Image forming apparatus

Abstract

To solve the problem in which: when an operating unit is movably mounted on a top face of an image forming apparatus, if a user drops the operating unit, a cable may be broken; although there is a technique to strengthen a coating that covers the cable to reduce the possibility that the cable is broken, but the strong coating may inhibit the user from moving the operating unit and may deteriorate the user's operability.SOLUTION: A first fixation part of a reinforcement member is fixed to a housing, on a cross section of the reinforcement member at the first fixation part, so that a weak axis in which a cross sectional secondary moment becomes minimum intersects a top face, and thereby reduces the possibility that a cable connecting an operating unit and an image forming apparatus to each other is broken and reduces the possibility that a user's operability is deteriorated.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 18

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus and an image forming system. [Background technology]

[0002] Image forming apparatuses such as copiers have an operation unit that accepts user-instructed operation switching, settings for each operation, etc. Even in a system (image forming system) in which optional devices such as a paper feed unit, a transport unit, and a post-processing unit are connected to the image forming apparatus, the user performs setting operations for various optional devices using the operation unit.

[0003] In the case of a large-scale image forming system with a long overall length in which multiple optional devices are connected as described above, a user may wish to configure various optional units through the operation unit at a location away from the image forming apparatus main body where the operation unit is installed. In such cases, the user must move back and forth between the optional devices to operate the operation unit, which reduces operability.

[0004] Patent Document 1 proposes a method for installing an operation unit not only in an image forming apparatus but also in an optional device. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 2010-243977 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] In the case of an operation unit that can be freely placed on the top surface of an image forming apparatus as described above, there is a risk that the cable will break if the user drops the operation unit.

[0007] One method is to reduce the risk of the cable breaking by strengthening the coating that covers the cable, but a strong coating can hinder the user's ability to move the operating part, potentially worsening operability for the user.

[0008] In view of the above problems, an object of the present invention is to reduce the risk of a cable connecting an operation unit and an image forming apparatus being disconnected, while reducing the risk of deterioration of operability for the user. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The image forming system according to the present invention comprises: an image forming unit that forms an image on a recording medium; a housing including the image forming unit and having a top surface; an operation unit that is movably placed on the top surface and receives settings of conditions for forming an image on the recording medium; a cable that connects the housing and the operation unit and operates the operation unit; a reinforcing member disposed along the cable in a longitudinal direction and having a first fixing portion fixed to the housing and a second fixing portion fixed to the operation portion; Equipped with the cable has a third fixed portion fixed to the housing and a fourth fixed portion fixed to the operation unit, a distance between the first fixed portion and the second fixed portion is shorter than a distance between the third fixed portion and the fourth fixed portion; the first fixing portion is fixed to the housing such that a weak axis along which a second moment of area is minimum in a cross section of the reinforcing member in the first fixing portion intersects with the top surface; It is characterized by: Effect of the Invention

[0010] According to the present invention, it is possible to reduce the risk of the cable connecting the operation unit and the image forming apparatus being disconnected, while reducing the risk of the user's operability being deteriorated. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of an image forming system. [Diagram 2] FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram of an image forming system. [Figure 4] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an operation unit disposed on the top surface of a housing to the left of a reading device. [Diagram 5] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an operation unit disposed on the top surface of a housing to the right of a reading device. [Figure 6] Cross section of the cable. [Figure 7] FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining a cable and a reinforcing member. [Figure 8] 4A and 4B are a perspective view and a cross-sectional view of a reinforcing member; [Figure 9] FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining an operation unit. [Figure 10] Schematic diagram of a reinforcing member when deformed. [Figure 11] FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining a connection configuration of a reinforcing member. [Figure 12] 5A and 5B are diagrams for explaining fixing parts provided on a reinforcing member. [Figure 13] FIG. [Figure 14] FIG. 13 is an external view of reinforcing members when they are joined together. [Figure 15] FIG. 13 is an external view of the reinforcing member when rotated. [Figure 16] FIG. 13 is an external view of the reinforcing members joined together. [Figure 17] The shape of the hook portion 93b. [Figure 18] FIG. 4 is an external view of the reinforcing member, the frame fixing portion, and the operation unit frame. [Figure 19] Schematic diagram of the reinforcing member when a loop is formed. FIG. [Figure 20] FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] [First embodiment] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The dimensions, materials, shapes, and relative positions of the components described below are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention unless otherwise specified. In the following description of the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the front side facing the image forming device 2 is defined as the front direction F, the back side (back side) as the rear direction B, the left side as the left direction L, the right side as the right direction R, the upper side as the upper direction U, and the lower side as the lower direction D.

[0013] As shown in FIG. 1, the image forming system 1 of the present embodiment includes an image forming apparatus 2, which is, for example, a printer, and a post-processing apparatus 103 that is arranged adjacent to the left direction L side of the image forming apparatus 2 and can stack sheets S on which images are formed. In this embodiment, the image forming apparatus 2, the post-processing apparatus 103, etc. are defined as a housing. The housing also includes a frame 181 described later. An image forming apparatus top surface 109 that can be used as a work space is provided on the top surface of the image forming apparatus 2. The image forming apparatus top surface 109 is wider than the maximum size of the sheet S on which the image forming apparatus 2 can form an image. A user spreads a drawing on the top surface 109 to perform work such as drawing. Therefore, assuming that the floor on which the image forming system 1 is installed is horizontal, the top surface 109 is also configured to be horizontal. In addition, the top surface 109 is configured to be as flat as possible. Here, the area indicated by the reference numeral 1010 in FIG. 4 described later is an example of the work space. If the image forming system 1 is installed horizontally, the work space 1010 is also horizontal. This area is also flat because it is a part of the top surface 109. The term "flat surface" refers to a surface designed to eliminate as many irregularities as possible, such as grooves, except for the connection points between components that are unavoidably created in the design of the exterior of the image forming system 1. The working space 1010 is sufficient if it has an area large enough to spread out an A3 size sheet of paper, and it is sufficient that a flat surface is secured in this area. The top surface 109 is, for example, made of a resin plate, and even if there is some wobbling or undulation that is unavoidable in the manufacturing process, it is considered to be a "flat surface." The term "horizontal" used here does not refer to horizontal in the strict mathematical sense, but rather to a level that can be considered horizontal in practical terms, that is, a concept that includes approximately horizontal.

[0014] In this embodiment, a tandem type full color printer is described as an example of the image forming apparatus 2. However, the present invention is not limited to the tandem type image forming apparatus 2, but may be an image forming apparatus of another type, and is not limited to being full color, but may be monochrome or mono color.

[0015] As shown in FIG. 2, the image forming apparatus 2 includes an image forming apparatus main body (hereinafter, referred to as the apparatus main body) 10. In this embodiment, the image forming apparatus 2, which is an example of a housing, can be divided into two parts, an image forming unit housing 2a and a conveying unit housing 2b. The conveying unit housing 2b conveys the paper on which an image is formed in the image forming unit housing 2a toward a post-processing device 103 (not shown). The image forming unit housing 2a and the conveying unit housing 2b are also examples of housings. The image forming unit housing 2a has a top surface 109a, and the conveying unit housing 2b has a top surface 109b. The image forming unit housing 2a and the conveying unit housing 2b can be connected to each other, and the top surface 109a and the top surface 109b are also connected to each other to form a single flat top surface 109. In this way, the image forming unit housing 2a and the conveying unit housing 2b can be connected and separated from each other, so that when transporting to a high-rise floor of a building, for example, they can be placed in an elevator in a separated state and transported to a predetermined floor. In this way, even if the image forming system 1 is large and has a long overall length, it can be easily transported to a predetermined floor in a building using an elevator or the like.

[0016] The device main body 10 also includes a toner supply unit 20, a sheet feeding section 30, an image forming section 40, a sheet transport section 50, a sheet discharge section 60, an electrical unit 70, and an operation section 80. The sheet S, which is a recording material, is a material on which a toner image is formed, and specific examples thereof include plain paper, a synthetic resin sheet that is a substitute for plain paper, thick paper, an overhead projector sheet, etc. In other words, the sheet S corresponds to a recording medium.

[0017] The sheet feeding section 30 is disposed at the bottom of the device body 10 and includes a sheet cassette 31 for stacking and storing sheets S, and a feeding roller 32, and is configured to feed the sheets S to the image forming section 40.

[0018] The image forming section 40 includes an image forming unit 41, a toner bottle 42, an exposure device 43, an intermediate transfer unit 44, a secondary transfer section 45, and a fixing device 46, and is configured to form an image.

[0019] The image forming unit 41 includes four image forming units 41y, 41m, 41c, and 41k for forming toner images of four colors, yellow (y), magenta (m), cyan (c), and black (k). Each of these is detachable from the device body 10 by the user. For example, the image forming unit 41y includes a photosensitive drum 47y for forming a toner image, a charging roller 48y, a developing sleeve 49y, a drum cleaning blade (not shown), and toner. Toner is supplied to the image forming unit 41y from a toner bottle 42y filled with toner. The other image forming units 41m, 41c, and 41k have the same structure as the image forming unit 41y except for the color of the toner, so detailed description will be omitted.

[0020] The exposure device 43y serves as an exposure unit that exposes the surface of the photosensitive drum 47y to light to form an electrostatic latent image on the surface of the photosensitive drum 47y.

[0021] The intermediate transfer unit 44 is disposed in the downward direction D of the image forming unit 41. The intermediate transfer unit 44 includes a plurality of rollers, such as a driving roller 44a and primary transfer rollers 44y, 44m, 44c, and 44k, and an intermediate transfer belt 44b wound around these rollers. The primary transfer rollers 44y, 44m, 44c, and 44k are disposed opposite the photosensitive drums 47y, 47m, 47c, and 47k, respectively, and are adapted to abut against the intermediate transfer belt 44b. By applying a positive transfer bias to the intermediate transfer belt 44b by the primary transfer rollers 44y, 44m, 44c, and 44k, the toner images having negative polarity on the photosensitive drums 47y, 47m, 47c, and 47k are sequentially transferred in a multi-layer manner to the intermediate transfer belt 44b. As a result, a full-color image is formed on the intermediate transfer belt 44b.

[0022] The secondary transfer section 45 includes a secondary transfer inner roller 45a and a secondary transfer outer roller 45b. A positive secondary transfer bias is applied to the secondary transfer outer roller 45b to transfer the full-color image formed on the intermediate transfer belt 44b to the sheet S. The secondary transfer inner roller 45a stretches the intermediate transfer belt 44b inside the intermediate transfer belt 44b, and the secondary transfer outer roller 45b is disposed at a position facing the secondary transfer inner roller 45a with the intermediate transfer belt 44b in between.

[0023] The fixing device 46 includes a fixing roller 46a and a pressure roller 46b. The sheet S is sandwiched and conveyed between the fixing roller 46a and the pressure roller 46b, so that the toner image transferred onto the sheet S is fixed onto the sheet S by being pressurized and heated.

[0024] The sheet conveying section 50 is adapted to convey the sheet S fed from the sheet feeding section 30 from the image forming section 40 to the sheet discharge section 60, and is provided with a pre-secondary transfer conveying path 51, a pre-fixing conveying path 52, a discharge path 53, and a re-conveying path 54.

[0025] The sheet discharge section 60 includes a pair of discharge rollers 61 arranged downstream of the discharge path 53, and a discharge outlet 62 arranged on the side of the left direction L of the apparatus body 10. The pair of discharge rollers 61 feeds the sheet S conveyed from the discharge path 53 from a nip portion and discharges the sheet S from the discharge outlet 62. The discharge outlet 62 is capable of feeding the sheet S to a post-processing device 103 arranged on the left direction L side of the apparatus body 10.

[0026] As shown in Fig. 3, the electrical unit 70 incorporates an image controller 71, which is a control board including a control unit, and a hard disk drive (hereinafter referred to as HDD) 72, which is a removable large-capacity storage device. The image controller 71 is configured by a computer, and includes, for example, a CPU 73, a ROM 74 that stores programs that control each unit, a RAM 75 that temporarily stores data, and an input / output circuit (I / F) 76 that inputs and outputs signals to and from the outside. The HDD 72 is a removable large-capacity storage device for saving electronic data, and can mainly store image processing programs, digital image data, and supplementary information for the digital image data. When an image is formed, image data is read from the HDD 72.

[0027] The CPU 73 is a microprocessor that controls the entire image forming apparatus 2, and is the main part of the system controller. The CPU 73 is connected to the sheet feeding section 30, the image forming section 40, the sheet transport section 50, the sheet discharge section 60, the HDD 72, and the operation section 80 via an input / output circuit 76, and exchanges signals with each section and controls the operation. The image controller 71 can be operated and set by the user in response to commands from a computer (not shown) connected to the apparatus main body 10, or by operating the operation section 80.

[0028] The operation unit 80 is provided separately from the device body 10 and is capable of operating each part of the device body 10. The operation unit 80 includes a driver board 81 and a liquid crystal touch panel 82. The liquid crystal touch panel 82 displays information required for the user to operate the image forming apparatus 2, such as the remaining amount of sheets S and toner supplied to the device body 10, warning messages when these consumables run out, and display of procedures for replenishing consumables. The liquid crystal touch panel 82 also receives settings for forming conditions for images on recording media, such as the size and basis weight of the sheets S, image density adjustment, and output number settings. In other words, the liquid crystal touch panel 82 corresponds to the display unit.

[0029] The operation unit 80 is connected to the electrical unit 70 of the device body 10 by a cable 90 so as to be electrically connected thereto. The cable 90 is a bundle of a video cable 90a and a power cable 90b, but the video cable 90a and the power cable 90b may be separate cables. The video cable 90a connects the input / output circuit 76 of the image controller 71 to the driver board 81, and the power cable 90b connects the power source 12 of the device body 10 to the driver board 81.

[0030] Next, the image forming operation in the image forming apparatus 2 configured as above will be described with reference to FIG.

[0031] When the image forming operation is started, the photoconductor drums 47y, 47m, 47c, and 47k rotate and the surfaces are charged by the charging rollers 48y, 48m, 48c, and 48k. Then, the exposure devices 43y, 43m, 43c, and 43k emit laser light to the photoconductor drums 47y, 47m, 47c, and 47k based on image information, and an electrostatic latent image is formed on the surface of the photoconductor drums 47y, 47m, 47c, and 47k. Toner adheres to the electrostatic latent image, so that the image is developed and visualized as a toner image, and then transferred to the intermediate transfer belt 44b.

[0032] Meanwhile, in parallel with such a toner image forming operation, the feed roller 32 rotates and separates and feeds the topmost sheet S of the sheet cassette 31. Then, in synchronization with the toner image on the intermediate transfer belt 44b, the sheet S is transported to the secondary transfer unit 45 via the secondary pre-transfer transport path 51. Furthermore, an image is transferred from the intermediate transfer belt 44b to the sheet S, and the sheet S is transported to the fixing device 46, where the unfixed toner image is heated and pressurized to be fixed on the surface of the sheet S. The sheet S is then discharged from a discharge outlet 62 by a pair of discharge rollers 61 and supplied to a post-processing device 103.

[0033] (Regarding the operation unit 80 in the first embodiment) First, the electrical unit 70, the operation section 80, the cable 90, the cover 101, and the opening 102 will be outlined.

[0034] The electrical component unit 70 is provided on the rear surface of the device main body 10, and a connector (device main body side connection part) (not shown) provided at one end of a cable 90 is connected to the electrical component unit 70. The cable 90 serves to connect the device main body 10 and the operation unit 80 so that they can communicate with each other. The other end of the cable 90 is provided with a connector (operation unit side connection part) (not shown) and is connected to the operation unit 80. In this way, although the operation unit 80 is connected to the image forming device 2 by a cable, it is not fixed to the top surface 109. Therefore, the user can freely place the operation unit 80 at any position on the top surface 109 within the range of the cable extension. In this way, "free" as used here means that the operation unit 80 is not fixed to the top surface 109 by, for example, a screw or the like, that is, the operation unit 80 is configured to be freely repositioned on the top surface 109.

[0035] For example, as shown in Fig. 4, it can be arranged in the space near the document reader 115 on the top surface 109 of the image forming apparatus 2, and it can also be arranged in the space on the top surface 106 of the paper feeder 105 as shown in Fig. 5. Even if the operation unit 80 is arranged in a location not shown in Figs. 4 and 5, it can be arranged on the top surface of the image forming system, such as on the top surface 104 of the post-processing device 103. Even in a space other than the top surface of the image forming system, it is also possible to install a workbench or the like near the image forming system and arrange the operation unit 80 on it (not shown).

[0036] (Configuration of cable 90 in the first embodiment) Cable 90 will be described with reference to Figs. 6 to 8. Fig. 6 shows a cross section of cable 90. Cable 90 is made up of a video cable 90a that transmits a video signal to be displayed on the operation unit from a control board of the device main body, a power cable 90b that transmits power from the control board of the device main body to the operation unit, a reinforcing member 91 that protects the aforementioned cables, and a jacket material 90c that covers them and bundles the cables.

[0037] As shown in Fig. 6, the cable 90 is composed of a video cable 90a (signal line), a power cable 90b (power line), a reinforcing member 91 (a type of rod-shaped body), and a sheath 90c that encases them. Here, the video cable 90a and the power cable 90b are collectively referred to as electric wires. In other words, the cable 90 is composed of electric wires (90a, 90b), the reinforcing member 91, and a sheath 90c that encases them.

[0038] The video cable 90a connects the input / output circuit 76 of the image controller 71 to the driver board 81. A video signal (a type of electric signal) is transmitted from the input / output circuit 76 to the driver board 81, and the liquid crystal touch panel 82 displays an image based on this video signal. The electric signal transmitted through the video cable 90a is also a type of signal for instructing the image forming unit 40 to form an image. The video cable 90a is configured such that the signal lines that transmit the signals are covered with a coating material made of polyvinyl chloride.

[0039] The power cable 90b connects the power source 12 of the device main body 10 and the driver board 81. Power is supplied to the operation unit 80 via the power cable 90b. This drives the driver board 81 and causes the liquid crystal touch panel 82 to display images. The power cable 90b is configured such that the power lines that transmit power are covered with a polyvinyl chloride covering material. Here, the power supplied to the operation unit 80 via the power cable 90b is also considered to be a type of electrical signal.

[0040] The reinforcing member 91 is a long, plate-like member. It is made of resin and has elasticity. The reinforcing member 91 is disposed along the longitudinal direction of the video cable 90a and the power cable 90b. As will be described in detail later, the reinforcing member 91 has a function of preventing the video cable 90a and the power cable 90b from being broken.

[0041] The covering 90c contains the video cable 90a, the power cable 90b, and the reinforcing member 91. The covering 90c in this embodiment is a member whose main component is polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and is a mesh-like member having contractibility. The elasticity of the covering 90c is much smaller than that of the reinforcing member 91. In other words, the elastic force of the covering 90c itself has almost no effect on the entire cable 90. The main function of the covering 90c is to reduce the risk of the video cable 90a, the power cable 90b, and the reinforcing member 91 being exposed to the outside and damaging the appearance. In addition to this main effect, since the covering 90c in this embodiment has contractibility, the covering 90c also exerts the effect of bundling the video cable 90a, the power cable 90b, and the reinforcing member 91.

[0042] The video cable 90a has signal lines that transmit signals covered with a polyvinyl chloride covering material (not shown), and the power cable 90b is a bundle of multiple cables in which the electric wires that transmit power are covered with a polyvinyl chloride covering material. The reinforcing material 91 will be described later. These are bundled together into a single cable 90 with a PET jacket material 90c to protect the cables and satisfy the user's aesthetic needs.

[0043] The video cable 90a and the power cable 90b may be fixed to the operation unit 80 or the device body 10 with a fixing part (not shown) such as a reusable band at the end of the cable 90 where the jacket material 90c is not present.

[0044] (How to fix the cable) FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining the relationship between the lengths of the video cable 90a and the power cable 90b and the reinforcing member 91. As shown in FIG.

[0045] 7, one end of the video cable 90a is connected to a connector 81a provided on the driver board 81. Meanwhile, the other end of the video cable 90a is connected to a connector 150a provided on the main body board 150. The video cable 90a is electrically connected to the input / output circuit 76 of the image controller 710 via the connector 150a.

[0046] One end of the video cable 90a is led out from an outlet 180a provided in a frame 180 of the operation unit 80. Here, the frame 180 is, for example, an exterior cover that forms the exterior of the operation unit 80.

[0047] Furthermore, the portion of one end of the video cable 90a connected to the connector 81a and the portion leading out from the outlet 180a are fixed to the frame 180 by, for example, a band 151a. The frame 180 may be a part of the frame forming the exterior cover, or may be a metal plate or the like fixed to the exterior cover. By making the frame 180 a separate part from the exterior cover of the operation unit 80, the load when the cable 90 is pulled is transmitted to the frame 180 via the band 151a. The driver board 81 is fixed to the frame 180 by a screw or the like, independently of the band 151a. Therefore, the load when the cable 90 is pulled is not directly transmitted to the connector 81a, but passes through the frame 180 once. By making the frame 180 out of a metal plate, the rigidity is also ensured, so that the risk of the connector 81a coming off the driver board 81 or of poor contact can be reduced. The same applies to the relationship between the video cable 90a and the frame 181, and the relationship between the power cable 90b and the frames 180 and 181.

[0048] The band 151a in this embodiment is a cable tie, which holds the video cable 90a and fixes the video cable 90a to the frame 180. The band 151a may not be a cable tie, but may be any other component capable of fixing the video cable 90a to the frame 180. For example, a wire saddle or the like may be used. In this manner, in this embodiment, the video cable 90a is fixed to the frame 180 by the band 151a. Therefore, even if the portion of the video cable 90a exposed from the outlet 180a is pulled, no load is applied to the connector 81a, and the risk of the video cable 90a coming out of the connector 81a is reduced.

[0049] Similarly, the other end of the video cable 90a is fixed to the frame 181 between the part connected to the connector 150a and the part leading out from the outlet 181a by, for example, a band 152a. The frame 181 may be a part of the frame forming the exterior cover of the housing of the image forming device 2, or may be a metal plate or the like fixed to the exterior cover. The band 152a in this embodiment is a cable tie, which holds the video cable 90a and fixes it to the frame 181. In this manner, in this embodiment, the video cable 90a is fixed to the frame 181 by the band 152a. Therefore, even if the part of the video cable 90a exposed from the outlet 181a is pulled, no load is applied to the connector 150a, and the risk of the video cable 90a coming out of the connector 150a is reduced.

[0050] Next, a method for fixing the power cable 90b to the operation unit 80 and the image forming apparatus 2 will be described.

[0051] One end of the power cable 90b is connected to a connector 81b provided on the driver board 81. Meanwhile, the other end of the power cable 90b is connected to a connector 150b provided on the main body board 150. The power cable 90b is electrically connected to the power source 17 via the connector 150b.

[0052] One end of the power cable 90b is led out from an outlet 180b provided in a frame 180 of the operation unit 80. Here, the frame 180 is, for example, an exterior cover that forms the exterior of the operation unit 80.

[0053] Furthermore, the portion of one end of the power cable 90b connected to the connector 81b and the portion leading out from the outlet 180b are fixed to the frame 180 by, for example, a band 151b. The frame 180 may be a part of a frame forming an exterior cover, or may be a metal plate or the like fixed to the exterior cover. The band 151b in this embodiment is a cable tie, which holds the power cable 90b and fixes the power cable 90b to the frame 180. The band 151b may not be a cable tie, but may be something else as long as it is a part that can fix the power cable 90b to the frame 180. For example, a wire saddle or the like may be used. Thus, in this embodiment, the power cable 90b is fixed to the frame 180 by the band 151b. Therefore, even if the portion of the power cable 90b exposed from the outlet 180b is pulled, no load is applied to the connector 81b, reducing the risk of the power cable 90b coming off the connector 81b.

[0054] Similarly, the other end of the power cable 90b is fixed to the frame 181 between a portion connected to the connector 150b and a portion leading out from the outlet 181b by, for example, a band 152b. The frame 181 referred to here may be a part of a frame forming an exterior cover of the housing of the image forming apparatus 2, or may be a metal plate or the like fixed to the exterior cover. The band 152b in this embodiment is a cable tie that wraps around the power cable 90b to fix the power cable 90b to the frame 181. In this way, since the power cable 90b is fixed to the frame 181 by the band 152b, even if the portion of the power cable 90b exposed from the outlet 181b is pulled, no load is applied to the connector 150b, and the risk of the power cable 90b coming out of the connector 150b is reduced.

[0055] Here, a portion where the video cable 90a is fixed to the internal frame 180 by the band 151a is referred to as a one-end fixed portion, and a portion where the video cable 90a is fixed to the frame 181 by the band 152a is referred to as a other-end fixed portion. The distance from the one-end fixed portion to the other-end fixed portion of the video cable 90a is referred to as L1. The portion where the power cable 90b is fixed to the internal frame 180 by the band 152a is referred to as a one-end fixed portion (fourth fixed portion), and a portion where the power cable 90b is fixed to the frame 181 by the band 152b is referred to as a other-end fixed portion (third fixed portion). The distance from the one-end fixed portion to the other-end fixed portion of the power cable 90b is referred to as L2. Also, the part where the reinforcing member 91 is fixed to the frame 181 by the fixing part 91a is called the one-end fixing part (first fixing part), and the part where the reinforcing member 91 is fixed to the internal frame 180 by the fixing part 91b is called the other-end fixing part (first fixing part). The distance from the one-end fixing part to the other-end fixing part of the reinforcing member 91 is called L3. In this embodiment, the distance L3 is set to be shorter than the cable lengths L1 and L2. In other words, even if the reinforcing member 91 is in a taut state without sagging, a sagging (excess length) is generated in the region between the one-end fixing part and the other-end fixing part of the cable 90a. Similarly, a sagging (excess length) is generated in the region between the one-end fixing part and the other-end fixing part of the cable 90b. 11(a), both the portion of the video cable 90a from the one end fixed portion to the other end fixed portion and the portion of the power cable 90b from the one end fixed portion to the other end fixed portion are provided with extra length. As described below, the reinforcing member 91 is an elastically deformable resin member, and the cable 90 is deformable. The distances L1 to L3 have the above-mentioned relationship so that the video cable 90a and the power cable 90b do not break even if the cable 90 is deformed.

[0056] (Regarding reinforcing member 91) The appearance of the reinforcing member 91 is shown in Fig. 8(a). The material of the reinforcing member 91 is nylon, and it is capable of elastic deformation. The cross section of the reinforcing member 91 is a rectangle with a width W greater than a thickness H, as shown in Fig. 8(b). One end of the reinforcing member 91 is provided with a hole-shaped fixing part 91a, and the other end is provided with a hole-shaped fixing part 91b, and the reinforcing member 91 is fixed to the operation unit 80 or the device main body 10 (the detailed fixing method will be described later).

[0057] 9(a) shows an enlarged view of the operation unit 80. The operation unit 80 is configured so that it can be freely moved by the user. The direction in which the operation unit 80 moves away from the device body 10 is direction F, and the direction in which the operation unit 80 moves toward the device body 10 is direction B, and the operation unit 80 can be freely moved in directions other than the above-mentioned directions F and B.

[0058] 9(b) shows the back side of the operation unit 80 shown in FIG. 9(a). The back side of the operation unit 80 has rubber feet 85, which function to hold the operation unit 80 in place and prevent it from slipping when the operation unit 80 is installed and operated.

[0059] When operation unit 80 is moved in direction B, cable 90 moves in the slack direction, causing reinforcing member 91 to deform and generating a reaction force. If the value of this reaction force is too high, problems will occur, such as the operation unit 80 slipping when installed because the frictional force of rubber feet 85 is not enough to hold it in place, or the user having difficulty moving operation unit 80 in direction B.

[0060] Fig. 10(a) is a schematic side view showing the deformation of the reinforcing member 91 when the operating unit 80 is moved in the direction B. The reinforcing member 91 is fixed to the operating unit 80 (not shown) and the device main body 10 by screws F at fixing parts 91a and 91b at the ends. A reaction force is generated in the Z direction due to the deformation of the reinforcing member 91, but in order to define the reaction force in this state, the reaction force is defined by the method shown in Fig. 10(b) which simplifies the measurement.

[0061] 10(b), one end 91b of the reinforcing member 91 alone is turned over by 180°. At that time, the reinforcing member 91 is formed so that the reaction force acting on the end 91b in the Z direction is about 34 gf.

[0062] For example, the material of the reinforcing member 91 in this case is nylon, and the shape has parameters of width W10 mm, thickness H1.5 mm, and total length 367.5 mm.

[0063] If the force generated when the reinforcing member 91 is deformed into the position shown in Figure 10(b) is approximately 34 gf, the operating unit 80 will not slip even when installed in direction B, and will not hinder the user from moving the operating unit 80 in direction R.

[0064] 9(a) in the direction of rotation S. When the operation unit 80 is rotated in the direction of rotation S, the cable 90 becomes twisted, and there is a risk that the internal video cable 90a and power cable 90b may be damaged.

[0065] Therefore, we define the reaction force when reinforcing member 91 is rotated in the rotation direction S of the AA cross section as shown in schematic diagram 10(c) of the reinforcing member. As shown in Fig. 10(c), reinforcing member 91 is formed so that the force generated when one end is fixed and the other end is rotated 180° is about 4.6 cN m.

[0066] For example, the material of the reinforcing member 91 is nylon, and the shape has parameters of width W10 mm, thickness H1.5 mm, and total length 367.5 mm. It is preferable that the reinforcing member 91 has a uniform cross-sectional shape in the longitudinal direction.

[0067] Consider the case where the force generated when the reinforcing member 91 is deformed into the above-mentioned position is approximately 4.6 cN·m and the operation unit 80 is rotated in the rotation direction S. Before the video cable 90a and the power cable 90b inside the cable 90 are damaged, the reaction force makes the user aware that this is not a normal operation and the rotation can be stopped. Note that the same effect can be obtained even if the operation is rotated in the opposite direction to the rotation direction S.

[0068] (Regarding the joining mechanism between the reinforcing members 91) The length of the cable 90 connected to the operation unit 80 may vary depending on the size of the device main body 10 and how the user uses it.

[0069] The length of the reinforcing member 91 also needs to be changed according to the length of the cable 90, but preparing multiple types of reinforcing member 91 with different lengths each time would increase the costs of the manufacturing molds and management, leading to higher costs. Therefore, as shown in Figure 11, the reinforcing members 91 are joined together by joints 92, providing a shape that allows the length to be adjusted.

[0070] At this time, if the reinforcing members 91 are joined together using screws or the like, the tap portions provided on the screw legs may come into contact with the cables inside the cable 90, which may result in damage.

[0071] Therefore, a joining method that does not use other parts such as screws will be described below.

[0072] As shown in FIG. 11, a reinforcing member 91 has engaging portions 92a each having a protrusion shape for forming a joint 92 at both ends, and engaged portions 92b each having a hole shape.

[0073] The engaging portion 92a will be described with reference to an enlarged view of FIG. 13(a). A protruding shape 94a and a fixing shape 93 are provided so that the joined reinforcing members 91 do not come apart. FIG. 13(b) shows a cross section of the fixing shape 93 taken along the AA plane.

[0074] A boss shape 93a is provided in the vertical direction of the K surface, which is the surface of the reinforcing member 91, and a hook portion 93b is provided after forming a boss height 93d3. A width 93d2 of the hook portion 93b is larger than a width 93d1 of the boss shape 93a. The boss height 93d3 is formed to be larger than a thickness H of the reinforcing member.

[0075] Next, the engaged portion 92b will be described with reference to Fig. 13(c). The engaged portion 92b is provided with a hole shape 94b and a hook hole 95 that engage with the protrusion shape 94a and the fixing shape 93 provided on the engaging portion 93a.

[0076] The hole shape 94b is formed to engage with the above-mentioned protrusion shape 94a, and the hook hole 95 will be described with reference to an enlarged view of FIG. 13(d).

[0077] In order to allow the above-mentioned hook portion 93b to pass through the hook hole 95, a hook hole width 95d1 is formed that is equal to or larger than the width 93d2 of the hook portion 93b. Also, a hole width 95d2 is provided that is equal to or larger than the width 93d1 of the boss shape 93a and smaller than the width 93d2 of the hook portion 93b.

[0078] From here, a method for joining the reinforcing members 91 together will be described.

[0079] Fig. 14 shows a state in which an engaging portion 92a of a reinforcing member 91 and an engaged portion 92b of another reinforcing member 91 overlap. The hook portion 93b passes through the hook hole 95, and from this state, the reinforcing member 91 is rotated in the G direction with the fixed portion 93 as the center of rotation. Fig. 15 shows a state in which the protruding shape 94a comes into contact with the mating reinforcing member 91 upon rotation. From the state in Fig. 15, the vicinity of the hole shape 94b of the engaged portion 92b is elastically deformed in the N direction, which is perpendicular to the K surface, until it overcomes the protruding shape 94a, and then the engaged portion 92b is rotated in the G direction.

[0080] 16 is an enlarged view of the joint portion when the reinforcing members 91 are joined together by the above-mentioned method. The protrusion shape 94a is engaged with the hole shape 94b, so that the reinforcing members 91 do not rotate relative to each other in the G direction.

[0081] Furthermore, in the N direction, which is a direction perpendicular to the K surface of the reinforcing member 91, the hook portion 93b comes into contact with the K surface of the engaged portion 92b, so that the reinforcing members 91 do not come apart in the N direction. Note that the same effect can be obtained even if the reinforcing member 91 is rotated in the opposite direction to the G direction described above.

[0082] In this embodiment, the hook portion 93b may have a shape that contacts the K surface of the joint portion 92b when the reinforcing members 91 are joined together. For example, the hook portion 93b may be formed in one place as shown in Fig. 17(a), the hook portion 93b may be shaped like a sector as shown in Fig. 17(b), or the hook portion 93b may have a notch as shown in Fig. 17(c).

[0083] (Method of fixing the reinforcing member 91 to the device frame 181 and the operation unit 80) A method for fixing the reinforcing member 91 to the device frame 181 and the operation unit 80 will be described with reference to FIG. 8(b) and FIG. 18(a).

[0084] A fixing portion 91a at one end of the reinforcing member 91 is fixed by a screw or the like to a frame fixing portion 181a of the device frame 181. That is, the fixing portion 91a corresponds to a first fixing portion.

[0085] A fixing portion 91b at the other end of the reinforcing member 91 is fixed to the internal frame 180 of the operation unit 80 with a screw or the like. That is, the fixing portion 91b corresponds to a second fixing portion.

[0086] Since the reinforcing member 91 is made of a material and has a shape that generates a certain amount of reaction force as described above, it is necessary to provide an operating force that does not impede the operational feel when the user moves the operating unit 80.

[0087] FIG. 8(a) shows a cross section of the reinforcing member 91. The cross section of the reinforcing member 91 used in this embodiment has a rectangular shape composed of a thickness H (short side) and a width W (long side). When the width W is longer than the thickness H, the cross section of the reinforcing member 91 has a minimum moment of inertia when the axis X is the axis, and a maximum moment of inertia when the axis Y is the axis. In other words, when the axis X is the axis, the cross section of the reinforcing member 91 has the smallest resistance to bending load, and when the axis Y is the axis, the cross section of the reinforcing member 91 has the largest resistance to bending load. Therefore, the X axis corresponds to the weak axis, and the Y axis corresponds to the strong axis. The X axis and the Y axis together are called the principal axis of the cross section.

[0088] Since operation unit 80 is the top surface of the image forming apparatus, it is assumed that the user will mainly move operation unit 80 in a direction horizontal to the top surface of the image forming apparatus.

[0089] In this case, consider the case where the fixing portion 91a and the frame fixing portion 181a are fixed so that the width direction in the cross section of the reinforcing member 91 is horizontal with the top surface 109 of the image forming apparatus in both the fixing portion 91a and the fixing portion 91b, and the case where the fixing portion 91b is fixed to the internal frame 180. In the above-mentioned cases, when the user moves the operation unit 80 horizontally with the top surface 109 of the image forming apparatus, the second moment of area of ​​the reinforcing member 91 becomes maximum, which may hinder the movement of the operation unit 80 by the user.

[0090] In the above case, depending on the direction of movement of the operation unit 80, the reinforcing member 91 may form a loop due to the reaction force, which may cause problems such as the loop hitting the user's arm. Figure 19 shows an example of a case where the reinforcing member 91 forms a loop due to the reaction force.

[0091] Therefore, in this embodiment, fixing portion 91a and frame fixing portion 181a are fixed so that the width direction of reinforcing member 91 is perpendicular to top surface 109. In other words, by fixing portion 91a and frame fixing portion 181a so that the weak axis of reinforcing member 91 is perpendicular to the top surface, the second moment of area of ​​reinforcing member 91 is minimized when the user moves it in a direction horizontal to top surface 109.

[0092] Incidentally, the operation unit 80 is configured so that it can be tilted in the U direction from the state shown in Fig. 20(a) by pulling out the opening and closing foot 86 from inside the operation unit as shown in Fig. 20(b) to match the viewpoint of the user who uses the operation unit. At this time, the reinforcing member 91 fixed to the internal frame 180 of the operation unit 80 is also displaced. Since the user can also change the inclination of the operation unit 80 described above, it is desirable that the reaction force generated when the reinforcing member 91 is displaced be as small as possible. For this reason, it is preferable to fix the fixing portion 91b and the internal frame 180 so that the weak axis of the reinforcing member 91 is horizontal to the top surface 109 as shown in Fig. 18(b).

[0093] In this embodiment, the cross section of the reinforcing member 91 is rectangular, but it may have any other shape as long as it has a weak axis and a strong axis with different second moments of area, such as a semicircular shape, an elliptical shape, or a rectangular shape with a groove.

[0094] In addition, in this embodiment, fixing portion 91a and frame fixing portion 181a are fixed so that the weak axis of reinforcing member 91 is horizontal to top surface 109, but the fixing angle is not limited to vertical as long as the weak axis has a predetermined angle with respect to top surface 109. In other words, it is sufficient that the weak axis of the reinforcing member intersects with top surface 109. It is even more preferable to fix fixing portion 91a and frame fixing portion 181a so that the weak axis of the reinforcing member forms an angle of 90°±15° with top surface 109.

[0095] Furthermore, the fixing portion 91b and the internal frame 180 may be fixed so that the weak axis of the reinforcing member 91 is perpendicular to the top surface. In the above-mentioned case, the fixing angle between the fixing portion 91a and the frame fixing portion 181a does not matter. As with the fixing portion 91a, the fixing angle of the fixing portion 91b is not limited to perpendicular as long as the weak axis of the fixing portion 91b has a predetermined angle with respect to the top surface 109, similar to the fixing portion 91a.

[0096] By fixing the fixing portion 91a of the reinforcing member 91 to the frame fixing portion 181a and the fixing portion 91b to the internal frame 180 with the above configuration, it is possible to reduce the risk of deterioration in operability when the user moves the operation unit 80 in a direction horizontal to the top surface 109. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the risk of deterioration in operability for the user while reducing the risk of disconnection of the cable connecting the operation unit and the image forming apparatus. [Explanation of symbols]

[0097] 1. Image forming system 2. Image forming device 10. Device body 40 Image forming section 80 Control section 82 LCD touch panel 90 Cable 91 Reinforcement members 91a Fixed part 91b Fixed part 109 Top 152a Band 152b Band 180 Internal Frame 181 frames

Claims

1. An image forming unit that forms an image on a recording medium, A housing having a top surface, the housing including the image forming unit, An operation unit that is placed on the top surface so as to be movable at least in a direction parallel to the top surface and that receives setting of image formation conditions for the recording medium, A cable that connects the housing and the operation unit and operates the operation unit, A reinforcing member that is arranged along the cable in the longitudinal direction and has a first fixing part fixed to the housing and a second fixing part fixed to the operation unit, comprising The cable has a third fixing part fixed to the housing and a fourth fixing part fixed to the operation unit, The distance between the first fixing part and the second fixing part is shorter than the distance between the third fixing part and the fourth fixing part, The first fixing part is fixed to the housing such that a weak axis at which the second moment of area is minimized in a cross section of the reinforcing member at the first fixing part intersects the top surface. An image forming system, characterized by the above.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the reinforcing member has a uniform cross-sectional shape in the longitudinal direction.

3. The operation unit has a display unit capable of displaying the received image formation conditions, The image forming system according to claim 1, wherein the second fixing part is such that the weak axis intersects the display unit in a cross section of the reinforcing member at the second fixing part.

4. The operation unit has a display unit capable of displaying the received image formation conditions, The image forming system according to claim 1, wherein the second fixing part is such that the weak axis does not intersect the display unit in a cross section of the reinforcing member at the second fixing part.

5. The image forming system according to claim 1, wherein the first fixing portion is fixed to the housing such that, in a cross section of the reinforcing member in the first fixing portion, an angle between the weak axis and the top surface is larger than an angle between the strong axis at which the sectional second moment of inertia is maximum and the top surface.

6. The image forming system according to claim 1, wherein the first fixing portion is fixed to the housing such that, in a cross section of the reinforcing member in the first fixing portion, an angle between the weak axis and the top surface is 90° ± 15°.

7. An image forming unit that forms an image on a recording medium, A housing having a top surface, and including the image forming unit, An operation unit that is placed on the top surface so as to be movable at least in a direction parallel to the top surface and receives setting of image formation conditions for the recording medium, A cable that connects the housing and the operation unit and operates the operation unit, A reinforcing member that is disposed along the cable in the longitudinal direction and has a first fixing portion fixed to the housing and a second fixing portion fixed to the operation unit, and includes The cable has a third fixing portion fixed to the housing and a fourth fixing portion fixed to the operation unit, A distance between the first fixing portion and the second fixing portion is shorter than a distance between the third fixing portion and the fourth fixing portion, A cross section of the reinforcing member in the first fixing portion has a rectangular cross-sectional shape composed of a long side and a short side, The first fixing portion is fixed to the housing such that the long side intersects the top surface in a cross section of the reinforcing member in the first fixing portion, The image forming system is characterized by this.

8. The image forming apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the reinforcing member has a uniform cross-sectional shape in the longitudinal direction.

9. The operation unit has a display unit capable of displaying the received image formation conditions. The cross-section of the reinforcing member in the second fixing portion has a rectangular cross-sectional shape composed of a long side and a short side, The second fixing portion is characterized in that, in the cross-section of the reinforcing member in the second fixing portion, the long side intersects the display portion. The image forming system according to claim 7.

10. The operation unit has a display unit capable of displaying the formation conditions of the received image, The cross-section of the reinforcing member in the second fixing portion has a rectangular cross-sectional shape composed of a long side and a short side, The second fixing portion is characterized in that, in the cross-section of the reinforcing member in the second fixing portion, the long side does not intersect the display portion. The image forming system according to claim 7.

11. The first fixing portion is fixed to the housing such that, in the cross-section of the reinforcing member in the first fixing portion, the angle between the long side and the top surface is larger than the angle between the short side and the top surface. The image forming system according to claim 7.

12. The first fixing portion is fixed to the housing such that, in the cross-section of the reinforcing member in the first fixing portion, the angle between the long side and the top surface is 90° ± 15°. The image forming system according to claim 7.

Images