9 The location of the fuser, which is encased in the packaging components, is shown along... Figure 7 A cross-sectional view at the location of the IX-IX line.

[0046] Figure 10 This describes a configuration where the fuser is positioned close to a part of the packaging component. Figure 9 A magnified cross-sectional view of the main part of section X in the middle.

[0047] Figure 11 This is a perspective view illustrating the replacement operation of Embodiment 1 and showing the state of removing the first packaging component.

[0048] Figure 12 This is a perspective view showing the situation where the first packaging component is covered on the fuser of the image forming apparatus.

[0049] Figure 13 It is a perspective view showing the first packaging component being covered and held on the fuser of the image forming apparatus.

[0050] Figure 14 It is a perspective view showing the fuser being held and removed from the first packaging component.

[0051] Figure 15 This is a perspective view showing the situation where the second packaging component is placed over the fuser inside the removed first packaging component.

[0052] Figure 16This is a perspective view showing the packaging components and the removed fuser housed in the case.

[0053] Figure 17 It is a perspective view showing the installation of a new fuser on an image forming apparatus.

[0054] Figure 18 This is a three-dimensional view illustrating the structure of the packaging component according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention.

[0055] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures

[0056] 1: Image forming apparatus

[0057] 5: Fixer

[0058] 5c: Controlled part

[0059] 10: Packaging components

[0060] 11: First Packaging Component

[0061] 11a: Cover section

[0062] 14: Left grip section (one grip section)

[0063] 15: Right grip section (another grip section)

[0064] P: Recording medium Detailed Implementation

[0065] Hereinafter, the methods for implementing the present invention will be described with reference to the figures.

[0066] Figure 1 This illustrates the situation where the image forming apparatus 1 in this embodiment is in a state where the side is open, and the fuser 5 is replaced using the packaging component 10.

[0067] It should be noted that, in this embodiment, for ease of understanding, the mounting direction F is defined as the direction in which the fuser 5 is mounted relative to the side of the image forming apparatus 1 when viewed from the front as the front, and the direction in which the fuser 5 is removed as the rearward. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the height direction of the image forming apparatus 1 is defined as the vertical direction H. Moreover, in this embodiment, the length direction of the fuser 5, which is the depth direction of the image forming apparatus 1 orthogonal to the mounting direction F and the vertical direction H, is defined as the horizontal direction D.

[0068] [Image forming apparatus]

[0069] The image forming apparatus 1 employs an intermediate transfer method utilizing electrophotographic processing technology. The image forming apparatus 1 mainly comprises an image reading unit 2 that reads images from original documents or other objects to be copied, an operation panel 3, and a control unit (not shown). The control unit includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit), ROM (Read Only Memory), and RAM (Random Access Memory). The CPU reads the program corresponding to the processing content from the ROM and loads it into the RAM, and coordinates the loaded program with various data stored in storage units such as storage devices to control the various components of the image forming apparatus 1.

[0070] The image forming apparatus 1 forms a toner image from input image data read by the image reading unit 2 or input by the image reading unit 2. The image forming apparatus 1 is equipped with a fuser 5, which pressurizes and heats the toner image placed on the conveyed recording medium P to fix it.

[0071] Furthermore, a maintenance opening 1a is formed on the side of the image forming apparatus 1. An openable and closable cover is provided on the maintenance opening 1a. Moreover, a mounting part 4 for detachably mounting the fuser 5 is provided inside the maintenance opening 1a.

[0072] [Fixing device]

[0073] like Figure 2 As shown, the fuser 5 has a hollow, generally rectangular frame 5a. Inside the frame 5a are rollers 6 and heaters 7. The rollers 6 are rotatably supported along the axial direction in the left-right direction (length direction) D of the frame 5a.

[0074] The fuser 5 in this embodiment has a heater 7 inside the roller 6. The heater 7 is heated by energization to heat the pressure surface of the roller 6, which is in contact with the recording medium P. The toner placed on the recording medium P is pressed and heated by the rotating pressure surface of the roller 6 to fix the toner image onto the paper. It should be noted that the heater 7 can also be configured to be provided on the outside of the roller 6 to heat the pressure surface of the roller 6 from the outside.

[0075] Furthermore, in the frame 5a of the fuser 5, a mounting surface 5b is formed at the front end facing the mounting portion 4 in the mounting direction F. Moreover, the mounting portion 4 is provided inside the image forming apparatus 1. The mounting portion 4 is configured such that the fuser 5 can be attached or detached from the side along the mounting direction F with the cover on the side of the image forming apparatus 1 open.

[0076] For example, during maintenance, the used fuser 5 is removed from the image forming apparatus 1 and replaced with a new fuser 5. During maintenance, the fuser 5 mounted on the mounting part 4 can be removed rearward along the mounting direction F by releasing the engagement between the mounting surface 5b and the mounting part 4.

[0077] Then, the new fuser 5 is oriented forward along the mounting direction F so that the mounting part 4 engages with the mounting surface 5b. Thus, the new fuser 5 is installed inside the image forming apparatus 1. The fuser 5 is configured to be electrically connected to the control unit when the connecting part of the mounting surface 5b is connected to and installed with the image forming apparatus 1.

[0078] like Figure 3 As shown, a pair of left and right gripping portions 5c are formed on the frame 5a of the fuser 5. The gripping portions 5c are respectively provided at the left and right ends in the left-right direction D. On the upper and lower side surfaces of the outer wall of the gripping portion 5c, an upper side surface portion 5d and a lower side surface portion 5e are formed in pairs in the up-down direction H. In Embodiment 1, each upper side surface portion 5d and lower side surface portion 5e has an alternating concave-convex anti-slip shape along the mounting direction F.

[0079] Furthermore, the upper side portion 5d and the lower side portion 5e of the gripped portion 5c are formed at equal intervals with their outward orientation facing the vertical direction H. As a result, each gripped portion 5c can be reliably gripped without slipping when the operator performing the replacement operation uses their fingers to hold it directly or indirectly from the vertical direction.

[0080] [Packaging Components]

[0081] like Figure 3 As shown, the packaging component 10 has: a rectangular outer box 30; a first packaging component 11 and a second packaging component 12, which package the fuser 5 and house it inside the outer box 30.

[0082] The packaging component 10 in Embodiment 1 includes a first packaging component 11 and a second packaging component 12, which are other components. The first packaging component 11 is configured to cover more than half of the fuser 5 forward along the mounting direction F (see reference). Figure 2 In addition, the second packaging component 12 is composed of components that are separate from the first packaging component 11.

[0083] Thus, the first packaging component 11 and the second packaging component 12 can separate toward the mounting direction F of the fuser 5.

[0084] Furthermore, the first packaging component 11 and the second packaging component 12 are joined together along the mounting direction F. Thus, the first packaging component 11 and the second packaging component 12 form an internal space for housing the fuser 5 inside the packaging component 10.

[0085] like Figure 4 As shown, these first components 11 include a cover 11a that covers the fuser 5 when assembled along the mounting direction F. The cover 11a is formed as a pouch protruding rearward in the mounting direction F, with a concave opening on the side of the second packaging component 12. Then, the rear portion of the first packaging component 11 is inserted into the cover 11a from the opening along the mounting direction F of the fuser 5 (see reference). Figure 2 Thus, more than half of the fuser 5 is covered by the cover portion 11a along the mounting direction F and housed inside the first packaging component 11.

[0086] In addition, such as Figure 5 As shown, the first packaging component 11 has a flange portion 11b, which is disposed around the cover portion 11a and abuts against the inner side 31 of the outer box 30. Furthermore, the first packaging component 11 has a left handle portion 14 and a right handle portion 15 disposed near the left and right ends of the cover portion 11a.

[0087] In Embodiment 1, the cover 11a connects the left grip 14 and the right grip 15 integrally in a separated state.

[0088] That is, the left grip portion 14 and the right grip portion 15 are made of the same heat-insulating material as the cover portion 11a, which is molded from pulp. Pulp molding is a molded part made primarily from paper materials such as cardboard or waste paper from newspapers.

[0089] Therefore, in the molding process of manufacturing the first packaging component 11, the left grip portion 14 and the right grip portion 15 are integrally provided near the left and right ends of the cover portion 11a. Thus, the cover portion 11a, the left grip portion 14, and the right grip portion 15 can be molded simultaneously during the molding process of the first packaging component 11. Therefore, the manufacturing process of the left grip portion 14 and the right grip portion 15 can be simplified.

[0090] Then, when pressure is applied in the direction of compression in the vertical direction H, the left gripping part 14 and the right gripping part 15 elastically deform. The left gripping part 14 and the right gripping part 15 are pressed against the outer walls of the respective gripped parts 5c formed on the left and right sides of the fuser 5. Thus, the operator can grip each gripped part 5c via the left gripping part 14 and the right gripping part 15 without directly contacting each gripped part 5c.

[0091] In Embodiment 1, the fuser 5 is inserted more than halfway into the cover 11a along the mounting direction F (see reference). Figure 2 The left gripping part 14 or the right gripping part 15 is positioned opposite the middle of the fuser 5 housed in the cover part 11a in the mounting direction F.

[0092] Therefore, the upper side portion 5d and the lower side portion 5e of the gripped portion 5c, which is located in the middle position, are clamped in the upward and downward direction H by the left gripping portion 14 and the right gripping portion 15. As a result, the fuser 5 is held in a well-balanced position in the mounting direction F.

[0093] Additionally, the flange portion 11b has a longitudinal wall surface 11e and a flange surface 11f (see reference). Figure 2 Furthermore, the leading edge of the cover 11a is connected to the flange surface 11f via the longitudinal wall surface 11e.

[0094] The flange surface 11f is provided in a state that is separated from the periphery of the cover portion 12a and abuts against the inner side 31 of the outer casing 30. Thus, the flange portion 11b is formed in a roughly U-shaped manner that opens to the rear in the cross-sectional shape along the mounting direction F.

[0095] Additionally, the second packaging component 12 includes: a cover portion 12a that covers a smaller portion of the fuser 5 compared to the first packaging component 11; and a flange portion 12b disposed around the cover portion 12a and abutting against the inner side 31 of the outer case 30.

[0096] The cover portion 12a is formed as a bag shape that protrudes forward along the mounting direction F. Thus, the cover portion 12a of the second packaging component 12 covers a portion of the fuser 5, i.e. the remaining portion not covered by the first packaging component 11, rearward along the mounting direction F.

[0097] In the packaging component 10 of Embodiment 1, the first packaging component 11 and the second packaging component 12 are assembled along the mounting direction F. This forms an internal space for housing the fuser 5 inside the cover portion 11a and the cover portion 12a.

[0098] The internal space of the embodiment has the same length dimension as the fuser 5 in the left-right direction D. Moreover, each surface of the outer wall of the fuser 5 is packaged while being covered by the cover 11a of the first packaging member 11 and the cover 12a of the second packaging member 12.

[0099] When the fuser 5 is stored or transported, it is covered by cover 11a and cover 12a, and together with the first packaging component 11 and the second packaging component 12, it is placed inside the inner 31 of the outer box 30 (see reference). Figure 3 ).

[0100] The first packaging component 11 and the second packaging component 12 exist between the inner side 31 of the outer box 30 and the respective outer walls of the frame 5a of the fuser 5, when placed inside the outer box 30. Thus, the packaging component 10 supports the fuser 5 while separated from the inner side 31 of the outer box 30, functioning as a cushioning material for the fuser 5. Therefore, the fuser 5 is protected from external impacts when transported or stored using the packaging component 10.

[0101] The thermal insulation material constituting the first packaging component 11 and the second packaging component 12 has a thermal conductivity λ [W / mK] set to be less than 2.0.

[0102] In Embodiment 1, the first packaging component 11 and the second packaging component 12 are molded from pulp as an insulating material. The thermal conductivity λ of the pulp molding is similar to that of paper material, λ=1.3, and λ=1.2~1.4. Furthermore, the pulp molding used for the left grip portion 14 and the right grip portion 15 has granular unevenness formed on at least one surface. In this case, the thermal conductivity λ of the left grip portion 14 and the right grip portion 15 can be further reduced.

[0103] Furthermore, preferably, the insulation material is made of ceramic (including porcelain or ceramic ware) and can be used only for the left grip portion 14 and the right grip portion 15 to ensure the desired deformability. The thermal conductivity λ of ceramic is 1.0 to 1.6. Therefore, the thermal conductivity λ of the insulation material can be set to be less than 2.0.

[0104] Furthermore, preferably, the thermal conductivity of the insulation material is set to be less than 1.0. For example, the insulation material can be made of rubber or resin.

[0105] The thermal conductivity of rubber is λ = 0.13~0.20. Additionally, the thermal conductivity of resin is λ = 0.13~0.67 (e.g., bakelite (phenolic resin) is a thermosetting resin). Therefore, it is possible to set the thermal conductivity λ of the insulation material to be less than 1.0.

[0106] When using rubber or resin as the heat insulation material, materials that will not melt due to the heat of the fuser 5, such as other additives, can be mixed with the rubber or resin.

[0107] Furthermore, more preferably, the thermal conductivity of the insulation material is set to be less than 0.06. For example, the insulation material can be made of cloth materials such as cotton or paper materials. The thermal conductivity of cotton is λ=0.059. In addition, by including a gas such as air, which has a lower thermal conductivity λ, in the paper material, the thermal conductivity λ of the insulation material can be further reduced. Therefore, by using cloth materials such as cotton or paper materials in at least a portion of the left grip portion 14 and the right grip portion 15, the thermal conductivity λ can be easily set to be less than 0.06.

[0108] Figure 6 This diagram illustrates the structure of the right grip portion 15 of the first packaging component 11. The left grip portion 14 of the first packaging component 11 is substantially symmetrical to the right grip portion 15. Therefore, the structure of the right grip portion 15 will be primarily described here, while the description of the left grip portion 14 will be omitted.

[0109] The left grip portion 14 and the right grip portion 15 each have a mark 19. The mark 19 in Embodiment 1 has: a concave finger recess 19a; and a window portion 19b, which is formed by cutting off a portion of the flange portion 11b located outside the finger recess 19a.

[0110] It should be noted that the mark 19 can be either the finger recess 19a or the window 19b. Furthermore, the mark 19 can be configured to differ in color, texture, or material from parts other than the left and right grip portions 14 and 15 of the first packaging component 11. Additionally, the mark 19 can be configured by combining the finger recess 19a or the window 19b with their different parts.

[0111] These markings 19 distinguish the left grip 14 and right grip 15 from other components, making it easy for operators to determine which part of the first packaging component 11 to grip during maintenance.

[0112] like Figure 7 As shown, in Embodiment 1, the marking 19 is formed only on the left gripping portion 14 and the right gripping portion 15 of the first packaging component 11. Therefore, the operator can more easily identify the use of the first packaging component 11 for changing the fuser 5.

[0113] Furthermore, such as Figure 8 As shown, the right gripping part 15 is configured such that the distance between the inner side surface 11c of the cover part 11a and the upper side surface 5d of the outer wall of the fuser 5 is dimension H1. Moreover, the distance between the inner side surface 15c of the right gripping part 15 and the outer wall 5f of the gripped part 5c is set to be smaller than dimension H1 (H1>H2).

[0114] In addition, such as Figure 9 As shown, in the left gripping part 14, the distance between the inner side surface 11c of the cover part 11a and the upper side surface 5d of the fuser 5 is set to be H3. Moreover, the distance between the inner side surface 14c of the left gripping part 14 and the outer wall 5f of the gripped part 5c is set to be smaller than the distance H3 (H3>H4).

[0115] Furthermore, in Embodiment 1, a dimension H1 is provided between the cover 11a around which the right grip portion 15 is integrally provided and the fuser 5. The dimension H1 is set to be the same size as the dimension H3 between the cover 11a around which the left grip portion 14 is integrally provided and the fuser 5.

[0116] Furthermore, the dimension H2 between the right gripping part 15 and the fuser 5 is set to be the same as the dimension H4 between the left gripping part 14 and the fuser 5.

[0117] However, the present invention is not particularly limited thereto. For example, at least either of the dimension H1 and the dimension H3, or the dimension H2 and the dimension H4 may be set to be different.

[0118] Further, in the first embodiment, as Figure 10 shown, a thickness dimension W2 is provided between the inner side surface 11c and the outer side surface 11d of the cover portion 11a, and a thickness dimension W3 is provided on the vertical wall surface 11e of the flange portion 11b. Further, the thickness dimension W1 between the inner side surface 14c and the outer side surface 14d of the left grip portion 14 is set to be larger than at least either of these thickness dimensions W2 and W3 (W2<W1, W3<W1). It should be noted that the thickness dimension between the inner side surface and the outer side surface of the right grip portion 15 is also set in the same manner as the left grip portion 14.

[0119] Accordingly, the left grip portion 14 and the right grip portion 15 are insulated by the heat insulating material of the desired thickness dimension W1, and heat from the fuser 5 is less likely to be transmitted to the operator who grips them.

[0120] Further, even if the left grip portion 14 and the right grip portion 15 are made of a heat insulating material having the desired thickness dimension W1 that insulates between the inner side surface 11c and the outer side surface 11d, the surrounding cover portion 11a and the flange portion 11b are easily deflected by pressing of the outer side surface 11d.

[0121] Therefore, it is possible to abut and pressure-contact with the gripped portion 5c of each of the inner side surfaces 14c and 15c with a small stroke (for example, Figure 8 the shown (H1>H2), Figure 9 the shown (H3>H4)).

[0122] Figures 11-17 is a diagram for explaining the maintenance work of replacing the fuser 5 of the image forming apparatus 1 using the packaging member 10 of the first embodiment.

[0123] First, as Figure 11 shown, the operator takes out the first packaging member 11 and the second packaging member 12 in which the new fuser 5 is packaged from the outer box 30 of the packaging member 10. Then, the first packaging member 11, the second packaging member 12, and the fuser 5 are separated.

[0124] At this time, the operator can distinguish the positions of the respective left grip portions 14 and right grip portions 15 from the positions of the other constituent parts by the mark 19 ( Figure 6 ). Accordingly, the operator can easily determine which part to grip.

[0125] Figure 12The image forming apparatus 1 is shown with its side cover open. First, the operator approaches the first packaging component 11 along the installation direction F and inserts it through the maintenance opening 1a for the used fuser 5 installed inside.

[0126] The changeover can begin even in the middle of continuous printing or immediately after printing, when the fuser 5 is still hot. Then, inside the maintenance opening 1a, the cover 11a covers the fuser 5 mounted on the mounting section 4.

[0127] Furthermore, the first packaging component 11 is a packaging component for packaging a new fuser 5 with the same shape as the used fuser 5. Therefore, the cover portion 11a of the first packaging component 11 can be adapted to the shape of the fuser 5, covering more than half of the fuser 5 from the rear to the front along the mounting direction F.

[0128] like Figure 13 As shown, the operator holds the used fuser 5 from above the first packaging component 11. The operator positions the left gripping part 14 and the right gripping part 15 of the first packaging component 11 in the middle, and grasps the left and right gripping parts 5c of the fuser 5 from the vertical direction H. At this time, the finger recesses 19a (refer to the markings 19 of the left gripping part 14 and the right gripping part 15) are visible. Figure 6 The part is formed into a concave shape. Therefore, the operator can fit the fingers into the finger concave part 19a and further effectively transmit the gripping force from the left gripping part 14 and the right gripping part 15 to the gripped part 5c of the fuser 5.

[0129] Furthermore, a concave finger recess 19a, formed as mark 19, protrudes from the gripped portion 5c. Therefore, compared to the case where the finger recess 19a is not formed, the dimensions H2 and H4 between the inner surfaces 14c and 15c of the left gripped portion 14 and the right gripped portion 15 and the outer wall 5f of the gripped portion 5c can be further reduced.

[0130] Therefore, the inner surfaces 15c of the left gripping portion 14 and the right gripping portion 15 can be easily abutted against the outer wall 5f of the gripped portion 5c by deformation. As a result, the fuser 5 can be more reliably gripped from the outer surfaces 15d of the left gripping portion 14 and the right gripping portion 15.

[0131] Furthermore, the heat from the fuser 5 is blocked by the pulp molding that forms the left grip portion 14 and the right grip portion 15, making it difficult to transfer to the operator's fingers or hands. In Embodiment 1, the thickness W1 between the inner surface 14c and the outer surface 14d of the left grip portion 14, etc., is set to be greater than the thickness of other parts.

[0132] Therefore, it is more difficult for heat to be transferred to the fingers.

[0133] Therefore, as Figure 13 As shown, even if the temperature of the fuser 5 has not dropped sufficiently, the operator can easily hold the left and right gripped parts 5c by clamping the left gripping part 14 and the right gripping part 15.

[0134] In implementation method one, such as Figure 10 As shown, the thickness W1 of the left grip portion 14 and the right grip portion 15 is set to be greater than the thickness W2 of the cover portion 11a or the thickness W3 of the flange portion 11b (W2 <W1,W3<W1)。

[0135] Therefore, the heat from the fuser 5 is more effectively blocked by the pulp molding, making it difficult for the heat to be transferred to the operator's fingers or hands.

[0136] Furthermore, due to the cover 11a, the fuser 5 does not come into direct contact with the operator's hands or clothing. Therefore, heat to the operator's body (excluding hands) is blocked. Moreover, there is no risk of the toner from the fuser 5 adhering to the operator's clothing. Therefore, the ease of changing the fuser 5 is improved.

[0137] Furthermore, the thickness W2 of the cover portion 11a or the thickness W3 of the flange portion 11b is smaller than the thickness W1 of the left grip portion 14 and the right grip portion 15. Therefore, the areas around the left grip portion 14 and the right grip portion 15 are more prone to deformation. Consequently, the flat inner surfaces 14c of the left grip portion 14 and the right grip portion 15, opposite the gripped portion 5c, abut against the uneven anti-slip members of the gripped portion 5c over a wider range. This allows for easy replacement operations and prevents the fuser 5 from slipping.

[0138] Therefore, even during continuous printing or immediately after printing, the operator can remove the fuser 5 from the mounting part 4 of the image forming apparatus 1 by releasing the engagement of the mounting surface 5b of the fuser 5.

[0139] At this time, the left gripping part 14 and the right gripping part 15 are integrally connected by a cover 11a made of the same pulp molding material as the left gripping part 14 and the right gripping part 15. Therefore, the fuser 5 will not come into direct contact with the operator. As a result, the fuser 5, which is still hot and has not cooled sufficiently, can be safely removed from the image forming apparatus 1. In addition, the toner from the fuser 5 will not adhere to the operator's hands or clothing and cause soiling.

[0140] like Figure 15 As shown, the operator, along the installation direction F, covers the used fuser 5, which is being held from the first packaging component 11, with the second packaging component 12, which is being removed from the outer box 30. The used fuser 5 is held between the first packaging component 11 and the second packaging component 12, and is covered by the cover portion 11a and the cover portion 12a.

[0141] At this time, by holding the first packaging component 11 and the second packaging component 12, the operator can perform the packaging operation without direct contact with the fuser 5. Therefore, even if there is residual heat in the fuser 5, the fuser 5 is housed in the internal space formed between the cover 11a and the cover 12a.

[0142] like Figure 16 As shown, the used fuser 5 is placed inside the inner 31 of the outer box 30 while covered by the first packaging component 11 and the second packaging component 12. The upper opening of the outer box 30 is closed and it is stored or transported until it is recycled or disposed of.

[0143] In addition, such as Figure 17 As shown, the new fuser 5 is installed in the mounting section 4 of the image forming apparatus 1. The new fuser 5 is not heated and has no heat. Therefore, the operator can directly grasp the holding sections 5c, 5c of the fuser 5 and install it onto the image forming apparatus 1.

[0144] Figure 18 The packaging component 50 according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention is shown. Here, the description focuses on the differences from the packaging component 10 of Embodiment 1. For the same or equivalent parts, the same reference numerals are used and the description is omitted.

[0145] In the packaging component 50 of Embodiment 2, the first packaging component 21 has a left first packaging component 22 and a right first packaging component 23 that are divided into two at the middle part in the left-right direction D. The left first packaging component 22 and the right first packaging component 23 are provided with a left handle 14 and a right handle 15 in an integral manner with each left cover 24 and right cover 25.

[0146] In the left cover portion 24 and right cover portion 25, which are divided into two parts, a pair of left handle portions 14 and right handle portions 15 are respectively provided separately in the left-right direction D. The left cover portion 24 and right cover portion 25, which are made of the same pulp molding as the left handle portion 14 and right handle portion 15, extend from the periphery of each left handle portion 14 and right handle portion 15 toward the right handle portion 15 and left handle portion 14 on the other side.

[0147] Furthermore, the left first packaging component 22 and the right first packaging component 23 will have their opposite ends joined together at the divided portion.

[0148] The first packaging component 21 of the packaging component 50 configured in this way has a left first packaging component 22 and a right first packaging component 23 that are divided into two at the middle part in the left-right direction D.

[0149] Therefore, in addition to the effect of the packaging component 10 in Embodiment 1, the packaging component 50 in Embodiment 2 can also separately cover the left first packaging component 22 and the right first packaging component 23 onto the fuser 5.

[0150] Therefore, the maintainability of the fuser 5 is further improved.

[0151] Furthermore, the left first packaging component 22 and the right first packaging component 23 are divided into two parts in the left-right direction D. The left cover 24 extends from around the left grip portion 14 toward the right grip portion 15 on the other side. In addition, the right cover 25 extends from around the right grip portion 15 toward the left grip portion 14 on the other side.

[0152] Therefore, when the operator removes the fuser 5 from the mounting part 4 while grasping the left handle 14 with the left hand and the right handle 15 with the right hand, the operator will not come into direct contact with the fuser 5 in the heated state.

[0153] Regarding other structures and effects, they are the same as those of the packaging component 10 in Embodiment 1, so descriptions are omitted.

[0154] As described above, the packaging component of the embodiment includes a cover portion 11a that covers the fuser 5. In addition, the packaging component includes a left gripping portion 14 and a right gripping portion 15, which are provided on the left and right sides of the cover portion 11a to grip the gripped portion 5c formed on the fuser 5.

[0155] The packaging components 10 and 50 configured in this way can improve their usability and make the replacement of the fuser 5 easier.

[0156] That is, even during continuous printing or immediately after printing when the fuser is still hot, the used fuser can be replaced with a new one to resume printing as soon as possible. Furthermore, even operators unfamiliar with the changeover process will not come into contact with the fuser 5. Therefore, there is no risk of the toner from the fuser 5 sticking to hands or clothing and causing stains.

[0157] Furthermore, the packaging components for new fusers can directly package and transport used fusers. Therefore, the empty packaging components are not discarded after the new fuser is removed but reused, increasing their value.

[0158] Therefore, the packaging components 10 and 50 in embodiments one and two can perform well in terms of replacement.

[0159] Furthermore, in Embodiment 1, the thickness W2 of the cover portion 11a or the thickness W3 of the flange portion 11b of the packaging component 10 is set to be smaller than the thickness W1 of the left grip portion 14 and the right grip portion 15. Therefore, compared to the case where all components are constructed with the same thickness W1 as the left grip portion 14 and the right grip portion 15, the packaging component 10 can be made lighter. Additionally, this achieves the practically beneficial effect of reducing the amount of material used as the main raw material.

[0160] The embodiments of the present invention have been described above, but these embodiments are merely examples and do not limit the technical scope of the present invention. The present invention can be implemented in various other ways, and furthermore, various changes such as omissions or substitutions can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. These embodiments or variations thereof are included within the scope or essence of the invention described in this specification, and are also included within the scope of the invention as stated in the claims and its equivalents.

[0161] For example, in this embodiment, it is shown and described that left grip portions 14 and right grip portions 15 are provided near the left and right ends of the cover portion 11a, but this is not particularly limited to this. For example, the grip portions only need to be provided at least once in any part of the first packaging member 11. In addition, the middle position between the left and right ends of the first packaging member 11 does not need to be a bisected center position. That is, the grip portions can be formed continuously with the cover portion 11a. Thus, the shape, number, material, and position of the grip portions are not limited by the embodiment.

[0162] Furthermore, the marking 19 in the embodiment has, in both the left grip portion 14 and the right grip portion 15, a concave finger recess 19a and a window portion 19b, which is formed by cutting away a portion of the flange portion 11b located outside the finger recess 19a. Additionally, the main point is that the marking 19 can be a marking with different colors, textures, or materials.

[0163] However, the marking 19 is not particularly limited to this. For example, it may also have one of the finger recess 19a or the window portion 19b. In addition, the marking 19 may not be provided on the left grip portion 14 and the right grip portion 15. That is, the shape, number, material, and color of the marking 19 are not limited to the embodiments.

[0164] Furthermore, in the implementation method, such as Figure 10 As shown, the thickness W1 between the inner side 14c and the outer side 14d of the left grip portion 14 is set to be greater than at least one of the following: the thickness W2 between the inner side 11c and the outer side 11d of the cover portion 11a, or the thickness W3 of the longitudinal wall surface 11e of the flange portion 11b (W2). <W1,W3<W1)。

[0165] However, the present invention is not particularly limited thereto. For example, all thickness dimensions can be set to be the same (W1=W2, W3). That is, the size and position of thickness dimensions W1~W3 can be set in any way, and are not limited to the implementation method.

Claims

1. A packaging component that packages a fuser removably from an image forming apparatus, the packaging component being positioned between the image forming apparatus and the fuser mounted on the image forming apparatus, thereby allowing a user to hold the fuser. The packaging component comprises: A cover that covers the fuser; A holding portion, disposed on at least a portion of the cover portion, holds the holding portion formed on the fuser. The packaging component also includes: A first packaging component covers more than half of the fuser along its mounting direction; other components, separable from the first packaging component along the fuser's mounting direction, cover a smaller portion of the fuser compared to the first packaging component. The first packaging component has the holding part located at the middle position in the mounting direction of the fuser.

2. The packaging component as claimed in claim 1, wherein, The holding part has a heat-insulating material that insulates the inner and outer sides. The heat-insulating material presses the inner side against the holding part by pressing the outer side.

3. The packaging component as claimed in claim 2, wherein, The thermal conductivity λ [W / mK] of the insulation material satisfies that λ is less than 2.

0.

4. The packaging component as claimed in claim 3, wherein, The thermal conductivity λ [W / mK] of the insulation material satisfies that λ is less than 1.

0.

5. The packaging component as claimed in claim 2, wherein, The thermal conductivity λ [W / mK] of the insulation material satisfies λ < 0.

06.

6. The packaging component as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein, The insulation material is molded pulp.

7. The packaging component as claimed in claim 2, wherein, The dimension between the inner side of the holding part and the outer wall of the held part is set to be smaller than the dimension between the inner side of the cover part and the outer wall of the fuser.

8. The packaging component as claimed in claim 2, wherein, The thickness between the inner and outer sides of the gripping part is set to be greater than the thickness between the inner and outer sides of the cover part.

9. The packaging component as claimed in claim 1, wherein, The pair of gripping portions are disposed off the ground and integrally connected to the cover portion between the gripping portions.

10. The packaging component as claimed in claim 1, wherein, The pair of gripping portions are disposed off the ground, and the cover portion disposed around one of the gripping portions extends toward the other gripping portion.

11. The packaging component as claimed in claim 1, wherein, The gripping part has markings that distinguish it from other components.

12. The packaging component as claimed in claim 11, wherein, The mark is a concave finger recess.

13. The packaging component as claimed in claim 12, wherein, The mark is a window formed by cutting off a portion of the cover located outside the recess of the finger.

14. The packaging component as claimed in any one of claims 11 to 13, wherein, The markings distinguish the color, texture, or material from the rest of the parts.

Images