Opening and closing member for image forming apparatus

Abstract

To provide an opening / closing member of an image forming apparatus which suppresses falling-off of a member when the opening / closing member is constituted of an outer opening / closing member and an inner opening / closing member and a storage part in which a member stored in the opening / closing member can be taken out is provided.SOLUTION: An opening / closing cover 45 of an image forming device includes an openable / closable exterior cover 5 that constitutes a part of an outer surface of the image forming device and exposes an inside of the image forming device in an open state, an interior cover 6 that is located on an inner surface side of the exterior cover 5 and is openable / closable together with the exterior cover 5, a cleaning rod 8 that is housed in a housing recess 61 provided in the interior cover 6 and is taken out for use, and cutout portions 61d and 61e that prevent the cleaning rod 8 housed in the interior cover 6 from falling out of the housing recess 61.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an opening / closing member for an image forming apparatus. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an electrophotographic image forming device that includes an electrophotographic image forming unit that uses powder toner as a developer, a housing that houses the image forming unit, and a cover that opens and closes an opening in the housing and has reinforcing ribs on the back surface, in which part of the ribs on the back surface of the cover have been removed to flatten and create a non-ribbed portion. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-341726 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Increasing the rigidity of an outer opening / closing member that forms part of the exterior of an image forming apparatus by adding reinforcing ribs or increasing the height of the reinforcing ribs can cause sink marks, which can deteriorate the appearance of the outer opening / closing member and impair the product quality of the apparatus. There is also a risk that the member may fall off the inner opening / closing member when opening or closing. The object of the present invention is to provide an opening / closing member for an image forming device that prevents components from falling off when the opening / closing member is composed of an outer opening / closing member and an inner opening / closing member and has a storage section from which components stored in the opening / closing member can be removed. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The invention described in claim 1 is an opening / closing member for an image forming device that comprises an outer opening / closing member that forms part of the outer surface of the image forming device and that exposes the inside of the image forming device when open, an inner opening / closing member that is located on the inner side of the outer opening / closing member and can be opened and closed together with the outer opening / closing member, a member that is stored in a storage section provided in the inner opening / closing member and can be removed and used, and a prevention section that prevents the member stored in the inner opening / closing member from falling out of the storage section. A second aspect of the present invention provides the opening / closing member of the image forming apparatus according to the first aspect, wherein the prevention portion is not a separate member from the inner opening / closing member. The invention described in claim 3 is an opening / closing member of an image forming apparatus described in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that when the member is housed in the housing section, it is located closer to the outer opening / closing member than the prevention section. A fourth aspect of the present invention provides the opening / closing member of the image forming apparatus according to the third aspect, wherein the member is accommodated through the prevention portion. The invention described in claim 5 is an opening / closing member of an image forming apparatus described in claim 1, characterized in that the inner opening / closing member has a longitudinal direction and a lateral direction, the storage section is formed using the longitudinal direction of the inner opening / closing member, the storage section has a first storage section extending in the same direction as the longitudinal direction and a second storage section whose length in the lateral direction is longer than the length of the first storage section in the lateral direction, and the prevention section is formed in the first storage section. The invention described in claim 6 is an opening / closing member of the image forming apparatus described in claim 5, characterized in that the second storage section is located closer to one end than to the center of the storage section, and the prevention section is positioned closer to the second storage section than to the center of the storage section. The invention described in claim 7 is an opening / closing member of the image forming apparatus described in claim 6, characterized in that there are two prevention portions, one of which is positioned closer to the second storage portion than the center position of the storage portion, and the other of which is positioned farther from the second storage portion than the center position of the storage portion. [Effects of the Invention]

[0006] According to claims 1 to 7, it is possible to provide an opening / closing member for an image forming device that prevents components from falling off from the inner opening / closing member. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of an image forming apparatus to which the present embodiment is applied; [Figure 2] 2A and 2B are diagrams showing an exposure apparatus to which the present embodiment is applied, in which (a) is a perspective view of the exposure apparatus, and (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line IIB-IIB in FIG. 2A. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating an exterior member of the image forming apparatus. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a rear view of the opening / closing cover as seen from the inside. [Figure 5] 1A and 1B are diagrams illustrating the configuration of the opening / closing cover, in which FIG. 1A is an exploded perspective view of the opening / closing cover as seen from the exterior cover side, and FIG. 1B is an exploded perspective view of the opening / closing cover as seen from the interior cover side. [Figure 6] FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a rear view of the exterior cover. [Figure 8] 1A and 1B are views of the interior cover as seen from the surface, in which (a) is a front view, and (b) and (c) are partially enlarged perspective views of (a). [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a rear view of the interior cover seen from the back side. [Figure 10] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating the function of the hard keys, where (a) shows a state in which the hard keys are not interfering with the rotary handle, and (b) shows a state in which they are interfering with the rotary handle. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a rear view of the interior cover illustrating the accommodation recess according to the modified example. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a rear view of the openable cover according to the modified example. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XIII-XIII in FIG. 12. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. [Overall configuration of image forming apparatus 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of an image forming apparatus 1 to which the present embodiment is applied. Image forming apparatus 1 is generally a so-called tandem type image forming apparatus. Image forming apparatus 1 includes image forming unit 10 that forms images corresponding to image data for each color, control unit 41 that controls the overall operation of image forming apparatus 1, and paper holding unit 42 that holds paper supplied to image forming apparatus 1. Image forming apparatus 1 also includes image processing unit 43 that performs predetermined image processing on image data received from, for example, a personal computer (PC) 2 or image reading device 3. The image forming apparatus 1 is an example of an image forming apparatus, and the image forming section 10 is an example of an image forming section.

[0009] The image forming section 10 includes four image forming units 11Y, 11M, 11C, and 11K (collectively referred to as "image forming units 11") arranged in parallel at regular intervals. Each image forming unit 11 includes a photosensitive drum 12 that forms an electrostatic latent image and holds a toner image, a charger 13 that charges the surface of the photosensitive drum 12 to a predetermined potential, an exposure device 14 that exposes the photosensitive drum 12 charged by the charger 13 based on image data for each color, a developing device 15 that develops the electrostatic latent image formed on the photosensitive drum 12, and a drum cleaner 16 that cleans the surface of the photosensitive drum 12 after transfer. Each of the image forming units 11 has the same configuration except for the toner stored in the developing device 15, and forms a toner image of yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C), or black (K), respectively.

[0010] The image forming section 10 also includes an intermediate transfer belt 20 onto which the color toner images formed on the photosensitive drums 12 of the image forming units 11 are transferred in multiple layers, and a primary transfer roll 21 that sequentially performs primary transfer of the color toner images formed on the image forming units 11 onto the intermediate transfer belt 20. The image forming section 10 also includes a secondary transfer roll 22 that performs secondary transfer of the color toner images transferred onto the intermediate transfer belt 20 in a superimposed state onto a sheet of paper as a recording material, a belt cleaner 23 that cleans the surface of the intermediate transfer belt 20 after secondary transfer, and a fixing device 30 that fixes the color toner images transferred on the sheet of paper.

[0011] In this image forming apparatus 1, image forming section 10 performs an image forming operation based on various control signals supplied from control section 41. That is, under the control of control section 41, image data input from PC 2 or image reading device 3 is subjected to image processing by image processing section 43 and supplied to each image forming unit 11. Then, in each image forming unit 11, photosensitive drum 12 is charged by charger 13, exposed by exposure device 14, and the electrostatic latent image is developed by developer 15, and a toner image of each color is formed on the surface of photosensitive drum 12. The toner images of each color formed on the photosensitive drum 12 are then transferred in sequence onto the intermediate transfer belt 20 by the primary transfer roll 21 .

[0012] Then, as the intermediate transfer belt 20 moves, the composite toner image on the intermediate transfer belt 20 is transported to a secondary transfer portion T, which is an area where a secondary transfer roll 22 is arranged. When the composite toner image is transported to the secondary transfer portion T, a sheet of paper is supplied from the paper holding portion 42 to the secondary transfer portion T in time with the timing at which the composite toner image is transported to the secondary transfer portion T. Then, at the secondary transfer portion T, the composite toner image is electrostatically transferred all at once onto the transported sheet of paper by a transfer electric field formed by the secondary transfer roll 22.

[0013] The paper onto which the composite toner image has been transferred is then transported to fixing device 30, where it is subjected to a fixing process using heat and pressure to fix the toner image onto the paper. The paper onto which the toner image has been fixed is then transported to a paper stacking section provided in the discharge section of image forming apparatus 1. On the other hand, the toner adhering to the intermediate transfer belt 20 after the secondary transfer is removed from the surface of the intermediate transfer belt 20 by the belt cleaner 25. In this way, image formation in the image forming apparatus 1 is repeated a number of times, the number of cycles being equal to the number of prints.

[0014] The image forming section 10 is provided with a rotary handle 24 (see FIG. 3 or 10) for performing a retraction operation, which is an operation for retracting the intermediate transfer belt 20 from the photosensitive drum 12 of each image forming unit 11. The retraction operation using the rotary handle 24 is performed when removing paper that has become jammed in the paper transport path within the image forming apparatus 1.

[0015] [Explanation of exposure device 14] Next, the configuration of exposure apparatus 14 of this embodiment will be described. 2(a) and 2(b) are diagrams showing an exposure apparatus 14 to which this embodiment is applied. Fig. 2(a) is a perspective view of the exposure apparatus 14, and Fig. 2(b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line IIB-IIB in Fig. 2(a).

[0016] 1, the exposure device 14 is disposed vertically below the photosensitive drum 12 and exposes the photosensitive drum 12 from vertically below. As shown in FIG. 2(a), the exposure device 14 includes an LED (Light Emitting Diode) print head (LPH) 140.

[0017] The LPH 140 includes a housing 141, an LED array 143 having a plurality of light-emitting elements, an LED circuit board 142 that mounts the LED array 143 and a signal generating circuit (not shown) that drives the LED array 143, a rod lens array 144 that focuses light emitted from the LED array 143 onto the surface of the photosensitive drum 12, and a frame 145 that reinforces the housing 141. The LPH 140 also includes, at both ends of the axial direction of the photosensitive drum 12, a first positioning portion 146 that positions the LPH 140 in the X1 direction relative to the photosensitive drum 12, and a second positioning portion 147 that positions the LPH 140 in the Y1 direction. In the following description, the optical axis direction of the rod lens array 144 in the LPH 140 shown in Figure 2(a) (the direction in which light is emitted by the light-emitting elements of the LED array 143) may be referred to as the Y1 direction. The main scanning direction, i.e., the axial direction of the photosensitive drum 12 (see Figure 1), may be referred to as the Z1 direction. The sub-scanning direction, i.e., the direction perpendicular to both the Y1 direction and the Z1 direction, may be referred to as the X1 direction.

[0018] The housing 141 is made of a resin material such as ABS, and supports an LED circuit board 142 and a rod lens array 144 . The frame 145 is made of a metal material such as steel or SUS, and is attached to the housing 141 on the opposite side to the rod lens array 144 .

[0019] The rod lens array 144 is arranged along the Z1 direction, which is the axial direction of the photosensitive drum 12, and is formed to have a width in the X1 direction, which is the movement direction of the photosensitive drum 12. The rod lens array 144 is configured by arranging, for example, a plurality of gradient index lenses, which form erect, life-size real images, in the axial direction of the photosensitive drum 12. The rod lens array 144 then forms an image of the light emitted from the LED array 143 on the surface of the photosensitive drum 12.

[0020] An LED array 143 is mounted on the LED circuit board 142. The LED array 143 is composed of a plurality of LED chips, each having a light-emitting element (LED), lined up in the Z1 direction. As a result, a plurality of light-emitting elements are lined up in the Z1 direction on the LED circuit board 142. Each light-emitting element is arranged to emit light in the Y1 direction toward the photosensitive drum 12 side (rod lens array 144 side). In the LED array 143 of this embodiment, the LED chips are arranged in a staggered pattern so that the positions of the light-emitting elements in the Z1 direction overlap at the boundary between adjacent LED chips.

[0021] When the exposure device 14 is installed in the image forming apparatus 1, the first positioning portion 146 and the second positioning portion 147 abut against a housing member (not shown) that houses and supports the photosensitive drum 12 inside the image forming apparatus 1. More specifically, the first positioning portion 146 abuts against the housing member for the photosensitive drum 12 in the X1 direction, and the second positioning portion 147 abuts against the housing member for the photosensitive drum 12 in the Y1 direction.

[0022] As a result, the LPH 140 is positioned at both ends in the Z1 direction relative to the photosensitive drum 12 in both the X1 and Y1 directions. The LPH 140 is then positioned so that the distance between the rod lens array 144 of the LPH 140 and the photosensitive drum 12 matches the focal length of the rod lens array 144. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the central portion of LPH 140 in the Z1 direction, i.e., the area sandwiched between the first positioning portion 146 and the second positioning portion 147 provided at both ends of LPH 140 in the Z1 direction, is not in contact with the photosensitive drum 12 and is floating above the photosensitive drum 12.

[0023] The image forming apparatus 1 according to this embodiment has been described as using an electrophotographic method in which toner attached to a photosensitive member is transferred onto a recording material to form an image, but this is not limited to this, and for example, an inkjet method in which ink is ejected onto a recording material to form an image may also be used. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the image forming apparatus 1 that forms a color image has been described, but it may be configured to form a black (K) toner image (monochrome image) and not a color image.

[0024] [Exterior member of image forming apparatus 1] Next, the exterior member of the image forming apparatus 1 will be described. 3 is a perspective view illustrating the exterior member of image forming apparatus 1, showing a state in which opening / closing cover 45 is open to housing 44. Note that the internal configuration of image forming apparatus 1 is partially omitted from the illustration. 3, the image forming apparatus 1 is equipped with, as exterior members, a housing 44 made up of a plurality of parts that serves as a container for accommodating components for realizing various functions of the image forming apparatus 1, and an opening / closing cover 45 that, together with the housing 44, constitutes the outer surface of the image forming apparatus 1 (hereinafter, may be referred to as the "apparatus outer surface") and can be opened and closed relative to the housing 44. The opening / closing cover 45 referred to here can be called a front cover because it is located on the front side of the image forming apparatus 1, and can also be called a maintenance cover because it is a member that can be opened when performing maintenance work on the image forming apparatus 1. The opening / closing cover 45 is an example of an opening / closing member. In this document, the term "component" is not limited to a single component, but may also refer to a combination of multiple components.

[0025] The rotation center 46 around which the open / close cover 45 rotates relative to the housing 44 is located on the lower side, that is, near the bottom surface of the image forming apparatus 1. The rotation center 46 is located away from the top surface of the image forming apparatus 1. Furthermore, a magnet 47 is attached to the housing 44 and an iron plate member 451 is attached to the opening / closing cover 45 at a position above the rotation center 46. The magnetic force of the magnet 47 causes the magnet 47 and the iron plate member 451 to attract each other and stick together, thereby maintaining the opening / closing cover 45 in an upright state and closing the opening / closing cover 45. In this embodiment, when opening / closing cover 45 is closed, opening / closing cover 45 forms part of the outer surface of image forming apparatus 1. The center of rotation 46 is an example of a center of rotation.

[0026] Furthermore, housing 44 and opening / closing cover 45 are connected by a resin strap 48 at both ends in the direction in which rotation center 46 extends. More specifically, one end of strap 48 is screwed to a position on housing 44 between rotation center 46 and magnet 47 in the direction intersecting rotation center 46. Furthermore, the other end of strap 48 is screwed to a position on opening / closing cover 45 between rotation center 46 and iron plate member 451. As a result, when opening / closing cover 45 is opened, tension is applied to straps 48 due to the weight of opening / closing cover 45, and the tilted state is maintained without interfering with the placement surface of image forming apparatus 1. Therefore, when opening / closing cover 45 is opened, it is supported by two straps 48 and falls to the side. The strap 48 is an example of a restricting member.

[0027] Handles 452 are formed on opening / closing cover 45 to be used when opening opening / closing cover 45. These handles 452 are recessed and located at both ends in the direction of extension of rotation center 46. When opening opening / closing cover 45 in the closed state, the user can easily perform the opening operation against the magnetic force by placing their hands on either or both of the two handles 452 on opening / closing cover 45. The handle 452 is an example of a user-used part.

[0028] The access cover 45 is normally closed and can be opened for maintenance or the like. That is, opening the access cover 45 allows access to the inside of the image forming apparatus 1. For example, the paper holder 42 can be pulled out, and the yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C), and black (K) toner cartridges 49Y, 49M, 49C, and 49K (collectively referred to as "toner cartridges 49") containing toner to be supplied to the developing device 15 of the image forming unit 10 can be removed. The toner cartridges 49 are detachably mounted on the housing 44 and are replaced when the remaining toner runs low. Therefore, by opening the opening / closing cover 45, it is possible to perform maintenance tasks such as refilling paper into the paper holding section 42, replacing the toner cartridge 49, dealing with paper jams in the paper transport path within the image forming device 1, and cleaning the toner, which will be described later. Note that a storage medium such as an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable and Programmable ROM) may be provided in toner cartridge 49. In this case, the storage medium stores information indicating the type of toner cartridge 49 and information relating to the usage status of toner cartridge 49, such as the number of rotations of a rotating member (a rotating member used to transport toner) provided inside toner cartridge 49.

[0029] Here, a storage portion 7 is formed in the openable cover 45. This storage portion 7 is for storing a cleaning rod 8 that is used periodically. This cleaning rod 8 is inserted in the Z1 direction (see Figure 2(a) or (b)) toward the space A (see Figure 2(b)) between the photosensitive drum 12 (see Figure 1) of the image forming unit 10 and the exposure device 14 when the opening / closing cover 45 is open, to clean the toner. The storage portion 7 is an example of a storage portion, and the cleaning rod 8 is an example of a member that is stored in the storage space.

[0030] An interlock component 91 and a hard key 92 are attached to the opening / closing cover 45. The interlock component 91 is a component used to detect whether the opening / closing cover 45 is closed. The hard key 92 is a component that prevents the opening / closing cover 45 from closing when a retraction operation is performed using the rotary handle 24, and is rotatable around a rotary shaft 92a (see FIG. 4).

[0031] [Configuration of the opening / closing cover 45] Next, the configuration of the opening and closing cover 45 will be described. Fig. 4 is a rear view of the opening / closing cover 45 as seen from the inside. Fig. 5 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of the opening / closing cover 45, where (a) is an exploded perspective view of the opening / closing cover 45 as seen from the exterior cover 5 side, and (b) is an exploded perspective view of the opening / closing cover 45 as seen from the interior cover 6 side. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the openable cover 45 includes an exterior cover 5 located on the outside of the openable cover 45 and an interior cover 6 located on the inside. The interior cover 6 is screwed to the exterior cover 5 to form an integrated unit. Specifically, the interior cover 6 and the interior cover 5 are assembled so that their rear surfaces 6b and 5b face each other, and as is clear from the illustration of the screw heads in FIG. 4, mounting screws 453 are inserted from the front surface 6a of the interior cover 6. There are five mounting screws 453 in total, and they are attached to internal threads of bosses 54 (see FIG. 7) formed on the rear surface 5b of the exterior cover 5. In this way, the openable cover 45 employs a double structure made up of the exterior cover 5 and the interior cover 6.

[0032] 5(a), surface 5a of exterior cover 5 becomes surface 45a of opening / closing cover 45. When opening / closing cover 45 is closed, surface 5a of exterior cover 5, i.e., surface 45a of opening / closing cover 45, forms part of the outer surface of image forming apparatus 1. The exterior cover 5 is an example of an exterior opening / closing member, the back surface 5b of the exterior cover 5 is an example of an interior surface of an exterior opening / closing member, and the interior cover 6 is an example of an interior opening / closing member.

[0033] [Explanation of outer cover 5] 4, the exterior cover 5 has an engagement portion 51 that engages with the housing 44 (see FIG. 3). The engagement portion 51 is a portion that forms the above-mentioned rotation center 46. The above-mentioned rotation center 46 of the image forming apparatus 1 is located on the exterior cover 5 side. As shown in Fig. 5(a), the exterior cover 5 has a side wall portion 5c formed to protrude from the front surface 5a toward the back surface 5b. A partially recessed handle recess 52 is formed in the side wall portion 5c. This handle recess 52 corresponds to the handle 452 of the opening / closing cover 45 shown in Fig. 4.

[0034] [Interior cover 6 explanation] As shown in FIG. 5(b), the interior cover 6 has a storage recess 61 recessed from the front surface 6a to the back surface 6b to form a storage space 61a for storing the cleaning rod 8 (see FIG. 4). The cleaning rod 8 is stored in the storage recess 61 from the front surface 6a side of the interior cover 6. The storage recess 61 corresponds to the above-mentioned storage section 7 shown in FIG. The accommodation space 61a is an example of the accommodation space.

[0035] 5(a) and 5(b), the interior cover 6 is formed with a partially recessed handle recess 62. The handle recess 62 has a shape corresponding to the shape of the handle recess 52 of the exterior cover 5, and as shown in FIG. 4, in the opening / closing cover 45, the handle recess 62 of the interior cover 6 is positioned adjacent to the handle recess 52 of the exterior cover 5.

[0036] As shown in Fig. 5(a), the interior cover 6 has reinforcing ribs 63 that protrude toward the exterior cover 5. The reinforcing ribs 63 are formed on the back surface 6b side of the interior cover 6. In other words, the reinforcing ribs 63 are formed on the surface of the interior cover 6 that faces the exterior cover 5. The reinforcing ribs 63 can increase the rigidity of the interior cover 6. The reinforcing rib 63 is an example of a reinforcing rib.

[0037] Here, as described above, the interior cover 6 is located inside the opening / closing cover 45 and opens and closes together with the exterior cover 5. The interior cover 6 is also located so as to connect the handles 452 of the opening / closing cover 45 shown in Fig. 4 to each other, more specifically, the handle recesses 52 shown in Fig. 5 to each other. In other words, the handle recesses 62 of the interior cover 6 are located between the pair of handle recesses 52 of the exterior cover 5, and receive the load when the handle recesses 62 are pressed inward. This improves the rigidity of opening / closing cover 45, and makes it possible to suppress deformation of opening / closing cover 45 due to external forces acting on handles 452 when opening opening / closing cover 45. A user can easily open opening / closing cover 45 with one hand by placing their hand on either of the pair of handles 452.

[0038] 4, the storage recess 61 of the interior cover 6 is located closer to the handle 452 than the rotation center 46 in the intersecting direction that intersects with the rotation center 46. In other words, when the opening / closing cover 45 is opened, the storage recess 61 is located farther from the rotation center 46 and closer to the user. Although a configuration in which accommodating recess 61 is provided at a position close to rotation center 46 may be adopted, in the case of this embodiment, cleaning rod 8 accommodated in accommodating recess 61 can be easily removed.

[0039] As shown in FIG. 4, at least a part of the accommodating recess 61 is located in an area R sandwiched or surrounded by the pair of handles 452 (see the hatched area). A configuration may be adopted in which the accommodating recess 61 is located in an area other than area R, but in this embodiment, the uneven shape of the accommodating recess 61 can improve the rigidity of the handle 452 without providing a rib.

[0040] 4, interior cover 6 is positioned away from rotation center 46 and toward handle 452 in the transverse direction. Although a configuration may be adopted in which the rigidity of opening / closing cover 45 is increased by making interior cover 6 the same as exterior cover 5 in the transverse direction, in the present embodiment, the amount of material used for interior cover 6 can be reduced by making interior cover 6 smaller.

[0041] [Explanation of cleaning rod 8] FIG. 6 is a perspective view illustrating the cleaning rod 8. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 6, the cleaning rod 8 includes a longitudinally shaped elongated portion 81 having a flat surface 81a, a gripping portion 82 formed at one end of the elongated portion 81, the other end 83 of the elongated portion 81, and a nonwoven cleaning portion 84 provided on the flat surface 81a of the elongated portion 81. In this embodiment, the cleaning parts 84 are not provided along the long part 81, but are provided at three locations spaced apart from each other, including one location at the other end 83.

[0042] [Configuration of exterior cover 5] FIG. 7 is a rear view of the exterior cover 5 as seen from the rear surface 5b. 7, the exterior cover 5 has strap attachment parts 53 on the rear surface 5b for attaching the ends of the straps 48 (see FIG. 4). As described above, the exterior cover 5 also has bosses 54 on the rear surface 5b for attaching the interior cover 6. Furthermore, the exterior cover 5 has a reinforcing rib 55 on the rear surface 5b that connects the strap attachment portion 53 and the boss 54 to each other for reinforcement.

[0043] The strap attachment portion 53, boss 54, and reinforcing rib 55 are all located on the periphery, not the center, of the back surface 5b of the exterior cover 5. This prevents sink marks from significantly affecting product quality even if they occur on the front surface 5a of the exterior cover 5. If there is a risk of sink marks occurring at the periphery of the exterior cover 5, the periphery may be subjected to a graining process, that is, a process to give a wrinkled pattern.

[0044] [Configuration of interior cover 6] 8 is a view of the interior cover 6 as seen from the front surface 6a, with (a) being a front view and (b) and (c) being partially enlarged perspective views of (a). More specifically, (b) is an enlarged perspective view showing the periphery of the cutout portion 61d together with the cleaning rod 8, and (c) is an enlarged perspective view showing the periphery of the cutout portion 61e together with the cleaning rod 8. FIG. 9 is a rear view of the interior cover 6 as seen from the back surface 6b. 8(a) and 9, the interior cover 6 has a longitudinal direction X2 and a lateral direction Y2, and the accommodating recess 61 is formed using the longitudinal direction X2, thereby making it possible to accommodate a long member. The longitudinal direction X2 is the same direction as the direction in which the rotation center 46 (see, for example, FIG. 3) extends, and the lateral direction Y2 is the direction intersecting the rotation center 46 or the same direction as the intersecting direction. The longitudinal direction X2 is an example of a longitudinal direction, and the lateral direction Y2 is an example of a lateral direction.

[0045] As shown in FIG. 8(a), the storage space 61a of the storage recess 61 includes a first storage space 61b that corresponds to the outer shape of the cleaning rod 8 (see FIG. 6), and a second storage space 61c that is used when storing and removing the cleaning rod 8. The first storage space 61b is formed to extend in the same direction as the longitudinal direction X2. The second storage space 61c extends wide in the lateral direction Y2 at the middle of the first storage space 61b. More specifically, the second storage space 61c is located not in the center of the first storage space 61b but toward one end. The bottom surface of the second storage space 61c is formed deeper than the bottom surface of the first storage space 61b, which allows the cleaning rod 8 to be pinched when removing it, making it easier to remove the cleaning rod 8.

[0046] 8(a) and 9, storage recess 61 has notches 61d and 61e formed at both ends of first storage space 61b. The distance between notches 61d and 61e is shorter than the overall length of cleaning rod 8. Therefore, as shown in FIGS. 8(b) and 8(c), both ends of cleaning rod 8 inserted into first storage space 61b of storage space 61a from the front surface 6a side pass through notches 61d and 61e to be positioned on the side opposite to front surface 6a (rear surface 6b). That is, cleaning rod 8 is stored in storage recess 61 by passing grip portion 82 through notch 61d and the other end 83 through notch 61e while bending cleaning rod 8. This prevents the cleaning rod 8 from falling out of the first housing space 61b without providing a separate member for holding the cleaning rod 8 housed in the housing recess 61. Furthermore, the cleaning rod 8 can be easily housed and removed.

[0047] In Figure 8(b), the cleaning rod 8 is housed in the housing recess 61 so that the nonwoven fabric cleaning portion 84 is visible, but this position is not limited to this. In the position shown in Figure 8(b), it is easy to check the degree of dirt on the cleaning portion 84, but there is a risk of toner contamination when opening and closing the open-close cover 45. If the cleaning rod 8 is housed in a position that does not allow the nonwoven fabric cleaning portion 84 to be seen, it is not possible to check the degree of dirt on the cleaning portion 84 just by opening the open-close cover 45, but toner contamination when opening and closing the open-close cover 45 is reduced.

[0048] As described above, the reinforcing ribs 63 are formed on the rear surface 6b of the interior cover 6, and are formed in a direction different from the longitudinal direction X2, i.e., a direction intersecting the longitudinal direction X2, as shown in Fig. 9. The reinforcing ribs 63 according to this embodiment can more effectively suppress twisting of the interior cover 6 due to external forces and increase rigidity than when the reinforcing ribs 63 are formed in the same direction as the longitudinal direction X2.

[0049] As shown in FIG. 8(a), the interior cover 6 has, on its surface 6a, an attachment portion 64 for attaching the iron plate member 451, an attachment portion 65 for attaching the interlock component 91, and an attachment portion 66 for attaching the hard key 92.

[0050] [Explanation of hard key 92] 10 is a diagram explaining the function of the hard keys 92, where (a) shows a state in which the hard keys 92 are not interfering with the rotary handle 24, and (b) shows a state in which the hard keys 92 are interfering with the rotary handle 24. For ease of explanation, the opening / closing cover 45 is not shown in FIG. As described above, the hard key 92 is attached to the opening / closing cover 45, and the rotary handle 24 is attached to the image forming unit 10 (see FIG. 1) inside the apparatus.

[0051] If the retraction operation using the rotary handle 24 is not performed, as shown in FIG. 10(a), when an attempt is made to raise the opening / closing cover 45, the hard key 92 does not interfere with the rotary handle 24, and the opening / closing cover 45 can be closed. On the other hand, when a retraction operation is performed using the rotary handle 24, as shown in Fig. 10(b), even if an attempt is made to raise the opening / closing cover 45, the hard key 92 overlaps with the rotary handle 24 in the depth direction (Z1 direction in Fig. 2) and interferes with it, making it impossible to close the opening / closing cover 45. This makes it possible to prevent the image forming apparatus from operating if the opening / closing cover 45 is closed during retraction.

[0052] Note that a retraction operation is performed when the image forming apparatus 1 is shipped to reduce the effects of vibrations and shaking during transportation. For this reason, at the time of product shipment, the hard key 92 is attached by a rotation shaft 92a to enable the position of the hard key 92 relative to the opening / closing cover 45 to be changed so that the opening / closing cover 45 can be closed without the hard key 92 interfering with the rotating handle 24 even when the retraction operation is performed.

[0053] [The significance of making the opening / closing cover 45 a double structure] Here, we will explain the significance of making the open / close cover 45 a double structure made up of the exterior cover 5 and the interior cover 6. As will be explained below, there are several such significances.

[0054] [First meaning] Conventionally, reinforcing ribs have been provided to increase the rigidity of exterior covers, but this can lead to sink marks on the surface of the exterior cover, which can degrade the appearance. Using an exterior cover with such poor appearance in a product is undesirable as it may lead to a deterioration in product quality. Therefore, in this embodiment, a storage section that forms a storage space by protruding toward the outer cover 5 is provided in the inner cover 6, and the inner cover 6 is attached to the outer cover 5, thereby creating a double-structure opening / closing cover 45, which increases rigidity while preventing deterioration of appearance due to sink marks and suppresses deterioration in the product quality of the image forming device 1.

[0055] In addition, it is preferable to provide the interior cover 6 with reinforcing ribs 63 to make it a structural member, and to provide the exterior cover 5 with no reinforcing ribs or the like to make it a decorative member. However, if reinforcing ribs 55 or bosses 54 are provided, positioning the reinforcing ribs at the periphery rather than the center can ensure rigidity while preventing deterioration of appearance.

[0056] [Second meaning] Furthermore, the exterior cover is a member that is opened and closed during maintenance work. For example, when used in an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, if there are reinforcing ribs in the area where toner cleaning is performed, it becomes difficult to clean the toner. Therefore, in this embodiment, the reinforcing ribs are provided on the surface of the interior cover 6 facing the exterior cover 5, rather than on the surface of the opening / closing cover 45 facing the housing 44 of the image forming device 1, thereby increasing rigidity while making it easier to clean toner.

[0057] [Third meaning] In some cases, a product is completed by attaching an exterior cover whose configuration changes depending on the product specifications to the product. In such cases, since the exterior cover cannot be shared, it is necessary to design and manufacture an exterior cover individually for each product specification, manage it as inventory, and create and manage a manufacturing manual, making it difficult to reduce manufacturing costs.

[0058] The image forming device 1 of this embodiment has four image forming units 11Y, 11M, 11C, and 11K, and is configured to form color images using yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C), and black (K) toner images (see Figure 1), but is not limited to this and can also be configured to have only one image forming unit 11K and form black and white images using a black (K) toner image.

[0059] If the shape of the above-mentioned rotary handle 24 for performing the retraction operation differs between a configuration having four image forming units 11Y, 11M, 11C, and 11K (hereinafter sometimes referred to as a "color image forming configuration") and a configuration having only one image forming unit 11K (hereinafter sometimes referred to as a "black and white image forming configuration"), the shape of the hard key 92 that interferes with the rotary handle 24 will also differ. Also, the length of the cleaning rod 8 (see, for example, FIG. 5) may differ between the color image forming configuration and the black and white image forming configuration. In order to accommodate components with different shapes for the color image forming configuration and the black and white image forming configuration, it is necessary to carry out design, manufacturing, inventory management, etc. for two types of components.

[0060] Furthermore, when the image forming apparatus 1 is manufactured as a product of another company's brand, the exterior design is designed based on the specifications of that company, and therefore the exterior parts of the image forming apparatus 1 may be changed for each exterior design. Therefore, there are a large number of combinations of color / black and white and exterior design, and design, manufacturing, inventory management, etc. must be performed for each combination, making it difficult to reduce manufacturing costs.

[0061] Therefore, in this embodiment, two types of interior cover 6 are provided, one for color image formation and one for black and white image formation, and the exterior cover 5 can be changed according to the exterior design, thereby responding to the diversification of opening and closing covers 45.

[0062] More specifically, the shape of the mounting portion 66 (FIG. 8(a)) of the interior cover 6 differs between the color image forming configuration and the monochrome image forming configuration. Furthermore, if the length of the cleaning rod 8 (see FIG. 5, for example) housed in the housing recess 61 of the interior cover 6 differs between the color image forming configuration and the monochrome image forming configuration, the shape of the housing recess 61 (FIG. 8(a)) of the interior cover 6 will differ. Therefore, two types of interior cover 6 are prepared, one for the color image forming configuration and one for the monochrome image forming configuration. Furthermore, the exterior cover 5 located on the front of the image forming apparatus 1 can be changed according to the exterior design, regardless of whether the image forming apparatus is a color image forming configuration or a monochrome image forming configuration.

[0063] In this way, the interior covers 6 are classified into types according to the internal configuration or performance of the device, and the exterior covers 5 are individually designed and manufactured according to the exterior design.The open / close cover 45 is then manufactured by screwing the interior covers 6 and exterior covers 5 together, thereby enabling small-lot production of a wide variety of products.

[0064] [Various modified examples] Next, various modifications are possible for the image forming apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment, examples of which will be described below as various modifications. FIG. 11 is a rear view of the interior cover 6 illustrating the housing recess 61 according to the modified example, as viewed from the rear surface 6b of the interior cover 6, and corresponds to FIG. 9 in the present embodiment. 11 is formed to extend in a direction different from the longitudinal direction X2. That is, the accommodating recess 61 according to the modified example extends in a direction intersecting the longitudinal direction X2, which differs from the present embodiment in that the accommodating recess 61 extends in the same direction as the longitudinal direction X2.

[0065] 11, the reinforcing ribs 63 extend in a direction intersecting the longitudinal direction X2, and the accommodating recesses 61 are located between the reinforcing ribs 63. Therefore, the accommodating recesses 61 can function as reinforcing ribs, and omitting the reinforcing ribs can reduce the amount of molding material used. As shown in FIG. 11, the extending direction of the reinforcing ribs 63 is not the same as the extending direction of the accommodating recess 61, but the extending direction of the reinforcing ribs 63 and the extending direction of the accommodating recess 61 may be the same.

[0066] Fig. 12 is a rear view of the opening / closing cover 45 according to the modified example, and corresponds to Fig. 4 of the present embodiment. Fig. 13 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XIII-XIII in Fig. 12. 12, the opening / closing cover 45 according to the modified example differs from the present embodiment in the structure for attaching the strap 48. That is, the modified example differs from the present embodiment in that the strap 48 is attached to the interior cover 6, whereas the present embodiment attaches the strap to the exterior cover 5.

[0067] More specifically, the interior cover 6 shown in Fig. 12 has an extension 67 that extends to the attachment position of the strap 48. This eliminates the need to form a strap attachment portion 53 (see Fig. 7) on the exterior cover 5 for attaching the strap 48, preventing sink marks from occurring on the surface 5a of the exterior cover 5. Furthermore, by adopting a structure in which the strap 48 is attached to the interior cover 6, which has higher rigidity than the exterior cover 5, the strap 48 can be attached to the opening / closing cover 45 more firmly.

[0068] 13, the second housing space 61c of the housing recess 61 that protrudes from the interior cover 6 toward the exterior cover 5 is in contact with the exterior cover 5. The exterior cover 5 and the interior cover 6 are fixed to each other at this position with a mounting screw 453. That is, in this modified example, the bottom surface of the housing recess 61 is in contact with the boss 54 of the exterior cover 5, and a configuration is adopted in which it can be fastened with a screw. This allows the exterior cover 5 to be reinforced by the interior cover 6.

[0069] Unlike the other mounting screws 453 (see FIG. 4), the screw positions are not on the peripheral edge of the interior cover 6, so the spacing between the mounting screws 453 is shorter, and together with the other mounting screws 453, the exterior cover 5 and the interior cover 6 can be more firmly integrated. Note that when such a screw configuration is adopted, it is possible to reduce the number of mounting screws 453 while ensuring the necessary rigidity, and the workability of assembling the opening / closing cover 45 can be improved. The second housing space 61c is an example of a portion that protrudes toward the outer opening / closing member. Although the structure shown in FIG. 13 is explained as a modified example, it is also possible to apply it to this embodiment. [Explanation of symbols]

[0070] 1...image forming apparatus, 5...exterior cover, 5b...rear side, 6...interior cover, 7...accommodating section, 8...cleaning rod, 10...image forming section, 45...opening / closing cover, 46...rotation center, 48...strap, 61...accommodating recess, 61a...accommodating space, 61c...second accommodating space, 63...reinforcing rib, 452...handle, X2...longitudinal direction, Y2...transverse direction

Claims

1. an outer opening / closing member that constitutes a part of the outer surface of the image forming apparatus and that exposes the inside of the image forming apparatus when in an open state; an inner opening / closing member located on the inner surface side of the outer opening / closing member and capable of being opened and closed together with the outer opening / closing member; a member that is accommodated in a accommodating portion provided in the inner opening / closing member and is taken out for use; a prevention portion that prevents the member accommodated in the inner opening / closing member from falling out of the accommodation portion; An opening / closing member of an image forming apparatus having the same.

2. The prevention portion is not a separate member from the inner opening / closing member.

2. The opening and closing member of the image forming apparatus according to claim 1.

3. When the member is accommodated in the accommodation portion, the member is located closer to the outer opening / closing member than the prevention portion.

3. The opening / closing member of an image forming apparatus according to claim 1.

4. The member is received through the prevention portion.

4. The opening and closing member of the image forming apparatus according to claim 3.

5. The inner opening / closing member has a longitudinal direction and a lateral direction, The storage section is formed by utilizing the longitudinal direction of the inner opening / closing member, the housing portion includes a first housing portion extending in the same direction as the longitudinal direction and a second housing portion having a length in the short side direction longer than a length in the short side direction of the first housing portion, The prevention portion is formed in the first receiving portion.

2. The opening and closing member of the image forming apparatus according to claim 1.

6. The second storage section is located toward one end of the storage section rather than at the center thereof, The prevention portion is disposed closer to the second housing portion than a central position of the housing portion.

6. The opening and closing member of an image forming apparatus according to claim 5.

7. The prevention portion is provided in two places, one of the prevention portions is disposed closer to the second housing portion than a central position of the housing portion; the other of the prevention parts is disposed on a side farther from the second accommodation part than the central position of the accommodation part.

7. The opening and closing member of an image forming apparatus according to claim 6.

Images