Image forming apparatus

Abstract

An image forming apparatus configured to form an image on a recording material, the image forming apparatus including: an apparatus body including at least a first frame body and a second frame body arranged in a vertical direction; a first electrical component disposed in the first frame body and configured to physically operate based on electrical control; a second electrical component disposed in the second frame body and configured to physically operate based on electrical control; a first control board disposed in the first frame body, connected to the first electrical component, and configured to control the first electrical component; and a second control board disposed in the second frame body, connected to the second electrical component, and configured to control the second electrical component.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to imaging devices such as printers, copiers, fax machines, or integrated machines. Background Technology

[0002] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2015-18173 discloses an imaging device comprising multiple electrical components and multiple control boards for controlling these electrical components. In this imaging device, a considerable amount of wiring is implemented to connect the multiple electrical components and the multiple control boards. However, in such a configuration including multiple electrical components and multiple control boards, there are concerns that maintainability may become an issue. Summary of the Invention

[0003] According to a first aspect of this disclosure, an imaging apparatus is configured to form an image on a recording material. The imaging apparatus includes: an apparatus body, comprising at least a first frame body and a second frame body arranged in a vertical direction; a first electrical component disposed in the first frame body and configured to be physically operated based on electrical control; a second electrical component disposed in the second frame body and configured to be physically operated based on electrical control; a first control board disposed in the first frame body, connected to the first electrical component, and configured to control the first electrical component; and a second control board disposed in the second frame body, connected to the second electrical component, and configured to control the second electrical component.

[0004] According to a second aspect of this disclosure, an imaging apparatus is configured to form an image on a recording material. The imaging apparatus includes: a first electrical component configured to physically operate based on electrical control; a second electrical component configured to physically operate based on electrical control; a first control board arranged to overlap with the first electrical component when the imaging apparatus is viewed from the rear, connected to the first electrical component, and configured to control the actuation of the first electrical component; and a second control board arranged to overlap with the second electrical component when the imaging apparatus is viewed from the rear, connected to the second electrical component, and configured to control the actuation of the second electrical component.

[0005] The features of this disclosure will become apparent from the following description of embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings. The following description of the embodiments is given by way of example. Attached Figure Description

[0006] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the structure of the imaging device in this embodiment.

[0007] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram showing the separate structure of the imaging device.

[0008] Figure 3A This is a schematic diagram showing the sheet material being ejected from the main frame body.

[0009] Figure 3B This is a schematic diagram showing the main body of the imaging frame.

[0010] Figure 3C This is a schematic diagram showing the main body of the sheet supply frame.

[0011] Figure 4 This is a block diagram illustrating an example of an electrical system, where DrvIC represents a driver integrated circuit, OPAMP represents an operational amplifier, and FET represents a field-effect transistor.

[0012] Figure 5A This is a diagram used to explain the drive signals between an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) and a stepper motor.

[0013] Figure 5B This is a diagram used to explain the drive signals between the ASIC and the DC brushless fan.

[0014] Figure 5C This is a diagram used to explain the drive signals between the ASIC and the DC brushed motor.

[0015] Figure 5D This is a diagram used to explain the drive signals between the ASIC and the DC brushless motor.

[0016] Figure 5E This is a diagram used to explain the drive signals between the ASIC and the inductive sensor.

[0017] Figure 5F This is a diagram used to explain the drive signals between the ASIC and the electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM).

[0018] Figure 5G This is a diagram used to explain the drive signals between the ASIC and the optical circuit breaker.

[0019] Figure 5H This is a diagram used to explain the drive signals between the ASIC and the main switch.

[0020] Figure 6A This is a diagram showing the control signals between the central processing unit (CPU) and the ASIC in a bus system.

[0021] Figure 6B This is a diagram illustrating the control signals between the CPU and ASIC in a command-based system.

[0022] Figure 7 It is shown Figure 4 A diagram showing the layout and wiring of control panels and electrical components in an electrical system.

[0023] Figure 8This is a block diagram illustrating another example of an electrical system, where DrvIC represents a driver integrated circuit and FET represents a field-effect transistor.

[0024] Figure 9 It is shown Figure 8 A diagram showing the layout and wiring of control panels and electrical components in an electrical system. Detailed Implementation

[0025] Imaging equipment

[0026] This embodiment will be described below. First, using Figure 1 The schematic construction of the imaging device of this embodiment will be described below. Note that in the following description, "front" and "rear (back side)" refer to the front and far sides of the imaging device, respectively, while "right" and "left" correspond to the directions when viewing the device from the front. The front side of the device refers to the side where the user operates the imaging device to perform maintenance work, and is, for example, the side where the operation panel is arranged or the side where the storage box for recording materials is pulled out. "Vertical direction" refers to the direction parallel to the direction of gravity when the imaging device is mounted on a mounting surface (such as a floor). Figure 1 In the image, imaging device 1 is shown as viewed from the front.

[0027] Figure 1 The imaging device 1 shown is a full-color printer in an intermediate transfer system, wherein imaging units PY, PM, PC, and PK for forming toner images of four colors (yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C), and black (K)) are arranged opposite to the intermediate transfer belt 21. Imaging device 1 includes an imaging unit 500, which forms toner images on recording material S based on image signals received from an image reading device that reads an image from the original document or from an external device (not shown) such as a personal computer. Imaging unit 500 includes imaging units PY, PM, PC, and PK, and an intermediate transfer belt unit 600.

[0028] The transport process of the recording material S in the imaging apparatus 1 will be described. The recording material S is stored in one or more (two in this example) cassettes 31 and 32 in a stacked manner and is transported by a sheet supply unit 300. The sheet supply unit 300 includes supply rollers 31a and 32a, and supplies the recording material S one sheet at a time from either of the cassettes 31 and 32 to the transport path 60 in synchronization with the imaging timing via the supply rollers 31a and 32a. In the imaging apparatus 1 of this embodiment, the transport path 60 is capable of transporting the recording material S in an upward direction (a so-called vertical transport system). It should be noted that the recording material S includes various types of sheet materials, including paper (such as standard paper, thick paper, rough paper, embossed paper, coated paper), plastic film, cloth, etc.

[0029] Recording material S supplied from cartridges 31 and 32 to transport path 60 is conveyed to pre-alignment roller pair 41 arranged midway along transport path 60. Pre-alignment roller pair 41 corrects the skewness of recording material S. Specifically, the leading edge of recording material S conveyed by pre-alignment roller pair 41 abuts against the clamping portion of alignment roller pair 42, thereby forming an arch shape to correct the skewness. Intermediate transfer belt 21 is arranged above alignment roller pair 42, which serves as a rotating member pair, and alignment roller pair 42 conveys recording material S to secondary transfer section in an upward direction in a timing synchronized manner with the transfer of toner image on intermediate transfer belt 21 to recording material S. Alignment roller pair 42 is arranged at the position closest to secondary transfer section on the upstream side relative to the transport direction (vertical direction) of recording material S conveyed through transport path 60. The secondary transfer section is a clamping section formed by the secondary transfer inner roller 22 and the secondary transfer outer roller 44 facing each other across the intermediate transfer belt 21 (first transfer member, intermediate transfer member), which serves as a transfer member, and the toner image is transferred from the intermediate transfer belt 21 to the recording material S by applying a predetermined pressure and secondary transfer voltage.

[0030] The image formation process, which involves timely transfer of an image to a secondary transfer unit in a manner similar to the recording material S transfer process described above, will be described first. Imaging units PY to PK will be described initially. However, since imaging units PY to PK are substantially the same for each color except for the toner color, imaging unit PY for yellow will be described below as a representative example. Imaging units PM, PC, and PK will have the same structure as imaging unit PY. Figure 1 The suffixes M, C, and K are added to the reference numerals in the attached figures, and their descriptions are omitted.

[0031] The imaging unit PY includes a photosensitive drum 11Y, a charging unit 12Y, an exposure unit 13Y, and a developing unit 14Y. The surface of the rotatably driven photosensitive drum 11Y is pre-charged uniformly by the charging unit 12Y, and then an electrostatic latent image is formed by a laser emitted by the exposure unit 13Y, which is driven based on an image signal. The electrostatic latent image formed on the photosensitive drum 11Y is then developed into a toner image by the developing unit 14Y. The developing unit 14Y develops the electrostatic latent image into a toner image by rotating a developing sleeve carrying a developer containing toner and a carrier. It should be noted that since the toner is consumed during development, toner is replenished from the toner bottle 90Y to the developing unit 14Y at appropriate timing by rotatably driving a toner bottle 90Y containing replenished toner.

[0032] The toner image formed on the photosensitive drum 11Y receives a primary transfer voltage from the primary transfer roller 25Y, which is arranged opposite the photosensitive drum 11Y across the intermediate transfer belt 21, and is thus transferred from the photosensitive drum 11Y to the intermediate transfer belt 21 in one step. The primary transfer residual toner remaining on the photosensitive drum 11Y after the primary transfer is recovered by the photosensitive drum cleaner.

[0033] The intermediate transfer belt 21 is tensioned by the secondary transfer inner roller 22, drive roller 23, tension roller 24, etc. Figure 1 The annular belt moves in the direction of arrow A. The imaging processing of each color by the imaging units PY to PK, which process each color in parallel, is performed at a timing that sequentially superimposes each color onto the toner image that has already been transferred once upstream in the moving direction onto the intermediate transfer belt 21. As a result, a full-color toner image is finally formed on the intermediate transfer belt 21, and the toner image is transferred to the secondary transfer unit by the movement of the intermediate transfer belt 21. It should be noted that the primary transfer rollers 25Y to 25K, the intermediate transfer belt 21, the secondary transfer inner roller 22, the drive roller 23, and the tension roller 24 are integrally constructed into the intermediate transfer belt unit 600.

[0034] Through the aforementioned transport and imaging processes, the timing of the recording material S and the full-tone toner image is synchronized at the secondary transfer unit, and a secondary transfer is performed to transfer the toner image from the intermediate transfer belt 21 onto the recording material S. Secondary transfer residual toner remaining on the intermediate transfer belt 21 after passing through the secondary transfer unit is recovered from the intermediate transfer belt 21 by a belt cleaner. The recording material S with the transferred toner image is transported to the fixing unit 50 via the transport path 60, and the toner image is fixed onto the recording material S by applying heat and pressure in the fixing unit 50. The fixing unit 50 includes a fixing roller heated by a heater (not shown) and a pressure roller that forms a fixing clamping portion by contacting the rotating fixing roller, and the toner image is fixed onto the recording material S by applying heat and pressure to the recording material S passing through the fixing clamping portion.

[0035] The recording material S, whose toner image has been fixed by the fixing unit 50, is further conveyed upwards via the conveying path 60 and discharged to the outside by the sheet discharge unit 700. The sheet discharge unit 700 includes sheet discharge rollers 61 and 62 and a guide member 63, and the recording material S is discharged by the sheet discharge rollers 61 and 62 onto sheet discharge trays 81 and 82. In this embodiment, in the case of a double-sided mode in which images are formed on both sides of the recording material S, in order to form an image on the opposite side of the recording material S on one side as well, the recording material S is conveyed to the double-sided conveying path 701. In the double-sided mode, the recording material S is conveyed by the forward rotation of the sheet discharge roller 61 until the trailing edge passes the guide member 63; then, by reversing the rotation of the sheet discharge roller 61, the leading and trailing edges are interchanged, and the recording material S is conveyed to the double-sided conveying path 701. The recording material S conveyed to the double-sided conveying path 701 is then returned to the alignment roller pair 42. Since the subsequent transmission processing and back-side imaging processing are the same as described above, their descriptions will be omitted. The recording material S, on which an image has also been formed on the opposite side, is discharged to the outside by the sheet discharge unit 700.

[0036] Equipment body

[0037] Next, refer to Figure 1 ,use Figures 2 to 3C The following describes the main body 1A of the imaging device 1. The main body 1A is the unit after removing the outer cover from the imaging device 1, and as follows: Figure 2 As shown, the structure is divided into three separable components: sheet supply block 110, imaging block 120, and sheet discharge block 130. In this embodiment, "structure (block)" refers to the assembled state formed by arranging various units, individual electrical components, control panels, etc., including electrical components, as described below, within a frame body formed by combining multiple pillars, struts (beams), metal plates, etc. It should be noted that electrical components are arranged in each of the multiple frame bodies in a number equal to or greater than one.

[0038] In this embodiment, the device body 1A, which performs a series of functions for forming a toner image on the recording material S, is configured such that the imaging block 120 is stacked on top of the sheet supply block 110 and the sheet discharge block 130 is stacked on top of the imaging block 120. Although not shown in the figure, the sheet supply block and imaging blocks 110 and 120, as well as the imaging blocks and sheet discharge blocks 120 and 130, which are arranged in a stacked manner, are connected, for example, by fastening with a metal plate-like member bridging one vertically aligned support (frame body) and another support (frame body).

[0039] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the double-sided conveying block 70, which forms a double-sided conveying path 701, is provided in advance as a separate structure from the sheet supply block, imaging block, and sheet discharge blocks 110, 120, and 130. The double-sided conveying block 70 is pivotally mounted relative to the sheet supply block or imaging block 110 or 120 in a manner extending across the imaging block and sheet discharge blocks 120 and 130. The double-sided conveying block 70, together with the imaging block and sheet discharge blocks 120 and 130, forms a conveying path 60 (see reference). Figure 1 The conveyor path 60 is formed when the double-sided conveyor block 70 is in the closed state and opened when the double-sided conveyor block 70 is in the open state. Therefore, if the recording material S is stuck in the conveyor path 60, the user can remove the stuck recording material S from the conveyor path 60 by opening the double-sided conveyor block 70. To open the conveyor path 60, roller 421 constituting one side of the alignment roller pair 42, the secondary transfer outer roller 44, and rollers constituting one side of the roller pair for conveying the recording material S in the conveyor path 60 are arranged in the double-sided conveyor block 70. It should be noted that the double-sided conveyor block 70 is locked by a locking mechanism (not shown) arranged in the sheet discharge block 130 to prevent the conveyor path 60 from automatically opening when in the closed state.

[0040] Sheet supply block, imaging block and sheet ejection block

[0041] The sheet supply block 110 is a structure formed by assembling the sheet supply unit 300 and the sheet supply conveying unit 610 into the sheet supply frame body 100e described below. Furthermore, a support component (not shown), such as a track member, which slidably supports the sheet feed boxes 31 and 32 in the front-rear direction, is assembled into the sheet supply block 110. The imaging block 120 is a structure formed by assembling the imaging unit 500, the imaging conveying unit 620, the toner bottles 90Y, 90M, 90C, and 90K, and the fixing unit 50 into the imaging frame body 100f described below. The imaging unit 500, the toner bottles 90Y, 90M, 90C, and 90K, and the fixing unit 50 can be detachably arranged in the imaging frame body 100f. The sheet discharge block 130 is a structure formed by assembling the sheet discharge unit 700 and the sheet discharge conveying unit 630 into the sheet discharge frame body 100g described below.

[0042] In this embodiment, the transport path 60 for conveying the recording material S in an upward direction is formed by dividing it into each of the sheet supply block, imaging block, and sheet discharge block 110, 120, and 130. That is, the sheet supply transport unit 610 forms a part of the transport path 60 in the sheet supply block 110, the imaging transport unit 620 forms a part of the transport path 60 in the imaging block 120, and the sheet discharge transport unit 630 forms a part of the transport path 60 in the sheet discharge block 130.

[0043] Sheet discharge frame main body, imaging frame main body and sheet supply frame main body

[0044] Next, use Figures 3A to 3C The sheet discharge frame body, imaging frame body, and sheet supply frame body 100g, 100f, and 100e described above will be further explained. Figure 3A As shown, the sheet metal ejection frame body 100g includes a right front support column 114ga, a rear side panel 115g, a right upper support rod 113ga, a right lower support rod 113gb, a left support rod 113gc, and a front support rod 113gd. The right front support column 114ga extends vertically. The right upper support rod 113ga and the right lower support rod 113gb are arranged vertically aligned with the right front support column 114ga and are approximately parallel to each other, respectively connecting the right front support column 114ga and the rear side panel 115g. The left support rod 113gc is arranged on the rear side panel 115g in a direction approximately perpendicular to the rear side panel 115g, so as to be arranged approximately parallel to and opposite to the right lower support rod 113gb. The front support rod 113gd is arranged in a direction parallel to the rear side panel 115g (i.e., in the transverse direction) to connect the left support rod 113gc and the right front support column 114ga.

[0045] Furthermore, the sheet metal ejection frame body 100g includes a front strut 114gb, an upper strut 113ge, and a right upper strut 113gf. The front strut 114gb is arranged substantially parallel to the right front strut 114ga and positioned to the right of the center of the front strut 113gd relative to the lateral direction; this front strut is positioned between the left strut 113gc and the right lower strut 113gb. The front strut 114gb is connected to the front strut 113gd. The upper strut 113ge is arranged substantially parallel to the right upper strut 113ga to connect the front strut 114gb and the rear side panel 115g. The right upper strut is arranged substantially parallel to the front strut 113gd to connect the right front strut 114ga and the front strut 114gb. The aforementioned sheet material discharge unit 700 is assembled into the space defined by the right front strut 114ga, front strut 114gb, right upper strut 113ga, right lower strut 113gb, upper strut 113ge, right upper strut 113gf and rear side plate 115g.

[0046] like Figure 3BAs shown, the imaging frame body 100f includes a right front strut 114fa, a left front strut 114fb, a rear side plate 115f, a right upper strut 113fa, a right lower strut 113fb, a left upper strut 113ff, a left lower strut 113fc, a front upper strut 113fe, and a front lower strut 113fd. The right front strut 114fa extends vertically. The right upper strut 113fa and the right lower strut 113fb are vertically aligned with respect to the right front strut 114fa and are arranged approximately parallel to each other, respectively connecting the right front strut 114fa and the rear side plate 115f. The left front strut 114fb extends vertically so as to be arranged approximately parallel to and opposite to the right front strut 114fa. The upper left strut 113ff and the lower left strut 113fc are arranged vertically aligned with respect to the left front support 114fb, approximately parallel to each other, and connect the left front support 114fb and the rear side plate 115f, respectively. The upper front strut 113fe is arranged in a direction parallel to the rear side plate 115f (i.e., in the transverse direction) to connect the upper ends of the right front support 114fa and the left front support 114fb. The lower front strut 113fd is arranged in a direction parallel to the rear side plate 115f (i.e., in the transverse direction) to connect the lower ends of the right front support 114fa and the left front support 114fb. In the imaging frame body 100f, the right front support 114fa, the left front support 114fb, and the reinforcing member 1151 are arranged at the four corners of the frame body to ensure the rigidity of the frame body. The reinforcing member is equivalent to a strut provided in the rear side plate 115f. The reinforcing member 1151 is provided at both ends in the lateral direction of the rear side plate 115f.

[0047] like Figure 3CAs shown, the sheet material supply frame body 100e includes a right front support column 114ea, a left front support column 114eb, a rear side panel 115e, a right upper support rod 113ea, a right lower support rod 113eb, a left upper support rod 113ef, a left lower support rod 113ec, a front upper support rod 113ee, and a front lower support rod 113ed. The right front support column 114ea extends vertically. The right upper support rod 113ea and the right lower support rod 113eb are vertically aligned with respect to the right front support column 114ea and are arranged substantially parallel to each other, respectively connecting the right front support column 114ea and the rear side panel 115e. The left front support column 114eb extends vertically so as to be arranged substantially parallel to and opposite to the right front support column 114ea. The left upper support rod 113ef and the left lower support rod 113ec are vertically aligned with respect to the left front support column 114eb and are arranged substantially parallel to each other, respectively connecting the left front support column 114eb and the rear side panel 115e. The upper front strut 113ee is arranged in a direction parallel to the rear side plate 115e (i.e., in the lateral direction) to connect the upper ends of the right front strut 114ea and the left front strut 114eb. The lower front strut 113ed is arranged in a direction parallel to the rear side plate 115e (i.e., in the lateral direction) to connect the lower ends of the right front strut 114ea and the left front strut 114eb. It should be noted that, in the vertical direction, the connection positions of the upper right strut 113ea relative to the right front strut 114ea and the upper left strut 113ef relative to the left front strut 114eb are lower than the connection positions of the upper front strut 113ee relative to the right front strut 114ea and the left front strut 114eb. In the sheet-fed frame body 100e, the right front strut 114ea, the left front strut 114eb, and the reinforcing member 1152 are respectively arranged at the four corners of the frame body to ensure the rigidity of the frame body; the reinforcing member is equivalent to a strut provided in the rear side plate 115e. The reinforcing member 1152 is provided at both ends in the lateral direction of the rear side plate 115e.

[0048] As an example, with the right front pillar 114fa of the imaging frame body 100f placed on the right front pillar 114ea of ​​the sheet supply frame body 100e, the left front pillar 114fb of the imaging frame body 100f placed on the left front pillar 114eb of the sheet supply frame body 100e, and further with the reinforcing member of the rear side plate 115f of the imaging frame body 100f placed on the reinforcing member of the rear side plate 115e of the sheet supply frame body 100e, the imaging block 120 is mounted on the sheet supply block 110. As an example, with the right front pillar 114ga of the sheet discharge frame body 100g placed on the right front pillar 114fa of the imaging frame body 100f, and the reinforcing member of the rear side plate 115g of the sheet discharge frame body 100g placed on the reinforcing member of the rear side plate 115f of the imaging frame body 100f, the sheet discharge block 130 is mounted on the imaging block 120.

[0049] As described above, the imaging device 1 of this embodiment includes three separable structures: a sheet supply block 110, an imaging block 120, and a sheet discharge block 130. Each of these sheet supply blocks 110, imaging blocks 120, and sheet discharge blocks 130 includes a sheet supply frame body 100e, an imaging frame body 100f, and a sheet discharge frame body 100g, and various units with electrical components, electrical components of each individual unit, control boards, etc., are disposed within the frame body of each block. Furthermore, the sheet supply frame body 110e of the sheet supply block 110, the imaging frame body 100f of the imaging block 120, and the sheet discharge frame body 110g of the sheet discharge block 130 are configured to be separable from each other. Therefore, the main body of the equipment 1A can be assembled by stacking sheet supply blocks 110, imaging blocks 120, and sheet discharge blocks 130, each pre-assembled with various units for each block, electrical components for each individual unit, control boards, etc.; thus, the assembly time of the main body of the equipment 1A can be significantly reduced while improving the product quality of the main body of the equipment 1A. It should be noted that, in this specification, "electrical components" refers to devices such as motors, sensors, switches, heaters, etc., that are physically operated based on electrical control according to drive signals.

[0050] Electrical system

[0051] Next, refer to Figure 2 ,use Figure 4 An example of the electrical system that controls the operation of imaging device 1 will be described. Figure 4The electrical system of the imaging device 1 shown includes a system controller board 111, an imaging control board 201, a sheet supply control board 202, and a sheet discharge control board 203. The sheet supply control board, imaging control board, and sheet discharge control boards 202, 201, and 203 are disposed on the rear side of the corresponding sheet supply frame body, imaging frame body, and sheet discharge frame body 100e, 100f, and 100g described above. When viewed from the rear side, each of the sheet supply control board, imaging control board, and sheet discharge control boards 202, 201, and 203 can be arranged to overlap with electrical components that serve as their respective control objects. Furthermore, when viewed in a direction perpendicular to each control board, each of the sheet supply control board, imaging control board, and sheet discharge control boards 202, 201, and 203 can be arranged to overlap with electrical components that serve as their respective control objects. For example, as described below... Figure 7 As shown, the developing drive motor 210, toner concentration sensor 211, drum drive motor 212, and intermediate transfer drive motor 213 are driven and controlled by the imaging control board 201, and are arranged to overlap with the imaging control board 201 when viewed from the rear of the imaging device 1. Furthermore, the sheet supply drive motor 220, lifting drive motor 221, and manual feed drive motor 222 are driven and controlled by the sheet supply control board 202, and are arranged to overlap with the sheet supply control board 202 when viewed from the rear of the imaging device 1.

[0052] System controller board

[0053] The system controller board 111 includes an external interface (external I / F) 115 for inputting and outputting signals to external devices, and performs various control processes in response to instructions from the operation unit 200 connected via the external I / F 115. Furthermore, the system controller board 111 includes a system central processing unit (system CPU) 112, a read-only memory (ROM) 113 for storing control programs, and a random access memory (RAM) 114 for temporarily storing data. The system CPU 112 centrally manages the operation of the entire imaging device based on the control programs stored in the ROM 113.

[0054] The system controller board 111, which serves as the main control board, is disposed within the controller housing unit 100 along with a solid-state drive or hard disk drive (SSD / HDD) 122. The SSD / HDD 122 is a high-capacity storage device for storing electronic data, and is primarily used to store image processing programs, digital image data, and metadata associated with the digital image data. The controller housing unit 100 is disposed on the rear side of the sheet supply frame body, the imaging frame body, and the sheet discharge frame bodies 100e, 100f, and 100g, extending across any one or more of the sheet supply block, the imaging block, and the sheet discharge block 110, 120, and 130. It should be noted that when the area of ​​the system controller board 111 is larger than the area of ​​each of the imaging control board, the sheet supply control board, and the sheet discharge control boards 201, 202, and 203, the system controller board 111 is disposed within the device body 1A such that when viewed from the rear side of the imaging device 1, a portion of the system controller board 111 is arranged to overlap with any of the control boards (201, 202, 203) (see description below). Figure 7 In other words, when viewed in a direction perpendicular to the system controller board 111, a portion of the system controller board 111 is arranged to overlap with the imaging control board 201. Furthermore, when viewed in a direction perpendicular to the system controller board 111, a portion of the system controller board 111 is arranged to overlap with the sheet discharge control board 203. The direction perpendicular to the system controller board 111 is the direction perpendicular to the plane in which the system controller board 111 extends.

[0055] Imaging control board

[0056] An imaging control board 201, which performs imaging control to form a toner image on the recording material S, is disposed in the imaging block 120. The imaging control board 201 includes an engine central processing unit (engine CPU) 204, a ROM 206 storing programs controlling each unit, a RAM 207 temporarily storing data, and application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) 205a and 205b. The engine CPU 204, acting as the imaging engine, executes various control processes in the imaging block 120 based on the control programs stored in the ROM 206 under the control of the system CPU 112. Furthermore, under the control of the system CPU 112, the engine CPU 204 integrates the control of imaging processes, including the supply of the recording material S, imaging on the recording material S, and the discharge of the recording material S. In other words, the engine CPU 204 can be considered an integrated control unit for imaging. Specifically, in addition to controlling the ASICs 205a and 205b arranged in the same imaging control board 201, the engine CPU 204 also controls control units (ASICs 205c and 205d) in the control boards of other blocks.

[0057] ASIC 205a is electrically connected via wiring harness to various electrical components such as the developing drive motor 210 that drives the developing unit 14, the toner concentration sensor 211 that detects the toner concentration in the developing unit 14, the drum drive motor 212 that drives the photosensitive drum 11, and the intermediate transfer drive motor 213 that drives the intermediate transfer belt unit 600. On the other hand, ASIC 205b is electrically connected via wiring harness to various electrical components such as the fixing drive motor 214 that drives the fixing unit 50, the toner bottle drive motor 215 that drives the toner bottle 90, and the toner bottle memory 216 that stores the remaining amount of toner in the toner bottle 90. In other words, ASICs 205a and 205b, which serve as the first control unit of the imaging control board 201, control these electrical components arranged in the same imaging block 120 as the imaging control board 201 by sending drive signals (first drive signals) based on control signals from the engine CPU 204. The developing drive motor 210, toner concentration sensor 211, drum drive motor 212, intermediate transfer drive motor 213, fixing drive motor 214, toner bottle drive motor 215, and toner bottle memory 216 are examples of first electrical components arranged in the imaging frame body 100f, which serves as the first frame body. These first electrical components are controlled by an imaging control board 201, which serves as a first control board arranged in the imaging frame body 100f.

[0058] Sheet supply control board

[0059] A sheet supply control board 202 is disposed in the sheet supply block 110 and performs supply control of the recording material S stored in cartridges 31 and 32. The sheet supply control board 202 includes an ASIC 205c serving as a second control unit. The ASIC 205c is electrically connected via a wiring harness to various electrical components such as a sheet supply drive motor 220 that drives the sheet supply unit 300, a lifting drive motor 221 that drives a lifter that is configured to move vertically within cartridges 31 and 32, a manual feed drive motor 222 that drives a manual feed supply roller for feeding the recording material S disposed on a manual feed tray (not shown), and a remaining quantity sensor 223 that detects the remaining amount of the recording material S stored in cartridges 31 and 32. Furthermore, the ASIC 205c is electrically connected via a wiring harness to an engine CPU 204. In other words, the ASIC 205c of the sheet supply control board 202 controls the electrical components arranged in the same sheet supply block 110 as the sheet supply control board 202 by sending drive signals (second drive signals) based on control signals from the engine CPU 204. The sheet supply drive motor 220, the lifting drive motor 221, the manual feed drive motor 222, and the remaining quantity sensor 223 are examples of second electrical components arranged in the sheet supply frame body 100e, which serves as the second frame body. These second electrical components are controlled by the sheet supply control board 202, which serves as the second control board arranged in the sheet supply frame body 100e.

[0060] In the above description, the imaging frame body 100f is used as an example of a first frame body, and the sheet supply frame body 100e is used as an example of a second frame body; however, it is not limited thereto. Of the three frame bodies included in the imaging device 1—the sheet supply frame body, the imaging frame body, and the sheet discharge frame bodies 100e, 100f, and 100g—any one can be designated as the first frame body, and any one of the remaining frame bodies can be designated as the second frame body. Then, of the three frame bodies, one frame body other than the first and second frame bodies can be designated as the third frame body. This also applies to electrical components and control boards, wherein the first electrical component and the first control board are arranged in the first frame body, the second electrical component and the second control board are arranged in the second frame body, and the third electrical component and the third control board are arranged in the third frame body. Then, when separating the first and second frame bodies, the first electrical component and the first control board are arranged in the first frame body, and the second electrical component and the second control board are arranged in the second frame body. At this time, the wiring harness (communication line) used to connect the first electrical component and the first control board is completely arranged within the first frame body, and the wiring harness (communication line) used to connect the second electrical component and the second control board is completely arranged within the second frame body. Furthermore, when the second frame body and the third frame body are separated, the second electrical component and the second control board are arranged on the second frame body side, and the third electrical component and the third control board are arranged in the third frame body. At this time, the wiring harness (communication line) used to connect the second electrical component and the second control board is arranged on the second frame body side, and the wiring harness (communication line) used to connect the third electrical component and the third control board is arranged on the third frame body side.

[0061] Sheet discharge control panel

[0062] A sheet discharge control board 203 is disposed in the sheet discharge block 130 and performs sheet discharge control for recording the discharge of material S to the outside. The sheet discharge control board 203 includes an ASIC 205d. The ASIC 205d is electrically connected via a wiring harness to electrical components such as a sheet discharge drive motor 230 that drives the sheet discharge unit 700. Furthermore, the ASIC 205d is electrically connected via a wiring harness to an engine CPU 204. That is, the ASIC 205d of the sheet discharge control board 203 controls those electrical components disposed in the same sheet discharge block 130 as the sheet discharge control board 203 by sending drive signals based on control signals from the engine CPU 204.

[0063] In this embodiment, based on the coordinated control between the system CPU 112 of the system controller board 111 and the engine CPU 204 of the imaging control board 201, ASICs 205a, 205b, 205c, and 205d control the operation of each of the aforementioned electrical components. The system CPU 112 and the engine CPU 204 are electrically connected via a wiring harness.

[0064] It should be noted that, although the illustration is omitted, the imaging device 1 can be configured such that recording material S, placed on a manual feed tray, is supplied to the conveyor path 60 one sheet at a time. The manual feed tray and manual feed supply unit are disposed in the sheet supply block 110, the manual feed supply unit including a manual feed supply roller for supplying recording material S from the manual feed tray. In this case, the ASIC 205c is also connected to the manual feed drive motor 222 (electrical component) that drives the manual feed supply unit. Furthermore, the imaging device 1 can be configured such that a sheet discharge cooling fan 231 for cooling the recording material S discharged to the outside is disposed in the sheet discharge block 130. In this case, the ASIC 205d is also connected to the sheet discharge cooling fan 231.

[0065] Drive signals between ASIC and electrical components

[0066] Next, refer to Figure 4 ,use Figures 5A to 5H This section will describe the drive signals between the aforementioned ASICs 205 (205a, 205b, 205c, 205d) and the electrical components used as the drive objects, which are electrically connected to these ASICs via wiring harnesses. It should be noted that the wiring harnesses connecting the ASICs 205 and the electrical components used as the drive objects include at least communication lines capable of transmitting drive signals, and may also be bundled together with power supply lines, etc., for power supply.

[0067] Figure 5AThe illustration shows an electrical component used as the drive object, namely a stepper motor 411. For example, the stepper motor 411 is used in a developing drive motor 210, a sheet supply drive motor 220, a manual feed drive motor 222, and a sheet discharge drive motor 230. An ASIC 205 is connected to a "stepper motor driver (STMDrv)" integrated circuit (IC) 401 for operating the stepper motor 411, and the "STMDrv" IC 401 controls the stepper motor 411 using the following signals: A "stepper motor clock (STM_CLK)" signal is a pulse width modulation (PWM) signal with a 50% duty cycle, and is used as a signal that increases the electrical angle of the stepper motor 411 by one step with each pulse. A "stepper motor voltage reference (STM_VREF)" signal is a 100 kHz PWM signal and is used as a reference to determine the output current of the stepper motor 411. These PWM signals are smoothed by a resistor-capacitor (RC) filter circuit (not shown) and input as a DC signal to the "STMDrv" IC 401. The "STMDrv" IC 401 determines the drive current of the stepper motor 411 based on the voltage level of the input DC signal.

[0068] The "Stepper Motor Direction (STM_DIR)" signal is used to determine the rotation direction of the stepper motor 411. When the "STM_DIR" signal outputs "H", the stepper motor 411 rotates in the forward direction, and when the "STM_DIR" signal outputs "L", the stepper motor 411 rotates in the reverse direction. The "Stepper Motor Mode (STM_MODE)" signal is used to set the excitation mode of the stepper motor 411, and is, for example, a 2-bit DC signal. For example, when "Mode 0:1 = 'H:H'", the driver is set to a 2-phase excitation mode, and when "Mode 0:1 = 'H:L'", the driver is set to a 1-2 phase excitation mode. The output to the stepper motor 411 is performed based on the configuration of the "STMDrv" IC 401 through these signals.

[0069] Figure 5B The diagram illustrates a scenario where a DC brushless fan 412 is used as an electrical component driven by another device. For example, the DC brushless fan 412 is used in a sheet exhaust cooling fan 231. When a "FAN_ON" signal is output from the ASIC 205, the field-effect transistor (FET) 402 is turned on, and a +24V DC voltage is supplied to the DC brushless fan 412. The DC brushless fan 412 begins to rotate when the +24V DC voltage is input. Upon starting to rotate, the DC brushless fan 412 outputs a "FAN_LOOK" signal. The ASIC 205 detects the rotational operation of the DC brushless fan 412 via the "FAN_LOOK" signal.

[0070] Figure 5C The diagram illustrates a scenario where a DC brushed motor 413 is used as an electrical component driven by another motor. For example, the DC brushed motor 413 is used in a toner bottle drive motor 215 and a lift drive motor 221. An ASIC 205 is connected to a "DC Brushed Motor Driver (DCBM Drv)" IC 403 to operate the DC brushed motor 413, and controls the DC brushed motor 413 via the "DCBM Drv" IC 403 using the following signals: The "Brushed Motor Clock (BM_CLK)" signal is a 20kHz variable duty cycle PWM signal, and the "DCBM Drv" IC 403 controls the rotational speed of the DC brushed motor 413 based on the duty cycle of the PWM signal. The "Brushed Motor Direction (BM_DIR)" signal is used to determine the rotational direction of the DC brushed motor 413. When the "BM_DIR" signal outputs "H", the DC brushed motor 413 rotates in the forward direction, and when the "BM_DIR" signal outputs "L", the DC brushed motor 413 rotates in the reverse direction.

[0071] Figure 5D The diagram illustrates the use of a DC brushless motor 414 as an electrical component driven by another motor. For example, the DC brushless motor 414 is used in a drum drive motor 212, an intermediate transfer drive motor 213, and a fixing drive motor 214. The "Brushless Motor Clock (BLM_CLK)" signal is a PWM signal with a 50% duty cycle and is used to send a set speed to the DC brushless motor 414. The "Brushless Motor Direction (BLM_DIR)" signal is used to determine the rotation direction of the DC brushless motor 414. When the "BLM_DIR" signal outputs "H", the DC brushless motor 414 rotates in the forward direction, and when the "BLM_DIR" signal outputs "L", the DC brushless motor 414 rotates in the reverse direction. The "Brushless Motor Brake (BLM_BRAKE)" signal is used to activate the short-circuit brake of the DC brushless motor 414. When the "BLM_BRAKE" signal outputs "H", the DC brushless motor 414 activates short-circuit braking by short-circuiting the motor coil, in order to shorten the time required for rotation to stop.

[0072] Figure 5EThe diagram illustrates an example of an inductor sensor 415 used as an electrical component driven by another device. For instance, the inductor sensor 415 is applied to a toner concentration sensor 211. An "Inductor Voltage Reference (INDUC_VREF)" signal is used to generate a reference voltage for the inductor sensor 415, and is sent to the inductor sensor 415 after being amplified by the operational amplifier circuit 405. The inductor sensor 415 detects the ratio of toner to carrier in the developer stored in the developing unit 14 and outputs an "Inductor Output (INDUC_OUT)" signal corresponding to this ratio. The "INDUC_OUT" signal is converted to a 3.3V range by the operational amplifier circuit 405 and input to the ASIC 205 as an "Inductor Sensor (INDUC_SNS)" signal. The ASIC 205 includes an analog-to-digital (A / D) converter circuit and detects the voltage value by converting the input "INDUC_SNS" signal into a digital value.

[0073] Figure 5F The illustration shows an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM) 416 used as an electrical component that is driven. For example, the EEPROM 416 is used in a toner bottle memory 216. Data communication between the ASIC 205 and the EEPROM 416 is performed via serial communication such as inter-integrated circuit (I2C) communication, and the ASIC 205 reads and writes data relative to the EEPROM 416.

[0074] Figure 5G The illustration shows an example of an optical circuit breaker 417 used as an electrical component that is driven. For instance, the optical circuit breaker 417 is applied to a remaining quantity sensor 223. The "optical circuit breaker sensor (PI_SNS)" signal is the signal output by the optical circuit breaker 417, which outputs "L" and "H" during light transmission and light blocking, respectively. The ASIC 205 can detect the remaining quantity of the recording material S by receiving the "PI_SNS" signal.

[0075] Figure 5H The diagram illustrates the use of the main switch 233 as an electrical component driven by the switch. The "switch sensor (SW_SNS)" signal is output by the main switch 233; it outputs "L" when activated and "H" when deactivated. The ASIC 205 can detect the on / off state of the main switch 233 by receiving the "SW_SNS" signal.

[0076] Control signals between engine CPU and ASIC

[0077] Next, refer to Figure 4 ,use Figure 6A and Figure 6BThe control signals between the engine CPU 204 of the imaging control board 201 and the ASICs 205c and 205d electrically connected to the engine CPU 204 via wiring harnesses are described. In this embodiment, a "bus system" or a "command-based system" can be used as a method for transmitting data between the engine CPU 204 and the ASICs 205c and 205d. It should be noted that the wiring harnesses connecting the engine CPU 204 and the ASICs 205c and 205d include at least communication lines capable of transmitting control signals. Furthermore, the control signals sent from the engine CPU 204 are digital signals represented by a combination of two logic values. As described below, these digital signals include at least one of an address signal, a read instruction, a write instruction, and control data.

[0078] Figure 6A This illustrates the use of a "bus system" with both parallel and serial connections for the engine CPU 204 and ASIC 205. First, the parallel connection of the engine CPU 204 and ASIC 205 will be described. The engine CPU 204 simultaneously sends signals such as address signals, control data, and read / write instructions to the ASIC 205 via multiple communication lines. These multiple communication lines constitute a bus system capable of parallel transmission and include an address bus (ABUS), a data bus (DBUS), and a control bus (CTRL) containing read enable (RE) and write enable (WE) signals.

[0079] For example, when the engine CPU 204 has sent an address signal and a read instruction (execution command) to the ASIC 205, the ASIC 205 retrieves the data stored at the address (location) corresponding to the address signal from its internal memory and sends the retrieved data to the engine CPU 204. The engine CPU 204 stores the data retrieved from the memory of the ASIC 205 in RAM 207. On the other hand, when the engine CPU 204 has sent an address signal, a write instruction (execution command), and data to the ASIC 205, the ASIC 205 writes the received data to the address corresponding to the address signal in its internal memory. By referring to the data stored in the memory of the ASIC 205, the ASIC 205 (205c, 205d) sends drive signals to operate electrical components, thereby controlling such electrical components.

[0080] Next, the serial connection between engine CPU 204 and ASIC 205 will be described. When the command (CMD) is a write instruction (WR), engine CPU 204 sends the write instruction, address signal (ADR), and data (DATA) to ASIC 205 sequentially via the communication line (serial bus TX). In this case, ASIC 205 writes the received data to the address corresponding to the address signal in ASIC 205's memory. Then, ASIC 205 sends a response signal (ACK) to engine CPU 204 via the communication line (serial bus RX) indicating whether the data write operation corresponding to the write instruction was executed correctly.

[0081] On the other hand, when the command (CMD) is a read instruction (RD), the engine CPU 204 sends the read instruction and address signal (ADR) to the ASIC 205 sequentially via the communication line (serial bus TX). When the ASIC 205 receives the read instruction and address signal from the engine CPU 204, the ASIC 205 retrieves the data stored at the address (location) corresponding to the address signal from its internal memory and sends the retrieved data (DATA) to the engine CPU 204 via the communication line (serial bus RX). Then, the ASIC 205 sends a response signal (ACK) to the engine CPU 204 via the communication line (serial bus RX) indicating whether the data retrieval operation corresponding to the read instruction was executed correctly. Thus, even with a serial connection that reduces the number of communication lines between the engine CPU 204 and the ASIC 205, the same control signals as in the parallel connection described above can be sent and received.

[0082] Figure 6BThe diagram illustrates a scenario where the engine CPU 204 and ASIC 205 (205c, 205d) are serially connected by employing a "command-based system". When controlling electrical components, the engine CPU 204 sends a predetermined control command (activation command (CMD(ACT))) to the ASIC 205 via a communication line (serial bus transmit (TX)). This control command is pre-determined corresponding to the electrical component to be driven. Upon receiving the control command from the engine CPU 204, the ASIC 205 sends a response signal (ACK) to the engine CPU 204 via a communication line (serial bus receive (RX)) indicating whether the command was correctly received. By receiving the control command from the engine CPU 204, the ASIC 205 controls the electrical component by outputting a drive signal to drive such an electrical component. For example, when receiving a detection result from the residual sensor 223 (during sensor value reading), the engine CPU 204 sends a sensor value read command (CMD(SNS)) to the ASIC 205. Upon receiving the sensor value read command from the engine CPU 204, the ASIC 205 receives the sensor value from the residual sensor 223 and sends the received sensor value (DATA) to the engine CPU 204. Then, the ASIC 205 sends a response signal to the engine CPU 205. 204 sends a response signal (ACK) indicating whether the operation of obtaining sensor values ​​from the remaining quantity sensor 223 was performed correctly.

[0083] Layout and wiring of control panels and electrical components

[0084] Next, refer to Figure 3 and Figure 4 ,use Figures 7 to 9 , will describe Figure 4 The layout and wiring of the control panel and electrical components in the electrical system are shown. Figure 7 As shown, the imaging device 1 includes three blocks: a sheet supply block, an imaging block, and a sheet discharge block 110, 120, and 130, which are arranged sequentially from bottom to top. The sheet supply control board, the imaging control board, and the sheet discharge control board 202, 201, and 203 are respectively set in the frame body of each corresponding block.

[0085] In this embodiment, as described above, the sheet supply control board 202, located in the sheet supply block 110, controls the electrical components located in the sheet supply block 110. The imaging control board 201, located in the imaging block 120, controls the electrical components located in the imaging block 120. The sheet discharge control board 203, located in the sheet discharge block 130, controls the electrical components located in the sheet discharge block 130 (however, excluding the main switch 233). That is, the electrical components that serve as the driving objects of the sheet supply control board, imaging control board, and sheet discharge control boards 202, 201, and 203, along with their corresponding control boards, are located in the same block. This is to keep the wiring harnesses that electrically connect the respective control boards to the electrical components used as driving objects within the respective blocks. Furthermore, in some blocks, the wiring connecting the control boards to the electrical components used as driving objects can be routed outside the block. Acceptably, in at least one block, the wiring network connecting the control boards to the electrical components used as driving objects is located within that block.

[0086] like Figure 7 As shown, the sheet supply control board 202 (particularly ASIC 205c) is electrically connected via wiring harness 810 to the sheet supply drive motor 220, the lifting drive motor 221, the manual feed drive motor 222, and the remaining quantity sensor 223, which are driven by the sheet supply control board 202. The wiring harness 810, which serves as a second communication line, is arranged within the sheet supply frame body 100e of the sheet supply block 110 (inside the frame body). The wiring harness 810 is detachably mounted on the sheet supply control board 202 (particularly ASIC 205c) and at least one of the sheet feed drive motor 220, the lifting drive motor 221, the manual feed drive motor 222, and the remaining quantity sensor 223.

[0087] Furthermore, the imaging control board 201 (particularly ASICs 205a and 205b) is electrically connected via a wiring harness 820 to the developing drive motor 210, toner concentration sensor 211, drum drive motor 212, intermediate transfer drive motor 213, fixing drive motor 214, toner bottle drive motor 215, and toner bottle memory 216, which are driven by the imaging control board 201. The wiring harness 820, serving as a first communication line, is arranged within the imaging frame body 100f of the imaging block 120. The wiring harness 820 is detachably disposed on the imaging control board 201 (particularly ASICs 205a and 205b) and at least one of the developing drive motor 210, toner concentration sensor 211, drum drive motor 212, intermediate transfer drive motor 213, fixing drive motor 214, toner bottle drive motor 215, and toner bottle memory 216.

[0088] Furthermore, the sheet discharge control board 203 (particularly the ASIC 205d) is electrically connected via wiring harness 830 to the sheet discharge drive motor 230 and the sheet discharge cooling fan 231, which are driven by the sheet discharge control board 203. The wiring harness 830 is arranged within the sheet discharge frame body 100g of the sheet discharge block 130. The wiring harness 830 is detachably provided to at least one of the sheet discharge control board 203 (particularly the ASIC 205d) and the sheet discharge drive motor 230 and the sheet discharge cooling fan 231. Although each control board and the electrical components used as drives are connected in this way via wiring harnesses 810, 820 and 830, by arranging each control board and the electrical components used as drives in the same block as described above, the wiring of wiring harnesses 810, 820 and 830 can be completed within each block.

[0089] On the other hand, the imaging control board 201 (particularly the engine CPU 204) and the ASIC 205c of the sheet supply block 110 are electrically connected via a wiring harness 800. The wiring harness 800 runs across the boundary between the imaging frame body 100f of the imaging block 120 and the sheet supply frame body 110e of the sheet supply block 110. Furthermore, the imaging control board 201 (particularly the engine CPU 204) and the ASIC 205d of the sheet discharge block 130 are electrically connected via a wiring harness 801. The wiring harness 801 runs across the boundary between the imaging frame body 100f of the imaging block 120 and the sheet discharge frame body 100g of the sheet discharge block 130. In this way, a simplified inter-block connection can be achieved by using only wiring harnesses 800 and 801 (control communication lines) to connect the imaging control board 201, which includes the engine CPU 204, and the sheet supply control board and sheet discharge control board 202 and 203, which do not include the engine CPU 204 but only include ASICs 205c and 205d. Wiring harness 800 is detachably mounted to at least one of the imaging control board 201 and the sheet supply control board 202. Wiring harness 801 is detachably mounted to at least one of the imaging control board 201 and the sheet discharge control board 203.

[0090] It should be noted that in the above embodiment, the imaging control board 201 includes two ASICs: ASIC 205a and 205b. For electrical components such as the main switch 233 that send signals to the system CPU 112 and engine CPU 204, completing the electrical connection within the same block via wiring harnesses may not always be optimal. In such cases, as... Figure 7As shown, the main switch 233 and the imaging control board 201 (specifically the ASIC 205d) are electrically connected via a wiring harness 850 that runs along the boundary between the sheet ejection frame body 100g of the sheet ejection block 130 and the imaging frame body 100f of the imaging block 120. In this case, by employing a configuration where the ASIC 205a, which completes the connection within the imaging block 120, and the ASIC 205b, which includes the connection to the sheet ejection control board 203, are separated from each other, the wiring of the wiring harness 820 is completed within the imaging block 120 relative to at least one ASIC 205a.

[0091] In comparison, such as Figure 8 As shown, the main switch 233 can be configured as the driver of the ASIC 205d of the sheet discharge control board 203, and, as Figure 9 As shown, the main switch 233 and the sheet discharge control board 203 can be electrically connected via wiring harness 860. In this case, the detection signal of the main switch 233 is sent to the ASIC 205d of the sheet discharge control board 203, and the engine CPU 204 can detect this signal via communication with the ASIC 205d. Furthermore, this configuration allows the status of the main switch 233 to be notified via communication from the engine CPU 204 to the system CPU 112. Using such a configuration, as... Figure 9 As shown, the wiring harness 860 connecting the main switch 233 and the sheet discharge control board 203 can be enclosed within the sheet discharge block 130 without extending across the boundary between the imaging frame body 100f of the imaging block 120 and the sheet discharge frame body 100g of the sheet discharge block 130.

[0092] As described above, in this embodiment, the ASIC 205 of each control board (202, 201, 203) and the electrical components used as driving objects are electrically connected within each block (110, 120, 130) via wiring harnesses (810, 820, 830). By arranging each control board including the ASIC 205 and the electrical components used as driving objects within the same frame body (100e, 100f, 100g), the wiring harnesses (810, 820, 830) can be arranged within the frame body (100e, 100f, 100g) of each block. That is, the wiring harnesses (810, 820, 830) can be routed without extending across the boundaries between multiple frame bodies (100e, 100f, 100g), and proper wiring routing can be ensured. Thus, the wiring harnesses that run across the boundaries between the frame bodies (100e, 100f, 100g) can be limited to wiring harnesses 800 and 801 that connect the engine CPU 204 of the imaging control board 201 to the ASIC 205c of the sheet supply control board 202 and the ASIC 205d of the sheet discharge control board 203.

[0093] When service technicians perform maintenance work on imaging device 1, it is effective to perform the work on each block (110, 120, 130) individually. Using the configuration of the above embodiment, when a service technician removes the wiring harnesses (810, 820, 830) connected to the electrical components requiring maintenance that are electrically connected to the control board, the technician does not need to access other frame bodies that do not include the electrical components requiring maintenance. Therefore, the maintainability of the electrical components by service technicians can be improved. Furthermore, since the electrical components and the control board that controls these electrical components are arranged in the same block and connected via wiring harnesses, the wiring harnesses can be configured to be shorter, and the weight of imaging device 1 can be reduced.

[0094] Other embodiments

[0095] Embodiments of this disclosure can also be implemented by a computer of a system or device, which reads and executes computer-executable instructions (e.g., one or more programs) recorded on a storage medium (also more fully referred to as a "non-transitory computer-readable storage medium") to perform the functions of one or more embodiments described above, and / or the computer includes one or more circuits (e.g., application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs)) for performing the functions of one or more embodiments described above; embodiments of this disclosure can also be implemented by a method executed by a computer of a system or device, such as reading and executing computer-executable instructions from a storage medium to perform the functions of one or more embodiments described above and / or controlling one or more circuits to perform the functions of one or more embodiments described above. The computer may include one or more processors (e.g., a central processing unit (CPU), a microprocessor unit (MPU)) and may include a network of discrete computers or discrete processors to read and execute computer-executable instructions. The computer-executable instructions may be provided to the computer, for example, from a network or a storage medium. The storage medium may include one or more of, for example, a hard disk, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), the memory of a distributed computing system, an optical disc (such as a compact optical disc (CD), a digital versatile optical disc (DVD), or a Blu-ray disc (BD)™), a flash memory device, a memory card, etc.

[0096] Although this disclosure has been described with reference to exemplary embodiments, it should be understood that this disclosure is not limited to the disclosed exemplary embodiments. The scope of the appended claims should be given the broadest interpretation to cover all variations and equivalent structures and functions.

Claims

1. An imaging apparatus configured to form an image on a recording material, the imaging apparatus comprising: The main body of the equipment includes at least a first frame main body and a second frame main body arranged vertically; The first electrical component is disposed in the main body of the first frame and configured to operate physically based on electrical control; The second electrical component is located in the second frame body and is configured to operate physically based on electrical control; A first control board is disposed in the first frame body, connected to the first electrical component, and configured to control the first electrical component; as well as The second control panel is disposed in the second frame body, connected to the second electrical component, and configured to control the second electrical component.

2. The imaging device according to claim 1, wherein, The first frame and the second frame are configured to be separable from each other. In the case where the first frame body and the second frame body are separated, the first electrical component and the first control panel are arranged in the first frame body, and In the case where the first frame body and the second frame body are separated, the second electrical component and the second control board are arranged in the second frame body.

3. The imaging device according to claim 1 further includes a first wiring harness, the first wiring harness being configured to connect the first electrical component and the first control board. in, The first wiring harness is completely arranged within the first frame body.

4. The imaging device according to claim 3 further includes a second wiring harness configured to connect a second electrical component and a second control board. in, The second wiring harness is completely arranged within the second frame body.

5. The imaging device according to claim 1, further comprising a communication line, in, The first control board includes a first control unit configured to generate drive signals for driving a first electrical component disposed in the first frame body, and The communication line is configured to connect the first control unit and the first electrical component, is routed within the main body of the first frame, and is configured to transmit drive signals sent from the first control unit.

6. The imaging device according to claim 1, wherein, The first control board includes a first control unit configured to generate a first drive signal for driving a first electrical component. The second control board includes a second control unit configured to generate a second drive signal for driving the second electrical component. The first control board includes an integrated control unit, which is configured to send control signals to the first control unit and the second control unit.

7. The imaging device according to claim 6, further comprising: The first communication line is configured to connect the first control unit and the first electrical component, is routed within the first frame body, and is configured to transmit a first drive signal sent from the first control unit. The second communication line is configured to connect the second control unit and the second electrical component, is routed within the second frame body, and is configured to transmit a second drive signal sent from the second control unit; as well as A control communication line is configured to connect the integrated control unit of the first control board and the second control unit of the second control board, run across the boundary between the first frame body and the second frame body, and is configured to transmit control signals sent from the integrated control unit.

8. The imaging device according to claim 7, wherein, The control communication line is detachably installed in at least one of the integrated control unit and the second control unit.

9. The imaging device according to claim 7, wherein, The control signals include execution commands for the second control unit on the second control board, and The second control unit is configured to generate a second drive signal based on an execution command sent from the integrated control unit.

10. The imaging device according to claim 7, wherein, Control signals include digital signals, which include at least one of address signals, read instructions, write instructions, and control data.

11. The imaging device according to any one of claims 1 to 10, further comprising a main control board configured to control the operation of the imaging device. in, The main control board has a larger area than both the first and second control boards, and When the imaging device is viewed from the rear, a portion of the main control board overlaps with the first control board.

12. The imaging device according to any one of claims 1 to 10, further comprising a main control board configured to control the operation of the imaging device. in, The main control board has a larger area than both the first and second control boards, and When viewed along a direction perpendicular to the main control board, a portion of the main control board overlaps with the first control board.

13. An imaging apparatus configured to form an image on a recording material, the imaging apparatus comprising: The first electrical component is configured to operate physically based on electrical control; The second electrical component is configured to operate physically based on electrical control; A first control board is arranged to overlap with a first electrical component when the imaging device is viewed from the rear, is connected to the first electrical component, and is configured to control the drive of the first electrical component; as well as A second control board is arranged to overlap with the second electrical component when the imaging device is viewed from the rear, is connected to the second electrical component, and is configured to control the drive of the second electrical component.

14. The imaging device according to claim 13, wherein, The first control board includes a first control unit configured to generate a first drive signal for driving a first electrical component. The second control board includes a second control unit configured to generate a second drive signal for driving the second electrical component. The first control board includes an integrated control unit, which is configured to send control signals to the first control unit and the second control unit.

15. The imaging device according to claim 14, further comprising: A first communication line is configured to connect a first control unit and a first electrical component, and is configured to transmit a first drive signal sent from the first control unit; The second communication line is configured to connect the second control unit and the second electrical component, and is configured to transmit a second drive signal sent from the second control unit; as well as A control communication line is configured to connect the integrated control unit of the first control board and the second control unit of the second control board, and is configured to transmit control signals sent from the integrated control unit.

16. The imaging device according to claim 14, wherein, The control signals include execution commands for the second control unit on the second control board, and The second control unit is configured to generate a second drive signal based on an execution command sent from the integrated control unit.

17. The imaging device according to claim 14, wherein, Control signals include digital signals, which include at least one of address signals, read instructions, write instructions, and control data.

Images