Image forming apparatus

Abstract

An image forming apparatus (1, 1a, 1b) includes: a conveyance section (2) to convey image forming media; an image forming section (3) to form an image on the image forming media conveyed by the conveyance section (2); a plurality of conveyance frames (11, 12) forming at least a part of the conveyance section; and at least one exterior cover (31) covering at least one of conveyance frames (11, 12). The at least one exterior cover (31) is attachable to and detachable from the at least one of conveyance frames (11, 12), or a posture of the at least one exterior cover (31) is changeable.

Description

Background of the inventionTechnical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus.Description of Related art

[0002] For example, in an image forming apparatus of an inkjet method, there is a case where a cloth or the like having a large area is used as an object of image formation (image forming medium). For this reason, the entire apparatus may become considerably large. The technology of Patent Literature 1 (Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2020-1263) makes it easy to store an entire image forming apparatus in a container when transporting such a large image forming apparatus. For this reason, Patent Literature 1 discloses a technique in which an image forming apparatus can be divided into a plurality of units.

[0003] Dividing the image forming apparatus into a small number of containers in this manner reduces the transportation cost of the image forming apparatus.

[0004] However, the technique of Patent Literature 1 does not refer to how to attach the exterior cover to the image forming apparatus in order to store the image forming apparatus in a container and easily transport it. The exterior cover is a component that is attached to the outer periphery of the image forming apparatus and prevents the inside of the image forming apparatus from being seen. In addition, the exterior cover is a component for ensuring operational safety of the image forming apparatus by preventing contact with an internal driving section. Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus in which an exterior cover is not an obstacle for storing and transporting the image forming apparatus in a container.Summary of the invention

[0005] (1) An image forming apparatus includes: a conveyance section to convey an image forming medium; an image forming section to form an image on the image forming medium conveyed by the conveyance section; a plurality of conveyance frames forming at least a part of the conveyance section; and at least one exterior cover covering at least one of conveyance frames. The at least one exterior cover is attachable to or detachable from the at least one of conveyance frames or a posture of the at least one exterior cover is changeable. (2) The at least one exterior cover is detachably fixable to the at least one of conveyance frames or the image forming section by changing a posture of the at least one exterior cover. (3) The at least one exterior cover is attached to the at least one of conveyance frames via a hinge, and the posture of the at least one exterior cover is changeable using the hinge. (4) The at least one exterior cover can be detachably fixable to the at least one of conveyance frames or the image forming section by changing the posture of the at least one exterior cover using the hinge. (5) The at least one exterior cover changes in posture before the at least one exterior cover is normally fixed to the at least one of conveyance frames by a magnet, and the at least one exterior cover is fixed to the at least one of conveyance frames or the image forming section during storage. (6) The image forming apparatus has a width of 2438 mm or less with the at least one exterior cover fixed by changing the posture of the at least one exterior cover. (7) The exterior cover includes a caster that enables self-running of the exterior cover. (8) The at least one exterior cover includes an adjuster capable of adjusting a height of the at least one exterior cover. (9) The image forming apparatus includes: a conveyance section to convey an image forming medium; an image forming section to form an image on the image forming medium conveyed by the conveyance section; a plurality of conveyance frames separable from each other, forming at least a part of the conveyance section and; and at least one exterior cover to cover one or more of conveyance frames. The at least one exterior cover is separable together with the one or more of conveyance frames with the at least one exterior cover attached to the one or more of conveyance frames. (10) An image forming apparatus including: a conveyance section to convey an image forming medium; an image forming section to form an image on the image forming medium conveyed by the conveyance section; a plurality of conveyance frames separable from each other, forming at least a part of the conveyance section; and at least one exterior cover attachable to and detachable from one or more of conveyance frames, wherein the at least one exterior cover is detached from the one or more of conveyance frames so as to be loadable in the one or more of conveyance frames. (11) The image forming apparatus according to (1), wherein the image forming section includes a housing section capable of storing the at least one exterior cover, and the at least one exterior cover is detached from the one or more of conveyance frames and stored in the housing section.

[0006] According to the present invention, an image forming apparatus prevents an exterior cover from being an obstacle for carrying the image forming apparatus in a container.Brief Description of the Drawings

[0007] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an image forming apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the image forming apparatus. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the image forming apparatus. Fig. 4 is a side view of the image forming apparatus in a contracted state. Fig. 5 is a schematic plan view of the image forming apparatus. Fig. 6 is an enlarged plan view illustrating attachment of the exterior cover to the front portion of the conveyance frame. Fig. 7 is a plan view of the image forming apparatus. Fig. 8 is an enlarged plan view illustrating another example of a method of fixing the exterior cover whose posture has been changed in the example of Fig. 7. Fig. 9 is a plan view of the image forming apparatus. Fig. 10 is a front view of the exterior cover. Fig. 11 is a front view of the exterior cover. Fig. 12 is a transparent perspective view of an image forming section. Fig. 13 is an enlarged transparent perspective view of an image forming section. FIG. 14 is a perspective view of an image forming apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 15 is a perspective view of an image forming apparatus according to a third embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Description of Embodiments

[0008] Hereinafter, a plurality of embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.First Embodiment

[0009] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an image forming apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention. Figs. 2 and 3 are plan views of the same. Fig. 4 is a side view of the same device in a reduced state. FIG. 5 is a schematic plan view of the apparatus. The image forming apparatus 1 is a relatively large apparatus model for business use, and uses a medium such as a cloth having a relatively large area as an object of image formation (image forming medium). The image forming apparatus 1 forms an image by an inkjet method in the present example, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The image forming apparatus 1 can use an image forming method such as an electrophotographic method, a sublimation type thermal transfer method, a direct thermal recording method, or a melting type thermal transfer method.

[0010] The image forming apparatus 1 includes a conveyance section 2 that conveys an image forming medium (not illustrated) in a vertical direction in Fig. 5 (a horizontal direction of the image forming apparatus 1). The image forming apparatus 1 also includes an image forming section 3 that forms an image by an inkjet method or the like on the image forming medium conveyed by the conveyance section 2.

[0011] As illustrated in Fig. 5, the conveyance section 2 includes a plurality of, in this example, two conveyance frames 11 and 12 forming at least a part of the conveyance section 2. The conveyance section 2 includes rollers 13 and 14 (at least one of which is a driving roller driven by a driving source (not shown)) axially supported by the conveyance frames 11 and 12, respectively. For a product actually used, the conveyance frame 11 and the conveyance frame 12 are installed so as to face each other at a predetermined distance (FIGS. 2 and 5). The conveyance section 2 is used in a state in which the conveying belt 15 is stretched between the rollers 13 and 14 of the conveyance frame 11 and the conveyance frame 12. When the rollers 13 and 14 are driven in this state, the conveyor belt 15 is moved in one direction of the vertical directions in FIG. 15. The image forming medium is placed on the conveyance belt 15, and the conveyance section 2 drives the conveyance belt 15 to convey the image forming medium. At this time, except for the conveyance belt 15 and the image forming section 3, there is substantially a space between the conveyance frame 11 and the conveyance frame 12. In a region where only the conveyance belt 15 exists, the image forming section 3 is arranged such that its longitudinal direction is horizontally orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the conveyance section 2. The image forming section 3 includes a carriage 21 whose longitudinal direction is the longitudinal direction of the image forming section 3. The image forming section 3 includes an inkjet head 22 that is driven by the carriage 21 in its longitudinal direction. That is, the image forming medium is placed on the conveyance belt 15 and conveyed in its longitudinal direction. The carriage 21 drives the inkjet head 22 in a direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction. The inkjet head 22 ejects ink onto an image forming medium to form an image.

[0012] The conveyance section 2 includes an exterior cover 31 that covers at least one of the plurality of conveyance frames 11 and 12 forming at least a part of the conveyance section 2. The exterior cover 31 is a component that is attached to the outer periphery of (the conveyance frames 11 and 12 of) the image forming apparatus 1 and prevents the inside of the image forming apparatus 1 from being seen. The exterior cover 31 is a component for ensuring operational safety of the image forming apparatus 1 by preventing contact with a drive section therein. In the present example, the exterior covers 31 are attached to both sides of each of the conveyance frames 11 and 12, respectively.

[0013] When the image forming apparatus 1 having such a schematic configuration is loaded on a container C (FIG. 5) of 20 feet or 40 feet according to the ISO standard for transportation, the following problem arises. That is, in the installation state as shown in FIGS. 2 and 5, the image forming apparatus 1 is too large to be carried in from the frontage C1 of the container C. That is, the image forming apparatus 1 protrudes from the frontage C1 by a distance indicated by an arrow a in FIG. 5, and gets stuck on the container C. Therefore, the conveyance frame 11 and the conveyance frame 12 are brought closer to each other (FIG. 3 and FIG. 4) to narrow the interval in the longitudinal direction. Thus, the portions of the conveyance frames 11 and 12 are contained substantially within the width of the image forming section 3. At this time, as shown in FIG. 4, the conveyance belt 15 is released from the stretched state. At this time, the remaining conveyance belt 15 may be folded and stored.

[0014] As illustrated in Fig. 5, the conveyance frame 11 and the conveyance frame 12 are brought close to each other into the state as illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4. For this purpose, each exterior cover 31 may become an obstacle. Therefore, respective exterior covers 31 are attachable to and detachable from the conveyance frames 11 and 12, or the posture of each exterior cover 31 is changeable. Hereinafter, this will be specifically described. Although not shown, the exterior cover 31 is fixed to a side portion of the conveyance frame 11 by, for example, bolts 42 (see FIG. 13). Next, the exterior cover 31 is removed from the conveyance frames 11 and 12 by loosening the bolts 42.

[0015] Fig. 6 is an enlarged plan view illustrating attachment of the exterior covers 31 to the front portions of the conveyance frames 11 and 12. Brackets 45 are provided at a front part of the conveyance frame 11 (see Fig. 13). The outer cover 31 removed as described above is fastened and fixed to the bracket 45 with the bolts 42. In this way, the exterior cover 31 can be attached to and detached from the conveyance frames 11 and 12. When the image forming apparatus 1 is stored in the container C, the attachment position of the exterior cover 31 is changed. Thus, the exterior cover 31 is prevented from interfering with storage in the container C.

[0016] Note that the exterior cover 31 may be fixable to the image forming section 3 (Fig. 12). The fixing means of the exterior cover 31 is also not limited to bolting. As the fixing means, various means may be used as long as they can fix with sufficient strength.

[0017] Fig. 7 is a plan view of the image forming apparatus. Fig. 7 shows another example of the position change of the exterior cover 31. That is, in the image forming apparatus 1 of FIG. 1, the exterior cover 31 is attached to the conveyance frame 11 (12) via the hinge 51. Thus, the exterior cover 31 is turned around the hinge 51 to be stored near the conveyance frame 11 (12). That is, the posture of the exterior cover 31 can be changed using the hinge 51.

[0018] In this case, the posture of the exterior cover 31 is changed before the exterior cover 31 is fixed to the conveyance frame 11 (12) or the image forming section 3. For this fixation, means shown in FIG. 13 is used. This fixation is detachable.

[0019] Fig. 8 is an enlarged plan view illustrating another example of a method of fixing the exterior cover whose posture has been changed in the example of Fig. 7. In the example of Fig. 8, for example, the exterior cover 31 is normally fixed to the conveyance frames 11 and 12 by a magnet 61 attached to the exterior cover 31. For storage, the exterior cover 31 is fixed to the conveyance frames 11 and 12 or the image forming section 3 by the magnet 61. In Fig. 8, the exterior cover 31 may be fixed to the image forming section 3. The magnet 61 may be not only a natural magnet but also an electromagnet or the like.

[0020] Fig. 9 is a plan view of the image forming apparatus. As described above, the dimension of the image forming apparatus 1 in the vertical direction in FIG. 11 may be equal to or smaller than the 2438 mm in a state where the posture of the exterior covers 31 are changed and the exterior covers 31 are fixed as described above.

[0021] Fig. 10 is a front view of the exterior cover. As illustrated in the figure, casters 71 that enable the exterior cover 31 to travel by itself may be provided on the bottom of the exterior cover 31. The casters 71 may be rotatable by 360 degrees in a clockwise direction or a counterclockwise direction in a plan view.

[0022] Fig. 11 is a front view of the exterior cover. As illustrated in the figure, one or more adjusters 81 may be provided at the bottom of the exterior cover 31. The adjuster 81 may have a male screw formed on an outer periphery of the leg part 82 thereof, and may be attached to the bottom of the exterior cover 31 by a screw action so as to be adjustable in height.

[0023] Fig. 12 is a transparent perspective view of an image forming section. Fig. 13 is an enlarged transparent perspective view of an image forming section. As illustrated in Figs. 12 and 13, a housing section 91 capable of storing the exterior cover 31 is formed in the image forming section 3. One or a plurality of exterior covers 31 detached from the conveyance frames 11 and 12 as described above may be stored in the space formed by the housing section 91.

[0024] According to the image forming apparatus 1 described above, each exterior cover 31 is detachable and attachable to the conveyance frames 11 and 12, or the posture of each exterior cover 31 is changeable. Therefore, each exterior cover 31 is not an obstacle when the image forming apparatus 1 is stored in the container C and transported.

[0025] In this case, the exterior cover 31 is removed or changed in posture and then fixed to the conveyance frames 11 and 12 and the image forming section 3 as described above. This makes it difficult for the outer cover 31 to come off in the container C. Further, as described above, when the posture of the exterior cover 31 is changed using the hinge 51, the posture of the exterior cover 31 is easily changed. Furthermore, the outer cover 31 whose posture has been changed is fixed to the conveyance frames 11 and 12 and the like using the hinges 51. This makes it difficult for the exterior cover 31 to come off in the container C.

[0026] When the magnet 61 is used as described above, the exterior cover 31 can be easily fixed by the magnet 61, and the releasing of the fixing is also relatively easy. After the image forming apparatus 1 is compacted as described above and the exterior cover 31 is processed as described above, the dimension of the image forming apparatus 1 may be equal to or smaller than 2438 mm. That is, the width of the frontage C1 of the containers C of 20 feet and 40 feet of the ISO standard are 2440 mm. Therefore, when the width of the image forming apparatus 1 is 2438 mm or less, the image forming apparatus 1 is stored in the container C without being processed.

[0027] As described above, use of the casters 71 facilitates change of the posture of the exterior cover 31. This simplifies the above-described operation of reducing the size of the image forming apparatus 1. As described above, when the adjuster 81 is used, the exterior cover 31 is easily leveled when the image forming apparatus 1 is installed. The exterior cover 31 is generally heavy and is likely to incline, and therefore, is likely to incline to deteriorate appearance. However, the use of the adjuster 81 improves the appearance of the exterior cover 31 at the time of installation of the image forming apparatus 1.

[0028] The exterior cover 31 is stored without occupying much space by forming a housing section 91 capable of storing the exterior cover 31 in an image forming part 3. This makes it easier to store the image forming apparatus 1 in the container C.Second Embodiment

[0029] In the following embodiments, the same members and the like as those in the preceding embodiments are denoted by the same reference numerals as those in the preceding embodiments, and detailed description thereof is omitted.

[0030] FIG. 14 is a perspective view of the image forming apparatus according to the second embodiment. In the installed state of the image forming apparatus 1, only the image forming section 3 and the conveyance belt 15 exist between the conveyance frame 11 and the conveyance frame 12. However, the image forming apparatus 1a according to the second embodiment includes the conveyance frame 101 between the conveyance frame 11 and the conveyance frame 12. Although not described in detail, the conveyance frame 101 includes a driven roller and the like that support the conveyance belt 15. The conveyance frames 11, 12, and 101 can be separated from each other in a state where the exterior cover 31 is attached.

[0031] As described above, the image forming apparatus 1a can be divided into three even when the conveyance section 2 includes the conveyance frame 101 in its central portion. Therefore, the image forming apparatus 1a can be easily stored in the container C by being divided into three.Third Embodiment

[0032] FIG. 15 is a perspective view of the image forming apparatus according to the third embodiment. In the image forming apparatus 1b of the second embodiment, the conveyance frames 11, 12, and 101 can be separated from each other in a state where the exterior covers 31 are attached. In the third embodiment, the exterior covers 31 can be detached by the same means as in the first embodiment. Then, the detached exterior covers 31 can be loaded into the conveyance frames 11, 12, and 101. Although the outer covers 31 are loaded on the conveyance frame 11 in Fig. 15, the outer covers 31 may be loaded on the conveyance frames 12 and 101.

[0033] As described above, the image forming apparatus 1b can load the removed exterior covers 31 on the conveyance frames 11, 12, and 101. Therefore, the image forming apparatus 1b is made more compact than the image forming apparatus 1a, and thus can be easily stored in the container C. Note that each of the above-described embodiments is merely one embodiment of the present invention. Therefore, various modification examples other than these can be implemented as the present invention.

[0034] Although embodiments of the present invention have been described and illustrated in detail, the disclosed embodiments are made for purposes of illustration and example only and not limitation. The scope of the present invention should be interpreted by terms of the appended claims.Explanation of reference characters

[0035] 1, 1a, 1b Image forming apparatus 2 Conveyance section 3 Image forming section 11, 12, 101 Conveyance frame 31 Exterior cover 51 Hinge 61 Magnet 71 Caster 81 Adjuster

Examples

first embodiment

[0009]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an image forming apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention. Figs. 2 and 3 are plan views of the same. Fig. 4 is a side view of the same device in a reduced state. FIG. 5 is a schematic plan view of the apparatus. The image forming apparatus 1 is a relatively large apparatus model for business use, and uses a medium such as a cloth having a relatively large area as an object of image formation (image forming medium). The image forming apparatus 1 forms an image by an inkjet method in the present example, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The image forming apparatus 1 can use an image forming method such as an electrophotographic method, a sublimation type thermal transfer method, a direct thermal recording method, or a melting type thermal transfer method.

[0010]The image forming apparatus 1 includes a conveyance section 2 that conveys an image forming medium (not illustrated) in a vertical direction in Fig...

second embodiment

[0029]In the following embodiments, the same members and the like as those in the preceding embodiments are denoted by the same reference numerals as those in the preceding embodiments, and detailed description thereof is omitted.

[0030]FIG. 14 is a perspective view of the image forming apparatus according to the second embodiment. In the installed state of the image forming apparatus 1, only the image forming section 3 and the conveyance belt 15 exist between the conveyance frame 11 and the conveyance frame 12. However, the image forming apparatus 1a according to the second embodiment includes the conveyance frame 101 between the conveyance frame 11 and the conveyance frame 12. Although not described in detail, the conveyance frame 101 includes a driven roller and the like that support the conveyance belt 15. The conveyance frames 11, 12, and 101 can be separated from each other in a state where the exterior cover 31 is attached.

[0031] As described above, the image forming apparatus...

third embodiment

[0032]FIG. 15 is a perspective view of the image forming apparatus according to the third embodiment. In the image forming apparatus 1b of the second embodiment, the conveyance frames 11, 12, and 101 can be separated from each other in a state where the exterior covers 31 are attached. In the third embodiment, the exterior covers 31 can be detached by the same means as in the first embodiment. Then, the detached exterior covers 31 can be loaded into the conveyance frames 11, 12, and 101. Although the outer covers 31 are loaded on the conveyance frame 11 in Fig. 15, the outer covers 31 may be loaded on the conveyance frames 12 and 101.

[0033]As described above, the image forming apparatus 1b can load the removed exterior covers 31 on the conveyance frames 11, 12, and 101. Therefore, the image forming apparatus 1b is made more compact than the image forming apparatus 1a, and thus can be easily stored in the container C. Note that each of the above-described embodiments is merely one em...

Background of the inventionTechnical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus.Description of Related art

[0002] For example, in an image forming apparatus of an inkjet method, there is a case where a cloth or the like having a large area is used as an object of image formation (image forming medium). For this reason, the entire apparatus may become considerably large. The technology of Patent Literature 1 (Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2020-1263) makes it easy to store an entire image forming apparatus in a container when transporting such a large image forming apparatus. For this reason, Patent Literature 1 discloses a technique in which an image forming apparatus can be divided into a plurality of units.

[0003] Dividing the image forming apparatus into a small number of containers in this manner reduces the transportation cost of the image forming apparatus.

[0004] However, the technique of Patent Literature 1 does not refer to how to attach the exterior cover to the image forming apparatus in order to store the image forming apparatus in a container and easily transport it. The exterior cover is a component that is attached to the outer periphery of the image forming apparatus and prevents the inside of the image forming apparatus from being seen. In addition, the exterior cover is a component for ensuring operational safety of the image forming apparatus by preventing contact with an internal driving section. Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus in which an exterior cover is not an obstacle for storing and transporting the image forming apparatus in a container.Summary of the invention

[0005] (1) An image forming apparatus includes: a conveyance section to convey an image forming medium; an image forming section to form an image on the image forming medium conveyed by the conveyance section; a plurality of conveyance frames forming at least a part of the conveyance section; and at least one exterior cover covering at least one of conveyance frames. The at least one exterior cover is attachable to or detachable from the at least one of conveyance frames or a posture of the at least one exterior cover is changeable. (2) The at least one exterior cover is detachably fixable to the at least one of conveyance frames or the image forming section by changing a posture of the at least one exterior cover. (3) The at least one exterior cover is attached to the at least one of conveyance frames via a hinge, and the posture of the at least one exterior cover is changeable using the hinge. (4) The at least one exterior cover can be detachably fixable to the at least one of conveyance frames or the image forming section by changing the posture of the at least one exterior cover using the hinge. (5) The at least one exterior cover changes in posture before the at least one exterior cover is normally fixed to the at least one of conveyance frames by a magnet, and the at least one exterior cover is fixed to the at least one of conveyance frames or the image forming section during storage. (6) The image forming apparatus has a width of 2438 mm or less with the at least one exterior cover fixed by changing the posture of the at least one exterior cover. (7) The exterior cover includes a caster that enables self-running of the exterior cover. (8) The at least one exterior cover includes an adjuster capable of adjusting a height of the at least one exterior cover. (9) The image forming apparatus includes: a conveyance section to convey an image forming medium; an image forming section to form an image on the image forming medium conveyed by the conveyance section; a plurality of conveyance frames separable from each other, forming at least a part of the conveyance section and; and at least one exterior cover to cover one or more of conveyance frames. The at least one exterior cover is separable together with the one or more of conveyance frames with the at least one exterior cover attached to the one or more of conveyance frames. (10) An image forming apparatus including: a conveyance section to convey an image forming medium; an image forming section to form an image on the image forming medium conveyed by the conveyance section; a plurality of conveyance frames separable from each other, forming at least a part of the conveyance section; and at least one exterior cover attachable to and detachable from one or more of conveyance frames, wherein the at least one exterior cover is detached from the one or more of conveyance frames so as to be loadable in the one or more of conveyance frames. (11) The image forming apparatus according to (1), wherein the image forming section includes a housing section capable of storing the at least one exterior cover, and the at least one exterior cover is detached from the one or more of conveyance frames and stored in the housing section.

[0006] According to the present invention, an image forming apparatus prevents an exterior cover from being an obstacle for carrying the image forming apparatus in a container.Brief Description of the Drawings

[0007] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an image forming apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the image forming apparatus. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the image forming apparatus. Fig. 4 is a side view of the image forming apparatus in a contracted state. Fig. 5 is a schematic plan view of the image forming apparatus. Fig. 6 is an enlarged plan view illustrating attachment of the exterior cover to the front portion of the conveyance frame. Fig. 7 is a plan view of the image forming apparatus. Fig. 8 is an enlarged plan view illustrating another example of a method of fixing the exterior cover whose posture has been changed in the example of Fig. 7. Fig. 9 is a plan view of the image forming apparatus. Fig. 10 is a front view of the exterior cover. Fig. 11 is a front view of the exterior cover. Fig. 12 is a transparent perspective view of an image forming section. Fig. 13 is an enlarged transparent perspective view of an image forming section. FIG. 14 is a perspective view of an image forming apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 15 is a perspective view of an image forming apparatus according to a third embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Description of Embodiments

[0008] Hereinafter, a plurality of embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.First Embodiment

[0009] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an image forming apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention. Figs. 2 and 3 are plan views of the same. Fig. 4 is a side view of the same device in a reduced state. FIG. 5 is a schematic plan view of the apparatus. The image forming apparatus 1 is a relatively large apparatus model for business use, and uses a medium such as a cloth having a relatively large area as an object of image formation (image forming medium). The image forming apparatus 1 forms an image by an inkjet method in the present example, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The image forming apparatus 1 can use an image forming method such as an electrophotographic method, a sublimation type thermal transfer method, a direct thermal recording method, or a melting type thermal transfer method.

[0010] The image forming apparatus 1 includes a conveyance section 2 that conveys an image forming medium (not illustrated) in a vertical direction in Fig. 5 (a horizontal direction of the image forming apparatus 1). The image forming apparatus 1 also includes an image forming section 3 that forms an image by an inkjet method or the like on the image forming medium conveyed by the conveyance section 2.

[0011] As illustrated in Fig. 5, the conveyance section 2 includes a plurality of, in this example, two conveyance frames 11 and 12 forming at least a part of the conveyance section 2. The conveyance section 2 includes rollers 13 and 14 (at least one of which is a driving roller driven by a driving source (not shown)) axially supported by the conveyance frames 11 and 12, respectively. For a product actually used, the conveyance frame 11 and the conveyance frame 12 are installed so as to face each other at a predetermined distance (FIGS. 2 and 5). The conveyance section 2 is used in a state in which the conveying belt 15 is stretched between the rollers 13 and 14 of the conveyance frame 11 and the conveyance frame 12. When the rollers 13 and 14 are driven in this state, the conveyor belt 15 is moved in one direction of the vertical directions in FIG. 15. The image forming medium is placed on the conveyance belt 15, and the conveyance section 2 drives the conveyance belt 15 to convey the image forming medium. At this time, except for the conveyance belt 15 and the image forming section 3, there is substantially a space between the conveyance frame 11 and the conveyance frame 12. In a region where only the conveyance belt 15 exists, the image forming section 3 is arranged such that its longitudinal direction is horizontally orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the conveyance section 2. The image forming section 3 includes a carriage 21 whose longitudinal direction is the longitudinal direction of the image forming section 3. The image forming section 3 includes an inkjet head 22 that is driven by the carriage 21 in its longitudinal direction. That is, the image forming medium is placed on the conveyance belt 15 and conveyed in its longitudinal direction. The carriage 21 drives the inkjet head 22 in a direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction. The inkjet head 22 ejects ink onto an image forming medium to form an image.

[0012] The conveyance section 2 includes an exterior cover 31 that covers at least one of the plurality of conveyance frames 11 and 12 forming at least a part of the conveyance section 2. The exterior cover 31 is a component that is attached to the outer periphery of (the conveyance frames 11 and 12 of) the image forming apparatus 1 and prevents the inside of the image forming apparatus 1 from being seen. The exterior cover 31 is a component for ensuring operational safety of the image forming apparatus 1 by preventing contact with a drive section therein. In the present example, the exterior covers 31 are attached to both sides of each of the conveyance frames 11 and 12, respectively.

[0013] When the image forming apparatus 1 having such a schematic configuration is loaded on a container C (FIG. 5) of 20 feet or 40 feet according to the ISO standard for transportation, the following problem arises. That is, in the installation state as shown in FIGS. 2 and 5, the image forming apparatus 1 is too large to be carried in from the frontage C1 of the container C. That is, the image forming apparatus 1 protrudes from the frontage C1 by a distance indicated by an arrow a in FIG. 5, and gets stuck on the container C. Therefore, the conveyance frame 11 and the conveyance frame 12 are brought closer to each other (FIG. 3 and FIG. 4) to narrow the interval in the longitudinal direction. Thus, the portions of the conveyance frames 11 and 12 are contained substantially within the width of the image forming section 3. At this time, as shown in FIG. 4, the conveyance belt 15 is released from the stretched state. At this time, the remaining conveyance belt 15 may be folded and stored.

[0014] As illustrated in Fig. 5, the conveyance frame 11 and the conveyance frame 12 are brought close to each other into the state as illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4. For this purpose, each exterior cover 31 may become an obstacle. Therefore, respective exterior covers 31 are attachable to and detachable from the conveyance frames 11 and 12, or the posture of each exterior cover 31 is changeable. Hereinafter, this will be specifically described. Although not shown, the exterior cover 31 is fixed to a side portion of the conveyance frame 11 by, for example, bolts 42 (see FIG. 13). Next, the exterior cover 31 is removed from the conveyance frames 11 and 12 by loosening the bolts 42.

[0015] Fig. 6 is an enlarged plan view illustrating attachment of the exterior covers 31 to the front portions of the conveyance frames 11 and 12. Brackets 45 are provided at a front part of the conveyance frame 11 (see Fig. 13). The outer cover 31 removed as described above is fastened and fixed to the bracket 45 with the bolts 42. In this way, the exterior cover 31 can be attached to and detached from the conveyance frames 11 and 12. When the image forming apparatus 1 is stored in the container C, the attachment position of the exterior cover 31 is changed. Thus, the exterior cover 31 is prevented from interfering with storage in the container C.

[0016] Note that the exterior cover 31 may be fixable to the image forming section 3 (Fig. 12). The fixing means of the exterior cover 31 is also not limited to bolting. As the fixing means, various means may be used as long as they can fix with sufficient strength.

[0017] Fig. 7 is a plan view of the image forming apparatus. Fig. 7 shows another example of the position change of the exterior cover 31. That is, in the image forming apparatus 1 of FIG. 1, the exterior cover 31 is attached to the conveyance frame 11 (12) via the hinge 51. Thus, the exterior cover 31 is turned around the hinge 51 to be stored near the conveyance frame 11 (12). That is, the posture of the exterior cover 31 can be changed using the hinge 51.

[0018] In this case, the posture of the exterior cover 31 is changed before the exterior cover 31 is fixed to the conveyance frame 11 (12) or the image forming section 3. For this fixation, means shown in FIG. 13 is used. This fixation is detachable.

[0019] Fig. 8 is an enlarged plan view illustrating another example of a method of fixing the exterior cover whose posture has been changed in the example of Fig. 7. In the example of Fig. 8, for example, the exterior cover 31 is normally fixed to the conveyance frames 11 and 12 by a magnet 61 attached to the exterior cover 31. For storage, the exterior cover 31 is fixed to the conveyance frames 11 and 12 or the image forming section 3 by the magnet 61. In Fig. 8, the exterior cover 31 may be fixed to the image forming section 3. The magnet 61 may be not only a natural magnet but also an electromagnet or the like.

[0020] Fig. 9 is a plan view of the image forming apparatus. As described above, the dimension of the image forming apparatus 1 in the vertical direction in FIG. 11 may be equal to or smaller than the 2438 mm in a state where the posture of the exterior covers 31 are changed and the exterior covers 31 are fixed as described above.

[0021] Fig. 10 is a front view of the exterior cover. As illustrated in the figure, casters 71 that enable the exterior cover 31 to travel by itself may be provided on the bottom of the exterior cover 31. The casters 71 may be rotatable by 360 degrees in a clockwise direction or a counterclockwise direction in a plan view.

[0022] Fig. 11 is a front view of the exterior cover. As illustrated in the figure, one or more adjusters 81 may be provided at the bottom of the exterior cover 31. The adjuster 81 may have a male screw formed on an outer periphery of the leg part 82 thereof, and may be attached to the bottom of the exterior cover 31 by a screw action so as to be adjustable in height.

[0023] Fig. 12 is a transparent perspective view of an image forming section. Fig. 13 is an enlarged transparent perspective view of an image forming section. As illustrated in Figs. 12 and 13, a housing section 91 capable of storing the exterior cover 31 is formed in the image forming section 3. One or a plurality of exterior covers 31 detached from the conveyance frames 11 and 12 as described above may be stored in the space formed by the housing section 91.

[0024] According to the image forming apparatus 1 described above, each exterior cover 31 is detachable and attachable to the conveyance frames 11 and 12, or the posture of each exterior cover 31 is changeable. Therefore, each exterior cover 31 is not an obstacle when the image forming apparatus 1 is stored in the container C and transported.

[0025] In this case, the exterior cover 31 is removed or changed in posture and then fixed to the conveyance frames 11 and 12 and the image forming section 3 as described above. This makes it difficult for the outer cover 31 to come off in the container C. Further, as described above, when the posture of the exterior cover 31 is changed using the hinge 51, the posture of the exterior cover 31 is easily changed. Furthermore, the outer cover 31 whose posture has been changed is fixed to the conveyance frames 11 and 12 and the like using the hinges 51. This makes it difficult for the exterior cover 31 to come off in the container C.

[0026] When the magnet 61 is used as described above, the exterior cover 31 can be easily fixed by the magnet 61, and the releasing of the fixing is also relatively easy. After the image forming apparatus 1 is compacted as described above and the exterior cover 31 is processed as described above, the dimension of the image forming apparatus 1 may be equal to or smaller than 2438 mm. That is, the width of the frontage C1 of the containers C of 20 feet and 40 feet of the ISO standard are 2440 mm. Therefore, when the width of the image forming apparatus 1 is 2438 mm or less, the image forming apparatus 1 is stored in the container C without being processed.

[0027] As described above, use of the casters 71 facilitates change of the posture of the exterior cover 31. This simplifies the above-described operation of reducing the size of the image forming apparatus 1. As described above, when the adjuster 81 is used, the exterior cover 31 is easily leveled when the image forming apparatus 1 is installed. The exterior cover 31 is generally heavy and is likely to incline, and therefore, is likely to incline to deteriorate appearance. However, the use of the adjuster 81 improves the appearance of the exterior cover 31 at the time of installation of the image forming apparatus 1.

[0028] The exterior cover 31 is stored without occupying much space by forming a housing section 91 capable of storing the exterior cover 31 in an image forming part 3. This makes it easier to store the image forming apparatus 1 in the container C.Second Embodiment

[0029] In the following embodiments, the same members and the like as those in the preceding embodiments are denoted by the same reference numerals as those in the preceding embodiments, and detailed description thereof is omitted.

[0030] FIG. 14 is a perspective view of the image forming apparatus according to the second embodiment. In the installed state of the image forming apparatus 1, only the image forming section 3 and the conveyance belt 15 exist between the conveyance frame 11 and the conveyance frame 12. However, the image forming apparatus 1a according to the second embodiment includes the conveyance frame 101 between the conveyance frame 11 and the conveyance frame 12. Although not described in detail, the conveyance frame 101 includes a driven roller and the like that support the conveyance belt 15. The conveyance frames 11, 12, and 101 can be separated from each other in a state where the exterior cover 31 is attached.

[0031] As described above, the image forming apparatus 1a can be divided into three even when the conveyance section 2 includes the conveyance frame 101 in its central portion. Therefore, the image forming apparatus 1a can be easily stored in the container C by being divided into three.Third Embodiment

[0032] FIG. 15 is a perspective view of the image forming apparatus according to the third embodiment. In the image forming apparatus 1b of the second embodiment, the conveyance frames 11, 12, and 101 can be separated from each other in a state where the exterior covers 31 are attached. In the third embodiment, the exterior covers 31 can be detached by the same means as in the first embodiment. Then, the detached exterior covers 31 can be loaded into the conveyance frames 11, 12, and 101. Although the outer covers 31 are loaded on the conveyance frame 11 in Fig. 15, the outer covers 31 may be loaded on the conveyance frames 12 and 101.

[0033] As described above, the image forming apparatus 1b can load the removed exterior covers 31 on the conveyance frames 11, 12, and 101. Therefore, the image forming apparatus 1b is made more compact than the image forming apparatus 1a, and thus can be easily stored in the container C. Note that each of the above-described embodiments is merely one embodiment of the present invention. Therefore, various modification examples other than these can be implemented as the present invention.

[0034] Although embodiments of the present invention have been described and illustrated in detail, the disclosed embodiments are made for purposes of illustration and example only and not limitation. The scope of the present invention should be interpreted by terms of the appended claims.Explanation of reference characters

[0035] 1, 1a, 1b Image forming apparatus 2 Conveyance section 3 Image forming section 11, 12, 101 Conveyance frame 31 Exterior cover 51 Hinge 61 Magnet 71 Caster 81 Adjuster

Examples

first embodiment

[0009]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an image forming apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention. Figs. 2 and 3 are plan views of the same. Fig. 4 is a side view of the same device in a reduced state. FIG. 5 is a schematic plan view of the apparatus. The image forming apparatus 1 is a relatively large apparatus model for business use, and uses a medium such as a cloth having a relatively large area as an object of image formation (image forming medium). The image forming apparatus 1 forms an image by an inkjet method in the present example, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The image forming apparatus 1 can use an image forming method such as an electrophotographic method, a sublimation type thermal transfer method, a direct thermal recording method, or a melting type thermal transfer method.

[0010]The image forming apparatus 1 includes a conveyance section 2 that conveys an image forming medium (not illustrated) in a vertical direction in Fig...

second embodiment

[0029]In the following embodiments, the same members and the like as those in the preceding embodiments are denoted by the same reference numerals as those in the preceding embodiments, and detailed description thereof is omitted.

[0030]FIG. 14 is a perspective view of the image forming apparatus according to the second embodiment. In the installed state of the image forming apparatus 1, only the image forming section 3 and the conveyance belt 15 exist between the conveyance frame 11 and the conveyance frame 12. However, the image forming apparatus 1a according to the second embodiment includes the conveyance frame 101 between the conveyance frame 11 and the conveyance frame 12. Although not described in detail, the conveyance frame 101 includes a driven roller and the like that support the conveyance belt 15. The conveyance frames 11, 12, and 101 can be separated from each other in a state where the exterior cover 31 is attached.

[0031] As described above, the image forming apparatus...

third embodiment

[0032]FIG. 15 is a perspective view of the image forming apparatus according to the third embodiment. In the image forming apparatus 1b of the second embodiment, the conveyance frames 11, 12, and 101 can be separated from each other in a state where the exterior covers 31 are attached. In the third embodiment, the exterior covers 31 can be detached by the same means as in the first embodiment. Then, the detached exterior covers 31 can be loaded into the conveyance frames 11, 12, and 101. Although the outer covers 31 are loaded on the conveyance frame 11 in Fig. 15, the outer covers 31 may be loaded on the conveyance frames 12 and 101.

[0033]As described above, the image forming apparatus 1b can load the removed exterior covers 31 on the conveyance frames 11, 12, and 101. Therefore, the image forming apparatus 1b is made more compact than the image forming apparatus 1a, and thus can be easily stored in the container C. Note that each of the above-described embodiments is merely one em...

Claims

1. An image forming apparatus (1, 1a, 1b) comprising: a conveyance section (2) to convey an image forming medium; an image forming section (3) to form an image on the image forming medium conveyed by the conveyance section (2); a plurality of conveyance frames (11, 12) forming at least a part of the conveyance section (2); at least one exterior cover (31) covering at least one of conveyance frames (11, 12), wherein the at least one exterior cover (31) is attachable to or detachable from the at least one of conveyance frames (11, 12), or a posture of the at least one exterior cover (31) is changeable.

2. The image forming apparatus (1, 1a, 1b) according to claim 1, wherein the at least one exterior cover (31) is detachably fixable to the at least one of conveyance frames (11, 12) or the image forming section (3) by changing the posture of the at least one exterior cover (31).

3. The image forming apparatus (1, 1a, 1b) according to claim 1, wherein the at least one exterior cover (31) is attached to the at least one of conveyance frames (11, 12) via a hinge (51), and the posture of the at least one exterior cover (31) is changeable using the hinge (51).

4. The image forming apparatus (1, 1a, 1b) according to claim 3, wherein the at least one exterior cover is detachably fixable to the at least one of conveyance frames (11, 12) or the image forming section (3) by changing the posture of the at least one exterior cover (31) using the hinge (51).

5. The image forming apparatus (1, 1a, 1b) according to claim 1, wherein the at least one exterior cover (31) changes in posture before the at least one exterior cover (31) is normally fixed to the at least one of conveyance frames (11, 12) by a magnet (61), and the at least one exterior cover is fixed to the at least one of conveyance frames or the image forming section (31) during storage.

6. The image forming apparatus (1, 1a, 1b) according to claim 2, wherein the image forming apparatus has a width of 2438 mm or less with the at least one exterior cover (31) fixed by changing the posture of the at least one exterior cover.

7. The image forming apparatus (1, 1a, 1b) according to claim 1, wherein the at least one exterior cover includes a caster (71) that enables self-running of the at least one exterior cover.

8. The image forming apparatus (1, 1a, 1b) according to claim 1, wherein the at least one exterior cover (31) includes an adjuster (81) capable of adjusting a height of the at least one exterior cover.

9. An image forming apparatus (1, 1a, 1b) comprising: a conveyance section (2) to convey an image forming medium; an image forming section (3) to form an image on the image forming medium conveyed by the conveyance section (2); a plurality of conveyance frames (11, 12, 101) separable from each other, forming at least a part of the conveyance section (2); at least one exterior cover (31) to cover one or more of conveyance frames (11, 12, 101), wherein the at least one exterior cover (31) is separable together with the one or more of conveyance frames (11, 12, 101) with the at least one exterior cover (31) attached to the one or more of conveyance frames (11, 12, 101).

10. An image forming apparatus (1, 1a, 1b) comprising: a conveyance section (2) to convey an image forming medium; an image forming section (3) to form an image on the image forming medium conveyed by the conveyance section (2); a plurality of conveyance frames (11, 12, 101) separable from each other, forming at least a part of the conveyance section (2), at least one exterior cover (31) attachable to and detachable from one or more of conveyance frames (11, 12, 101), wherein the at least one exterior cover (31) is detached from the one or more of conveyance frames (11, 12, 101) so as to be loadable in the one or more of conveyance frames.

11. The image forming apparatus (1, 1a, 1b) according to claim 1, wherein the image forming section (3) includes a housing section (91) capable of storing the at least one exterior cover (31), wherein the at least one exterior cover (31) is detached from the one or more of conveyance frames (11, 12, 101) and stored in the housing section.

Images