Stand

Abstract

To provide a stand that can be easily recycled. [Solution] The stand 100 is characterized by comprising a metal support base 111 for supporting the image forming apparatus, a plurality of casters 115 provided at the lower part of the support base 111, a plurality of adjusters 113 provided at the lower part of the support base 111, and a plurality of positioning pins 116 provided at the upper part of the support base 111 that engage with the image forming apparatus.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a stand for installing a relatively heavy image forming apparatus such as a copier, scanner, facsimile, printer, or a multi-functional device incorporating these, which is used in an office or the like.

Background Art

[0002] A stand for installing a relatively heavy image forming apparatus such as a copier, scanner, facsimile, printer, or a multi-functional device incorporating these, which is used in an office or the like, has a decorative sheet adhered to a wooden support base (with a thickness of about 20 mm to 30 mm) such as medium density fiberboard (MDF) or particle board. Casters are attached to the bottom surface so that it can move by traveling, and adjusters are attached to the bottom surface so that it can be installed horizontally.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] A stand using a wooden support base as described above is difficult to recycle, so it is discarded after exceeding its useful life, resulting in a high environmental load. Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a stand that can be easily recycled.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] To solve the aforementioned problems, the stand according to the present invention is characterized by comprising a metal support base for supporting an image forming apparatus, a plurality of casters provided at the lower part of the support base, a plurality of adjusters provided at the lower part of the support base, and a plurality of positioning pins provided at the upper part of the support base for engaging with the image forming apparatus.

[0006] Furthermore, in the stand according to the present invention, it is preferable that the support base is made of a sheet metal processed plate material.

[0007] Furthermore, in the stand according to the present invention, it is preferable that the support base has a metal reinforcing stay attached to its lower part.

[0008] Furthermore, in the stand according to the present invention, it is preferable that the reinforcing stay in the stand described above is made of sheet metal processed plate material.

[0009] Furthermore, in the stand according to the present invention, it is preferable that the casters are attached to the reinforcing stays in the stand described above.

[0010] Furthermore, in the stand according to the present invention, it is preferable that the support base has a metal reinforcing washer attached to the lower corner.

[0011] Furthermore, in the stand according to the present invention, it is preferable that the adjuster is attached to the reinforcing washer in the stand described above.

[0012] Furthermore, in the above-described stand according to the present invention, the support base may also include a metal top plate for supporting the image forming apparatus, a metal bottom plate on which the casters and adjusters are provided, and a plurality of metal support columns for connecting and fixing the bottom plate and the top plate.

[0013] Furthermore, in the stand according to the present invention, it is preferable that the bottom plate and the top plate are made of sheet metal processed plate material.

[0014] In addition, it is preferable that the pedestal according to the present invention is the above-described pedestal in which the bottom plate and the top plate are each provided with a metal reinforcing stay on the lower surface.

[0015] In addition, it is preferable that the pedestal according to the present invention is the above-described pedestal in which the reinforcing stay is made of a sheet metal processed plate material.

[0016] In addition, it is preferable that the pedestal according to the present invention is the above-described pedestal in which the caster is attached to the reinforcing stay of the bottom plate.

[0017] In addition, it is preferable that the pedestal according to the present invention is the above-described pedestal in which the bottom plate is provided with a metal reinforcing washer at the lower corners.

[0018] In addition, it is preferable that the pedestal according to the present invention is the above-described pedestal in which the adjuster is attached to the reinforcing washer.

[0019] In addition, it is preferable that the pedestal according to the present invention is the above-described pedestal in which a metal side plate is provided between the bottom plate and the top plate.

[0020] In addition, it is preferable that the pedestal according to the present invention is the above-described pedestal in which the side plate is made of a sheet metal processed plate material.

Advantages of the Invention

[0021] The pedestal according to the present invention can be easily recycled by a metal support base, and can greatly reduce the environmental load.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0022] [Figure 1] It is a perspective view showing the overall schematic configuration of the first embodiment of the pedestal according to the present invention. [Figure 2] It is a front view seen from the direction of arrow II in FIG. 1. [Figure 3] It is a side view seen from the direction of arrow III in FIG. 1. [Figure 4] It is a bottom view showing a schematic configuration of the lower surface side of the support base of the table in FIG. 1. [Figure 5] It is a side view showing a schematic configuration of the positioning pin of the table in FIG. 1. [Figure 6] It is a perspective view showing the overall schematic configuration of the second embodiment of the table according to the present invention. [Figure 7] It is a front view seen from the direction of arrow VII in FIG. 6. [Figure 8] It is a side view seen from the direction of arrow VIII in FIG. 6. [Figure 9] It is an inner view showing a schematic configuration of the upper surface side of the base of the table in FIG. 6. [Figure 10] It is an inner view showing a schematic configuration of the lower surface side of the support base of the table in FIG. 6. [Figure 11] It is a bottom view showing a schematic configuration of the lower surface side of the support base in another embodiment of the table according to the present invention. [Figure 12] It is a bottom view showing a schematic configuration of the lower surface side of the support base in still another embodiment of the table according to the present invention. [Figure 13] It is a side view showing a schematic configuration of the positioning pin in still another embodiment of the table according to the present invention.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0023] Embodiments of the table according to the present invention will be described based on the drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited only to the following embodiments described based on the drawings, and various technical matters described in each embodiment can be combined or replaced as appropriate as needed.

[0024] [First Embodiment] The first embodiment of the table according to the present invention will be described based on FIGS. 1 to 5.

[0025] The stand according to this embodiment is a stand for installing relatively heavy image forming equipment such as photocopiers, scanners, fax machines, printers, and multifunction devices used in offices, etc. As shown in Figures 1 to 4, the metal support base 111 that supports the image forming equipment is made of a steel plate (thickness 0.5 mm to 3 mm, preferably 1 mm to 1.5 mm, optimally 1.2 mm) and is bent (sheet metal processed) so that the cross-sectional shape of the periphery is approximately U-shaped.

[0026] At the four corners of the bent peripheral edge at the lower part of the support base 111, metal reinforcing washers 112 (thickness 0.5 mm to 3 mm, preferably 2 mm to 2.5 mm, optimally 2.3 mm) forming right-angled triangles are attached to reinforce the corners of the support base 111. Each reinforcing washer 112 has a receiving base 113c having a nut (not shown) that screws onto the screw shaft 113a of the adjuster 113. A receiving plate 113b is provided at the tip of the screw shaft 113a of the adjuster 113 (lower end in Figures 1 to 3).

[0027] In other words, the support base 111 can maintain a horizontal position by adjusting the screw position of the screw shaft 113a of each adjuster 113 and the nut on the support base 113c, thereby adjusting the length between the receiving plate 113b of the adjuster 113 and the support base 113c.

[0028] A metal reinforcing stay 114 is attached to the bottom surface (underside) of the support base 111 to reinforce its strength. The reinforcing stay 114 is made of a steel plate (approximately 100 mm wide, 0.5 mm to 3 mm thick, preferably 1 mm to 1.5 mm, and optimally 1.2 mm) and is bent (sheet metal processed) so that the cross-sectional shape in the short direction is a so-called hat shape.

[0029] The reinforcing stays 114 are oriented so that their longitudinal direction faces the direction connecting one side (right side in Figure 4) and the other side (left side in Figure 4) of the support base 111. In addition, multiple reinforcing stays 114 (three in this embodiment) are attached in the direction connecting the front side (lower side in Figure 4) and the rear side (upper side in Figure 4) of the support base 111.

[0030] Each of these reinforcing stays 114 is fitted with a caster 115 that enables the support base 111 to move. The reinforcing stays 114 located on the front side (lower side in Figure 4) and rear side (upper side in Figure 4) of the support base 111 have casters 115 attached to one side (right side in Figure 4) and the other side (left side in Figure 4), respectively. The reinforcing stay 114 located in the center of the support base 111 has a caster 115 attached to the center of its longitudinal direction.

[0031] Positioning pins 116 are erected at the center of the support base 111, between one side (right side in Figure 2) and the other side (left side in Figure 2) on the front (left side in Figure 3) and rear (right side in Figure 3) sides, respectively, and are detachably engaged with engagement holes formed on the bottom surface of an image forming apparatus (not shown). As shown in Figure 5, these positioning pins 116 consist of a pin body 116a and a nut 116b.

[0032] As shown in Figure 5, the tip end (upper end in Figure 5) of the pin body 116a has a tapered portion 116aa that becomes smaller in diameter towards the tip. The base end (lower end in Figure 5) of the pin body 116a has a male threaded portion 116ab. A flange portion 116ac is formed between the tip end and the base end of the pin body 116a.

[0033] The nut 116b is fixed to the reinforcing stay 114 so as to be coaxial with the pin hole 111a formed in the support base 111, and can be screwed into the male threaded portion 116ab of the pin body 116a. The axial length of the male threaded portion 116ab of the pin body 116a is approximately equal to the axial length of the nut 116b. The axial length between the tip of the male threaded portion 116ab of the pin body 116a and the flange portion 116ac is set to be equal to the height of the inner portion of the reinforcing stay 114.

[0034] In other words, when the male threaded portion 116ab of the pin body 116a is inserted through the pin hole 111a of the support base 111 and screwed onto the nut 116b, the flange portion 116ac of the pin body 116a comes into contact with the support base 111. As a result, the pin body 116a is fixedly held to the support base 111 via the nut 116b and the reinforcing stay 114, and is also held at the set height position.

[0035] In the mounting base 100 configured in this embodiment, the image forming apparatus is positioned and installed on the support base 111 by mounting the image forming apparatus on the support base 111 so as to insert the positioning pin 116 into the engagement hole of the image forming apparatus. Then, by applying horizontal force to the support base 111, it can be easily moved along the horizontal direction via the casters 115 and placed in the desired location. Subsequently, the installation of the image forming apparatus is completed by adjusting the adjuster 113 so that the image forming apparatus is horizontal.

[0036] According to this embodiment of the stand 100, since the main components such as the support base 111, reinforcing washer 112, and reinforcing stay 114 are made of metal, they can be easily recycled, and the environmental burden can be greatly reduced.

[0037] Furthermore, since the support base 111, reinforcing washers 112, and reinforcing stays 114 are constructed by processing sheet metal, the weight can be kept to a similar level as that of a wooden structure, and it can be made lighter than a metal plate with the same strength. In addition, it can be manufactured using sheet metal processing, which reduces the effort and cost involved in manufacturing.

[0038] Furthermore, because it is made of metal, it can be made more durable than wood, reducing the environmental impact. In addition, the surface can be finished with paint without having to apply decorative sheets as with wood, which reduces the effort and cost of manufacturing.

[0039] [Second Embodiment] A second embodiment of the stand according to the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 6 to 10. However, for parts that are the same as those described in the previously described embodiment, the same reference numerals used in the previously described embodiment will be used, and any explanations that overlap with the previously described embodiment will be omitted.

[0040] As shown in Figures 6-9, the metal bottom plate 217, made of steel sheet metal (thickness 0.5mm to 3mm, preferably 1mm to 1.5mm, optimally 1.2mm), is bent (sheet metal processed) so that the cross-sectional shape of its periphery is approximately U-shaped.

[0041] Reinforcement washers 112 are attached to each of the four corners of the bent peripheral edge at the bottom of the base plate 217. Each reinforcement washer 112 has a support base 113c attached to it, which has a nut (not shown) that screws onto the threaded shaft 113a of the adjuster 113. A receiving plate 113b is provided at the tip of the threaded shaft 113a of the adjuster 113.

[0042] A reinforcing stay 114 is attached to the bottom surface (underside) of the base plate 217. The reinforcing stay 114 is oriented so that its longitudinal direction faces the direction connecting one side (right side in Figure 9) and the other side (left side in Figure 9) of the base plate 217. In addition, the reinforcing stay 114 is attached to the front side (lower side in Figure 9) and the rear side (upper side in Figure 9) of the base plate 217 (two in this embodiment).

[0043] These reinforcing stays 114 have casters 115 attached to one side (right side in Figure 9) and the other side (left side in Figure 9) of the base plate 217, respectively.

[0044] A metal reinforcing cover plate 218 is attached between the reinforcing stay 114 on the front side (lower side in Figure 9) and the reinforcing stay 114 on the rear side (upper side in Figure 9) of the bottom plate 217. This reinforcing cover plate 218 is made of steel sheet material (thickness 0.5 mm to 3 mm, preferably 1 mm to 1.5 mm, optimally 1.2 mm) and is bent (sheet metal processed) so that the cross-sectional shape of its periphery is approximately U-shaped.

[0045] On the other hand, as shown in Figures 6-8 and 10, the metal top plate 219 that supports the image forming apparatus is made of a steel plate (thickness 0.5 mm to 3 mm, preferably 1 mm to 1.5 mm, optimally 1.2 mm) and is bent (sheet metal processed) so that the cross-sectional shape of the periphery is approximately U-shaped. Reinforcing stays 114 are attached to the bottom surface (underside) of the top plate 219.

[0046] The reinforcing stays 114 are oriented so that their longitudinal direction faces the direction connecting one side (right side in Figure 10) and the other side (left side in Figure 10) of the top plate 219. In addition, multiple reinforcing stays 114 (three in this embodiment) are attached in the direction connecting the front side (bottom side in Figure 10) and the back side (top side in Figure 10) of the top plate 219.

[0047] Positioning pins 116 are erected at the center of the top plate 219, between one side (right side in Figure 7) and the other side (left side in Figure 7) on both the front (left side in Figure 8) and rear (right side in Figure 8) sides. These positioning pins 116 have the same structure as those in the previously described embodiment.

[0048] The base plate 217 and the top plate 219 are positioned opposite each other and are connected and fixed to each other via a plurality of metal support columns 220 that are positioned near each of the four corners. The space between one side (right side in Figure 7) and the other side (left side in Figure 7) of the base plate 217 and the top plate 219 is covered by metal side plates 221 made of steel plate material (thickness 0.5 mm to 3 mm, preferably 1 mm to 1.5 mm, optimally 1.2 mm).

[0049] In this embodiment, the support base is constructed from a bottom plate 217, a reinforcing cover plate 218, a top plate 219, support columns 220, side plates 221, etc.

[0050] In the base 200 configured in this embodiment, the image forming apparatus is positioned and installed on the top plate 219 by mounting it on the top plate 219 so that the positioning pins 116 are inserted into the engagement holes of the image forming apparatus, similar to the embodiment described above. Then, by applying horizontal force to the bottom plate 217, it can be easily moved along the horizontal direction via the casters 115, similar to the embodiment described above, and placed in the desired location.

[0051] According to the stand 200 of this embodiment, since the main components such as the bottom plate 217, top plate 219, support column 220, and side plate 221 are made of metal material, recycling can be easily carried out, as in the previously described embodiment, and the environmental burden can be greatly reduced.

[0052] Furthermore, since the bottom plate 217, top plate 219, side plates 221, etc. are constructed by processing sheet metal, as in the embodiment described above, it is possible to reduce the weight compared to the case of a thick plate with the same strength, and it can be manufactured by sheet metal processing, thus keeping the effort and cost of manufacturing low.

[0053] Furthermore, as with the embodiments described above, being made of metal allows for greater durability than wood, further reducing the environmental impact. In addition, the surface can be finished with paint without the need to apply decorative sheets as with wood, thus reducing the effort and cost involved in manufacturing.

[0054] Here, when applying paint, the area between the reinforcing stay 114 on the front side (lower side in Figure 9) and the reinforcing stay 114 on the rear side (upper side in Figure 9) of the bottom plate 217 is located in the center of the interior, making it difficult to paint. However, by painting the reinforcing cover plate 218 and then attaching it to the center of the interior of the bottom plate 217, it becomes easy to achieve a painted interior center for the bottom plate 217.

[0055] [Other embodiments] In the embodiment described above, the reinforcing stays 114 are oriented so that their longitudinal direction faces the direction connecting one side (right side in Figures 4, 9, 10) and the other side (left side in Figures 4, 9, 10) of the support base 111, bottom plate 217, and top plate 219, and multiple stays are attached in the direction connecting the front side (downward side in Figures 4, 9, 10) and the back side (upward side in Figures 4, 9, 10) of the support base 111, bottom plate 217, and top plate 219. However, the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0056] In another embodiment, for example, as shown in Figure 11, it is also possible to further attach a reinforcing stay 314 in the central portion between one side (right side in Figure 11) and the other side (left side in Figure 11) of the support base 111, along the direction connecting the front side (downward side in Figure 11) and the rear side (upward side in Figure 11) of the support base 111, so as to avoid the reinforcing stay 114.

[0057] Furthermore, for example, instead of the reinforcing stay 114, it is also possible to attach the reinforcing stay 414 only to the part where the caster 115 is attached, as shown in Figure 12.

[0058] Comparing these structures, if a reinforcing stay 314 as shown in Figure 11 is added, the load-bearing capacity becomes almost the same as in the first embodiment, and while the deflection is reduced, the cost increases. Also, if a reinforcing stay 414 as shown in Figure 12 is used instead, the load-bearing capacity decreases and the deflection increases compared to the first embodiment, and the cost does not decrease significantly. Therefore, the structures in the first and second embodiments are the most preferable from the viewpoint of balancing various functions.

[0059] Furthermore, although the above-described embodiment described the case of a base 100,200 to which a positioning pin 116 with the structure shown in Figure 5 is applied, the present invention is not limited to this. As another embodiment, for example, a base to which a positioning pin 516 with the structure shown in Figure 13 is applied is also possible.

[0060] Specifically, as shown in Figure 13, the positioning pin 516 comprises a pin body 516a, a nut 116b, and a sleeve 516c. The pin body 516a has a male threaded portion 516ab along its entire length, between the flange portion 116ac and the base end (lower end in Figure 13). The sleeve 516c is cylindrical in shape, with an inner diameter equal to the outer diameter of the nut 116b, and its axial length is set to be equal to the height of the inner portion of the reinforcing stay 114.

[0061] In such a positioning pin 516, the same effects and advantages as those of the positioning pin 116 according to the above embodiment can be obtained. Note that the sleeve 516c is not limited to a cylindrical shape; it can also be a polygonal shape such as a square or hexagon.

[0062] Furthermore, although the above-described embodiment described a positioning pin 116,516 in which the flange portion 116ac is integrally formed with the pin body 116a, the present invention is not limited to this. As another embodiment, for example, it is also possible to have a positioning pin in which the flange is provided separately from the pin body.

[0063] Furthermore, the above-described embodiment described a case in which positioning pins 116 and 516 are erected at the central position between one side near the front and the other side near the rear on the support base 111 and the top plate 219, respectively. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the positioning pins 116 and 516 can be appropriately set according to the position of the engagement hole of the image forming apparatus to be mounted.

[0064] Furthermore, for example, brackets that can be connected to an image forming apparatus, or receiving members that support the image forming apparatus, can be appropriately provided on the support base 111 or the top plate 219 according to the specifications of the image forming apparatus. [Industrial applicability]

[0065] The stand according to the present invention can be easily recycled and significantly reduces the environmental impact, making it extremely useful in various industries. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0066] 100 Stand 111 Support stand 111a Pinhole 112 Reinforcement Washer 113 adjuster 113a Screw shaft 113b saucer 113c cradle 114 Reinforcement stay 115 Caster 116 positioning pins 116a Pin Body 116aa Tapered section 116ab Male thread section 116ac flange section 116b Nut 200 Stand 217 Bottom plate 218 Reinforced lid plate 219 Top plate 219a Pinhole 220 Post 221 Side panel 314,414 Reinforcement stays 516 Positioning pins 516a Pin Body 516ab Male thread section 516c sleeve

Claims

1. A metal support base that supports the image forming apparatus, Multiple casters are provided at the lower part of the support base, Multiple adjusters are provided at the lower part of the support base, A plurality of positioning pins are provided on the upper part of the support base and engage with the image forming apparatus. A stand characterized by having the following features.

2. The support base is made of sheet metal processed sheet material. The stand according to feature 1.

3. The aforementioned support base has a metal reinforcing stay attached to its lower part. The stand according to feature 2.

4. The aforementioned reinforcing stay is made of sheet metal. The stand according to feature 3.

5. The caster is attached to the reinforcing stay. The stand according to feature 3.

6. The aforementioned support base has metal reinforcing washers attached to the lower corners. The stand according to feature 2.

7. The adjuster is attached to the reinforcing washer. The stand according to feature 6.

8. The aforementioned support base is A metal top plate supporting the image forming apparatus, A metal base plate on which the casters and adjusters are provided, Multiple metal support columns connect and fix the base plate and the top plate. The stand according to claim 1, characterized by having the following features.

9. The bottom plate and the top plate are made of sheet metal processed sheet material. The stand according to feature 8.

10. The bottom plate and the top plate are each fitted with metal reinforcing stays on their undersides. The stand according to feature 9.

11. The aforementioned reinforcing stay is made of sheet metal. The stand according to feature 10.

12. The caster is attached to the reinforcing stay of the base plate. The stand according to feature 10.

13. The aforementioned base plate has metal reinforcing washers attached to its lower corners. The stand according to feature 9.

14. The adjuster is attached to the reinforcing washer. The stand according to feature 13.

15. A metal side plate is provided between the bottom plate and the top plate. The stand according to feature 8.

16. The aforementioned side plate is made of sheet metal processed sheet material. The stand according to feature 15.

Images