Image forming apparatus

Abstract

To provide an image forming apparatus which can be connected to an extension unit having a compact configuration with a small number of members.SOLUTION: The image forming apparatus 10 includes an image forming apparatus body 11 and an extension unit 22 which can be connected to the lower part of the image forming apparatus body 11. The coupling member 40 has a first coupling claw that engages with the image forming apparatus body 11 and a second coupling claw that engages with the extension unit, and has an operation portion that switches between an engaged state and a disengaged state of at least one of the first coupling claw and the second coupling claw, and the operation portion can be operated in a direction connecting the first coupling claw and the second coupling claw along the coupling member 40.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 14

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an image forming apparatus having a connecting member for connecting an associated device such as an add-on unit. [Background technology]

[0002] An image forming apparatus that allows easy addition of related devices such as an optional feeder to the image forming apparatus main body is disclosed, for example, in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 8-157082 (Patent Document 1). Patent Document 1 discloses a configuration in which a convex portion provided on the image forming apparatus main body is inserted into a hole in a metal plate provided on the optional feeder, and the metal plate is displaced in a direction perpendicular to the convex portion to slide and fix a slide lock plate.

[0003] In addition, a paper feeding device and an image forming device that can reduce costs by simplifying the connection structure between stacked additional paper feeding devices and between the image forming device main body and the topmost paper feeding device are disclosed, for example, in JP 2014-009061 A (Patent Document 2). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 8-157082 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2014-009061 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] Conventional image forming apparatuses that allow easy addition of related devices such as optional feeders, and paper feeders and image forming apparatuses that allow for cost reductions by simplifying the connection structure between stacked paper feeders and between the image forming apparatus main body and the topmost paper feeder, have been configured as described above. Patent Document 1 requires a separate slide lock plate. Patent Document 2 also has the problem of requiring screws to secure the paper feed cassette in place because the stays communicate with each other in the vertical direction.

[0006] The present disclosure has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide an image forming apparatus having a compact configuration with a small number of components. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The image forming apparatus according to this disclosure includes an image forming apparatus main body and an add-on unit connectable to a lower portion of the image forming apparatus main body. The image forming apparatus includes a connecting member connecting the image forming apparatus main body and the add-on unit. The connecting member has a first connecting claw that engages with the image forming apparatus main body and a second connecting claw that engages with the add-on unit. The connecting member also has an operating unit that switches at least one of the first connecting claw or the second connecting claw between an engaged state and an unlocked state. The operating unit can be operated along the connecting member in a direction that connects the first connecting claw and the second connecting claw.

[0008] Preferably, the operating portion has a regulating portion that regulates horizontal displacement of the connecting member, and when the connecting member connects the image forming apparatus main body and the expansion unit, the horizontal displacement of the connecting member is regulated, and when the connection is released, the horizontal regulation by the operating portion of the connecting member is released.

[0009] The second connecting claw of the connecting member is positioned at a predetermined position on the expansion unit, and the rear side protrusion of the connecting member is inserted into the opening of the expansion unit.The connecting member is then tilted outward using the corner of the connecting member as a fulcrum, and the first connecting claw is positioned so as to engage at a predetermined position on the image forming device main body.The expansion unit can then be integrated with the image forming device main body by pressing the operating unit downward.

[0010] The image forming apparatus may have a plurality of connecting members.

[0011] The connecting member may be attached to the extension unit and then attached to the image forming apparatus main body. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] According to the present disclosure, the connecting member has a first connecting claw that engages with the image forming device main body and a second connecting claw that engages with the expansion unit, and has an operating part that switches at least one of them between an engaged state and an released state, thereby providing an image forming device that can be connected to an expansion unit with a compact configuration and few components.

[0013] The above and other objects, features, and advantages of the present disclosure will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the embodiments, which proceeds with reference to the drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view of an image forming apparatus to which an add-on unit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is connected, as viewed from the front side; [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the image forming apparatus shown in FIG. 1, as viewed from the rear side. [Figure 3] 2 is a perspective view of an image forming apparatus to which a paper feed cassette that can be pulled out to the front side is connected as an expansion unit, with the paper feed cassette opened, as seen from the front side similar to FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the image forming apparatus shown in FIG. 3 as seen from the rear side. [Figure 5] 4 is a perspective view of the front side of the paper feed cassette housed in the extension unit shown in FIG. 3, viewed from above. FIG. [Figure 6] 2 is a perspective view of the front side of the image forming apparatus main body shown in FIG. 1, viewed from the bottom. [Figure 7] 2 is a perspective view of the rear side of the image forming apparatus main body shown in FIG. 1, viewed from the bottom. [Figure 8]7 is an enlarged view of a portion indicated by a locking portion A in FIG. 6. [Figure 9] 7 is an enlarged view of a portion indicated by a locking portion B in FIG. 6. [Figure 10] 8 is an enlarged view of a portion indicated by a locking portion C in FIG. 7. [Figure 11] 8 is an enlarged view of a portion indicated by a locking portion D in FIG. 7. [Figure 12] 10 is a perspective view of the rear side of the image forming apparatus, showing a state in which the image forming apparatus main body and the add-on unit are integrated with a connecting member. FIG. [Figure 13] 13 is an enlarged view of the circled portion 13 in FIG. [Figure 14] 14 is a diagram showing a state in which the connecting member is inserted into the receiving portion of the image forming apparatus main body in FIG. 13, the image forming apparatus main body and the add-on unit are connected by the connecting member, and the two are integrated. [Figure 15] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a connecting member. [Figure 16] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the slide member as viewed from the rear protrusion side. [Figure 17] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating the fixing and operation of the connecting member. [Figure 18] 10 is a perspective view showing a state in which the connecting member is engaged with a hole in the T-shaped main body and the connecting member is engaged with the main body. FIG. [Figure 19] 10 is a perspective view of a front protrusion serving as an operating portion of the connecting member, seen obliquely from above. FIG. [Figure 20] 10 is a diagram showing a state in which a T-shaped protrusion of a connecting member is inserted into a hole in a main body of an extension unit. FIG. [Figure 21] 10 is a diagram showing a state in which the T-shaped protrusion of the connecting member has been completely inserted into the hole in the main body of the extension unit, and the connecting member has been integrated with the main body. FIG. [Figure 22] 13 is a diagram showing a state in which the image forming apparatus main body and the add-on unit are integrated with a connecting member on the opposite side to FIG. 12. FIG. [Figure 23] 23 is an enlarged view of the circled portion 23 in FIG. 22. [Figure 24]10 is a diagram showing a state in which the image forming apparatus main body and the add-on unit are connected by a connecting member and integrated together. FIG. [Figure 25] 10 is a diagram showing a state in which the left image forming apparatus main body and the add-on unit are integrated with a connecting member on the front side of the image forming apparatus. FIG. [Figure 26] 26 is an enlarged view of the circled portion 26 in FIG. [Figure 27] 10 is a diagram showing a state in which the image forming apparatus main body and the add-on unit are connected by a connecting member and integrated together. FIG. [Figure 28] 10 is a diagram showing a state in which the image forming apparatus main body and the add-on unit are integrated with a connecting member on the right side of the front side of the image forming apparatus. FIG. [Figure 29] This is an enlarged view of the circled portion indicated by 29 in FIG. [Figure 30] 10 is a diagram showing a state in which the image forming apparatus main body and the add-on unit are integrated with a connecting member on the right side of the front side of the image forming apparatus. FIG. [Figure 31] 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a main part of the image forming apparatus shown in FIG. 3 with the paper feed cassette open, as viewed from the right side in FIG. 3. [Figure 32] 32 is an enlarged view of the circled portion 32 in FIG. 31. FIG. [Figure 33] 33 is a diagram showing a state in which the first connecting claw is locked to the receiving part, following the state shown in FIG. 32. FIG. [Figure 34] 34 is a diagram showing a state in which the slide member is operated to move downward after the state shown in FIG. 33. FIG. [Figure 35] 5 is a cross-sectional view showing a main part of the image forming apparatus shown in FIG. 4 as viewed from the rear side. [Figure 36] 36 is an enlarged view of the circled portion 36 in FIG. 35. FIG. [Figure 37] 37 is a diagram showing a state in which the first connecting claw is locked to the receiving part, following the state shown in FIG. 36. FIG. [Figure 38] 38 is a diagram showing a state in which the slide member is operated to move downward after the state shown in FIG. 37. FIG. [Figure 39]36 is an enlarged view of the circled portion indicated by 39 in FIG. 35. [Figure 40] 40 is a view showing a state in which the first connecting claw is locked to the receiving part, following the state shown in FIG. 39. FIG. [Figure 41] 41 is a diagram showing a state in which the slide member is operated to move downward after the state shown in FIG. 40. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0015] An embodiment of the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an image forming apparatus 10 connected to an add-on unit 22 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, as seen from the front side, and Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the image forming apparatus 10 shown in Fig. 1, as seen from the rear side. With reference to Figs. 1 and 2, the image forming apparatus 10 includes an image forming apparatus main body 11 and an add-on unit 22 provided so as to be connectable to a lower part of the image forming apparatus main body 11.

[0016] The image forming apparatus main body 11 includes an original placement table 12 provided at the top end for placing an original (not shown), an operation panel 13 provided on the left side of the front side of the original placement table 12 and tilted toward the user, a paper discharge section 14 provided below the original placement table 12 for discharging printed paper, and an opening / closing door 15 provided below the paper discharge section 14. An image forming section (not shown) is provided behind the opening / closing door 15. A rear door 16 is provided on the rear side of the image forming apparatus main body 11, and an opening / closing door 23 is provided for the expansion unit 22.

[0017] Fig. 3 is a perspective view of image forming apparatus 10, to which sheet feed cassette 25 that can be pulled out toward the front side is connected as expansion unit 22, with sheet feed cassette 25 open, as seen from the front side similar to Fig. 1, and Fig. 4 is a perspective view of image forming apparatus 10 shown in Fig. 3, as seen from the rear side. Expansion unit rear cover 23 provided on the rear side of expansion unit 22 can be opened and closed toward the rear side.

[0018] Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the front side of sheet feed cassette 25 housed in expansion unit 22 shown in Fig. 3. Referring to Fig. 5, sheet feed cassette 25 has, in the center thereof, sheet storage section 26 for storing sheets. As shown in Fig. 3, sheet feed cassette 25 is provided with drawer section 27 for being pulled out from the front side of expansion unit 22.

[0019] Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the front side of the image forming apparatus main body 11 shown in Fig. 1 as seen from the bottom, and Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the rear side of the image forming apparatus main body 11 shown in Fig. 1 as seen from the bottom. With reference to Figs. 6 and 7, the bottom of the image forming apparatus main body 11 is provided with a mechanism for engaging with the upper part of the extension unit 22 shown in Fig. 5. That is, with reference to Figs. 6 and 7, the bottom of the image forming apparatus main body 11 is provided with four engaging portions A to D, indicated by circles, at its four corners. The four engaging portions A to D are shown in Figs. 8 to 11, respectively.

[0020] Fig. 8 is an enlarged view of the portion indicated by locking portion A in Fig. 6. Referring to Fig. 8, there is provided locking portion A with a receiving portion 18a having an inverted trapezoidal shape with a large upper portion and a small lower portion. Fig. 9 is an enlarged view of the portion indicated by locking portion B in Fig. 6. Referring to Fig. 9, there is provided locking portion B with a receiving portion 18b having an inverted trapezoidal shape with a large upper portion and a small lower portion.

[0021] Similarly, Fig. 10 is an enlarged view of the portion indicated by locking portion C in Fig. 7, and Fig. 11 is an enlarged view of the portion indicated by locking portion D in Fig. 7. Referring to Figs. 10 and 11, receiving portions 19a and 19b having rectangular through holes are provided as locking portions C and D.

[0022] Connecting members, which will be described later, are inserted into receiving portions 18a, 18b, 19a, and 19b provided at the bottom of the image forming apparatus main body 11, and the image forming apparatus main body 11 is integrated with the extension unit 22.

[0023] Next, the connecting member will be described. Figure 12 is a perspective view of the rear side of image forming apparatus 10, showing the state in which image forming apparatus main body 11 and add-on unit 22 are integrated with a connecting member, and Figure 13 is an enlarged view of the circled portion indicated by 13 in Figure 12. Figure 13 shows the state in which image forming apparatus main body 11 and add-on unit 22 are connected with connecting member 40.

[0024] That is, as will be explained later, the connecting member 40 is a U-shaped member having protrusions at both the upper and lower ends that protrude in one direction, and here it shows a state in which the lower end is inserted into a predetermined position in the add-on unit 22 and the upper end is about to be inserted into a predetermined receiving portion 19a of the image forming apparatus main body 11. Figure 14 is a diagram showing a state in which the connecting member 40 is inserted into the receiving portion 19a of the image forming apparatus main body 11 in Figure 13, connecting the image forming apparatus main body 11 and the add-on unit 22 with the connecting member 40, and integrating the two.

[0025] Next, a specific configuration of the connecting member 40 will be described. FIG. 15 is a perspective view showing a specific configuration of the connecting member 40. Referring to FIG. 15, the connecting member 40 includes a U-shaped member 43 (which appears to be an inverted U here) having a T-shaped groove 45 in the center, as shown on the left side of the figure, and a slide member 50 (shown on the right side of the figure) having a vertically long rectangular flat plate 54 with a rear-side protrusion 51 and a front-side protrusion 56 that can move and engage with the T-shaped groove 45 of the U-shaped member 43 as indicated by the arrow in the figure. Here, the reason why the member 50 having the vertically long rectangular flat plate 54 is called the slide member 50 is because the T-shaped protrusion 52 of the rear-side protrusion 51 is inserted into the T-shaped groove 45 to be integrated with the U-shaped member 43, and the slide member 50 can be slid vertically along the T-shaped groove 45 by hooking a finger on the front-side protrusion 56. The U-shaped member 43 has a first connecting claw 41 provided at the upper end and a second connecting claw 42 provided at the lower end protruding to the same side, thereby forming a U-shape.

[0026] Fig. 16 is a perspective view of slide member 50 as viewed from the rear-side protrusion 51 side. Referring to Fig. 16, rear-side protrusion 51 can be inserted into T-shaped groove 45 of connecting member 40, and has a T-shaped protrusion 52 when slide member 50 is viewed from the top-bottom direction, with T-shaped protrusion 52 formed to protrude from raised portion 53 that protrudes from flat plate 54 in the vertical direction in the direction of T-shaped protrusion 52. A front-side protrusion 56 is provided on the opposite side of flat plate 54 from T-shaped protrusion 52.

[0027] FIG. 17 is a diagram illustrating the fixation and operation of connecting member 40. The left side of FIG. 17 shows T-shaped main body hole 30 provided in image forming apparatus main body 11 or add-on unit 22 and groove 31 provided below it, and the center shows connecting member 40 having T-shaped protrusion 52 that can be inserted into main body hole 30. The position where T-shaped protrusion 52 of connecting member 40 shown in the center is inserted into T-shaped main body hole 30 shown on the left side of FIG. 17 is indicated by an arrow in the figure. Also, the insertion position of T-shaped protrusion 52 moved downward, as shown later in FIG. 18, is indicated by a dotted line in the T-shaped main body hole 30 shown on the left side of FIG.

[0028] 17 shows a perspective view of the connecting member 40 with the slide member 50 having the front protrusion 56 positioned on the near side. In this example, a biasing member 47 is provided on the lower part of the connecting member 40, and the biasing member 47 engages with a groove 31 provided in the main body. This allows the connecting member 40 to tilt in any direction on the groove 31.

[0029] Next, a method for engaging or releasing the connecting member 40 with the main body after the state shown in Fig. 17 will be described. Here, a case will be described in which the second connecting claw 42 of the connecting member 40 is first attached to a predetermined position on the extension unit 22, and then the first connecting claw 41 is attached to the image forming apparatus main body 11.

[0030] 18 is a perspective view showing a state in which second connecting claw 42 of connecting member 40 is engaged with T-shaped hole 30 of the main body, and then first connecting claw 41 of connecting member 40 is engaged with image forming apparatus main body 11. The left side of FIG. 18 shows a state in which rear side protrusion 51 of connecting member 40 is positioned below T-shaped groove 45 from the position shown in FIG. 17, and the right side shows the state of front side protrusion 56 of slide member 50 in the state of the arrow view shown at the right end of FIG.

[0031] [First embodiment] 18, when slide member 50 is inserted into T-shaped groove 45 of U-shaped member 43, raised portion 53 of slide member 50 is guided in the up and down direction along T-shaped groove 45, so that movement of slide member 50 in any direction other than the groove direction is restricted on the surface of U-shaped member 43. Furthermore, when T-shaped protrusion 52 also engages with hole 30 of the main body, T-shaped protrusion 52 restricts movement of T-shaped protrusion 52 in the protruding direction. Therefore, raised portion 53 of slide member 50 acts as a restricting portion that restricts horizontal displacement of connecting member 40.

[0032] 17 and 18, the T-shaped protrusion 52 is guided downward along the T-shaped groove 45. The position of the T-shaped protrusion 52 in the main body hole 30 when the T-shaped protrusion 52 is moved to the bottom of the main body hole 30 is shown by dotted lines in the left drawings of Fig. 17 and Fig. 18. As shown by dotted lines in the left drawing of Fig. 17, the T-shaped protrusion 52 is moved to the bottom of the T of the main body hole 30.

[0033] Fig. 19 is a perspective view of the front protrusion 56 serving as the operating portion of the connecting member 40, seen obliquely from above. Referring to Fig. 19, the user presses the first connecting claw 41 so that it fits into the receiving portion 19a of the device main body 11, and presses the front protrusion 56 serving as the operating portion downward, thereby maintaining the connected state between the device main body 11 and the extension unit 22. Conversely, to release the connection, the user pulls the front protrusion 56 serving as the operating portion upward to release the engagement between the first connecting claw 41 and the receiving portion 19a of the device main body 11, thereby releasing the connection between the device main body 11 and the extension unit 22 (see Fig. 13).

[0034] [Second embodiment] 20 is a diagram showing the state in which the T-shaped protrusion 52 of the connecting member 40 is being inserted into the hole 30 of the main body of the expansion unit 22, and FIG. 21 is a diagram showing the state in which the T-shaped protrusion 52 of the connecting member 40 has been inserted into the hole 30 of the main body of the expansion unit 22 and the connecting member 40 has been integrated with the main body. In this state, the connection between the device main body 11 and the expansion unit 22 by the connecting member 40 is not locked, so the connecting member 40 can be released by the biasing member 47. To lock the connection by the connecting member 40, it is necessary to push the slide member 50 downward, as will be explained later.

[0035] 20 and 21, when the T-shaped protrusion 52 of the connecting member 40 is in a position where it can pass through the hole 30 of the apparatus main body 11, the biasing member 47 biases the second connecting claw 42 so as to lift it, causing the U-shaped member 43 to tilt outward with the corner 44, which is the connection part between the second connecting claw 42 and the U-shaped member 43, as a fulcrum, and the first connecting claw can be positioned at a predetermined position in the image forming apparatus main body 11. In other words, the front side protrusion 56 that moves the slide member 50 serves as a slide lever, and by operating this with one finger, the connecting member 40 can be used to connect and disconnect the apparatus main body 11 and the extension unit 22.

[0036] As a result, as shown in Figures 17 and 18, by moving the front protrusion 56 of the slide member 50, which serves as the operating part, up and down along the T-shaped groove 45 in the direction connecting the first connecting claw 41 and the second connecting claw 42, it is possible to switch between an engaged state and an unlocked state of the image forming apparatus main body 11 and the expansion unit 22 engaged by the first connecting claw 41 and the second connecting claw 42.

[0037] Next, other connecting members will be described. FIG. 22 is a diagram showing the image forming apparatus main body 11 and the add-on unit 22 integrated with the connecting member on the opposite side from FIG. 12 . FIG. 23 is an enlarged view of the circled portion 23 in FIG. 22 . Referring to FIG. 23 , the image forming apparatus main body 11 and the add-on unit 22 are shown connected with the connecting member 40 described above. Again, this figure shows the state in which the second connecting claw 42 at the lower end of the connecting member 40 is inserted into a predetermined position on the add-on unit 22, and the second connecting claw 42 at the upper end is about to be inserted into a predetermined receiving portion 19b of the image forming apparatus main body 11. FIG. 24 is a diagram showing the image forming apparatus main body 11 and the add-on unit 22 integrated with the connecting member 40.

[0038] 25 to 27 are views showing the state in which the image forming apparatus main body 11 and the add-on unit 22 on the left side of the front side of the image forming apparatus 10 are integrated with the connecting member 40, and FIG. 26 is an enlarged view of the circled portion indicated by 26 in FIG. 25. Referring to FIG. 26, the state in which the image forming apparatus main body 11 and the add-on unit 22 are connected with the connecting member 40 is shown. Here again, the state is shown in which the lower end is inserted into a predetermined position in the add-on unit 22 and the second connecting claw 42 at the upper end is about to be inserted into a predetermined receiving portion 18a of the image forming apparatus main body 11. FIG. 27 shows the state in which the image forming apparatus main body 11 and the add-on unit 22 are connected with the connecting member 40 and integrated together.

[0039] Similarly, FIGS. 28 to 30 are views showing the state in which the right-side image forming apparatus main body 11 and the add-on unit 22 are integrated with the connecting member 40 on the front side of the image forming apparatus 10. FIG. 29 is an enlarged view of the circled portion indicated by 29 in FIG. 28. Referring to FIG. 29, the state in which the image forming apparatus main body 11 and the add-on unit 22 are connected with the connecting member 40 is shown. Again, this shows the state in which the lower end is inserted into a predetermined position on the add-on unit 22 and the second connecting claw 42 at the upper end is about to be inserted into a predetermined receiving portion 18b on the image forming apparatus main body 11. FIG. 30 shows the state in which the right-side image forming apparatus main body 11 and the add-on unit 22 are integrated with the connecting member 40 on the front side of the image forming apparatus 10.

[0040] Next, the connected state of the four connecting members 40 described above will be described from a different angle. FIG. 31 is a cross-sectional view showing the main parts of image forming apparatus 10 when sheet feed cassette 25 shown in FIG. 3 is opened, as seen from the right side in FIG. 3. FIG. 32 is an enlarged view of the circled portion 32 in FIG. 31. This portion corresponds to connecting member 40 shown in FIGS. 28 to 30. While FIGS. 28 to 30 show connecting member 40 with its slide member 50 facing forward, this view is a view from a direction perpendicular to that (the direction in which the U-shape can be seen), and shows the state in which first connecting claw 41 is locked into receiving portion 18b shown in FIG. 8 after second connecting claw 42 is fixed in a predetermined position by biasing member 47.

[0041] 33 and 34 are views showing a state in which the first connecting claw 41 is locked with the receiving portion 18b from the state shown in FIG. 32, and a state in which the slide member 50 is then operated to move downward, moving the slide member 50 to the bottom of the T-shaped groove 45 as shown in FIG. 18. These views correspond to the views shown in FIGS. 20 and 21 described above, viewed from the opposite direction. As shown in FIGS. 32 to 34, the T-shaped protrusion 52 passes through the T-shaped head of the hole 30 in the main body to lock the first connecting claw 41 with the receiving portion 18b, and then the front-side protrusion 56 is moved downward to move the T-shaped protrusion 52 downward in the hole 30 in the main body, thereby locking the extension unit 22 with the connecting member 40.

[0042] That is, by operating the front-side protrusion 56, when the T-shaped protrusion 52 is in a position to pass through the hole 30 in the main body as shown in Figures 32 and 33, the T-shaped protrusion 52 is in a position to come out of the hole 30 in the main body, and when the T-shaped protrusion 52 is in a position below the hole 30 in the main body as shown in Figure 34, the T-shaped protrusion 52 does not come out of the hole 30 in the main body.

[0043] As described here, the slide member 50 has a front protrusion 56 that acts as an operating part that switches between an engaged state and an unlocked state of at least one of the first connecting claw 41 or the second connecting claw 42, and the operating part can be operated along the connecting member 40 in a direction that connects the first connecting claw 41 and the second connecting claw 42.

[0044] Figure 35 is a cross-sectional view showing the main parts of image forming apparatus 10 shown in Figure 4 as seen from its rear side, and enlarged views of 36 and 39 circled in Figure 35 are shown in Figures 36 and 39. This part corresponds to connecting member 40 shown in Figures 12 to 14 and 22 to 24, and while Figures 12 to 24 show connecting member 40 with its slide member 50 facing forward, here it is shown as seen from a direction perpendicular to that (the direction in which the U-shape can be seen).

[0045] Referring to Figure 36, this shows the state in which the second connecting claw 42 is fixed to a predetermined position on the expansion unit 22 by the biasing member 47, and then the entire connecting member 40 is tilted to engage the first connecting claw 41 with the rear receiving portion 19a shown in Figure 12.

[0046] Figures 37 and 38 show a state in which the first connecting claw 41 is engaged with the receiving portion 19a from the state shown in Figure 36, and then the slide member 50 is operated to move downward, and the slide member 50 is moved to the bottom of the T-shaped groove 45 as shown in Figure 18.

[0047] Next, the opposite side will be described. Figure 39 is an enlarged view of the circled portion indicated by 39 in Figure 35. Referring to Figure 39, this shows a state in which, after second connecting claw 42 is fixed to a predetermined position in add-on unit 22 by biasing member 47, the entire connecting member 40 is tilted to lock first connecting claw 41 into receiving portion 19b at the rear of image forming apparatus main body 11 shown in Figure 22.

[0048] Figures 40 and 41 show a state in which the first connecting claw 41 is engaged with the receiving portion 19b from the state in Figure 39, and then the state in which the slide member 50 is operated to move downward, and moved to the bottom of the T-shaped groove 45.

[0049] In the above embodiment, the second connecting claw of the connecting member is first attached to the expansion unit, and then the first connecting claw is attached to the image forming device main body to integrate the two. However, this is not limited to this, and the first connecting claw of the connecting member may first be provided on the image forming device main body, and then the second connecting claw may be attached to the expansion unit.

[0050] The present disclosure can be implemented in various other forms without departing from its spirit or main features. Therefore, the above-described embodiments are merely examples and should not be interpreted as being limited. All modifications and variations within the scope of the claims of the present disclosure are within the scope of the present disclosure. [Industrial Applicability]

[0051] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide an image forming apparatus to which an add-on unit can be connected using a connecting member having a compact configuration with few components, and therefore it is useful as an image forming apparatus. [Explanation of symbols]

[0052] 10 Image forming device 11 Image forming device main body 12 Document stand 13 Operation panel 14 Paper output section 15 Opening and closing doors 16 Rear door 18a, 18b, 19a, 19b Receiving part 22 Expansion Unit 23 Expansion unit rear cover 25 Paper cassette 26 Paper storage section 27 Drawer section 30 Body hole 31 Groove 40 Connecting member 41 1st connecting claw 42 2nd connecting claw 43 U-shaped member 44 Corner 45 T-shaped groove 47 biasing member 50 Slide member 51 Rear protrusion 52 T-shaped protrusion 53 Ridge 54 flat plate 56 Front side protrusion (operation part)

Claims

1. An image forming apparatus main body and an add-on unit connectable to a lower part of the image forming apparatus main body, a connecting member for connecting the image forming apparatus main body and the add-on unit; the connecting member has a first connecting claw that engages with the image forming apparatus main body and a second connecting claw that engages with the add-on unit, an operating unit that switches at least one of the first connecting claw and the second connecting claw between an engaged state and a released state, The operation unit can be operated along the connecting member in a direction connecting the first connecting claw and the second connecting claw.

2. The image forming apparatus of claim 1, wherein the operating portion has a regulating portion that regulates horizontal displacement of the connecting member, and when the connecting member connects the image forming apparatus main body and the expansion unit, the horizontal displacement of the connecting member is regulated, and when the connection is released, the horizontal regulation of the connecting member by the operating portion is released.

3. The second connecting claw of the connecting member is positioned at a predetermined position of the add-on unit, With the rear side protrusion of the connecting member inserted into the opening of the extension unit, the connecting member is tilted outward using the corner of the connecting member as a fulcrum; The first connecting claw is arranged so as to be engaged at a predetermined position on the image forming apparatus main body, 2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the add-on unit is then integrated with the image forming apparatus main body by pressing the operation portion downward.

4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the image forming apparatus includes a plurality of the connecting members.

5. 2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the connecting member is attached to the extension unit and then attached to the image forming apparatus main body.

Images