Image forming system

Abstract

To provide an image forming system that allows an operator, in connecting housings to each other, to easily insert a connection pin from an insertion hole on the upstream side in an insertion direction to an insertion hole on the downstream side in the insertion direction.SOLUTION: A first connection part 12, with which a second connection part 22 connects a first housing and a second housing to each other, is provided with a guide part 6. When a connection member 5 is inserted in an inclined state, and a pin part 51 comes into contact with the guide part 6, a leading end of the pin part 51 is directed to a first depth side insertion hole 123a and a second depth side insertion hole 223a, and the connection member 5 is guided while the inclination is corrected. Subsequently, the connection member 5 is guided, with the leading end of the pin part 51 kept by the guide part 6 to be directed to the first depth side insertion hole 123a and the second depth side insertion hole 223a. An operator can thus easily insert the pin part 51 into the first depth side insertion hole 123a and the second depth side insertion hole 223a.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an image forming system that is configured by connecting two housings and is capable of forming an image on a recording material. [Background technology]

[0002] Recently, with the increase in size of image forming systems capable of forming images on recording materials, such as printers, copiers, facsimiles, and multifunction machines, various units such as image forming units and fixing units are housed in separate housings, and these housings are connected to each other. Image forming systems to which an optional external device in a separate housing is connected have also been proposed. Conventionally, in order to position and connect the housings to each other, one housing has a shaft portion and a hook member rotatably provided at the tip of the shaft portion, and the other housing has an engagement hole into which the hook member can be inserted and engaged (Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2019-11163 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the case of the device described in the above Patent Document 1, the engagement hole is formed as a long hole that is long in the rotation direction so that the hook member can pass when the housings are connected to each other. Therefore, when the housings are connected to each other, a gap is generated between the hook member and the engagement hole, and the connected housings are likely to vibrate. Therefore, in order to suppress the vibration between the connected housings, it has been considered to connect the housings to each other by inserting a connecting pin from the insertion hole on the upstream side in the insertion direction toward the insertion hole on the downstream side in the insertion direction, in addition to the above-mentioned hook member.

[0005] However, the connecting pin may be inserted at an angle, in which case the tip of the connecting pin deviates from the insertion hole on the downstream side in the insertion direction and hits a surface outside the insertion hole, making it impossible for the connecting pin to be inserted into the insertion hole on the downstream side in the insertion direction. Therefore, the worker must either insert the connecting pin straight without tilting it, or search for and insert the insertion hole on the downstream side in the insertion direction with the tip of the connecting pin hitting a surface outside the insertion hole, which is time-consuming.

[0006] In view of the above-mentioned problems, the present invention aims to provide an image forming system that allows an operator to easily insert a connecting pin from the insertion hole on the upstream side in the insertion direction to the insertion hole on the downstream side in the insertion direction when connecting two housings. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] An image forming system according to one embodiment of the present invention is an image forming system that forms an image on a recording material, and includes a first housing, a second housing that is attachable to the first housing, and a connecting pin for connecting the first housing and the second housing, the first housing having a first wall portion and a second wall portion that protrude toward the second housing side, a first hole portion formed in the first wall portion, and a second hole portion that is coaxially formed with the first hole portion in the second wall portion, the second housing having a third wall portion and a fourth wall portion that protrude toward the first housing side so as to overlap with the first wall portion and the second wall portion, respectively, when the first housing is attached, and the connecting pin connects the first housing and the second housing by being inserted into the first hole portion, the second hole portion, the third hole portion, and the fourth hole portion, and the connecting pin connects the first housing and the second housing by being inserted into the first hole portion, the second hole portion, the third hole portion, and the fourth hole portion, and either the first housing or the second housing has a guide portion that guides the connecting pin into the second hole portion and the fourth hole portion when the connecting pin is inserted through the first hole portion and the third hole portion. Effect of the Invention

[0008] According to the present invention, when an operator connects a first housing and a second housing, a simple configuration can be used to easily insert a connecting pin inserted through the first hole portion and the third hole portion into the third hole portion and the fourth hole portion. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an image forming system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the image forming system in a separated state. [Diagram 3] 5A and 5B are a perspective view and an enlarged view showing a second connecting portion provided in the second housing. [Figure 4] FIG. [Diagram 5] 4A and 4B are a perspective view and an enlarged view showing a first connecting portion provided in a first housing. [Figure 6] FIG. 2A is a perspective view showing a first connecting portion, and FIG. 2B is a perspective view showing the first connecting portion cut along line AA. [Figure 7] 5A and 5B are diagrams illustrating the guiding of the connecting member by the guide portion in this embodiment, in which (a) the tip of the pin portion has reached the guide portion, and (b) the tip of the pin portion has reached the first rear wall portion. [Figure 8] FIG. 4A is a perspective view showing a connecting member, and FIG. 4B is a schematic view showing the connecting member as viewed from the handle side. [Figure 9] 3A, 3B, and 3C are front, rear, and side views showing the guide portion. [Figure 10] 13 is a cross-sectional view for explaining a configuration in which a connecting member can be guided by a guide portion. FIG. [Figure 11] 13A is a perspective view showing a modified example of the guide portion, FIG. 13B is a perspective view showing another modified example of the guide portion, and FIG. 13C is a perspective view showing the case where a positioning pin is formed into a concave shape. [Figure 12] 11A and 11B are diagrams for explaining a conventional example, in which (a) a connecting member is inserted straight, and (b) a connecting member is inserted at an angle. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] <Image forming device> The image forming system of this embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 1 and 2. As shown in Figure 1, the image forming system 10 has a first station 1 and a second station 2 that can be attached to the first station 1.

[0011] As shown in FIG. 2, the image forming system 10 is transported from a factory or the like to an installation site in a state where it is separated into the first station 1 and the second station 2, and the first housing 1a and the second housing 2a are connected at the installation site. Casters 15 and 25 are provided on the bottom surface of the first housing 1a and the bottom surface of the second housing 2a, respectively, to facilitate movement to the installation site. Therefore, for example, the positioning of the first housing 1a with respect to the second housing 2a in the approaching and separating direction (X direction horizontal to the ground G) and the front-rear direction (Y direction) can be adjusted by using the casters 15 when moving the first housing 1a in the direction of the arrow 2X. In addition, the casters 15 of the first housing 1a can adjust the height of the first housing 1a in the vertical direction (Z direction). In this way, the first housing 1a and the second housing 2a are connected, and the first station 1 and the second station 2 are installed so that the recording material can be transferred between the fixing section 100 and the image forming unit section 200.

[0012] In this embodiment, for example, an image forming unit 200 capable of forming a toner image on a recording material is accommodated in the second housing 2a of the second station 2. On the other hand, for example, a fixing unit 100 that applies heat and pressure to the recording material in order to fix the toner image formed on the recording material by the image forming unit 200 is accommodated in the first housing 1a of the first station 1.

[0013] Next, a description will be given of a connecting mechanism that connects the first housing 1a of the first station 1 and the second housing 2a of the second station 2. The connecting mechanism of this embodiment is composed of a second connecting portion 22 shown in Figs. 3 and 4, a first connecting portion 12 shown in Figs. 5 and 6, and a connecting member 5 shown in Fig. 8.

[0014] First, the second connecting portion 22 will be described with reference to Figures 3 and 4. As shown in Figure 3, the second connecting portion 22 is fixed to a square pipe-shaped second pillar portion 21 erected on the bottom surface 23 constituting the second housing 2a of the second station 2 on the side of a separation surface D (see Figure 2) from the first station 1. Note that in Figure 3, for convenience of illustration, the second connecting portion 22 is fixed only to the second pillar portion 21 on the near side, but the second connecting portion 22 (not shown) is also fixed to the second pillar portion 21 on the far side in the same manner as the near side.

[0015] As shown in FIG. 4, the second connecting portion 22 has a second mounting surface portion 221 (second wall portion), a second front wall portion 222 (third wall portion), a second back wall portion 223 (fourth wall portion), an upper wall portion 224, and a lower wall portion 225. The upper wall portion 224 and the lower wall portion 225 are provided at the upper end and lower end of the second mounting surface portion 221 in the vertical direction. The second front wall portion 222 and the second back wall portion 223 are provided facing the front end and the back end of the second mounting surface portion 221 in the front back direction and protrude toward the first housing side. That is, the second connecting portion 22 is formed into a substantially U-shape by the second front wall portion 222, the second back wall portion 223, and the second mounting surface portion 221. The height of the second front wall portion 222 and the second rear wall portion 223 from the second mounting surface portion 221 is greater than the height of the upper wall portion 224 and the lower wall portion 225 from the second mounting surface portion 221 .

[0016] A second front side insertion hole 222a (third hole portion) is formed in the second front wall portion 222, and a second back side insertion hole 223a (fourth hole portion) is formed coaxially with the second front side insertion hole 222a in the second back wall portion 223. The second front side insertion hole 222a and the second back side insertion hole 223a are holes into which a connecting member 5 (see FIG. 7) described later is inserted to position and connect the second housing 2a and the first housing 1a in the vertical direction (Z direction) and the left-right direction (X direction).

[0017] A positioning pin 226 for positioning the first housing 1a and the second housing 2a is attached to the second mounting surface 221 by, for example, crimping so as to protrude to the opposite side of the second columnar portion 21. The positioning pin 226 has, for example, a cylindrical main body 226a and a tip portion 226b having a tapered truncated cone shape. In addition, the second mounting surface 221 has fixing holes 227a, 227b, and 227c for fixing to the second columnar portion 21 by screws 228a, 228b, and 228c formed at different positions in the vertical direction (Z direction).

[0018] The second connecting portion 22 having the second front wall portion 222, the second rear wall portion 223, the upper wall portion 224, and the lower wall portion 225 may be formed, for example, by bending four sides of a rectangular metal plate-like member. In this embodiment, the second front wall portion 222, the second rear wall portion 223, the upper wall portion 224, and the lower wall portion 225 are joined to the adjacent walls, thereby ensuring the rigidity of the second connecting portion 22. For example, a bent portion is formed in at least one of the adjacent walls, and the bent portion and the overlapping area are joined by welding. Note that the method of joining these walls may be other than welding, and may be, for example, crimping or screw fixing.

[0019] Next, the first connecting portion 12 will be described with reference to Fig. 5 to Fig. 6(b). As shown in Fig. 5, the first connecting portion 12 is provided on the first pillar portion 11 erected on the bottom surface 13 constituting the first housing 1a of the first station 1 on the side of the separation surface D (see Fig. 2) from the second station 2. Note that in Fig. 5, for convenience of illustration, the first connecting portion 12 is provided only on the first pillar portion 11 on the near side, but the first pillar portion 11 on the far side is also provided with a first connecting portion 12 (not shown) similar to the first connecting portion on the near side.

[0020] As shown in Figures 6(a) and 6(b), the first column portion 11 has an outer column member 111 and an inner column member 112, which are formed into a substantially U-shape by bending two sides of, for example, a rectangular metal plate-like member. In this embodiment, the inner column member 112 is disposed inside the outer column member 111 and joined by welding, so that the first column portion 11 is formed into a square pipe shape. This joining method may be other than welding, and may be, for example, screw fixing.

[0021] The first connecting portion 12 is provided on the outer column member 111 of the first column portion 11, and has a first mounting surface portion 121 (first wall surface portion), a first front wall portion 122 (first wall portion), and a first back wall portion 123 (second wall portion). The first mounting surface portion 121 is a surface facing the second mounting surface portion 221 of the second connecting portion 22 fixed to the second housing 2a when the first housing 1a and the second housing 2a are attached. The first mounting surface portion 121 is formed with a positioning hole 121a (positioning hole portion) that is formed as an elongated hole in the vertical direction (Z direction) and is used to position the first housing 1a in the left-right direction (X direction) relative to the second housing 2a. In addition, the first mounting surface portion 121 is provided with a guide portion 6 (see FIG. 7(a)) that serves as a guide portion so as to protrude toward the inner column member 112 side.

[0022] The first front wall 122 and the first rear wall 123 are provided on the first mounting surface 121 so as to protrude toward the second housing, facing the front end and rear end in the front-rear direction. A first front insertion hole 122a (first hole) is formed in the first front wall 122, and a first rear insertion hole 123a (second hole) is formed coaxially with the first front insertion hole 122a in the first rear wall 123. The first front insertion hole 122a and the first rear insertion hole 123a are holes into which a connecting member 5 (see FIGS. 7 and 8) described later is inserted to position and connect the second housing 2a and the first housing 1a in the vertical direction (Z direction) and the left-right direction (X direction).

[0023] In this embodiment, the first housing 1a and the second housing 2a are connected via the first connecting portion 12 and the second connecting portion 22. When connecting the first housing 1a and the second housing 2a, as shown in Fig. 7(a) and Fig. 7(b), the worker first fits the first pillar portion 11 (more specifically, the outer pillar member 111) of the first housing 1a between the second front wall portion 222 and the second back wall portion 223 of the second connecting portion 22. At this time, the worker inserts the positioning pin 226 into the positioning hole 121a. With the positioning pin 226 inserted into the positioning hole 121a, the worker can easily align the first front side insertion hole 122a and the second front side insertion hole 222a, and the first back side insertion hole 123a and the second back side insertion hole 223a. Thereafter, the worker inserts the connecting member 5 into the second front insertion hole 222a, the first front insertion hole 122a, the first back insertion hole 123a, and the second back insertion hole 223a. The first housing 1a and the second housing 2a are connected by inserting the connecting member 5 (the pin portion described in detail later) into the first front insertion hole 122a, the first back insertion hole 123a, and the second back insertion hole 223a.

[0024] The connecting member 5 will be described with reference to Figs. 8(a) and 8(b). As shown in Fig. 8(a), the connecting member 5 has a rod-shaped pin portion 51 and a handle portion 52. The pin portion 51 as a connecting pin is fixed to the handle portion 52. The handle portion 52 has a first handle portion 521 to which the pin portion 51 is fixed substantially vertically, and a second handle portion 522 formed to extend substantially vertically from the first handle portion 521 in the same direction as the pin portion 51 and to be held by an operator. The first handle portion 521 has a fixing hole 521a for fixing the connecting member 5 to the second front side wall portion 222 by a screw after insertion. The pin portion 51 is formed in an inclined shape such that the cross-sectional area of ​​the tip portion 51a decreases from the upstream side to the downstream side in the insertion direction. That is, the tip portion 51a of the pin portion 51 is formed in a truncated cone shape with a tapered tip.

[0025] As described above, in this embodiment, the first connecting portion 12 and the second connecting portion 22 are connected by the connecting member 5. However, since the hole diameter of the second front side insertion hole 222a of the second front side wall portion 222 and the hole diameter of the first front side insertion hole 122a of the first front side wall portion 122 are larger than the diameter of the pin portion 51 of the connecting member 5, the connecting member 5 may be inserted in an inclined state. Here, a case in which the connecting member 5 is inserted in an inclined state in the conventional example will be described with reference to Figs. 12(a) and 12(b). Fig. 12(a) shows a case in which the connecting member 5 is inserted straight in the conventional example, and Fig. 12(b) shows a case in which the connecting member 5 is inserted in an inclined state in the conventional example.

[0026] 12(a), when the connecting member 5 is inserted straight into the second front side insertion hole 222a and the first front side insertion hole 122a, the tip of the pin portion 51 faces the first back side insertion hole 123a and the second back side insertion hole 223a. Therefore, the pin portion 51 that has passed through the second front side insertion hole 222a and the first front side insertion hole 122a is inserted directly into the first back side insertion hole 123a and the second back side insertion hole 223a.

[0027] 12(b), the connecting member 5 may be inserted in a tilted state with an inclination amount determined by the fit backlash and fit width between the second front side insertion hole 222a and the pin portion 51. When the connecting member 5 is inserted in a tilted state, the tip of the pin portion 51 does not face the first back side insertion hole 123a and the second back side insertion hole 223a, and therefore the tip of the pin portion 51 may deviate from the first back side insertion hole 123a and the second back side insertion hole 223a depending on the inclination amount of the connecting member 5. Therefore, in the conventional case, the worker had to insert the connecting member 5 straight without tilting it, or had to insert the tip of the pin portion 51 by abutting against a surface of the first back side wall portion 123 that is not aligned with the first back side insertion hole 123a and searching for the first back side insertion hole 123a, which was time-consuming.

[0028] Therefore, in this embodiment, even if the connecting member 5 is inserted in an inclined state, the guide portion 6 is provided to guide the connecting member 5 in a state in which the tip of the pin portion 51 faces the first back side insertion hole 123a and the second back side insertion hole 223a. As shown in Figs. 7(a) and 7(b), the guide portion 6 is provided at a position in the first mounting surface portion 121 that is off the central axis of the first front side insertion hole 122a (or the second front side insertion hole 222a). In addition, the guide portion 6 is disposed on the opposite side of the positioning pin 226 that has entered the positioning hole 121a with the pin portion 51 sandwiched therebetween in the vertical direction. The guide portion 6 guides the connecting member 5 in a state in which the pin portion 51 inserted from the second front side insertion hole 222a and the first front side insertion hole 122a faces the first back side insertion hole 123a and the second back side insertion hole 223a.

[0029] 9(a) to 9(c) show the guide portion 6. The guide portion 6 has a guide main body portion 61 and an attachment portion 62. A screw hole is provided in the attachment portion 62, and the attachment portion 62 is fixed from the surface of the first attachment surface portion 121 on the second connecting portion 22 side by a screw 63 (see FIG. 7(a)). The first attachment surface portion 121 is formed with a through hole for passing the guide main body portion 61 through, and a screw hole for fastening the screw 63.

[0030] The guide body 61 is fixed to the mounting portion 62 by crimping. The guide body 61 has a concave shape that is concave in a direction away from the central axis in a section perpendicular to the central axis of the first front insertion hole 122a (or the second front insertion hole 222a). In this embodiment, the guide body 61 has a shape obtained by rotating the above-mentioned concave shape around a central axis extending from one of the first housing 1a and the second housing 2a to the other on a section perpendicular to the central axis. In other words, the guide body 61 is formed in an arc shape along the outer periphery of a cylinder. In the case of the guide body 61 having such a shape, the pin portion 51 is suppressed from tilting in the left-right direction in addition to tilting downward in the vertical direction.

[0031] The guide main body 61 has a posture maintaining portion 6111 and a guiding portion 6112. The posture maintaining portion 6111 suppresses the inclination of the connecting member 5, thereby maintaining the posture of the connecting member 5 in a state in which the tip of the pin portion 51 faces the first deep side insertion hole 123a and the second deep side insertion hole 223a, as shown in Fig. 7(b) . The guiding portion 6112 corrects the inclination of the connecting member 5 while suppressing it, and guides it to the posture maintaining portion 6111 so that the tip of the pin portion 51 faces the first deep side insertion hole 123a and the second deep side insertion hole 223a when the connecting member 5 is inserted in a tilted state and the tip of the pin portion 51 abuts against it, as shown in Fig. 7(a) .

[0032] In this embodiment, the positioning pin 226 also has a function of suppressing tilt of the connecting member 5. That is, when the connecting member 5 tilts upward in the vertical direction, the tip of the pin portion 51 comes into contact with the positioning pin 226, thereby suppressing the connecting member 5 from tilting upward in the vertical direction. At this time, the tip of the pin portion 51 faces the first deep side insertion hole 123a and the second deep side insertion hole 223a.

[0033] Next, a configuration in which the guide portion 6 can guide the connecting member 5 will be described with reference to FIG. 10. A fit gap (a2) may occur between the hole diameter (a1) of the second front insertion hole 222a of the second connecting portion 22 and the shaft diameter (b1) of the pin portion 51, so that the pin portion 51 may be inclined and contact the second front insertion hole 222a at a fit width (a3). When the second connecting portion 22 is formed of sheet metal and the second front insertion hole 222a is made by press working, if the sheet metal has a thickness of "t" (mm), the fit width (a3) ​​is about "0.3t to 0.4t" smaller than the sheet thickness (t). The amount of inclination of the pin portion 51 is determined by the size of the fit gap (a2) and the fit width (a3).

[0034] If the above-mentioned guide portion 6 is not provided, the pin portion 51 in the tilted state hits a position outside the first back side insertion hole 123a. If the interval from the second front side insertion hole 222a to the first back side insertion hole 123a is "a4", the amount of deviation (d1) of the tip of the pin portion 51 with respect to the central axis (c) of the second front side insertion hole 222a and the second back side insertion hole 223a formed on the same axis in the second connecting portion 22 is "distance (a4) x (fitting backlash (a2) ÷ fitting width (a3))". And, as described above, if the tip portion 51a of the pin portion 51 is formed in a truncated cone shape, the amount of deviation (b) that can be guided by the tip portion 51a is "(shaft diameter (b1) of the pin portion 51 - tip diameter (b2) of the pin portion 51) ÷ 2".

[0035] In this embodiment, the above-described guide portion 6 is provided so that the distance "c1" from the contact position with the guide portion 6 (guiding portion 6112) to the central axis (c) when the inclined pin portion 51 starts to contact the guide portion 6 is "distance (c1) ≧ tip diameter (b2) of the pin portion 51 ÷ 2 + deviation amount (d2)". The deviation amount (d2) is the deviation amount of the center of the pin portion 51 from the central axis (c) when the pin portion 51 starts to contact the guide portion 6, and the deviation amount (d2) is "distance (c2) × (fitting backlash (a2) ÷ fitting width (a3))". The distance (c2) is the distance from the second front side wall portion 222 to the center of the guide portion 6.

[0036] The guide portion 6 is provided so that "the diameter (a1) of the second front side insertion hole 222a÷2≧the tip diameter (b2) of the pin portion 51÷2+the amount of deviation (d3)" and "the diameter (a1) of the second front side insertion hole 222a÷2<the distance (c3)≦the distance (c1)". Here, the amount of deviation (d3) is the amount of deviation of the tip center of the pin portion 51 from the central axis (c) when the tip of the pin portion 51 reaches the first back side insertion hole 123a, that is, when the tip of the pin portion 51 is at a position spaced (a4) from the second front side insertion hole 222a, "(the distance (a4)÷the distance (c4))×{the distance (c3)-(the shaft diameter (b1) of the pin portion 51÷2)}". Further, the distance (c3) is the distance from the center of the positioning pin 226 to the central axis (c), and the distance (c4) is the distance from the center of the guide portion 6 to the second front wall portion 222.

[0037] As described above, in this embodiment, the first connecting portion 12, which is one of the first connecting portion 12 and the second connecting portion 22 for connecting the first housing 1a and the second housing 2a, is provided with the above-mentioned guide portion 6. When the connecting member 5 is inserted in an inclined state, when the pin portion 51 comes into contact with the guide portion 6, the connecting member 5 is guided while the inclination is corrected so that the tip of the pin portion 51 faces the first deep side insertion hole 123a and the second deep side insertion hole 223a. Then, the tip of the pin portion 51 is guided from the guide portion 6112 to the attitude maintaining portion 6111, so that the connecting member 5 is guided while the tip of the pin portion 51 is maintained by the attitude maintaining portion 6111 in a state in which it faces the first deep side insertion hole 123a and the second deep side insertion hole 223a. In this way, since the connecting member 5 is guided by the guide portion 6, even if the connecting member 5 is inserted in an inclined state, the operator can easily insert the pin portion 51 into the first rear insertion hole 123a and the second rear insertion hole 223a.

[0038] <Modification> Next, a modified example of the guide portion will be described with reference to Fig. 7(a) and Fig. 11(a) and Fig. 11(b). Fig. 11(a) is a perspective view showing a modified example of the guide portion. The guide portion 6A shown in Fig. 11(a) is a plate-shaped guide plate in which a guide hole 60 (fifth hole portion) is formed. The guide portion 6A is disposed upstream of the positioning pin 262 in the insertion direction of the pin portion 51 in a state in which the positioning pin 226 is inserted into the positioning hole 121a.

[0039] When the tip of the pin portion 51 comes into contact with the guide portion 6A, the guide portion 6A guides the tip of the pin portion 51 to the guide hole 60. The pin portion 51 is inserted into the guide hole 60 by being guided to the guide hole 60. The guide hole 60 guides the connecting member 5 while maintaining the posture of the connecting member 5 in a state in which the tip of the pin portion 51 faces the first back side insertion hole 123a and the second back side insertion hole 223a. The guide portion 6A may be provided later on the outer column member 111 of the first column portion 11, or may be formed by cutting out and bending a part of the first mounting surface portion 121 of the outer column member 111. In addition, it is preferable that the plate-shaped portion of the guide portion 6A is inclined toward the guide hole 60 in order to easily guide the pin portion 51 into the guide hole 60. Furthermore, it is preferable that the guide hole 60 is formed so that the diameter becomes smaller from the upstream side to the downstream side in the insertion direction.

[0040] Fig. 11(b) is a perspective view showing another modified example of the guide part. The guide part 6B shown in Fig. 11(b) is a plate-like guide plate in which a guide groove 70 is formed by cutting out a semicircular shape. That is, the guide part 6B has a concave shape that is concave in a direction away from the central axis in a part on the central axis side in a cross section perpendicular to the central axis of the first front side insertion hole 122a (or the second front side insertion hole 222a). The guide part 6B is disposed upstream of the positioning pin 262 in the insertion direction of the pin part 51 when the positioning pin 226 is inserted into the positioning hole 121a.

[0041] When the tip of the pin portion 51 comes into contact with the guide portion 6B, the guide portion 6B guides the tip of the pin portion 51 into the guide groove 70. The guide groove 70 guides the connecting member 5 while maintaining the position of the connecting member 5 in a state in which the tip of the pin portion 51 faces the first back side insertion hole 123a and the second back side insertion hole 223a. The guide groove 70 suppresses the tilt of the connecting member 5 downward in the vertical direction and tilt in the left and right direction. The guide portion 6B may be provided later on the outer column member 111 of the first column portion 11, or may be formed by cutting out and bending a part of the first mounting surface portion 121 of the outer column member 111. In addition, the guide portion 6B is preferably provided in an inclined state so that the guide groove 70 side is located downstream in the insertion direction in order to easily guide the pin portion 51 into the guide groove 70.

[0042] The positioning pin 226 of the second connecting portion 22 may be formed in the same shape as the above-described guide portion 6 so that the tip of the pin portion 51 faces the first deep side insertion hole 123a and the second deep side insertion hole 223a while preventing the connecting member 5 from tilting upward in the vertical direction. Fig. 12(c) shows a positioning pin 2261 having such a shape.

[0043] The positioning pin 2261 shown in FIG. 12(c) has a concave shape that is concave in a direction away from the central axis at a portion on the central axis side in a cross section perpendicular to the central axis of the first front insertion hole 122a (or the second front insertion hole 222a). The positioning pin 2261 has a shape obtained by rotating the above-mentioned concave shape around a central axis extending in a direction from one of the first housing 1a or the second housing 2a to the other on a cross section perpendicular to the central axis. In other words, the positioning pin 2261 is formed in an arc shape along the outer periphery of a cylinder. In the case of the positioning pin 2261 having such a shape, the connecting member 5 is suppressed from tilting in the left-right direction in addition to tilting upward in the vertical direction.

[0044] <Other embodiments> In the above-described embodiment, an example in which the first connecting portion 12 is provided on the first housing 1a and the second connecting portion 22 is provided on the second housing 2a has been shown, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the second connecting portion 22 may be provided on the first housing 1a and the first connecting portion 12 may be provided on the second housing 2a. In addition, in the above-described embodiment, an example in which the first connecting portion 12 is provided integrally with the outer column member 111 of the first column portion 11 has been shown, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the first connecting portion 12 may be configured separately from the outer column member 111, and the separate first connecting portion 12 may be fixed to the outer column member 111 by a screw or the like. Furthermore, the second connecting portion 22 may be provided integrally with the second column portion 21 of the second connecting portion 22.

[0045] In the above embodiment, the image forming system 10 in which the second housing 2a housing the image forming unit 200 and the first housing 1a housing the fixing unit 100 are separable (see FIG. 2) is taken as an example, but is not limited thereto. The present embodiment is also applicable to a configuration in which an external device (not shown) having a separate housing is optionally connected to an image forming apparatus housing various devices related to image formation, such as the image forming unit 200 and the fixing unit 100, in one housing. As the optional external device, for example, one or more combinations of various post-processing devices such as an inserter, puncher, case binder, large-capacity stacker, folder, finisher, trimmer, etc., can be selectively connected. In this way, by selectively connecting various external devices to the image forming apparatus, it becomes possible to inline output products in which various post-processing processes are performed on various sheets, and an image forming system with high productivity, high image quality, high stability, and high functionality can be provided. [Explanation of symbols]

[0046] 1a...first housing, 2a...second housing, 6...guide portion, 6A (6B)...guide portion (plate-shaped member), 10...image forming system, 11...first pillar portion, 12...first connecting portion, 21...second pillar portion, 22...second connecting portion, 51...connecting pin (pin portion), 60...fifth hole portion (guide hole), 100...fixing portion, 121...first wall surface portion (first mounting surface portion), 121a...positioning hole portion (positioning hole), 122...first wall portion (first front side wall portion), 122a...first hole portion (first front side insertion hole), 123...second wall portion (first rear side wall portion), 123a...second hole portion (first rear side insertion hole), 200...image forming unit portion, 221...second wall surface portion (mounting surface portion), 222...third wall portion (front side wall portion), 222a...third hole portion (front side insertion hole), 223...fourth wall portion (rear side wall portion), 223a...fourth hole portion (rear side insertion hole), 226 (2261)...positioning pin

Claims

1. An image forming system for forming an image on a recording material, A first housing; A second housing that is attachable to the first housing; a connecting pin for connecting the first housing and the second housing, the first housing has a first wall portion and a second wall portion protruding toward the second housing side, a first hole portion formed in the first wall portion, and a second hole portion formed in the second wall portion coaxially with the first hole portion, the second housing has a third wall portion and a fourth wall portion protruding toward the first housing side so as to overlap with the first wall portion and the second wall portion, respectively, when the first housing is attached, a third hole portion formed in the third wall portion so as to align with the first hole portion when the first housing is attached, and a fourth hole portion formed in the fourth wall portion coaxially with the third hole portion so as to align with the second hole portion when the first housing is attached, the connecting pin connects the first housing and the second housing by being inserted into the first hole portion, the second hole portion, the third hole portion, and the fourth hole portion; one of the first housing and the second housing has a guide portion that guides the connecting pin to the second hole portion and the fourth hole portion when the connecting pin is inserted through the first hole portion and the third hole portion; 1. An image forming system comprising:

2. The guide portion is provided at a position deviated from the central axis of the first hole portion, and has a concave shape that is concave in a direction away from the central axis at a portion on the central axis side in a cross section perpendicular to the central axis.

2. The image forming system according to claim 1,

3. the guide portion has a shape obtained by rotating the concave shape about a central axis extending in a direction from one of the first housing and the second housing to the other on a cross section perpendicular to the central axis line, 3. The image forming system according to claim 2.

4. the first housing has a first wall surface portion provided with the guide portion and a positioning hole portion formed in the first wall surface portion, the second housing has a second wall surface portion that faces the first wall surface portion when the first housing is attached, and a positioning pin that is provided to protrude from the second wall surface portion toward the first wall surface portion and enters into the positioning hole portion to position the first housing and the second housing such that the first hole portion and the third hole portion, and the second hole portion and the fourth hole portion, respectively, are aligned with each other.

2. The image forming system according to claim 1,

5. The guide portion is disposed on the opposite side of the positioning pin across the connecting pin when the positioning pin is inserted into the positioning hole portion.

5. The image forming system according to claim 4.

6. The positioning pin has a concave shape that is concave in a direction away from the central axis at a portion on the central axis side in a cross section perpendicular to the central axis of the first hole portion.

6. The image forming system according to claim 5.

7. the guide portion is provided upright from the first wall portion toward the second wall portion, and has a fifth hole portion that guides the connecting pin in a state in which a tip of the connecting pin faces the second hole and the fourth hole when the connecting pin is inserted through the first hole portion and the third hole portion.

5. The image forming system according to claim 4.

8. The fifth hole portion has a diameter that decreases from the upstream side to the downstream side in the insertion direction of the connecting pin.

8. The image forming system according to claim 7.

9. The guide portion is disposed upstream of the positioning pin in a direction in which the connecting pin is inserted into the positioning hole portion.

5. The image forming system according to claim 4.

10. the first wall portion, the second wall portion, and the first wall surface portion are integrally formed to form a first connecting portion having a substantially U-shape, the first connecting portion being provided on a first pillar portion erected from a bottom surface of the first housing, the third wall portion, the fourth wall portion, and the second wall portion are integrally formed to form a substantially U-shaped second connecting portion, and the second connecting portion is provided on a second pillar portion erected from a bottom surface of the second housing; 5. The image forming system according to claim 4.

11. The connecting pin is formed in an inclined shape such that a cross-sectional area of ​​a tip portion of the connecting pin becomes smaller from the upstream side to the downstream side in the insertion direction.

2. The image forming system according to claim 1,

12. an image forming unit portion for forming a toner image on a recording material; a fixing section that applies heat and pressure to the recording material on which the toner image is formed to fix the toner image to the recording material, the first housing accommodates the fixing unit, the second housing accommodates the image forming unit and is connected to the first housing so as to be capable of transferring a recording material between the image forming unit and the fixing unit; 2. The image forming system according to claim 1,

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